Georgia Railfanning? The Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History (Kennesaw, GA)
Found myself with some free time around the Atlanta area this week. Decided to re-visit favorite museum of mine in northeast atlanta. Do you call it railfanning, or rail history buffing?
Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History
The Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History is a museum in Kennesaw, Georgia, that contains a collection of artifacts and relics from the American Civil War, as well as from railroads of the state of Georgia and surrounding regions. The centerpiece is the General, a steam locomotive used in the Great Locomotive Chase in April 1862. The Archives house a significant collection of company records, engineering drawings, blueprints, glass plate negatives, photographs and correspondence from various American businesses representing the railroad industry in the South after the Civil War. The Archives also contain a growing collection of Civil War letters, diaries, and official records.
Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History
Martin has a wonderful time exploring the history and traditions of the deep south at the Civil War Museum.
The Southern Museum
In Association with the Smithsonian Institution
Experience the dramatic history of railroads and the War Between the States at the Southern Museum of Civil War & Locomotive History! A prestigious Smithsonian Affiliations member, the Museum provides visitors with a unique perspective into the strategic and economic use of railroads during and after the Civil War. The Museum is home to the General locomotive, made famous during the Great Locomotive Chase of 1862, an impressive Civil War collection, and the Glover Machine Works, a restored early 20th century belt-driven locomotive assembly line. The Jolley Education Center offers numerous hands-on and interactive exhibits that are fun for the entire family, and the Cobb Energy Gallery features traveling exhibits from the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES), as well as other sources! The Southern Museum’s educational programs reinforce classroom learning by connecting historical information with actual artifacts.
Visiting the Southern Museum of Civil War & Locomotive History - Part 1
Come along with me to the Southern Museum of Civil War & Locomotive History in Kennesaw, Georgia! In this first installment, we tour the museum's exhibit on the importance of railroads in the Civil War.
Learn more about the museum at: southernmuseum.org
Music:
Five Armies Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
and
Somber used with permission from audionautix.com, under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Chasing the General at the Southern Museum of Civil War & Locomotive History
Hey guys! This week I went to visit the Southern Museum of Civil War & Locomotive History. Just an FYI, there are pieces of Civil War iconography (mostly Confederate, but hey, I live in Atlanta. It's everywhere here) shown that are the center of current controversy, but I feel I represented them in a respectable manner. It's NOT a political statement of any sort. They are simply artifacts in a museum exhibition.
As always, thanks for watching, liking, sharing, and subscribing!
Southern Museum Civil War Firing Demonstration-Kennesaw, GA July 28, 2012
Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History 11AM Civil War Firing Demonstration-July 28, 2012-Kennesaw, GA.
We (2nd GA Sharpshooters) are the Confederates.
We were all being commanded by Jonathan Scott, head interpreter for the Southern Museum.
Visit the Southern Museum!
Visit the Southern Museum in Kennesaw, GA for Civil War and Southern railroad history! We specialize in storytelling, bringing history to life for all ages, offering pre-k and homeschool programs, school tours, and guided adult tours. Come to the Museum to learn the about the past and engage in dialog on how our collective past influences our present-day communities.
Civil War Musket Being Fired at the Southern Museum of Civil War & Locomotive History
We went on a field trip to the Southern Museum of Civil War & Locomotive History. Our tour guide shot his musket for us 3 times so we could get an idea of what it was like. There was no bullet in the gun, just gun powder.
Trackside at the Southern Museum - Kennesaw, GA - NMRA Atlanta 2013
The Southern Museum, in association with the Smithsonian Institution, is a premier metro Atlanta museum, featuring exhibits on Civil War and locomotive history. The Southern Museum is home to the General locomotive, stolen during the Civil War's Great Locomotive Chase; a reproduction of the locomotive assembly line from the Glover Machine Works; weapons, uniforms and every day items of Civil War soldiers; and the Jolley Education Center that features train history, hands-on activities for children and Georgia's French Gratitude Train.
