Features
Baltimore & Ohio Railroad
On Feb. 28, 1827, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad – arguably the most important railroad in American history – received its charter from the Maryland and broke ground on July 4, 1828 – 52 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. On hand for the ceremony was Charles Carroll, the last surviving person to have signed the Declaration of Independence. On Jan. 7, 1830, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad started its daily run, though tracks were not yet completed between Baltimore and Ellicott’s Mill, Md. It was the first time in American history a railroad carried revenue passengers.
Cadiz Railroad
CADIZ, Ky. – The Cadiz Railroad was built around the turn of the 20th century for the purpose of transporting tobacco to Gracey, Ky. At Gracey, about eight miles away, the railroad connected with the Illinois Central and the Louisville & Nashville Railroad. The railroad, completed on March 15, 1902, operated until 1985. According to legend, when the railroad was organized in 1901, a company needed to have at least 10 miles of track. So, founder William Cleland built about two extra miles of curves into the line to ensure Cadiz would have its own rail line. A locomotive and
Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway traces its origins to December 1845 when the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad was chartered. The Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad was Tennessee’s first railroad. Following the Civil War, the railroad began to acquire other lines, and in 1873, the company’s name changed to the Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway. However, the railroad never reached St. Louis. The line’s major competition was from the Louisville & Nashville Railroad. In 1880, the Louisville & Nashville gained a controlling interest in the Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway, but the two lines remained