By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support local journalism.
The story behind the Gainesville Midland Railroad and Engine 209
City may relocate train as part of land deal
I-Midland railroad pic 2.jpg
The Gainesville City Council is looking to sell the land on which the historic Engine 209 now sits in a bid to spur growth. Mayor Danny Dunagan said he would like to see the train in a more convenient location for the public to enjoy. The land was offered to Northeast Georgia Health System as part of agreements in the contract takeover of land at 110 Jesse Jewell. - photo by Scott Rogers, DCN Regional Staff
The engine on the corner of Jesse Jewell Parkway and West Academy Street, which the city of Gainesville may be relocating, bears the name “Gainesville Midland.” That was a railway connecting Gainesville to Athens. In 1904, Gainesville, Jefferson and Southern Railroad became Gainesville Midland Railway. The railway started carrying passengers in 1906 and mail the year after that. The company was reorganized in 1936 under the name Gainesville Midland Railroad. The railroad supported industrial growth, particularly in the textile industry, which emerged in the 1900s, according to David French, museum services manager with the Northeast Georgia History Center. “(The railway) shipped a lot of raw materials to the mills here in Gainesville,” French said.