Skip to main content

Western and Atlantic Railroad report

 Collection
Collection number: ahc.MSS503f

Scope and Content

This collection consists of one published report, a United States Senate version of an 1837 survey report by Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Harriman Long (1784-1864), Chief Engineer of the W&A. The survey includes detailed maps of north Georgia and information about construction costs.

Dates

  • 1837

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use

Unpublished manuscripts are protected by copyright. All requests to publish, quote, or reproduce must be submitted through the Kenan Research Center.

Administrative/Biographical History

In 1836 the Georgia General Assembly approved the creation of the Western and Atlantic Railroad (W&A) to connect the Chattahoochee River and the Tennessee River. Once constructed, the W&A railroad passed through former Cherokee territory, which was claimed by the State of Georgia following the Treaty of New Echota in 1836. The treaty led to the forced removal of the Cherokee Nation between 1836 and 1839. Construction on the railroad lasted from 1837 until 1850, when workers connected the W&A with railroads lines in the vicinity of Chattanooga through the Chetoogeta Mountain Tunnel. The southern terminus of the W&A became a settlement called "Terminus," which was renamed Marthasville in 1843, and Atlanta in 1847.

Extent

1 folder(s)

Language

English

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift, 1984, with subsequent additions

Description Control

This collection was processed in 2017.

Title
Western and Atlantic Railroad reports
Author
Joshua Whitfield
Date
June 2017
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid is written in English.

Repository Details

Part of the Kenan Research Center at Atlanta History Center Repository

Contact:
130 West Paces Ferry Road
Atlanta GA 30305
404-814-4040