The Selma and Meridian Rail Road Company was incorporated under special act of

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...

on February 7, 1850, as The Alabama and Mississippi Rivers Rail Road Company.Interstate Commerce Commission. ''Southern Ry. Co.'', Volume 37, Interstate Commerce Commission Valuation Reports, November 6, 1931, p. 214. Washington: United States Government Printing Office, 1932. . On November 29, 1864, the name of the company was changed to The Selma and Meridian Rail Road Company. On the date of the name change in 1864, the Selma and Meridian continued the operation of of railroad line between

Selma, Alabama Selma is a city in and the county seat of Dallas County, in the Black Belt region of south central Alabama and extending to the west. Located on the banks of the Alabama River, the city has a population of 17,971 as of the 2020 census. About ...

and

York, Alabama York is a city in Sumter County, Alabama, United States. Founded around 1838 after the merging of two communities, Old Anvil and New York Station, the latter a station on a stagecoach line. The rail came through in the 1850s and later, the "New ...

. This line had been constructed between the years 1852 and 1864 under the company's previous name.ICC, ''Southern Ry. Co.'' valuation report, 1931, p. 220. During the period from 1864 to 1868, The Selma and Meridian Rail Road Company leased and operated of railroad line between

Uniontown, Alabama Uniontown is a city in Perry County, Alabama, in west-central Alabama. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city is 2,107, up 18.7% over 2010. Of the 573 cities in Alabama, Uniontown is the 207th most populous. Uniontown has four sites l ...

, a station on its line, and

Newbern, Alabama Newbern is a town in Hale County, Alabama, United States. It incorporated in 1854. The population as of the 2010 U.S. Census was 186, down from 231 in 2000. This was its lowest population since the census reported figures for the community beginni ...

. The lessor railroad, The Northwestern Rail Road Company of Alabama had built the line in 1863 and 1864.ICC, ''Southern Ry. Co.'' valuation report, 1931, pp. 586, 605. The lease ended with the Selma and Meridian Rail Road Company entering receivership in 1868. During the period from 1864 to 1868, The Selma and Meridian Rail Road Company also leased and operated of railroad line between

Meridian, Mississippi Meridian is the List of municipalities in Mississippi, seventh largest city in the U.S. state of Mississippi, with a population of 41,148 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census and an estimated population in 2018 of 36,347. It is the count ...

and

. The lessor railroad, The North East and South West Alabama Railroad Company, had built the line between the years 1858 through 1860. The Meridian-York line had not been operated until it was connected to the Alabama and Mississippi Rivers Railroad Company line at York, Alabama in 1864. The connection was built a short time before the Alabama and Mississippi Rivers Railroad changed its name to The Selma and Meridian Rail Road and leased the line from the North East and South West Alabama Railroad. The Selma and Meridian Rail Road Company was placed in receivership on March 19, 1868. The company's property, including the leased line between York, Alabama and Meridian, Mississippi, was operated by the receiver until May 1, 1871. The Selma and Meridian Rail Road Company was sold in foreclosure on May 1, 1871, and its railroad line between Selma, Alabama and York, Alabama was conveyed to The

Alabama Central Railroad The Alabama Central Railroad Company was incorporated under the general laws of Alabama on June 22, 1871, by certificate of incorporation dated June 21, 1871.Interstate Commerce Commission. ''Southern Ry. Co.'', Volume 37, Interstate Commerce Comm ...

Company. The property eventually became part of Southern Railway Company on July 7, 1894, through Southern Railway's acquisition of a later successor company of the Alabama Central Railroad Company, namely the

East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Railway The East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Railroad (ETV&G) was a rail transport system that operated in the southeastern United States during the late 19th century. Created with the consolidation of the East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad and the ...

Company.ICC, ''Southern Ry. Co.'' valuation report, 1931, pp. 212, 571.

Notes

References

* Interstate Commerce Commission. ''Southern Ry. Co.'', Volume 37, Interstate Commerce Commission Valuation Reports, November 6, 1931. Washington: United States Government Printing Office, 1932. . {{DEFAULTSORT:Selma and Meridian Railroad Defunct Alabama railroads Predecessors of the Southern Railway (U.S.) Railway companies established in 1850 Railway companies disestablished in 1871 5 ft gauge railways in the United States

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