Col. Falkner was a successful orator, and as he toured the country speaking, more and more people became interested and helped in whatever way they could. Some of the stockholders donated money, other donated right-of-way, timber, teamwork, labor and the work got underway.
Convicts from Parchman State Penitentiary were secured for labor, and Col Falkner drove the first spike. Porter and Brown of Pontotoc were the locating engineers. The gauge of the Ripley Railroad was three feet, which was 20 and one half inches shorter than standard guage. Cross-ties were six inches square and six feet in length. The race was on as the little railroad company tried desperately to earn the $4,000 subsidy from the state and complete the construction of the railroad before the deadline.
Although some questionable practices and standards were used in construction, it was a great day in Ripley when the first train came puffing in to the station grounds. History was made on August 30, 1872 as the engine puffed along, looked like a monster to the people who lined the track for miles and miles to watch the Doodlebug come into town. Col. Falkner shed tears of joy. The cost was $12,000 per mile.
The little train carried both passengers and freight and was reported to be the first of its kind in America. The train would leave Middleton at 3:35 p.m. and arrive at Ripley at 6:15 p.m. for the 26-mile trip.
On March 16, 1872 the name of the Ripley Railroad was changed to the Ship Island, Ripley and Kentucky and in April 1873 it became the Cairo and Ship Island. Another change came in 1886 when it became the Gulf and ship Island. The little railroad continued to grow as construction progress south toward Pontotoc. Col. Falkner had two surveys made, one which put the railroad west of Blue Mountain and through the village of Glenfield. The other put it through Blue Mountain and New Albany. The latter route was chosen and the next race began. This time it was to see which rail line, the Memphis and Birmingham (later the Frisco and eventually the Burlington Northern) or the Faulkner line would make it to the crossing in New Albany first. Which rail line arrived first would not have to maintain the crossing of the two tracks. Falkner lost that race, so the north south line has had to maintain it ever since.
Going south from New Albany the old trail that had been used for centuries, originally by the Chickasaw Indians was called The King's Highway for the last king of the Chickasaw Ishtehotopah. Col. Falkner followed the old trail in the building of the rail line. The line passed within site of the old King's former homesite. It passed near the historic Ingomar Mounds. In fact, the old Colonel named the town of Ingomar after a mythical Indoican king in his novel "The Last Rose of Memphis", no doubt knowing that he was close to that historic Chickasaw site.
The trail had been used before the Chickasaw removal and afterward by settling pioneers and later by the invading armies of the North. The line passed near the site of the Battle of Mud Creek fought in June 1863. But back to the construction of the line.
Convicts from Parchman State Penitentiary were secured for labor, and Col Falkner drove the first spike. Porter and Brown of Pontotoc were the locating engineers. The gauge of the Ripley Railroad was three feet, which was 20 and one half inches shorter than standard guage. Cross-ties were six inches square and six feet in length. The race was on as the little railroad company tried desperately to earn the $4,000 subsidy from the state and complete the construction of the railroad before the deadline.
Although some questionable practices and standards were used in construction, it was a great day in Ripley when the first train came puffing in to the station grounds. History was made on August 30, 1872 as the engine puffed along, looked like a monster to the people who lined the track for miles and miles to watch the Doodlebug come into town. Col. Falkner shed tears of joy. The cost was $12,000 per mile.
The little train carried both passengers and freight and was reported to be the first of its kind in America. The train would leave Middleton at 3:35 p.m. and arrive at Ripley at 6:15 p.m. for the 26-mile trip.
On March 16, 1872 the name of the Ripley Railroad was changed to the Ship Island, Ripley and Kentucky and in April 1873 it became the Cairo and Ship Island. Another change came in 1886 when it became the Gulf and ship Island. The little railroad continued to grow as construction progress south toward Pontotoc. Col. Falkner had two surveys made, one which put the railroad west of Blue Mountain and through the village of Glenfield. The other put it through Blue Mountain and New Albany. The latter route was chosen and the next race began. This time it was to see which rail line, the Memphis and Birmingham (later the Frisco and eventually the Burlington Northern) or the Faulkner line would make it to the crossing in New Albany first. Which rail line arrived first would not have to maintain the crossing of the two tracks. Falkner lost that race, so the north south line has had to maintain it ever since.
Going south from New Albany the old trail that had been used for centuries, originally by the Chickasaw Indians was called The King's Highway for the last king of the Chickasaw Ishtehotopah. Col. Falkner followed the old trail in the building of the rail line. The line passed within site of the old King's former homesite. It passed near the historic Ingomar Mounds. In fact, the old Colonel named the town of Ingomar after a mythical Indoican king in his novel "The Last Rose of Memphis", no doubt knowing that he was close to that historic Chickasaw site.
The trail had been used before the Chickasaw removal and afterward by settling pioneers and later by the invading armies of the North. The line passed near the site of the Battle of Mud Creek fought in June 1863. But back to the construction of the line.
The Tanglefoot was a ten-wheeler with driving wheels 36 inches in diameter and operated at a steam pressure of 60 psi. It was a narrow gauge engine that was used in the construction of the railroad and later retired after the line became standardized.
Click photo to enlarge
Click photo to enlarge
A Brief History of the Tanglefoot Trail
(incomplete)
(incomplete)
As early as 1857, a charter was approved for the Ripley Railroad, although no railroad came of this effort. It was after the War Between the States that another effort was made. The determination was still there, and the leader of the second effort to secure rail service was Colonel William C. Falkner of Ripley, Mississippi. He was an attorney and novelist and veteran of two wars. He had served in the Mexican War and in the Confederate Army.
