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Western Railway Of Alabama

Western Railway of Alabama

The Western Railway of Alabama (WRA), also known as the Montgomery and West Point Railroad, ran from a junction near Selma, Alabama through Montgomery, Alabama to West Point, Georgia. It served Auburn, Alabama and connected in Opelika, Alabama to the Central of Georgia line from Columbus, Georgia to Birmingham, Alabama. Although it was partially owned by the Central of Georgia around the turn from the nineteenth to the twentieth century, it did not end up being owned by Norfolk Southern when that company acquired the CofG's parent, the Southern Railway. In the 1980s, the line and its sister railroads, the Atlanta and West Point Railroad and the Georgia Railroad, became part of the Family Lines System, along with the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad, the Louisville and Nashville Railroad and the Clinchfield Railroad. The lines were all later renamed Seaboard System Railroad, which in 1986 merged with the Chessie System to become CSX Transportation. The WRA is still in full use for freight. Passenger service on this line ceased in the late 1960s. Category:Alabama railroads Category:Former Class I railroads in the United States

Montgomery and West Point Railroad

Montgomery & West Point Railroad is another name for the Western Railway of Alabama, the 85 mile long railroad connecting Montgomery, Alabama to West Point, Georgia and was completed in April of 1851. By 1854, one could travel further East on the Atlanta and West Point Railroad. The road is now run as part of CSX Transportation. Category:Alabama railroads Category:Georgia railroads

Montgomery, Alabama

Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama. The second largest city in Alabama, it is located on the Alabama River in Montgomery County (of which it is the seat) in south central part of the state. Montgomery is notable for its association with the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement.

History

Incorporated in 1819, Montgomery was named for General Richard Montgomery, who died in the American Revolutionary War attempting to capture Quebec, Canada. Montgomery was made the capital of Alabama on the fourth try. The territorial capital, St. Stephens on the Tombigbee River, had been supplanted by Huntsville then Cahawba and Tuscaloosa [http://www.archives.state.al.us/markers/imontgomery.html]. It was the first capital of the Confederate States of America, whose president Jefferson Davis was inaugurated in its steps. It is located on the north portion of the Alabama River. Alabama RiverRev. Dr. Martin L. King Jr. gained national attention for civil rights issues during his tenure, 1954/1960, as pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, two blocks from the State Capitol Building. A civil rights memorial has been erected near the still-active church. On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks became a civil rights heroine in the city by refusing to give up her bus seat to a white man. The reaction to this arrest led to the 382-day Montgomery Bus Boycott which forced the city to desegregate its transit system on December 21, 1956. In 1965, Dr. King's nationally-publicized march for justice was conducted from Selma to Montgomery. Country music pioneer and legend Hank Williams grew up and is buried in Montgomery. Country star Alan Jackson eulogizes Williams in a popular song, called Midnight In Montgomery, about a trip to Hank's gravesite.

Geography

Midnight In Montgomery]] Montgomery is located at 32°21'42" North, 86°16'45" West (32.361538, -86.279118). According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 404.5 km² (156.2 mi²). 402.4 km² (155.4 mi²) of it is land and 2.1 km² (0.8 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.52% water..

Demographics

In 1900, at the end of the nineteenth century, 30,346 people lived here. In 1910, 38, 136 occupants of Montgomery were enumerated; in 1920, 43,464; and in 1940, 78,084. As of the census of 2000, there are 201,568 people, 100,784 households, and 100,784 families residing in the city. The population density is 500.9/km² (1,297.3/mi²). There are 86,787 housing units at an average density of 215.7/km² (558.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 49.63%Black, 47.67% White, 0.25% Native American, 1.06% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.37% from other races, and 0.98% from two or more races. 1.23% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. There are 78,384 households out of which 32.1% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.4% are married couples living together, 19.1% have a female householder with no husband present, and 34.8% are non-families. 30.1% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.4% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.44 and the average family size is 3.06. married couples In the city the population is spread out with 25.9% under the age of 18, 12.1% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 33 years. For every 100 females there are 88.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 83.9 males. The median income for a household in the city is $35,627, and the median income for a family is $44,297. Males have a median income of $31,877 versus $25,014 for females. The per capita income for the city is $19,385. 17.7% of the population and 13.9% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 25.7% of those under the age of 18 and 13.4% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Notable Points

poverty line
- Alabama Shakespeare Festival
- Montgomery Biscuits, minor league baseball
- Montgomery Zoo

Local TV

- [http://www.WSFA.com WSFA 12 NBC]
- [http://www.WAKA.com WAKA 8 CBS]
- [http://www.abc32.com WNCF 32 ABC]
- [http://www.WCOV.com WCOV 20 Fox]

Local Radio

- [http://www.WLWI.com WLWI 92.3 FM Country]
- [http://www.bamacountry989.com.com WBAM Bama Country 98.9 FM Country]
- [http://www.Y102montgomery.com WHHY Y102 "All The Hits" Top 40]
- [http://www.979jamz.com WJWZ 97.9 FM Urban]
- [http://www.myhot105.com WZHT Hot 105.7 FM Urban]
- [http://www.internethitradio.com IHR - Internet Hit Radio " You're Net, your music" Top 40/country]

Higher Education

Montgomery is home to a variety of colleges and universities, including:
- Alabama State University
- Auburn University Montgomery
- Faulkner University
- Huntingdon College
- Troy University, Montgomery Campus
- South University

Publications

- L. P. Powell (editor), in Historic Towns of the Southern States, (New York, 1900)

External links

[http://www.montgomery.al.us/ City of Montgomery, Alabama] Category:Cities in Alabama Category:Montgomery County, Alabama Category:U.S. state capitals ja:モンゴメリー

Auburn, Alabama

Auburn is a city in east central Alabama, near the Georgia border. It is the largest city in Lee County with a 2004 population of 48,348. Auburn is the educational and cultural center of the east Alabama region. It is the home of Auburn University, Alabama's largest university, as well several research centers, including the Ludwig von Mises Institute. Auburn has been marked in recent years by rapid growth, and is currently the fastest growing metropolitan area in Alabama, and the nineteenth-fastest growing metro area in the United States. The city's unofficial nickname is The Loveliest Village On The Plains, taken from a line in the poem The Deserted Village by Oliver Goldsmith: "Sweet Auburn! loveliest village of the plain . . ."

