Carolina, Knoxville and Western Railway
The Carolina, Knoxville and Western Railway was a South Carolina railroad that existed in the latter half of the 19th century. The Carolina, Knoxville and Western Railway was formed in 1887 to build a line from Augusta Georgia to Knoxville, Tennessee. Financing was accomplished through bond sales. The company was consolidated in 1887, with the Carolina, Knoxville and Western Railway Company, the Pennsylvania and Haywood Railroad Company and the Atlantic, Greenville and Western Railway Company joining under the Carolina, Knoxville and Western Railway moniker. The newly formed company was to build a line from Augusta , Georgia, to Knoxville, Tennessee. About 14 miles of rail was laid between Greenville, South Carolina, and Marietta, South Carolina, and considerably more grading completed before work was suspended after the failure of the Georgia Construction and Investment Co., which had the contract to construct the entire road. The C,K&W railway was intended to bring coal from Tennessee to South Carolina and on to Augusta, as well a to provide a direct line over the mountains. On September 5, 1897, Transylvania County's Board of Commissioners committed $50,000 toward the construction of the railroad, as described in the minutes  of the Board, transcribed below: Page 387 of minutes of the Board of Commissioners, Sept. 5, 1887 Hence there was a contract presented to the Board of County Commissioners by the Carolina, Knoxville and Western Railroad authorities. Whereupon the Board after carefully examining said contract, it was observed that said contract all the facts and particulars examined in the previous proceeding had and made by said Board in reference to said Railroad vis by way of subscription to the Capital Stock petitions to the Board order for an election and result of the election and amount to be subscribed. Whereupon  said Board signed said contract or agreement. See Page 390 of these minutes. And whereas at said session of said Commissioner's Court it was ordered an election on the 8th day of October 1887 be held at the various precincts in said county under the laws and regulations prescribed for holding elections for the purpose of electing members of the General Assembly, to determine whether the said proposed subscription by said Commissioners shall be authorized and confirmed and ordering that if a majority of the qualified voters of said county should vote subscription, that it should be the duty  of the Board of Commissioners of said County of Transylvania for and account of the County of Transylvania to subscribe to sum of fifty thousand dollars to the capital stock of the Carolina, Knoxville and Western Railway Company upon the conditions and limitations herein expressed, and should issue the bonds as herein provided for said proposed subscription being done duly and regularly as required by the statute in such cases; and whereas said election was duly and regularly held, and the proposed subscription was confirmed, ratified and ordered by a majority of the qualified voters of said County and the  result of said election has been duly and regularly declared, adjudged and entered of Record at a special session of said Commissioner's Court of said County of Transylvania held on the 10th day of October 1887. Now therefore in consideration of the premises and by virtue of the power vested in said Commissioner's Court of Transylvania County State of North Carolina for and account of said County of Transylvania through their Chairman do hereby subscribe for five hundred shares of the Capital Stock of the Carolina, Knoxville and Western Railway Company – each a share being the face value  of one hundred (500) dollars and do hereby bind said County of Transylvania to issue in payment for said five hundred (500) shares of said stock bonds of said County to the amount of fifty thousand ($50000.00) Dollars in payment for said Stock, upon the conditions and limitations herein before fully expressed in said order of said Commissioner's Court made September 5, 1887. By November 1888 the railroad had been completed from Greenville, South Carolina to Marietta, some 15 miles. The line was later extended another 8 miles to River Falls. The 1895 map of Greenville County, South  Carolina, is interesting because it shows the C.K. & W. RR as completed from Greenville to a point north of Marietta. The railroad's intent was to continue the line up the Jones Gap road, along what is now highway-276 up behind what is now the Connestee Falls community, through the Walnut Hollow gap and northward, crossing Pisgah Ridge via a tunnel at what is now known as Tunnel Gap on the Blue Ridge Parkway, finally reaching the coal fields of Tennessee. 1888 was a busy year for The Carolina, Knoxville & Western Railway in Transylvania County. right-of-way was acquiredi  and cleared along what is now highway-276, behind Connestee Falls, around and above the Walnut Hollow valley behind what is now the Gwen Valley Camp. Remnants of the partially constructed right-of-way remain visible in 2015. The right-of-way veered from the into what is now the Connestee Falls community just south of the main gate. The right-of-way is clearly visible behind the administration office. From there it climbed and was to cross a 50 foot high trestle above Batson Falls, where blasting was required to construct the right-of-way through solid rock. By 1894  the railroad was already insolvent with its former President, Joseph B. Humbert, filing a lawsuit to try and recover his unpaid salaryi. By 1899 it was fully abandoned. The Transylvania County portion of the Carolina, Knoxville & Western Railway remained forever dead except for a very faint glimmer of hope in 1911 when Brevard's mayor went to Greenville and purchased its right-of-way. Nothing came of it but it was probably inspired by renewed interest in transporting Tennessee's coal to South Carolina. The much publicized interest of that time even brought the Coca-Cola magnate, Asa Candler, and  other Atlanta "capitalists" to Brevardii. In 1907 the Greenville & Knoxville Railroad was formed to revive the South Carolina portion of the railroad. It operated until 1914 when it was reorganized as the Greenville & Western, which was renamed Greenville & Northern in 1920. The line was cut back to Travelers Rest in the mid 1950s.iii Remnants of the South Carolina portion of the Carolina, Knoxville & Western Railway1 are still visible alongside highway 276, especially around Marietta. The rails were present until 2006, when they were removed. A receiver was appointed for the Carolina, Knoxville and Western Railway in 1891, and in 1899  the portion of the property to which reference has already been made was conveyed by deed to the carrier. The Carolina, Knoxville and Western Railway was unsuccessful and the line was abandoned sometime after 1899, until 1907, when the Greenville and Knoxville Railroad was formed to reopen the route. In 1914 the railroad once again reorganized, this time as the Greenville and Western Railroad. It was renamed the Greenville and Northern six years later. The line was purchased by the Pinsly Railroad Company in 1957.