The small town of Goshen in the western region of the U.S. state of Virginia is merely a ghost town today. Well, it appears to be a ghost town. How does it appear to be a ghost town? When the town was settled, there were many mills and farms in the area. Name ‘Goshen’ comes from the Bible saying that the area was like ‘The Land of Goshen’ with the rich farmland in the region. The railroad arrived in 1855. A train station was built, and it was simply called Goshen.
With the railroad, the town of Goshen thrived with factories, mills, and a big hotel. Through the years, the town went through decline. The railroad line was sold to the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway. The big hotel burned down and was never rebuilt. The town returned to being a ghost town with few structures and regional farms.
However, the old train station remains, and so does the railroad. You will not see the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway, but you will see trains from the Chessie Seaboard Transportation (CSX), and it is also the terminus of the Virginia Scenic Railway.
As for the old train station, it still remains. Although it is not open to the public, it still remains the centerpiece of the town. It is located on the Virginia Route 39 Truck Route. You can read more into the story of Goshen, Virginia at https://goshenvirginia.com/history2/.
The town of Goshen may be a ghost town today, but it is full of history brought to you by the railroad.
John Cowgill: Stories of the Railroad 