Life
- Born
- February 1, 1801
- Died
- July 11, 1865
Career
- Superintendent — Western & Atlantic Railroad
1858–1861
Biography
John Wood Lewis Sr. (February 1, 1801–July 11, 1865) was a physician, Baptist minister, businessman, politician, and superintendent of Georgia’s state-owned Western & Atlantic Railroad.
A native of Spartanburg County, South Carolina, Lewis moved to Cherokee County, Georgia, in the 1840s, where he became a prominent community leader and businessman. In 1858, Governor Joseph E. Brown appointed him superintendent of the Western & Atlantic. During his three years in office, Lewis improved the railroad’s finances and helped transform it into a profitable enterprise that contributed substantial revenue to the state treasury.
After resigning in 1861, he was appointed to the Confederate States Senate, serving from 1862 to 1863. Lewis died in Canton, Georgia, on July 11, 1865, and was buried in Riverview Cemetery.