Jacksonville and Southwestern Railroad
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Railroad |
| Founded | March 11, 1899 |
| Founder | Wellington W. Cummer |
| Defunct | 1904 |
| Fate | Purchased by Atlantic Coast Line Railroad |
| Headquarters | Jacksonville, Florida , United States |
Key people | Wellington W. Cummer (President), Jacob Cummer (Vice-President), James M. Barnett (President), C. W. Chase (President), E. S. Spencer (General Manager) |
| Products | Rail transport services (passenger and freight) |
The Jacksonville & Southwestern Railroad (J&SW) functioned in Florida from 1899 until its purchase by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in 1904. Following the acquisition, the Atlantic Coast Line extended the track westward, establishing what became known as the Jacksonville—Wilcox Line. Segments of the original railway corridor were eventually transformed into recreational trails through the rails-to-trails initiative.
Construction and Early Operations
The railroad was established by Wellington W. Cummer with the purpose of linking his Milldale sawmill on the St. Johns River near Jacksonville to timberlands close to Newberry, Florida. It received its charter on March 11, 1899. By November of that year, the line had reached Lake Butler, where it connected with the Georgia Southern & Florida Railway (GS&F), and soon afterward extended service to Newberry. The Cummer family maintained control initially, with W. W. Cummer serving as President and Jacob Cummer as Vice-President. Construction oversight was provided by George L. Davis.[1] An arrangement with the Atlantic, Valdosta & Western Railway (AV&W) allowed use of their track from Grand Crossing near Jacksonville to a station adjacent to AV&W’s downtown depot. Passenger excursions were launched during Jacksonville's Gala Week in November 1899, followed by daily scheduled service commencing one month later under President James M. Barnett.
The J&SW offered daily round-trip passenger service between Newberry and Jacksonville, coordinating transfers with GS&F trains at Lake Butler and providing through-package shipping to Lake City and Gainesville.[2] The railroad also interfaced with several regional lines such as AV&W, GS&F, Florida Central and Peninsular Railroad, the Plant System, and Atlantic, Suwannee River & Gulf Railway.
While initially catering mainly to Cummer’s milling business, the railroad traversed areas rich in phosphate deposits but did not immediately capitalize on this traffic. On July 1, 1903, phosphate industry leader C. W. Chase purchased J&SW and assumed its presidency; E. S. Spencer was named general manager.[3] Chase quickly began building a substantial phosphate shipping terminal at Milldale and extended the line west past Newberry to reach phosphate mines operated by H. F. Dutton & Co.[4]
Atlantic Coast Line Ownership
The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACL) took ownership of the Jacksonville and Southwestern Railroad (J&SW) after receiving authorization from the Florida Railroad Commission on July 28, 1904. Initially, trains continued to operate out of Catherine Street station before transitioning to Jacksonville Union Terminal located on West Bay Street. ACL further extended the route westward to Wilcox in 1907 and then onward to Cross City and Perry by 1909, linking up with ACL’s Perry Cutoff. This expanded route became known as the Jacksonville–Wilcox Line (SG Line).
This corridor became a key artery for ACL’s passenger operations between Jacksonville and St. Petersburg. By 1949, daily service included the West Coast Champion and a local passenger train running between Jacksonville and Burnett's Lake; from there trains turned south toward St. Petersburg. Additionally, mixed train service combining freight and passengers operated six days weekly from Burnett's Lake to Newberry and Wilcox.
Later developments
In 1967, the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACL) combined with its competitor, the Seaboard Air Line Railroad, resulting in the creation of the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad (SCL). Following this consolidation, local passenger and freight services continued daily along the route until passenger operations were discontinued on May 1, 1971, coinciding with the establishment of Amtrak.
By 1972, the track segment stretching from Mattox to just west of Grand Crossing in Jacksonville was officially abandoned. The remaining portion extending from Mattox southward to Hainesworth remained in service under SCL management as part of its Ocala, Gainesville, and Wilcox Subdivisions, operating until the mid to late 1980s.
Current status
Certain sections of the former line continue to be in use today under the ownership of CSX Transportation. The track running from just west of Jacksonville near Duval Yard eastward to Panama Park remains active and is incorporated into CSX's Kingsland Subdivision. On the western side, the rail line between Hainesworth and Newberry is part of CSX's Brooker Subdivision.
In 1993, CSX divested approximately 14 miles of unused railroad right-of-way between Imeson Road—located roughly three miles west of Grand Crossing—and County Road 121 near Baldwin. This corridor was acquired by the Florida Department of Natural Resources and subsequently transformed into the Jacksonville-Baldwin Rail Trail.
Historic stations
59.5 ASG 693.5 Dukes 62.2 ASG 696.2 Worthington Worthington 65.0 ASG 700.0 Santa Fe 69.5 ASG 704.5 Hainesworth HainesworthOriginally spelled Haynesworth
Interchange with Atlantic, Suwannee River and Gulf Railway ( SAL) 72.0 ASG 707.6 74.0 ASG 708.8 Alachua 78.5 ASG 713.3 Cadillac Cadillac 80.0 ASG 717.3 Haile Haile 84.8 ASG 719.1 Komoka 86.3 ASG 720.6 Newberry Newberry
Interchange with Live Oak, Tampa and Charlotte Harbor Railroad ( ACL)
References
| Original Milepost |
System Milepost |
City/Location | Station | Connections and notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | ASJ 644.8 | Jacksonville | Milldale | Interchange with Florida Central and Peninsular Railroad Northern Division (SAL) |
| 4.8 | A 640.0 | Grand Crossing | Interchange with: | |
| A 642.8 | Jacksonville | Situated on a spur parallel to Atlantic, Valdosta and Western Railway. Passenger service later shifted to Jacksonville Union Terminal. | ||
| 10.5 | ASG 645.3 | Cambon | ||
| 20.4 | ASG 655.2 | Baldwin | Baldwin Interchange with Florida Central and Peninsular Railroad Southern Division (SAL) | |
| 25.0 | ASG 659.8 | Mattox | Interchange with Florida Central and Peninsular Railroad Western Division (SAL) | |
| 28.0 | ASG 662.8 | McPherson | ||
| 30.0 | ASG 664.8 | Griffing | ||
| 38.0 | ASG 672.8 | Cummer | ||
| 42.0 | ASG 676.8 | Britt | ||
| Raiford | Bradford Farms Junction | Interchange with Bradford Farms Railroad, a prison railroad spur | ||
| 46.0 | ASG 681.0 | Raiford | ||
| 48.0 | ASG 683.0 | Stewarts | ||
| 50.4 | ASG 685.4 | Varnes | ||
| 54.0 | ASG 688.8 | Lake Butler | Lake Butler Interchange with Georgia Southern & Florida Railway (SOU) |
|
| Alachua
Burnett's Lake |
- History of Jacksonville, Florida
- Railway companies founded in 1899
- Railway companies dissolved in 1904
- Former Florida railroads
- Forerunners of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
- 1899 establishments in Florida
- American firms closed in 1904
- 1904 closures in Florida
- Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
- American companies disestablished in 1904