G,M & O

[Anonymous]

I really enjoyed the recapped history of the GM&O in the latest issue of Classic trains.

But, I've always wondered where the "Ohio" aspect of the name came from.

So, we have "Gulf, Mobile, & Northern" and "Mobile & Ohio"....but given the routes as built, where did "Mobile & Ohio" get the idea of including that state in their name?

[SSW9389]

Ohio as in the Ohio River.

[Anonymous]

The "Ohio" in Baltimore & Ohio also referred to the river.

[Anonymous]

Ahhhh,..OK thanks,.. to both of you..

[Wdlgln005]

The Ohio refers to the Ohio River. It may as well refer to the Mason-Dixon line, that divided North from South. It's a little funny to realize that not one of the Southern railroads reaced Chicago until modern times. Many had lines going to Cincinatti, but got no farther North. I'm not sure when the Illinois Central broke this barrier on it's way to New Orleans.

It's also a little funny how the L&N & other lines were so busy to get to St Louis, even in the 1880's. By then Chicago was already the rail capital of the nation.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: I'm not sure when the Illinois Central broke this barrier on it's way to New Orleans.

They absorbed the Louisville, New Orleans & Texas which ran through the Mississippi--Yazoo Delta in 1887. My map shows another line running from Memphis through Durant, MS and Winona, MS to New Orleans which I know is IC today (it's the Route of the City of New Orleans), but the 1887 map doesn't name it.

I am madly researching this subject, and will let you know if I find an answer. You may have shed a little light on why so many southern lines went to Louisville. Can't have a yankee town like Cincinatti in our road name, can we?[:D]

[Anonymous]

Doug, FWIW, I have reprints of the 1870 Travelers Guide and the 1893 also.
The 1893 lists both the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley and the IC. The Durant/Winona line is listed under the IC, although the Y&MRR is on the very next page.

The 1870 Guide has no railroad going through Yazoo, Miss.
On the map, in the back, the Mississippi & Tennessee runs from Memphis to Grenada where it meets the Mississippi Central (down from Jackson, TENN) through Winona and Durant to Canton. Below Canton, the line is labeled New Orleans, Jackson & Great Northern. The Appendix of the Guide (appended by the reprinter) lists railroads that have changed names or affilations since June, 1869, and it lists the IC as being the new name or affiliation of the three railroads mentioned immediately above. But in 1870, the three were still separate entities with their own listing in the Guide.
Art

[Anonymous]

the latter day g m & o appeared to me to be two systems under one roof. the
northern, former alton, and the southern, former m&o, g m & n, routes anchored in
mobile at the southern end. the southern end was alco dominated while the northern
was mostly e m d powered. the southern portion had a maintenance base at iselin
yard in jackson, tennessee, where also two major prongs went southward via
varied routings, both attaining mobile, but one also using trackage rights to attain
new orleans. the northern -alton - end also had the arm that went to kansas city.

the northern and southern sectors met at east st. louis, illinois. the former alton had
a cluster of passenger trains between chicago and st. louis, but only a railcar reaching
kansas city. the southern had a nice train, just one each way, st. louis to mobile.
i suppose in antiquity the southern end had passenger service into new orleans and
jackson, miss. the g m & o southern end also operated a public highway bus route
that covered long distances, duplicating many sites served by the passenger train.

theo sommerkamp, [e-mail]

[Anonymous]

I worked on the northen part, the old Alton, from 47 to 52 and yes they seemed to be two different camps - but the money got sent to Mobile..
At the time of the merger, the two roads didn't even connect at East St. Louis, and the GMO train terminated there rather than Union Station in St. Louis, MO, so as to save money. The M&O, before being merged with the GM&N to become the GM&O, had been using Union Station.
Art

[jaswar]

The Illinois Central Historical Society http://www.icrrhistorical.org/ recently devoted an entire issue of their magazine "The Green Diamond" to this very subject. Several authors looked at the subject several ways. Very interesting and probably just what you're looking for.

JimW

[jaswar]

Please ignore the previous post. I accidentally posted it to the wrong thread, which concerned Moorhead, Miss. Thanks. JimW.

[Anonymous]

Jim, as someone kindly pointed out to me in another forum, you own your post and the little icon on the first line of the post labeled delete, if pressed, allows you to delete it.
Haven't tried it here but it worked elsewhere.
Art