Pickens in Pickens County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)

Railroad Crossing

On the Quilt Trail

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Railroad Crossing Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tom Bosse, December 30, 2023

1. Railroad Crossing Marker

Inscription.
Trailhead of the Pickens-Easley Doodle Trail
124 Railroad Street, Pickens

The origins of the Pickens railroad date back to December, 1890 when it was chartered by the state. The distance between the two towns was not very far, and at the Easley end of the line, the train connected with the Atlanta & Charlotte Air Line Railroad which would become part of the Southern Railway. The Doodle line itself carries a rich history of industry and economy important to both towns. From its first date of operation in 1898 until 2013, the Doodle line hauled a variety of goods to and from Easley and Pickens.

Locals nicknamed the railroad the “Pickens Doodle” because the freight engine could not be turned around and had to run backwards from Easley to Pickens, looking like a doodlebug. The first run of the train to Easley had a foreboding start, as some local kids placed spikes on the rails to see if anything would happen. It certainly did, causing the trail to “jump” the track and derail!

This is the scenario that our Doodle quilt block depicts. With the aid of John Howard, of the Hagood Community Center in Pickens, the quilters

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were able to do a photo transfer of the locomotive first used on the first Doodle run. With care, they cut and padded the fabric to appear to be jumping off the rails.

Using a traditional railroad crossing block pattern, the two quilters, Lucy Harward & Cindy Blair, created a one-of-a-kind memorial to the Pickens Doodle Rail Road. The UHQT Production team then took the next step, transferring the image of the quilt onto the sign board for installation on the side of the Rail road car behind the Doodle engine that stands at the corner of Highway 8 and Railroad St. in the City of Pickens. Upon retirement 18 years ago, she and Dale, moved back to Pickens where Lucy grew up and attended her daddy’s church, Grace Methodist, went to school at Pickens Junior & Senior High, and walked down the old Doodle Trail with her friend Jane Eckman so many years ago. Cindy Blair, who assisted Lucy with the making of the quilt, is a more recent arrival, retiring to the upstate in 2001, and moving to a small farm outside Six Mile in 2008. Although she can sew a “straight line,” Cindy devotes her time to the Upstate Heritage Quilt Trail, where she serves

Photographed by Tom Bosse, December 30, 2023

2. Railroad Crossing Marker

as Pickens County Studio coordinator and Pickens County representative and secretary on the board. She also boasts 4 quilt blocks on her property and has worked with the UHQT team since its inception in 2009.

Erected by Upstate Heritage Quilt Trail. (Marker Number 256.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Railroads & Streetcars. In addition, it is included in the Upstate Heritage Quilt Trail series list. A significant historical month for this entry is December 1890.

Location. 34° 53.015′ N, 82° 42.142′ W. Marker is in Pickens, South Carolina, in Pickens County. It is on Railroad Street east of Hampton Avenue (South Carolina Route 8), on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 124 Railroad Street, Pickens SC 29671, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in South Carolina’s and pstate,

in the Foothills, in the Golden Corner. It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Deep South,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America,

the

Photographed by Tom Bosse, December 30, 2023

3. Railroad Crossing Marker

Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the original Cherokee Nation,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Pickens Railroad (within shouting distance of this marker); William M. Hagood (approx. 0.2 miles away); Historic Crazy Quilt (approx. 0.2 miles away); Andrew Pickens (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Hagood-Mauldin House (approx. 0.2 miles away); a different marker also named Hagood-Mauldin House (approx. 0.2 miles away); Pickens (approx. 0.2 miles away); Garren's Café (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Pickens.

Also see . . . Upstate Heritage Quilt Trail (UHQT). Website homepage (Submitted on January 9, 2024.)

Credits. This page was last revised on August 21, 2025. It was originally submitted on January 1, 2024, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 171 times since then and 15 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on January 1, 2024, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.