Railroad Meetings, Alabama and Tennessee
From "Selma; Her Institutions, and Her Men" by John Hardy, pub. 1879:
In 1835 and 1836 business looking promising. During the fall of 1835 a State Convention was held in Tuscaloosa to take into consideration the most feasible plan of connecting the Alabama and Tennessee rivers. At this convention resolutions were adopted favoring a railroad connection from the Upper Peach Tree, on the Alabama, and Beard’s Bluff on the Tennessee river, and a sum of money raised to employ Col. A. a. Dexter to make the preliminary survey, which he did. This movement soon attracted the attention of the shred and businessmen of Selma. A few notices were written and nailed up on the trees about the town, signed by Geo. W. Parsons, W. H. Fellows and John w. Lapsley, calling for a meeting of the citizens at the law offices of John W. Lapsley. This notice attracted but little attention, and but few persons attended, but the project of connecting the Alabama and Tennessee rivers continued to be agitated, an in June, 1836, the following meeting was held:
At a meeting of a portion of the citizens of the town of Selma, convened on the 29th of June 1836, to take into consideration again the project of connecting the waters of the Tennessee at Brown’s Ferry or some other suitable point, with the waters of the Alabama at Selma--J. Hinds, Esq., acted as Chairman and Thos. J. Frow was appointed Secretary.
The following preamble and resolutions were submitted and adopted by the meeting:
Whereas, a large portion of the citizens of Dallas county, and especially those of the town of Selma, Have been deeply impressed with the importance of connecting, by railroad, the Tennessee river with that of the Alabama at Selma; and whereas, the ground over which a railroad would run between Brown’s Ferry and Selma, is acknowledged to present fewer obstacles than is to be found in any other route of equal length in the United States, and would not be of inferior utility or importance to any other. Therefore.
Resolved, That our delegation in the next legislature be instructed to use their best exertions to procure a chapter for a railroad connecting the Tennessee with the Alabama at Selma; and that a committee of seven be appointed to draft a memorial setting forth the importance of the construction of said railroad.
Hon. E. Pickens, Col. T. Kenan, Col. Robert Dunlap, Messrs. Wm. Johnson, Geo. W. Parsons, M. G. Woods and J. W. Lapsley were appointed said committee.
Resolved, That Maj. Jesse Beene is hereby delegated a member from this State to the Convention to assemble at Knoxville, Tennessee, on the 4th July next, for the purpose of adopting measures for the construction of a railroad between the cities of Cincinnati and Charleston; that he be instructed to acquire such information as he may deem useful for the advancement of the project contemplated in the first resolution.
Resolved, That Messrs. H. Traun, P. A. Berry, T. H. Cowan and T. j. Frow be a committee to notify Maj. Beene of his appointment.
Resolved, That these proceedings be published in the Selma Free Press.
J. HINDS, chairman.
Thomas J. Frow, Secretary.
On the 10th October 1836, the following meeting of the citizens was held at the store of Geo. W. Parsons:
RAILROAD MEETING.--Agreeable to previous notices given, a number of citizens of Dallas county convened at Selma, on the 19th instant, for the purpose of adopting measures to promote the contemplated railroad between the waters of the Tennessee with those of the Alabama at Selma--Joseph Pickens, Esq., was called to the chair , and r. n. Philpot appointed Secretary.
The following preamble and resolutions were offered, which after some discussion, were adopted by the meeting.
Whereas a number of the citizens of this section of the State have it in Contemplation to apply to the next Legislature for a charter for the construction of a railroad from the town of Selma on the Alabama River, to some suitable point in the Tennessee river, it is deemed highly important that immediate measures should be adopted by those desirous of the accomplishment of this great object, to obtain full and accurate information on the subject to be laid before the Legislature, and the people generally.
It is assumed beyond a question, that the work in contemplation is altogether practicable, and is believed by those who have the best means of judging, that the route proposed for the construction of the road, is for the greater part of the distance, highly favorable, greatly more so than any other route which has been projected, taking into consideration of cost , the distance and the surface of the country, with every other circumstance of importance. But it is deemed important that these facts (if they exist) should be proved and made apparent to the whole public. It is therefore
1st. Resolved, That the bvest and most speedy means ought to ge adopted, to obtain the information desired.
2nd. Resolved, That to obtain this information, it is necessary that a complete and accurate survey should be made of the country through which it is proposed to construct the said road; and it is the opinion of this meeting that this survey ought forthwith to be made.
3rd. Resolved, That a committee of sixteen be now appointed by the Chairman, to carry forward the purposes above expressed, and that said committee be empowered and requested to adopt measures for raising by subscription a donation , a sum of money which may be sufficient to defray the expenses of the proposed survey; and should a sufficient sum be obtained, the committee are hereby authorizes and requested to employ and engineer whom they may think well qualified, whose duty it shall be to make, as soon as practicable, said survey; and to furnish, before the sitting of the next legislature, a full report of his proceedings, with accurate maps of the country along the route or routes, what an estimate of the cost of constructing the road.
4th. Resolved, That said committee be, and they are hereby further empowered to employ an agent or agents (should it be deemed proper) to solicit contributions to aid in defraying the expense of said survey, from other counties and distant places.
5th. Resolved, That the citizens of this State, and those of the State of Tennessee, or other States, who may feel an interest in the work under contemplation, be, and they are hereby earnestly requested to co-operate with the citizens of this section, and do lend their aid to carry forward to completion, this great and important work.
6th. Resolved, That a committee of three be appointed to correspond with persons at a distance, who may feel interested in this subject, and may feel disposed to aid in the proposed undertaking.
7th Resolved, That the Committee of sixteen hereby appointed be requested to make a report of their proceedings at a meeting hereby recommended to be held on the second Monday in August next.
8th. Resolved, That the proceedings of this meeting be signed by the Chairman and Secretary, and published in the Selma Free Press.
The following gentlemen were appointed the committee under the third resolution, by the Chair:--Messrs. Wm. Johnson, Geo. W. Parsons, Gilbert Shearer, Caleb Tate, Thos. Kenan, sen., Middleton G. Woods, James M. Calhoun, Henry Traun, John Tipton, John Brantley, Uriah Grigsby, Wm. H. Fellows, Thornton B. Goldsby, Robt. N. Philpot, Thos. W. Walker and Josiah Hinds.
John Lapsley, Hugh Ferguson and Thos. J. Frow were appointed a committee of correspondence, under the sixth resolution.
JOS. PICKINS, Chairman.
R. N. PHILPOT, Secretary.
<- PREVIOUS PAGE | INDEX | NEXT PAGE ->
site by Com'See
