Tuskegee Railroad

Despite a population of just under 10,000, few towns in the South have had as much of an impact on African-American history, especially in the last century. A Tuskegee native, Rosa Parks, brought the struggle of the Civil Rights movement to a national audience when she refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus. At the height of the movement, Tuskegee was part of a landmark voting rights case, Gomillion v. Lightfoot, which found the gerrymandering of districts to limit the black vote to be an unconstitutional practice. Yet Tuskegee's history goes much further. Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto's expedition took him through the area in the 15th Century. Native Americans lived there first and remained until settlers arrived in the early 19th Century. Located 40 miles east of Alabama's capital city, Montgomery, and a short commute from Auburn University, Tuskegee retains the charm of small-town America. Yet the people, the town and historic Tuskegee University have produced resonate throughout the nation -- if not the world.

Birmingham Times

The Tuskegee Railroad served rising numbers of passengers from depots near downtown Tuskegee, at the institute, within easy walking distance of the The Oaks, Washington's stately campus home, and at Chehaw, the carrier's only interchange point. For many years, the railroad offered travelors the option of three daily departures in each direction. After arriving at Chehaw, many passengers made connections to the Western Railway of Alabama, whose notable long-distance trains, such as the Crescent Limited and Piedmont Limited, offered expedient service to Atlanta, Montgomery, and New Orleans, as well as cities along the eastern seaboard, such as Washington DC, in conjunction with other lines.

When the Railroad Leaves Town: American Communities in the Age of Rail Line Abandonment: Eastern United States