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: August 7, 2023
2023-2024 Officers
President:
Vice-President:
Treasurer:
Secretary:
The historic Callahan Train Depot
Emily Baumgartner
Elton Steptoe
John Hendricks
Kim Hoffecker
Members of the society and guests gathering before the April 24, 2014 membership meeting.
Click weather box to see extensive Callahan
area weather information.
Upcoming Events
Thursday, August 24, 6:30 pm Monthly dinner and meeting at the Callahan Train Depot
Thursday, September 28, 6:30 pm Monthly dinner and meeting at the Callahan Train Depot
Thurs, Oct 12-21, various times Trains and Turpentine Display at the NE Florida Fair
Thursday, October 26, 6:30 pm Monthly meeting and dinner at the Callahan Train Depot
Saturday, November 4, 9a-4p Hobo and Heroes Festival, 9a-4p
Thursday, November 16, 6:30p Thanksgiving dinner and meeting at the Callahan Depot
Sat, December 2, 9a-3p,parade 11a Official 50th Callahan Christmas Parade and Craft Fair
DINNER AND GENERAL MEETINGS ARE HELD INSIDE THE CALLAHAN TRAIN DEPOT ANNEX
Copyright 2014 by the 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
Board of Directors of
the West Nassau Historical Society
2023-2024
Emily Baumgartner, Kim Hoffecker, Marge Powell,
Jerry Peterson, John Hendricks, Elton Steptoe,
Debbie Stokes, Tracy Connors, Linda Conley
2023-2024 Board of Directors
Collection of WNHS
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
CORPORATE MEMBERS
The West Nassau Historical Society is an active member of Arts and Culture Nassau, an 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
Hobo, Tractors, Heroes
Saturday, November 4th
WELCOME
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. 
Can you believe that 2023 is already half over? We hope everyone is staying safe and cool this summer. With this in mind, it is that time again to be thinking about the upcoming Hobo, Tractors and Heroes Festival and Veterans Appreciation scheduled for Saturday, November 4. As you may know the West Nassau Historical Society is an all-volunteer non profit hosting our 6th Hobo Day and we do appreciate the support we get from our arts/crafts vendors! It is our annual autumn event 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. We will also honor our veterans during the festivities. Attached in one file are the front and back pages of the 2023 Hobos, Tractors and Heroes arts/craft vendor form. If you are participating, please print and mail with your check back to the West Nassau Historical Society at PO Box 1758 Callahan FL 32011.
Like Railroad Day, we will be using the Callahan Pavilion on the railbed this year. It worked out well for Railroad Day and we are exciting to be able to use it again. We will have our entertainment from the Depot Pavilion and the vendor area will be to the west of this building. Tractor and Antique machine show will be on the rail bed as well. Kids area will be from the back stage of the Depot.
Like last year, Hobo Day be a one day event with the arts/craft hours set from 9a-4p on Saturday, Nov 4. It is an outdoor event. No electricity will be available. Vendors must supply their own tents, tables, etc. More vendor spot details are listed on the vendor form. Some of the vendor rules have been updated so please read the back of the vendor app and if you have any questions, please call us. Be sure to print out both the front and back of the form and mail both back. Space is limited so please return your app and check early!
If you are a food vendor from last year, please do not fill out an arts/craft vendor form. You will need to fill out a separate food vendor form. They will be sent out in a few days, but food vendor spaces at the moment are extremely limited. Most of last year's food vendors have already committed to this year's event.
Thanks again for your support of the West Nassau Historical Society and we hope to see you at this year's Hobos, Tractors and Heroes Festival, Tractor Show and Veterans Appreciation.
The West Nassau Historical Society will host the golden anniversary edition of the Town of Callahan Christmas Parade and Craft Fair on Saturday, December 2nd. The all-volunteer 501c3 nonprofit will hold the Arts/Craft Fair portion from 9a-3p at the new Depot Park Pavilion and adjacent railroad bed next to the historic Callahan Train Depot. The craft fair will be visited by a "special Someone" at 12:30 pm at the Depot Park Pavilion. The parade lineup starts at 9:30 am on Dixie Avenue at the Callahan Depot and begin proceeding south on US 1 through downtown Callahan promptly at 11 am. Return route will follow Booth Street north back to Dixie Avenue. The theme for the 50th Callahan Christmas Parade is "A Storybook Christmas." More information on the parade and arts/craft fair will be announced in the coming weeks. For parade and arts/craft vendor info, visit http://www.wnhsfl.org. The West Nassau Historical Society needs sponsors, members and volunteers to help make this yearly community tradition a huge success. Please contact Emily or John at the West Nassau Historical Society at 904 879-3406 to donate, join or volunteer.
50th Callahan Christmas Parade and Craft Fair to be held on Saturday, December 2nd, at the Callahan Depot and adjacent Depot Park Pavilion and Railbed
Call us for a Christmas
Food Vendor Form
