Standard Gauge
Headquarters: Meridian (Lauderdale County)
Years of Operation: 1913-1929
Predecessor road: none
Successor road: Gulf Mobile &
Northern
Miles Operated: 32.19
Locomotives Owned: 2
|
Equipment:
2 locomotives, 63 freight cars, 3 passenger cars, 9 camp
cars in 1917
|
Click Map for Larger Version |
History
by Gil Hoffman:
The
Meridian & Memphis Railway was incorporated in Mississippi on August 29,
1911, for the purpose of constructing and operating a railroad from
Meridian, MS, to or near Winona, MS The date of organization was April 20,
1912. Authorized capital stock was $500,000, all of which was issued to Sam
A. Neville. By June 30, 1917, most of the capital stock had passed into the
hands of the Equitable Loan & Mortgage Company, of Mobile, Ala.
The
line between Meridian and Union, MS, was completed on June 28, 1913. About
30 miles was constructed under contract during the period February 1, 1912,
to June 30, 1913, by S. A. Neville & Company. A member of that company,
S. A. Neville, was then president of the railroad. The remaining portion was
constructed under contract by the C. G. Kershaw Construction Company during
the years 1915 and 1916. Funds for construction were advanced mostly by the
Equitable Loan & Mortgage Company, of Mobile. Log trains of the J. R.
Buckwalter Lumber Company had trackage rights over the line a distance of
about 12 miles east of Union, MS
The
railroad connected with all railroads entering Meridian, and with the line
of the Jackson & Eastern Railway and Gulf, Mobile & Northern
Railroad, at Union, MS The country traversed was somewhat rolling.
The
Gulf, Mobile & Northern Railroad gained control of the company on
January 1, 1918, through purchase of the entire capital stock. The road
operated independently until July 1929, when it was merged with the Gulf,
Mobile & Northern.
REFERENCES
1.
"Meridian & Memphis Railway Company," Valuation Docket
No. 709, Interstate Commerce Commission Reports, Vol. 125, p.
746-764.
2.
"Control of Meridian & Memphis by Gulf, Mobile &
Northern," Finance Docket No. 2841, Interstate Commerce Commission
Reports, Vol. 79, p. 312-314.
3.
Finance Docket No. 7511, Interstate Commerce Commission Reports,
Vol. 154, p. 479.
For
more information:
See
article by David Bridges on the history of the M&M in Issue #___ of
the GM&OHS News.
http://www.acmeme.org/gmo/
|