Hog Hunting, Bar B Q and the City of Callahan.

[Metro Jacksonville]

Hog Hunting, Bar B Q and the City of Callahan.



Metro Jacksonville takes a look at the City of Callahan, one of the semi rural bedroom cities to the north of Jacksonville Proper.

Callahan is experiencing growth and sprawl and is making the DNA decisions which will determine the future development of the area.

Located in Nassau County, it is one of the areas which looks to the metropolitan authorities of Jacksonville steward its place as part of the regional outlook which is guiding this part of the state.

Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2009-jul-hog-hunting-bar-b-q-and-the-city-of-callahan

[callahan4life]

Good story.  However, the teen hall, Link is not sponsored by First Baptist Church of Callahan it is sponsored by Crossroads which is located two doors down from the building. The reason most can't name the mayor is that most can't vote in the election. The official town of Callahan is only 1 mile by 1 mile in size, so most of the people live outside of this boundary. I have also noticed a trend that more and more of us are gravitating towards Yulee for our retail shopping, as the crime rate doesn't appear as heavy as it is in Jax. Even the local Chamber recently had a promotion of encouraging us to keep our dollars in Nassau County. I am glad you got to spend a day with us and hope you come back, perhaps during one of our many community events like our Northeast Fair, Blueberry Festival, Railroad Days, Rodeo, Christmas Parade, Homecoming, or just a day at the Chicken House for some good food and sweet tea! 

[Traveller]

What exactly is the drunken frat boy sport of "hogging"?

[adamh0903]

Should have stopped in the hardware store and said Hi

<---------this was taken from the stage of FBC Callahan

[Hurricane]

Thank God that I never won when my friends went out hogging.  Some of them bagged a couple of blue ribbons back in the day. 

Traveller - if you don't know what hogging is, it is probably best not to know... 

[stephendare]

Callahan4Life

Callahan was absolutely charming!  The Barbeque at the Chicken House was excellent, surpassing my already high expectations.

I will be back, and bring friends.

What are Railroad Days?

[adamh0903]

Railroad Days is a weekend festival that celebrates the rail history of Callahan. Its held at the Depot usually in the spring.

[stephendare]

What a great looking Festival, Adamh!   Here are some photos from this years Railroad Days!
, plus a story about it from the Times Union.  The photos are from the historical society web page.

Im surprised there arent any pictures of the indefatigable Ocklawaha at the Barbeque table.

 

 

 

 

http://www.wnhsfl.org/index_files/page0007.htm

http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/052408/nen_281910804.shtml

Railroad construction led to town of Callahan
CALLAHAN - More than 150 years ago, David Yulee hired Daniel Callahan to prepare for railroad tracks to be laid through the middle of Nassau County. And during construction, a town was born.

The tracks of the Florida Railroad began in Fernandina Beach and extended southwest across the state to Cedar Key on Florida's West coast.

As the railroad was being constructed, a station was built where the tracks cross Kings Road, now known as U.S. 1, West Nassau Historical Society President John Hendricks said.

Along with the station, a post office joined Sharon Baptist Church that existed prior to the railroad.

The town that formed was named for the man who laid the path for the railroad that started it all, Hendricks said.

A historical marker was placed at the Callahan depot in November to remind residents and visitors of the importance Yulee's Florida Railroad Co. played in developing central Nassau County, Hendricks said.

The marker will be dedicated Friday during Callahan's third annual Railroad Days Festival.

It is one of two markers placed by the Florida Department of Transportation in Nassau memorializing the Florida Railroad Co., Environmental Supervisor Terri Newman said. The second is at the John Muir Ecological Park in Yulee.

The markers are mitigation for abandoned rail beds removed during the widening of Florida A1A from Yulee to Callahan in 2004, she said. In addition to historical markers, the FDOT makes special designations for roads such as U.S. 1, named the Blue Star Memorial Highway in 1957. Four of Nassau's 17 designated roads cut though Callahan.

Callahan is also home to an official Florida Department of State historical marker on U.S. 1 memorializing the Battle of Thomas Creek.

It's one of nine such markers, which recognize historic locations in Nassau County. Six are in Fernandina Beach and two are on Amelia Island.

Hendricks wants to see more historic markers in Nassau County and said he has plans to start a program to get them.

"We've got so much history in Nassau County that needs to be recognized and as a historical society, it's our duty to research it and point it out," he said.

Hendricks said he would like to see a marker in Bryceville honoring Bryce family engineers who stopped a train to rescue women and children from the 1923 Rosewood race riots in Levy County.

Jan Johannes, who founded the West Nassau Historical Society in 1976, said a marker is needed in Kings Ferry near Hilliard, which was once a bustling town along the St. Marys River. Johannes said growth there slowed as the railroad took business away from boats.

"There's quite a story down there," he said. "It's kind of a shame that it's gone without being memorialized in some way."

[KenFSU]

"There is a local newspaper.  The cover story discusses a recent "European Visit to the Local Library."  (an exchange student showed up at the library and was duly immortalized in Callahan print)."

Loved this tidbit.

I really enjoyed this article a lot. It was something a little different than I usually see at MJ, written almost like an old Charles Dickens travel journal.

Fantastic work, as always!

[cracklow]

I loved this line:
In Callahan, Barbeque is no respecter of persons, it brings sauce to the godly and the ungodly alike.

seemed rather poetic.

[callahan4life]

Stevendare, Be sure and check out Barbara Jean's for breakfast (located on the Northside of the street just before the second traffic light).  It is the unofficial Townhall during breakfast hours then as you have already discovered the unofficial Townhall moves to the Chicken House, from lunch time on. You definitely want to stop in at Ace Hardware, they have quite a history collection there and love to tell you all about the items they have on display.

[hooplady]

It only took a couple of sentences to know which of MJ's crackerjack staff penned this one.  Thanks Stephen!

[stephendare]

Thanks for the kind words, Hooplady! and thanks for the suggestion Callahan!

I did get a view of Barbara Jean's on my driving tour of Callahan, but it was already way past breakfast time.

Its on my list for the return visit.

Im actually dying to get some photos of all the kids in trucks going up to waycross.  When I was a teen there were still dunes at Regency instead of Lowes and the AMC theater and alot of Jacksonville kids used to go four wheeling in the Dunes.

[jbroadglide]

Great job MJ and Stephen. If memory serves me correctly that festival is actually called the Yulee Railroad Days Festival and just passed in May. But it also encompasses Yulee, Callahan, Baldwin, Starke, Waldo and all the way to Cedar Key. Every town has some sort of celebration/festival. Nothing like a small town festival.

[jbroadglide]

And as long as we are in Callahan, I remember reading a story last year sometime that the city council had voted for some dollars to build a railfan platform, similar to what they have in Folkston GA, along the A line where it splits and heads down to Baldwin. I think right where the old Gross cutoff came in would be an ideal spot. But I haven't heard much more about it.
BTW Stephen, if Folkston is not too far away, you might want to do a story sometime on the rail fan platform in Folkston. Its been featured on CBS, USA Today, Ga Public TV and a host of other places. I'll be glad to talk to you more about it.