The Railroad
In 1852 a charter was granted by the State Legislature to a group of men in DeKalb County permitting the building of a railroad from Chattanooga to Elyton (now Birmingham). It was to be known as Wills Valley Railroad. The capital stock was $300,000. Investors could pay for stock with material or slave labor. Alfred Collins took an active part in promoting this railroad and was both director and stockholder and gave land for the right-of-way. In 1858 twelve miles of railroad were built running from Wauhatchie to Trenton. This 12 miles is the oldest section of the AGS Railroad. Then the war came and construction stopped. After the war, money was appropriated for the project and about 230 miles were complete by 1870. In 1877, it was reorganized as the Alabama Great Southern Railroad. The AGS Ltd., a British Company, was organized by Emile Erlanger as the successor to the Alabama & Chattanooga Railroad. Today, it is in operation as a branch of Norfolk Southern Railway.
In the 1960s, J.M. Cunningham, Collinsville resident, described the building of the railroad to Mabel Brindley: "At first the railroad track was some three and a half inches wider than standard and was laid with small iron rails that soon splintered and got round on top. Trains came to Chattanooga on a different gauge. Sleepers had to be jacked up there and trucks put under them to fit the gauge on this line. About 1890 the track was changed to its present gauge. Rails were moved over in one day the whole length of the line. Labor was cheap, ninety cents a day, eleven hours a day."
At first broken rails occurred often and there were plenty of wrecks. Link and pin couplings often came uncoupled enroute. Usually a train had three brakemen: one stationed half the length of the train, one a quarter, and one near the caboose. At first they only had hand brakes but they soon had the old whistling air brakes. They had water tanks every few miles. Freight engines were "tough" looking but the passenger engines had brass rails on the side and were kept shining by the fireman. This he would do when the train stopped at the stations. Trains then ran at low rates of speed about 15 miles per hour, all wood-burning steam locomotives, each with a cow catcher or cow hooker as the kids called them. Later there was the ballasted roadbed and the steel rail and mile-a-minute speed. Later the coal burning engine came, then the diesel. In 1940 the town passed an ordinance limiting speed for trains passing through Collinsville to 30 miles per hour.
There was growth in the towns along the railroad and talk to move the county seat from Lebanon in Big Wills Valley to a site near the railroad became widespread. Collinsville, Porterville and Fort Payne were in contention for the honor of county seat. An election was held between Fort Payne and Collinsville, Collinsville loosing by three votes.
The coming of the railroad gave towns such as Collinsville connections with leading cities of the country. The 1887 Educational Advocate advertised location on the railroad as one of the advantages of coming to school in Collinsville. It read, "Collinsville is a town of 400 inhabitants, situated among the mountains of North Alabama, immediately on the AGS Railroad, sixty-five miles from Chattanooga and seventy-eight miles from Birmingham."
Depots were built in towns along the railroad route, most being built soon after the completion of the railroad. Collinsville's first depot was most likely complete by 1870. It was described by Mabel Brindley as a yellow stone depot that was one of the buildings that burned in the Christmas Eve fire of 1884. Two other depots were built in Collinsville and they became a hub of community activity during the first half of the twentieth century.
During World War II most everything was transported by rail. The traveling circus came to Collinsville via rail, goods for stores, farm products such as cattle, chickens, bees, mules, and horses were transported here on the freight train. There were several local cotton warehouses that depended on the rail for transportation. A special car was provided for the mail. Passenger trains were usually full enough that there were not enough seats.
By the 1950s and 1960s, the availability and convenience of automobiles, trucks and buses brought the demise of the use of railroad for transportation. In 1966 Collinsville became a flag stop for passenger trains. In July 1970 the railroad discontinued its Collinsville station agency, and established an agency for Collinsville at Ft. Payne. Then passenger trains were taken off the line, but freight trains continued to run. In November 1970 the depot was sold to Jackie and Millard Weaver who moved it to Canyonland Park on the brow of Little River Canyon on Lookout Mountain. Since then, it fell to disrepair and was dismantled and destroyed.
