TIP #521 - KENTUCKY RAILROADS I've been asked to do another tip on the old Kentucky railroads - how did our ancestors get from here to there after the arrival of the iron horse? I will list below the railroad references I could find; if you know of additional, please write me privately and I'll put them in a future tip. These records were taken primarily from Collins' History of Kentucky, 1874. When once the pioneer rode horses and in carriages; they were now advancing into steam boats and railroads ... and travel they did! Below are the name of the railroads and the routes they took. Many town names shown in the counties were just stations and never developed into towns. Bowling Green Portage Railroad. This is considered by many as the first Kentucky railroad. James Rumsey Skiles came to Warren Co and served as a representative from there during the 1825-28 session. He with other business men formed a company to improve the narrow Green and Barren Rivers so steamboats could have access; urged the citizens to macadamize roads and develop a public transport system. The results of the latter was what was known as a portage railroad of horse-drawn carriages that traveled along wooden rails, built in 1832. Cincinnati Southern Railroad. This line was never fished from ran from Cincinnati to: Grant Co: Crittenden, Williamstown. Scott Co: Georgetown. Fayette Co: Lexington. Jessamine Co: Nicholasville, Clay Viaduct or Kentucky River Bridge. Boyle Co: Danville, South Danville to the L&N RR crossing, Point Isabel or Burnside to the TN state line. Cumberland & Ohio Railroad: This line was never finished but ran from Madison IN to Trimble Co: Milton, Bedford. Henry Co: Short Line, News Castle, Eminence. Shelby Co: Hornsby's, Collier, Shelbyville, Finchville, Veach. Spencer Co: Norman, Yoder, Taylorsville. Nelson Co: Bloomfield. Washington Co: Glenville, Grundy, Springfield. Marion Co: Lebanon, Muldrow, Campbellsville. Green Co: Greensburg. Metcalfe Co: Little Barren. Barren Co: Hiseville, Glasgow, Big Barren. Allen Co: Scottsville to the TN state line. Eastern Kentucky Railroad: This line started in Greenup Co and included: Riverton, Argillite, Hunnewell, Hopewell. In Carter Co: Grayson. Elizabethtown, Lexington and Big Sandy Railroad: This line ran between Lexington to Catlettsburg. In Fayette Co: Lexington, Athens, Combs Ferry. In Clark Co: Pine Grove, Winchester, Hedge. In Montgomery Co: Thurman, Mt Sterling. Kentucky Central Railroad: This line ran between Covington to Lexington serving the following towns: Covington, South Covington, DeCoursey, Culberton, Grant, Ryland, Canten, Mmullins, DeMossville (all Kenton Co), Butler, Meridian, Boston, Irving, Catawba, Falmouth, Livingood, Morgan (all Pendleton Co), Boyd, Berry, Robinson, Garnett, Poindexter, Cynthiana, Lair (all Harrison Co), Shawhan, Kiser, Talbott, Paris, Wright, Huston, Hutchison, Lowe (all Bourbon Co), Bryan, Duncan, Lexington, McLear (Fayette Co), Providence, Catnip Hill, Hill Dale and Nicholasville (all Jessamine Co). Lexington & Covington Railroad: This handled much of the new cattle industry after the opening of the Louisville stockyards in 1834. Unable to locate the route. Louisville & Nashville Railroad. Chartered in 1850 by the Kentucky General Assembly, this railroad became the dominant rail carrier before the Civil War. By 1920 it ran over 1,800 miles. The total list in early days included the following: Louisville to Nashville: Jefferson Co: Louisville, Strawberry, Randolph, Old Deposit. In Bullitt Co: Brooks, Shepherdsville, Bardstown, Belmont, Lebanon. In Hardin Co: Booth, Colesburg, Muldrow's Siding, Elizbethtown, Glendale, Nolin, Sonora, Upton. In Hart Co: Bacon Creek, Munfordville, Rowletts, Horse Cave. In Barren Co: Woodland, Cave City, Glasgow Junction [now Park City], Rocky Hill, Smith's Grove. In Warren Co: Oakland, Bristow, Bowling Green, Memphis, Rich Pond, Woodburn. In Simpson Co: Franklin - then on to TN. Louisville to Memphis TN: From Louisville to Warren Co: Bowling Green, Rockfield. In Logan Co; South Union, Auburn, McLeod, Russellville, Cave Cpring, Whipporwill, Olmstead. In Todd Co: Allensville and then into TN. Louisville to Glasgow in Barren Co: Glasgow Junction. Louisville to Bardstown. Went to Bullitt Co and included Bardstown Junction, Quarry Switch, Big Spring and Cave Spring. In Nelson Co: Sayers, Samuels, Nazareth, back to Bardstown. Knoxville