Irwin County GaArchives History .....History of Irwin County, Chapter 10 1932 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 June 12, 2004, 9:47 pm CHAPTER 10. RAILROADS. BRISBANE RAILROAD CHARTERED. An act approved December 22, 1827, provided: That Thomas Spalding and such persons as he may associate with himself being citizens of the United States, be authorized to cut a canal or construct a railroad of wood from the Ocmulgee to the Flint River from and to such points as they may deem most proper and fit. Section 2. That the said Thomas Spalding and his associates shall have power to purchase in fee simple such land as may be necessary for constructing and completing the said railroad or canal; and in case of disagreement as to the price of the land so taken between the owner or owners thereof and the said Thomas Spalding and his associates, such disagreement is to be determined by the award of three sworn appraisers to be chosen, one by the land owner, one by Thomas Spalding and his associates and one who shall be appointed by the Inferior Court of the county with the right of appeal to either party to be tried by a special jury at the term of the Superior Court next thereafter held in that county; and the decision in whatever way finally made, shall vest in the said Thomas Spalding and his associates the fee simple of the land in question and in the other party a judgment for its value thus ascertained. Section 3. That the said Thomas Spalding and his associates shall have the exclusive control and benefit resulting from said railroad or canal for the term of ninety-nine years from its completion. At the expiration of said time the said railroad or canal shall revert to the state; provided the state at any time within two years take an interest in the said railroad or canal not exceeding one half after paying to the said Thomas Spalding and his associates, his or their assigns, a sum equal to the same portion of the capital which may have been expended upon the work and expenses attending the same and eight per cent. interest from the time said work shall have been commenced until it shall have been completed. Section 4. That the said Thomas Spalding and his associates shall have authority to impose and exact such reasonable toll as may be proper and sufficient for the purpose of remunerating them for the labor and expenditure of the undertaking and to enable them to keep the same in repair. Section 5. That the said Thomas Spalding and his associates be and they are hereby incorporated as a company entitled, "The Ocmulgee and Flint Railroad or Canal Company," for the purposes aforesaid and are declared capable of suing and being sued, impleading and being impleaded, and of using all necessary legal measures for prosecuting or defending the rights, privileges and immunities hereby granted to the said Thomas Spalding and his associates. Section 6. That the term of five years be allowed to the said Thomas Spalding and his associates to complete the said railroad, or ten years to complete the canal from passage of this act; and if in the expiration of the time herein specified the said work shall not have been completed, then in such case this charter of incorporation and all the rights, privileges and immunities hereby granted shall cease and be void to all intents and purposes. Section 7. That no person or persons nor any company nor association shall have the right or privilege of cutting a canal or constructing a railroad between the Ocmulgee and Flint rivers within twenty-five miles above or twenty-five miles below the contemplated railroad or canal now granted to Thomas Spalding and his associates; provided that the said Thomas Spalding and his associates, his or their assigns, shall within two years from the passage of this act deposit in the office of the executive of this state a plan or chart of the contemplated work showing its course and direction. Herbiey Hudson, Speaker of House, Thomas Stocks, President of Senate. John Forsyth, Governor. An act approved December 22, 1834, authorized Thomas Spalding and his associates to construct a railroad of wood or such other road deemed by them best adapted for the running or passage of locomotive steam engines from the Ocmulgee to the Flint rivers and to such points on said rivers that they deem most proper and fit. The term of ten years from the passage of this act was allowed them to complete the road. An act approved December 28, 1842, provided the stock-holders of 0cmulgee and Flint River railroad shall be allowed until January 1, 1850, to complete said railroad. An act approved December 21, 1849, provided that the time allowed for the completion of 0cmulgee and Flint River Canal Company be extended until January 1, 1860. I have not been able to determine just what time work was begun on the building of this railroad but it was about 1835. This road ran from Albany, Georgia, to Jacksonville, Georgia, connecting the 0cmulgee and Flint rivers. The principal promoter of this enterprise was an Irishman by the name of A. H. Brisbane who granted large tracts of land in originally Irwin County. Mr. Brisbane lived at one time one mile west of Irwinville on the Albany public road and near his railroad. At that time the road was not intended for steam locomotive and cars, but the intention was to pull the cars with horses or mules. This railroad was graded, bridges built, crossties laid and many hewn stringers were placed which were being used in place of iron rails as are now used