ANTEBELLUM RAILROADS OF TENNESSEE
Although Tennesseans considered
railroads as early as 1827, the first actual railroad construction began
with the Hiwassee Railroad in 1837 (it failed in 1842), and the LaGrange
and Memphis Railroad in 1842 became the first to actually operate a train
in Tennessee (this company failed a few months later). By the 1850s,
with organizational and financial arrangements finally in place to support
a large scale construction effort, a railroad development boom ensued,
and by 1860 Tennessee had completed 1,197 miles of track. This represented
about 13% of the South's total of 9,167 miles. Southern railroads
represented only about 30% of the total national rail mileage, and they
were small organizations with inferior equipment running on lighter rail
However, Tennessee's strategic location as a border state between North
and South destined its railroads to play a significant role in the Civil
War.
The following maps graphically depict the phenomenal
rail line growth that occurred in Tennessee during the railroad boom of
the 1850s. As we look back a century and a half later, it's important
to realize that Tennesseans of the mid 19th century were still trying to
cope with rapid and overwhelming changes in the statewide transportation
system when the war began.
TENNESSEE RAILROAD NETWORK CIRCA 1850
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TENNESSEE RAILROAD NETWORK CIRCA 1861
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As the Civil War began, all of Tennessee's railroads were nominally
in Confederate hands. For descriptions of each railroad at the war's
outset, go to Confederate Railroads in Tennessee
Tennessee
Civil War Railroads | Civil
War Technology & Industry in Tennessee
Last update: May 9, 2000