TALCOTT W.Va. (Hinton News) – This week’s tale is of various items that are concerning the C&O Railroad Depot in Talcott. First, I am unable to find an exact date of when it was constructed but from the style of it and from stories my late friend and fellow Summers County Historian John Kessler told me over the years, I think he had told me it was constructed in the 1880s. After the tunnel had been completed, the town really started to flourish.
The antique industrial wall oil lamp is from the Talcott depot. It hung in the room where the passengers waited to board the train. My grandfather and I purchased it from friend Betty Hendricks who holds her famous “Barn Sale” on her farm in War Ridge to benefit the Children’s Home Society.
The photo you see of the depot is from roughly the mid-1930s. You can see that Trinity Methodist Church had not been relocated from its original location yet which was closer to the river, where it had flooded several times. The house you see on the left was built by my great-great-grandfather L.W. Thompson, who was a contractor in Talcott.
My good friend Elisa Thompson (no relation) purchased it in 2021 for a second home to stay in when she is here from Florida. The store building you can see directly to the right of her house in the photo was the “Miller Mercantile Company.” Remains of the sidewalk on the bank towards the church are still visible which used to be in place beside the store.
The little green flour sifter was recently given to me by my friend Tom Hutchison, who is also a collector of Summers County memorabilia. The sifter says “The Miller Mercantile Company Talcott, W. Va.” This was a promotional giveaway used to advertise the store.
The depot was torn down sometime in the 1940s, one of the biggest mistakes I ever made in terms of history is the fact that I did not write down important information such as these dates. Again John told me that when the depot was torn down, the lumber that was salvaged and was used to build one of the houses that is on the bank to the right of Second Baptist Church there in Talcott.
My collection is so large I forget all that I have. And then I start rummaging through it to find a piece for my story and run across these pieces and the connection that can be made between many of them. It always gives me an idea for my next piece. However, I am sure it will change or be able to be added to by the time I write it the following Thursday.
