Railroad
Early
authorized 1836; trains to Marietta 1845; Chattanooga c. 1850-51
City of Atlanta
Location approximate

Western & Atlantic Railroad

Georgia's state-owned railroad from Atlanta to Chattanooga, authorized in 1836, created Atlanta: its southern terminus became the city's center. The line crossed the Chattahoochee at Bolton.

See it on the map All Early records

The record

The legislature authorized the W&A on December 21, 1836; Stephen H. Long surveyed it from 1837 to 1840, and construction began in March 1838 (GHS). Trial lines fixed the river crossing at Bolton, 'placing Atlanta where it is' (GHS). NGE says regular runs from Marthasville to Marietta began in 1845 and the line reached Chattanooga within five years; NGE's railroad article gives 1851 for completion. Some accounts cite a first run in 1842; that date was not confirmed in this research. From 1850 the W&A set mileposts along its 138-mile line, counting from the Zero Mile Post.

Today: The CSX line northwest from downtown; the state still owns the W&A right of way (GHS).