Louisville and Nashville Railroad
Historical marker location:Chartered by the Kentucky General Assembly, March 5, 1850. First track was laid near here in July, 1855. First train ran in August, 1855. First passenger station dedicated at 9th and Broadway in 1858. From it in 1859 ran first through train from Louisville to Nashville. During Civil War L & N was Western sector's only North-South rail link, a vital part of Union supply route. Used by Generals Grant and Sherman to move men and supplies as Union rolled deeper into South. It was prime target for marauding Confederate units. Gen. John Hunt Morgan raided extensively along its tracks and bridges. But despite difficulties the railroad continued to operate.
Reverse
L & N Expansion
First Train
1859: Louisville to Nashville (Map showing 1867 Memphis expansion)
1872: Birmingham, Montgomery
1880: New Orleans, St. Louis, Pensacola, Mobile
1881: Cincinnati
1902: Knoxville
1905: Atlanta
1957: Paducah, Chattanooga
1969: Chicago.