Alabama and Florida Railroad (1853–1869) facts for kids
The Alabama and Florida Railroad was an important railway line in the southern United States. It connected the city of Pensacola, Florida with Montgomery, Alabama. This railroad was built in the late 1850s and early 1860s. The part of the line in Alabama was first owned by the Alabama and Florida Rail Road Company (of Alabama). The part in Florida was owned by the Alabama and Florida Railroad (of Florida).
Contents
Building the Railroad: The First Try (1834–1838)
People in Pensacola wanted to build a railroad into Alabama. In the early 1830s, William Chase, an army captain, led this effort. In February 1834, Florida allowed a company called the Florida, Alabama and Georgia Rail Road to start. Its goal was to build a railroad from Pensacola to the Alabama border.
Later that year, Alabama created its own company. It was called the Alabama, Florida and Georgia Rail Road. This company aimed to connect the Florida railroad to Columbus, Georgia. Florida then changed its mind and let the Alabama company build the line from Pensacola to Columbus. William Chase became the president of this new company.
Money was raised by selling shares and bonds. The Bank of Pensacola helped by guaranteeing these bonds. Workers started building the roadbed and bridges from Pensacola to the Escambia River. They ordered special rails and train cars.
However, a big money crisis called the Panic of 1837 hit. The Bank of Pensacola closed. The railroad company tried to get more loans. They even sold some of their equipment to get cash. The plan changed to connect to Montgomery instead of Columbus to save money. But by 1838, all work on the railroad stopped. The Bank of Pensacola could not pay its debts, and the government backed away from its promise to support the bonds.
Two Companies Build the Line
The idea of a railroad between Pensacola and Montgomery came back in the early 1850s. Alabama created the Alabama and Florida Rail Road Company (of Alabama). This company was to build a line from Pollard, Alabama (near the state line) to Montgomery. Charles T. Pollard was its president.
In 1853, Florida started its own company. It was called the Alabama and Florida Railroad (of Florida). William Chase was its president. This company would build the line from Pensacola to Pollard.
Construction on the Florida part of the line began in Pensacola in 1856. It reached Pollard in 1861. The Alabama part of the railroad reached Montgomery in May 1861. Soon after, people could travel by train between Montgomery and Pensacola. The trip took about ten hours.
The Alabama & Florida Railroad used tracks that were five feet wide. This is a type of broad-gauge railway. The U.S. government helped pay for the railroads. They gave land to the companies through the Land Grant Act of 1850. The Alabama company received about 440,000 acres of land. The Florida company received about 160,000 acres.
After the Civil War
The American Civil War caused a lot of damage to the Alabama and Florida Railroad. Most of the tracks in Florida were removed. The trains and other equipment belonging to the Florida company were taken by the Confederate government. They were given to the Alabama company and another railroad called the Mobile and Great Northern Railroad.
After the war, Florida created a new company in 1868. It was called the Pensacola and Louisville Railroad Company. This company completely rebuilt the line from Pensacola to Pollard. In 1878, the Pensacola Railroad Company bought the Pensacola & Louisville RR. Then, in 1880, the Louisville and Nashville Railroad took over.
The Alabama and Florida Railroad (of Alabama) and the Mobile and Great Northern Railroad joined together in 1868. They formed the Montgomery and Mobile Railroad. The Louisville and Nashville Railroad also bought this company in 1880. This meant the Louisville and Nashville Railroad now owned the entire line.
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