Railroads in the Old South: Pursuing Progress in a Slave Society

289 Pages·2009·2.13 MB·English

by  Aaron W. Marrs

Railroads in the Old South
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Railroads in the Old South
Pursuing Progress in a Slave Society
aaron w. marrs
The Johns Hopkins University Press
Baltimore
© 2009 The Johns Hopkins University Press
All rights reserved. Published 2009
Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Marrs, Aaron W., 1976–
Railroads in the Old South : pursuing progress in a slave society /
Aaron W. Marrs.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN-13: 978-0-8018-9130-4 (hbk. : alk. paper)
ISBN-10: 0-8018-9130-2 (hbk. : alk. paper)
1. Railroads—Southern States—History—19th century.
2. Southern States—History—1775–1865. I. Title.
HE2771.A13M37 2009
385.0975(cid:1)09034—dc22 2008022572
A catalog record for this book is available from the British Library.
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For Melissa Jane
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contents
Acknowledgments ix
List of Abbreviations xiii
Maps xiv
Introduction 1
one Dreams 11
two Knowledge 31
three Sweat 55
four Structure 84
five Motion 106
six Passages 135
seven Communities 162
Epilogue: Memory 192
Notes 199
Essay on Sources 255
Index 261
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acknowledgments
Like most first academic books, this work began as a doctoral dissertation. Before
that it was a seminar paper, and before that it was a conversation with Mark M.
Smith, my dissertation director at the University of South Carolina. I owe much of
my intellectual and professional development to his constant wise counsel. He has
been tireless in reading and rereading drafts, o¤ering advice as I ventured out onto
the job market, and helping me keep a healthy perspective on my professional ca-
reer. I am fortunate to have earned my doctorate under his tutelage and look for-
ward to continuing our conversations. I o¤er hearty thanks to the other members
of my dissertation committee: Lawrence Glickman, Paul Johnson, Peter Coclanis,
and Ann Johnson. Their advice and tough questions helped me write a better dis-
sertation and transform the dissertation into this book.
Many, many people contributed to the wonderful time that I had at Carolina.
Connie Schulz recruited me to USC and has remained a good friend ever since. It
was a pleasure and a privilege to work with Walter Edgar on the South Carolina En-
cyclopedia and numerous other projects, and I am grateful for his enthusiasm for
my work. Among my fellow graduate students, Kathy Hilliard, Mike Reynolds, and
Rebecca Shrum have proved their endurance by listening to innumerable stories
about railroads. I count myself fortunate to have been at USC at the same time they
were, because they provided a model of scholarly cooperation and friendliness that
is exactly how the life of the mind should operate. USC’s history department and
public history program allowed me to be a historian in a variety of settings: re-
searcher, classroom teacher, editor, and archivist. I can’t imagine a better way to
learn about the breadth of our exciting profession. Thanks to all the other friends
and teachers who have helped me laugh and learn at various stages of life: Michael
Hittle, Kevin Allen, Paul and Laura Keefer, Susan Asbury-Newsome and Brian
Newsome, Tom Downey, and the remarkably supportive and steadfast friends I
have kept since my days at Lawrence University. You will always have a place to
crash in D.C.
Having been trained as an archivist, I am well aware of how obnoxious I must