| Australia, New South Wales, Lithgow — The Great Zig Zag — Lithgow |
| | A railway zig zag is a series of reversing ramps used to avoid very steep grades. John Whitton, Engineer in Chief NSW Government Railways 1856-90, chose this as the economical method for the descent from Clarence to Lithgow. Built during 1866-69 by contractor Patrick Higgins, it involved massive rock excavations, a tunnel and three stone arch viaducts. During its 41 years of operation it accelerated the development of western New South Wales and achieved world renown as a major engineering work. — Map (db m59808) HM |
| Australia, New South Wales (Claredon), Gundagai — Prince Alfred Bridge Viaduct — Gundagai Town of Historic Bridges |
| | The old town of Gungafai was built on the flats where these bridges now cross. The town was first gazetted and surveyed in 1838. The town flooded about 1 metre in 1844 and 1851.
On the 25th June 1852 the old town was destroyed by a flood 4 to 5 metres deep across the flats. There were 78 recorded deaths. This was Australia’s worst natural disaster. An even greater flood followed in 1853. There after the present town site was developed.
Prince Alfred was Queen Victoria’s second son. . . . — Map (db m71067) HM |
| Brazil, Rio de Janeiro — Christ the Redeemer Monument — Corcovado Train — Cristo Retender |
| |
Uma história de fé
A history of faith
[Text in Portuguese: ...]
De braços abertos sobre a cidade, abençoando-a, o monumento ao Cristo Redentor, foi inaugurado em 12 outubro de 1931 pelo Presidente Getúlio Vargas e o Cardeal Sebastião Leme.
Construido de concreto armado e revestido de pequenos triangulares de pedra-sabão, todas as suas peças foram transportadas ao alto pelo Trem do Corcovado. A obra executada no pico do Morro do Corcovado é equivalente a um . . . — Map (db m31815) HM |
| Alberta, Lake Louise — Canadian Pacific Railway Stone Monument |
| | Erected in honor of Sir James Hector K. C. M. C. Geologist and explorer to the Palliser Expedition of 1857 - 1860 by his friends in Canada, the United States & England. One of the earliest scientists to explore the Canadian Rocky Mountains. He discovered the Kicking Horse Pass through which the Canadian Pacific Railway now runs from the Atlantic to the Pacific ocean. — Map (db m70443) HM |
| British Columbia (Capital Regional District), Victoria — Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway Roundhouse — La Rotonde de l'Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway |
| | This imposing brick roundhouse is a particularly fine example of an industrial structure associated with the steam railway era in Canada. Built in 1913, the ten-stall roundhouse with attached machine, boiler and blacksmith's shops is part of a remarkably well-preserved railway yard that also includes a car shop and stores building. The roundhouse complex served the Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway long after the introduction of the diesel locomotive in 1949 and the railway's operational relocation . . . — Map (db m72877) HM |
| British Columbia (Columbia-Shuswap Regional District), Field — Baldwin #7717 Steam Locomotive |
| | [English]
Baldwin #7717 Steam Locomotive
This Baldwin 2-6-0 mogul steam engine – builders #7717 – road #6 – 36" gauge locomotive, was built for the North Western Coal & Navigation Co. in 1885. It was originally used to carry bituminous coal on a narrow gauge railway, which connected the C.P.R. mainline with the coal mines near Lethbridge. In 1893 this railway track was converted to standard gauge, causing a surplus of these narrow gauge engines. This engine was . . . — Map (db m44339) HM |
| British Columbia (Columbia-Shuswap Regional District), Field — Kicking Horse Pass — Le Col du Cheval-Qui-Rue |
| | First recorded in the report of the Palliser expedition of 1857-60, this pass takes its name from an incident in which Dr. James Hector, surgeon in the expedition, was kicked by his horse while exploring in this vicinity. The pass was virtually unused until after 1881 when the Canadian Pacific Railway decided to adopt it as their new route through the Rockies, foregoing the earlier preference for the more northerly Yellowhead Pass. This decision altered the location of the line across western . . . — Map (db m74545) HM |
| British Columbia (Greater Vancouver Regional District), North Vancouver — Pacific Great Eastern Railway Station — Protected Heritage Building - 1913 |
| | The Pacific Great Eastern Railway Station was built to service a rail link between North Vancouver westward along Howe Sound to the interior of the province. The foot of Lonsdale became a busy transportation hub in the early days of the community as the meeting place for the railway, the ferry to Vancouver, and streetcars from Upper Lonsdale, Lynn Valley, and Capsilano.
Delay in completing the railway line up Howe Sound, and a decision to redirect the line under Esplanade towards the . . . — Map (db m31979) HM |
| British Columbia (Greater Vancouver Regional District), Vancouver — Here Stood Hamilton |
| | Here stood
Hamilton
First Land Commissioner
Canadian Pacific Railway
1885
in the silent solitude
of the primeval forest
He drove a wooden stake
in the earth and commenced
to measure an empty land
into the streets of
Vancouver — Map (db m40645) HM |
| Newfoundland and Labrador (Division No. 1 (Avalon Peninsula)), St. John's — Former Newfoundland Railway Headquarters — L’ancien siège social du chemin de fer de Terre-Neuve |
| | English
This remarkable building served as the headquarters and terminus of the Newfoundland railway system. Begun in 1881, the railway played a significant role in the development of the island. Its benefits were evident by the eve of World War 1, as new interior towns were established to exploit rich timber and mineral resources. The railway line, achieved at high cost to the colonial treasury, dominated Newfoundland politics for decades. Completed in 1903, this building combines . . . — Map (db m79109) HM |
| Newfoundland and Labrador (Division No. 1 (Avalon Peninsula)), St. John's — Herbert J. Russell, C.B.E. |
| | This plaque is dedicated to the memory of
Herbert J. Russell, C.B.E.
Mr. Russell began his carrer with the Newfoundland Railway on September 12, 1906, as an express messenger and stenographer. He rose quickly through various management positions to become general manager on August 29, 1923 ant the age of 32. He died in service as general manager on February 26, 1949. Mr. Russell was a man of many interests and during his lifetime made a substantial contribution to the Newfoundland . . . — Map (db m79111) HM |
| Newfoundland and Labrador (Division No. 1 (Avalon Peninsula)), St. John's — Sir Robert Gillespie Reid |
| | This plaque is dedicated to the memory of
Sir Robert Gillespie Reid
(1842-1908)
Sir Robert Gillespie Reid was a bridge builder and railway contractor of international fame. Many of the structures that he engineered throughout the United States and Canada stand today as monuments to his skill and unswerving determination. Reid brought his business ventures to Newfoundland in 1889 and as president of Reid Newfoundland Company he built the railway from Whitebourne to Port aux Basques. . . . — Map (db m79110) HM |
| Nova Scotia (Annapolis County), Annapolis Royal — Glebe Lands — Historic Lower Saint George Street |
| | The modern-day market in Annapolis Royal sits on land that for much of the town’s history was church property. The earliest Roman Catholic Church, built of stone, was located next to the fort and destroyed following Sir William Phips’ capture of Port-Royal in 1690. Its cemetery and ruins were incorporated into the expanded fort after 1702. For more than a decade afterwards, church services were held in rented rooms in town.
In 1704 the French government purchased this site from Captain . . . — Map (db m78720) HM |
| Nova Scotia (Annapolis County), Annapolis Royal — Wharf & Waterfront — Historic Lower Saint George Street |
| | In the early hours of July 4, 1724, a combined force of Mi’kimaq and Maliseet warriors attacked Annapolis Royal, slipping into the town as its residents slept. They attacked the fort from the cover of the hollow near the east bastion. Although the assault was repulsed by artillery fire, two soldiers were killed, some wounded, and several people were captured before the attackers retreated. Two British buildings were burned in the raid.
In reprisal, and by order of the governing council, . . . — Map (db m78702) HM |
| Nova Scotia (Cape Breton Regional Municipality.), Louisbourg — 9 — Sydney and Louisbourg Railway Museum |
| | Cape Breton’s mining industry dictated the need of an outlet in Louisbourg to link the various railways around Sydney with Louisbourg’s ice-free harbour, allowing for year-round shipping of coal. The first attempt in 1873 was a narrow, poorly functioning gauge line.
The S&L; Railway, one of the most modern lines in Canada, replaced this in 1895. The volume of freight hauled by the S&L; rose sharply during its early years. The number of passengers on the S&L;, mainly employees of the mines . . . — Map (db m79969) HM |
| Ontario (Lambton County), Petrolia — Robert M. Nicol Library |
| | The original Grand Trunk Railway Station was built in 1903. It was later bought by CN and the station closed in 1927. The Town of Petrolia opened its first official library here in 1937.
A commitment to maintain this designated heritage building is shared by the Town of Petrolia and through a generous trust fund granted by Robert M. Nicol in memory of his mother, Helen Kavanagh Nicol. — Map (db m78422) HM |
| Ontario (Leeds & Grenville Counties), Brockville — The Brockville "Van" or Caboose — Built 1954 - Donated, restored and placed here, 1987 |
| | This steel caboose was built in 1954 for the Canadian Pacific Railway (C.P.R.) at their Angus Shops in Montréal. It served the Eastern Division of the railway for many years. Cabooses, or "vans" to trainmen, were usually used at the end of freight trains. The Brockville caboose (serial no. 437464) probably began his life as an "assigned" caboose, but later functioned as a "pooled" or "run-through" caboose. Early cabooses were "assigned" to only one conductor. A "pooled" caboose remained hooked . . . — Map (db m87959) HM |
| Ontario (Leeds & Grenville Counties), Brockville — The Brockville Tunnel — 1860 |
| | Construction of Canada's first railway tunnel, which runs from this point for 1,730 feet in a northerly direction, began in September, 1854. Designed to give the Brockville and Ottawa Railway access to the riverfront, it was opened on December 31, 1860. This railway, incorporated in 1853, ran from Brockville to Sand Point, near Arnprior, with a branch line from Smith's Falls to Perth. Its first train left Brockville's Grand Trunk station on January 25, 1859, almost two years before finances . . . — Map (db m87075) HM |
| Ontario (Leeds & Grenville Counties), Prescott — Bytown and Prescott Railway Company 1850 |
| | This company, incorporated in 1850, built a railway from Prescott to Bytown (Ottawa) for the shipment of lumber and farm products to markets of the north-eastern United States and Montreal. Substantial funds were raised at Bytown, Prescott and other municipalities along the line. In 1851 Walter Shanly, Chief Engineer, started construction, and a train first ran from Prescott to Bytown on Christmas Day, 1854. The railway, renamed the Ottawa and Prescott in 1855, was the first to serve the . . . — Map (db m83430) HM |
| Ontario (Leeds & Grenville Counties), Prescott — Grand Trunk Railway — Prescott |
| | The Grand Trunk was incorporated in 1853 to run from Sarnia to Portland, Maine. Although it took over existing lines, new ones had to be built, including sections of the key Toronto to Montréal line completed by the noted English engineering firm of Peto, Brassey, Jackson and Betts in 1856. The Prescott station, built about 1855, is a typical example of the smaller stations erected by this firm for the Grand Trunk Railway. Influenced by English designs, the station is an enduring monument to early Canadian railway enterprise. — Map (db m45781) HM |
| Ontario (Middlesex County), London — Engine 86 |
| |
Built in 1910 for the Grand Trunk Railway by the Canadian Locomotive Company of Kingston, Ontario, and weighing 135 tons, Engine 86 is one of the last remaining 2-6-0 Mogul engines in Canada. This class of engine was designed specifically for branch line work. Retired by the C.N.R., it was donated to the City of London and moved to Queen's Park in 1958.
For more than a century, railways provided the links that fueled London's economy. The first train arrived in the city in 1853, when the . . . — Map (db m75960) HM |
| Ontario (Middlesex County), London — The Founding of London |
| | In 1793, here on the River Thames, Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoe selected a site for the capital of Upper Canada. York, however, became the seat of government and the townsite of London lay undeveloped until its selection in 1826 as the judicial and administrative centre of the London District. A court-house and gaol (1829) and homes for the government officials were built, stores and hotels were opened, and by 1834 the community contained over 1100 inhabitants. A British garrison . . . — Map (db m18971) HM |
| Ontario (Niagara Region), Niagara Falls — Buried Railway Trestle and Buried Gorge |
| | The cut stone markers are the ends of a buried steel trestle that carried the tracks of the Niagara Falls Park and River Railway. It spanned the ravine created by Bowman’s Creek which eroded the soft glacial debris of the buried gorge of a pre-glacial river. This buried gorge extends west 3.2 km (2 miles) to the Niagara Escarpment at St. Davids. — Map (db m79563) HM |
| Ontario (Niagara Region), Niagara Falls — Niagara Falls Park and River Railway |
| | The Niagara River Recreation Trail at this point is laid along the former double-track roadbed of the Niagara Falls Park and River Railway. From 1892 to 1932, before there was an auto route along the gorge, this electric railway carried millions of passengers from the boat docks at Queenston to Queen Victoria Park. — Map (db m79520) HM |
| Ontario (Niagara Region), Niagara Falls — Niagara Spanish Aero Car |
| | Leonardo Torres Quevedo (1852–1936) was an ingenious Spanish engineer. Among his creations were algebraic machines, remote control devices, dirigibles and the world’s first computer.
The Niagara Spanish Aero Car was designed by Leonardo Tores Quevedo and represented a new type of aerial cable way that he called “transbordador.” Officially opened on August 8, 1916, it is the only one of its kind in existence. — Map (db m79427) HM |
| Ontario (Niagara Region), Niagara Falls — Zimmerman Fountain Pond |
| | This beautiful fountain takes its name from Samuel Zimmerman who came to Canada from Pennsylvania in 1842. He amassed a fortune through a series of lucrative contracts involving the building of the second Welland Canal and various Railway Lines, allowing him to begin construction of a large estate in what is now Queen Victoria Park. The estate was unfinished when he was killed in a railway accident in March of 1857. This fountain pond, which dates back to 1856, is the last remaining remnant of his estate. — Map (db m75881) HM |
| Ontario (Niagara Region), Niagara-on-the-Lake — Locomotive Turntable |
| | For 103 years, beginning in 1854, a train powered by a steam locomotive pulled into the Niagara Dock. At first it only came from Chippawa via Niagara Falls and Queenston but by 1863 the line had been extended as far as Fort Erie and Buffalo. The train met the steamers which arrived from Toronto carrying tourists going to the Falls and soldiers bound for Camp Niagara. In late summer these ships returned to Toronto filled with baskets of peaches brought to the dock by the train. Riverbeach Drive . . . — Map (db m54079) HM |
| Ontario (Northumberland County), Cobourg — Cobourg and Peterborough Railway — 1852-1898 |
| | Largely financed by the citizens and town, Cobourg's railway to Peterborough was chartered 1852 and opened 1854. Like many others of this period, it suffered from excessive optimism, land speculation and faulty engineering. Ice made the three-mile-long Rice Lake bridge unsafe and finally destroyed it 1860–61, ending use of the northern section. Reorganized in 1866, the remaining part carried considerable iron ore from Marmora. The line was acquired by the Grand Trunk in 1893 and closed 1898. — Map (db m90087) HM |
| Ontario (Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry Counties), Morrisburg — Aultsville Train Station and Locomotive 1008 — La Gare Aultsville et la Locomotive No. 1008 |
| | English:
The St. Lawrence Parks Commission gratefully acknowledges the Save the Train Committee’s contribution of time and effort to fundraise and assist with the joint restoration project of the Aultsville Train Station.
