Upson County Railroad Company

The Central of Georgia Railway, formed from its predecessor, The Central Rail Road and Banking Company of Georgia in 1895 was a dominant force in the economic life of Georgia and parts of Alabama through the mid-twentieth century. Through its many branch and subsidiary lines, land holding companies, and agricultural experimentation, it controlled much of the region's transportation and was a strong influence in the rural development of the area.

(Cont.) The Thomaston and Barnesville Railroad Company was incorporated on December 23, 1839, as a 16 and 1/2 mile track from Thomaston, Georgia to Barnesville, Georgia. Financial problems resulted in the auctioning of the Company on December 6, 1860. Later that same year the Company was reorganized as the Upson County Railroad Company.

(Cont.) By the end of the Civil War, the Company was again suffering financially because of destruction to its tracks and properties. In 1866, the Upson County Railroad Company consolidated with the Muscogee Railroad Company, and during that same year, the South Western Railroad Company subsequently gained control of the Upson Railroad when it purchased the Muscogee Railroad. However, the Central Rail Road and Banking Company of Georgia later gained control of the Upson when it leased the South Western Railroad.

(Cont.) The Upson County Railroad again began to lose money in 1874. By 1878, the Company was fined for its failure to pay back taxes. However, the Central Rail Road as operator of the Railroad paid the taxes. In 1904 the Company was reorganized as the Upson County Railway Company, giving the Central of Georgia Railway control of all its assets. The Upson formally, in 1913, conveyed all its remaining possessions to the Central and was subsequently dissolved.