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Organized in 1833 by Savannah businessmen, the Central of Georgia Railway was chartered by the Georgia Legislature as the Central Rail Road & Canal Company. The line, connecting Savannah to the interior of the state, boosted the coastal city's seaport, which had lost business to Charleston because of the South Carolina Rail Road's inland reach. In 1843, the Central was extended from Savannah to the outskirts of Macon, and after nearly 120 years of successful operation, the Central of Georgia Railway was purchased by Southern Railway. By 1982, it became merely an accounting entry in the books of Norfolk Southern, a major transportation company.

Track the history of Chattahoochee Valley Railway through five generations of service using vintage images.

Weaving across state lines from Standing Rock, Alabama, through West Point, Georgia, and back to Bleecker, Alabama, the Chattahoochee Valley Railway served many communities along its line. Its last run was in 1992, but now the days of the short line railroad are revisited in Chattahoochee Valley Railway. Although some books on the history of the region render a passing mention of this railway, none have included over 200 images and a detailed historical account like Chattahoochee Valley Railway. The railroad served surrounding communities for over five generations by offering transportation, and the rail line's parent textile corporation built schools, churches, recreational areas, and a water supply for those communities. By the 1980s, modernization of the corporate structure eliminated the need for the railway and its equipment was sold off. However, part of its track bed is now a biking, hiking, and walking trail. The old railway is still serving nearby residents and is still enjoyed by all who follow its path.

Chattanooga's 138-year public transportation heritage is a complex and colorful conglomeration of some 32 companies that were initially comprised of horse-drawn streetcar lines. They were later upgraded to electric traction operations, steam dummy lines, and finally to the motor-coach buses of today. Chattanooga's transit story has been unique from its inception. Few cities have had any connection to the incline railways that were constructed in this mountainous city, one of which, the famous Lookout Mountain Incline Railway, is still in daily operation. Today's CARTA transit system has innovated one of the largest fleets of battery-operated electric buses, which other transit companies use as their model for comparison.

Site of the landing of Pierre LeMoyne Sieur d'Iberville in February 1699 and the birthplace of the French colony la Louisiane, Biloxi has been nurtured by the waters of the Gulf of Mexico for more than three hundred years. Located almost due north of the mouth of the Mississippi, on a coast laced with small rivers, bays, and bayous, the historic peninsula city owes much of its fortune and growth to the bountiful waters and pleasant salt-air ambiance of the Mississippi Sound. Although Biloxi garnered its earliest fame as a seaside antebellum resort, the arrival of the railroad in 1870 led to the meteoric rise of a seafood industry which, by the end of the nineteenth century, had allowed the city to lay legitimate claim to the title "Seafood Capital of the World." Since the 1880s, a large Biloxi fishing fleet has harvested the Mississippi Sound and adjacent Gulf waters, keeping the city's seafood among the most highly prized in the nation. Today, a bustling new casino gaming industry, resort hotels, and myriad outdoor recreational activities have promoted the city to a world class tourist and retirement destination.

The clanging of a streetcar's bell conjures images of a time when street railways were a normal part of life in the city. Historic Canal Street represents the common ground between old and new with buses driving alongside steel rails and electric wires that once guided streetcars.

New Orleans was one of the first cities to embrace street railways, and the city's love affair with streetcars has never ceased. New Orleans: The Canal Streetcar Line showcases photographs, diagrams, and maps that detail the rail line from its origin and golden years, its decline and disappearance for almost 40 years, and its return to operation. From the French Quarter to the cemeteries, the Canal Line ran through the heart of the city and linked the Creole Faubourgs with the new neighborhoods that stretched to Lake Pontchartrain.

Norfolk Southern Railway's history in southeastern Virginia began in the mid-19th century when a young civil engineer named William Mahone designed an innovative 12-mile-long roadbed through the Great Dismal Swamp that is still in use today. Trees were felled and laid side by side at right angles beneath the swamp's surface, forming a corduroy road, with the roadbed built on top of the logs. The logs sank into the boggy swamp, where they were preserved. Nearly 170 years later, Mahone's corduroy design continues to serve as a major route for Norfolk Southern traffic, supporting millions of tons of freight each year as the railroad provides extensive service throughout Hampton Roads. One of the nation's largest Class 1 railroads, Norfolk Southern was created through the merger of Roanoke-based Norfolk & Western Railway and Washington, DC-based Southern Railway in June 1982.