Aultsville Train Station and Locomotive 1008
Grand Trunk locomotive 1008 is an 8 wheeler 2-6-0 Mogul of the E10a class built in 1930 by the Canadian Locomotive Company (CLC) at Kingston, Ontario. Coach 3474 was retired in August 1957 and was soon after . . . — Map (db m82244) HM |
| Prince Edward Island (Kings County), Georgetown — Georgetown’s New Railway Station — Nouvelle gare ferroviaire de Georgetown |
| | English:
The railway and the steamship lines serving Prince Edward Island became major drivers to a new industry which became known as tourism. Realizing soon after the railway was open for service in 1875 that more and more of their passengers were visitors from neighbouring provinces and New England, they began to promote the virtues of the Island. Many of the visitors were ex-patriots but many were not. The bulk of the traffic occurred in the non-winter months, just as now. . . . — Map (db m80298) HM |
| Prince Edward Island (Queens County), Charlottetown — Railway Brass Shop — Atelier de cuivre du chemin de fer |
| | English:
Built in 1876, this Island sandstone building was originally the office of the mechanical branch of the Prince Edward Island Railway. Later, it became the brass shop where brass parts required by the railway were fabricated. The large windows at the east end of the building were originally doors which allowed narrow gauge cars to enter the building for maintenance and repair. A disastrous 1905 fire destroyed a number of buildings in the rail yard and damaged this one. . . . — Map (db m80182) HM |
| Prince Edward Island (Queens County), Charlottetown — Railway Car Shop — Atelier des wagons du chemin de fer |
| | English:
On November 30, 1905 fire destroyed several of the wooden manufacturing shops at the Charlottetown rail yard. To reduce the risk of future fires, it was decided to rebuild the shops in brick. E.A. Wallberg of Montreal was the contractor. The car shop was used for the construction of well-appointed passenger cars. Starting with a set of wheels at one end of the building, carpenters and machinists would send beautifully finished carriages out the massive doors at the other . . . — Map (db m80181) HM |
| Prince Edward Island (Queens County), Charlottetown — Threaded Together with Iron and Steel — Réunis par le fer et l’acier |
| | English:
The Prince Edward Island Railway brought Islanders together, put them to work, and even made them Canadians.
Before the Railway was built on Prince Edward Island you could live within ten miles of another village and hardly know it existed. All that changed in 1871 when branch lines crossed the Island, dotting the landscape with train stops every few miles of track. Uniting one end of the Island with the other, the Railway connected people in ways they had never been . . . — Map (db m80185) HM |
| Quebec (Acton MRC), Acton Vale — Acton Vale Station |
| | The design of this building is based on a standard plan used by the Grand Trunk Railway Company to build several stations between 1895 and 1905 on the line connecting Montreal to Portland, Maine. This plan features a variety of structural shapes, including a high-pitched dormer window, a turret with multipaned windows, and a bellcast roof, which together produce a strikingly pituresque effect. Formed in 1853, the Grand Trunk Company became part of the Canadian National after the latter was created in 1919. — Map (db m74535) HM |
| Quebec (Haut-Richelieu MRC), Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu — First Railway in Canada |
| | Canada's first steam railway, the Champlain and St. Lawrence, was opened in 1836 to better facilitate trade with the United States. It was built by promoters led by brewer John Molson and merchant-forwarder Jason C. Pierce. This 23-kilometre line expedited the movement of passengers and freight between Montréal and New York by linking La Prairie, on the St. Lawrence River and Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu. The wooden rails were replaced with iron in 1847, and the line was extended in 1851 to Rouses . . . — Map (db m74533) HM |
| Quebec (Haut-Richelieu MRC), Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu — Former Grand Trunk Railway Station |
| | The Saint-Jean station, built in 1890, symbolizes the presence of the Grand Trunk Railway in Québec before its amalgamation in 1923 with the Canadian National Railways. The Grand Trunk was incorporated in 1853 to provide service through the Province of Canada to the East Coast. It was created by combining new construction with existing lines, and eventually stretched from Sarnia, Ontario, to Portland, Maine. The design, typical of small stations of the period, is characterized by a hipped roof, . . . — Map (db m74534) HM |
| Quebec (La Cité Borough), Québec City — Le Château Frontenac — Vieux-Québec |
| | Construit en sept étapes à partir de 1892-1893, cet édifice offre un excellet exemple des hotels de style Chateau etablis par les companies ferroviaires au Canada. Rehaussé par la splendeur du site, il évoque la romantisme des château de la Loir des XIV et XV siècles. Bruce Price, qui en a conçu le plan, a toutefois délaissé la symétrie classique de ces modèles au profit de l’eclectisme pittoresque en vogue à la fin du XIX siècle. Les interventions subséquentes des architects Painter et . . . — Map (db m74546) HM |
| Quebec (Sherbrooke MRC), Sherbrooke — Sir Alexander Tilloch Galt — 1817-1893 |
| | French text appears above English text Born in England, Galt came to Sherbrooke in 1835, and played a key role in the development of the Eastern Townships as Commissioner of the British American Land Company, as entrepreneur, railway promoter and member of the legislature. When Minister of Finance in 1858 he initiated an autonomous tariff policy. An early advocate of Confederation, he represented the English of Lower Canada and was responsible for the financial provisions of the . . . — Map (db m75634) HM |
| Yukon Territory, Carcross — White Pass & Yukon Route — “The Golden Spike” |
| | Construction of the White Pass & Yukon Railway began on May 27, 1898 at Skagway, Alaska during the height of the great Klondike Gold Rush.
Undaunted by those who said the railway could not be built a small group of devoted White Passers composed of contractor Michael J. Heney, chief engineer “F.C.” Hawkins, assistant chief engineer John Hislop and the railway’s first president Samuel H. Graves pushed the work to completion. After overcoming almost insurmountable construction . . . — Map (db m49366) HM |
| Yukon Territory, Carcross — White Pass & Yukon Route — Golden Spike Centennial |
| | The golden spike was driven to mark the completion of the White Pass & Yukon Route Railway on July 29, 1900. It was the beginning of a fully integrated rail transportation system – which grew to include lakes & river steamboats, stage lines, aircraft, bus lines, trucks and container ships.
One hundred years later – on July 29, 2000 a new ceremonial spike was driven to honor the courage and dedication that built the first northern railway and to pledge a commitment to a second century of service. — Map (db m72917) HM |
| Yukon Territory, Whitehorse — White Pass and Yukon Route Railway — Le Chemin de Fer White Pass et Yukon |
| | English:
Built at the time of the Klondike Gold Rush, the 177 km narrow gauge railway was the heart of the Yukon transportation system for over 80 years. Completed in 1900, it linked the tidewater port of Skagway in Alaska with Whitehorse, head of navigation on the Yukon River. As a result, Whitehorse became the transportation, and later, the administrative, commercial and population centre of the Yukon. The scenic line stopped operating in 1982 but was subsequently revived as a . . . — Map (db m42863) HM |
| France, Île-de-France (Paris), Paris — Accès Guimard — 1900 — 100 ans de métro (1900-2000) |
| | Architecte phare de l'Art nouveau, Hector Guimard a été choisi en 1899 pour dessiner les accès des stations.
Mais en 1900, lors de l'ouverture du métro, ses décoratives choquent les Parisiens. La graphie « Métropolitain » manque, dit-on, de lisibilité, et les mâts tulipes qui servent à signaler les accès de nuit sont des yeux de monstres.
Dès 1902, on commande donc les accès de stations à des architectes moins contestés. En 1913, on cesse d'installer des bouches de métro Guimard et, . . . — Map (db m85328) HM |
| France, Île-de-France (Paris), Paris — Gare du Nord — Northern Railway Station — Histoire de Paris |
| | Construite en 1845 par Reynaud sur un terrain de l'ancien enclos Saint-Lazare, la première gare du Nord eut la vie courte. Rapidement insuffisante, en raison de l'accroissement du trafic vers la banlieue, elle fut détruite quinze ans plus tard. Sa façade démontée pierre par pierre fut remontée à Lille, surmontée d'un étage et d'une tour d'horloge. L'édifice actuel fut construit de 1861 à 1864 par Jacques-Ignace Hittorff. Son décor sculpté, vingt-trois statues monumentales de villes françaises . . . — Map (db m85010) HM |
| Ireland, Ulster (County Donegal), Letterkenny — Gallaghers Cottage |
| |
At this point once stood the home place of the late Jimmy Gallagher, his wife and family. Jimmy who was an employee of the County Donegal Railway, was a guard on the Letterkenny to Strabane train, when on 11th August 1941, he was fatally injured in a rail accident about 2 miles from Letterkenny. His son Patrick started to work on the railway after his father died, starting as an engine cleaner, then to fireman and finally engine driver. He had the distinction of driving the last steam train . . . — Map (db m71478) HM |
| Philippines, Cavite Province, Corregidor Island — Malinta Tunnel |
| | Begun in 1922 and substantially completed in 1932, the tunnel complex consisted of east-west passage measuring 836 ft. long by 24 ft. wide 13 laterals on its north side and 11 laterals on the south side. Reinforced with concrete walls. Floor and overhead arches with blowers to furnish fresh air and a double-track electric car line along the main tunnel, Malinta provided bombproof shelter for the 1000 bed hospital, MacArthur’s USAFFE headquarters, shops and vast labyrinth storehouse during the . . . — Map (db m63648) HM WM |
| Switzerland, Bern (Interlaken-Oberhasli (District)), Interlaken — Adolf Guyer-Zeller - A Railway up the Jungfrau — Adolf Guyer-Zeller - Eine Bahn auf der Jungfrau |
| | Eine Bahn auf der Jungfrau
Die Idee, das Projekt war genial. Adolf Guyer-Zeller hat aller Schwierigkeiten zum Trotz den Start zum Bau der Jungfraubahn geschafft. Auch nach hundert Jahren gilt sie als wichtiges Zugpferd für den erfolgreichen Tourismus in der Jungfrau Region.
Adolf Guyer-Seller war ein Man der Tat. Hatte sich der Zürcher Oberländer Unternehmer etwas vorgenommen, so wusste er dieses mit all seiner Kraft umzusetzen. Als ungekrönter Eisenbahnkönig der Schweiz fehlte ihm . . . — Map (db m67957) HM |
| Switzerland, Bern (Interlaken-Oberhasli (District)), Interlaken — On the Panorama Mountain in Just a Few Minutes — In Wenigem Minutem auf dem Panoramaberg |
| |
Auf dem Harder gewinnt man den Überblick. Im Panoramawagen führt die Standseilbahn ihre Gaeste auf den 1322 Meter hoch gelegen Harder Kulm, und dies seit mehr als 100 Jahren.
Ein paar Schritte von hier, auf der gegenüberliegenden Seite der Aare, startet die Harderbahn ihrer Fahrt auf den Hausberg von Interlaken. Seit über hundert Jahren fuhrt sie - Sommer für Sommer - ihre kleinen und grossen Fahrgäste zum Aussichtspunkt Harder Kulm. Wie aus der Vogelperspektiv liegt das "Bödeli" - so . . . — Map (db m67955) HM |
| Turkey, Istanbul Province (Beyoğlu district), Istanbul — The Tunnel — Tünel |
| | English:
The story of the Tunnel. which is the second oldest underground system in the World after the London Underground, started with the French engineer Eugene Henri Gavand‘s initiative. Engineer Gavand observed people shuttling between Galata and Pera. the financial and trade centers of the city at that time and thought about an alternative way to Yüksek Kaldırım and Gaiip Dede Street, two streets connecting these centers. He was accepted by Sultan Abdülaziz, the Ottoman . . . — Map (db m84829) HM |
| Turkey, Istanbul Province (Fatih district), Istanbul — Sirkeci Terminal — Sirkeci Garı |
| | English:
The structure is one of the examples of convergence of Western eclecticism seen in especially 19th century Istanbul and the regional and national stylistic
patterns. The building was constructed as a terminal when Roumeli Railway reached Sirkeci, as a stone building and two wooden passenger waiting halls. Beside those temporary buildings, the construction of the main station building was started on 11 February 1888, and on 3 May 1890, Musir Hamdi Pasha made the opening on . . . — Map (db m85075) HM |
| United Kingdom, Northern Ireland (County Antrim), Bushmills — Giant’s Causeway and Bushmills Railway |
| |
The Giant’s Causeway railway provides a passenger link between the historic town of Bushmills and the famous basalt stone columns of the Giant’s Causeway World Heritage Site.
The Railway is an interesting heritage experience and travels along a panoramic stretch of coast. The Railway was laid to the Irish narrow gauge of three feet and runs for two miles along the track bed of the former Giant’s Causeway Tramway.
From the Bushmill’s Railway Station the line passes through the Bushfoot . . . — Map (db m70850) HM |
| United Kingdom, Northern Ireland (County Londonderry), Limavady — Limavady Railway — Welcome to the Backburn Path |
| |
In the early 1900s, Northern Ireland Railways were at their peak. They allowed fast and efficient transport of goods, mail and promoted local seaside resorts. They also established standard time.
From the early 1920s, road and air transport began to replace the railways so that by the end of the 1950s the majority of our local lines had been closed.
Rapid growth of the flax industry in the area led to an increasing demand for fast and efficient export of flax and linen to the large . . . — Map (db m70902) HM |
| Alabama (Baldwin County), Foley — City of Foley |
| |
(side 1)
The City of Foley was founded in 1905 by John B. Foley of Chicago. Mr. foley, who was in the pharmaceutical business, heard about this area from a railroad land agent as they traveled to President William McKinley's funeral in 1901. Mr. Foley came to Alabama the following year and purchased thousands of acres of land. He formed the Magnolia Land Company and began selling acreage to those in Chicago who wanted to move south and take advantage of the rich farmland. The Bay . . . — Map (db m50408) HM |
| Alabama (Barbour County), Eufaula — Central Railroad of Georgia Freight Depot |
| | The Southwestern Railroad of Georgia was the first rail line to connect with Eufaula when the railroad bridge between Georgetown, Georgia and Eufaula was completed in late 1865. In 1867 the Vicksburg & Brunswick Railroad Company was formed to build a line from Eufaula to Meridian, Mississippi. Vicksburg & Brunswick Railroad passenger and freight depot opened in 1872, and that same year, the line was leased by the Southwestern Railroad of Georgia. In 1879 the line was purchased by Central . . . — Map (db m48624) HM |
| Alabama (Blount County), Oneonta — Historic Oneonta L & N Railroad Depot |
| | Starting in 1889, the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, also known as the Birmingham Mineral Railroad, began railroad freight and passenger
service to Oneonta with the completion of the rail line from Boyles Railroad Yard near Birmingham to the Champion Iron Ore Mines. By 1905, the railroad through Oneonta ran to Attalla and Gadsden to the
northeast, connecting with the Alabama Mineral Division of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad. Originally the L&N; provided passenger and freight . . . — Map (db m38894) HM |
| Alabama (Butler County), Georgiana — City of Georgiana / GA~ANA Theatre — Founded in 1855 / Opened 1939 |
| |
City of Georgiana Founded in 1855
Early settlers moved from Virginia, the Carolinas, Kentucky, Tennessee and Georgia into the deep forests of southern Butler County. In 1855, the Rev. Pitt S. Milner established a home-stead and post office 16 miles south of Greenville that he named Georgiana in honor of his home state and daughter Anna. The Louisville & Nashville Railroad reached here on July 4, 1859. After the Civil War, cotton, corn, oats and sweet potatoes were grown for market. . . . — Map (db m86265) HM |
| Alabama (Butler County), Greenville — West Commerce Street Historic District/Historic Greenville Depot |
| | Side 1
West Commerce Street Historic District
The completion of the railroad in the late 1850s brought this District into being. The District grew into a major trade center between Montgomery and Mobile. The capital accumulated from this trade allowed the construction of brick commercial buildings, most of them completed by 1890. The downtown area was revitalized in the spring of 1997.
Side 2
Historic Greenville Depot
The Depot highlights the West . . . — Map (db m70753) HM |
| Alabama (Calhoun County), Jacksonville — Chief Ladiga Trail - Jacksonville |
| | The Chief Ladiga Trail was named for a Creek Indian leader who signed the Cusseta Treaty in 1832. Under the terms of that agreement, the Creeks gave up claim to their remaining lands in northeast Alabama. Because he had signed the treaty, Ladiga was allowed to select some land in Benton County for his wife and himself. A year after the treaty, he sold part of his holdings for $2,000 to a group of speculators headed by Charles White Peters. That land later became Jacksonville. After selling the . . . — Map (db m36438) HM |
| Alabama (Calhoun County), Jacksonville — The Depot — Chief Ladiga Trail |
| | The Depot was constructed in 1860 by the Selma, Rome and Dalton (GA) Railroad. It was used as a transfer and storage point for Confederate troops and materials during the War Between the States. — Map (db m36443) HM |
| Alabama (Calhoun County), Piedmont — The Alabama Tennessee River Railroad |
| | The Alabama Tennessee River Railroad was chartered by the Alabama legislature in the session of 1836-1837. Work was begun at Selma in 1851 and the rails reached Blue Mountain in 1861. Work was terminated during the War Between the States.
In 1867 a contract was let to complete the road to Dalton, Georgia. Three corporations merged to form the Selma, Rome and Dalton Railroad, which reached Dalton in 1869.
