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History of the Silver Comet

Started in 1947, at the height of the rail travel era, the Silver Comet sped across the Southeast, connecting many cities with direct rail service on the Seaboard Air Lines*. Competing for this traffic was Southern Railways'; Southerner and Crescent service, both of which had been running for a much longer time on a route that was more direct. For 22 years the Silver Comet serviced the cities of the Great Southern Arc, carrying passengers from the northeast United States (beginning in New York City and including stops in Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, D. C.) to Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia (including its major stop, Atlanta), finishing its run in Birmingham, Alabama. During the first few years, service from New York to Birmingham took 23 hours and was considered to be "luxury class." The route was never a major success, facing growing competition from airplanes and, to a lesser extent, cars.



In 1948 the train received national attention when Strom Thurmond and his pals walked out of the Democratic Convention in Philadelphia, and took the Silver Comet and rode to Birmingham, where they held their own convention.



By the 1950's, the Silver Comet service had been downgraded losing observation and sleeper/lounge cars and by 1969, with air conditioning and interstate highways spelling the end of passenger train travel, the Silver Comet ran only between Atlanta and Washington D.C. and was finally discontinued later that year.



In addition to the Silver Comet, Seaboard also ran the Silver Meteor, the Silver Star and the Orange Blossom Special and was known as the "Route of Courteous Service."



When passengers failed to materialize in the expected quantities, the line slowed the train, first by adding stops where it would haul Florida-bound travelers over some legs and freight cars on others. By the time service ended in 1969, the Southern Comet was doing workhorse duty for Seaboard Air Lines.



Today, because of the dedication of the people at the Path Foundation in Atlanta and the many volunteers and sponsors of the Trail, visitors and enthusiasts of all endeavors are able to take advantage of the trail and enjoy approximately sixty miles of worry free adventure on the trail in Georgia. No cars or trucks, nothing but winding trails, stately trees, rock cliffs, meandering rivers with rushing waters, boardwalks, tunnels, bridges, scenic views and friendly animals to share your experience.



* Note: Air Line had nothing to do with air travel. Air line meant a direct (straight) roadbed, as opposed to the "coast line" railroads, which would follow the coast until a major river, then journey inland to narrow point to cross.



The Silver Comet in Polk County


Polk County hosts the longest portion of the Silver Comet trail running from the Paulding county line, where it enters Polk County from the southeast, to the Alabama state line at the western end of the county. The trail stretches for approximately twenty nine miles as it winds its way through Polk.



The Silver Comet Railroad line was not the only land necessary to extend the trail to the Alabama line. To complete the trail from Cedartown to the state line, land was purchased from CSX Transportation that was formerly known as the Iron Horse Trail, an 8.5 mile abandoned railway corridor from Cedartown to the state line. The Iron Horse had its beginning in 1893 when the East & West Railroad Company of Alabama purchased property for the construction of a railroad from Atlanta to Birmingham. The East & West Railroad Company of Alabama, and its successors in title, eventually merged with other railroad companies to form CSX Transportation, Inc.



This corridor, which varies in width from 66 feet to 200 feet, was utilized continuously for more than 90 years as a railroad from Cedartown to Esom Hill, Georgia. On December 13, 1988 the Interstate Commerce Commission authorized CSX Transportation, Inc. to abandon this line between Cedartown and Maxwellborn, Alabama.



By letter dated June 3, 1991, the Polk County Chamber of Commerce was advised of the availability of this vacated railroad right of way. The Chamber hosted a meeting of approximately 20 people to determine the interest and feasibility of developing a linear recreational park for muscle-powered travel. The idea was well received and the Polk County Chapter of the Georgia Rails into Trails Society (GRITS) was formed to pursue this opportunity. On June 18, 1992, a contract to purchase the abandon railway corridor was executed by CSX Transportation, Inc. and the Polk County Chapter of the Georgia Rails into Trails Society.



Though the GDOT was not interested in the project in the early 1990's, the GDOT accepted ownership in 2001 and has subsequently leased the entire corridor to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for the purpose of interim use as non-motorized recreational trail.



Since its beginning, Grits has aggressively campaigned to make the citizens of Polk County and neighboring Counties and states aware of this great opportunity.



Grits is solely responsible for the purchase of equipment, maintenance and upkeep of the trail in Polk County and performs these functions by soliciting trail sponsors, donations and utilizing a dedicated group of volunteers without whose help and donations would make it impossible. Grits also sponsors two bike rides a year, Memorial Day & Labor Day, to raise money to purchase equipment like tractors, mowers, rakes, saws, etc. and amenities such as benches, trash cans, etc. for the trail.



Visitors to the trail in Rockmart can stop at the library and purchase a bicycle card which gives them access to the Dasani Bikes which are available for riding on the trail. There is no expiration date on the cards. For more information on the Dasani Bikes bike checkout program, please contact the Rockmart Library at (770) 684-3022.



The Silver Comet Trail in Polk County has many interesting features including Historic downtown Rockmart and the Rockmart Slate Corporation. One of the trail's most spectacular sights is a 2+ story, 800-foot antique railroad tunnel. The Brushy Mountain Tunnel, built in 1912 and abandoned by Seaboard in 1988, is a cement casing tunnel and is unusually tall for tunnels of the day. Upon further examination, the casing appeared modern in construction. A web search indicated that the tunnel was extensively re-worked in 1968 to accommodate the taller cars of the era. Though the tunnel is located in Paulding County, the closest parking lot is in Polk County at the Coot's Lake Road parking lot which is located 2.5 miles west of the tunnel.



Another area of interest is Ma Whites' Bottom Land. This fertile land was once the site of a graceful plantation home that belonged to Newton Alexander White and Fannie Talitha Cline White. Over the years it became referred to as 'Ma White's Bottoms' Newton White moved his family to Rockmart in 1919 after purchasing 500 acres. Much of their furniture and livestock was shipped on the Seaboard Branchline Train, where the Silver Comet Trail is built today.



The Whites were the fourth family to own the plantation home. The first owner was Judge Wiley Crawford Barber. Conflicting dates place its origin from 1848 to the early 1860s.



During the summer of 1864, as Union troops were marching to burn Atlanta, a group of Union soldiers came through Van Wert, parent town of Rockmart. The troops crossed the creek and camped across the road from the Barber home. Judge Barber moved his family and feather beds into the cellar while they waited for the soldier to leave.



As legend has it, a cannon ball was shot through the front door. Due to the layout of the home, however, the round merely traversed the length of a hallway and exited near the back door. The house was spared.



Five generations of the White family lived in the home, continuing to occupy it after Ma White died in 1968 at the age of 95. The historic plantation home burned to the ground in 1985.

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P.O. Box 292
Cedartown, Georgia 30125