Railroad Depot

Railroad Depot. Rail Service Was A Lifeline Tied To Timber Prosperity. , The arrival of a railroad set the stage for industrial development and a quick, dramatic change in the landscape. The West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railroad (WVC&P) was financed by industrialist Henry Gassaway Davis, the town's namesake. Its main line bypassed Davis, passing two miles away through Thomas on its way from Elkins to Big Pool, Maryland, where it joined the U.S. rail network. Its primary function was hauling coal, but abundant timber and a water supply made the future Davis townsite attractive for forest industries. In 1884, WVC&P built a branch from Thomas to Davis, 6.3 miles long due to topography. The Davis railroad depot quickly became a hub of activity for passengers, mail, and freight. Forest industries began closing in the 1920s due to timber depletion, and train service to Davis ended in 1942., (Captions):, The proximity of the Depot to the bank and hotel showed its importance to the town (left)., Downtown Davis wasn't yet fully built out at the time of this photo, a few years after 1900., The Davis depot featured typical railroad station elements. One end had large doors and a raised platform for transloading, storing, and sorting baggage and packaged freight. The other end had more windows and served as a passenger waiting room. Between was a ticket office, where a bay window gave the station agent views up and down the track. Beside the door a chalkboard showed train status updates, which came in by telegraph., Although the WVC&P built the line to Davis, the Western Maryland Railway (WM) bought the WVC&P in 1902. A WM boxcar sits beside the freight platform.