On June 20, 1868, the first train arrived in Cross Plains from Jacksonville. . . . — Map (db m27995) HM |
| Alabama (Coffee County), Enterprise — Enterprise Depot |
| | This building was built in 1903 with additions in 1916 and 1997. The first freight shipments and passengers came here on the Alabama Midland railroad in 1898 immediately after construction of the roadbed. That was also the year when most of the brick business buildings downtown were completed. By 1903 a depot was needed as the transportation focus of this town. Along with the new Rawls Hotel, the depot became a gathering place for our citizens. In 1974 the Pea River Historical Society purchased the depot and began operating the Depot Museum. — Map (db m30307) HM |
| Alabama (Colbert County), Sheffield — History of Sheffield |
| | Side A Prehistoric man arrived in this area bout 10,000 years ago.
Later Indian cultures left many stone artifacts and pottery vessels.
In the 1780s, a French trading post and Indian village were located near the mouth of Spring Creek. The town of York Bluff was laid out in 1820 and Andrew Jackson bought land for a plantation. A few houses and a store were built but that "town" dwindled away. In 1832, the first railroad in the state terminated at Tuscumbia Landing near Spring . . . — Map (db m83389) HM |
| Alabama (Colbert County), Sheffield — Old Railroad Bed |
| | Side A Ashe Boulevard was built on the early railroad bed which connected Florence and Southport to the main railroad line in Tuscumbia. Trains first traveled along the railroad bed and across the Tennessee River in 1858 after the Memphis and Charleston Railroads replaced the old Florence Bridge with a double-decked bridge. The upper deck was used for trains to transport passengers and freight. The lower deck was open to the public as a toll road. Large warehouses once lined both sides . . . — Map (db m39237) HM |
| Alabama (Colbert County), Tuscumbia — Colbert County Courthouse Square District |
| |
22 structures, first Northwest Alabama historic district placed on National Register of Historic Places (1973): Courthouse, erected 1881, shows Italianate and Greek Revival influences. Fifth Street, Commercial Row, seven adjoining brick structures (late 1840's) housed commission merchants and later "The North Alabamian" Railroad Depot (1888,
Tuscumbia Railroad chartered 1830); four churches (Baptist, Episcopal, Methodist, Presbyterian); and eight homes of prominent early citizens ~ some of . . . — Map (db m28584) HM |
| Alabama (Colbert County), Tuscumbia — History of Tuscumbia, Alabama |
| | (Obverse):
The area around the Big Spring was inhabited by prehistoric Native Americans as early as 10,000 years ago. The first settlement was a French trading post and Indian village about 1780 on Cold Water Creek (Spring Creek) near the river. The first permanent white settlers were Michael Dickson and family, who arrived by keel boat about 1817, followed shortly by four brothers-in-law, Isaiah McDill, James McMann, Hugh Finley and David Matthews. Jackson's Military Road was . . . — Map (db m83396) HM |
| Alabama (Colbert County), Tuscumbia — Tuscumbia Railway |
| | First Railroad
west of Alleghenies
1832 ~ begun here; completed to Decatur, 45 miles east, in 1834.
Cotton shipped by this line around nearby Muscle Shoals, then by boat down Tennessee ~ Mississippi R to world markets.
1851 ~ expanded to Memphis ~ Charleston RR.
A vital line in Civil War, it changed hands several times.
1898 ~ became part of Southern Railways. — Map (db m28413) HM |
| Alabama (Covington County), Opp — The Depot / Opp, Alabama |
| | The Depot In 1900, the L&N; Railroad won the right to establish the railroad through this area. The town is named for Henry Opp, who represented L&N; in successful legal negotiations. The coming of the railroad consolidated the surrounding areas and brought people and businesses from Poley, Opine, Cool Springs and other nearby areas. The first depot was a railcar parked on a sidetrack. As the town developed, a wooden building was constructed. The present structure was constructed in 1928 . . . — Map (db m39777) HM |
| Alabama (Covington County), River Falls — The Horseshoe Lumber Company / River Falls Power Company |
| | (side A)
The Horseshoe Lumber Company
E.L. More, president of the A&F; Division of the L&N; Railroad, arrived in River Falls from Nashville in 1897 to spearhead the construction of a branch line of the L&N.; Recognizing a business opportunity in the large quantity of virgin longleaf pine timberland in the area, he purchased a half-interest in a small mill located on Buck Creek near River Falls. He was encouraged by his long-time friend and mentor Major E.C. Lewis, president of . . . — Map (db m83458) HM |
| Alabama (Crenshaw County), Rutledge — Rutledge |
| | Rutledge was the first county seat of Crenshaw County and held that position from March 1867 to May 1893. Originally called Barber’s Cross Roads, it was briefly named Crenshaw; but June 10, 1867, it was changed to Rutledge in honor of Captain Henry Rutledge, Company H. 59th Alabama Infantry, C.S.A.
The first elected county officials were: George W. Thagard, Probate Judge; James M. Lawrence, Tax Collector; W.T. Massey, Tax Assessor; John R. Snow, Sheriff; F.M. Cody, Circuit Clerk; and John . . . — Map (db m72053) HM |
| Alabama (Cullman County), Cullman — Cullman Railroad Depot |
| | The Louisville and Nashville Railroad Company completed building this Mission Style depot in 1913. When the tracks were laid below ground level, it replaced Cullman's first station located on First Avenue at Third Street, SW.
Passenger service was discontinued in 1968. This building then was used by CSX section crews until it was purchased by the City of Cullman, March 23, 1990.
Restoration began in February, 1991, funded by donations from Cullman County Historical Society, citizens of . . . — Map (db m29975) HM |
| Alabama (Cullman County), Cullman — Evangelical Protestant Church |
| | The first church in the City of Cullman was established on this block of land donated by the North and South Railroad in February 1874. Lots 154, 155, and 181 were granted to Henry Dietz, August Henning, and George Stoback as trustees of the Evangelical Protestant Church for the sole purpose of constructing a church building. Col. John Cullman, land agent, was a charter member of the church. The church building was made into a dwelling house after the congregation moved to a new location, 512 . . . — Map (db m33841) HM |
| Alabama (Dallas County), Cahaba — Civil War Prison |
| | In 1858, the railroad company graded away an Indian mound that stood here. A brick warehouse was built in its place. From 1863 - 1865 the Confederate government used this warehouse to hold captured Federal Soldiers. You are standing on a pile of brick rubble from this structure.
This official 1864 diagram helped archaeologists identify the actual prison site. Carefully excavated clues revealed that a proposed extension to the stockade was actually built.
If you follow the brick rubble . . . — Map (db m22666) HM |
| Alabama (Dallas County), Cahaba — Commissary - R.R. Depot |
| | This cellar was under Joseph Babcock's brick store. During the Civil War the building was used as a commissary.
Babcock's warehouse and cotton shed were located to your right on the bluff overlooking the river. The family home, kitchen, and garden stood between this store and the warehouse.
In 1860 the Babcock family sold the land between this sign and Capitol Street to the Cahawba, Marion and Greensboro Railroad Company for a train depot. Railroad tracks had been laid directly down Capitol Street in 1858. — Map (db m23287) HM |
| Alabama (Dallas County), Selma — Arsenal Anvil |
| | Anvil used in Selma’s Confederate Arsenal to make armament for Southern forces.
Presented to Sturdivant Museum Association April 1, 1961 by the Southern Railway Company which as the Selma, Rome and Dalton Railroad Company purchased the anvil among scrap disposed of at the arsenal, in 1866. The anvil was in use in the railroad blacksmith shop until 1936. — Map (db m37690) HM |
| Alabama (DeKalb County), Fort Payne — Boom Town Historic District |
| | Around 1889-1891 Fort Payne experienced a great industrial boom due to promotion by New England investors who speculated greatly on the area’s mineral deposits. During this period several highly ornate commercial and civic buildings, along with the planned park, were constructed along Gault Avenue. The Fort Payne Opera House and other buildings in the same block constructed by the Fort Payne Coal & Iron Co., together with the Sawyer Building, the Alabama Great Southern Railroad Depot & Union . . . — Map (db m28027) HM |
| Alabama (Elmore County), Wetumpka — Wetumpka L&N; Depot |
| | The Louisville & Nashville Depot was built in Wetumpka in 1906 and exemplifies the L&N; plan for small town depots. The station served as a passenger and freight depot until service was terminated in the 1930s and as a freight depot until 1973. In 1975 it was purchased by the First United Methodist Church of Wetumpka.
National Register of Historic Places July 1, 1975 — Map (db m83724) HM |
| Alabama (Escambia County), Atmore — Canoe Station |
| | Settled by A.J. Hall in 1852 and occupied by Confederate troops because of its value as a railroad stop during the War Between the States (1861-65), Canoe was the site of a March 27, 1865 encampment of Union forces. The 1870s brought expansion through the A.M. Lowery sawmill. The Farrar, Lowrey, Stanton, Watson, and other stores prospered (1890s-1950s). Schools educated the young and the L&N; Railroad provided passenger service (1890-1960s).
The mineral springs was a social center and water . . . — Map (db m72265) HM |
| Alabama (Escambia County), Atmore — Williams Station, Alabama 1866-1897 / Atmore Alabama |
| | Side 1
Williams Station, Alabama
1866-1897
Creek Indians lived in these parts some 200 years before trains began stopping here in 1866 to leave supplies for a farmer, William Larkin Williams, who lived nearby. Workers, who came first to build the railroads, were attracted by the vast forests of longleaf pine and rich farmland. As the settlement grew around Mr. Williams' supply stop, it became known as Williams Station. Saw mills sprang up in this timber-rich area. Abundant . . . — Map (db m72260) HM |
| Alabama (Escambia County), Brewton — Hart Station |
| | Erected by his friends and the Escambia County Bar
Association in memory of James Edward Hart, Jr.
(1942 – 1992), who contributed much to his community, his church and his profession. He loved trains. Due to his efforts, passenger service was reestablished in Brewton. — Map (db m39033) HM |
| Alabama (Escambia County), Flomaton — Flomaton, Alabama |
| | Front As railroads were reconstructed following the Civil War, a junction of north-south and east-west lines was established along the Alabama-Florida border near the confluence of Big Escambia Creek and the Conecuh-Escambia River. A settlement followed which became knows as Reuterville, for Major Reuter, the contractor who on April 9, 1872, drove the last spikes joining the different railroads. The community was also known as Pensacola Junction, or simply the Junction, as well as . . . — Map (db m47484) HM |
| Alabama (Escambia County), Pollard — Site of Pollard |
| | Located 1½ miles south, town of Pollard established 1861 at juncture of Alabama & Florida and Mobile & Great Northern railroads. Named for Charles T. Pollard, builder of Alabama & Florida Railroad.
One of largest military training camps of Confederacy located here during Civil War. Also site of major Confederate stores depot. Town suffered much destruction in Federal raids of December 1864 and March 1865.
Served as first county seat of Escambia County from 1868 until 1883 when county government moved to Brewton. — Map (db m84371) HM |
| Alabama (Etowah County), Attalla — “The Junction” — Attalla |
| | For thousands of years, two important Indian trade routes ran across what was to become Etowah County. The “High Town Path” ran from Charlestown, S.C. west to the Mississippi River, near Memphis, TN. The “Creek Path” begins at Pensacola, Fl. and runs northwest into the Ohio Country.
Two miles west of this spot, on Big Wills Creek, the two routes formed a “Junction,” and became a combined path across Racoon (Sand) Mountain, where it again divided.
By . . . — Map (db m39226) HM |
| Alabama (Franklin County), Red Bay — Red Bay Depot & Hotel |
| | The Depot
The Depot, a treasured landmark in the history and growth of Red Bay, was built by Illinois Central Railroad in 1907. The trains provided a lifeline for towns like Red Bay. They brought necessities like sugar, flour, cheese, canned goods, etc. The trains also brought heavy items such as automobiles, hardware, farm implements, and machinery. They were also means for local shipments of lumber, sand, cotton, and furniture.
A small Illinois Central passenger train with three . . . — Map (db m83746) HM |
| Alabama (Franklin County), Vina — History of Vina |
| | Vina was first known as Jones Crossroads, and later it was called New Burleson before the railroad came through the area. In the early 1900s, the Illinois Central Railroad was built through Jones Crossroads and the town’s name was changed to Vina because an engineer on a train had a wife named Elvina that he called Viney. The first store was established by Weatherford and Wren in 1906. The first shipment of goods delivered by the train to Vina was in 1907. On January 10, 1910, the first . . . — Map (db m83751) HM |
| Alabama (Henry County), Abbeville — Abbeville Southern Railroad/Pelham House |
| | For the first 75 years of its history, Abbeville’s commerce was tied directly to the Chattahoochee River by Indian trails and wagon roads. The arrival of the first train on the Abbeville Southern Railroad, November 27, 1893, signaled the dawn of a new era in Abbeville’s commercial life. In the December 1, 1893 issue of the Abbeville Times, the editor described the arrival which was received by “hundreds of people with happy and throbbing hearts.” Railroad workers were treated to a . . . — Map (db m60685) HM |
| Alabama (Henry County), Newville — Newville, Alabama / Newville Pioneers |
| | Side 1
Newville, Alabama
James Madison Wells founded a village called Wells circa 1882. When Abbeville Southern Railroad laid tracks through the town in 1893, its name was changed to Wells Station. The post office was built in 1894. Wells Station incorporated as "Newville" in 1903. The town of Newville became prosperous with merchants, banks, lodges, doctors, churches, a Newville High School, a Rosenwald High School, societies, a newspaper, a depot, sawmills, cotton gins, . . . — Map (db m71810) HM |
| Alabama (Houston County), Ashford — Ashford Depot |
| | This depot, an example of late 19th century Victorian railroad architecture, was constructed by the Alabama Midland Railroad in March, 1888 as a way station on the Bainbridge-to-Montgomery route. The depot was the only building to survive a devastating 1915 fire which destroyed the original town area parallel to the railroad track. The Ashford Depot Committee has restored the building to its former appearance and has furnished it with original antiques. The depot houses an “Artifacts of . . . — Map (db m73355) HM |
| Alabama (Houston County), Dothan — Atlantic Coastline Passenger Station |
| |
Side 1
Constructed by the Atlantic Coastline Railroad in 1907 during Dothan's rapid growth as a commercial center of the Wiregrass Region, this building serves as a reminder of the most popular and accessible form of transportation in the early 20th century, linking Dothan citizens to larger cities and beyond. Adjacent to this station was the city's first passenger & freight depot, built by the Alabama Midland Railroad in 1889 and demolished in the early 1970's. This two-story brick . . . — Map (db m73357) HM |
| Alabama (Jackson County), Bridgeport — Bridgeport |
| | Vital Memphis-Charleston Railroad, "backbone of Confederacy", spanned Tennessee River here. Bridge burned several times, 1862-3.
Gen. Mitchell (US), occupying Huntsville after Battle of Shiloh, seized Bridgeport in April 1862 and held it until August.
Federals recaptured town in July 1863 as Rosecrans (US) took Chattanooga (upriver).
As end of usable railway from Nashville, town became key base of operations in U.S. victory at Chickamauga and lifting of siege of Chattanooga. — Map (db m83788) HM |
| Alabama (Jackson County), Scottsboro — Robert Thomas Scott — 1800-1863 |
| | Planter, tavern operator, newspaper editor, legislator, and land developer, he sought in vain to have the Jackson County seat moved from Bellefont to the settlement that bore his name. After his death in 1863, his widow reached an agreement in 1868 with the county government whereby the site for the courthouse and jail was deeded to Jackson County on condition that Scottsboro become the county seat.
Incorporated by the state legislature on January 20, 1870, the town became an important . . . — Map (db m22260) HM |
| Alabama (Jackson County), Scottsboro — Scottsboro Railroad Depot |
| | The Memphis and Charleston Railroad Company constructed the Scottsboro Railroad Depot in 1860-1861 as a passenger and freight facility. The rail line ran throughout the Confederacy and the Union considered its capture vital to cutting off supplies to the south. On January 8, 1865, the Depot was the site of an intense battle between 101st U.S. Colored Infantry and the 110th U.S. Colored Infantry, who held the Depot, and Confederate soldiers led by Brigadier-General H. B. Lyon. The out-numbered . . . — Map (db m22258) HM |
| Alabama (Jackson County), Stevenson — Stevenson Depot and Hotel |
| | A one-story depot building was constructed here in 1853, when the railroad was first laid through Stevenson. That building burned after the Civil War and was replaced by the present brick depot and hotel in 1872.
