The Flint River and Northeastern Railroad was organized in 1903 and the tracks laid in 1904. A short line, it only ran for 23 miles, between Pelham and Ticknor, Georgia. It was a timber railroad, operated by the Higgston Lumber Company and the Thomas N. Baker Lumber Company. The railroad was sold in 1906 and after operating as a subsidiary line, was abandoned in 1946. Thanks to Warren Kirbo for the identification.
It breaks my heart to see the depot falling into disrepair when it could have been saved. Unfortunately, some people just don’t care about history. My mother grew up in Sale City, and she remembered the depot and the train very well.
There is another surviving Flint River and Northeastern Railroad Depot, it’s in the middle of downtown Pelham, GA. It’s no where near the old ACL main line, and if you didn’t know it was there you would miss it. It was the main depot of the FR&N, and unlike the one in Sale City it is built of brick instead of wood. There are still 3 sets of tracks that still exist beside the depot, so you can kind of visualize what it must’ve looked like back during the days in which the FR&N operated. The large building across the street from the depot was the President of the FR&N’s general store and office of the FR&N.
FLINT RIVER AND NORTHEASTERN RAILROAD.
Ran from Pelham, Florida, Hinsinton, Laney, Akridge, Sale City, TUten, Tichnor. Tracks were dug up during WWII, across the way at the Pelham terminus was the northern terminus of the PELHAM AND HAVANA RR (See Vanishing Georgia from the GA ARCHIVES for a photo of a Sunday School trip on the P&H RR) At the Northern Terminus of the FR&NE (also known as the TUTEN TICHNOR GEORGIA HELL WESTERN)
Thanks, Warren. Your insight and knowledge of Southwest Georgia is always appreciated…