Macon and Western 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 Macon and Western Railroad Company was incorporated on December 20, 1845 following the reorganization of the Old Monroe Railroad and Banking Company. The line ran from Macon, Georgia to Forsyth, Georgia, and in 1846, the line was extended to Terminus, Georgia (later Marthasville, then Atlanta) where it met the Georgia Railroad and Banking Company and the Western and Atlantic Railroad. The Company was contracted to carry mail from Macon to Atlanta.

(Cont.) The Company prospered during the Civil War until Sherman's army destroyed part of the track at the Lovejoy, Georgia station south of Atlanta. When Sherman burned Atlanta in 1864, the Macon and Western lost several cars and one locomotive was damaged. By the war's end, 27 miles of track had been destroyed by the federal army and by the Confederate army which had taken up track to prevent a possible attack on Macon.

(Cont.) The Atlanta, Jonesboro, and Griffin depots were destroyed, but within a year and a half the Railroad was making a profit and paying dividends to its stockholders. In 1871, the Macon and Western was leased to the Central Railroad and Banking Company of Georgia, although the Company retained its corporate charter and organization. On August 24, 1872, the Georgia legislature approved the consolidation of the Macon and Western Railroad Company with the Central Railroad and Banking Company of Georgia.

From the description of Macon and Western Railroad Company : records, 1846-1873. (Georgia Historical Society). WorldCat record id: 45154567