History

Inhabited in antiquity by the Creek, the land on which Auburn sits was opened to settlement in 1832 with the Treaty of Cusseta. The first settlers arrived in the winter of 1836 from Harris County, Georgia. These settlers, led by Judge John J. Harper, intended to build a town that would be the religious and educational center for the area. Auburn was incorporated on February 2, 1839, covering an area of 2 square miles (5.6 km²). By that time, Methodist and Baptist churches had been established, and a school had been built and had come into operation. In the mid-1840s, separate academies for boys and girls were established in addition to the primary school. This concentration of educational institutions led to a rapid influx of families from the planter class into Auburn in the 1840s and 1850s. By 1858, of the roughly 1,000 free residents of Auburn, some 500 were students. In 1856, the state legislature chartered a Methodist college, the East Alabama Male College in Auburn. This college, now Auburn University opened its doors in 1859, offering a classical and liberal education. With the advent of the Civil War in 1861, Auburn quickly emptied. All of the schools closed, and most businesses shuttered. Auburn was the site of a hospital for Texan Confederate soldiers, but only saw direct combat with the raids of Rousseau in 1864 and Wilson in 1865. After the Civil War, Auburn's economy entered a prolonged depression that would last the remainder of the century. Public schools did not reopen until the mid-1870s, and most businesses remained closed. A series of fires in the 1860s and 1870s gutted the downtown area. East Alabama Male College was turned over to the state in 1872, and with funds from the federal Morrill Act was renamed Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical College with a new mission as a land grant college. Passage of the Hatch Act in 1887 allowed for expansion of agricultural research facilities on campus. In 1892, the college became the first four-year college in Alabama to admit women. This, combined with increased interest in scientific agriculture and engineering and new funding from business licenses, allowed the city to start expanding again. By 1910, Auburn's population had returned to its antebellum level. SIAA Conference championships won by the Auburn college's football team brought attention and support to Auburn, and helped fill the city's coffers. Fortunes were quickly reversed with the collapse of cotton prices in the early 1920's and the subsequent Great Depression a decade later. Due to these events, the state government became unable to fund the college, and--as Auburn's economy was completely derived from the college--residents were forced into a barter economy to support themselves. Money began to flow into Auburn again with America's entry into World War II. Auburn's campus was turned into a training ground for technical specialists in the armed forces. After the war, Auburn was flooded by soldiers returning to school on the G.I. Bill. Primarily due to this immigration of students, Auburn began a period of growth that lasted through the 1950s and 1960s. A considerable amount of residential and business construction pushed Auburn's growth outside of the original boundaries of the city, leading to a series of large annexations which expanded Auburn to nearly 24 square miles (63 km²). Construction of Interstate 85 beginning in 1957 connected Auburn to the major cities of the state. This allowed for Auburn University (renamed in 1960) to schedule more home football games in Auburn rather than in larger cities, creating a strong tourism component in Auburn's economy. tourism Growth slowed somewhat in the 1970s, and a series of budget cuts made it clear that Auburn's sole economic reliance on Auburn University put the city in a tenuous position. Backlash against what was seen as an ineffectual city council led to the election of Jan Dempsey as mayor in 1982 and the removal of the previous city government system in favor of a council-manager system. With a new government in place, the city began aggressively pursuing industry, leading to a nearly 1,200% increase in the number of industrial jobs over the next twenty years. As public satisfaction with the city administration reached record levels, Auburn began very rapid residential growth. A series of reports in the 1980s and 1990s ranking the Auburn public school system among the top in the state and nation convinced thousands of new residents to move to Auburn over the past 25 years. Between 1980 and 2003, Auburn's population grew by 65%, and Auburn's economy expanded by 220%. With growth came issues of urban sprawl, which has become the primary political issue in Auburn at the turn of the 21st century.

Law and Government

urban sprawl Auburn has a council-manager government led by an eight-member city council, a mayor, and an appointed city manager. The city council acts as a legislative body of the city, passing laws and regulations and appointing citizens to the city's various boards, including the Auburn City Board of Education. Each member of the city council is elected for a four-year term from one of four geographic wards. Each ward elects two candidates (places) to sit on the council. In Ward 1, however, each of the two places is geographically independent from the other to ensure African-American representation on the council. Members of the current Auburn City Council are:
- Ward 1 Place 1 - Verlinda White
- Ward 1, Place 2 - Shelia Eckman
- Ward 2, Place 1 - Roberta Jackel
- Ward 2, Place 2 - Logan Gray
- Ward 3, Place 1 - Ted Wilson
- Ward 3, Place 2 - Dick Phelan
- Ward 4, Place 1 - Carolyn G. Mathews
- Ward 4, Place 2 - Gene Dulaney Starting with the 2006 election, the place system will be discarded and council members will be elected from eight geographically distinct wards. The mayor of Auburn is elected in the city at-large to a four year term. The duties of the mayor are to promote the city, communicate with residents, and break any ties in votes of the City Council. As such, the position of mayor in Auburn is primarily symbolic. The current mayor of Auburn is Bill Ham, Jr. The day-to-day operations of Auburn are run by the City Manager. The City Manager is appointed by and serves at the leisure of the City Council. The City Manager is responsible for the appointment and dismissal of all department heads, advises the council on policy matters, and creates and administers the city budget. The current City Manager of Auburn is David F. Watkins.

Geography

City Manager The city of Auburn lies in western Lee County and is bordered by the city of Opelika to the northeast and by Chambers County to the north. The city stretches south to within a mile of the Macon County line in the southwest. Auburn sits on the fall line at the juncture of the piedmont plateau and the coastal plain. Portions of Auburn also include the southernmost exposure of rocks indicating the Appalachian orogeny--as such, the last foothill of the Appalachian Mountains lies in Chewacla Park in southern Auburn. As a result of these three varied physical environments, Auburn has an extremely diverse geography. The southwest and west regions of the city on the plateau are marked by rolling plains and savannahs, with the undeveloped portion primarily being used for cattle grazing and ranching. South of this region sits the coastal plain, with sandy soil and pine forest. Parts of north Auburn have much more rugged topographies, with thick forests in high hills and deep hollows of the type common to parts of eastern Tennessee. The region surrounded by Chewacla Park in the south of the city contains sharp peaks and sudden drops of elevation as the 3.5 billion year-old rock of the Appalachians meets the coastal plain. Auburn sits near the divide between the Chattahoochee and Tallapoosa River watersheds. Auburn is drained by three main creek systems: in the south, by the Chewacla/Opintlocco Creek system; in the north, by the Saugahatchee Creek system; and in the extreme northern reaches of Auburn by Sandy Creek. The dividing line between the Chewacla and Saugahatchee watersheds roughly follows railroad line east-west through the center of town. Auburn is located at 32°35'52" North, 85°28'51" West (32.597684, -85.480823)and according to the U.S. Census Bureau in 2000, the city has a total area of 102.5 km² (39.6 mi²). 101.3 km² (39.1 mi²) of it is land and 1.1 km² (0.4 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 1.11% water. The elevation of Auburn at City Hall is 709 ft (216 m) above sea level; though due to Auburn's diverse topography, elevation ranges from 386 feet (118 m) above sea level where Chewacla Creek crosses Sand Hill Road to 845 feet (258 m) above sea level in northern Auburn near the Chambers County line.

Climate

Auburn has a typically Southern climate marked by mild winters, hot, muggy summers, and moderate autumns and springs. Due to Auburn's position near the Gulf of Mexico, the city receives a significant amount of rainfall--on average, 52.6 inches (1340 mm) per year--though there is a distinct dry season in the late summer and early fall. Severe storm activity is common from the late winter through early summer, but is less strong than in surrounding regions due to Auburn's higher elevation. Winters in Auburn are typically very mild, with average highs between 55 and 60°F (13 to 16 °C) and average lows between 35 and 40 °F (2 to 4°C). Snowfall is not rare, but is infrequent; Auburn on average receives less than an inch (25 mm) per year. Spring highs average between 75 and 80 °F (24 to 27°C), and lows average from 50 to 60°F (10 to 16 °C). Summer temperatures have an average peak in the high 80s and low 90s (29 to 33°C) with lows around 70°F (21°C), though the high humidity can push daytime heat indices over 100 °F (38 °C). Fall is typically drier than the other seasons, with highs in the 70s (21 to 27°C) and lows in the 50s (10 to 16°C). The record high for Auburn is 103 °F (40 °C), set on July 15, 1980 and August 10, 1980, while the record low was -7°F (-22°C), set on February 13, 1899 and January 21, 1985.