During the Civil War, Stevenson was a hub of activity. Union and Confederate troops skirmished here and the town changed hands more than once, though Stevenson mostly lay under Union control. Troops occupied the town and a large refugee camp sprang up between the depot and Ft. . . . — Map (db m22271) HM |
| Alabama (Jefferson County), Birmingham — A New City — Building early Birmingham |
| | The arrival of two railroad lines in Jones Valley opened nearby deposits of iron ore, limestone, and coal to commercial development and helped make Birmingham one of the great industrial cities of the post Civil War South.
In 1871, the year of Birmingham's founding, civil engineer William P. Barker with North and South Alabama Railroad laid out Birmingham's system of streets and avenues to align with the main rail lines that still run through the city. Development began to fill in . . . — Map (db m69018) HM |
| Alabama (Jefferson County), Birmingham — East Lake Community |
| | The Creek Indian Cession of 1814 opened this section of Alabama to settlement. At the time of statehood in 1819 many pioneer families had located here in what later became known as Jones Valley. By 1820 the area was called Ruhama Valley as a result of the religious fervor of Hosea Holcomb who preached mercy or "Ruhamah." As early as 1839 a post office named Rockville was established for the local community.
Major growth came in 1886 as a result of the promotion of the East Lake Land . . . — Map (db m26680) HM |
| Alabama (Jefferson County), Birmingham — East Lake Park |
| | East Lake was planned in 1886 by the East Lake Land Company to help sell home sites to the men who came in the 1870's to work in Birmingham's steel industry. First named Lake Como, after the lake in the Italian Alps, it soon came to be called East Lake. Using water from Roebuck Springs and Village Creek this 45 acre man - made lake, within a 100 acre park, enhanced the area by providing a year round pleasure resort.
In a short time East Lake Park became a major recreational center of the . . . — Map (db m83828) HM |
| Alabama (Jefferson County), Birmingham — Five Points South |
| | This neighborhood developed in the 1880s as one of Birmingham's first streetcar suburbs. It was the Town of Highlands from 1887 to 1893, when it became part of the City of Birmingham. The heart of the neighborhood was Five Points Circle, a major streetcar intersection lined with houses and small stores. In the 1920s, the Circle was transformed into one of the state's most distinctive shopping areas, known for its outstanding collection of Spanish Revival and Art Deco buildings. Nearby houses, . . . — Map (db m83829) HM |
| Alabama (Jefferson County), Birmingham — Mineral Railroad Trestle |
| | The railroad trestle support wall across the road is a remnant of L&N;'s 156-mile Mineral Railroad, the backbone of the local iron industry. This segment ran along the north edge of Vulcan Park on its route around the Birmingham District, linking mines and mills. The railroad not only transported raw materials locally; it also connected to the nationwide rail network to ship pig iron and finished iron and steel. — Map (db m83831) HM |
| Alabama (Jefferson County), Birmingham — Morris Avenue Historic District / Elyton Land Company (Successor, Birmingham Realty Co.) |
| | Created 1972 by the Jefferson County Historical Commission, the district is based on this avenue. Morris Avenue was named for one of the founders of Birmingham, Josiah Morris, who paid $100,000 for 4,157 acres of the original site of the city in 1870. At the suggestion of Mr. Morris the city was named for England's industrial district. This avenue was the principal wholesale trade district of the city and enjoyed it's greatest popularity from 1880 to 1900. Some of the city's most prominent . . . — Map (db m27156) HM |
| Alabama (Jefferson County), Birmingham — North Birmingham |
| | On October 1, 1886, the North Birmingham Land Company was formed to develop a planned industrial and residential town on 900 acres of land, formerly part of the Alfred Nathaniel Hawkins plantation north of Village Creek. The plan included sites for houses, parks, businesses and manufacturing plants, and a streetcar line to downtown Birmingham. The community was incorporated in 1902 with a population of 5,000, and annexed by legislative act, into the City of Birmingham, under protest, in 1910. . . . — Map (db m26700) HM |
| Alabama (Jefferson County), Birmingham — Sloss Furnaces |
| | The crossing of railroads in 1872 adjacent to this site gave rise to the industrial city of Birmingham. In 1881 Alabama railroad magnate and entrepreneur James Withers Sloss, capitalizing on the unusual coincidence of coal, iron ore and limestone in the area, founded the Sloss Furnace Company as an iron manufacturer and built blast furnaces beside the railroad crossing. Production of pig iron at Sloss Furnaces began in 1882 and continued for almost 90 years. Early 20th century additions to the . . . — Map (db m23498) HM |
| Alabama (Jefferson County), Birmingham — The Coe House — 1908 |
| | John Valentine Coe, president of Birmingham Lumber and Coal Company, commissioned this two-story Craftsman-Tudor Revival style house in 1908. Coe, who had previously been a lumber merchant in Selma, moved his family and business to Birmingham at the turn of the 20th century. As the business thrived, he built this house in the Rhodes Park area of the Highland Park neighborhood. At the time, Highland Park's gracious homes and trolley network made it one of Alabama's most exclusive residential . . . — Map (db m83858) HM |
| Alabama (Jefferson County), Birmingham — Tuxedo Junction |
| | "Tuxedo Junction" was the street car crossing on the Ensley-Fairfield line at this corner in the Tuxedo Park residential area. It also refers to the fraternal dance hall operated in the 1920's and 1930s on the second floor of the adjacent building, and to the 1939 hit song "Tuxedo Junction", written by Birmingham musician-composer Erskine Hawkins, who grew up nearby and became a well known big band leader in New York City.
"Co-ome on down, forget your care,
Co-ome on . . . — Map (db m25623) HM |
| Alabama (Jefferson County), Homewood — Edgewood |
| | Nathan Byars, II settled here in 1836, followed by William D. Satterwhite in 1853, and Phillip Thomas Griffin and his wife Mary Ann Byars Griffin in 1854. These early settlers cleared land, built homes and farmed in what was a vast wooded wilderness.
By 1909 real estate developers Stephen Smith and Troupe Brazelton incorporated the Edgewood Highlands Land Company and purchased 1700 acres on which to build their dream. The development would include Edgewood Country Club, also known as the . . . — Map (db m26946) HM |
| Alabama (Jefferson County), Hoover — Brock’s Gap / Historic Gateway To Birmingham — The South and North Railroad Cut. |
| | In 1858, the State of Alabama, wanting to develop coal and iron industries in Jefferson County, Had John T. Milner survey Shades Mountain for the most practical route for the South and North Railroad to cross. He selected Brock's Gap, named for original land purchaser, Pinkney L. Brock. Work began immediately. The cut, now passing under South Shades Crest Road, was blasted by nitroglycerin through a bed of limestone 75 feet deep and was heralded as the deepest railroad cut in the world. Delayed . . . — Map (db m26773) HM |
| Alabama (Jefferson County), Hoover — Ross Bridge |
| | In 1858 James Taylor Ross, a Scotchman, migrated to the South, acquired land and homesteaded in what is now Shades Valley. He provided land for the construction of a railway, including a bridge spanning Ross Creek. After the Ross family moved westward, his property was purchased in 1907 by TCI, a predecessor of U.S. Steel. In 2002, U.S. Steel, Daniel Corp. and the Retirement Systems of Ala. combined to develop the community of Ross Bridge. — Map (db m27302) HM |
| Alabama (Jefferson County), Leeds — John Henry — Ledgendary 'Steel Drivin' Man' |
| | The story of "steel driving' man" John Henry is one of America's most enduring legends. The strong ex-slave became a folk hero during construction of the Columbus & Western Railroad between Goodwater and Birmingham. He drilled holes for explosives used to blast tunnels. According to legend, he was involved in a race against a steam-powered drill that its manufacturer claimed could do the job faster than a man. Witnesses said after the all-day contest that he and his heavy hammer cleared . . . — Map (db m22207) HM |
| Alabama (Jefferson County), Leeds — The Depot |
| | The Depot was built by Richmond & Danville Extension Co. in 1883-84 following the completion of the Georgia & Pacific RR line between Birmingham and Atlanta, three years before the Town of Leeds was incorporated.
Richmond Terminal Co. operated Georgia - Pacific lines until 1888 when Richmond & Danville RR took over, succeeded by Southern Railway in 1894. Efforts to save the historic building were started in 1980 after Southern merged with Norfolk to become Norfolk-Southern RR. The . . . — Map (db m22209) HM |
| Alabama (Jefferson County), Mulga — Historic Lakeview Cemetery |
| | This cemetery is owned by St. John Baptist Church in Edgewater and operated by Scott-McPherson Funeral Home, Inc. US Steel Corporation previously owned the area and it is historically associated with the Edgewater Mining Camp community established for the workers of Tennessee Coal, Iron & Railroad Company (TCI, later US Steel). The cemetery , now 3.5 acres, was deeded to St. John Baptist Church by US Steel on March 3, 2003. It is a non-profit cemetery. — Map (db m37221) HM |
| Alabama (Jefferson County), Trussville — Trussville, Alabama |
| | Trussville was settled between 1816 and 1819 by a few settlers from the Carolinas prior to Alabama becoming the 22nd state in December 1819. The First Baptist Church, Cahaba, was organized in 1821. Trussville’s first postmaster in 1833 was Arthur Truss. The railroad line between Chattanooga and Mississippi through Trussville was completed in 1871. Birmingham Furnace and Manufacturing Company, which operated in Trussville on and off from 1889 until the close of World War 1, became Trussville’s . . . — Map (db m34338) HM |
| Alabama (Lauderdale County), Florence — East Florence Historic District |
| | The East Florence business area began in the industrial boom of the 1880s and 1890s and continued its development through the 1920s. Originally known as "Sweetwater", the small locally owned firms were established to serve the growing population employed in the industries of the area. The district contains twelve buildings of historical and architectural significance, including a home, drug store, grocery, bank, cafe, fire station, and railroad. — Map (db m35769) HM |
| Alabama (Lawrence County), Courtland — Early Roads / One of the South's First Railroads 1832 |
| | Side A
Tennessee Street along the north side of the square was originally part of Gaines’ Trace, a horse path laid out in 1807 under the direction of Capt. Edmund Pendleton Gaines of the U. S. Army. From Melton’s Bluff on the Tennessee River, the trace ran westward to Cotton Gin Port on the Tombigbee, in present-day Mississippi. Another important early thoroughfare was the Byler Road (1819), which ran southward through Courtland and linked the Tennessee Valley to Tuscaloosa and lower . . . — Map (db m29056) HM |
| Alabama (Lee County), Auburn — The Auburn Guards Reviewed by Jefferson Davis |
| | At the Auburn train depot on February 16, 1861, Jefferson Davis reviewed the Auburn Guards, the first Confederate military company thus honored. Davis was en route to his inauguration as President of the Confederacy. The Auburn Guards were comprised of cadets of the East Alabama Male College (now Auburn University). Forty-two members of the Guards went by rail from Montgomery to Pensacola on January 16, 1861, under orders from Alabama Governor Moore, to fortify the fort there. The officers of . . . — Map (db m74455) HM |
| Alabama (Lee County), Opelika — Railroad Avenue Historic District — Opelika, Alabama |
| | obverse
The Railroad Avenue Historic District was the downtown nucleus of Opelika when the city was incorporated as part of Russell County, Alabama in February, 1854. The city limits extended a mile in every direction from the Montgomery and West Point Railway Station. In 1864 another railroad was built from Opelika to Columbus, thus establishing the city as a transportation center. During 1864 and 1865, Opelika's government supply warehouses, its depot, rolling stock and railroad were . . . — Map (db m85336) HM |
| Alabama (Lee County), Opelika — Rosseau's Raid to East Alabama |
| | With orders from Gen. Sherman, Gen. Lovell Rousseau left Decatur with 2,700 cavalry, beginning his raid into East-Central Alabama. That raid ended successfully in Opelika July 19, 1864, after miles of track were destroyed along with other railroad equipment, two depots, and several warehouses brimming with supplies for Confederate forces defending Atlanta. They then turned northeast to join Sherman's Army advancing towards Atlanta. — Map (db m75126) HM |
| Alabama (Lee County), Opelika — South Railroad Avenue |
| | The earliest buildings in the South Rail Road Avenue block between 9th and 10th Street were constructed by William O. Harwell around 1900 and were occupied by his agricultural supply store. His daughter, Alice Inez Harwell married Lum Duke who served as Circuit Court Judge from 1910-1923 and Probate Judge of Lee County from late 1932 till January 1935. He had three children, his daughter Inez Duke Searcy born August 30, 1900 was the first female law school graduate of the University of Alabama . . . — Map (db m84735) HM |
| Alabama (Limestone County), Elkmont — Battle of Sulphur Creek Trestle |
| | On Sept. 25, 1864 Gen. N.B. Forrest's Confederate cavalry, with Morton's battery of 4 guns, attacked and captured the Union fort near here. The fort consisted of a square redoubt, rifle pits, two blockhouses, and some frame buildings. It protected a large railroad trestle about a mile E. of here. After a demand for surrender was refused by Col. Lathrop, the Union commander, the Confederates attacked, supported by 800 rounds of artillery fire. Over 200 Union officers and men, including Col. . . . — Map (db m60870) HM |
| Alabama (Limestone County), Elkmont — Elkmont, Alabama / Tenn. & Ala. Central Railroad |
| | Front The earliest settlers to this area moved across the Chickasaw boundary before 1810 and established the Sims and New Garden settlements. The area came to be known as Elkmont, for the once abundant elk, the Elk River and the "mount" on which it sat. It began to flourish with the completion of the Tennessee and Alabama Central Railroad in 1859. The name of the Fort Hampton post office, established in 1859, was changed to Elkmont in 1866. Elkmont grew to be a commerce center for . . . — Map (db m85426) HM |
| Alabama (Madison County), Gurley — Town of Gurley |
| | Located on land owned by John Gurley, pioneer settler, and named for him. His son, Capt. Frank B. Gurley, became a Confederate hero as a member of the 4th Ala. Cavalry. The settlement that developed around the water tank on Memphis and Charleston R.R. was known as Gurley's Tank. Post office established in 1866 as Gurleysville and town incorporated as Gurley in 1891. Madison County High School located here in 1907. Last hometown of Senator and Mrs. C.C. Clay, Jr. — Map (db m30574) HM |
| Alabama (Madison County), Huntsville — Historic Viduta / Hotel Monte Sano |
| | (Front):Historic Viduta
"Viduta"-derived from Spanish "vida" meaning "life"
In a time when yellow fever, malaria, and cholera threatened, Dr. Thomas Fearn and his brothers Robert and George were drawn by the cool air and medicinal springs to establish a small colony on the northern section of Monte Sano Mountain in 1827. In 1833 the town of Viduta was officially established. This area contains a variety of architectural styles dating from the late 1800's.
(Back):
Hotel . . . — Map (db m27795) HM |
| Alabama (Madison County), Huntsville — Hotel Monte Sano — “Monte Sano” – Spanish for “Mountain of Health” |
| | Site of Hotel Monte Sano, built in 1887 by the North Alabama Improvement Company with the assistance of Michael and James O’Shaughnessy. The 233-room hotel opened on June 1, 1887 and served as a health resort and haven for famous visitors including Helen Keller, the Vanderbilts, and the Astors. Guests arrived via the “Tally Ho” stagecoach or the Monte Sano Railway, which served the mountain community. The hotel closed in 1900, and the W.W. Garth family later purchased it for their . . . — Map (db m27796) HM |
| Alabama (Madison County), Huntsville — Monte Sano Railway |
| | The Monte Sano Railway ran from the Huntsville Depot up Monte Sano Mountain along what became Bankhead Parkway through Monte Sano State Park to the 19th century Hotel Monte Sano. The Baldwin Engine and three cars stopped at Laura’s View Station. The Monte Sano Railway connected to the Memphis and Charleston Railway, predecessor to the Southern Railway. Tracks replaced by NARM, 1998. — Map (db m27856) HM |
| Alabama (Madison County), Huntsville — Passenger Depot — Huntsville, Alabama — Built 1860 |
| | Memphis and Charleston Railroad Company Eastern Division headquarters in this passenger depot, adjoining yards and ships captured by Union Army April 11, 1862. Vital east-west Confederate rail link severed; C.S.A. soldiers imprisoned here. Depot later used by Federals as base for gathering supplies for Western Theater military operations. After Civil War returned to M.&C.R.R.; Co.; acquired by Southern Railway System 1898; since 1971 preserved by City of Huntsville. National Register of Historic Places 1971. — Map (db m85547) HM |
| Alabama (Madison County), Madison — City of Madison |
| | Establish in 1856 as a shipping station on the Memphis and Charleston R.R., the town was platted on land owned by James Clemens and incorporated by vote of its citizens in 1869.
