Tallahassee in Leon County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)

Tallahassee - St. Marks Railroad

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, March 11, 2015

1. Tallahassee - St. Marks Railroad Marker

Inscription. The Tallahassee to St. Marks railroad began operations in 1837. It was owned by the Tallahassee Rail Road Company, incorporated in 1834. The road was single track, twenty-three miles long, and had mule drawn cars. In 1839 a steam locomotive was added and the line extended to Port Leon. With a seaport terminus to serve a rich agricultural hinterland, the railroad did a large volume of business in cotton during the antebellum period.

F-20 * Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials * 1961

Erected 1961 by Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials. (Marker Number F-20.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Railroads & Streetcars. A significant historical year for this entry is 1837.

Location. 30° 22.242′ N, 84° 16.098′ W. Marker is in Tallahassee, Florida, in Leon County. Marker is on Woodville Highway (State Highway 363) 0.3 miles south of Capitol Circle SE (U.S. 319), on the right when traveling south. Marker is located at the North Trailhead of the Tallahassee-St Marks Historic Railroad State Trail, near the south end of the parking lot. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 5057 Woodville Highway, Tallahassee FL 32305, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Led by the Lure of Gold (within shouting

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distance of this marker); 1963 Civil Rights Protest Jail Overflow Site (approx. 2.4 miles away); Coach Alonzo "Jake" Gaither Home (approx. 3.7 miles away); Capital City Country Club (approx. 3.8 miles away); The Florida A&M University Hospital (1911-1971) (approx. 3.9 miles away); Wilhelmina Jakes And Carrie Patterson: Initiators of The Tallahassee Bus Boycott (approx. 3.9 miles away); Florida A&M University (approx. 4 miles away); a different marker also named The Florida A&M University Hospital (1911-1971) (approx. 4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Tallahassee.

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Tallahassee - St. Marks Railroad

Also see . . .
1. Tallahassee - St. Marks Historic Railroad State Trail. The Tallahassee-St. Marks Historic Railroad State Trail runs 20.5 miles from Florida's capital city to the coastal community of St. Marks. Through the early 1900s, this historic railroad corridor was used to carry cotton from the plantation belt to the coast for shipment to textile mills in England and New England. (Submitted on October 26, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Tallahassee - St. Marks Railroad Marker (<i>wide view; old railroad track in foreground</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, March 11, 2015

2. Tallahassee - St. Marks Railroad Marker (wide view; old railroad track in foreground)

2. Tallahassee Railroad. The Tallahassee Railroad, headquartered in Tallahassee, Florida, was one of the first operational railroads in the United States. It was constructed in 5-foot gauge. The railroad was conceived and financed by leading cotton planters who needed a way to get their crop to textile mills in England and New England. It was also used by naval stores merchants and timber interests of the area to transport their goods to East Coast ports. During the Civil War, the Confederates used the railroad extensively to move troops, artillery and supplies in defense of Tallahassee. In March 1865, the railroad achieved its highest military significance when it was used to deploy Confederate troops quickly south from Tallahassee in the face of an advance by Union troops. The railroad enabled Generals Samuel Jones and William Miller to put enough men into place to defeat Union General John Newton at the Battle of Natural Bridge on March 6, 1865. (Submitted on October 26, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Tallahassee - St. Marks Railroad Trailhead Sign (<i>marker located 20 feet right of this sign</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, March 11, 2015

3. Tallahassee - St. Marks Railroad Trailhead Sign (marker located 20 feet right of this sign)

Tallahassee - St. Marks Railroad Trail (<i>south of marker; former railroad bed</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, March 11, 2015

4. Tallahassee - St. Marks Railroad Trail (south of marker; former railroad bed)

Tallahassee - St. Marks Railroad Trail - North Trailhead (<i>view from marker; former railroad</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, March 11, 2015

5. Tallahassee - St. Marks Railroad Trail - North Trailhead (view from marker; former railroad)

Tallahassee - St. Marks Railroad Trail - South Trailhead (<i>16 miles south in Saint Marks</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, March 11, 2015

6. Tallahassee - St. Marks Railroad Trail - South Trailhead (16 miles south in Saint Marks)

Credits. This page was last revised on November 1, 2018. It was originally submitted on October 26, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 392 times since then and 31 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on October 26, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.