Economy

1985 Auburn's economy is centered around Auburn University and providing university-affiliated services. Auburn University employs 4,300 people, which is roughly one-quarter of the city's total workforce. In addition, 2,400 Auburnites are employed by the federal and state government in positions which are generally connected with the university. Some 8,500 are employed in service sector jobs. Auburn's industrial base is built around mid-sized, high tech manufacturing and research firms. Auburn has four technology parks where main areas of industrial focus are on the manufacture of small engines, automotive wheels, fuel cells, plastic injection technology, and vehicle armor. The 156 acre (0.6 km²) Auburn University Research Park is currently under construction and will be anchored by a firm which specializes in research in high-resolution, dark field optical microscopy. Overall, the manufacturing sector accounts for some 4,000 jobs in Auburn.

Demographics

microscopy As of the census of 2000, there are 42,987 people, 18,421 households, and 7,239 families residing in the city. The population density is 424.2/km² (1,098.6/mi²). There are 20,043 housing units at an average density of 197.8/km² (512.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 78.05% White, 16.79% Black or African American, 0.19% Native American, 3.31% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.57% from other races, and 1.05% from two or more races. 1.55% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. There are 18,421 households out of which 18.6% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 28.6% are married couples living together, 7.7% have a female householder with no husband present, and 60.7% are non-families. 36.8% of all households are made up of individuals and 4.5% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.12 and the average family size is 2.93. In the city the population is spread out with 15.4% under the age of 18, 44.6% from 18 to 24, 21.9% from 25 to 44, 11.7% from 45 to 64, and 6.4% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 23 years. For every 100 females there are 99.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 99.9 males. The median income for a household in the city is $17,206, and the median income for a family is $55,619. Males have a median income of $41,012 versus $26,209 for females. The per capita income for the city is $16,431. 38.1% of the population and 14.0% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 16.5% of those under the age of 18 and 8.8% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Education

Auburn, as a college town is largely driven by the influence of education. Auburn has one post-secondary school, Auburn University, which has an enrollment of 23,000. Auburn University is a Land-grant university with traditionally strong programs in engineering, agriculture, and veterinary medicine. The university is largely focused on undergraduate education, with a graduate enrollment of only 4,000. Auburn University is a research institution, with primary areas of research focus including wireless engineering, molecular biosciences, transportation, aquaculture, and forest sustainability. Auburn's public school system includes one kindergarten, five elementary schools, one middle school, one junior high school, and one high school. Auburn's school system has repeatedly been ranked among the top public school systems in the state and nation. Auburn City Schools has been ranked among the top 100 school districts in the United States by Parenting magazine and as the best educational value in the Southeast by the Wall Street Journal. Auburn's Early Education Center has specialized programs for autism education, has been recognized as a national Blue Ribbon school, and is a finalist for the Intel and Scholastic Schools of Distinction award. Auburn High School has strong International Baccalaureate and music programs, and was ranked in 2005 by Newsweek as the top non-magnet public high school in Alabama, and one of the top 100 in the United States.

Arts, Culture, and Recreation

United States Auburn is the home to the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art. The Smith Museum maintains a collection of primarily 19th and 20th Century American and European art. The museum's exhibits include the Advancing American Art Collection, consisting of 36 works by mid-20th Century American artists including Jacob Lawrence, Ben Shahn, and Georgia O'Keefe, a collection of woodcuts by naturalist John James Audubon, and works from Dali, Chagall, Renoir, Picasso, and Matisse. Major sculptural works at the museum include a collection of Tibetan bronzes, Jean Woodham's Spinoff, and Dale Chihuly's Amber Luster Chandelier. Also in Auburn is the Telfair Peet Theatre, which performs a series of plays and musicals each year. The Auburn Community Orchestra, as well as the bands of Auburn University and the Auburn High School Honors Band perform dozens of yearly concerts, including a series of outdoor concerts in the fall at Kiesel Park. Other musical series in Auburn include that of the Auburn Knights Orchestra, a big band jazz orchestra, and the Sundilla Acoustic Concert Series. The theatre is rumoured to be haunted by a ghost named Sydney, who the theatre department appeases before every performance with a package of M&Ms. Recreational opportunities in Auburn include 16 parks, highlighted by Chewacla Park, a 700 acre (2.8 km²) park in the Appalachian foothills, Kiesel Park, a 200 acre (0.8 km²) "passive" park with numerous trails, and the Louise Kreher Forest Ecology Preserve. The Donald E. Davis Arboretum showcases 150 different tree species native to Alabama and the Southeast. Auburn is also ringed by miles of multi-use trails and several lakes.

Sports

See also: Auburn University - Athletics Auburn has no professional sports teams, but nonetheless has a vibrant sports culture due to the presence of Auburn University's NCAA Division I athletic squads. Auburn University football in particular is a major force in Auburn's culture and economy. When Auburn University has home football games in the fall, the city often times sees over 100,000 visitors, and the yearly economic impact is measured at nearly $100 million. While other sports do not attract as many tourists to Auburn, the university's 17 varsity sports offer citizens a variety of other opportunities for viewing competition at virtually the highest level. Home football games particularly change the face of Auburn for several weekends a year. Tens of thousands of fans flood the campus hours--sometimes days--before the game to tailgate, creating a festival-like atmosphere throughout the weekend. Football games in Auburn are played in 87,451 seat Jordan-Hare Stadium, which sits on the main campus, just a few blocks from downtown. Basketball is played at 9,000 seat Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum, while baseball games are held at 4,200 seat Plainsman Park, which has been named one of the top five collegiate ballparks in the nation by Baseball America. One of Auburn's most competitive sports is the swimming program, which has won six of the last eight NCAA national championships, and competes at the James Martin Aquatic Center. More Olympic swimmers have come from Auburn's swimming program than any other university swimming program. Auburn is home to 146 holes of golf at six courses, and has played host to several professional and amateur golf tournaments. Auburn Links was rated as one of the top three new courses in the nation when it opened in 1996, and the Robert Trent Jones-designed Grand National course just outside of Auburn is often cited as one of the top public courses in the nation. Because of this, in 2005, Auburn was ranked the top city in the United States for golf by Golf Digest.

Suburbs and Outlying Communities

- Opelika, Alabama
- Loachapoka, Alabama
- Waverly, Alabama
- Beauregard, Alabama
- Beulah, Alabama
- Gold Hill, Alabama
- Bee Hive, Alabama
- The Bottle, Alabama

Notable Auburnites

- Charles Barkley - NBA All-Star
- Bo Jackson - Heisman Trophy winner, baseball and football All-Star
- James H. Lane - US Civil War general
- Heberto Padilla - Cuban poet
- Frederick Chapman Robbins - 1956 Nobel Laureate in medicine
- Holland Smith - General, USMC, "father of modern amphibious warfare"
- William Spratling - silversmith, artist, "father of Mexican silver"
- Paul Rudolph - architect, chairman of Yale Department of Architecture (1958 to 1965)
- Toni Tennille - vocalist, Captain and Tennille

Auburn in Fiction

- The fictional GI Joe character, Beach Head, was from Auburn.
- The book Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions by Daniel Wallace, and its derivative movie, Tim Burton's Big Fish, were both in part set in Auburn.
- Auburn received mentions in the 1960 film Ocean's Eleven, and 1971's Brian's Song.
- Harper Lee mentions Auburn in To Kill a Mockingbird.
- Anne Rivers Siddons, an Auburn University alumnus, portrayed a fictionalized Auburn campus and students in Heartbreak Hotel.
- Caroline Ivey's characters visit Auburn in her novel Family.
- Jennifer S. Davis mentions Auburn in her short story collection Her Kind of Want.
- Ann B. Pearson, Auburn University graduate and the granddaughter of one of that school's presidents, fictionalized Auburn in the mystery books she wrote.
- The fictional veterinarian, Dr. Pharamond (Fair) Haristeen, in the mystery series written by Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown, graduated from Auburn University's veterinary school in Auburn.

