Aiken in Aiken County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
South Carolina Canal & Rail Road Company
Original Track Location
Photographed by Mike Stroud, July 2008
1. South Carolina Canal & Rail Road Company Marker
Began first successful scheduled steam railroad service in America on December 25, 1830, and by 1833 its 136 miles from Charleston to Hamburg made it the worlds longest railroad. Now part of Southern Railway System.
Erected by South Carolina State Historic Preservation Office. (Marker Number 2-1.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Railroads & Streetcars. In addition, it is included in the South Carolina Historical Markers series list. A significant historical month for this entry is December 1835.
Location. 33° 33.585′ N, 81° 43.412′ W. Marker is in Aiken, South Carolina, in Aiken County. It is on Laurens St. SW near Park Ave SW, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Aiken SC 29801, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Greater Augusta and in the Midlands. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Deep South. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, 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 10 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Woodmen Of The World (a few steps from this marker); The Cold War and Civil Defense in the Atomic Age (within shouting distance of this marker); What's Inside? (within shouting distance of this marker); The 97% to Survive (within shouting distance of this marker); Fred B. Cavanaugh (within shouting distance of this marker); Aiken (about 300 feet away, measured
this page online
Another marker is no longer nearby. South Carolina Canal & Rail Road Company (has been replaced with this marker).
Regarding South Carolina Canal & Rail Road Company. A group of Charleston, South Carolina businessmen incorporated the South Carolina Rail Road and Canal Company (SCRRCC) in December 1827. William Aiken, one of South Carolinas leading cotton merchants, served as president of the company between 1829 and 1831. SCRRCC wanted to develop a transportation link between Charleston and Augusta that would redirect trade that was going down the river to Savannah. Horatio Allen, an engineer from New York, selected the route from Charleston. Allen was nationally famous for supervising the first railroad in America, a short line for the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company. He was also the first person in the western hemisphere to drive a locomotive.7 The railroad line
Photographed by Mike Stroud, July 2008
2. South Carolina Canal & Rail Road Company Marker, looking west along Park Ave. (Old Railroad cut)
ridge between the Ashley and Cooper Rivers, crossed the Edisto River, and then turned west,following ridges towards Augusta and terminating in Hamburg, SC opposite Augusta. Between 1830 and 1833, the SCRRCC constructed the 136‐mile, single‐track line from
Charleston to Hamburg, creating the longest passenger railroad in the world at the time. It had three sections. The main section connected Charleston to Edisto Bridge (today known as Branchville), where the line branched into east and west lines. The eastern section went to Columbia. The western section passed through the towns of White Pond, Windsor, and Montmorenci, before reaching Hamburg. The western section was completed in the fall of1833
(City of Aiken Historic Resources Survey Report, December 22, 2010)
Also see . . .
1. South Carolina Canal & Rail Road Company. Southern Railway (now Norfolk Southern Railway) gained control of the line in 1899 and obtained a lease to the South Carolina and Georgia Railroad in 1902. The lease is still in effect. (Submitted on August 6, 2008, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina.)
2. Hamburg, Aiken County, South Carolina. The dead town of Hamburg, South Carolina, was once a thriving upriver market located in Edgefield District (now Aiken County). (Submitted on January 6, 2011, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina.)
3. Southern Railway
Photographed by Mike Stroud, September 28, 2010
3. South Carolina Canal & Rail Road Company Marker, REPLACED with new version
*See nearby marker
Photographed by Mike Stroud, September 28, 2010
4. South Carolina Canal & Rail Road Company Marker Replacement rear view
* See nearby Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on January 20, 2026. It was originally submitted on August 6, 2008, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 3,470 times since then and 59 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 6, 2008, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. 3, 4. submitted on October 7, 2010, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. • Kevin W. was the editor who published this page.
