Town of Gibson officials have turned part of its old train depot into a historical museum. The depot, which is owned by the town and still used for town meetings and community events, is historical in its own right.

Town of Gibson officials have turned part of its old train depot into a historical museum. The depot, which is owned by the town and still used for town meetings and community events, is historical in its own right.

GIBSON — The historic museum set at the old train depot in Gibson is set to open to the public come Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m.

The opening celebration will include a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The project, which was first conceived in 2013, struggled in a limbo stage until some Gibson folks took the initiative to get it up and running.

For about year, Town Clerk Peggy Smith and volunteer Vickie Leech of Gibson have been in the process of cleaning, sorting, cataloging, and organizing the large collection of relics. There are World War II memorabilia, old radios and cameras, farm implements, and cobbler tools along with lots of other items.

Many of the items came from the Grady Hubbard family when a museum in McColl, South Carolina closed more than a decade ago. Other items have been loaned or donated by families in the area.

The depot, which is owned by the town and still used for town meetings and community events, is historical in its own right. It was built in 1883-84 when Gibson was a burgeoning railroad town. The Raleigh and Augusta Air Line Railroad built a spur from Gibson to Hamlet in 1884 and another railroad company built one from Gibson to Bennettsville, SC in 1891. The railroads helped get goods shipped into Scotland County and cotton and other commodities shipped out.

“This used to be a hopping little town, thanks to the railroad. They had a hotel, bank, a movie theater and a large general store/grocery store,” said former Mayor Gwen Arrigon said.

The depot is located at 13640 Oil Mill Road in Gibson.