Böcker av Charles H Bogart

The Defenses of the Kentucky Central Railroad, Lexington and Frankfort Railroad, and Kentucky River during the Civil War (1861-1865). During the Civil War, railroads for the first time played a vital strategic, logistical, and communications role in military operations. Both the Federal and Confederate forces used the railroad network to transport troops and supplies. In addition, the railroad telegraphs provided instant communications from the battlefield to the home front. The Kentucky Central Railroad connected Covington with Paris, Lexington, and Nicholasville. Supplies and materials were shipped across the Ohio River from Cincinnati to Covington by ferry to the railhead in Covington. The Kentucky Central served the rich agricultural region of Central Kentucky which supplied a large number of hogs and cattle for the Federal Army. The Louisville, Frankfort & Lexington Railroad connected Louisville with Lexington by way of Frankfort.

The Kentucky River is formed in eastern Kentucky at Beattyville, where the North, Middle and South Forks join together. The river then flows 260 miles to the Ohio River at Carrolton. The river drains much of the central region of the state. With the appearance of the early steamboats on the Kentucky River in the 1820s, the river became the primary artery for economic growth with trade with the lower south. This dominance lasted until the Civil War when the railroads surpassed the packetboats with freight traffic. After the war, river traffic shifted to towboats pushing barges of bulk commodities. However, steam packetboats, and later gasboats, continued to service the isolated river communities along the lower river until the Great Depression. In 1836-1842, the Commonwealth of Kentucky constructed five locks and dams, from Carrollton to Tyrone. These dams created pools of water which allowed year round "slackwater" navigation. The state operated these locks until after the Civil War.

This story will be of interest to those interested in the development of rail transportation in Kentucky and to those who fancy the history of the Cincinnati, New Orleans & Texas Pacific and the Southern Railway. There stories of mergers and progress that made the railway for many years a major factor in Kentucky's economic health. The postcards are placed in the geographic settings within Kentucky, thus showing how Kentucky grew and prospered. The postcards in this book illustrate a largely vanished America as seen through the eyes of early postcard publishers. History buffs will enjoy these postcards; allowing us glimpses of how industrial and transportation technology advanced and of the mineral and agricultural wealth that shaped Kentucky. A close reading of this book will illustrate some of the sweeping changes in Kentucky's society during the 20th century. Some may argue that not all of the changes were for the good, but they are now all part of the fabric of Kentucky.

Kentucky claims to be the birthplace of railroading west of the Appalachian Mountains. In 1832, the Lexington & Ohio Railroad (L&O) began to build track from Lexington to Louisville. Unfortunately the L&O got no further than Frankfort on the Kentucky River when it ran out of money. Railroad construction in Kentucky would stagnate until the 1850s when four companies started to build track, three were north-south and one east-west. An amalgamation of railroads using the name Kentucky Central would push south from Covington opposite Cincinnati OH, toward Chattanooga TN, but stalled at Nicholasville due to the Civil War. The Louisville & Nashville Railroad (L&N) would build southward from Louisville for Nashville TN, and Memphis TN, reaching both cities as the Civil War started. The Mobile & Ohio Railroad (M&O) during the same period completed a railroad from Mobile AL, to Columbus KY, on the Mississippi River. The east-west track reached from Louisville eastward to a junction at Frankfort KY.

Volume two concludes the account of the first and last horsecar, trolley, streetcar, and interurban lines within Kentucky. The Commonwealth's first horsecar line opened in 1844 in Louisville (Jefferson Co.), and the last horsecar line closed in 1919 in Barbourville (Knox Co).(#2) The first electric powered trolley line opened in 1882 in Middlesborough (Bell Co.), and the last closed in 1950 in Covington (Kenton Co.). The first electric overhead wire powered streetcar line opened in 1890 in Paducah (McCracken Co.)(#3), and the last closed in Ft. Mitchell (Kenton Co.) in 1950. The first interurban line in Kentucky started running from Louisville (Jefferson Co.) in 1901, and the last interurban operation within Kentucky ended here in 1939. Trolley bus service started in 1936 in Louisville (Jefferson Co.) and ended in 1958 in Covington (Kenton Co.). Electric powered cars pulling trailers were first used in 1882 in Middlesborough (Bell Co.), and the last was used in 1948 in Louisville (Jefferson Co.).

History of Horsecar, Streetcar, Trolley, and Interurban Lines throughout many counties in Kentucky from 1850 to 1950. Volume one begins an account of the first and last horsecar, trolley, streetcar, and interurban lines within Kentucky.

The Frankfort & Cincinnati Railroad was a standard gauge, shortline that operated in Kentucky between Frankfort and Paris, by way of Stamping Ground and Georgetown. The line connected with the Louisville & Nashville Railroad at Frankfort and Paris and the Cincinnati Southern Railway at Georgetown. The line operated 40 miles of track. The line was called The Whiskey Route after the number of distilleries located along its right of way.

Railroad, Trolley, and Interurban Rail Lines of Frankfort, Kentucky -- 175 Years of Rail Service

Each class one, class two and class three railroad in Kentucky is covered in text and photographs