Auburn Authors

- General Harold G. Moore
- Ann B. Pearson
- Anne Rivers Siddons
- Caroline Ivey

Auburn in Movies and Television

- Auburn football star Bo Jackson played a part in The Chamber.
- Auburn basketball star Charles Barkley is a frequent guest on The Tonight Show.
- Victoria Jackson, who attended Auburn, was a cast member of Saturday Night Live.
- Auburn alumnus Toni Tennille was a guest star on several television shows.

References

- Atkins, Leah Rawls (1992). [http://www.ocm.auburn.edu/multimedia/publications/blossoms1.html Blossoms Amid the Deep Verdure]. Retrieved June 8, 2005.
- Auburn-Opelika Metropolitan Planning Organization/Lee Russell Council of Governments (2004). Auburn-Opelika 2030 Long Range Transportation Plan, Draft Final Report. Atlanta, Ga., Day Wilburn Associates, Inc.
- City of Auburn (1998). [http://www.auburnalabama.org/html/aub_2020/aub2020.pdf Auburn 2020]. Retrieved June 8, 2005.
- City of Auburn. [http://www.auburnalabama.org/citycouncil/members.htm City Council]. Retrieved June 8, 2005.
- City of Auburn, Economic Development Department (2005) [http://www.auburnalabama.org/econdev/PDF/Profile.pdf City of Auburn Community Profile 2005]. Retrieved June 10, 2005.
- City of Auburn, Office of the City Manager (2000). Growth Boundary Plan for the City of Auburn. Pamphlet. Auburn, Ala.
- Auburn University Athletic Department (2004). [http://www.auburntigers.com/football/page.cfm?doc_id=7323 2004 Auburn Football Media Guide]. Retrieved June 10, 2005.
- Flynt, Wayne (2001). "The Great Depression and the South". Lecture given April 2, 2001, Auburn, Ala.
- Frazer, Mary B. Reese (1920). Early History of Auburn. Manuscript. Preserved on microfilm through the USAIN/NEH State and Local Literature Preservation Project, (1997) Mobile, Ala., Document Technology, Inc.
- Hausman, Tamar. School Expenses. The Wall Street Journal, Southeast Journal. (May 13, 1998).
- The Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art at Auburn University (2004). [http://www.julecollinssmithmuseum.com/permcoll.html JCSMFA Permanent Collection]. Retrieved June 10, 2005.
- Newsweek. [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7723397/site/newsweek The Complete List of the Top 1000 High Schools]. Retrieved June 10, 2005.
- Nunn, Alexander (Ed.) (1983). Lee County and Her Forebears. Montgomery, Ala., Herff Jones. LCCCN 83-081693
- Logue, Mickey & Simms, Jack (1996). Auburn: A Pictorial History of the Loveliest Village, Revised. Auburn, Ala. ISBN 1-885860-08-0
- Schafer, Elizabeth D. (2003). Auburn: Plainsmen, Tigers, and War Eagles.Charleston, SC: Arcadia.
- Schafer, Elizabeth D. (2004). Auburn Football. Charleston, SC: Arcadia.
- United States Geological Survey (1971). [http://cartweb.geography.ua.edu:9001/lizardtech/iserv/calcrgn?cat=North%20America%20and%20United%20States&item=States/Alabama/Topos/AL75min/Auburn7571.sid&wid=500&hei=400&props=item(Name,Description),cat(Name,Description)&style=historicalmaps/view-dhtml.xsl Auburn Quadrangle Alabama-Lee Co. 7.5 Minute Series (Topographic)]. Retrieved June 8, 2005.
- United States Geological Survey (1971). [http://cartweb.geography.ua.edu:9001/lizardtech/iserv/calcrgn?cat=North%20America%20and%20United%20States&item=States/Alabama/Topos/AL75min/OpelikaW7571.sid&wid=500&hei=400&props=item(Name,Description),cat(Name,Description)&style=historicalmaps/view-dhtml.xsl Opelika West Quadrangle Alabama-Lee Co. 7.5 Minute Series (Topographic)]. Retrieved June 8, 2005.
- Watson, Douglas J. (1997). Workable Government: Auburn Provides Solutions for Community Challenges. Auburn, Ala., Craftmaster Printers.
- The Weather Channel (2005). [http://www.weather.com/activities/other/other/weather/climo-dly.html?locid=36830 Daily Averages for Auburn, AL (36830)]. Retrieved June 9, 2005.
- Wright, John Peavy (1969). Glimpses into the past from my Grandfather's Trunk. Alexander City, Ala., Outlook Publishing Company, Inc. LCCCN 74-101331

External links

- [http://gis.auburnalabama.org City of Auburn GIS Mapping Server]
- [http://www.auburnalabama.org/ City of Auburn, AL] Category:Cities in Alabama Category:University towns Category:Lee County, Alabama

Central of Georgia

The Central of Georgia Railway was constructed to join the Macon & Western Railroad at Macon, Georgia to the Atlantic coastal railroads at Savannah, Georgia. This created a rail link from Chattanooga on the Tennessee River to seaports on the Atlantic Ocean. The famous passenger train the Nancy Hanks, which ran from Atlanta to Savannah, used this road southeast of Macon. In 1971 it was renamed the Central of Georgia Railroad, which still exists as a subsidiary of Norfolk Southern. Forty-two miles of the CG's former mailine are now leased by the Chattooga and Chickamauga Railway from the State of Georgia.

External links

- [http://www.CofG.org Central of Georgia Historical Society]
- [http://www.railga.com/cofg.html Extensive history at RailGA.com] Category:Georgia railroads Category:Former Class I railroads in the United States

Columbus, Georgia

Columbus is a city located in Muscogee County, Georgia. As of the 2000 census, the entire city-county had a total population of 186,291, though Columbus itself is actually less than this. The city is the county seat of Muscogee County, with which it is a consolidated city-county. Because of the consolidation, Columbus is listed with the same population and other demographic data as the entire county. There is also a Columbus (balance), Georgia reported, which is the entire county minus Bibb City, the only other municipality (Bibb City became part of the city of Columbus in 2001). Fort Benning takes up most of the rest of the county.

Geography

Columbus is located at 32°29'22" North, 84°56'25" West (32.489608, -84.940422). According to the US Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 572.4 km² (221.0 mi²). 560.1 km² (216.3 mi²) of it is land and 12.3 km² (4.7 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 2.14% water.

Demographics

In 1890, 17,303 people lived in Columbus, Georgia; in 1900, 17,714; in 1910, 20,554; in 1920, 31,125; and in 1940, 53,280. As of the census of 2000, there are 186,291 people, 69,819 households, and 47,686 families residing in the city. The population density is 332.6/km² (861.4/mi²). There are 76,182 housing units at an average density of 136.0/km² (352.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 50.42% White, 43.74% African American, 0.38% Native American, 1.54% Asian, 0.14% Pacific Islander, 1.90% from other races, and 1.87% from two or more races. 4.49% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. There are 69,819 households out of which 34.6% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.7% are married couples living together, 19.6% have a female householder with no husband present, and 31.7% are non-families. 26.7% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.4% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.54 and the average family size is 3.08. In the city the population is spread out with 26.8% under the age of 18, 11.9% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 33 years. For every 100 females there are 94.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 91.6 males. The median income for a household in the city is $34,798, and the median income for a family is $41,244. Males have a median income of $30,238 versus $24,336 for females. The per capita income for the city is $18,262. 15.7% of the population and 12.8% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 22.0% of those under the age of 18 and 12.1% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Metropolitan area

The Columbus metropolitan area includes three counties in Georgia, and one in Alabama.
- Georgia
- Chattahoochee County
- Harris County
- Muscogee County
- Alabama
- Russell County, including Phenix City.

