need help naming this 1879 passenger train

[Anonymous]

Hi folks - this fellow contacted me....I think he found me on-line as part of a historical society with a web presence...not sure how he got my e-mail address....anyway, here is his question:

"In 1879 my great-grandfather traveled from either St. Augustine or Jacksonville, Florida to Little Rock, Arkansas to marry my great-grandmother. Together they returned to Florida. I (he) figures they traveled by train. Would you have any information on possible train routes they may have taken in that time period and the cost of such travel?"

He thanked me in advance for my assistance, but I'm afraid I really don't know how to help him. Just joined these forums, figured why not try this and see if we can help him out. Working on recording his family history I believe. Anybody know the train(s)?

[Anonymous]

Even though I'm 74 years old, 1879 is a bit before my time so I'm only able to make an educated guess as to the route. I've no idea as to ticket prices however. In 1879 the actual railroads were probably predecessors to those 20th century roads which I've which I've listed.

Jacksonville to Atlanta - Georgia Southern & Florida (Southern Railway System)
Atlanta to Birmingham - Alabama Great Southern (Southern Railway System)
Birmingham to Memphis - Frisco
Memphis to Little Rock - Rock Island

There are a number of other possible routes but these would have been the most direct and involved the fewest number of train changes. Hope this is of some help.

Mark

[One Track Mind]

Thanks Mark! Yes that is indeed a help as I wasn't even sure where to look to find him some info. Much appreciated.

Mark

[ZephyrOverland]

I reviewed a copy of the October 1878 issue of the Official Guide and I was able to come up with two possible routing scenarios for a Jacksonville-Little Rock trip:


VIA MONTGOMERY - southbound
Memphis and Little Rock Railway
Leave Little Rock, AR 3: 25 PM
Arrive Memphis, TN 11:40 PM
Memphis and Charleston RR
Leave Memphis, TN 12:10AM
Arrive Decatur, AL 10:10AM
Louisville and Great Southern Line
Leave Decatur, AL 12:45PM
Arrive Montgomery, AL 7:30 PM
Montgomery & Eufaula RR
Leave Montgomery, AL 10:30PM
Arrive Eufaula, AL 5:25 AM
South-west RR (Central of Georgia)
Leave Eufaula, AL 8:30 AM
Arrive Smithville, GA 12:00 N
Leave Smithville, GA 12:40 PM
Arrive Albany, GA 2:08 PM
Atlantic & Gulf
Leave Albany, GA 2:30PM
Arrive Dupont, GA 9:55 PM
Leave Dupont , GA10:05 PM
Arrive Live Oak, FL 12:50 AM
Jacksonville, Peninsula and Mobile
Leave Live Oak. FL 12:50 AM
Arrive Lake City, FL 2:15 AM
Florida Central
Leave Lake City, FL 2:35 AM
Arrive Jacksonville, FL 6:35 AM

VIA MONTGOMERY - northbound
Florida Central
Leave Jacksonville, FL 5:00 PM
Arrive Lake City, FL 8:55 PM
Jacksonville, Peninsula and Mobile
Leave Lake City, FL 9:15 PM
Arrive Live Oak, FL 10:30 PM
Atlantic & Gulf
Leave Live Oak, FL 10:40 PM
Arrive Dupont, GA 1:40 AM
Leave Dupont, GA 2:15 AM
Arrive Albany, GA 9:50 AM
South-west RR (Central of Georgia)
Leave Albany, GA 10:10 AM
Arrive Smithville, GA 11:45 AM
Leave Smithville, GA 12:45 PM
Arrive Eufaula, AL 3:36 PM
Montgomery & Eufaula RR
Leave Eufaula, AL 9:55 PM
Arrive Montgomery, AL 5:30 AM
Louisville and Great Southern Line
Leave Montgomery, AL 5:40AM
Arrive Decatur, AL 12:55 PM
Memphis and Charleston RR
Leave Decatur, AL 2:38 AM
Arrive Memphis, TN 11:10AM
Memphis and Little Rock Railway
Leave Memphis, TN 5:00 PM
Arrive Little Rock, AR 2:00 AM


