For decades, Denton Bus Line got people around town for a nickel
108 W. McKinney St., the former site of the Denton Bus Line, is shown today. Walt’s Garage took over the bus line space in 1976 and lasted until 2020.
Rob and Evelyn Neale moved to a Tioga farm after their wedding in 1908. When the U.S. entered World War I in 1917, 29-year-old Rob’s draft card described him as a stout man with blue eyes and brown hair. Although he spent four years as a private at what became Texas A&M University, he did not fight in WWI. He stayed home to support his wife and nine children.
The Neale family moved to Denton at 1112 N. Locust St. by 1921. Rob Neale started the Denton Bus Line with one bus at 108 W. McKinney St. Through the years, Neale kept the bus fare to a nickel.
Rob Neale Sr.
Public transportation was a lifeline when most people didn’t own cars. Students at the College of Industrial Arts and the North Texas State Teachers College (present-day Texas Woman’s University and the University of North Texas) who regularly used the bus could purchase 24 bus tokens for one dollar.
Horse-drawn omnibuses provided early mass transportation. The Denton Traction Co. served both colleges between 1908 and 1918 via a trolley that terminated at Denton’s Highland Park Road. After the trolley company failed, developers moved the trolley to what became Dallas’ Highland Park.
Omnibus, Latin “for all,” was eventually shortened to bus. Denton’s first bus had a modern engine. The interior was more functional than comfortable with virtually indestructible seats and no seat belts. A bus was called a “goose” because it was usually gray, and it migrated. Denton’s bus was affectionately called the Galloping Goose.
Denton’s bus route started at the southwest corner of the Square, stopping at both colleges. Riders could board the bus every 20 minutes, and buses ran until 11 p.m.
Neale became involved in Denton organizations, including the Rotary Club and the Knife and Fork Club, which featured fine dining and a program. He attended Denton’s First Baptist Church, also chaperoning students to the International Baptist Youth Conference in Zurich, Switzerland.
The city of Denton granted Neale a 10-year permit to run the bus service in 1934. In 1939, the Denton Record-Chronicle reported that the 16-year-old Denton Bus Line was the oldest independent bus operator in Texas.
A Denton Bus Line ad is shown in the May 16, 1946, edition of the Denton Record-Chronicle.
The company’s reputation for reliable service, and its quest to hold the fare to a nickel, motivated the city to give the company a second 10-year operation permit in 1944. Although the Denton Bus Line provided a service, there is no evidence the city ever provided any financial assistance to the company.
Neale’s son Robert Neale Jr. graduated from North Texas State in 1932. After serving in the Navy during the last year of World War II, Neale Jr. managed the bus company until 1951. He promoted the bus line as a way to get to church on Sundays.
Buses ran every 15 minutes on Sundays between 8:30 a.m. and 1 p.m., and every 30 minutes between 1 and 6:30 pm. Neale Jr. also focused on advertising to Denton’s college population.
The Denton Bus Line celebrated its 25th anniversary on Nov. 20, 1946. The company slogan was “Comfort, convenience, and courtesy.”
Neale added routes on West Oak and North Elm streets. The bus fleet grew to 13 21-passenger buses equipped with side doors and buzzers to allow passengers to signal desired stops. The company employed 19 drivers, mechanics and office personnel. J.O. Pannell was the employee with the most longevity — 20 years.
The original Denton Bus Line building at 108 W. McKinney St. still stands today.
In 1953, the Neale family sold the bus line to investors supported by the Denton Chamber of Commerce and Bill Utter, who owned the local Ford franchise. By 1958, the bus line was on the brink of bankruptcy. The city of Denton refused a request to subsidize the company in June, July and August, the months with the lowest ridership.
A 1961 Denton Record-Chronicle article announced that March 31 would be the bus line’s last run. The company shuttered on April 1, 1961, after providing service to Denton residents for 40 years.
Pannell began the Denton Cab Co. shortly after the bus line closed, running the taxicab service from the old bus building. Pannell ran the cab company between 1961 and 1975.
Rob Neale Sr. died in 1975. He’s buried in Denton’s I.O.O.F. Cemetery.
On May 27, 1976, Walt Brazeal opened Walt’s Garage at 108 W. McKinney St. He ran the garage until his retirement in 2020.
The building built for the Denton Bus Line will continue the transportation theme with its next occupant.
According to a Facebook post, Bullseye Bike Shop will be taking over the 108 W. McKinney space later this year.
Randy Hunt contributed research to this story.
ANNETTA RAMSAY, Ph.D., has lived and worked in Denton for many years.
