Kenly in Johnston County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Tram Railroad
Photographed by Lee Hattabaugh, June 9, 2011
1. Tram Railroad Marker
From the Dennis Simmons Lumber Company, located just to the east, from 1900-1918, a 22-inch gauge tram railroad ran northwest to present NC 222 and along that route nine miles to Dixie and beyond toward Buckhorn. The tram, fired by lightwood knots, brought virgin timber to the sawmill and local farm families. to and from town for commerce. The lumber company and tram played a vital role in Kenly's early history, as did the 1886 building of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad.
Erected 2001 by Kenly Area Historical Society.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Railroads & Streetcars • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1886.
Location. 35° 35.866′ N, 78° 7.554′ W. Marker is in Kenly, North Carolina, in Johnston County. It is at the intersection of West 2nd Street (State Highway 222) and S. Darden Street, on the right when traveling north on West 2nd Street. Located near Kenly's American Legion Post 328, before you reach the Kenly Lodge No. 257, A.F. & A.M. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 404 West 2nd Street,
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in North Carolina’s Piedmont. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once 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 14 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Veterans Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); The Battle of Bentonville (approx. 8.2 miles away); Charles B. Aycock (approx. 9˝ miles away); Mitchener Station (approx. 10 miles away); The Last Grand Review (approx. 10 miles away); Catch-Me-Eye Explosion (approx. 11 miles away); Country Doctor Museum (approx. 12.7 miles away); a different marker also named Veterans Memorial (approx. 13˝ miles away).
Photographed by Lee Hattabaugh, June 9, 2011
2. Tram Railroad Marker
The picture is different than the other side, but the text is identical.
Photographed by Lee Hattabaugh, June 9, 2011
3. Tram Railroad Marker
Looking north along NC222/2nd Street. Masonic Lodge is in the background on the right.
Credits. This page was last revised on May 24, 2026. It was originally submitted on June 16, 2011, by Lee Hattabaugh of Capshaw, Alabama. This page has been viewed 885 times since then and 43 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on June 16, 2011, by Lee Hattabaugh of Capshaw, Alabama. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
