John P. Mays
John P. Mays joined the Western and Atlantic Railroad before the Civil War. However, there is some debate about the date, with either 1851 or circa 1857 given as possible start dates.
Mays was born on July 11, 1832, in Cobb County, Georgia. He was educated at an old field school for two years. A newspaper account indicates that at the age of 19, around 1851, he moved to Atlanta and began working as a train hand for the Western and Atlantic Railroad.
During the Civil War, Mays was entrusted with overseeing the railroad’s rolling stock, a critical responsibility he fulfilled with great care and competence. After the war, he resumed his work as a conductor.
He continued in that role until he was appointed claim agent for the railroad following the 1897 death of Sanford Bell. At the time of his appointment, Mays was the oldest living conductor on the line, having served in that capacity for more than 40 years.
Despite suffering from a chronic bronchial condition for 25 years, Mays remained active and committed to his work until his health declined in the final months of his life. He died on October 5, 1899.