Bronson Train Station

Could this pre-1898 picture be the train station mentioned in the August 10, 1898 Plain City Advocate newspaper. The council was negotiating (trying to come to an agreement) with the Railroad Company. At the time Hilliard had no depot (train station).  If an agreement could be reached, a train station would be built.  

When train depots in the Northwest Franklin County area were first built, there was no shelter for passengers to wait in. Passengers had to wait for their trains and if there was bad weather, they had to find somewhere to wait out of the rain and then maybe run in front of the train putting them self in danger of getting hit by the train that was coming.

It is believed that the first train station for passengers was built on the Orin Bronson (sometimes spelled Brownson) land, about one quarter mile east of the former railroad crossing on Hayden Free Pike (which is now Hayden Run Road) which is in Brown Township just before 1890. Later, Hilliard’s Station was built next to a general store which is today owned by Otie Blankenship and is the restaurant known as “Otie’s”.

Bronson Station with individuals (from left to right) Frank Winterringer, Von Schalle, Harry Barnett and Eli Latham]

Adapted by Jason Alexander from the article “Attention Railroad Buffs”