The Arcadia, Gulf Coast and Lakeland Railroad Company was owned by George B. Morton, Anthony Peters and Woodward Emery. It was incorporated under
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
state law chapter FOO, approved May 21, 1891, "for the purpose of constructing, maintaining and operating a railroad from a point on or near
Gasparilla Island
Gasparilla Island is a barrier island in southwest Florida, United States, straddling the border of Charlotte and Lee counties. Its largest town is Boca Grande, and it is the location of the Gasparilla Island State Park. The island has been an ...
, in the county of
Lee
Lee may refer to:
Name
Given name
* Lee (given name), a given name in English
Surname
* Chinese surnames romanized as Li or Lee:
** Li (surname 李) or Lee (Hanzi ), a common Chinese surname
** Li (surname 利) or Lee (Hanzi ), a Chinese ...
, via the town of
Arcadia
Arcadia may refer to:
Places Australia
* Arcadia, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney
* Arcadia, Queensland
* Arcadia, Victoria
Greece
* Arcadia (region), a region in the central Peloponnese
* Arcadia (regional unit), a modern administrative un ...
, in the county of
DeSoto, to
Plant City, in the county of
Hillsborough
Hillsborough may refer to:
Australia
*Hillsborough, New South Wales, a suburb of Lake Macquarie
Canada
*Hillsborough, New Brunswick
*Hillsborough Parish, New Brunswick
* Hillsborough, Nova Scotia, in Inverness County
*Hillsborough (electoral d ...
, and to the city of
Lakeland, in the county of
Polk
Polk may refer to:
People
* James K. Polk, 11th president of the United States
* Polk (name), other people with the name
Places
*Polk (CTA), a train station in Chicago, Illinois
* Polk, Illinois, an unincorporated community
* Polk, Missouri ...
, with such extensions and branches as they may deem necessary". The railroad was promised
land grants along its line. The company managed to operate a short 9-mile stretch of track between
Bradenton and
Sarasota.
Amendment
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
state law chapter 4259, approved May 30, 1893, extended the incorporation, due to the railroad not being able to complete its line in the time allotted, though it was already running trains on part of the route. The railroad then had two years from May 30, 1893, to complete the railroad; any sections built after then would not receive
land grants. The amendment also gave them the right "to change their line of railway, so that the road will begin in
Lee county, Florida
Lee County is located in Southwest Florida on the Gulf Coast. As of the 2020 census, the population was 760,822. The county seat is Fort Myers (with a population of 86,395 as of the 2020 census), and the largest city is Cape Coral with an esti ...
, at or near the mouth of
Charlotte Harbor, at or near a point known as
Gasparilla Island
Gasparilla Island is a barrier island in southwest Florida, United States, straddling the border of Charlotte and Lee counties. Its largest town is Boca Grande, and it is the location of the Gasparilla Island State Park. The island has been an ...
; and that its line shall run via the town of
Arcadia
Arcadia may refer to:
Places Australia
* Arcadia, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney
* Arcadia, Queensland
* Arcadia, Victoria
Greece
* Arcadia (region), a region in the central Peloponnese
* Arcadia (regional unit), a modern administrative un ...
, in the county of
DeSoto, to
Plant City and
Lakeland, in the counties of
Hillsborough
Hillsborough may refer to:
Australia
*Hillsborough, New South Wales, a suburb of Lake Macquarie
Canada
*Hillsborough, New Brunswick
*Hillsborough Parish, New Brunswick
* Hillsborough, Nova Scotia, in Inverness County
*Hillsborough (electoral d ...
and
Polk
Polk may refer to:
People
* James K. Polk, 11th president of the United States
* Polk (name), other people with the name
Places
*Polk (CTA), a train station in Chicago, Illinois
* Polk, Illinois, an unincorporated community
* Polk, Missouri ...
; and that the company shall have the right to build such extensions and branch lines as the board of directors shall find from time to time necessary".
Successors
The Arcadia, Gulf Coast and Lakeland Railroad was taken over by the
Florida, Peninsular and Gulf Railroad in 1893 but ceased operations in 1896. The
Seaboard Air Line Railroad later built their line from Durant to Sarasota in 1903 using some of the former right of way.
See also
*
List of Florida railroads
This is a list of railroads operating in the U.S. state of Florida.
Current railroads Common freight carriers
* Alabama and Gulf Coast Railway (AGR)
* AN Railway (AN)
* Bay Line Railroad (BAYL)
* CSX Transportation (CSXT)
* First Coast Railroad ...
*
List of Seaboard Air Line Railroad precursors
Below is a list of railroads that were bought, leased, or in other ways had their track come under ownership or control by the Seaboard Air Line Railroad or one of its predecessors.
The Seaboard Air Line Railroad merged with the Atlantic Coast Lin ...
References
External links
Photograph at University of South Florida Libraries
Defunct Florida railroads
{{Florida-transport-stub