W & A Railroad Train Station - North Wall Street Historic District ~ Cartersville, GA
Posted by: 
YoSam.
N 34° 09.947 W 084° 47.758
16S E 703159 N 3782732
One of the first things people notice about Cartersville, Georgia is the number of trains that go through every day. In fact, about two per hour - 50 per day - bisect downtown.
Waymark Code: WMNMPW
Location: Georgia, United States
Date Posted: 04/05/2015
Views: 1
County of building: Bartow County
Location of building: Cherokee Ave. & Railroad St., Cartersville
Depot built: 1854
"Roads that played an important role in the development of the town now became "feeders" for the farmers to transport crops to the Western and Atlantic railroad depot. In 1848 the city began a pattern of slow, steady growth that would continue through the start of the Civil War. In 1858 the Cartersville Express was first published, but the center of the town remained the depot and the railroad itself.
"After the conclusion of the war the railroad was rebuilt and run as USMRR until returned to the state in 1866. ~ Roadside Georgia
Today it is the Welcome Center
Landmark Hunter listing of the district
"Although the roadbed to Cartersville had been graded before 1840, the railroad remained uncompleted for another 6 years. The town of Cartersville almost did not get a station, with Etowah Station (where the rail line crossed the Etowah River) and the city of Cassville so close. The railroad fueled some growth in Cartersville, but the other nearby towns saw more of the positive effects of the rail line before the War Between the States.
During the Atlanta Campaign, Cartersville Depot was the site of a pitched battle. With William Tecumseh Sherman occupying Kingston Joseph E. Johnston had little choice but to retreat from Cassville towards the Allatoona Mountains and entrench for an attack by his adversary. Rear guards stationed in the Cartersville area began to see increased skirmishing on the morning of May 20, 1864. Sherman had chosen to test the strength of the Confederate Army in the area, even though he had let the army retreat unopposed the day before. Rebels barricaded themselves in the depot, one of the few buildings in the area not made out of wood. The depot, the Confederates thought, was important because Sherman had been marching down the Western and Atlantic Railroad. Although they prepared the building for battle by knocking out gun ports, Sherman was intent on other matters and essentially left the building alone after a brief, bitter struggle.
"Almost 6 months later General Sherman returned to Cartersville and ate lunch at a hotel across the street from the depot while Union soldiers sent messages to Washington, D. C. and Nashville. After the messages were completed a soldier climbed the building and cut the telegraph wire. The March to the Sea had begun and it would be six weeks before Sherman again communicated with the North.
"Over the years the depot served local citizens. Inside you can still see 2 ticket counters and two waiting rooms, one for blacks, one for whites. As passenger service declined in the 1960's the depot continued as an L&N/CSX freight depot, which it was until the building was completely restored to house city government agencies, including the Cartersville-Bartow County Convention and Visitors Bureau. The Bureau features local maps and travel information about local attractions and things to do in the state of Georgia." ~ Roadside Georgia
Some unique things (i.e. Atlanta, GA was first named Terminus) and other stuff about the Western and Atlantic Railroad