Piedmont in Calhoun County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)
Dixie Hotel ⎯⎯⎯ Seaboard Depot
Photographed by Jimmy Emerson
1. Dixie Hotel Marker
Inscription.
Dixie Hotel, also, Seaboard Depot. . Originally the Dixie Hotel was the Dixie House, operated by Mrs. Martin Tyler Ledbetter from 1910-1916. Traveling salesmen were regular guests as well as local residents who boarded the train at the Hotel. Mrs. Ledbetter set a table with a variety of home- prepared dishes for the guests. Later, Mr. and Mrs. Butler Formby became the owners of the establishment. The guests included travelers arriving by Seaboard Railroad, buses and automobiles. Mrs. Formby opened the spacious dining room where she served meals to local citizens and travelers. The Dixie became famous for its rooms and delicious food. A number of owners followed the Formby family, and the hotel operated until the late 1960s. It was demolished in the late 1970s. The Dixie Hotel was located at the southeast corner of the Seaboard main line and Center Avenue., Reverse Side , In 1883, the East and West Railroad reached Cross Plains from Cartersville, Georgia. A long, narrow, wooden building was constructed to house the East and West operation. Not a handsome building, but functional, it contained two passenger rooms on the front, a room for the agent and telegraph. A freight room completed the building. By 1904, the Seaboard Railroad obtained the assets of the East and West, and the railroad was extended from Atlanta to Birmingham. The depot was the center of attention in 1947 when the Silver Comet, the deluxe train, made its initial trip from New York to Birmingham. As passenger service was discontinued by the Seaboard, the depot met its demise. It was re-located to the Industrial Park, and a fire destroyed the building. The Seaboard Railroad Depot was located just west of this spot.
Originally the Dixie Hotel was the Dixie House, operated by Mrs.
Martin Tyler Ledbetter from 1910-1916. Traveling salesmen were
regular guests as well as local residents who boarded the train at
the Hotel. Mrs. Ledbetter set a table with a variety of home-
prepared dishes for the guests. Later, Mr. and Mrs. Butler Formby
became the owners of the establishment. The guests included travelers
arriving by Seaboard Railroad, buses and automobiles. Mrs. Formby
opened the spacious dining room where she served meals to local
citizens and travelers. The Dixie became famous for its rooms and
delicious food. A number of owners followed the Formby family, and
the hotel operated until the late 1960s. It was demolished in the
late 1970s. The Dixie Hotel was located at the southeast corner of
the Seaboard main line and Center Avenue.
Reverse Side
In 1883, the East and West Railroad reached Cross Plains from
Cartersville, Georgia. A long, narrow, wooden building was constructed
to house the East and West operation. Not a handsome building, but
functional, it contained two passenger rooms on the front, a room
for the agent and telegraph. A freight room completed the building.
By 1904, the Seaboard Railroad obtained the assets of the East and
West, and the railroad was extended from Atlanta to Birmingham.
The depot
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was the center of attention in 1947 when the Silver Comet,
the deluxe train, made its initial trip from New York to Birmingham.
As passenger service was discontinued by the Seaboard, the depot
met its demise. It was re-located to the Industrial Park,
and a fire destroyed the building. The Seaboard Railroad Depot
was located just west of this spot.
Erected 2020 by Alabama Tourism Department and the City of Piedmont.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Railroads & Streetcars. In addition, it is included in the Alabama Tourism Department series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1910.
Location. 33° 55.35′ N, 85° 36.689′ W. Marker is in Piedmont, Alabama, in Calhoun County. It is at the intersection of Seaboard Blvd and S Center Ave, on the right when traveling east on Seaboard Blvd. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Piedmont AL 36272, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in East Alabama. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Deep South. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the 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 Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
More about this marker. This marker was supposed to be erected in 2010 but I stopped in Piedmont many times over the years and never found it. I took this picture in early 2021 and the dirt was still fresh around the base where it had been recently been erected.
Credits. This page was last revised on September 30, 2025. It was originally submitted on September 27, 2025, by Jimmy Emerson of Dalton, Georgia. This page has been viewed 82 times since then and 36 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on September 27, 2025, by Jimmy Emerson of Dalton, Georgia. • James Hulse was the editor who published this page.
Editor’s want-list for this marker. A wide view photo of the marker and the surrounding area together in context. • Can you help?