History

Founded in 1828 by an act of the Georgia Legislature, Columbus was situated at the end of the navigable portion of the Chattahoochee River and on the last stretch of the Federal Road before entering Alabama. The city was named for Christopher Columbus, its founders likely influenced by the writings of Washington Irving. The plan for the city was drawn up by Dr. Edwin L. DeGaffenried who placed the town on a bluff overlooking the river. Across the river, where Phenix City, Alabama is now located, Creek Indians lived until their removal in 1836. The river served as Columbus' connection to the world, particularly connecting the plantations in the region with the international cotton market via New Orleans and ultimately Liverpool, England. The city's commercial importance increased in the 1850s with the arrival of the railroad. In addition, textile mills began springing up along the river, bringing industry to an area reliant upon agriculture. By 1860, the city was one of the more important industrial centers of the South, earning it the nickname "the Lowell of the South." When the outbreak of war came in 1861, the industries of Columbus expanded their production and Columbus became one of the most important centers of industry in the Confederacy. In addition to textiles, the city had an ironworks as well as a shipyard for the Confederate Navy. The city finally saw its only fighting on Easter Sunday, April 16th, 1865, when a Union detachment under General James H. Wilson attacked the city and burned many of the industrial buildings. The inventor of Coca-Cola, Dr. John Stith Pemberton, was wounded in this battle. The owner of America's last slave ship, Col. Charles Augustus Lafayette Lamar was killed here. Reconstruction began almost immediately and prosperity followed. The industrialization of the town led to rapid growth; the city had outgrown its original plan. Columbus was graced with the Springer Opera House on 10th Avenue, which has hosted over a century of great performers and still delights audiences today. By the time of the Spanish American War, the city began to see much modernization including the addition of trolleys extending to outlying neighborhoods such as Rose Hill and Lakebottom and a new water works. Mayor Lucius Chappell also brought a training camp for soldiers to the area. This training camp named Camp Benning would grow into present day Fort Benning, named for General Henry L. Benning, a native of the city. With the expansion of the city, the need for a university saw the establishment of Columbus Junior College which would later grow into Columbus State University. The city would consolidate city and county governments in 1971 and become the first of its kind in Georgia (and one of only 16 in the U.S. at the time). As the city has turned from its initial industry of textiles, it has provided a home for other prominent industries including the headquarters for AFLAC and Synovus. During the 1970s and 1980s, urban blight and flight were serious problems in much of downtown Columbus and adjacent neighborhoods. Early efforts to halt the gradual deterioration of downtown included designation of various historic districts in and around downtown, demolition of large tracts of blighted areas, and construction of the Government Center. A significant period of urban renewal and revitalization occurred in the mid to late 1990s. With these improvements, residents and businesses began moving back to these formerly blighted areas. Examples of these municipal projects including construction of a softball commons for the 1996 Olympic Games, construction of a riverwalk park on the Chattahoochee River, construction of the Port Columbus Civil War Naval Museum, expansion of the Columbus Museum, and road improvements to include a new downtown bridge connecting downtown with Phenix City. During the late 1990s and early 2000s, commercial activity expanded north of downtown along the interstate corridor.

Famous Columbus Natives

- Robert M. Barr, band director and teacher.
- W.C. Bradley, banker and industrialist.
- General Henry Lewis Benning, Confederate general.
- Eugene Bullard, first African-American fighter pilot.
- William Calley, convicted Vietnam war criminal.
- Roderick Hood, National Football League cornerback.
- Tim Hudson, Major League Baseball pitcher
- Augusta Jane Evans, novelist.
- Nunnally Johnson, writer and screen writer.
- Carson McCullers, novelist and author of The Heart is a Lonely Hunter.
- George Foster Peabody, banker and philanthropist. The Peabody Award is named for him.
- John Stith Pemberton, creator of Coca-Cola.
- Robert Poydasheff, Mayor of Columbus since 2003.
- Ma Rainey, blues-musician known as 'The Mother of the Blues".
- Alma Thomas, African-American artist.
- Frank Thomas, baseball player for the Chicago White Sox.
- Tim Wilson, comedian.

Miscellaneous

- Columbus is the third largest city in Georgia and the fifth largest metropolitan area in the state.
- The companies AFLAC, Carmike Cinemas, Synovus, and TSYS locate their headquarters in Columbus.
- Tom's Foods was based in Columbus before the company closed in October, 2005. Its facilities are now used by Lance, Inc.
- Columbus lies next to Fort Benning, home to a large basic training facility for infantry.
- Was the site of the first ever Olympic women's fast-pitch softball competition during the 1996 Olympic Games.
- Every November, SOA Watch organizes a protest, which is held in Columbus just outside the main entrance to Fort Benning, against the former School of the Americas. Celebrities who have appeared at the protest have included Martin Sheen and Susan Sarandon. Since 2002, a counter-protest called God Bless Fort Benning Day has been organized by local residents.
- Was the home of RC Cola until the 1960s.
- Local folklore maintains that Coca-Cola was developed here by Dr. John Pemberton, who resided in Columbus during the 1860s.
- Columbus, GA is the largest city in the United States which has a larger namesake (Columbus, Ohio).
- Columbus was nicknamed the Fountain City for the many fountains that were installed early in the 20th century.
- The city is the home of the Columbus Catfish baseball club of the South Atlantic League, Columbus Cottonmouths of the Southern Professional Hockey League and the Chattahoochee Valley Vipers of the American Indoor Football League.
- The city is the home of Columbus State University.

Television

- WRBL Channel 3, CBS affiliate
- WTVM Channel 9, ABC affiliate
- WCGT Channel 16, Independent
- WJSP-TV Channel 28, PBS member station, Georgia Public Broadcasting
- WLTZ Channel 38, NBC affiliate
- WXTX Channel 54, Fox affiliate
- WLGA Channel 66, UPN affiliate

External links

- [http://www.columbusga.com Official Homepage]
- [http://www.columbusga.org Columbus Georgia Consolidated Government] Category:Cities in Georgia (U.S. state) Category:Muscogee County, Georgia

Central of Georgia

External links

Norfolk Southern

:This article is about the present railroad formed in 1990. For the former railroad, a small part of the new one, see Norfolk Southern Railway (former). The Norfolk Southern Railway , usually called Norfolk Southern, is a major Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. The company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada. The most common commodity hauled on the railroad is coal from mines in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia and Kentucky. The railroad also offers an extensive intermodal network in eastern North America. The current system was planned in 1982 with the formation of the Norfolk Southern Corporation, merged on December 31, 1990 with the lease of the Norfolk and Western Railway by the renamed Southern Railway, and augmented in 1998 with the acquisition of over half of Conrail.