When the first "Iron Horse" arrived in Southwest Florida--at Charlotte Harbor in 1886--nearly 150,000 miles of railroads already existed in America, the transcontinental route was open, and Pullman sleeping cars were in wide use. But despite a late start, railroads forever transformed this beautiful region of the Sunshine State and connected its people to the outside world. In Railroads of Southwest Florida, the golden age of railroading
is documented with captivating images of stations, machines, and the people whose lives were affected by this significant form of transportation. From interior views of well-furnished passenger cars to scenes of hardworking men who made it all possible, this collection provides a thorough look at a fascinating, almost forgotten heritage.

Richmond County and the Seaboard Air Line Railway presents vintage photographs by talented photographer Frederick "Frank" Marchant (1872-1942). The images document the bustling railroad town of Hamlet and the county seat of Rockingham in North Carolina during the first quarter of the 20th century. Marchant, a native of Pennsylvania, arrived in Hamlet in the early 1900s. By 1907, he was working as a commercial photographer and as the official "picture taker" for the railroad company. Marchant developed a keen eye for interesting subjects, and some of his work took on a photojournalistic quality. His photographs, many of which he published as postcards, record rail activity in the Hamlet area, which became the "hub" of the Seaboard Air Line.

On August 25, 1946, Savannah saw the last run of its
streetcars, which were to be replaced by gasoline-powered buses as the city gave way to modernization. For years the residents of Savannah had depended upon streetcars, from horse-drawn to electric, for travel in and around the city. This engaging collection of images explores this period in the history of Chatham County and the integral part that streetcars played in the lives of everyone in the community. When the streetcar system began operation in 1869, residents who were previously unable to afford transportation welcomed the opportunity to travel outside of Savannah for the purposes of residency, employment, recreation, and health. Billed as being beneficial to the population at large, streetcars were an instrumental force in Savannah's development both as a city and as a tourist destination. Discover in Streetcars of Chatham County the prominent citizens behind the companies, the changes that occurred in residential and commercial areas, and the evolution of the streetcar as a means of transportation. Chronicled are the histories of such influential companies as
the Savannah, Skidaway and Seaboard Railroad, and Savannah Electric Company.

At well over 100 years old, Tampa Union Station is one of the few historic buildings in Tampa that still serves its original purpose. Designed by architect J.F. Leitner of Wilmington, North Carolina, Tampa Union Station has seen millions of travelers pass through its doors since its 1912 opening--from servicemen and women to "flower children" and from families on vacation to college kids setting out on their own. Once threatened with demolition, the train station reopened its doors to the traveling public in 1998 following a multimillion-dollar restoration. Through images from archives and individuals, Tampa Union Station captures moments in time related to this iconic building, including pictures of trains such as Seaboard Air Line's Silver Meteor and Atlantic Coast Line's Tampa Special, as well as other fascinating looks at life at the station.

This pictorial history illustrates the Tennessee River's influence on Northwest Alabama and people, places, and events that have shaped the area's cultural and natural history.

For centuries, the Tennessee River has shaped the lives of northwest Alabamians. Native peoples made their homes on its shores, living on the rich resources found in its waters and on its banks. Early Europeans and Americans recognized the river's importance in connecting east with west, although traveling the 40-mile stretch of rocky shoals between present-day Decatur and Florence was difficult. Overcoming that navigation challenge led to such 19th-century technological advances as the Tuscumbia, Courtland & Decatur Railroad--the first rail line west of the Appalachian Mountains--and the Muscle Shoals Canal. During the Civil War, skirmishes over control of factories, rail lines, and bridges characterized most military activity in northwest Alabama. In the 20th century, the construction of Wilson Dam and the creation of the Tennessee Valley Authority improved the quality of life and increased economic opportunities in northwest Alabama.