in building railroads. This road passed through Irwinville and Isbella, crossing what is now the Southern railroad near Cyclonota Farm at which point there was a town called Layola. After being so nearly completed the promoters had financial troubles and the road was abandoned. Had it been completed the complexion of this country would have been different in many ways as it would have brought about development much earlier. The work on this road was done by white labor, principally Irish-men induced to come to this country by Mr. Brisbane and engage in the work, he agreeing to give some of them shares in his railroad, others he agreed to pay for their labor. The project fell through and they received nothing. This treatment highly incensed the laborers and talk of killing Mr. Brisbane was indulged in, which upon reaching his ears frightened him to such an extent he left the country at night, dressed in women's clothes. Many Irishmen were in Irwin County and desiring to become citizens of the United States of America the following at the October term, 1841, of Irwin Superior Court, petitioned the court to become naturalized citizens of the United States. James Aylward came to the United States in 1839; John Maddon in 1834; Michael Droughon, 1839; Dennis Walsh, 1839; Michael Mahn, 1836; John Hogan, 1839; Jeremiah O'Brien, 1840; Walter Dumpley, 1837; Patrick Slymm, 1839; Owen Earley, 1838; John Malloy, 1838. The following were admitted at the April term, 1842: John O'Donall came to the United States in 1838; Hugh McCartney in 1838; Owen Duffy, 1839; 'Michael McCade, 1836; James Golden, 1836; Thomas Brady, 1836; Patrick Gough, 1839; John Coong, 1841; John Brady, 1839; Michael Doyle, 1841; John Farrell, 1836; Michael Obgean, 1835; Robert Donnelly, 1839; Thomas Lowry, 1839; James Brady, 1836; Timothy Ward, 1841; Patrick McDonald, 1834; Thomas Maolony, 1836; Samuel Kagan, 1840; Bernard Kernan, 1836; Bernard Coby, 1836; Michael Moore, 1836; Francis Cannon, 1836; James Graham, 1836; John Farley, 1836; Jeremiah Harrington, 1837; John Bailey, 1837; Thomas Ward, 1836; James Ronan, 1837; William Connell, 1837. The following were admitted at the October term, 1841; Terrence Bennett came to the United States in 1836; Thomas Mathews in 1837; Michael Keating, 1834; Philip Smith, 1828; Patrick Moneygan, 1833; John Sullivan, 1839; Edward Morgan, 1837; Patrick Duff, 1835; Michael King, 1836; Andrew Butler, 1835; William Connell, 1837; Michael Cuddahy, 1839; Joseph Caldwell, 1839; John Barden, 1836; Michael Daldon, 1839; James Rowe, 1835; Patrick Mathews, 1836; William Guilfoys, 1838; James Moore, 1836. At the October term, 1842, the following was admitted: Robert Reiley came to the United States in 1829. At the October term, 1844, the following were admitted: Hugh Burns came to the United States in 1841; James Rowe in 1841. The following was admitted at the April term, 1845: Timothy Ward came to the United States in 1841. At the September term, 1849, the following was admitted: Thomas Golden came to the United States in 1841. At the October term, 1853, the following were admitted: Earnest Curtoy came to the United States in 1849; James Parsons in 1847. GEORGIA, SOUTHERN AND FLORIDA RAILROAD. The next railroad to touch Irwin County after the Brisbane Road was the Georgia, Southern and Florida which passed through the western side of the county from Macon to Palatka and was built through the county about 1888. The building of this railroad caused numerous developments and many new enterprises along its line. There sprang up the towns of Sycamore, Inaha and Chula in Irwin County. HAWKINSVILLE AND FLORIDA SOUTHERN RAILROAD. Some years after the construction of the Georgia, Southern and Florida railroad a railroad was constructed and operated from Worth, Georgia, to Hawkinsville, with a line from Worth to connect with main line to Hawkinsville, which line ran south to within three miles of Irwinville. After being operated for several years this road was discontinued and taken up. BRUNSWICK AND BIRMINGHAM AND ATLANTA, BIRMINGHAM AND ATLANTIC. About 1890 a railroad was built from Brunswick with Birmingham as its western terminus. It was completed from Brunswick to a point three miles west of Irwinville and trains were operated from Brunswick to Irwinville. About the same time a railroad was being constructed from Waycross through Irwin County, these two roads crossed each other at Nicholls in Coffee County, the latter road passing through Fitzgerald, Cordele and Atlanta. About the time the latter road was completed to Fitzgerald they bought the road from Brunswick to Irwinville, also the road from Thomasville to Tifton and from Tifton to Fitzgerald which also passed through Irwin County and extending their road from Manchester, Georgia, to Birmingham, Alabama, the line of road from Nicholls to Irwinville was discontinued. About 1908, that enterprising citizen of Ocilla, Hon. J. A. J. Henderson, built a railroad from Nashville to Fitzgerald and extended it to Hawkinsville and Perry; he also built a line from Ocilla to Broxton and leased the road from Bushnell to Irwinville. These roads were operated by him for several years but were finally abandoned and the rails were taken up and sold, leaving only the A. B. & A. and Seaboard Air Line railroad touching what is left of originally Irwin County during the year 1930. Additional Comments: From "History of Irwin County" by J. B. Clements (1932) This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/ File size: 11.4 Kb