The Ripley Railroad was chartered and approved on May 13, 1871. Col. Falkner was appointed president and R.J. Thurmond was appointed secretary. They borrowed $10,000 per mile for the construction of the railroad from Ripley to Middleton, Tennessee to connect with the Memphis and Charleston, a distance of 25 miles. Col. Falkner applied to the state for aid and there was a grant for $4,000 per mile for railroad construction in the state. The project was progressing.
July 4, 1888, was a remarkable day in Pontotoc, Mississippi, as the completion of the Gulf and Ship Island Railroad to this point was celebrated. At 10:30 the excursion train, consisting of nine cars with about 1000 people on board drawn by two locomotives, rushed into the depot in Pontotoc. Amid the excitement a brass band played, and Col. Falkner drove the silver spike. It is estimated that as many at 10,000 people attended this event.
Every story has its dark side, and this one is no exception. There were financial problems with the railroad, and Colonel Falkner ended up buying out the stock holders and eventually selling the rail line between Ripley and Pontotoc to the Gulf and Chicago Railroad Company. Shortly after that he was shot and killed by one of his former railroad partners, R.J. Thurmond in November 1889. Falkner's life was over, but the rail line continued. It was now 62 miles long, operating daily scheduled from Middleton to Pontotoc.
By 1905 it was officially changed to standard gauge, but for a while there were three tracks on the rail bed to accommodate both the narrow and standard gauge cars. The wood burning locomotives were converted to coal burners.
The next purchaser of the railroad was the New Orleans, Mobile & Chicago. Which later became the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio. Freight and passengers could be delivered to Pontotoc, Ecru, Ingomar, New Albany, Cotton Plant, Blue Mountain , Ripley, Falkner, Tippersville, and Brownfield in Mississippi and Middleton in Tennessee.
The narrow gauge arrived in 1872 and departed in 1905. Now it's time to look south.
Going south from Pontotoc, the first village the new standardized gauge railroad encountered was Algoma. And in 1904 the lifestyle of the Algoma residents was drastically altered when the Gulf and Chicago extended the line south near the little village, about one mile to the west of Old Algoma. A virtual land boom started. The town moved to the railroad. Within a few years Algoma had 33 stores and was larger than Pontotoc. It was billed as the crosstie capital of the world due to the large amount of bottomland timber that was being sold to railroads all over the south.
From Algoma the line was eventually extended to Houlka and from there to Houston The 43 miles of abandoned line is hoped to become The Tanglefoot Trail, from New Albany to Houston and the excitement and prosperity of this old line will continue.
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Information compiled and written by
Jill N. Smith
Director of the Union County Heritage Museum
Every story has its dark side, and this one is no exception. There were financial problems with the railroad, and Colonel Falkner ended up buying out the stock holders and eventually selling the rail line between Ripley and Pontotoc to the Gulf and Chicago Railroad Company. Shortly after that he was shot and killed by one of his former railroad partners, R.J. Thurmond in November 1889. Falkner's life was over, but the rail line continued. It was now 62 miles long, operating daily scheduled from Middleton to Pontotoc.
By 1905 it was officially changed to standard gauge, but for a while there were three tracks on the rail bed to accommodate both the narrow and standard gauge cars. The wood burning locomotives were converted to coal burners.
The next purchaser of the railroad was the New Orleans, Mobile & Chicago. Which later became the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio. Freight and passengers could be delivered to Pontotoc, Ecru, Ingomar, New Albany, Cotton Plant, Blue Mountain , Ripley, Falkner, Tippersville, and Brownfield in Mississippi and Middleton in Tennessee.
The narrow gauge arrived in 1872 and departed in 1905. Now it's time to look south.
Going south from Pontotoc, the first village the new standardized gauge railroad encountered was Algoma. And in 1904 the lifestyle of the Algoma residents was drastically altered when the Gulf and Chicago extended the line south near the little village, about one mile to the west of Old Algoma. A virtual land boom started. The town moved to the railroad. Within a few years Algoma had 33 stores and was larger than Pontotoc. It was billed as the crosstie capital of the world due to the large amount of bottomland timber that was being sold to railroads all over the south.
From Algoma the line was eventually extended to Houlka and from there to Houston The 43 miles of abandoned line is hoped to become The Tanglefoot Trail, from New Albany to Houston and the excitement and prosperity of this old line will continue.
* *
Information compiled and written by
Jill N. Smith
Director of the Union County Heritage Museum
Convict labor was still in use, and there many deaths. Few records were kept of these individuals. There were 125 convicts used between Ripley and Middleton and about 250 used on the Ripley to Pontotoc expansion. There is one exception to this anonymity of people, and it was the Frenchman. His grave is still marked today. There are several versions of the story of his death. One is that while the Frenchman was visiting in Mississippi, he was falsely accused of a crime. He was unable to speak English or obtain an attorney, so he was convicted and leased to the construction company. He managed to write a letter to his wife and told her of his plight and asked for funds for legal aid. A neighbor wrote him back and said that she was sick and near death. The Frenchman reacted with an attempt to escape. He ran in an attempt to reach a wooded area, but he was shot and killed. He was buried on the spot. A section foreman built a fence around the grave, and the rail line has maintained it since that time in 1886. Why his death was marked is interesting while so many others were not.
The Frenchman's Grave at Gayle's Crossing
