Birmingham Columbus & St. Andrews Bay RR The Real History

Home

The History

<

Chipley, Florida was named for railway promoter Colonel William Dudley Chipley. Incorporated in Alabama in January 1903 and registered in Florida in April 1903, the Birmingham, Columbus & St. Andrews Bay Railroad was chartered to build a railroad from St. Andrews Bay in Florida to Columbus, Georgia. The railroad began in Chipley and ran south to Southport in Florida, on St. Andrews Bay.

Only 15 miles of track were constructed by 1907 reaching Wausau, FL. An additional 4.25 miles extending service to Greenhead, FL and the Macom logging camp was completed over the next 5 years, totaling 19.25 miles. The 18.75 mile gap between Greenhead and Southport (originally Anderson) was actually completed by the Southport Lumber Company, which operated a large mill complex at Southport. In addition the line had approximately 4 miles of yard track, sprus and sidings.

First passenger train at Southport - Bay County, Florida State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory

In 1908 the mill complex burned down, and was quickly rebuilt. Operations continued and expanded, and the first train from Southport to Chipley ran in January 1912. The Birmingham, Columbus and St. Andrews RR had a pier that extended into North Bay for loading lumber into schooners and bringing supplies off ship.

Remaining Pier of Sale-Davis Lumber Bay County By Eileen Cvitkovich

The mill complex burned again in 1920 and was not rebuild this time. Unfortunately, both Southport Lumber and the Birmingham, Columbus & St. Andrews Bay RR went bankrupt. The former was acquired by Sale-Davis Lumber Company, while the latter entered into receivership on 24 December 1908. The receiver leased the lumber firm's rail line and operated the entire railroad from Chipley to Southport as a single enterprise.

At a special masters sale on September 26, 1926, that portion of the railroad between Chipley and Greenhead was sold to Alfred DeMayo, who incorporated it as the Alabama & Western Florida Railroad. (DeMayo also operated the portion of the railroad to Southport, but never obtained ownership of that piece.) As DeMay started anew his enterprise began with one combine, three passenger cars, three box cars and one flat car, and track of 70 pound rail. In 1930 that had expanded to two locomotives, and 40 passenger and freight cars. In 1932 they owned 3 locomotives and 10 cars and had 17 employes. In 1939, after struggling through the depression and the area's rich forest lands had been depleted, the life of the Alabama & Western Florida Railroad cam to a close in September.

Birmingham, Columbus and St. Andrews RR engin number 55 Southern Methodist University, Central University Libraries, DeGolyer Library

Birmingham, Columbus and St. Andrews RR engin number 55 Source: Unknown

Alabama and Western Florida Railroad Company engine number 6 - Southport, Florida State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory

Birmingham, Columbus and St. Andrews RR engin number 55 Source: Unknown

Two other locomotives mentioned were the No. 5 and the No. 14. Photographs of these two engines have been elusive. Historical data for this portion of the web site has been difficult to find, and scattered in nature. Accuracey is sometimes suspect as one reference may contradict another source another. Listed below are, in no particular order, the sources of the data used in generating this page. Bits and pieces of any of these documents are scattered and difficult to properly credit. Don Ross Group, Florida Short Lines and Industrial Railroads Greeting From Bay County Florida Bay County By Eileen Cvitkovich

Several of the Internet sources used in the original authoring of this page have either been removed from the sites they were on or the site is no lnger viable. Webmaster 2020-12-10