Alpharetta & Old Milton County Historical Society Program

The presentation “Georgia Railroads in the 19th Century” examines famous Georgia railroads, including the Western & Atlantic, the Central, the Macon & Western, and the Georgia Railroad. Before the start of the Civil War, Georgia had ten railroads, five of which figured significantly in General William T. Sherman’s Atlanta Campaign and the March to the Sea. The number of railroads ballooned after the war. Some were founded by entrepreneurs like Henry Plant and Thomas Clyde, while the biggest railroad, the Southern Railway, was created by a consolidation of railroads by New York financier J.P. Morgan. Mr Jones presentation is based on one of his many books “ A History of Georgia Railroads.” Robert C Jones served as President of the Kennesaw Historical Society for 21 years (1994-2015), and also served on the executive board of Kennesaw Museum Foundation for 17 years (1998-2015). The Foundation helped fund the 45,000 square foot Southern Museum of the Civil War and Locomotive History in Kennesaw, Ga. Mr Jones has written over 45 books on various historical topics, including the the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Civil War, World War I and II, the American railroads and ghost towns. In 2018, Mr Jones was honored by the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution for his “Women in American History.”

The program will take place on Thursday, February 21 at the Mansell House and Gardens, 1835 Old Milton Parkway, Alpharetta. Admission is free and open to the public. It begins at 7pm with refreshments served after the program.