VIA ATLANTA - southbound
Memphis and Little Rock Railway
Leave Little Rock, AR 3: 25 PM
Arrive Memphis, TN 11:40 PM
Memphis and Charleston RR
Leave Memphis, TN 12:10 AM
Arrive Stevenson, AL 3:00 PM
Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis
Leave Stevenson, AL 3:15 PM
Arrive Chattanooga, TN 4:55 PM
Western and Atlantic
Leave Chattanooga, TN 5:00 PM
Arrive Atlanta, GA 10:40 PM
Central RR of Georgia
Leave Atlanta, GA 11:40 PM
Arrive Savannah, GA 3:15 PM
Atlantic & Gulf
Leave Savannah, GA 2:35 PM
Arrive Dupont, GA 9:40 PM
Leave Dupont, GA 10:05 PM
Arrive Live Oak, FL 12:50 AM
Jacksonville, Peninsula and Mobile
Leave Like Oak, FL 2:15 AM
Arrive Lake City, FL 2:35 AM
Florida Central
Leave Lake City, FL 2:35 AM
Arrive Jacksonville, FL 6:35 AM

VIA ATLANTA - northbound
Florida Central
Leave Jacksonville, FL 5:00 PM
Arrive Lake City, FL 8:55 PM
Jacksonville, Peninsula and Mobile
Leave Lake City, FL 9:15 PM
Arrive Like Oak, FL 10:30 PM
Atlantic & Gulf
Leave Live Oak, FL 10:40 PM
Arrive Dupont, GA 1:40 AM
Leave Dupont, GA 2:10 AM
Arrive Savannah, GA 9:15 AM
Central RR of Georgia
Leave Savannah, GA 9:20 AM
Arrive Atlanta, GA 5:02 AM
Western and Atlantic
Leave Atlanta, GA 2:15 PM
Arrive Chattanooga, TN 8:10 PM
Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis
Leave Chattanooga, TN 8:30 PM
Arrive Stevenson, AL 10:40 PM
Memphis and Charleston RR
Leave Stevenson, AL 10:35 PM
Arrive Memphis, TN 11:20 AM
Memphis and Little Rock Railway
Leave Memphis, TN 5:00 PM
Arrive Little Rock, AR 2:00 AM



Some points to ponder:

At this point in time the only way to leave Jacksonville by train was via the Florida Central, going west to/from the city to Live Oak, FL, then travelling north. There was no direct Savannah-Jacksonville or Atlanta-Jacksonville route as we know it today at this time frame.

Unfortunately, during this time, train consists were not listed in the Official Guide, so determining through car service was impossible. Most likely, the individuals trips may have taken a few days longer, voluntarily stopping overnight at a point or several points along the way.

Another thing to be aware of is the scheduled times. At this time, standard time was not adopted yet, so each city would operate on its own time. The timetables in the Guide reference a “standard” time of a city or it listed local times for each city. For example, the timetables showing Chattanooga-Atlanta portion on the Western & Atlantic were referencing Atlanta time. So southbound the train left Chattanooga at 5:00 PM Atlanta time, which wasn’t necessarily 5:00 pm Chattanooga time. This is why the railroads were pushing for standard time zones.

At this time, there was no Jacksonville-St. Augustine rail line. So if the individual was traveling to/from St. Augustine, they would have traveled between St. Augustine and Jacksonville via water. Taking this further, it may have made more sense to travel from Jacksonville to Savannah or Brunswick via water, since train service from these ports going west was more established, resulting in fewer needed connections.

[One Track Mind]

Thank-you for the info also ZephyrOverland, I plan on either printing this topic for him and mailing it for his family history project, or e-mailing him back and showing him how to get to this topic. After the 12th anyway. Thanks again to both of you for the info! One of the cool things I enjoy about this hobby is all the folks willing to help someone out.

[daveklepper]

And providing interesting information for the rest of us at the same time!