Southern - Mohawk Depot

Mohawk, Tennessee is situated about five miles from Bulls Gap, and 15 miles west of Greeneville.  In Olden Times in Greene County, Harry Roberts described the town of Mohawk as a "boistrous trading center which had sprung up along the sidetracks."

Formerly known as Pane, or Lick Creek Siding, the Greeneville Sun outlined the history of the town with settlers coming in as early as the 1830s. The railroad came through the town in 1858.  One of the many depots on the Southern line from Knoxville, the article referred to the town as a "brusk railroad town which was settled partly by men who had come to this area as railroad workers from New York and other large eastern cities."  The title of the article was "Mohawk - An Educational, Cultural Center for Lower Greene County."  

Due to some confusion over two names for the area: the Pane Post Office and the Lick Creek Siding Depot, the name was changed to Mohawk in reference to Native American folklore in the area. By the 1880s, Mohawk was described as a "bustling railroad village."  When the railroad showed no interest in building a depot due to financial strain, in 1883 the people of the town decided to build their own depot to the specifications of the ET&G railroad. 

The vernacular construction of Gothic Revival influence featured raking eaves extending straight down past the wall with no brackets. Two freight doors, an entrance door, and the bay window ticket, and a single window faced the tracks.  Walls are horizontal wood planking.  The roof is tile with one chimney.  The right side of the depot, not visible in this photo, has two entrance doors and one central window.  Windows and doors have plank facings.

Once a depot was established, it became a regular stop.  A list of depot agents is given in the article:  Wayland Easterly, John Mitchell, G. R. Harmon, June Harmon, F. L. Rader, J. R. Brown, L. V. Rader, Roy May, Bill Hartmen, Spears Rader, Claude Rader, I. W. Haun, J. Q. Wagoner, and Miss Gardner.

Today...

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The Mohawk Depot is visible on the left in this photo showing the tracks leading toward Bulls Gap, and railroad crossing signals.

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In this view the railroad tracks are making their way toward Greeneville. 

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Just as I was about to head back to my car, I heard that familiar sound of a train whistle echoing through the area.  In a matter of seconds, the train came barreling down the tracks.  This was the third time I was fortunate enough to witness a train in action.  It is difficult to describe the awe of being up close and personal with these intimidating and powerful machines, the ear deafening roar, wheels grinding against the rails, the ground vibrating from the sheer power, and the strength of the gusts of air created by the swift passing of the train.  It is no wonder that people waiting at the depot were terrified on their first encounter with the raw power of this new and modern transportation technology.

This 140-year-old Southern depot is one of the few still standing, and is located at 2059 Mohawk Road.  It is in an unfortunate state of decay, with trees, bushes and weeds overtaking the building.

Southern - Mohawk Depot