In 1852 a charter was granted by the State Legislature to a group of men in DeKalb County permitting the building of a railroad from Chattanooga to Elyton (now Birmingham). It was to be known as Wills Valley Railroad. The capital stock was $300,000. Investors could pay for stock with material or slave labor. Alfred Collins took an active part in promoting this railroad and was both director and stockholder and gave land for the right-of-way. In 1858 twelve miles of railroad were built running from Wauhatchie to Trenton. This 12 miles is the oldest section of the AGS Railroad. Then the war came and construction stopped. After the war, money was appropriated for the project and about 230 miles were complete by 1870. In 1877, it was reorganized as the Alabama Great Southern Railroad. The AGS Ltd., a British Company, was organized by Emile Erlanger as the successor to the Alabama & Chattanooga Railroad. Today, it is in operation as a branch of Norfolk Southern Railway.
In the 1960s, J.M. Cunningham, Collinsville resident, described the building of the railroad to Mabel Brindley: "At first the railroad track was some three and a half inches wider than standard and was laid with small iron rails that soon splintered and got round on top. Trains came to Chattanooga on a different gauge. Sleepers had to be jacked up there and trucks put under them to fit the gauge on this line. About 1890 the track was changed to its present gauge. Rails were moved over in one day the whole length of the line. Labor was cheap, ninety cents a day, eleven hours a day."
At first broken rails occurred often and there were plenty of wrecks. Link and pin couplings often came uncoupled enroute. Usually a train had three brakemen: one stationed half the length of the train, one a quarter, and one near the caboose. At first they only had hand brakes but they soon had the old whistling air brakes. They had water tanks every few miles. Freight engines were "tough" looking but the passenger engines had brass rails on the side and were kept shining by the fireman. This he would do when the train stopped at the stations. Trains then ran at low rates of speed about 15 miles per hour, all wood-burning steam locomotives, each with a cow catcher or cow hooker as the kids called them. Later there was the ballasted roadbed and the steel rail and mile-a-minute speed. Later the coal burning engine came, then the diesel. In 1940 the town passed an ordinance limiting speed for trains passing through Collinsville to 30 miles per hour.
There was growth in the towns along the railroad and talk to move the county seat from Lebanon in Big Wills Valley to a site near the railroad became widespread. Collinsville, Porterville and Fort Payne were in contention for the honor of county seat. An election was held between Fort Payne and Collinsville, Collinsville loosing by three votes.
The coming of the railroad gave towns such as Collinsville connections with leading cities of the country. The 1887 Educational Advocate advertised location on the railroad as one of the advantages of coming to school in Collinsville. It read, "Collinsville is a town of 400 inhabitants, situated among the mountains of North Alabama, immediately on the AGS Railroad, sixty-five miles from Chattanooga and seventy-eight miles from Birmingham."
Depots were built in towns along the railroad route, most being built soon after the completion of the railroad. Collinsville's first depot was most likely complete by 1870. It was described by Mabel Brindley as a yellow stone depot that was one of the buildings that burned in the Christmas Eve fire of 1884. Two other depots were built in Collinsville and they became a hub of community activity during the first half of the twentieth century.
During World War II most everything was transported by rail. The traveling circus came to Collinsville via rail, goods for stores, farm products such as cattle, chickens, bees, mules, and horses were transported here on the freight train. There were several local cotton warehouses that depended on the rail for transportation. A special car was provided for the mail. Passenger trains were usually full enough that there were not enough seats.
By the 1950s and 1960s, the availability and convenience of automobiles, trucks and buses brought the demise of the use of railroad for transportation. In 1966 Collinsville became a flag stop for passenger trains. In July 1970 the railroad discontinued its Collinsville station agency, and established an agency for Collinsville at Ft. Payne. Then passenger trains were taken off the line, but freight trains continued to run. In November 1970 the depot was sold to Jackie and Millard Weaver who moved it to Canyonland Park on the brow of Little River Canyon on Lookout Mountain. Since then, it fell to disrepair and was dismantled and destroyed.