The Henderson & Nashville Railroad organized to construct a rail line between Henderson, Kentucky, and Nashville, Tennessee. The company was incorporated by an act of the Kentucky Legislature approved on February 8, 1837. On November 15, 1849, the Tennessee Legislature approved legislation amending and reenacting the Kentucky act, allowing the company to operate as a corporate entity in both Kentucky and Tennessee.
The railroad was chartered to construct a continuous rail connection between Henderson and Nashville by way of Clarksville, Tennessee. The line was intended to improve transportation and commercial connections between western Kentucky and central Tennessee during a period of expanding railroad development in the southeastern United States.
Financial difficulties and incomplete construction affected the railroad during its early years. At a sale conducted on February 23, 1867, the property, rights, and franchises of the Henderson & Nashville Railroad Company were sold under a judgment rendered by the Circuit Court of Christian County, Kentucky. E. G. Sebree became the purchaser, and the conveyance was completed by deed dated March 22, 1867.
The transferred property included railroad track, roadbed, rails, bridges, fixtures, depots, stations, and associated land holdings located in Todd, Christian, Hopkins, Webster, and Henderson counties in Kentucky. On June 20, 1867, E. G. Sebree and his wife conveyed the railroad property and franchises to the Evansville, Henderson & Nashville Railroad Company.
Under later operations, the Kentucky Division of the Evansville, Henderson & Nashville Railroad extended approximately 97.76 miles between Henderson and Guthrie, Kentucky. An additional Providence Branch operated roughly 16.10 miles between Madisonville and Providence.