History of the railroad

Norfolk Southern was created from predecessor railroads which date back to the early portion of the 19th century. Prior to current times, the three main branches of the current corporate family tree were for many years themselves systems: Norfolk and Western, formed in 1881, Southern Railway System in 1894, and Conrail, formed much later, in 1976. Each of these grew from many smaller local and regional lines as the industry grew. The South Carolina Canal and Rail Road, the earliest predecessor line, was chartered in December 1827 and ran the nation's first regularly scheduled passenger train on December 25, 1830. The Richmond and Danville Railroad, formed in 1847, became a major portion of the Southern Railway in 1894. NS was created in 1982 from the merger of the Norfolk and Western Railway and the Southern Railway Company. An earlier company, also named the Norfolk Southern Railway, serving primarily North Carolina and the southeastern tip of Virginia, had been acquired by the Southern Railway in 1974. The older company was the namesake for the 1982 combination. Headquarters for the newly established Norfolk Southern were established in Norfolk, Virginia. The 1982 combination of the profitable Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway was done to compete in the eastern United States with the Chessie System-Seaboard Coast Line merger which had been approved by the Interstate Commerce Commission in 1980, resulting in formation of CSX Transportation. On June 23, 1997, Norfolk Southern and CSX Transportation filed a joint application with the Surface Transportation Board (STB) for authority to purchase, divide and operate the assets of the 11,000-mile Consolidated Rail Corporation (Conrail), created in 1976 by bringing together several ailing northeastern railway systems into a government-owned corporation. On June 6, 1998, the STB approved the Norfolk Southern-CSX application and set Aug. 22, 1998, as the effective date of its decision. Norfolk Southern acquired 58% of Conrail’s assets (CSX got the remaining 42%). As a result of the transaction, Norfolk Southern's rail operations grew to include some 7,200 miles of the Conrail system (predominantly the former PRR). Norfolk Southern began operating its trains on its portion of the Conrail network on June 1, 1999.

Major businesses

The railroad is a large exporter of West Virginia bituminous coal, transported on portions of the well-engineered former Virginian Railway and the famous former Norfolk and Western's double-tracked line in Eastern Virginia to its Lambert's Point coal transload facility on Hampton Roads at Norfolk, Virginia. Coal transported by NS is thus exported to steel mills and power plants around the world. The company is also a major transporter of auto parts and completed vehicles. It operates intermodal container and TOFC (trailer on flat car) trains, some in conjunction with other railroads. Norfolk Southern was the first railway to employ roadrailers, which are highway truck trailers with interchangeable wheel sets. According to Norfolk Southern’s 2003 Annual Report to Investors, at the end of 2003, the Norfolk Southern Railway had more than 28,160 employees, 3,468 locomotives, and 101,095 freight cars. At the end of 2003, the transport of coal, coke and iron ore made up 23% of the total amount of traffic hauled by Norfolk Southern. Intermodal containers made up 19% of the total; autoracks 14%; chemical tankers 12%; metals, construction materials, agriculture commodities, and consumer products 11%; paper, clay, and forest products 10%.

Track network and facilities

Largely an eastern United States railway, the Norfolk Southern directly owns and operates 21,500 miles of track in 21 states: Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. In addition, Norfolk Southern owns track in Washington D.C. and the Canadian province of Ontario. Furthermore, Norfolk Southern has rights to operate its trains with its own crews on competing railroads' tracks. These haulage rights permit Norfolk Southern to operate as far west as Dallas, Texas, as far north as Waterville, Maine, and as far south as Miami, Florida. NS locomotives also occasonally operate on competitors' tracks throughout the United States and Canada due to the practice of locomotive leasing and sharing undertaken by the Class I railroads. Not including second, third and fourth main line trackage, yard trackage, and siding trackage, the Norfolk Southern directly operates some 21,500 miles (34,601 kilometers) of track. When the additional tracks are counted, however, the amount of track the Norfolk Southern Railway has direct control over rises to over 38,000 miles (61,155 kilometers). The company has 25 major rail classification yards, located in: Allentown, Pennsylvania; Atlanta, Georgia; Baltimore, Maryland; Bellevue, Ohio; Birmingham, Alabama; Bluefield, West Virginia; Chattanooga, Tennessee; Chicago, Illinois; Cincinnati, Ohio; Cleveland, Ohio; Columbus, Ohio; Conway, Pennsylvania; Decatur, Illinois; Detroit, Michigan; Elkhart, Indiana; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Kansas City, Missouri; Knoxville, Tennessee; Linwood, North Carolina; Louisville, Kentucky; Macon, Georgia; Norfolk, Virginia; Roanoke, Virginia; Sheffield, Alabama; and St. Louis, Missouri. Six major locomotive shops are located in Altoona, Pennsylvania; Bellevue, Ohio; Chattanooga, Tennessee; Conway, Pennsylvania; Enola, Pennsylvania; and Roanoke, Virginia.

Locomotives

Norfolk Southern is currently still buying DC traction diesel locomotives. In fact the only AC traction diesels on their roster are EMD SD80MACs which all were inherited from Conrail. EMD SD80MAC Norfolk Southern's GE Dash-9 locomotives are often called "catfish" by railfans, as the stripes are said to look like catfish whiskers. The locomotive numbered 4610, a GM-EMD GP59, is painted in predecessor Southern Railway colors of green and white with gold trim and is a railfan's favorite. The work was done at the Debutts Yard in Chattanooga, Tennessee during the summer of 1994 and she received a repaint in the summer of 2004. Virginian Railway enthusiasts are hoping that Norfolk Southern will paint another commemorative locomotive in VGN colors and livery for the upcoming centennial of that NS predecessor which will occur in 2007. The current paint scheme for NS is black and white.

Reporting Marks

Railroads use initials as reporting marks, a universal system intended to help keep track of rolling stock and financial transactions between railroads. Although it has been widely known as simply Norfolk Southern since 1982, the corporate structure and reporting marks are more complicated. In 1990, Southern Railway Company was renamed Norfolk Southern Railway Co. Its Norfolk and Western Railway company was merged into the Norfolk Southern Railway in 1997. In 1999, when most of Conrail's ex-Pennsylvania Railroad trackage was sold to the Norfolk Southern Railway, the Pennsylvania Railway Lines was created, and PRR reporting marks used on the former Conrail motive power and rolling stock.

List of reporting marks

- AGS - Alabama Great Southern Railroad
- CG sometimes CoG - Central of Georgia Railway
- CNTP - Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific Railway (CNO&TP)
- GANO - Georgia Northern Railway
- NKP - Nickel Plate Road
- PRR - Pennsylvania Railroad
- NS - Norfolk Southern
- NW - Norfolk and Western Railway
- SOU - Southern Railway
- TAG - Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia Railway
- VGN - Virginian Railway
- WAB - Wabash, St. Louis and Pacific Railroad

External links

- [http://www.nscorp.com Official Norfolk Southern company website], including a [http://www.nscorp.com/nscorp/application?pageid=Doing%20Business&category=Doing%20Business&contentId=english/nscorp/doing_business/none2/system_map.html system map]
- [http://www.ns-promos.com/ Norfolk Southern Company Store]
- [http://www.railserve.com/railnews/norfolksouthern_news.html Norfolk Southern News]
- [http://nspics.railfan.net/ Norfolk Southern Photo Archive]

History

- [http://www.nwhs.org/ Norfolk & Western Historical Society] covers Norfolk & Western and Virginian Railway history
- [http://www.norfolksouthernhs.org/ Norfolk & Southern Historical Society ] covers original railway from Norfolk, VA to Charlotte, NC
- [http://www.srha.net/ Southern Railway Historical Association] covers Southern Railway history
- [http://www.trainweb.org/chsi/chsi.html Conrail Historical Society] covers Conrail history
- [http://www.vmt.org/ Virginia Museum of Transportation ] displays famous N & W steam locomotives, located in Roanoke, VA
- [http://www.virginiasampler.com/virginian_railway_authors.htm listing of Virginian Railway authors and their works]
- [http://www.virginiasampler.com/virginian-railway-mullens.htm Mullens West Virginia Caboose Museum]a community project with photos
- [http://www.club-e-stores.com/Caboose/VGNcaboose_342-3.htm Victoria Virginia's new home for Virginian railway Caboose 342] a community project with photos
- [http://www.club-e-stores.com/Caboose/caboose64_lynchburg.htm Lynchburg Virginia's project to save the oldest extant Virginian Railway Caboose # 64] a community project with photos
- [http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Cities/Roanoke/NR_Roanoke_VirginianRailwayStation_128-5461_text.pdf preserving the Virginian Railway Passenger Station at Roanoke Virginia] a community project with photos requiring pdf file viewer