First officials included William R. Johnston, mayor, and five aldermen, William B. Dunn, first depot agent; Thomas J. Clay, first postmaster; George W. Martin, first merchant; James H. Bibb, planter and Dr. George R. Sullivan.
The community remained small until the growth of industries associated with Redstone . . . — Map (db m61625) HM |
| Alabama (Marengo County), Linden — History of Linden, Alabama |
| |
(side 1)
The Alabama Territorial Legislature established Marengo County in 1818. The “Town of Marengo” was then surveyed near the center of the county to serve as county seat. In 1824 lots were sold, and early French immigrants named the town Hohenlinden for Napoleon's victory in Bavaria in 1800. Everyday usage shortened the name to Linden. Lodging houses, stores, homes and churches surrounded a two-story log courthouse built in 1827. While courts were in session, the . . . — Map (db m72971) HM |
| Alabama (Mobile County), Mobile — The Hunley |
| | The first submarine successfully used in warfare was completed at this site in 1863. Designed by James McClintock and Baxter Watson, and financed by Horace L. Hunley, it was built by W. A. Alexander at the Mobile machine shop of Park and Lyons. After trials in Mobile River and Bay it was sent by rail to Charleston, where, on February 17th, 1864, it sank the U.S.S. Housatonic. — Map (db m86244) HM |
| Alabama (Mobile County), Mobile — The Slave Market |
| | After the abolition of international slave trading in 1808, dealers transported slaves from all over the South into Mobile. On this site, Africans were sold as chattel to southern planters through public auction. Between auctions, a three-story holding facility housed the slaves until they were displayed and sold. In an attempt to make this inhumane and abhorrent aspect of slavery less conspicuous, the City banned slave depots from the downtown area. A developing rail system eventually made . . . — Map (db m86312) HM |
| Alabama (Montgomery County), Montgomery — Birth of Montgomery Bus Boycott — Boycott planned & publicized here at ASU's Councill Hall |
| |
Side 1
On Dec. 1, 1955, at Alabama State College (now Alabama State University) in a basement room in Councill Hall, the Montgomery Bus Boycott was planned and publicized after the arrest that day of Rosa Parks, who refused to give up her seat to a white person on a segregated city bus.
Following Parks' arrest, Alabama State College took action. Jo Ann Robinson, a faculty member, authored the text of a flyer calling for blacks to boycott segregated city buses and, joined by . . . — Map (db m91279) HM |
| Alabama (Montgomery County), Montgomery — Pickett Springs / “The Best Public Resort” |
| | Pickett Springs
Railroad building and amusement park development flourished in the post-bellum South. In 1880s, Western Railroad of Alabama opened Pickett Springs on site of William Harris’s plantation, “Forest Farm;” Harris’s daughter, Sarah, married A. J. Pickett, Alabama’s first historian, and they had their home here until Pickett’s death in 1858.
Pickett Springs occupied portion of land as community of Chisholm developed nearby.
During World War I Camp Sheridan, . . . — Map (db m38900) HM |
| Alabama (Montgomery County), Montgomery — Remount Depot / Keyton Station |
| |
Side 1
Remount Depot
During World War I, in the summer of 1917 the U.S. Army opened a remount depot here to buy horses and mules for Camp Sheridan's 27,000-man 37th Division from Ohio. Despite the introduction of motor transport to war, an infantry division still needed nearly 4,000 horses and 2,700 mules as draft, riding and pack animals to pull 40-wagon trains, guns and field ambulances in 1918. This post occupied 160 acres alongside the Central of Georgia R.R. on the . . . — Map (db m71340) HM |
| Alabama (Montgomery County), Montgomery — Rosa Louise Parks — She sat down - So we can stand up — February 4, 1913 - October 24, 2005 |
| |
Mother of the modern day civil rights movement — Map (db m91278) HM |
| Alabama (Montgomery County), Montgomery — Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott |
| |
Side 1
On December 1, 1955, Rosa Louis McCauley Parks was arrested on this site for refusing the order of city bus driver J. F. Blake to vacate her seat under the segregation laws of the Jim Crow era. She was taken to police headquarters at City Hall for booking, then to the municipal jail on Ripley Street. Civil rights leader E. D. Nixon, accompanied by attorney Clifford Durr, soon arrived to post her bail. Parks's arrest galvanized black leaders to organize a boycott of the bus . . . — Map (db m91286) HM |
| Alabama (Montgomery County), Montgomery — Smith - Joseph - Stratton House |
| | Only surviving residence of former Mayor E.B. Joseph. The Italianate cottage was built c. 1855 by Pickett Chauncey Smith, a merchant in antebellum Montgomery, and father-in-law of E.B. Joseph, who occupied the house from 1880 to 1885. Joseph served on the City Council for six years and was Mayor from 1899 to 1903. He helped develop Highland Park, Montgomery's first suburb, and was president of Montgomery's first streetcar system, the first electric system in the United States. From 1913 to 1921 . . . — Map (db m86426) HM |
| Alabama (Montgomery County), Montgomery — The Domestic Slave Trade/Slave Transportation to Montgomery |
| | Side 1
The Domestic Slave Trade
Beginning in the seventeenth century, millions of African people were kidnapped, sold into slavery, and shipped to the Americas as part of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. In 1808, the United States Congress banned the importation of slaves from Africa. At the same time, the high price of cotton and the development of the cotton gin caused the demand for slave labor to skyrocket in the lower South. The Domestic Slave Trade grew to meet this demand. . . . — Map (db m86427) HM |
| Alabama (Montgomery County), Montgomery — The Lightning Route / Central Bank Building |
| | The Lightning RouteIn 1886, Montgomery became the first city in the Western Hemisphere to convert an entire street railway system to electricity. The Capital City Street Railway Co. initiated electric trolley service on one mile of the street car line the year before. Civil engineer J. A. Gaboury supervised installation of the system developed by Charles Van de Poele. The car line, fondly known as the "Lightning Route" operated until 1936. Investors in the mass transit system also were . . . — Map (db m86468) HM |
| Alabama (Montgomery County), Montgomery — Tribute to Montgomery's "Foot Soldiers" |
| |
The ten bronze roundels displayed on this wall are a tribute to the
"foot soldiers" who toiled for 382 days during the Montgomery Bus
Boycott of 1955 and 1956. The roundels depict individuals who
were involved in, and events that occurred during, this important
"Struggle for Justice."
The artwork by Winfred A. Hawkins is funded by the generous
support of Hyundai Motor Manufacturing of Alabama. — Map (db m91276) HM |
| Alabama (Montgomery County), Montgomery — Union Station & Riverfront Park |
| | Transportation center of Montgomery located in this area for many years. First steamboat, the "Harriet," landed nearby 1821. City wharf constructed at landing place 1823. First railroad, Montgomery & West Point R.R., developed ca. 1840. By 1900 most major railroads in Central Alabama had connections here. Union Station and Tunnel connection to river landing built 1897. Because of decline in river traffic, Tunnel closed 1930. With development of Riverfront Park 1970's, Tunnel reopened. Ramp reopened 1981. — Map (db m86470) HM |
| Alabama (Morgan County), Decatur — First Railroad — West of Allegheny Mountains - Tuscumbia, Courtland & Decatur RR. |
| | Built 1833 to by-pass shoals in Tenn. River. Absorbed by Memphis & Charleston And by Southern Rwy. In 1898. — Map (db m27761) HM |
| Alabama (Morgan County), Decatur — 7 — Two Bridges Across The Tennessee River — “A Hard Nut To Crack” — The Battle For Decatur |
| | In 1860, the Memphis and Charleston Railroad was the only east-west route through the United States south of the Mason-Dixon Line. Maintaining control of this rail line was essential to Confederate strategy. Union Brigadier General Ormsby Mitchell occupied Decatur on April 13, 1862. Confederate defenders attempted to destroy this bridge, but failed. Union troops would destroy the bridge themselves on April 27, 1862. Union troops would occupy Decatur briefly in the summer of 1862 and the fall of . . . — Map (db m28262) HM |
| Alabama (Pickens County), Aliceville — Alabama, Tennessee & Northern Railroad Depot |
| | The Carrollton Short Line Railroad, authorized by the legislature in 1897, connected the Mobile & Ohio Railroad at Reform with the Pickens County seat. John Taylor Cochrane of Tuscaloosa, working with Carrollton citizens, completed that line in 1902, then extended it southward toward the Tombigbee River with the encouragement of south Pickens County landowners. Purchasing 36 acres between the villages of Franconia and Bridgeville, Cochrane founded “Aliceville,” named for his wife, . . . — Map (db m92644) HM |
| Alabama (Shelby County), Helena — Helena Freight House & Depot |
| |
The South and North Alabama Railroad Company constructed the Helena Freight House & Depot about 1872 while repairing damage inflicted by Union raiders in 1865. The original location of the structure was just north of the present railroad crossing. When a new depot was constructed around 1905, the building was moved by C.T. “Tom” Davidson to a site behind his house where he used it for storage and a work shop.
From 1872 to 1905, this building served as the hub of activity . . . — Map (db m76262) HM |
| Alabama (Shelby County), Helena — Helena, Alabama |
| |
Side 1
At a crossroads, one mile south of Helena, a post office called Cove was established in 1849 and renamed Hillsboro in 1857. During the Civil War the South & North Railroad (the Louisville & Nashville Railroad) was constructed to just north of Hillsboro on Buck Creek to facilitate the shipping of coal and iron from nearby mines and iron works. The construction engineer, Peter Boyle, married Helen Lee, the daughter of early settler Needham Lee Jr., and named the railhead Helena . . . — Map (db m76243) HM |
| Alabama (Shelby County), Shelby — Calera & Shelby Railroad — The Former "Alabama Mineral Railroad", A Division of the L&N; Railroad. |
| | Constructed around 1890 to transport large deposits of minerals in the region. Iron ore, marble, limestone, and coal, the L&N; Railroad also ran passenger trains daily. The L&N; depot was built in 1909 directly behind where you are standing. It was torn down in about 1953. The last passenger train ran about 1951. Fare to Sylacauga cost 25 cents. In 1968 Alabama Power raised the water level in Lay Lake. The tracks were 6" under water so the river crossing was abandoned. Freight was still shipped . . . — Map (db m79403) HM |
| Alabama (Shelby County), Wilton — Town of Wilton — Incorporated April 30, 1918 |
| |
Side 1
Wilton, a once prominent railroad town now sits nestled quietly in the southwest corner of Shelby County. Founding members were as follows: L. McMillen, L.W. Irwin, O. H. Bice, John Westley Little, Sam Vest, L. Cochran, and O. L. Hitchcook. The first town hall burned and many early records were lost, however later council members reenacted some of the first ordinances to replace those burned in the fire. In 1934 the Civil Works Administration built the current town hall were . . . — Map (db m76246) HM |
| Alabama (Sumter County), York — History of York / The Coleman Center |
| |
History of York
Legend has it that York began at a blacksmith shop called Old Anvil, located at a crossroads a few miles northwest of the present city. Circa 1833, early settlers of a site located east of modern-day York on the old Livingston-Gaston stagecoach road named their community New York Station. The railroads expanded and took business from the stagecoach line. The two communities merged in 1838 and gradually grew toward the railroad. Railways passing through York have . . . — Map (db m89719) HM |
| Alabama (Talladega County), Lincoln — Lincoln, Alabama |
| | (Side A) Historical records indicate that DeSoto and his men, as they traveled the South in search of gold, were the first white men to see the Lincoln area. With the ceding of the Creek Indian Territory in 1837, the population of the area increased. The community was known as Kingsville until 1856 when the name was changed to Lincoln. The name Lincoln came from Revolutionary War General Benjamin Lincoln who accepted the sword of surrender from the British at Yorktown, Virginia in . . . — Map (db m33282) HM |
| Alabama (Tallapoosa County), Alexander City — Court Square |
| | Anticipating the construction of a railroad through the country hamlet of Youngsville, Griffin Young in 1860 hired W. H. Whatley to survey a portion of his property and lay it off in forty-eight town lots. In the plan two acres were reserved for use as a public square. Delayed by the Civil War, the railroad was finally completed to the newly named Alexander City in 1874, and the business center developed around and to the north of the public square.
In 1877, on the south side of the . . . — Map (db m28544) HM |
| Alabama (Tallapoosa County), Alexander City — The Savannah And Memphis Railroad 1874 |
| | The transformation of Youngsville from a country hamlet to a market town can be traced from the arrival of the railroad. The Savannah and Memphis Railroad was completed from Opelika to the east side of the Tallapoosa River at Sturdivant in 1872. Anticipating the extension of the railroad to Youngsville, the grateful citizens in 1873 changed the village’s name to Alexander City in honor of Edward Porter Alexander, president of the S & M. On June 24, 1874 an excursion train pulled by an engine . . . — Map (db m28653) HM |
| Alabama (Tallapoosa County), Alexander City — Youngsville |
| | Following the Creek Cession in 1832, settlers, mostly from Georgia and the Carolinas, occupied this section of the Creek Nation. Among the first settlers was James Young who purchased land a half-mile west near a trading post called Georgia Store.
Community life can be dated from 1837 when Griffin Young opened a post office in his store and eight men and women, “The Baptist brethren settlers of Youngsville” organized Fellowship Primitive Baptist Church. The store and the church . . . — Map (db m28658) HM |
| Alabama (Tuscaloosa County), Tuscaloosa — The M & O Railroad Trestle |
| | This wooden and steel truss bridge was constructed for the Mobile and Ohio Railroad in 1898 by civil engineer Benjamin Hardaway, an 1887 graduate of The University of Alabama and former Tuscaloosa City Engineer. Originally 135-feet high with a 110-foot clearance, it was once considered by many to be the country's longest trestle at 3600 feet. This bridge, along with Old Locks One, Two and Three, greatly improved transportation in West Alabama and heralded an era of economic development in the . . . — Map (db m28992) HM |
| Alabama (Wilcox County), Pine Hill — Pine Hill, Alabama — Incorporated December 2, 1895 |
| | Front:
This area was Choctaw Indian country before the arrival of settlers moving south and west in this new nation. The first settlement, known as Arnold, was located one mile north of the present town center. Mr. Charley A. Sheldon from Massachusetts, scouting for timber, described the area as that “pine hill;” thus the first post office was given the name Pine Hill when established in 1839. The arrival of the railroad in 1888 was the catalyst that brought Pine Hill to . . . — Map (db m47618) HM |
| Alabama (Winston County), Haleyville — City of Haleyville, Alabama |
| |
(Side 1)
The Cherokee Indians were here first. They lived under the bluffs, near an area called the “division of the waters.” Richard McMahan established the first permanent settlement here in1820. John Byler completed the first major road through Haleyville, from the Tennessee Valley to Tuscaloosa, in 1821. Jacob Pruitt built a two-story inn/tavern on Byler Road in 1825. In 1883, William “Bucky” Davis owned 40 acres in Davis Cross Roads. When the Northern . . . — Map (db m80558) HM |
| Alaska (Denali Borough), Denali National Park — Tunnels Lost to Time |
| | The train track along the Healy Canyon wall provides an exhilarating view down to the Nenana River below. Imagine the challenge of constructing this grade in 1921. Three tunnels at the south end of the canyon made the job a little easier by cutting through rock points. The rock was so soft, however, that erosion caused continual collapses and slides. One tunnel (milepost 354.7) caved in and was abandoned in the 1940s, another (Garner tunnel, milepost 356.2) was removed . . . — Map (db m71361) HM |
| Alaska (Fairbanks North Star Borough), Faribanks — Harding Car |
| | Used by President Warren G. Harding on his trip to Alaska in 1923 to drive the Golden Spike for the Alaska Railroad. “Denali is the Indian name for Mt. McKinley, the “Great One.” — Map (db m47352) HM |
| Alaska (Skagway Borough), Skagway — Skagway and White Pass |
| | has been designated a
Registered National
Historic Landmark
Under the provisions of the Historic Sites Act of August 24, 1935, this site possesses exceptional value in commemorating and illustrating the history of the United States — Map (db m72791) HM |
| Alaska (Valdez Cordova Borough), Valdez — Old Railroad Tunnel |
| | “The Iron Trail” by Rex Beach describes these events and this area.