Visiting the Southern Museum of Civil War & Locomotive History - Part 3
In this final installment of my series on the Southern Museum of Civil War & Locomotive History, come along with me as I learn about the Great Locomotive Chase and see the ACTUAL GENERAL LOCOMOTIVE ITSELF!! :D
Music credits:
BackToTheWood is used with permission from audionautix.com, under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Heritage Train Through Kennesaw
This may be one train but there is a big story behind filming this one train. So I woke up one morning to a text from my friend Thomas who told me that a train was spotted in Dalton Georgia. This train consisted of former Amtrak 513, Tennessee Valley 1912, and a caboose on the end of the train. Knowing this was probably going to be my only chance to see such a train I drove up to Kennesaw and met up with Thomas by the Southern Railroad Museum to catch this train.
Kenessaw, Georgia tour 30144 and 30152
Kennesaw is a city in Cobb County, Georgia, United States, located in the greater Atlanta metropolitan area. It had a population of 29,783 according to the 2010 census.[4] Founded in 1887, Kennesaw has a past surrounded with railroad history. During the Civil War, Kennesaw was the staging ground for the Great Locomotive Chase on April 12, 1862. The city is perhaps best known nationally for its mandatory gun-possession ordinance
Camp MacDonald, a training camp, was located there from 1861 to 1863.[8]
During the Civil War, Big Shanty was the site of major fighting in the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain, part of the larger Atlanta Campaign. Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park,[9] located southeast of the city limits, now contains many of these historic areas, though much of the surrounding land has been developed, and some buried artifacts have been taken by people with metal detectors.
L.C. Chalker purchased a 1.25-acre (0.51 ha) tract of land adjacent to the Kennesaw Cemetery from J.W. Ellis in 1934, which was sold for burial purposes. Chalker purchased another 1 acre (0.40 ha) adjacent to the first parcel in 1948, which was also to be used for a cemetery. The Chalker family managed these portions of the cemetery until they were sold to the City of Kennesaw in the mid 1950s. The earliest known burial is the infant Lucius B. Summers, who was interred in 1863. Other grave markers date as far back as the 1860s to the 1890s. Civil War veterans are buried here. The cemetery is still in use.
The Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History[10] is located downtown, next to the Western and Atlantic Railroad tracks on Cherokee Street, just off Main Street (old U.S. 41 and State Route 3). The museum is the current preservation and display location for The General, the locomotive that played the key role in the Great Locomotive Chase (The Texas which chased it is at the Atlanta Cyclorama).
In March 2004, First Lady Laura Bush designated Kennesaw a Preserve America Community
Train museum kennesaw 7/26/16
Life in Kennesaw Georgia - Live the Life Series
1870’s: Big Shanty lay in ruins following the Civil War, but by the 1870’s the town began to recover. There were three retail stores, one blacksmith shop, two house carpenters, two Methodist ministers and one doctor. The Western and Atlantic Railroad was rebuilt and provided an important transportation artery for the town. The First Baptist Church and the Methodist Church were built in 1877.
1880’s: The area continued to recover from the Civil War, and on September 21, 1887 a petition for incorporation was presented to the Legislature–the City of Kennesaw was born. The Articles of Incorporation stated that: 1) the City of Kennesaw is incorporated; 2) corporate limits of the town shall extend one half mile, north, south, east and west from the Depot of the Western and Atlantic Railroad; 3) there shall be an election of a mayor and four councilmen; 4) the mayor shall have the power to levy and collect taxes; and 5) nothing in this act shall give the town authorities the right to grant license to sell intoxicating liquors.
Growth Continues
Late 19th Century: The city grew slowly. The railroad continued to be the chief source of employment. In 1889, the mayor and council served without pay, and the only city income was from a street tax of fifty cents for every head of household. This was later raised to $2.50. J.S. Reynolds was elected as first mayor in 1891. During the 1890s, there was a scarlet fever epidemic and later a smallpox scare.
Early 20th Century: Kennesaw prospered. Cotton provided a good source of revenue, and the town served as an important shipping center. The Masonic Hall/dry good store was constructed in 1902, the Kennesaw State Bank building around 1905, and the Western and Atlantic Depot was finished in 1908. The Kennesaw State Bank was chartered around 1910. In 1911, the City began charging the Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway, (former Western and Atlantic), $100 a year to use the local spring water. In the 1920s, Kennesaw supported a semi-pro baseball team named the “Kennesaw Smokers”. Kennesaw was deeply affected by the depression and boll weevil which virtually destroyed the cotton industry. The City didn’t fully recover until the 1980s.
