Reprinted from The Right Way Magazine, Volume 51, No. 5
The real beginning of the railroads into southwestern Georgia officially began with the South Western Railroad, its charter being granted in December 1845. Like many of the early railroads, the charter was very liberal as to route and methods of financing and operating. It also granted an exemption from taxation beyond one-half of one per cent of its annual net income.
The Central of Georgia was instrumental in the formation of the company from the beginning. When the stock did not sell, the South Western borrowed enough money from the Central to hire an engineer to survey the route from Macon to the Chattahoochee in a southwestward direction.
Probably no initial report ever offered contained such an optimistic note, as did that of the surveyor, hinting that even the great Mississippi would suffer loss of trade by the building of such a road. The area to be covered was table-land and not over 600 feet above sea level.
One of the results of the glowing report was that a few shares of South Western’s stock were sold. Perhaps much of the hesitancy of people to buy stock was due to Macon’s lukewarm attitude. Naturally jealous of its railroad, the citizens feared diversion of traffic to the new railroad.
Once again, the Central came to the aid of the South Western with a promise of a $250,000 subscription as soon as a like amount was subscribed along the proposed route. The City of Savannah also offered the same amount to be paid in Central stock at par as soon as the completion of the South Western should be placed beyond contingency.
The railroad itself sent agents along the proposed route “peddling” the stock, and although not very successful, enough stock was sold to organize the company. The group heading the drive for the railroad had been successful in having the General Assembly lower the required subscription from $500,000 to $200,000.
Early in 1848, the railroad made contracts with stockholder-contractors for the grading of 35 miles of roadbed and the laying of track.
Fort Valley founder James Everett was one of the railroad’s first supporters. Everett invested the money needed in 1851 to bring the Southwestern Railroad to Fort Valley.[1]
As was the case with most of the railroads, financial misfortunes struck early. By 1852, with the road completed to the west bank of the Flint River, labor costs had risen, and many early subscribers decided to forfeit their shares rather than continue payment.
The town of Oglethorpe was born with the coming of the South Western to the Flint River. The town had a quick boom while the railroad terminated at that point, but soon thereafter became just another of the towns on the line.
The Muscogee Railroad, chartered in 1845, at Columbus, had begun construction in 1847 of a railroad to connect with the Central in Macon. The Central had pushed this plan as a means of connecting it with the South Western and having a line to Columbus.
The South Western completed the track from Fort Valley to meet the Muscogee Railroad when the Columbus venture proved too ambitious. Thus, in June 1853, Columbus had its connection with Macon and the sea. The Muscogee Railroad was later absorbed completely by the South Western.
Many areas began at this time agitating to tie into the South Western; interest was revived in and around Albany. The South Western found itself again in good shape.
A note on the management shows that the gentlemen knew a good bit about the game of playing one section against the other. They made a point of having it known that the route of the South Western would be decided by the financial assistance rendered by an area. In this manner it spread out in branch lines over much of southwest Georgia.
The management was now urged to extend its lines toward Americus. Financing was a big problem, but using the “local area financing,” the South Western agreed to raise $125,000 if the citizens of Americus and the surrounding area would subscribe $75,000. The conditions were fulfilled and the extension completed. This line was built in 1852–53.
Soon after this, the citizens in Albany began clamoring for the railroad, and succeeded in like manner to have the road extended to their city. Another company, the Georgia and Florida, had been chartered in 1852 to build the road into Albany, and had in fact, already constructed 25 miles of track from Americus.
In 1857, the South Western bought the small company and began finishing the road. The line was consolidated with the South Western December 19, 1859.
From 1857 through 1860, the South Western was busily engaged in improving its original roadbed and relaying track. In addition to this necessary task, the railroad expanded to the Chattahoochee in two places.
From Smithville in 1860, the railroad constructed a line to Eufaula on the Chattahoochee, and in the same year, it completed its originally intended line to Fort Gaines through Dawson and Cuthbert.
With the completion of these projects in 1860, the South Western owned 206 miles of well-built road and equipment necessary for an efficiently run railroad. For all practical purposes, the railroad was completed just in time to play its vital role in the War Between the States.
After the War Between the States, the South Western completed its expansion by building the following lines:
- Fort Valley to Perry (1875)
- Albany to Arlington (1873)
- Arlington to Blakely (1881)
- Blakely to Columbia (1889)
By 1889, the South Western had built four lines to the Chattahoochee River, at Fort Gaines, across the river from the Alabama town of Eufaula, Columbus, and Columbia. It had completed approximately 300 miles of excellent track through rich territory.
The South Western was first leased to the Central Railroad and Banking Company of Georgia June 24, 1869, and on March 11, 1951, the Central held the majority of the stock of the South Western, thus making it a part of the Central system.