This tunnel was hand cut into the solid rock of Keystone Canyon and is all that is left of the “railroad era” when nine companies fought to take advantage of the short route from the coast to the Copper Country. However a feud interrupted progress. A gun battle was fought and the tunnel was never finished. — Map (db m49609) HM |
| Alaska (Yukon Koyukuk Borough), Nenana — First Presidential Visit |
| | President Warren G. Harding, first U.S. President to visit Alaska traveled here to pound the Golden Spike signalling completion of the Alaska Railroad from tidewater to the interior July 15, 1926.
State of Alaska
Governor Walter J. Hickel
Alaska Centennial Commission — Map (db m42948) HM |
| Alaska (Yukon Koyukuk Borough), Nenana — Golden Spike |
| | A Golden Spike was
driven at this point by
President Harding
on completion of
the Alaska Railroad
July 15 1923 — Map (db m4286) HM |
| Arizona (Cochise County), Douglas — Douglas Police Headquarters — Douglas, Arizona |
| |
Elizabeth W. Ames, Mayor
City Council
Hector M. Salinas, Ward 1
Richard A. Arzate, Ward 2
Ramon H. Jordan, Ward 3
Harry F. Ames , Ward 4
Margaret Shannon, Ward 5
Rudy Quinonez, Ward 6
R. Delbert Self, City Manager
Charles E. Austin, Chief of Police
Albert N Hooper, Jr., Architect
Price Woods, Inc., Contractor
Paul Heidel, Superintendent
Building listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Built as the El Paso & Southwestern Railroad . . . — Map (db m28295) HM |
| Arizona (Cochise County), Tombstone — 38 — Southern Pacific Train Depot — 1903 |
| | The railroad reached Tucson in March of 1880. Richard Grid had a railroad spike crafted of solid silver from the Toughnut Mine. It was presented to the President of the Southern Pacific Railroad as an inducement to bring a railroad spur to Tombstone. The solid silver spike disappeared into the gentleman's collection and so did Tombstone's hopes for railroad service for many years. Spurs were built in Nogales, Benson, Contention and Fairbanks in the early 1800s and finally reached Tombstone in . . . — Map (db m53401) HM |
| Arizona (Cochise County), Willcox — Railroad Avenue |
| | Railroad Avenue became the Commercial center for the growth of Willcox and the Sulpher Springs Valley from the time of the construction of the Southern Pacific Railroad through the area in 1880. — Map (db m28174) HM |
| Arizona (Cochise County), Willcox — The Southern Pacific Railroad Depot, 1880 |
| | This is the only remaining original redwood frame Southern Pacific R.R. Station in Arizona. It is also the only known, original, on site, passenger depot still extant on the Southern – Trans – Continental Railroad route, between Los Angeles and Chicago.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places. — Map (db m28180) HM |
| Arizona (Coconino County), Flagstaff — "The Gandy Dancer" |
| | Section crews were the laborers who built the railroads in the beginning and have continued throughout the years to maintain them. These crews were most efficient in moving heavy sections of rails when they all worked in unison. To accomplish this they sometimes used songs or some other method of keeping a beat. The tools used were manufactured by the Gandy Tool Company, hence the term, "Gandy Dancer." The tools shown here are the spike maul, rail gauge, wrench, clawbar, and rail tongs.
Clyde "Ross" Morgan, Sculptor — Map (db m33265) HM |
| Arizona (Coconino County), Flagstaff — Flagstaff's Founding |
| | Flagstaff was a name on a map before the area had any significant population. The first permanent settler was Thomas F. McMillan who arrived sometime in 1876. On July 4, 1876, a party of emigrants traveling from Boston to California was camped at Antelope Springs, near McMillan's homestead and in the vicinity of present-day Marshall Elementary School. In honor of the nation's Centennial, the emigrants stripped the limbs from a tall Ponderosa Pine tree and hoisted Old Glory. This event gave . . . — Map (db m41717) HM |
| Arizona (Coconino County), Flagstaff — Railroad Depot — 1926 |
| | The facility was originally constructed in 1925-1926 by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad as the passenger station for the Flagstaff stop. The City of Flagstaff acquired the building in 1992 using city of Flagstaff Bed, Board & Booze tax funds. The facility was renovated in 1994 with every attempt made to protect the architectural integrity of the building. The striking paint scheme reflects the southwest heritage of the station and was developed based on research and paint analysis of . . . — Map (db m78739) HM |
| Arizona (Coconino County), Flagstaff — Transcontinental Railroad Centennial |
| | In 1866 the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad was formed to construct a railroad from Springfield, Missouri to the Pacific Ocean, a distance of 2,000 miles.
In the summer and fall of 1882 the railroad was directly responsible for the founding and development of the City of Flagstaff.
This plaque is to commemorate one hundred years of service to this community by the Transcontinental Railroad.
October 2, 1982 — Map (db m33333) HM |
| Arizona (Coconino County), Flagstaff — Two Spots — Arizona Lumber and Timber Company Steam Engine |
| | Arizona Lumber and Timber Company purchased this Baldwin steam engine in 1917 for lumbering operations in and around Flagstaff, where the engine spent its entire working life. The City of Flagstaff purchased No. 25 in 1995.
Canvas water bags hung out the engine's window & eventually rubbed off the Number 5 on each side, resulting in Two Spot's affectionate nickname.
This display is dedicated to those who worked in the Flagstaff timber industry over the last 110 years.
June 1999 — Map (db m41720) HM |
| Arizona (Coconino County), Grand Canyon National Park — Santa Fe Depot |
| | "Won't you be one of the 25,000 visitors at the Grand Canyon of Arizona this summer? It is the world's scenic wonder - nothing like it."
Santa Fe Railroad brochure, 1914.
The Santa Fe train whistle that was heard here on September 17, 1901, signaled the end of Grand Canyon's frontier days. A $3.50 train ride now replaced a $20.00, full-day, jolting stagecoach ride. In coming decades, Santa Fe promotions nationwide would encourage visitors to come by rail. By the thousands, they . . . — Map (db m39569) HM |
| Arizona (Coconino County), Williams — Santa Fe Railway Freight Depot |
| | Built in 1901, this brick structure was the first train depot in Williams. After the Fray Marcos depot was built in 1908, this building took on freight arriving to and departing from Williams. It was moved here from across the railroad tracks in 1914 to make way for the old trails highway. — Map (db m33379) HM |
| Arizona (Coconino County), Williams — Williams, Arizona |
| | The area around what now is Williams, Arizona, was first explored by a Mountain Man who came to this area in 1876, William Shirley Williams, who was called “Old Bill”.
The town site was created by a cowboy named C.T. Rogers in 1879. Railroad workers put their camp on the map when they began construction on the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad in 1880. By 1881 this camp had enough inhabitants to qualify for a post office, requiring them to pick a name. They decided on Williams, to . . . — Map (db m48351) HM |
| Arizona (Greenlee County), Clifton — Town of Clifton |
| | Historic Rehabilitation Project
Arizona & New Mexico Railway Passenger Station
Built in 1913
Mayor - David R. McCullar
Vice-Mayor - Pamela C. Combs
Councilmember - A. M. 'Tony' Rodriquez
Councilmember - Patricia Fowler
Councilmember - John W. McLaughlin
Councilmember - Joe T. Brinkley
Councilmember - Carol Swart
Town Manager - Mark Fooks
Contractor - Town of Clifton Work Force
Grantswriter - Walter Mares
Architects - Ryden Architects
Rehabilitation . . . — Map (db m36679) HM |
| Arizona (Maricopa County), Phoenix — Chambers Transfer & Storage Company Building |
| | The Chambers Transfer & Storage Company is significant in the history of commerce in Phoenix. As the railroads developed, support warehouses were constructed on each side of the railroad tracks. Phoenix is the only location in Arizona where the Southern Pacific and the Santa Fe railroads connect, making it the natural location for major warehousing functions. The Spanish Colonial Revival style building was designed and constructed in 1923 by T.B. Stewart Construction for the O'Malley Lumber . . . — Map (db m73076) HM |
| Arizona (Maricopa County), Phoenix — Santa Fe Freight Depot |
| | The Santa Fe Freight Depot was constructed in 1929 by the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad Company.The depot is a unique example of a reinforced concrete structure. Like other buildings on Jackson Street, the freight depot reflects the commercial and warehouse development that took place along the railroad tracks. The depot is built along the point where the Santa Fe and Southern Pacific railroads met, the only place in Arizona where the two major railroads were connected. The depot was . . . — Map (db m73075) HM |
| Arizona (Maricopa County), Queen Creek — Engine 1673 |
| | The railroad made significant contribution to the support and development of the Queen Creek community. Engine 1673 travelled over 1,000,000 miles of track in Arizona from 1900-1955. The Southern Pacific Mesa to South San Tan spur was established in 1895 as a component of the Maricopa Phoenix and Salt River Valley Railroad. 1673 was featured in the 1954 film "Oklahoma" and now resides in Tucson, Arizona at the Historic Rail Depot. — Map (db m49866) HM |
| Arizona (Mohave County), Chloride — Arizona and Utah / Western Arizona Railway |
| | Originally built in 1899 as the Arizona and Utah Railway, this short-line reached almost twenty five miles from the siding at McConnico on the Sante Fe to the White Hills. In 1904, a storm washed out much of the route. In 1905, the Sante Fe acquired the right-of-way and created the Western Arizona Railway over the same route. This railroad served the mines in the Chloride area, as well as mines in nearby Eldorado Canyon in Nevada. In 1910 the Western Arizona was completed to Chloride proper, . . . — Map (db m48288) HM |
| Arizona (Mohave County), Kingman — Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad Depot — Built 1907 |
| | This building has been placed on
The National Register of
Historic Places
By the United States Department of the Interior.
Atchinson, Topeka & Sante Fe
Railroad Depot
Built 1907
Kingman's early existence depended upon the railroad. The town's role as a shipping and commerce center was enhanced by the building of a modern, large depot during the first decade of the 20th century. The depot was built in the Mission Revival style of concrete and stucco. The curvilinear . . . — Map (db m29412) HM |
| Arizona (Mohave County), Kingman — Lewis Kingman Park |
| | Dedicated to Lewis Kingman, born North Bridgewater, Mass., 1845, died Mexico City, 1912.
A civil engineer who pioneered railroad location and construction in the western United States and Mexico.
During 1886-87 he supervised the construction of 1353 miles of railroad.
During the construction of the railroad through this area, he established the railroad camp where the town of Kingman now stands. — Map (db m29424) HM |
| Arizona (Mohave County), Kingman — Santa Fe Locomotive No. 3759 |
| | Presented to the city of Kingman as an historical monument in 1967 by the Santa Fe Railway Company.
This "Mountain Type" coal-burning steam locomotive was built in 1927 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works. It was rebuilt and converted to oil fuel in 1941.
No. 3759 was on the passenger run between Los Angeles and Kansas City for many years, making ten round trips monthly. Average east-bound speed was 54.3 MPH; west-bound 60.2 MPH. Kingman was a "water stop" on the east-bound run. No. 3759 . . . — Map (db m29360) HM |
| Arizona (Navajo County), Holbrook — Santa Fe Railroad |
| | Across the Puerco River, the tracks of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad stretch for miles to the east and to the west. With no landforms or forests to block your view, you can see very long trains from beginning to end. More than 60 trains a day pass through the park.
The Atlantic and Pacific Railroad built this important line across the Southwest in 1882. That sparked the founding of many northern Arizona towns, including Holbrook and Winslow to the west.
The Fred Harvey . . . — Map (db m68895) HM |
| Arizona (Navajo County), Winslow — La Posada Hotel — - 1930 - |
| | La Posada was the last of the great
Fred Harvey/Santa Fe Railway hotels.
This is the masterpiece of
Mary Jane Colter
considered by many to be
the greatest of all
Southwestern architects.
La Posada is on the National and State Registers of Historic Places. — Map (db m32787) HM |
| Arizona (Pima County), Tucson — El Paso & Southwestern Depot and Park |
| | The El Paso and Southwestern Railroad, originally owned by the Phelps Dodge Company, was extended from El Paso into Tucson in the fall of 1912. The handsome depot of classical design, featuring a large rotunda with a stained glass dome, was completed in December, 1913. A park commissioned by Mr. and Mrs. Walter Douglas separated the passengers and freight depots. Landscaped by Cammillo Fenzi, it featured many rare and unusual trees and shrubs. In 1924 the E.P. & S.W. Railroad became part of the . . . — Map (db m83028) HM |
| Arizona (Pima County), Tucson — Epes Randolph — August 16, 1856 – August 22, 1921 |
| | [ Four markers are mounted on the four sides around the base of the monument. ]
Side A:
Southern Pacific Railroad Map
Epes commanded the "Randolph Lines" that connected Phoenix and southern Arizona's outlying communities with Tucson. He also headed the Southern Pacific railroad's push through the rough barranca country south of Guaymas, Sonora, Mexico toward Guadalajara. Randolph envisioned a great agricultural and mineral bonanza along Mexico's western coast, . . . — Map (db m38936) HM |
| Arizona (Pima County), Tucson — Locomotive 1673 |
| | Locomotive # 1673, a Mogul 2 – 6 – 0 type engine, was built by Schenectady Locomotive Works in 1900 and logged over 1,000,000 miles for the Southern Pacific Company, primarily in southern Arizona. In 1955 it was donated to the City of Tucson to mark the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the railroad to the community. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.
Railroad Impacts
The Southern Pacific Railroad arrived in Tucson on March 20, 1880. . . . — Map (db m49938) HM |
| Arizona (Pima County), Tucson — Southern Pacific Railroad |
| | The S.P.R.R., building the nation's second transcontinental rail line eastward from California, reached Tucson on March 20, 1880. It was the occasion for one of the greatest celebrations in the history of the city and foretold the coming of a new era of fast, reliable and inexpensive transportation, bringing increased growth, development and prosperity. The original station, built in 1880, was a large wooden structure with offices, freight and passenger accommodations. It was replaced by the . . . — Map (db m83229) HM |
| Arizona (Pima County), Tucson — University Streetcar Line |
| | Across from the Main Gate on May 12, 1898, Charles F. Hoff, Manager of the Tucson Street Railway Company, drove the final spike completing tracks to the downtown business district and residential areas farther south. Mule-drawn streetcars traveled a five-mile route along Third Street (University Boulevard) and Stone Avenue; the fare was a nickel. On June 1, 1906, the Tucson Rapid Transit Company inaugurated an electric streetcar system which played a significant role in residential development . . . — Map (db m83245) HM |
| Arizona (Pinal County), Kerny — Porter Air Locomotive |
| | This locomotive is a gift to the citizens of Kearny, Arizona, by the Kennecott Copper Corporation. This is a Porter Air Locomotive, used by Kennecott Copper Corporation in the original underground Ray Copper Mine. It was used to transport men, ore, and supplies underground. It was operated on compressed air, supplied from lines within the mine. It was retired in 1955. The locomotive was originally placed in Hercules Park, Ray, Arizona, and later moved to Kearny, Arizona. — Map (db m34135) HM |
| Arizona (Santa Cruz County), Patagonia — Patagonia Depot |
| | The New Mexico and Arizona Railroad which served Patagonia, was built by the Santa Fe in 1881-82 and was operated after 1897 by the Southern Pacific. The last portion of this line, terminating at Patagonia, was abandoned in 1962.
The Patagonia depot building dates from the turn of the century. In 1965 the Patagonia-Sonoita Rotary Club saved it from demolition and began a continuing effort to save it. Since 1974 the City of Patagonia has been using it for municipal offices. — Map (db m24108) HM |
| Arizona (Yavapai County), Prescott — Santa Fe Depot |
| | Prescott’s first railroad arrived on December 31, 1886. The current depot was built by the Santa Fe, Prescott and Phoenix Railway, also known as the “Peavine”, in 1907. Designed in the Mission Revival style of poured concrete with a barrel tile roof, it occupies a prominent location at the north end of Cortez Street and was the center of shipping and receiving in Yavapai County. The tracks were last in use on December 31, 1986, the 100th anniversary of the arrival of the railroad. . . . — Map (db m18767) HM |
| Arizona (Yuma County), Yuma — Southern Pacific Passenger Coach Car |
| | Wooden coaches were built around 1875 by Southern Pacific Railroad shops in Sacramento, California, and were used for passenger service in the railroad's southern division.