Events

- [http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/VirginianRailwayEnthusiasts/ Virginian Railway (VGN) Enthusiasts Yahoo Group] non-profit group of preservationists, authors, photographers, historians, modelers, and railfans
- [http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/southern_railway/ Southern Railway Yahoo Group] a Yahoo group for former employees, railfans and modelers of the Southern Railway
- [http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/Norfolk_Southern/ Norfolk Southern Yahoo Group] a Yahoo group for current happenings of Norfolk Southern Railway
- [http://groups.yahoo.com/group/norfolk-western-rr/ Norfolk Western RR Yahoo Group] a Yahoo group for historical followers and modelers of the Norfolk & Western Railway

Data

- [http://biz.yahoo.com/ic/11/11084.html Yahoo! - Norfolk Southern Corporation Company Profile]

Atlanta and West Point Railroad

The Atlanta and West Point Railroad (AWP) was originally chartered in 1847 and the section from Newnan to West Point was chartered in December 1849. It was completed in 1854. In 1867, while Lemuel P. Grant ran it, here were the stops available to riders:

Distances of Depots from Atlanta

Trains departed from Atlanta at 12:15PM and arrived there at 8:37AM West Point was the connecting point further west via the Montgomery & West Point Railroad.

Today

The AWP and the Western Railway of Alabama had financial backing from the parent company of the Georgia Railroad, and from 1886 onward the AWP and the Western operated essentially as one railroad under the name "The West Point Route." In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the three were controlled through joint lease by the Central of Georgia Railroad and the Louisville and Nashville Railroad (through assignment by its majority owner, the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad). The CofG sold its interest in 1944. Through the control of the Georgia Railroad, the lines eventually fell under the control of the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad, which was the result of a merger between the ACL and the Seaboard Air Line. All of these lines plus the Clinchfield Railroad became the Family Lines System in the 1970s, though all the lines maintained separate corporate identities. Those identities became "fallen flags" when the group was renamed Seaboard System Railroad (SBD), and in 1986 SBD merged with Chessie System to form CSX Transportation. The former AWP remains in full service today, though passenger service ended in the 1970s when Amtrak took over most of the nation's remaining passenger trains.

References

- [http://www.railga.com/atlwp.html Railga.com]
- [http://www.forttyler.com/railroad.htm Railroads and the Battle of West Point]
- [http://www.oldalabamarails.org/history2.html Old Alabama Rails — West Point Route]
- [http://www.csxt.com CSX Transportation] Category:Georgia railroads Category:Atlanta railroads Category:Former Class I railroads in the United States

Georgia Railroad

The Georgia Railroad was originally chartered in 1833 starting in Augusta, Georgia it was completed into Atlanta by Chief Engineer J. Edgar Thomson in 1845 and Richard Peters was its first superintendent. At that time the rates were as follows:
- 5¢ per mile for passengers
- 50¢ per 100 miles for freight In 1867, here were the stops available to riders:

Distances of Depots from Atlanta

Trains departed from Atlanta at 8:55AM and 7:15PM and arrived there at 10:05AM and 6:00PM

Today

The Georgia Railroad fell under common management with the Atlanta and West Point Railroad and the Western Railway of Alabama. These were later merged with the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad, the Louisville and Nashville Railroad and the Clinchfield Railroad to form the Family Lines System. This later was renamed Seaboard System Railroad, and in 1986 merged with Chessie System to form CSX Transportation. Category:Georgia railroads Category:Atlanta railroads Category:Seaboard System Railroad Category:Former Class I railroads in the United States

Family Lines System

Beginning In 1972, American railroad companies Seaboard Coast Line and the Louisville & Nashville Railroad began jointly marketing themselves as the Family Lines System. This also extended to their subsidiary companies the Georgia Railroad, the Atlanta and West Point Railroad, the Clinchfield Railroad, and the Western Railway of Alabama. The use of this marketing device persisted until 1983, when a merger between Seaboard Coast Line and the Louisville and Nashville resulted in the Seaboard System Railroad, which in 1986 became CSX Transportation. Category:Defunct railroad companies of the United States

Seaboard Coast Line Railroad

The Seaboard Coast Line Railroad was created July 1 1967 as a result of the merger of the Seaboard Air Line Railroad with the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACL). In 1982, The Seaboard Coast Line Railroad became Seaboard System Railroad as a result of a merger with the Louisville & Nashville Railroad (L&N). For some years prior to this, the SCL and L&N had been under the common ownership of a holding company, Seaboard Coast Line Industries (SCI), the company's railroad subsidiaries being collectively known as the Family Lines System which comprised of the L&N, SCL, Clinchfield and West Point Routes. After the 1980 merger of SCI with the Chessie System, the resulting CSX Corporation combined the Family Lines System units as the Seaboard System Railroad and later became CSX when the former Chessie units were merged into it in 1986.

Innovative SCL trains

Juice Train: a historic model of unit train competition

Juice Train is the popular name for famous unit trains of Tropicana fresh orange juice operated by railroads in the United States. In 1970, beginning on Seaboard Coast Line railroad, a mile-long Tropicana Juice Train train began carrying one million gallons of juice with one weekly round-trip from Bradenton, Florida to Kearny, New Jersey, in the New York City area. Today operated by SCL successor CSX Transportation, CSX Juice Trains have been the focus of efficiency studies and awards as examples of how modern rail transportation can compete successfully against trucking and other modes to carry perishable products.

Auto-Train

The original Auto-Train operated on Seaboard Coast Line and Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac (RF&P) tracks. It was operated by Auto-Train Corporation, a privately-owned railroad which used its own rolling stock to provide a unique rail transportation service for both passengers and their automobiles in the United States, operating scheduled service between Lorton, Virginia (near Washington, D.C.) and Sanford, Florida, near Orlando. The founder of Auto-Train Corporation was Eugene K. Garfield. His approach allowed families to relax en route and save the expense and unfamiliarity of a rental car on arrival. Passengers rode in either wide coach seats or private first-class sleeping compartments while their vehicles were safely carried in enclosed autoracks. The train included dining cars and meals were served. The equipment of the Auto-Train Corporation was painted in red, white, and purple colors. The typical train was equipped with two or three General Electric U36B diesel-electric locomotives, 76' double-deck auto carriers, streamlined passenger cars, including coaches, dining cars, sleeper cars, and 85' full-dome cars, and a caboose, then an unusual sight on most passenger trains. Auto-Train Corporation's first auto carriers were acquired used, and started life in the 1950s as a new innovation for Canadian National Railroad. The CN bi-level autorack cars had end-doors. They were huge by the standards of the time; each 75-footer could carry 8 vehicles. The cars were a big success and helped lead to the development of today's enclosed autoracks. The former CN autoracks were augmented by new tri-level versions in 1976. autorack Auto-Train Corporation's new service began operations on December 6, 1971 The service was a big hit with travelers. Before long, the ambitious entrepreneurs of Auto-Train were looking to expand into other markets. However, only the Lorton-Sanford service proved successful. High crew costs, several spectacular accidents with the 58- to 64-car trains, and an unprofitable expansion to Louisville, Kentucky put Garfield's company into bankruptcy. Auto-Train Corporation was forced to end its services in late April, 1981. Operating for almost 10 years, Auto-Train had developed a popular following, particularly among older travelers as it ferried passengers and their cars between Virginia and Florida. However, no one else offered a service quite like that of Auto-Train: transport a car and its passengers together (on the same movement, at the same time) to and from vacation areas. In 1983, the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, better known as Amtrak, a federally-chartered corporation which operates most intercity passenger trains in the United States acquired Auto-Train Corporation terminals in Lorton and Sanford and some of the rolling stock, including the autoracks. Amtrak began its slightly-renamed Auto Train route service between Virginia and Florida on a 3 day per week basis after a 22 month gap, expanding it to daily trips the following year. Today, Amtrak's Auto Train carries about 200,000 passengers and generates around $50 million in revenue annually. Operating on leased CSX Transportation tracks for the entire distance, it is considered Amtrak's best-paying train in terms of income in comparison with operating expenses.

