Movement & Migration: The Train Depot's Original Location

Beginning with Native American hunters and migrating buffalo, to the settlers heading west on the Wilderness Road, to the “moonshine running” of the prohibition era, and today’s trains passing through Cumberland Gap, the mountain pass is a significant point of travel and transit. Of course, the way folks move through the gap has changed significantly over the years. The historic route westward known as the Wilderness Road was eventually replaced by Highway 25E —- a paved, winding highway that offered perilous transit between the three states of Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia. The local nickname of “Massacre Mountain” was, unfortunately, well-deserved and, thankfully, brought to an end with the opening of the Cumberland Gap tunnel. The tunnel now allows for safe passage between the tri-state area, while providing the Cumberland Gap National Historical Park the opportunity to remove the highway and restore the Wilderness Road. The restoration was a wonderful achievement in the preservation of American history, given that an estimated 47 million people in the United States are descendent of Wilderness Road travelers. 

As the backdrop of this site, one can see the foundation remains of Cumberland Gap’s train depot — a building that, itself, has moved! You may find it just down the road hosting Gertie’s Commissary. Several of the included historical photographs show the train depot during its functioning years, receiving and departing trains carrying guests and goods.

Shattuck, Tom N.. The Cumberland Gap Area Guidebook. Edition 5th. Middlesboro, KY. The Bell County Historical Society, 2005.

Early American Frontier, Cumberland Gap National Historical Park. April 14th 2015. Accessed April 16th 2021. https://www.nps.gov/cuga/learn/historyculture/early-american-frontier.htm.