George Thomas Lewis

Biography

George Thomas Lewis (1816-August 21, 1882), a Pennsylvania native, was instrumental in rebuilding the Memphis, Clarksville and Louisville Railroad after the Civil War, serving first as receiver of the railroad from July 1, 1865, to April 1, 1867, and later as its president.

A native of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Lewis had moved to Clarksville before the war and was appointed receiver in July 1865 after the railroad asked Tennessee Gov. William G. Brownlow to place him in charge. His salary was set at $5,000 per year.

Lewis faced the difficult task of rebuilding a railroad left in ruins. He purchased locomotives and freight cars from the federal government, appointed George B. Faxon treasurer and helped oversee repairs to bridges, trestles, track and facilities. The railroad spent heavily on restoration, received a $400,000 state loan, and secured financial support from the Louisville & Nashville Railroad. Service resumed on Aug. 13, 1866, when the MC&L, Memphis & Ohio and L&N began operating jointly as the Memphis & Louisville Railroad.

Lewis’ tenure was marked by persistent financial trouble, labor shortages and infrastructure failures, including the 1866 collapse of a span of the Cumberland River bridge. He was removed as receiver in March 1867 and replaced by S.B. Brown, though later accounts praised Lewis for his skill and integrity. In 1870, a state committee found the railroad still owed Lewis $1,170 for his service as receiver and president.