The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1912-09-26
Local Railroad History.

that passengers and freight could De
transported long distances and at a
rapid rate of speed, say ten miles an
hour, and so startling proposition
was then regarded as visionary and
utopian, about like aerial navigation
is considered now by many, some en-
terprising capitalists of Charleston
formed company for construction of
a railroad to be operated between
Charleston and Augusta and employ
ed competent civil engineers to make
a survey to determine the best route
for laying the track. It was found
that the best and most economical
route followed closely the old stage
road known then, as by many now, as
"the State Road" which ran through
Barnwell and crossed Turkey Creek
at 1.-The old Ford" where the gray
haired men of Barnwell, as boys,
used to have swimming hole like
one now in use near the bridge.
When the survey was completed
and the rights of way were solicited
the too conservative land owners in
and around Barnwell (there were
then as now some of that class) re-
fused peremptorily to part with the
right of way at any price and the
survey had to be changed to run
through the lands of the late Alexan-
der Black, nine miles north of Barn
we'll, and the good town of Blackville
was initiated, as likewise Williston
and Elko (nee Ninety-Six) to the
West and Graham's Turn Out, now
East Denmark or Sato, and Lowry's
Turn Out, now flourishing and lively
Bamberg, on the East side of Black
vile.
In the course of time it was seen
and felt that a grievous error had
been made in rejecting the steam
railway and to repair the blunder or
in a measure mitigate it's evil results,
enterprising citizens of Barnwell de-
termined to build a branch road to
Blackville and the grading of it was
begun just prior to the War between
the States and completed during the
first year of that war, At the end
of the war Barnwell found herself
like the rest of "the PROSTATE State,
ruined and almost wiped off the map,
and the Barnwell Railroad, or rather
it's roadbed, remained there con-
stant reminder to the wayfarer be-
tween the thriving town on the rail-
road and the dead inland village of
the folly of our forefathers in hav-
ing rejected the good gift that for
tune sent US in 1882. But along in
the eighties our hustling fellow
townsman, ]. Whilden Woodward,
got possession of the old roadbed and
laid a tramway on it and operated a
perilious and uncertain schedule for
several years between Barnwell and
Blackville. Later by the finesse
and able management of another citi-
zen of Barnwell the Old South Caro-
lima Railway Company was induced
to purchase the tramway from Will
den woodward and iron the road. 1t
then became 1.-The BarnWell Rail-
road" Later, the S. C. Railway sold
this branch to the late Col. Mike
Brown, who owned and operated 1t
for several years. The same citizen
who caused the S. C. Railway to pur-
chase the tramway from Woodward,
together with Capt. D. H. Sally, of
Orangeburg county, projected the
Blackville, Aston and NeWberry r.
R., which with the aid of Charles
ton capitalists. was built to Seivern
in Aiken county and combined with
the Barnwell Railroad became 1.-The
Carolina Midland" until absorbed by
the Southern Railway.
But before the requirement of the
Carolina Midland by the Southern
the same citizen above referred to AS
having negotiated the sale Of the
Barnwell Railroad to the S. G. Ry.,
and the formation of a syndicate to
build the Blackville, Alston and New
berry r. R., projected and got char
ter to build 1.-The Southbound Rail-
road from Savannah to Columbia
to pass through Barnwell, the object
being to induce one Of the big rail
road systems of the South to COM
plete the work and take in the Caro-
lima Midland R. R., considerable
stock in which he owned. This en-
terprise succeeded also, as did the
two above named. How it was &C
complished, as we'll as what bearing
these "reminiscences have upon the
present, will be told in another ar