The state of Tennessee chartered the Memphis, Clarksville & Louisville Railroad in 1852. The line ran from Paris, Tennessee, to the Tennessee-Kentucky state line and connected with two other routes to create a seamless link between Memphis, Tennessee, and Louisville, Kentucky.
The railroad, completed in 1861, existed for roughly two decades — from 1852 until 1871 — and only operated the entire 82-mile-long line under the cloud of war or under receivership. After the Civil War, it ran in receivership, and the larger Louisville & Nashville, which overshadowed it for its entire corporate history — and supported the Memphis, Clarksville & Louisville — absorbed the “Clarksville” in the decade after the Civil War.
Explore Key Moments in MC&L History
The Road to the MC&L
Chartering the MC&L
Crossing the Cumberland
The February 1868 Strike
The Budds Creek Disaster of 1869
The Budds Creek Disaster of 1869
Explore MC&L Stories
Table of Contents