The Walton Railroad was incorporated on Aug. 17, 1872, and amended later. The line was established to build a 10-mile road from Monroe, Ga., to Social Circle, Ga.
By 1874, the railroad was “being graded with all possible energy from Social Circle to Monroe,” the Weekly Constitution reported in September 1874.
“The citizens are enthused and jubilant over the project, and when the whistle of the engine and the rattle and clatter of car wheels are heard on our streets, a new impetus will be given to every interest,” the newspaper noted.
The railroad’s operations commenced on Sept. 1, 1880. By 1884, the railroad was absorbed by the Gainesville, Jefferson and Southern.