Jeff M. Hardison

A tale of two train depots

By Jeff M. Hardison
© 2010
Shrieking whistles and clanging bells from locomotives of old in Chiefland and Trenton resound now only in the ether of yesteryear. The former stops for these driving engines of commerce, however, still carry economic, social, civic and political power today.

There are old and current tales at two local train depots.

The smell of cedar trees, pine trees, watermelons, tobacco, cattle and other agricultural products formerly transported by trains are gone with the wind, away from the railroad tracks of olden times. Some of those tracks now are part of a mammoth bicycle trail created by the state of Florida.

The era of railroads as king is gone for Chiefland and Trenton. Train depots serving Chiefland and Trenton are vibrant today, even though they no longer are part of the infrastructure for massive commercial transport.

CHIEFLAND DEPOT
The Chiefland Train Depot was built in 1913. It was removed from Chiefland to Dixie County sometime after train operations stopped, but local businessmen and civic leaders joined forces to purchase and return it. That feat was completed in the summer of 2000. Since then, the depot has evolved into a small museum with a couple of offices.

It currently houses an office for the Greater Chiefland Area Chamber of Commerce, which is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekdays. State Rep. Leonard Bembry (D-Greenville) has a district office at the depot too. It is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays.

The Chiefland Historic Train Museum is inside the depot. It is open for self-guided tours during the hours when the Chamber is open. Carolyn Cohens, a local artist and author, provides free guided tours, which can be arranged when the Chamber is open — or at other hours. Patrons are asked to call Chiefland City Hall at (352) 493-6711 to arrange a guided tour of the museum.

The museum includes old photographs and artifacts. Lanterns, train spikes, a mail hook, a telegraph and an old crank-style telephone are among the many items on display. The “Chiefland” sign on the outer northern wall near the roof is a replacement, which is smaller than the original sign, as shown in photos from a decade ago when it was moved back to Chiefland.

The 61-year-old Cohens said she remembers “the turpentine years,” when sap was drained from pine trees and then was converted to turpentine in local stills. Cohens admits to a having bit of fun with commerce as a girl. She would put a penny on the tracks and then find it flattened by a passing train.

Lindon Lindsey, a local historian, said a woman whom he interviewed told him people in Chiefland somehow knew when the annual migration of circus folk would bring the big circus train through town, with its elephants and other unique things to see. Lindsey and Cohens are members of an advisory committee that helps the City Commission decide how to use the Chiefland Train Depot.

TRENTON DEPOT
The history of the Trenton Railroad Depot has been thoroughly researched by Dr. David Metts, who cites books, newspaper articles and interviews with individuals. He found that a railroad was built by the Seaboard Air Line in 1897. It ran through the towns of Alachua and Bell to Wannee on the Suwannee River. It provided transport for the area sawmills, turpentine stills and helped move goods unloaded at different points along the Suwannee River by steamboats.

The Cummer Lumber Co. built an 86-mile railroad line connecting Milldale with Newberry, Metts said. Milldale is near Jacksonville. There was a saw-mill there. This train line opened in 1899 and was known as The Jacksonville and Southwestern Railway.

Atlantic Coast Line Railroad bought that company in 1904 and extended the line past Newberry, through Tyler and Trenton to Wilcox in 1907, and then onward to Perry, a major lumber center, Metts said. The railroad tracks to Trenton were laid in 1905. The line continued north of Fanning Springs past the Suwannee River. It went through Cross City, Carbur, Perry and Tallahassee, and marked an early boom time in Trenton’s history, Metts said.

The Trenton Depot was completed in 1906 by William Henry Weeks, a local master carpenter who had the depot contract with the ACL, which later merged and became the Seaboard Coast Line. It cost $3,672.

Besides the cotton in the early years, watermelons, corn, hogs, turkeys, chickens and cows were commonly seen among the shipments, Metts said. It also transported the U.S. Mail, putting an end to the horse and buggy system previously in use.

From at least 1930 into the 1950s, Ramey Hester was the agent for the ACL railroad in town, serving as stationmaster of the train depot. In 1981, SCL Railroad took up the tracks into Bell and Alachua, marking the end of the famous “Peggy” Line. The company gave the Trenton depot to the town of Trenton in August of 1984, Metts said.

The depot became headquarters for the new Florida West Coast Railroad in 1987-88. It operated as a Class II railroad, allowing trains to go up to 30 m.p.h. The FWC Railroad used ex-CSX routes, originally running from Trenton to Chiefland, Cross City and Newberry. The route was later shortened to only the Trenton-Newberry run, which lasted for a period of years, Metts said.

The Chiefland Depot and the Trenton Depot are now two of the major trailheads on the Nature Coast Greenway, part of Florida’s “Rails to Trails” program. Nowadays, the Trenton Depot is often used for special events, including bands, and by the Farmer’s Market, which provides fresh produce for the community on set days each week, Metts said.

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This article was written by Jeff M. Hardison, a multiple award-winning writer and editor who graduated from the University of Florida’s College of Journalism. Please contact him at jeffmhardison2@yahoo.com to learn more about his various services and rates as a freelancer. His Web site is at http://jeff.hardison.net/.