The Northwestern Railroad of South Carolina was a South Carolina railroad that traced its history back to the 1880s and survived until the mid-1930s. The line, chartered in 1899 by the South Carolina General Assembly, ran from Northwestern Junction, near

Camden, South Carolina Camden is the largest city and county seat of Kershaw County, South Carolina. The population was 7,764 in the 2020 census. It is part of the Columbia, South Carolina, Metropolitan Statistical Area. Camden is the oldest inland city in South C ...

, to Wilson's Mill, a distance of a little more than 61 miles, and included branch lines projecting from Manville Junction to Rose Hill, and from Millard Junction to St. Paul. The carrier was controlled jointly by Thomas Wilson, its president, and The

Atlantic Coast Line Railroad The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad was a United States Class I railroad formed in 1900, though predecessor railroads had used the ACL brand since 1871. In 1967 it merged with long-time rival Seaboard Air Line Railroad to form the Seaboard Coast L ...

, and is operated as a part of the Atlantic Coast Line's system. The carrier's headquarters and shops were located in Sumter, South Carolina. The Northwestern traced its history back to the

Eutawville Railroad The Eutawville Railroad was a South Carolina railroad company chartered near the end of the 19th century. The line was chartered in 1885 by the South Carolina General Assembly. The line's name was changed to the Charleston, Sumter and Northern R ...

, which was chartered by the South Carolina General Assembly in 1884. In 1890, the Eatawville changed its name to the

Charleston, Sumter and Northern Railroad The Charleston, Sumter and Northern Railroad was a South Carolina railroad that operated at the end of the 19th century. The line was originally chartered in 1885 by the South Carolina General Assembly as the Eutawville Railroad. The name was cha ...

. The Charleston and Northern was created after the

bought the

in October 1894, and the following year reorganized it under the Charleston and Northern Railroad to prevent it from being used by a competitor. In 1895, property, franchises, and rights of the Charleston and Northern were sold, and a portion of the line acquired by the Wilson and Summerton Railroad. The Wilson and Summerton changed its name to the Northwestern in 1899. The end came in 1935, after a federal district court issued an order calling for discontinuance of service. The line had been in receivership since October 1934 and was offered for sale in April 1935 but couldn't find a buyer. A story in the Sumter Item in 1935 attributed the line's demise to competition of trucks and dwindling lumber business, which hurt the company's bottom line. "The losses continued to mount and the road was placed in receivership in 1934," according to the article.Northwestern Railroad Folds, ''Sumter Item'', July 29-August 4, 1935
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Northwestern Railroad Defunct South Carolina railroads Railway companies established in 1899 Railway companies disestablished in 1935 1899 establishments in South Carolina American companies disestablished in 1935 1935 disestablishments in South Carolina