The Choctawhatchee and Northern Railroad was one of many proposed railroad projects that never made it beyond the planning stage, this one in the Florida Panhandle. Chartered in February 1927 "To construct, acquire, maintain, lease, or operate a line of railroad or railroads from a point between Galliver and Crestview on the Louisville and Nashville Railroad in Okaloosa County, to a point in said county on Choctawhatchee Bay, a distance of approximately 28 mi (45 km)," the line was envisioned as part of a Port Dixie (now Shalimar, Florida) development plan.[1]
On Garnier's Bayou near the present Eglin Air Force Base housing development in Shalimar, a $29,000,000 Port Dixie Harbor and Terminal Company was chartered to build wharves for liners, a rail line north, and a city of one square mile, with streets 100 feet wide.[2] These ambitious plans would not see fruition and no rail was ever laid on this project.
Use as a deep water port was contingent upon the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dredging East Pass at Destin, the only outlet to the Gulf of Mexico for the Choctawhatchee Bay, and despite claims by the optimistic developers that the ocean liner SS Normandie could be berthed without dredging,[3] the Corps determined that the required work to deepen East Pass for deep-water vessels was not feasible. "It is not known for certain whether capital for the railroad was contingent upon a positive report by the Corps of Engineers on the pass proposal or whether the company was simple [sic] unable to finance the railroad. In any case, the project died, died with no obituary, no post-mortem."[4] The peak of local interest came in May and June 1931, when optimistic accounts in the local press reported that in mid-May, M. C. Miller, secretary-treasurer of the "Port Dixie Railroad Line" "revealed that the prospects for an early start on the enterprise were very promising".[5] This positive view was based upon receipt of a letter from J. M. Hodgskins, president, from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, stating that necessary groundwork was running ahead of schedule.[6] Details were announced by Hodgskins at a mass meeting attended by some 1,500 in Camp Walton, Florida, as he outlined the grandiose plans including a realty company, railroad, port facilities, shipbuilding plant, steamship lines, a rubber tire plant, a nightclub and townsite. The excitement lasted through the July 3, 1931, publication of an article in the Okaloosa News-Journal, Crestview, Florida, stating that the port plans had been perfected.[7][8] After that, the Corps of Engineers' refusal to dredge doomed the project.
The United States Air Force would later construct a rail line from an interchange with the L&N at Mossy Head, Florida, to the main base of Eglin Air Force Base, just north of the envisioned Port Dixie terminus of the Choctawhatchee and Northern. This line opened in late 1951 and operated until about 1980 before being abandoned and partially lifted.[9]
^Angell, Joseph W., "History of the Army Air Forces Proving Ground Command - Part One - Historical Outline 1933-1944", The Historical Branch, Army Air Forces Proving Ground Command, Eglin Field, Florida, 1944, reprint by Office of History, Munitions Systems Division, Eglin AFB, Florida, 1989, page 36.
^Hutchinson, Leonard Patrick, "History of the Playground Area of Northwest Florida", Great Outdoors Publishing Co., St. Petersburg, Florida, 1st ed., 1961, no Library of Congress card number, no ISBN, page 69.
^Dobson, Henry Allen, "A History of Okaloosa County, Florida", A Thesis Presented to the Graduate Faculty of Southeastern Louisiana University, June 1974, page 86.
^Fort Walton, Florida, "Eglin Keeps 'Em Rolling, Too, On Rails", Playground Daily News, Thursday 11 December 1952, Volume 7, Number 45, page 1.
December 15, 2023
choctawhatchee, northern, railroad, many, proposed, railroad, projects, that, never, made, beyond, planning, stage, this, florida, panhandle, chartered, february, 1927, construct, acquire, maintain, lease, operate, line, railroad, railroads, from, point, betwe. The Choctawhatchee and Northern Railroad was one of many proposed railroad projects that never made it beyond the planning stage this one in the Florida Panhandle Chartered in February 1927 To construct acquire maintain lease or operate a line of railroad or railroads from a point between Galliver and Crestview on the Louisville and Nashville Railroad in Okaloosa County to a point in said county on Choctawhatchee Bay a distance of approximately 28 mi 45 km the line was envisioned as part of a Port Dixie now Shalimar Florida development plan 1 Choctawhatchee amp Northern RailroadOverviewHeadquartersShalimar FloridaLocaleFlorida PanhandleDates of operationFebruary 1927 1927 02 July 1931 1931 07 TechnicalTrack gauge4 ft 8 1 2 in 1 435 mm standard gaugeLength28 mi 45 km Planned History editOn Garnier s Bayou near the present Eglin Air Force Base housing development in Shalimar a 29 000 000 Port Dixie Harbor and Terminal Company was chartered to build wharves for liners a rail line north and a city of one square mile with streets 100 feet wide 2 These ambitious plans would not see fruition and no rail was ever laid on this project Use as a deep water port was contingent upon the U S Army Corps of Engineers dredging East Pass at Destin the only outlet to the Gulf of Mexico for the Choctawhatchee Bay and despite claims by the optimistic developers that the ocean liner SS Normandie could be berthed without dredging 3 the Corps determined that the required work to deepen East Pass for deep water vessels was not feasible It is not known for certain whether capital for the railroad was contingent upon a positive report by the Corps of Engineers on the pass proposal or whether the company was simple sic unable to finance the railroad In any case the project died died with no obituary no post mortem 4 The peak of local interest came in May and June 1931 when optimistic accounts in the local press reported that in mid May M C Miller secretary treasurer of the Port Dixie Railroad Line revealed that the prospects for an early start on the enterprise were very promising 5 This positive view was based upon receipt of a letter from J M Hodgskins president from Philadelphia Pennsylvania stating that necessary groundwork was running ahead of schedule 6 Details were announced by Hodgskins at a mass meeting attended by some 1 500 in Camp Walton Florida as he outlined the grandiose plans including a realty company railroad port facilities shipbuilding plant steamship lines a rubber tire plant a nightclub and townsite The excitement lasted through the July 3 1931 publication of an article in the Okaloosa News Journal Crestview Florida stating that the port plans had been perfected 7 8 After that the Corps of Engineers refusal to dredge doomed the project The United States Air Force would later construct a rail line from an interchange with the L amp N at Mossy Head Florida to the main base of Eglin Air Force Base just north of the envisioned Port Dixie terminus of the Choctawhatchee and Northern This line opened in late 1951 and operated until about 1980 before being abandoned and partially lifted 9 See also editList of United States railroads List of defunct Florida railroads Eglin Air Force Base RailroadReferences edit Angell Joseph W History of the Army Air Forces Proving Ground Command Part One Historical Outline 1933 1944 The Historical Branch Army Air Forces Proving Ground Command Eglin Field Florida 1944 reprint by Office of History Munitions Systems Division Eglin AFB Florida 1989 page 36 Angell page 37 Hutchinson Leonard Patrick History of the Playground Area of Northwest Florida Great Outdoors Publishing Co St Petersburg Florida 1st ed 1961 no Library of Congress card number no ISBN page 69 Dobson Henry Allen A History of Okaloosa County Florida A Thesis Presented to the Graduate Faculty of Southeastern Louisiana University June 1974 page 86 Dobson page 84 Dobson page 84 Crestview Florida Okaloosa News Journal Friday 3 July 1931 page 1 Dobson page 86 Fort Walton Florida Eglin Keeps Em Rolling Too On Rails Playground Daily News Thursday 11 December 1952 Volume 7 Number 45 page 1 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Choctawhatchee and Northern Railroad amp oldid 1153910180, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
