Atlantic, Suwannee River and Gulf Railway

The Atlantic, Suwannee River and Gulf Railroad Company was a railroad under the control of the Florida Central and Peninsular Railroad (FC&PR) that ran westward from Starke, Florida, eventually terminating at Wannee, Florida, on the Suwannee River. It was later absorbed by the Seaboard Air Line Railroad.

The Starke to Wannee rail line was initiated in 1891 with the incorporation of the Starke and Simpson City[1] Railway Co. The company failed after grading the right-of-way, and in 1892 transferred the right-of-way to the Ambler Lumber Co.[2]

The Atlantic, Suwannee River and Gulf Railroad (ASR&G) was incorporated under the general incorporation laws of Florida in 1893.[3][4] It was established to construct, maintain, manage and operate one of more lines of railway, as follows:

Beginning at or near the town of Starke, in the county of Bradford, Florida, and extending from thence through the counties of Bradford and Alachua to a point on or near the Suwannee River between Clay Landing[5] and Fort White, and a branch or branches through the counties of Levy, Columbia, Lafayette and Taylor, and with a branch or branches through the counties of Bradford, Clay and Duval, to a point on the St. Johns river.[6]

The company had the right to build canals as feeders for the railroad, which was to be standard gauge. The railroad was promised land grants along its line.[7]

Shortly after incorporation, the company purchased the graded right-of-way between Starke and Simpson City from the Ambler Lumber Co. and start laying track. The track from Starke reached Simpson City in August, 1863, and La Crosse in March, 1894. After a pause, The track reach Alachua in July, 1896, and Buda, between High Springs and Newberry, in July, 1897. The FC&PR leased the ASR&G in 1899, and pushed the rail head 22 miles (35 km) to Wannee by 1902. Operation of both the FC&PR and the ASR&GR was taken over by the Seaboard Air Line Railroad in July, 1900, and both were formally adsorbed by the SAL in June, 1903. From its founding until its absorption by the SAL, the ASR&GR had served primarily to feed timber and lumber to the FC&PR.[8]

Notes

  1. ↑ This may be an alternate spelling of Sampson City. Prince (p, 79) lists Sampson City as being on the line west of Starke. Sampson City was also a terminal point for the Gainesville and Gulf Railroad (Turner 2008: 178) and was served by the Georgia Southern and Florida Railroad.(1918 Timetable for Georgia Southern and Florida Railroad "Suwannee River Route")
  2. ↑ Pettengill p. 57
  3. ↑ Prince, R.E. (1969). Seaboard Air Line Railway: Steam Boats, Locomotives, and History. Steam Boats, Locomotives, and History Series. Indiana University Press. p. 79. ISBN 978-0-253-33695-8. Retrieved May 18, 2018. The ATLANTIC, SUWANNEE RIVER & GULF RY began construction in 1893 and passed westward through Sampson City, Burnetts Lake, and Alachua, to be completed 36 miles as far as Buda in 1897. On September 14, 1899 the company ...
  4. ↑ Mulligan, M. (2008). Railroad Depots of Central Florida. Images of rail. Arcadia Pub. p. 63. ISBN 978-0-7385-5390-0. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  5. ↑ Manatee Springs State Park. See Clay Landing Days Accessed May 27, 2018
  6. ↑ Legislature of Florida pp. 223-24
  7. ↑ Legislature of Florida pp. 224, 225, 227
  8. ↑ Pettengill pp. 57-59

References

  • Legislature of Florida (1893). General Acts and Resolutions Adopted by the Legislature of Florida. Office of the Floridian and Journal. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  • Pettengill, George W., Jr. (July 1952). "The Story of the Florida Railroads". Railway and Locomotive Historical Society Bulletin. Boston, Mass.: Railway and Locomotive Historical Society. 86: 1–133. JSTOR 43517668.
  • Turner, Gregg M. (2012). A Journey into Florida Railroad History. University Press of Florida. ISBN 9780813041940. OCLC 960180796.
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