Railroads played a vital role as the United States expanded westward in the 19th century. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was the first railroad chartered in the United States, and 14 miles of track were opened in 1830. It operated under horsepower until the following year when an American-made steam locomotive was put into service. The South Carolina Canal and Railroad Company completed a 136 mile railroad in 1833, making it the longest steam railroad in the world. New railroads came quickly, almost haphazardly, most of which were short-distance passenger lines that were not profitable. They could not compete with canals and stagecoach operators, and some railroads were abandoned before they were completed. Railroads gradually proved their worth, however, and in 1869 the Intercontinental Railroad joining the east and west coasts of America was completed.
In Georgia, in response to anticipated competition from the South Carolina railroad, a group of Savannah businessmen established the Central Railroad and Canal Company which became the Central of Georgia Railway. After receiving a charter from the state Legislature in 1833, the company started construction in 1835, and a 190-mile line from Savannah to Macon was built.
The following years witnessed a frenzy of construction. The Georgia Railroad and Banking Company built a line from Augusta to Marthasville (later Atlanta) in 1845. In 1851, the Georgia state-owned Western and Atlantic Railroad connected Chattanooga with Terminus (also later Atlanta). By 1855, Georgia’s major cities and towns were linked by railroad.
After the Civil War, new railroads were built and existing lines were consolidated into larger systems. In 1892, Southern Railway was created by financier J. P. Morgan out of the financial ruin of two failed railroads. Southern became one of the leading systems in Georgia…
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