Alabama and Tennessee River Railroad

Last updated
Alabama and Tennessee River Railroad
Overview
Locale Alabama
Dates of operation18481866
Successor Selma, Rome and Dalton Railroad Company
Georgia Southern Railroad Company
The East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia RailroadCompany
The East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Railway Company
Technical
Track gauge 4 ft 8 12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
after the American Civil War
Previous gauge 5 ft (1,524 mm)
during the American Civil War
and 4 ft 9 in (1,448 mm) [1]

Alabama and Tennessee River Rail Road Company was incorporated under act of Alabama on March 4, 1848. [2] With John Anderson Dilliard being principal shareholder. J. A. Dilliard a LaGrange, Tennessee, native originally from Decatur, AL was also a principal owner in the Lagrange and Memphis Railroad which became the Memphis and Charleston Railroad, along with Joseph Dilliard and H.B. Dilliard.

Contents

Alabama and Tennessee River Railroad Company constructed 135 miles (217 km) of railroad line between Selma, Alabama and Blue Mountain, Alabama, including part of an extension of about 22.5 miles (36.2 km) of line from Blue Mountain toward Dalton, Georgia, in 1862. [3]

A. D. Breed operated the line under lease From the Union Railroad Trust between May 31, 1866, and August 8, 1866, in accordance with a contract to rehabilitate the railroad line and construct the extension dated May 25, 1866. [4]

After the American Civil War, Former Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston became president of the Alabama and Tennessee River Rail Road Company from May 1866 to November 1867. [5] During Johnston's tenure, on August 6, 1866, Alabama and Tennessee River Rail Road Company consolidated with Georgia and Alabama Rail Road Company and Dalton and Jacksonville Railroad Company to form the Selma, Rome and Dalton Railroad Company. [6] The consolidation agreement was ratified by the Georgia General Assembly on December 13, 1866, and by the Alabama Legislature on February 8, 1867. [2]

The Selma, Rome and Dalton Railroad Company constructed or reconstructed 100.3 miles (161.4 km) of railroad line between Blue Mountain, Alabama and Dalton, Georgia, in 1870. [3]

The rehabilitation of the property after the American Civil War and the construction of the 100.3 miles (161.4 km) extension of the line between Blue Mountain and Dalton was funded mainly by the sale of consolidated first-mortgage seven per cent bonds and second-mortgage seven per cent bonds. [4]

The railroad in Georgia was sold in foreclosure on November 3, 1874, and conveyed to Georgia Southern Railroad Company on March 29, 1876. [2] The Georgia Southern Railroad Company was sold to East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Railroad Company on November 6, 1880. [2] The railroad in Alabama was sold at foreclosure on June 14, 1880, and sold to East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Railroad Company on February 5 and 11, 1881. [2]

East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Railroad Company went into receivership on January 7, 1885, was sold in foreclosure on May 25, 1886, and conveyed to East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Railway Company on June 30, 1886. [2]

The property eventually became part of Southern Railway Company on July 7, 1894, through its acquisition of the East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Railway Company. [7]

See also

Notes

  1. The Days They Changed the Gauge
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Interstate Commerce Commission. Southern Ry. Co., Volume 37, Interstate Commerce Commission Valuation Reports, November 6, 1931, p. 213. Washington: United States Government Printing Office, 1932. OCLC   297351688.
  3. 1 2 ICC, Southern Ry. Co. valuation report, 1931, p. 220.
  4. 1 2 ICC, Southern Ry. Co. valuation report, 1931, p. 599.
  5. Symonds, Craig L. Joseph E. Johnston: A Civil War Biography. New York: W. W. Norton, 1992. ISBN   978-0-393-31130-3. pp. 360365.
  6. ICC, Southern Ry. Co. valuation report, 1931, pp. 213214.
  7. ICC, Southern Ry. Co. valuation report, 1931, pp. 212, 571.

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The original Georgia and Alabama Railroad was based in Rome, GA, incorporated in 1853, and started initial rail construction in 1857. In August 1866, the G&A officially consolidated with the Dalton and Jacksonville Railroad and the Alabama and Tennessee River Railroad Company with the intent to create a consolidated rail system from Selma, AL to Dalton, GA. The consolidated corporation was to do business under the name of the latter, but it officially took the name Selma, Rome and Dalton Railroad Company in December of that same year. Still, in some cases, business continued under the name of Georgia and Alabama Railroad. For instance, in May 1868, a contract was executed to the Georgia and Alabama Railroad, leasing 100 African American convicts in the state of Georgia to work for the railroad company without pay.

The following is a brief history of the North American rail system, mainly through major changes to Class I railroads, the largest class by operating revenue.

The Louisville, Cincinnati and Charleston Railroad was an antebellum railroad that served the State of South Carolina and Augusta, Georgia. It was a 5 ft gauge railroad line.

The Alabama and Mississippi Rivers Rail Road Company was incorporated under special act of Alabama on February 7, 1850.

Selma, Rome and Dalton Railroad

Selma, Rome and Dalton Railroad Company was formed by the consolidation of Alabama and Tennessee River Rail Road Company, Georgia and Alabama Rail Road Company and Dalton and Jacksonville Railroad Company on August 6, 1866. The consolidation agreement was ratified by the Georgia General Assembly on December 13, 1866 and by the Alabama Legislature on February 8, 1867.

The Atlantic, Tennessee and Ohio Railroad Company in North Carolina was incorporated under act of Tennessee on February 26, 1852, and under act of North Carolina on February 15, 1855, as Atlantic, Tennessee and Ohio Railroad Company. The name of the company was changed to Atlantic, Tennessee and Ohio Railroad Company in North Carolina on February 23, 1861.

The East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad Company was incorporated under special act of Tennessee on January 27, 1848.

The East Tennessee and Georgia Railroad Company was incorporated under special act of Tennessee on February 19, 1836 as the Hiwassee Rail Road Company.

Cahaba, Marion and Greensboro Railroad Company was incorporated under act of Alabama on February 9, 1850, as The Marion and Alabama River Transportation Company.

Rogersville and Jefferson Railroad Company was incorporated under special act of Tennessee on February 27, 1852.

The Selma and Meridian Rail Road Company was incorporated under special act of Alabama on February 7, 1850 as The Alabama and Mississippi Rivers Rail Road Company. On November 29, 1864, the name of the company was changed to The Selma and Meridian Rail Road Company.

The Alabama Central Railroad Company was incorporated under the general laws of Alabama on June 22, 1871, by certificate of incorporation dated June 21, 1871.

References