It is fortunate that one of the old railroad depots remains as the showpiece of an era gone by to help us collect, archive and display the historic gems of the past. Below are pictured the two Callahan depots that stood side by side from the early 1880s until the original passenger Florida Railroad depot on the left burned about 1917. The two railroads collaborated by doubling the size of the elevated freight depot on the right, adding a clerk's office and ticket sales windows and passenger waiting rooms for white and colored on the far end. It is this building that remains as the headquarters of the West Nassau Historical Society and West Nassau Museum of History.
A Florida Nonprofit 501(c)3 Tax Exempt Organization
Located Inside the Historic Train Depot at 45383 Dixie Avenue, Callahan
Mail to P.O. Box 1758, Callahan, FL 32011 (904-879-3406)
Proud members of Nassau County Chamber of Commerce
and Arts and Culture Nassau
Collection of WNHS
Looking northeast with Brandies Avenue to the left and Dixie Avenue to the right. Circa 1880-1890s.
Abner McGehee
This page was last updated: January 12, 2025
The historic Callahan Train Depot
Copyright 2014-2024 WNHS
The depot sat in this, its second location, for generations. This is the southeast corner of the intersection of CSX's north-south double track and the old Florida Railroad line that went in front of Brandies Hardware. In the 1980s, it was acquired by the historical society and underwent a $100K renovation. This end of the depot was built in 1881 of Victorian architecture. The lower opposite end was built circa 1910 and became the passenger waiting rooms and agent's office.
Before Restoration
2024-2025 Officers
President: John Hendricks
Vice-President: Jerry Peterson
Treasurer: Emily Baumgartner
Secretary: Kim Hoffecker
2024-2025
Board of Directors
West Nassau Historical Society
2023-2024
Emily Baumgartner
Linda Conley
Tracy Connors PhD
John Hendricks
Janet Homann
Kim Hoffecker
Jerry Peterson
Marge Powell
Jeanne Scott
Elton Steptoe
Collection of WNHS
SPECIAL THANKS TO THESE SUSTAINING MEMBERS
CORPORATE MEMBERS
Amanda Ream, Editor
Nassau County Record 904 879 2727
Golden Spike Level
Florida Power and Light
CSX Transportation
Okefenoke Rural Electric Co-op Foundation
First Baptist Church of Callahan
Town of Callahan
Rayonier
WestRock
Silver Spike Level
Bob Eubanks - Rusty Acres
Anchor Church
Schwend Insurance
AA Bottle Gas and Fuel
Brandies Ace Hardware
West Fraser. Inc.
Arts and Culture Nassau
Bronze Spike Level
Davis Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram
Vystar Credit Union
Southeastern Bank
General Meetings
4th Thursdays of each month
at the historic Callahan Train Depot
6:30 pm meal
7:00 pm meeting
Admission is free and open
to public but donations
are gladly accepted
The West Nassau Historical Society is an all-volunteer 501c3.
To donate to our group, call us today: 904 879-3406
We welcome you to our Internet site and hope to introduce you to what we have to offer at our historic Callahan depot headquarters and museum within the depot. We are in our 43rd year of caring about the future of our past. We are an all-volunteer organization looking for like-minded individuals and businesses who share our interests. Download a membership application below and join us in celebrating and preserving our rich and diverse history. Though we are located at the historic Callahan Train Depot in the heart of western Nassau County, we like our colleagues from the Yulee Historic Council and Amelia Island Museum of History, are interested in ALL of our county's history. However, our primary focus is on the western half of the county: from the banks of the tea-colored St. Marys River to Thomas Creek, from the towns of Bryceville, Boulougne, Callahan, and Hilliard to the ghost towns of Italia, Dyal, Crawford, and Gross and the vast timberlands that lay in between.
The historical society's theme is aimed at the history of the railroad which opened up the interior of Nassau County and much of the rest of the wilderness of the south and west. David Yulee's Florida Railroad began at new Fernandina, was finished through central Nassau County by mid-1856 and completed to Cedar Key by 1861. Upcoming Events
Thursday-Saturday January 23-25, 2025
13 Annual Nassau Art at the Callahan Depot (NACD)
Art Show and sale for three days. FREE and open to the public.
Open to all adult and middle-senior student artists living in Nassau County. Entry form below.
Thursday, February 25, 2025
Monthly meeting. Special Guest Speaker Florida Humanities' Florida Talkda Talks Series. Florida Food Stories: Dalia Colon.
Thursday, March 25, 2025
6:30 p.m. meal. 7:00 p.m. Monthly Meeting. Speaker: Clyde Davis, Nassau Feuds, Part 2.
Saturday, March 29, 2025
20th Annual Railroad Day Festival & Classic Car Show
The all-volunteer nonprofit’s 20th annual celebration is an all-day event held in and around the historic 1881 Callahan Train Depot and adjoining 1856 Florida Railroad bed. This year’s event will continue to celebrate Nassau County's 200th birthday with photos, artifacts and maps of interest displayed inside the Depot Museum. The exhibition buildings, 144-year old wooden train station and 1940s-era caboose will also be open.
The arts/crafts vendors and food vendors are open from 9 AM to 4 PM and the kids area will include Joel Pace hands-on music zoo and a scavenger hunt.
Local live entertainment will perform on the Callahan PAV Pavilion from 9 AM to 4 PM.
Callahan Cruisers will host a classic car show at Cochrane's Collision Center next door to the depot from 10 AM to 2 PM.
Various citizens and sponsors will be honored and car show and contest winners announced during the festivities. Antique machines, tractors, and scaled trains will be exhibited outside the depot while model train layouts will be on display inside the Depot Annex.
This is an outdoor event so please bring your lawn chairs. Admission is free and open to the public but donations are always gladly accepted.
Recent Events We Enjoyed...
51st Annual
Callahan Christmas Parade and Craft Festival
December 7
This year's parade and craft fair were again hosted by the West Nassau Historical Society, an all-volunteer 501c3 nonprofit dedicated to the discovery of the rich adverse history and culture of Nassau County, especially the western half of our county. We are also entrusted with the maintenance and upkeep of the 1881 Callahan Train Depot.
8th Annual Hobo, Tractors and Heroes Festival
&
Veterans Appreciation
Saturday, November 16
The Eighth Annual Hobo, Tractors and Heroes Festival and Veterans Appreciation, held on Saturday, November 16, did not disappoint for fun, excitement and recognition of our Veterans.
The HTHFVA is the annual, fun-filled autumn event sponsored by the West Nassau Historical Society designed to raise much-needed funds to promote our county's rich history and culture and to maintain and preserve the 1881 Callahan train station. Our Veterans are also honored and recognized for their Service to our Country.
click here...
To Volunteer for any of the West Nassau Historical Society events or activities,
Or,
To Donate to the Society as a tax-exempt, nonprofit organization, contact Emily or John at (904-879-3406).
West Nassau Historical Society Thanks these Dedicated Supporters...
January 2025
Important News and Updates about...
Smithsonian Institute Exhibit...
Railroad Day Festival and Car Show...
UPCOMING EVENTS...
13th Annual Nassau Art at the Callahan Depot (NACD)
The West Nassau Historical Society is proud to sponsor the 13th Annual Nassau Art at the Callahan Depot (NACD) art show and sale, January 23-25, 2025, a three-day visual feast prepared by local artists.
