HISTORY by Tony Howe:
Williams was established in 1904 on the newly-completed railroad and
named for Henry Williams who donated right-of-way for the railroad. Williams
Hill was the ruling grade on the railroad and was a steep climb for
southbound trains.
The railroad was completed in 1905
through Pontotoc, Houston, Ackerman and Louisville by the Gulf
& Chicago Railroad, which was controlled by the Mobile
Jackson & Kansas City RR until the two railroads merged on December
1, 1909 to form the New Orleans Mobile &
Chicago Railroad. This railroad was reorganized on January 1, 1917 to
become the Gulf Mobile & Northern Railroad.
This railroad, in turn, merged with the Mobile & Ohio on September 13,
1940 to form the Gulf Mobile & Ohio Railroad.
This railroad operated until it was merged with the Illinois Central
Railroad on August 10, 1972 to form Illinois Central Gulf RR. ICG received
permission to abandon the railroad from Woodland to Ackerman on December 14,
1981, and was officially abandoned on March 1, 1982.
INDUSTRY (per Dun & Bradstreet)-
|