My distant relative, Thomas Howard Callaway, was involved in the consolidation of the East Tennessee & Georgia and East Tennessee & Virginia railroads. His story has made me aware of the significance of railroads during the 19th century, especially those that connected inland America to the Atlantic. The construction of one key link in the chain, the railroads of east Tennessee and north Georgia, was a confusing process that involved numerous parties and encountered frequent setbacks. For my final project, I will endeavor to illustrate the complex narrative of these railroads through an easily accessible, visual learning tool. I hope to discover why the process of coordinating and constructing railroads was so difficult, learn about the coexistence of privately and publicly owned lines and determine what made the railroads of east Tennessee and north Georgia so vital to the region.<\/p>\n

It took a considerable amount of detective work, but by carefully reading the summaries provided by RailGa.com and investigating primary sources, including maps and timetables, I was able to construct a timeline that illustrates the construction of various railroads in east Tennessee and north Georgia region the region during the mid 19th century. Specifically, I targeted those lines that helped form a direct route to the Atlantic, thereby making the East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia railroad (est. 1869) a valuable and practical means of transport. These lines included the East Tennessee & Virginia (Bristol, VA to Knoxville, TN), the perpetually unfinished Hiwassee connection (Knoxville, TN to Dayton, GA), the government-owned Western & Atlantic (Dayton, GA to Atlanta, GA) and the Georgia Railroad (Atlanta, GA to Augusta, GA). Together, they form a route from north Georgia, through east Tennessee and into Virginia.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

My final project will be a web application that illustrates the construction of these railroads, the setbacks they encountered (such as the Panic of 1837 and the Civil War) and their frequent changes in ownership (for example, the consolidation of the ET&V and ET&G). If the confusion I encountered while researching this topic is any indication, a visual learning tool will better tell the story of these railroads than plain text.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n