Blackville, Alston and Newberry Railroad

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The Blackville, Alston and Newberry Railroad was a railroad that served South Carolina in the latter part of the 19th century.

South Carolina State of the United States of America

South Carolina is a state in the Southeastern United States and the easternmost of the Deep South. It is bordered to the north by North Carolina, to the southeast by the Atlantic Ocean, and to the southwest by Georgia across the Savannah River.

The original intent of the Blackville, Alston and Newberry was for development of kaolin clay mines in Aiken County. With the Blackville, Alston and Newberry, the white clay, used in the production of porcelain and papermaking, could be transferred at Blackville to the South Carolina and Georgia Railroad, and onto outside markets. [1]

Kaolinite phyllosilicate mineral

Kaolinite is a clay mineral, part of the group of industrial minerals, with the chemical composition Al2Si2O5(OH)4. It is a layered silicate mineral, with one tetrahedral sheet of silica (SiO
4
) linked through oxygen atoms to one octahedral sheet of alumina (AlO
6
) octahedra. Rocks that are rich in kaolinite are known as kaolin or china clay.

Aiken County, South Carolina County in the United States

Aiken County is a county in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, its population was 160,099. Its county seat and largest city is Aiken.

Construction started in Blackville about 1886 and a line was completed to Sievern in 1888. [2]

Blackville, South Carolina Town in South Carolina, United States

Blackville is a small town in Barnwell County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 2,406 at the 2010 census.

While the kaolin mining venture did not pan out immediately, the new railroad lifted the area's turpentine and pine lumber industries. Cotton, asparagus and watermelon growers also did extremely well, with the Blackville, Alston and Newberry helping the region enjoy economic prosperity. [3]

In 1891, the Carolina Midland Railway acquired the Blackville, Alston and Newberry's Perry-to-Blackville line, consolidating it with the recently acquired Barnwell Railway. [4] [5]

The Carolina Midland Railway was a railroad that served western South Carolina in the late 19th century.

The Barnwell Railway was a shortline railroad that served western South Carolina in the late 19th century.

In 1895, the Blackville, Alston and Newberry declared bankruptcy. [6]

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