| Railroad Name: | Memphis, Clarksville and Louisville Railroad |
| Locale: | Tennessee and Kentucky, United States |
| Start Year: | (chartered) |
| Successor Line: | Louisville and Nashville Railroad (1872); CSX Transportation; R.J. Corman Railroad Group (1987) |
| Length: | 83miles |
The Memphis, Clarksville and Louisville Railroad (MC&L) was a railway in the southern United States. It was chartered in Tennessee in 1852, and opened in 1859. The MC&L entered receivership after the American Civil War, and financial troubles led to an 11-day strike in 1868 that ended when Louisville and Nashville Railroad (L&N) leased the line. L&N finally purchased the MC&L in 1871 and operated it as its Memphis Branch. L&N was merged into CSX, and CSX sold the former MC&L line to R.J. Corman Railroad Group in 1987, becoming that company's Memphis Line.
The company received its original charter on January 28, 1852,[1] [2] [3] [4] and amended its charter in 1854 to merge with the Nashville and Memphis Railroad[5] [6] and to build a line from Memphis through Clarksville to the state border in the direction of Bowling Green, Kentucky.[7] Construction began in Fall 1854. In 1855 the charter was amended to allow it to build into Kentucky to a point on the Tennessee River to connect with the Memphis and Ohio Railroad. After construction had begun, William Andrew Quarles was appointed president,[8] succeeding William B. Munford.[9] [10] [11]
The first train operated between Clarksville and Guthrie, Kentucky, on October 1, 1859, becoming the first railroad to operate in Clarksville.[12] The line's extension to Bowling Green was completed on September 16, 1860, with the first regular train operating through to Bowling Green on September 24. A ceremonial first train was operated on September 18, including a symbolic handshake between William Quarles and James Guthrie of the L&N at the Kentucky/Tennessee state line. The 83miles line of [13] [14] gauge track connected with the Memphis and Ohio Railroad and the Louisville and Nashville Railroad (L&N) between Memphis and Louisville. In Louisville, the railroad used the L&N Depot as the terminal for its passenger trains, and provided connections through to New Orleans via Humboldt, Tennessee.[15]
Its line was heavily damaged during the American Civil War,[16] and the MC&L entered receivership in July 1865 under George T. Lewis.[17] Assistance to restore the line to service was offered by the L&N,<ref name=L&Nhelp>News: Louisville And Nashville Railroad. Annual Report of Superintendent Fink - Condition and Progress of the Road - Its Connections and Extensions. The Courier-Journal. Louisville, KY. October 15, 1866. 4. Newspapers.com. which was declined by the MC&L.<ref name=Manual /> The line was restored soon after the war,[18] reopening on August 13, 1866. Heavy rain again caused disruption in December 1866 through a landslide near Clarksville.[19] In 1868 the railroad was bankrupt and could not pay its wages; this led to an 11-day strike in February,[20] during which time through trains from Memphis to Louisville were routed on competing lines via Nashville and McKenzie. The strike ended when the L&N leased the line on February 17. The railroad was dissolved on September 30, 1871, then purchased by the L&N.<ref name=Strike2 />[21] Although the L&N's purchase was effective as of October 1, 1871,[22] the company's accounting was kept separate until October 1872.[23] L&N operated the line as its Memphis Branch, but saw declining traffic through the early 20th century, with the last passenger train serving Clarksville in February 1968. L&N was merged into CSX, and CSX sold the former MC&L line to R.J. Corman Railroad Group in 1987, becoming that company's Memphis Line.