South and North Alabama Railroad, Alabama

Date: 17 Feb 1854 to 17 Feb 1854
Location: Alabama, United States
Surnames/tags: Slavery Railroad

Introduction

"The South & North Alabama Railroad (S & N), also called the Alabama Central Railroad, was a railroad line, first charted in the 1850s, but not completed until the 1880s, which connected Montgomery to Decatur, through Jones Valley, where it crossed the Alabama & Chattanooga Railroad. The location of the crossing, as set by chief engineer John T. Milner, became the site of the Elyton Land Company's planned industrial metropolis of Birmingham.

"The original charter was granted by the Alabama State Legislature on 17 Feb 1854 to a group of investors made up of Frank M. Gilmer Jr, J. W. Pryot, N. E. Benson, L. Owen, C. Crommelin, J. E. Belser, S. P. Storrs, B. Trimble, L. P. Butler, D. C. Neal, L. P. Saxon, N. S. Graham, J. H. Bradford, W. Garrett and other shareholders. The company was capitalized at $3 million. Gilmer served as president.

"Work on the actual railroad line was begun by September 1859, on a section connecting the Cahaba River to the Alabama & Tennessee River Railroad at Calera (Lime Kiln Station). Grading of the 15-mile extension to Elyton was underway when the Civil War began. During the war, the project was deemed important to the Confederate war effort, but promised resources in funding, material, and slave labor, were inconsistently furnished. Competition for iron was fierce, with competition from agricultural blacksmiths and the Confederate Naval Works in Selma. Slaves were engaged in the maintenance and extension of the railroad between Elyton and Montevallo. They were supervised by W. B. Hyde on Milner's behalf and housed at Hyde's Camp. Owners were paid for the labor of their slaves. The rate paid for road grading was $8 per 100 slaves per day. Those who sent 50 or more hands were allowed to send their own overseer to coordinate their labor."^[1]

Sources

1. ↑ South & North Alabama Railroad