'Birth of the Atlantic Coast Line'

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I have just purchased the Prince book on the Atlantic Coast Line. The book is excellent, but if I have one small criticism, it is its lack of exact dates.

According to Prince the ACL RR of Virginia was formed on ??, 1898, and the ACL RR of S. Carolina on ??, 1898. Furthermore, these two companies, together with the Wilmington & Weldon, Norfolk & Carolina, and Southeastern railroads, were merged on ??, 1900, to form the actual corporate entity: ‘Atlantic Coast Line Railroad’. If anyone could supply me with the three above dates or any other further details on the ‘birth’ of the ACL, I would be very grateful. Thank you.

-- Stephen Dale (s.dale1@excite.co.uk), February 05, 2001

Answers

Stephen, you may wish to consult 'Building a Great Railroad - A History of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Company' by Dr. Glenn Hoffman, which is available from the Society's bookstore. In it, Dr. Hoffman notes that the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Company of Virginia was created 30 June 1899 (pg.112). The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Company of South Carolina was organized 20 June 1898 (pg.109). The Virginia corporation absorbed the South Carolina subsidiary on 19 April 1900 (pg.113). That same day stockholders approved a new corporation to take over the Virginia one and all others, i.e. the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Company (pg.115). The new firm - really a catch-all for everything - began operations 23 April 1900 and as Hoffman relates was a 30-year-plus dream of plans & efforts. Gregg Turner

-- Gregg Turner (gturnerfamily@webtv.net), February 05, 2001.

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