Hot on the heels of the Columbus/Chattanooga traffic question... I have been so impressed with the depth and quality of information delivered on that topic that I cannot resist asking if anyone can provide (or point me toward) detailed information as to what was being shipped into and out of my adopted hometown of Athens. Was there much activity at the small stops from Madison northward. Also, any clues how much traffic was interchanged IN Athens with the Southern & SAL? Thanks in advance! Ed Kelly

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-- Ed Kelly (ed@brainrock.com), July 24, 2002

Answers

Ed, Before some of the RR purist out there get too excited, my grandmother was at Apalachee in 1940's instead of Farmington. I realize the Greene County RR did not go to Farmington. My mistake. Jim

-- Jim Goolsby (pioneeraugusta@mindspring.com), July 26, 2002.

Ed, I sort of grew up on Macon to Athens line in 1950's and early 1960's. My Grandfather, Rev. JS Hays was station agent at Watkinsville until he retired in 1966 and at Bishop until it burned in early to mid 50's. My Grandmother, Jewell P. Hays was station agent at Farmington and Whitehall in 1950's and at Farmington during WWII when Greene County railroad actually still ran there. My dad Hugh Goolsby was agent at Whitehall also, and at Machen. I remember seeing a lot of cotton bales, cotton seed, many many pulpwood cars or wood racks as they were called, farm implements, and they also handled a lot of LCL shipments until Motor Transport Co. came along and took over a lot of the latter. I have some old documents somewhere my grandfather wrote to ICC protesting the closing of Bishop, which the Central of Ga. wanted to do after that depot burned, and he documented in detail the types and quantity of shipments going through there. I will try to find those and send you more information. I was a little too young to know what was interchanged up the road in Athens with other roads, but am sure someone else probably knows that.

-- Jim Goolsby (pioneeraugusta@mindspring.com), July 26, 2002.