Railroad Depot at Mt. Pleasant

Railroad Depot at Mt. Pleasant in Gadsden County, Florida

Mt. Pleasant first became a rail stop in 1872 when the Jacksonville- Pensacola & Mobile Railroad extended their rail line from Quincy to Chattahoochee.  A train schedule published in 1881 lists arrival and departure times for Mt. Pleasant every day except Sunday. 

Painting by John Raymond Bevis about 1916.  Ray Bevis was born in Mt. Pleasant in 1899, youngest child of Charles Franklin Bevis and Frances (Creswell) Bevis.  The home he grew up in was just down the lane from the Seaboard Railroad Depot.  Ray’s father, Charlie Bevis, owned a general store and watch repair shop just a few hundred yards from the depot.  The post office was across the street from the depot, inside another general store owned by Daniel Grubb.  From young adulthood Ray painted,  primarily local scenes in watercolor and oil.  He married Nina India Thomas in 1919.  Ray was employed by the Quincy State Bank as a young man and later worked as a merchant in Quincy.  Painting remained a hobby he enjoyed throughout his life.  He died in 1953.

 

 

Mt. Pleasant was a small but thriving rural community at the turn of the 20^th century. The train brought the mail twice a day, and provided shipping service for produce and other items to and from the two general stores.   This photograph is believed to have been taken in 1915. 

 

This photograph came from Kathleen Jones Stewart, and on the back is written June 6, 1906.  I believe the photo was not taken on that date for two reasons.  Family stories have held that this photo was taken on the wedding day of Rosa Beggs and Arch Hubbard.  However, according to a book written by their daughter, Rachel Hubbard Scott, the couple arrived in Mt. Pleasant on Monday, December 27, 1909, which is the day they were married in Madison County, Florida.  Two, the people in the photo appear to be wearing coats and scarves and dressed much too warmly for June.  In my opinion, it is likely the photo was taken on their wedding day in December.  Remembering that day, Miss Rosa said she assumed a large crowd of people always met the train at the Mt. Pleasant depot.  It was only later that she learned they had all turned out to get a look at Arch Hubbard's new bride!