History

The Western and Atlantic Railroad is famous for the Great Locomotive Chase, which took place on the W&A during the US Civil War in April 1862.

External links

- [http://aclsal.org/ Atlantic Coast Line & Seaboard Air Line Railroads Historical Society]

Clinchfield Railroad

The Clinchfield Railroad was an operating and holding company for the Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway . The line ran from the coalfields of Virginia and Elkhorn City, Kentucky to the textile mills of South Carolina. The 35-mile segment from Dante, Va. to Elkhorn City, KY, opening up the coal lands north of Sandy Ridge Mountains and forming a connection with the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad at Elkhorn City, was completed in 1915. The Clinchfield was the last Class I railroad built in the U.S. east of the Rocky Mountains. The 266-mile railroad provided access to numerous scenic wonders and is probably best-known for being the railroad whose tracks transversed the Virginia Natural Tunnel. The Clinchfield Railroad began operating the line December 1, 1924, and for many years it was leased jointly by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad and Louisville and Nashville Railroad. When the L&N merged with the ACL's successor, the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad, on December 29, 1982, forming the Seaboard System Railroad, the separate operating company was unnecessary and was dissolved. The line is now owned and operated by CSX Transportation.

History

In 1886, Ex-Union General John H. Wilder received a charter for Charleston, Cincinnati and Chicago Railroad, commonly referred to as the "3-C" Railroad. This was the beginning of the modern Clinchfield. The promoters of this ambitious project proposed a 625-mile line from Ironton, Ohio to Charleston, S.C., with an extension down the Ohio River to Cincinnati. It would serve the rich agricultural lands of the Piedmont, the summer resorts of the North Carolina mountains, the rich timber and mineral deposits and coal fields of Virginia and Kentucky, with terminals on both the Ohio River and the Atlantic Seacoast. The estimated cost was $21 million. Johnson City, Tennessee was established as the headquarters for the 3-C railroad and that city became a railway boom town. Construction progressed from Johnson City to both the north and south. Tracks reached Erwin, Tennessee in 1890. The roadway grading was 90 percent complete from Johnson City to Dante, VA in 1893, when the 3-C began to experience financial problems and then failed in the national depression of that year. In July 1893, the assets of the 3-C railroad were sold at a foreclosure for $550,000. The new owners renamed it the "Ohio River and Charlston Railroad." The construction continued in a halfhearted manner and in 1897 owners began to sell off the railroad in segments. At this time an enterprising enterpreneur, George L. Carter, enters the picture. He was involved in developing the coal lands of Southwestern Virginia and needed a railroad to get his coal to a south Atlantic seaport. In 1902, he purchased the Ohio River and Charlston railroad, reorganized it as the Clinchfield Railroad and set up a gigantic construction program to get it completed. Between 1905 and 1909 the road was completed from Dante, Virginia, to Spartanburg, South Carolina. Carter was successful in getting adequate financing for the construction and built the railroad to construction standards far beyond the norms of the times. Consequently, Clinchfield has not had to reduce grades, lighten curves, straighten bridges, and enlarge tunnels to handle heavier and larger equipment as other railroads have had to do. Carter originally established the Clinchfield headquarters in Johnson City, Tennessee but later moved the headquarters to Erwin, Tennessee when he could not get required land for the main shops and classification yards.

References

- [http://www.earlpleasants.com/search_1.asp Railroad History Database]
- [http://www.trains.com/Content/Dynamic/Articles/000/000/000/387dckyo.asp CSX merger family tree]
- [http://www.johnsonsdepot.com/clinchfield/index_cl.htm Clinchfield History: Johnson City, Tennessee]
- [http://www.carolina-clinchfield.org Clinchfield Railroad Historical Society] Category:Kentucky railroads Category:North Carolina railroads Category:South Carolina railroads Category:Tennessee railroads Category:Virginia railroads Category:Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Category:Louisville and Nashville Railroad Category:Seaboard System Railroad Category:Former Class I railroads in the United States

1986

1986 (MCMLXXXVI) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar.

Events

January

Gregorian calendar
- January 1 - Spain and Portugal enter the European Community
- January 1 - Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands and is separated from the Netherlands Antilles.
- January 9 - After losing a patent battle with Polaroid, Kodak leaves the instant camera business.
- January 12 - Space shuttle Columbia is launched with the first Hispanic-American astronaut, Dr. Franklin R. Chang-Diaz.
- January 20 - The United Kingdom and France announce plans to construct the Channel Tunnel.
- January 20 - The first federal Martin Luther King Day, honoring Martin Luther King Jr.
- January 24 - Voyager 2 space probe makes first encounter with Uranus
- January 28 - Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrates 73 seconds after launch, killing its crew of six astronauts and a schoolteacher.
- January 29 - Yoweri Kaguta Museveni became President of the Republic of Uganda after leading a successful five-year liberation struggle.

February

- February 7 - 28 years of one-family rule end in Haiti, when President Jean-Claude Duvalier flees the Caribbean nation.
- February 9 - Mohinder Amarnath becomes the first batsman dismissed for handling the ball in one-day international cricket.
- February 9 - Comet Halley reaches its perihelion, the closest point to the Earth, during its second visit to the solar system in the 20th century.
- February 11 - Human Rights activist Anatoly Shcharansky is released by the USSR and leaves the country.
- February 16 - The Soviet liner Mikhail Lermontov runs aground in the Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand
- February 19 - The Soviet Union launches the Mir space station
- February 19 - After waiting 37 years, the United States Senate approves a treaty outlawing genocide
- February 25 - EDSA Revolution: President Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines goes into exile to USA after 20 years of rule; Corazon Aquino becomes the first Filipino woman president, first as in interim president.
- February 25 - Egyptian military police, protesting bad salaries, enter four luxury hotels near the pyramids, set fire to them and loot them
- February 27 - The United States Senate allows its debates to be televised on a trial basis
- February 28 - Swedish prime minister Olof Palme is shot dead on his way home from the cinema.

March

- March 8 - Japanese spacecraft Suisei flies by Halley's Comet, studying its UV hydrogen corona and solar wind.
- March 9 - United States Navy divers find the largely intact but heavily-damaged crew compartment of the Space Shuttle Challenger. The bodies of all seven astronauts were still inside.
- March 27 - A car bomb explodes at Russell Street Police HQ in Melbourne, killing 1 police officer.
- March 31 - A fire devastates Hampton Court Palace in Surrey, England.

April

England
- April 2 - A bomb explodes on a TWA flight from Rome to Athens - 4 dead
- April 5 - In the terroristic La Belle discotheque bombing the West-Berlin discothe