In 1913, this car was converted for railroad maintenance and was then used until 1938 by work crews during the repair of rail lines. It was then abandoned on tracks near Yuma where it deteriorated for years. Don Trigg of Yuma acquired the car and subsequently donated it in 1991 as an interpretive part of Yuma Crossing State Historic Park. — Map (db m29002) HM |
| Arkansas (Benton County), Lowell — Original Site of Bloomington (Mudtown) Arkansas |
| | Front Mar. 20, 1839 Trail of Tears Mar. 8, 1847 Robinson's Crossroads First Post Office Feb. 5, 1858 Name changed to Bloomington Sept. 18, 1858 Butterfield Stage Stop to 1861 Dec. 9, 1862 Civil War Skirmishes Aug. 24, 1864 "Camp Mudtown" Mar. 9, 1881 Moved near railroad after village destroyed by tornado Known now as Lowell Back Lowell Sesquicentennial 1836-1986 Committee Chairperson Vera Lou Goree Fowler Committee Members Helen Nail Bolen Jo Vantine Elza Tucker Alma . . . — Map (db m33712) HM |
| Arkansas (Carroll County), Eureka Springs — Steam Locomotive — (0-4-0) |
| |
Built in Berlin, Germany 1934, 600 millimeter gauge (24 inch) (same engines are used at Silver Dollar City). Engine was found near Orlando, Fla. in 1989. Was bought by gentleman from Switzerland and hauled to Eureka Springs same year. Plans are to possibly rebuild engine here in America and be shipped to Switzerland where he would maybe lay track & run it on his farm. Other plans include possible rebuild for sale to interested party. Originally coal burner now an oil burner. — Map (db m80172) HM |
| Arkansas (Carroll County), Eureka Springs — The Railroad Depot |
| |
The Eureka Springs Railroad opened in February, 1883. As the first trains arrived at the original station house, a finely crafted wooden structure, passengers were met by horse[-]drawn carriages and hacks which quickly carried them to the best hotels.
The railroad, an 18-mile line from Seligman, Missouri, connected to the Frisco railroad system and assured the success of the resort which could easily be reached from great population centers nationwide.
By 1900 the railroad was . . . — Map (db m80173) HM |
| Arkansas (Carroll County), Eureka Springs — The Town that Water Built — North Main |
| |
First by horseback, wagons or on foot, invalids from all over this region flocked to Eureka Springs in 1879 to seek cures from the miraculous healing springs. But soon there were easier ways to arrive - stagecoaches, then trains. This laid a base for an early "industrial park."
Bringing railroad service through the rugged mountains and across the White River was no easy feat. A passage was blasted out of a cliff near Beaver, north of town, a high trestle bridge erected over the . . . — Map (db m80211) HM |
| Arkansas (Clay County), St. Francis — Chalk Bluff Crossing and Town |
| | Since Crowley's Ridge provided the only natural route for north-south travel across the lowlands of northeastern Arkansas, an Indian trail and later a military road crossed the river here. About 1840 Abraham Seitz established a ferry which was later operated by Timothy Dalton. The town which grew up near the crossing faded away after 1882 when the railroad bridged the river downstream at the new town of St. Francis. — Map (db m4912) HM |
| Arkansas (Lonoke County), Lonoke — 16 — Hicks' Station in the Civil War |
| | Hicks' Station, located on the Memphis & Little Rock Railroad between DeValls Bluff and Huntersville (N Little Rock), guarded the eastern approaches to the capital city. During the Little Rock Campaign, Confederate cavalry used it as a staging area before the Aug. 25, 1863, battle at Brownsville. Union forces set up a field hospital there after the fights at Brownsville and at Reed's Bridge on Aug. 27. Union forces established a permanent presence there, and the Third Michigan Cavalry . . . — Map (db m72142) HM WM |
| Arkansas (Lonoke County), Lonoke — Lonoke Landmarks |
| | Joseph Taylor Robinson Home - 204 NE Front St. Practiced law in Lonoke - 1893-1912 U.S. Congressman - 1902-1913. Governor of Arkansas - January - March 1913. U.S. Senator - 1913-1937. Lonoke was named for lone oak tree, surveyor's landmark for Memphis-Little Rock Railroad - 1858. The tree grew at 106 McKinley. Eberts Field, U.S.Signal Corps Aviation Training School on 640 acres Hwy 89N, donated by citizens, was named for Lt. M.M. Eberts, aviator killed - 1917. — Map (db m65710) HM |
| Arkansas (Saint Francis County), Forrest City — Forrest’s Camp — Birth of a City |
| | In 1866 General Nathan Bedford Forrest, along with about 1,000 workmen, pitched camp in the vicinity of what is now Front Street on land belonging to the Izard and Prewett families. By 1868 they had succeeded in making a cut through Crowley’s Ridge and laying track for the Memphis and Little Rock Railroad. The county surveyor, John C. Hill, drew the plat for a town on March 1, 1869, and on May 11, 1870, the community was officially incorporated as Forrest City. Within a year trains were running . . . — Map (db m92609) HM |
| California (Alameda County), Alameda — 440 — Alameda Terminus of the 1st Transcontinental Railroad |
| | [Center and Main Marker:]
This plaque marks the terminus of the First Transcontinental Passenger train that started in New York City and terminated at Alameda Point Pier On September 6, 1869. Erected by the U.S. Naval Air Station, Alameda in cooperation with the Alameda Historical Society Dedicated Aug. 22, 1953. Wm G. Huff
Small Upper Marker:]
Ceremonies commemorating the 100th Anniversary of this historical event were . . . — Map (db m29447) HM |
| California (Alameda County), Berkeley — Barker Building — A.W. Smith, Architect — 1905 |
| | City of Berkeley Landmark
designated in 1978
James Loring Baker was an early Berkeley landowner, developer, and civic leader. He was one of the signers of the incorporation papers for the Town of Berkeley and it was he who delivered them to Sacramento in 1878. Baker helped to finance public school buildings and electric lighting for the city, promoted city tree planting, and established the First National Bank of Berkeley. His family home stood nearby on Dwight Way until it was demolished in . . . — Map (db m54332) HM |
| California (Alameda County), Berkeley — Santa Fe Railway Depot — Charles Frederick Whittlesey, Architect — 1904 |
| | City of Berkeley Landmark
designated in 2001
During the early 20th century, the Santa Fe Railroad provided three-day passenger and freight service between Chicago and the Bay Area. This depot was one of three major rail stations in Berkeley. It was closed in 1964 and converted to a restaurant. In 2003, the Berkeley Montessori School renovated the building.
Charles Whittlesey, an innovator in reinforced concrete design, was chief architect for the Santa Fe Railroad and designer of . . . — Map (db m53828) HM |
| California (Alameda County), Berkeley — Site of John Hinkel Livery Stable, 1900 — Berkeley Farm Creamery Complex — F.E. Armstrong, Contractor, 1910 |
| | City of Berkeley Landmark
designated in 1998
By 1900, downtown Berkeley had developed around Shattuck Avenue, its main street. On this site, owned by John Hinkel, stood a brick livery stable run by John Fitzpatrick, the early operator of the Ocean View Trolley. In an era of horse-drawn transportation, the centrally located livery stable was advertised to
Furnish at all hours Hack, Carriages and Coupes.” The stable had 16-foot-high brick walls and an arched entry.
A complex of . . . — Map (db m54346) HM |
| California (Alameda County), Emeryville — California & Nevada Railroad — 1884 – 1903 |
| | A 3 foot narrow gauge railroad starting on land owned by Joseph E. Emery, later president and founder of the City of Emeryville.
The line started at 40th and San Pablo, extended through Berkeley and up San Pablo Creek to Bryant (Orinda) 23 miles hauling farm products and passengers mostly on picnic specials.
The Santa Fe Railway purchased the C&N; RR on March 17, 1903. The first through train ran into Emeryville May 16, 1904, completing the Santa Fe line to Chicago. Passenger service . . . — Map (db m72398) HM |
| California (Alameda County), Livermore — Livermore Southern Pacific Depot |
| | This railroad station having been located about half a mile west of the old town of Laddsville, on land owned by Wm. M. Mendenhall. Established the location of the town Livermore. The first depot was a freight car that was soon replaced by a building. In 1891 this building burned, and by August 1892 a combination passenger and freight depot was built.
Dedicated April 13, 1991
by Joaquin Murrieta Chapter 13
E Clampus Vitus — Map (db m19993) HM |
| California (Alameda County), Niles — Completion of the Transcontinental Railroad — Niles, California |
| | “May God continue the unity of our country as this railroad unites the two great oceans of the world.” The gold spike ceremony at Promontory, Utah in May of 1869 united the tracks of the Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads. However the trails did not span the United States from ocean to ocean until some months later. In September the final link between San Francisco and Sacramento was completed near the Flour Mill of Jesus Vallejo, a short distance east of this location. — Map (db m24473) HM |
| California (Alameda County), Oakland — Key Route Train Station |
| | On this spot on June 1, 1904, the first Key Route electric train arrived to be welcomed by a crowd of excited residents. From a new ferry pier on the bay off Emeryville it had brought officials and guests to a dedication ceremony here. Key founder and president, “Borax” Smith welcomed the crowd to the latest form of rapid transit. In 1937 a new station was built for streamlined trains which started running over the Bay Bridge in 1939. Train time from here to First and Mission St. in . . . — Map (db m72279) HM |
| California (Alameda County), Oakland — Moving Shoreline |
| | Moving Shoreline
Oakland's 19-mile shoreline underwent continual change after the Gold Rush, as marsh and tideland was reclaimed for development. The natural shoreline now lies buried under dredged bay sediments and landfill. Here, by the Emeryville border, the West Oakland marsh once extended as far inland as San Pablo Avenue. The first reclamation projects in the area occurred in the late 19th century, when the marsh was filled for train tracks, factories, and houses. The elevated . . . — Map (db m92753) HM |
| California (Alameda County), Oakland — Oakland Railroad History |
| | The railroad industry transformed Oakland from an oak forest to a thriving city. Rapid growth began when the Central Pacific Railroad absorbed local rail lines in 1868 and was granted right-of-way to build a freight and ferry pier. The Oakland Long Wharf, which extended into the bay off the end of Seventh Street, was completed in 1871 and became California's principal rail terminus. Central Pacific reorganized as Southern Pacific and sustained a waterfront monopoly for decades until a series of . . . — Map (db m19209) HM |
| California (Alameda County), Oakland — Oakland Rails |
| | Railroad Heritage
The opening of the transcontinental railroad in 1869 reduced travel time between the East and West Coats from as much as four months by sea to just six days. The Central Pacific made Oakland its western terminus. In 1871, the railroad completed the two-mile-long Long Wharf off the city’s western shoreline, where the trains and ocean-going cargo ships. The railroad stimulated Oakland’s rapid growth as a shipping and population center, giving birth to the modern city. . . . — Map (db m71297) HM |
| California (Alameda County), Oakland — Western Pacific Mole |
| | On a January morning in 1906, two hundred workmen from Western Pacific Railway and thirty armed “company soldiers” landed on the north training wall and began laying track. Although the City of Oakland had invited this action, it was considered a brazen challenge to the Southern Pacific’s long standing monopoly of the waterfront. Southern Pacific promptly sued, claiming ownership of all land along the waterfront. In 1907, the court ruled against Southern Pacific in its suit. The . . . — Map (db m72207) HM |
| California (Alameda County), Oakland — Western Union Railroad Depot — 1910 – 1975 — Oakland Landmark |
| | First Western Pacific transcontinental passenger train drawn by Engine No. 94 arrived in Oakland via Scenic Feather River Route August 22, 1910. Famed California Zephyr began operation in 1949. Adapted to restaurant in 1975. — Map (db m72109) HM |
| California (Alameda County), Sunol — Niles Canyon Railway |
| | In 1869, the first Transcontinental Railroad passed this spot on its way to the shore of the San Francisco Bay. In 1984 the Southern Pacific Railroad abandoned this historic line between Niles and Tracy, California.
Volunteers of the Pacific Locomotive Association have rebuilt the portion of the line between Sunol and Niles, so that future generations may enjoy a ride over this important link in America’s Railroad heritage.
Dedicated to commemorate the one hundred and
twenty-fifth . . . — Map (db m63766) HM |
| California (Alpine County), Bear Valley — Reynold’s House — Point of Historical Interest |
| | About 200 yards offshore, in what was once Silver Valley lies the Reynold’s House. This house appears on an 1878 General Land Office map and was probably one of the many road houses along the route that catered to tourists and travelers. Reynold’s House was located near the crossroads of the Old Emigrant Trail (1849) and Big Trees-Carson Valley Road which replaced this section of the trail in 1866. Silver Valley was prematurely named in 1855 after a nearby “silver mine”. . . . — Map (db m10999) HM |
| California (Alpine County), Markleeville — 318 — Ebbetts Pass — Historical Landmark |
| | Named after Major John Ebbett and pointed out in 1853 to surveyor G.H. Goodard who referred to it as a “route of great promise – probably the best one for a transcontinental railway.”
No emigrant train used this route but a stage road was completed here in 1864 to serve mining region of Silver City. — Map (db m11444) HM |
| California (Amador County), Ione — Iron Ivan |
| | Old No. 7 was the last steam locomotive to operate over the Amador Central Railroad between Ione and Martell. The twelve mile long railroad lies entirely within Amador County and is one of the shortest railroads in this country. Iron Ivan is a fine example of one of the early steam locomotives produced by the Baldwin Locomotive Works. This engine was manufactured in January 1901 and was brought to the Amador Central Railroad from the McCloud River Railroad in 1937. The last trip was made by . . . — Map (db m2371) HM |
| California (Amador County), Jackson — Martell Stage Station |
| | Started about 100 years ago as Ryan’s Station. In 1888 became known as Martell’s Station. This was the main terminal for stagecoaches from Amador County gold mines. Large shipments of gold bullion were made from Martell’s Station to San Francisco, and supplies for the mines were transported back through Martell’s Station.
James W. Marshall
Chapter No. 49
E Clampus Vitus — Map (db m70230) HM |
| California (Butte County), Magalia — “Magalia Depot & Butte County Railroad” |
| | In 1902, Diamond Match Co., established the Butte Co. Railroad. The So PAC tracks ran between Chico, Durham, and Stirling City. Regular train service between Chico and Magalia began Nov. 2, 1903. Magalia depot was completed soon thereafter. April 8, 1904 lumber and passengers were being transported from Stirling City. Due to financial setbacks, Diamond Match in 1915 turned the line over to Southern Pacific.
Stirling City sawmill closed on Jan. 31, 1958 & the last train ran on Feb. 5, 1958. . . . — Map (db m61223) HM |
| California (Butte County), Oroville — Completion of 4th Railorad in California — Middletown |
| | To Commemorate completion of 4th Railorad in California – Marysville to Oroville, by California Northern Railroad, later the Southern Pacific Co. 1st passenger train February 9 – 1864. Also marks site of Middletown 1854 – 1856. — Map (db m65878) HM |
| California (Butte County), Paradise — Butte 011 — Old Paradise Depot |
| | Constructed in 1903, this depot is one of three maintained along the Butte County Railroad, a 31 mile line from Chico to Stirling City, completed by Diamond Match Co. in 1904. The railroad was later acquired by Southern Pacific and operated as a spur until the rails were removed in 1979. Prior to construction of the depot, “Old” Paradise was located near Leonard’s Mill at the intersection of Clark and Elliot Rds. With the coming of iron rails the “New Town” of Paradise . . . — Map (db m29671) HM |
| California (Butte County), Paradise — Town of Paradise Memorial Trailway — SPRR Milepost 198.2 – Site of the Paradise Rail Yard |
| | The rail yard housed the depot, a water tank, a stockyard, as well as a siding and spur. A motorcar house was located further up the track. The depot was retired on January 19, 1960.
