Mobile and Girard Railroad Company.

The Central of Georgia Railway, formed from its predecessor, The Central Railroad 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 Girard Railroad Company was incorporated on January 25, 1845, in Girard, Alabama. The line ran from Girard to Mobile Bay, Alabama. On January 30, 1854, the Company changed its name to the Mobile and Girard Railroad Company.

(Cont.) By 1859, the line ran 54 miles from Girard to Union Springs, Alabama, and the Central Railroad and Banking Company of Georgia was its principal stockholder. During the Civil War, the line suffered only one attack at Girard. Two locomotives and 15 cars weere destroyed or damaged. After the war, the line was extended over the Chattahoochee River to Columbus, Georgia.

(Cont.) By the early 1870s, the Company began experiencing financial problems. The Central Railroad and Banking Company of Georgia had been endorsing their bonds since the end of the 1860s, and although the Central controlled the Company's stocks, the Mobile and Girard had continued to run independently. In 1886, The Mobile and Girard was officially leased to the Central Railroad and Banking Company of Georgia, and on November 25, 1895, the Company was purchased by Julian T. Davies. The following year, on March 7, Mr. Davies sold the company to the Central of Georgia.