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, Westside
Chamber of Commerce and Nassau Council of Arts and Culture
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 5, 2026
The historic Callahan Train Depot
Copyright 2014-2025 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
2025-2026 Officers
President: John Hendricks
Vice-President: Jerry Peterson
Treasurer: Emily Baumgartner
Secretary: Kim Hoffecker
2025-2026
Board of Directors
West Nassau Historical Society
Emily Baumgartner
Linda Conley
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
Elite Electric
West Nassau Chamber of Commerce
Community Press Foundation
Golden Spike Level
Florida Power and Light
CSX Transportation
Okefenoke Rural Electric Co-op Foundation
First Baptist Church of Callahan
Town of Callahan
Simply Healthcare
Rayonier
WestRock
Silver Spike Level
Bob Eubanks
Anchor Church
Schwend Insurance
AA Bottle Gas and Fuel
Hagan Ace Hardware
West Fraser. Inc.
Nassau Council of Arts and Culture
Meridian Waste
Joel Pace Piano and Music
Bronze Spike Level
Vystar Credit Union
Southeastern Bank
First Federal 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. 
Now open inside the historic Callahan Train Depot
Florida Humanities and Smithsonian Insitution Exhibit
Nassau = Food + Culture: What We Each Bring to the Table
March 28 thru December 12, 2026
Late Summer/Fall Hours
Mondays 130p-330p
Wed and Thur 2p-4p
Friday 9a-11a
Saturday 9a-12n
2nd and 4th Thurs 5p-7p
West Nassau Historical Society to host 53rd Callahan Christmas Parade and Official Christmas Craft Fair Saturday, Dec 5
Food Exhibit Lecture Series Schedule
All lectures start at 6:30 pm with light meal, then lecture at 7pm
Lectures will be held at the historic Callahan Train Depot, 45383 Dixie Ave
Thurs Aug 27 Amy Green Hodges Poultry, great-great-grand daughter of W W Hodges, Nassau County poultry farmer pioneer
Thurs Sept 24 Tracy Nazarro, Traders Hill
Thurs Oct 22, Jonathan Petree, great grandson of David H Petree
*Thurs Nov 12 Lewis Jordan Farming
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).
Supporter of the
West Nassau Arts Alliance
Click here to check out our new Merchandise Page
on Zeffy (Coming Soon)
Click here to donate to our all-volunteer nonprofit via Zeffy (Coming Soon)
.Ho!-Ho!-Hold on a minute! Can you believe it is that time of year to start planning for the 53rd annual Callahan Christmas Parade and Craft Festival?!!?
This year's Official Town of Callahan Christmas Craft Fair is again being hosted by the West Nassau Historical Society, an all-volunteer 501c3 nonprofit dedicated to the discovery of the rich adverse history and culture that the Nassau County, especially the western half of our county. We are also entrusted with the maintenance and upkeep of the 1881 Callahan Train Depot.
The Official Callahan Christmas Craft Fair will be held on Saturday, December 5th, from 9a-3p at the Depot Park Pavilion and adjacent rail bed next to the historic Callahan Train Depot. Like last year we will host Santa and Mrs. Claus there inside the pavilion after the parade is over around 12:45 pm. The Pavilion also has rest rooms and we will have port o lets on the far end of the vendor midway.
It is an outdoor event so bring your tents, tables, chairs, displays. etc..
More info is on the attached arts craft entry form. Please fill out the entry form and return with your payment.
If you have any questions, please feel free to call us at 904 879 3406.
IF you are a food vendor, please do not fill out an arts/craft vendor form. Call us for a food vendor entry form, 904 635 1288
The parade's theme this year is "Christmas Recipes: Making Meals, Memories, Magic" "Sharing the recipe for a joyous Christmas season: From mealtime gatherings to Aunt Maude's fruitcake to giving the gift that captures that holiday spirit!"
This year's parade and craft fair is again hosted on Saturday, Dec 5th, 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.
Line up starts on Dixie Ave at 9:15 am. Entries will need to be ready to go at 10:15 am. Weather permitting, parade starts promptly at 10:45 am and proceed southbound on US 1 through downtown Callahan.
The parade officially ends at US 1 and 5th. Entries can turn right on 5th, then right on Booth St and head north back to the Depot. Larger floats and vehicles can continue west on 5th to Mickler to avoid going down narrow Booth Street. Walkers and be picked up at 5th and US 1 to save them from walking all the way back to the Depot.
Entry deadline is Friday, November 20, at 12 noon.
Entry contacts are responsible for letting all of their group's participants know where their float is lining up.
Entry contacts are responsible for placing a placard with their line up number on both left and right side of their entrant or pulling vehicle.
There will be no throwing of candy or any other objects from the floats or vehicles!
Please keep the items the walkers hand out to the crowd to small items such as candy, pamphlets, etc. Please, no balloons or large bulky items that are too big to hand out.
Violators may be banned from future parades.
More details are on the parade entry from. Please read carefully.
ALSO, no one is to ride on the front bumper of any vehicle large or small.
Make sure, if you place generators on the trailer tongue, that they have sufficient clearance with the ground.
Watch the height of your floats as well due to low cable lines and tree limbs.
We are in search for sponsors so if you would like to donate, we have certain levels which may cover your parade entry fee.
ADULT 18+ ART CLASS
hosted by the West Nassau Historical Society
The West Nassau Historical Society will host an art class for adults 18+ on Saturday, Sept 26, from 10 am to 1230 pm at the historic Callahan Train Depot, 45383 Dixie Ave, Callahan.
Instructor is Ginger Bender, talented local professional artist.
Class entry fee, $15.
Funding made possible by a grant from Nassau Council of Art and Culture. Additional support from a grant from Simply Healthcare.