The coming of the railroad was the major event that sparked the growth of Paradise and generated the development of property on a grand scale. The railroad began operation in November 1903 and the depot was constructed in 1904. Stores and offices were built near the depot. Residential subdivisions sprang up, . . . — Map (db m29674) HM |
| California (Calaveras County), Valley Springs — Valley Spring |
| | The original three foot narrow gauge line was built by the San Joaquin & Sierra Nevada Railroad, extending from Brack’s Landing on the Mokelumne River, east to Valley Springs. The depot and turntable were built around the time of completion of the last section, which was finished in April 1885, at a total cost of $409,570. The line was changed to standard gauge by Southern Pacific around 1904. It was then extended 13 miles further east to Kentucky House to service the Calaveras Cement Company . . . — Map (db m10635) HM |
| California (Contra Costa County), Byron — Byron — Est. 1878 |
| | At this location, in 1878, a railroad station was established for the San Pablo and Tulare Railroad, which ran from Los Banos to Martinez, later to become part of the Southern Pacific Railway, for the purpose of taking on water, and became known as the "By Run".
This township was famous for shipping more hay than any other station in California at the turn of the century.
Dedicated to the early pioneers and settlers of this community.
Dedicated September 19, 1987
Joaquin Murrieta Chapter 13
E Clampus Vitus — Map (db m17325) HM |
| California (Contra Costa County), Clyde — The Only Train Stop in Clyde |
| | This monument commemorates what was once the only train stop in Clyde. The train that came through this stop in the early 1900's was owned by Southern Pacific and brought mail, passengers, and freight to this unique little town.
[Lower marker reads]:
The restoration of this site was done as a Boy Scout Eagle Project by Derek Richmond of Troop 370 in Concord, chartered by the Salvation Army.
Thanks to the people of Clyde, Troop 370, Orchard Supply Hardware, The Furniture Guy, Bay . . . — Map (db m17341) HM |
| California (Contra Costa County), Martinez — 6 — Southern Pacific R.R. Depot |
| | First located here April 28, 1876 by Central Pacific R.R. First passenger train passed through on September 25, 1877 with Leland Stanford aboard.
Historic Marker No. VI
Martinez Historical Society
July 4, 1991 — Map (db m19225) HM |
| California (Contra Costa County), Orinda — Bryant Station Site |
| | Bryant Station was the terminus of the California and Nevada Railroad, a narrow-gauge steam line which transported local harvests to the Emeryville docks. The railroad, formed in 1881, was originally planned to run passengers and freight to the silver mining camp of Bodie. By 1901, however, track beds had only been laid to Glorietta Boulevard, and the line to Orinda was abandoned.
The Bryant Station was named to honor Mayor Andrew J. Bryant of San Francisco. Mayor Bryant owned a large farm . . . — Map (db m24647) HM |
| California (El Dorado County), Auburn — GPY 135-10 — Mountain Quarries Railroad Bridge |
| | In 1910, the Mountain Quarries Company contracted for the construction of a railroad bridge over the North Fork of the American River to haul limestone from their upstream quarry. The bridge and 17 wooden trestles were part of Mountain Quarries Railroad (MQRR) which went seven miles up to Auburn.
The MQRR Bridge, designed by John B. Leonard, was completed and placed in service on March 23, 1912 at a cost of $300,000. The bridge was reported to be the "longest span concrete arched bridge for . . . — Map (db m67659) HM |
| California (El Dorado County), Auburn — Mountain Quarries Railroad Bridge |
| | The Mountain Quarries Railroad Bridge, also known a "No Hands Bridge", was completed on March 23, 1912. At the time of its construction the span bore the distinction of being one of the largest reinforced concrete railroad bridges in the United States and the largest such bridge "owned by private capitol." Since 1912, the bridge has withstood the fluctuations of the American River, and managed to stay on its footings when the Hell Hole dam failed in December 1964 destroying two more modern . . . — Map (db m67664) HM |
| California (El Dorado County), Latrobe — Latrobe — Est. 1864 |
| | The youngest town acquisition of El Dorado County owes its origin to the Placerville and Sacramento Valley Railroad. They established a station for neighboring Amador County at this crossing of the roads. The town started on the completion of the railroad. It was platted by Chief Engineer F. Bishop. He named the town after B. Latrobe, the civil engineer in charge of building the first railroad in the United States.
Dedicated January 26th 2008 by
E. Clampus Vitus Chapter 49
James W. Marshall — Map (db m19317) HM |
| California (Fresno County), Clovis — Tarpey Depot |
| | Built in 1892 as one of the three depots along the line of the San Joaquin Valley Railroad, this structure was originally located on the Tarpey Ranch just southeast of what is now the intersection of Ashlan and Clovis Avenues. In the span of its exisence, it has served as a freight and passenger depot, the La Paloma Winery office, a post office, a polling place and as the office of Billings and Fine, real estate agents for the Tarpey Village development. It is the last remnant of the San . . . — Map (db m26131) HM |
| California (Fresno County), Clovis — 14 — The San Joaquin Valley Railroad |
| | In 1891, Marcus Pollasky formed a company to construct a railroad from the junction of the Southern Pacific Co. tracks in Fresno to the Sierra with the idea that eventually the railroad would cross the mountains and open the San Joaquin Valley to direct traffic with the East.
The railroad was constructed as far as Hamptonville, now known as Friant, and subsequently was taken over by the Southern Pacific. In securing right-of-way for the railroad Pollasky promised Clovis Cole to build a . . . — Map (db m28017) HM |
| California (Fresno County), Coalinga — Coaling Station A |
| | This is the approximate site of Coaling Station A established by the S.P.R.R. in the late 1880’s from which the City of Coalinga derived its name. — Map (db m63892) HM |
| California (Fresno County), Coalinga — Coalinga’s First Rail Station – 1891 |
| | In the 1880’s coal was being mined in the hills of southwestern Fresno Co. In 1888 the Southern Pacific Railroad extended it’s line from Goshen to Alcade, south and west of present day Coalinga. A spur line was built from the mine to the railhead. Coaling stations B and C were on the spur line.
Coalinga really began to develop in the early 1890’s when oil was discovered. In 1891 Frederick Tibbits opened a saloon, on F Street; the railroad depot, and Louis O’Neill built a store. In 1896 the . . . — Map (db m64084) HM |
| California (Fresno County), Fowler — Fowler's Switch |
| | In 1872, the old Central Pacific Railroad, forerunner of the Southern Pacific, constructed a north-south line through the San Joaquin Valley, which opened the valley to commerce and settlement. The railroad contructed a switch a short distance south-easterly of this monument for loading cattle from the vast ranches of State Senator Thomas Fowler and others. The switch became known as Folwer's Switch. A town and a post office were established in 1882 and at that time the name was shortened to . . . — Map (db m26132) HM |
| California (Fresno County), Fresno — Fresno |
| | "Fresno" is the Spanish word for "Ash Tree." The first settlement to which the name was applied was "Fresno City," a station on the old Butterfield Stage Route located on Fresno Slough about one and one-half miles northwesterly from the present town of Tranquillity. This part of the San Joaquin Valley became known as the "Fresno Country." When the county was created in 1856 it was named Fresno although the county seat was established at Millerton, the site of which is now covered by the waters . . . — Map (db m41007) HM |
| California (Fresno County), Fresno — 27 — Fresno Traction Company — 1903 - 1939 |
| | During the year 1903, streetcars began to rattle along the city streets from the San Joaquin River through the fig garden area to downtown Fresno and east along Huntington Boulevard to Sunnyside.
Providing a reliable, entertaining, even elegant method of transportation, trolley cars became an overnight sensation and continued for 36 years under the operation of the Fresno Traction Company. Honoring the men and the streetcars that shaped the growth of our community, we dedicate this monument. — Map (db m27830) HM |
| California (Fresno County), Fresno — 6 — Green Bush Spring |
| | On this spot in the early days was a flowing spring beside which stood a large green bush. Wild horses, deer, elk and antelope watered here and it served as a watering place for sheep and cattle.
The presence of this water caused the railroad in 1872 to locate its station and townsite here.
The name shown on the first map proposed town was Green Bush.
Because of its central location in Fresno County, Leland Stanford changed the name to Fresno Station.
In 1873 when the official map . . . — Map (db m28012) HM |
| California (Fresno County), Fresno — Honoring the Ex-Braceros and Their Contributions — Honoramos los Ex-Braceros y Sus Contribuciones — 1942 - 1964 |
| |
During and after World War II, nearly 5,000,000
contracted braceros came to work in agriculture
and on the railroads, the majority in California and
the San Joaquin Valley, under U.S. and Mexican Treaty,
demonstrating their patriotism during the great labor shortage.
"Soldiers of Democracy" "Soldados de Democracia"
Braceros de los Ferrocarilles WWII - Valle de San Joaquin
Railroad Braceros WWII - San Joaquin Valley - 2,733
——————— . . . — Map (db m41067) HM |
| California (Fresno County), Fresno — Viva Liberation — Voie de la Liberte 1944 |
| | La Ville d'Etamps
a l'Amerique
This monument from General Patton's Route of Liberation is a gift of the people [of] Cannes, France to the people of California, sent via La Train de la Reconnaisance Francaise (Merci Train) and dedicated Armistice Day, November 11, 1949 to everlasting world peace. — Map (db m41004) HM |
| California (Fresno County), Sanger — 32 — Sanger |
| | Founded by the Pacific Improvement Co. following the completion of Southern Pacific's east side railroad in May 1888. Its name honors Joseph Sanger, Jr., Indiana rail executive. Sanger, supported by a rich fruit citrus farming district which later made it a fruit and packing center, soon eclipsed neighboring Centerville.
In 1890, Sanger became an important part of a major Sierra Nevada logging operation, with a mill which operated nearly four decades. The 54 mile Millwood Flume (later . . . — Map (db m28164) HM |
| California (Inyo County), Big Pine — Zurich Station |
| | Zurich Station, formerly Alvord, was established in 1884 as a freight and passenger station on the Carson & Colorado Railway - known locally as "The Slim Princess."
Zurich was the main railroad station for Big Pine and points east. Its name was changed to Zurich in 1923 because the eastern slope of the Sierra reminded local resident Emelie Nikolaus of her native Switzerland.
The station fell into disuse during the 1940's and was abandoned when the railway ceased operation in 1960. — Map (db m92763) HM |
| California (Inyo County), Bishop — 953 — Laws Station |
| | In 1883 the Carson & Colorado Railroad was built between Mound House (Near Carson City, Nevada) through Laws to Keeler, California. A distance of 300 miles. Laws Station was named in honor of Mr. R.J. Laws, Assistant Superintendent of the railroad between 1883 and about 1915. This railroad provided the only dependable means of transportation in and out of Owens Valley. Train service was stopped on April 30, 1960
California Historical Landmark No.953 — Map (db m10333) HM |
| California (Inyo County), Bishop — Slim Princess |
| | The Slim Princess “Engine 9” was built in 1909 and first saw service on the 36 inch narrow gauge rails (standard gauge is 4 feet 8 ½ inches) of the Nevada, California and Oregon Railroad. It came to the Mina Branch of the Southern Pacific in 1929 and ran from Mina to Keeler until 1938.
In it’s early years, the Slim Princess (no one knows the origin of the name) carried passengers as well as mining and agricultural outputs. However, with the advent of highways and standard . . . — Map (db m78315) HM |
| California (Inyo County), Death Valley Junction — 51 — Death Valley Junction |
| | This historic crossroad has been used by Indians, Clampers, Death Valley 49ers, ranchers, farmers, settlers and tourists. The town was originally called Amargosa. In 1907, the name was changed to Death Valley Junction. At this junction, the Tonopah & Tidewater Railroad connected with the Las Vegas-Tonopah Railroad to service the Ryan and Lila C. borax mines near Ryan during the years 1914-28. Death Valley Junction had rail service until 1940. At it's peak, the town had a population of 300. . . . — Map (db m78583) HM |
| California (Inyo County), Independence — Engine #18 |
| | An oil burning steam locomotive, built by Baldwin in 1911, was purchased by the Southern Pacific R.R. in 1926 to haul passengers and freight along the 300 miles narrow gauge line, known locality as the “Slim Princess”. Jim Butler of Tonopah said, It was the railroad that began nowhar, ended nowhar an stopped all night to think it over”.
Originally known as the Carson & Colorado Railroad, the line was completed to Keeler, Ca in 1883. The railroad had a profound affect on . . . — Map (db m52099) HM |
| California (Inyo County), Independence — Kearsarge Station |
| | Built originally as a stagecoach depot in 1866, it evolved into a railroad station in 1883 to carry freight and passengers on the Carson & Colorado Railroad line, known locally as the "Slim Princess". It served the Independence community from 1883 until it was closed during the Great Depression on June 29, 1932. The station was torn down in 1955 and the railroad line ceased operation on April 30, 1960.
It was first named Independence, then changed to Citrus and finally Kearsarge Station in . . . — Map (db m72573) HM |
| California (Inyo County), Keeler — Keeler — End of the Line |
| | From Mound House, Nevada, narrow gauge rails of the Carson & Colorado Railroad reached this site in 1883. Cerro Gordo and other mines faltered, the rail line fell on hard times, so plans to extend the line to Mojave were abandoned, leaving Keeler as "End of the Line". — Map (db m72574) HM |
| California (Inyo County), Shoshone — 152 — Shoshone |
| | Located at Metbury Spring on the Tonopah and Tidewater Railroad, Shoshone was founded in 1910 by Ralph Jacobus "DAD" Fairbanks. After the collapse of the mining camp of Greenwater (approximately 20 miles northwest of here), "DAD" Fairbanks came to Metbury Springs hoping to capitalize on the increased traffic through the area brought about by the railroad. Fairbanks, his sons and his son-in-law, Charlie Brown, moved the salvagable buildings and scrap from Greenwater to his new town of Shoshone. . . . — Map (db m78511) HM |
| California (Kern County), Bakersfield — Bena Depot |
| | Situated at the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley, Kern County was part of a natural corridor for a railroad running between San Francisco and Los Angeles.
The Southern Pacific Railroad began laying track southward from San Francisco through the San Joaquin Valley in the 1870s. The Tehachapi Mountains were the last obstacle to finishing the railroad. The steep climb from the valley floor up the mountains was overcome with an engineering marvel known as the Tehachapi Loop, . . . — Map (db m25117) HM |
| California (Kern County), Bakersfield — Railroad Scale House and Telephone Booth |
| | Railroad yards are highly specialized facilities consisting of engine maintenance buildings, fueling areas, track and switching areas and material storage yards.
This scale house was used in the Santa Fe Railroad switchyard in Bakersfield. A scale located adjacent to the building weighed train cars to determine the amount of freight and total weight of a train. Railroads charged a fee to haul freight based on weight. Knowing the total weight of a train was necessary to ensure a . . . — Map (db m25636) HM |
| California (Kern County), Bakersfield — Santa Fe Caboose #1323 |
| |
The caboose was an office, a lookout, and a home away from home for a train crew.
In the days before automatic air brakes, the engineer signaled the caboose with his whistle when he wanted to slow down or stop. A brakeman would then climb out of the caboose and make his way forward, twisting the brake wheels atop the cars with a stout club. Another brakeman riding in the engine would work his way toward the rear. Once the train stopped, the flagman would walk back to a safe . . . — Map (db m25598) HM |
| California (Kern County), Bakersfield — Southern Pacific Engine #2914 |
| |
This locomotive, among the largest and most powerful on the Southern Pacific Railroad system, supported the growth and development of the San Joaquin Valley and the West.
Engine #2914, called a 4-8-0 because of its wheel configuration, is characteristic of the type of locomotive used in freight service by railroads in the early 1900s. Built by the Schenectady Locomotive Works, 4-8-0 locomotives pulled well for their size, yet were easy to operate.
As the years passed they . . . — Map (db m25600) HM |
| California (Kern County), Bakersfield — Southern Pacific Railroad Jail |
| | Approximately 3,000 men labored on railroad construction up and over the Tehachapi Mountains in the 1870s.
It took over three years for the line to be completed through Kern County. As the railroad slowly progressed through the county, settlements sprang up along the track to supply the hungry and thirsty railroad workers. In the fall of 1875, Caliente, a rowdy temporary railhead, was described as “infested with a numerous horde of thieves and robbers, comprising the worst . . . — Map (db m25606) HM |
| California (Kern County), Caliente — 741 — Bealeville |
| | Named for Edward F. Beale this station on the Southern Pacific rail line was established in 1876 as a depot and telegraph office. Service was discontinued in 1943. Beale was Superintendent of California Indian Affairs during the 1850’s. In 1865 he became owner of the adjacent Ranch El Tejon — Map (db m50253) HM |
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