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(rshsdepot) Webster, FL
Webster landmark destroyed
07/18/02
JIM GIBSON
Wednesday, July 10, the old Webster train depot and packinghouse caught fire
and quickly burned. As residents gathered to watch local firefighters battle
the blaze there was a look of sadness on many of the older faces in the
crowd. As the pine wood burned and the fire worked its way from the
packinghouse toward the depot, memories were going up in smoke. Several of
those witnessing this tragic event had, in times gone by, sat outside the
old depot waiting to hear the train whistle that would carry them somewhere
beyond Sumter County. "My first train ride was my graduation trip to
Washington D.C. and New York City. We all caught the train at the old depot.
Every year the graduating classes caught the train there for their trip,"
said historian William Carlisle. Carlisle and his family moved to Webster in
1944 and he said he has a great fondness for the old depot. Younger
residents and those who have moved to Webster recently may not realize the
historical importance of the depot and its prominence in determining the way
the town looks today. In the 1850s the town of Webster was located a short
distance away from where it is now. When the railroad came through in the
mid-1880s, a depot was built and the town nestled in around it. The original
depot remained in place until 1928. The town was now flourishing as a center
for vegetable production and extensive changes were being made, such as
paved streets and water lines. The Atlantic Coast Railroad decided that a
new depot was in order to better fit in to Webster's new look. The railroad
undertook building the brick structure that has been a landmark for town
residents for many years. The new depot was a beehive of activity as produce
purchasers from the north would come to Webster and buy fresh vegetables
from local farmers and ship them by train to all parts of the country. In
1936 a local farmer, who had brought his crop to the depot for shipment,
became impatient to find a buyer, climbed up on his truck and auctioned the
produce to the highest bidder. The Webster Farmers Market was born that day.
In 1939 the packinghouse was added on to the depot and made it easier to
pack and ship the massive amounts of produce being harvested in the area. In
the 1970s the rail company removed the tracks and the old depot was bought
by the Sumter Vegetable Co-op. It was used as a packinghouse until the mid
'90s. Two years ago, Tampa businessman, David Summers, purchased the depot
with plans to restore it. "We we're going to totally restore the old depot.
We were going to make it into a restaurant with a patio and outdoor seating
with a caboose out front. We were also going to have an indoor flea market
and several offices," he said. The rich history and a promising future for
the old depot were destroyed in the blaze. Summers said they are stunned and
unsure of any future plans concerning the site. "We are very disappointed,"
he said. The blaze occurred as three local juveniles were playing with a
lantern and it overturned, spilling fuel and igniting the surrounding wood,
according to Webster Police Chief Dennis Johnson. The blaze started around
3:15 p.m. and fire crews from Webster, Center Hill, Croom, Bushnell, and
Lake Panasoffkee responded. No charges have been filed.
Bernie Wagenblast
Transportation Communications Newsletter
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/transport-communications/
=================================
The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing
railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org
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End of RSHSDepot Digest V1 #434
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=================================
The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing
railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org