Branch: Louisville to Livingston KY. In Bullitt Co; Lebanon. In Nelson Co: Boston, Nelson Furnace, New Haven, Gethsemane, New Hope. In Marion Co: Chicago, , Loretto, St Mary's, Lebanon, Penick, Riley, Gravel Switch. In Boyle Co: North Fork, Brumfield, Mitchellsburg, Parksville, Danville, Shelby City. In Lincoln Co: Stanford, Richmond, Hall's Gap, Crab Orchart, Gum Sulphur. In Rockcastle Co: Brudhed, Mt Guthrie, Mt Vernon, Pleasant Valley, Pine Hill, Round Stone to Livingston. Louisville to Richmond, KY: In Lincoln Co: Richmond Junction, Hayden, Gilbert's Creek. In Garrard Co: Lancaster, Hyattsville, Point Leavell. In Madison Co: Moran's Summit, Silver Creek, Duncannon, Harris to Richmond. Louisville, Cincinnati & Lexington Railroad: This was a short line and served the following stations: In Jefferson Co: Fairgrounds, Gilman, Woodlawn, Lyndon, Ormsby, Anchorage, Obannon. In Oldham Co: Pewee Valley, Rhorer, Baird, Brownsboro, Buckner, Legrange, Lexington. In Henry Co: Pendleton, Sulphur, Campbellsburg, Turner. In Carroll Co: Carrollton, Worthville, Eagle. In Gallatin Co: Liberty, Sparta, Glenscoe. In Grant Co: Elliston, Zion. In Boone Co: Verona, Walton. In Kenton Co: Bank Lick, Independence, Maurice, South Covington, Covington. In Campbell Co: Newport. Ended in Cincinnati. This railroad also ran from Louisville to Lexington going through the following stations: Louisville to Lexington Junction. In Henry Co: Jerico, Smithfield, Eminence, Belleview, Pleasureville. In Shelby Co: Croper, Christiansburg, Bagdad. In Franklin Co: North Benson, Frankfort. In Woodford Co: Ducker, Spring Station, Midway, back to Scott Co: Midway, Payne, Yarnallton. In Fayette Co: Lexington. Another route ran from Louisville to Shelbyville. In Jefferson Co: Anchorage, Williamson, Beckly, Taylor, Long Run, Connor. In Shelby Co: Simpsonville, Field, Scott, Hansbrough, Shelbyville. Louisville, Paducah & Southwestern Railroad: Known earlier as the Elizabet & Pad RR: Jefferson Co: Louisville, Pleasant Ridge Park, River View. Hardin Co: West Point, Cecilian Junction, Stephensburg, East View. Grayson Co: Big Clifty, Grayson Springs, Litchfield, Millwood, Caneyville. In Ohio Co: Spring Lick, Horse Branch, Rosine, Elm Lick, Beaver Dam, Hamilton, Render Coal Mines, Rockport. Muhlenburg Co: Green River, Nelson Creek, Owensboro, Greesnville, Gordon, Bakersport, Norton Junction, Henderson & Nashville RR, Woodruff, Tradewater. In Caldwell Co: Scottsburg, Princeton, Dulaney. In Lyon Co: Eddyville, Catawa, Cumberland River, The Narrows. In McCracken Co: Clear Pond to the Tennessee River, Calvert City, Lawton's Bluff, Clark's River, Paducah. Maysville and Lexington Railroad: This line ran between Maysville to Paris KY. The following towns were served: In Mason Co: Maysville, Summit, Clark, Marshall, Mill Creek. In Fleming Co: Johnson, Bruce, Elizaville, Ewing, Cowan. In Nicholas Co: Licking, Myers, Carlisle, Miller. In Bourbon Co: Millersburg, New Forest, Paris. In Fayette Co: Lexington. Mobile & Ohio Railroad: Ran between Louisville and Cincinnati and other areas carrying cattle from the Louisville Stockyards and the Cincinnati Stockyards. Started in Hickman Co at Columbus to Clinton, Moscow. Fulton Co: Jordan and then on to TN. Nashville &K Northwestern Railroad: Ran from Hickman KY to Nashville TN. In Fulton Co: Hickman to the State line. Owensboro and Russellville Railroad: Never finished but ran from: Daviess Co: Owensboro, Sutherland, Cow, Lewis. McLean Co: Riley, Livermore, Island, Stroad. Muhlenburg: South Carrolton, E&PR RR Junction. Paducah and Memphis Railroad: McCracken Co: Paducah, Bond, Florence. Graves Co: Lynden, Boaz, Viola, Hickory Grove, Mayfield, Pryor, Wingo. Hickman Co: Morse, Fulton - then on to TN. St. Louis and South Eastern Railroad: Came into Henderson Co and included Henderon, Randolplh, Alves, Busby, Robards. In Webster Co: Sebree City, Dixon Road, Slaughtersville. In Hopkins Co: Hanson, Madisonville, Earlington, Morton, Nortenville. In Christian Co: Petersburg, Crofton, Kelly, Hopkinsville, Caskey, Pembroke. In Todd Co: Trenton, Moore, Guthrie - then on to TN. (c) Copyright 30 Dec 2004, Sandra K. Gorin, All Rights Reserved Colonel Sandi Gorin SCKY Links: http://www.public.asu.edu/~moore/Gorin.html Sandi's Puzzlers: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~gensoup/gorin/puz.html Gorin Publishing: http://ggpublishing.tripod.com/