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
Looking northeast with Brandies Avenue to the left and Dixie Avenue to the right. Circa 1880-1890s.
This page was last updated: March 15, 2024
The historic Callahan Train Depot
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.
2023-2024 Officers
President: Emily Baumgartner
Vice-President: Elton Steptoe
Treasurer: John Hendricks
Secretary: Kim Hoffecker
2023-2024
Board of Directors
West Nassau Historical Society
2023-2024
Emily Baumgartner
Linda Conley
Tracy Connors
John Hendricks
Kim Hoffecker
Jerry Peterson
Marge Powell
Elton Steptoe,
Debbie Stokes
SPECIAL THANKS TO THESE SUPPORTERS
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
The West Nassau Historical Society is an active member of Arts and Culture Nassau, supporting advocacy of the arts throughout Nassau County. For more info, visit:
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.
The West Nassau Historical Society will host the 19th Railroad Day Festival and Car Show on Saturday, April 20. The all-volunteer 501c3 nonprofit will hold the Arts/Craft Fair portion from 9a-4p at the new Depot Park Pavilion and adjacent railroad bed next to the historic Callahan Train Depot.
- Live entertainment will be hosted from the Depot PAV Pavilion.
- Kids area will be hosted by Joel Pace Piano and Music from the Callahan Depot back stage.
- This year's festival will highlight and celebrate Nassau County's 200th birthday.
- Callahan Cruisers will host the classic car show from 10a-2p at Cochrane's Collision Center across the street from the Callahan Depot.
- The West Nassau Historical Society welcomes sponsors, members and volunteers to help make this yearly festival a huge success.
Please contact Emily or John at the West Nassau Historical Society at 904 879-3406 to donate, join or volunteer.
19th Railroad Day Festival
and Car Show
Saturday, April 20
Callahan Depot and adjacent Depot Park Pavilion and Railbed
Call us for a RRDay
Food Vendor Form
Upcoming Events
Thursday, March 23, 6:30p Monthly dinner and meeting at the Callahan Depot
Saturday, April 20, 9a-4p. 19th Railroad Day Festival and Car Show
Thursday, April 25, 6:30p Monthly dinner and meeting at the Callahan Depot/elections
Thursday, May 23, 6:30p Monthly dinner and meeting at the Callahan Depot
June TBA Callahan History video walking tour
Thursday, June 27, 6:30p Monthly dinner and meeting at the Callahan Depot
DINNER AND GENERAL MEETINGS ARE HELD INSIDE THE CALLAHAN TRAIN DEPOT ANNEX
Click weather box to see extensive Callahan
area weather information.