“The Great Locomotive Chase”
1950’s: A difficult era for the City of Kennesaw. The last cotton gin and Kennesaw State Bank both closed. Highway 41 bypassed the city. In 1957, Walt Disney Productions released “The Great Locomotive Chase” starring Fess Parker which sparked renewed interest in the City.
1962: On April 14, 1962, The General retraced its historic run from Kennesaw (Big Shanty) to Chattanooga.
1972: The General once again traveled to Kennesaw to be housed in the former Frey Cotton Gin Building following a prolonged court battle with the City of Chattanooga.
The Gun Law
May 1, 1982: Kennesaw once again was in the news when the city unanimously passed a law requiring “every head of household to maintain a firearm together with ammunition.” After passage of the law, the burglary rate in Kennesaw declined, and today the City has the lowest crime rate in Cobb County.
Prosperity and Rapid Growth
1980’s: The economy grew as nearby construction of shopping malls and businesses put the City of Kennesaw into the Metropolitan Atlanta area.
2000: The City’s population was 21,675.
2001: In the Spring, the City opened its own history exhibits located in the historic railroad Depot.
2003: The Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History, formerly the Kennesaw Civil War Museum, underwent a massive expansion. In addition to The General and a film about The Great Locomotive Chase, the Museum features two other permanent collections.
Rivers and Rails: Daggers of the Civil War | Tennessee Civil War 150 | NPT
As Charles Dickens might have described it, rivers and rails brought the best of times and the worst of times to 19th century Tennessee. Rivers and Rails: Daggers of the Civil War, the latest episode in the Tennessee Civil War 150 series, a joint venture between Nashville Public Television (NPT) and The Renaissance Center, explores how transportation by water and steel brought great prosperity to the state just before the Civil War, only to give the invading Union Army a highway directly into the Deep South, eventually helping force the Confederacy to its knees.
Rivers and Rails: Daggers of the Civil War, co-produced by the Emmy Award-winning team of Stephen Hall and Ken Tucker of The Renaissance Center, is the seventh episode in the Tennessee Civil War 150 series, a multi-part project coinciding with the Sesquicentennial anniversary of the Civil War. Previous installments include Secession, Civil War Songs and Stories, No Going Back: Women and the War and Shiloh: The Devil's Own Day and No Looking Back: African American and the War. All have either won or been nominated for regional Emmy Awards.
Green Roof Inn & Suites, Kennesaw, Georgia - United States (US)
for reviews, prices and info.
Green Roof Inn & Suites, Kennesaw, Georgia - United States (US)
The Green Roof Inn Suites is positioned less than 30 miles from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Nearby famous sites include the Kennesaw State University, Philips Arena, Kennesaw National Battlefield Park and the Stone Mountain Park. The Southern Museum of Civil War Locomotive History is also within easy access.All 40 guest rooms at the Green Roof Inn Suites are outfitted with essential amenities. These include cable/satellite televisions, high-speed wireless Internet connections, air-conditioning units, ironing equipment and telephones with voice mails. Coffee makers, refrigerators and microwave ovens are also included.The Green Roof Inn Suites is a two-storey facility that has a 24-hour front desk. The property also offers fax services, meeting facilities and laundry and dry cleaning services. A well-lit parking area is also on site.
Hotel Features
General
Pet Friendly, Disabled Access, Air Conditioned, Non-Smoking Rooms, Refrigerator, Cable / Satellite TV, Kitchenette, Coffee / Tea Maker, Microwave, Hair Dryer, TV, Disabled Accessible Rooms, Shower, Ice Machine
Activities
Lake, Jacuzzi
Services
Photocopier, Direct dial phone, Facsimile
Internet
High-speed Internet is available at this hotel.
Parking
The hotel has free parking.
Check-in
From 12:00 PM
Check-out
Prior to 11:00 PM
** Visit for more info, reviews, prices and booking. **
The People of Atlanta in the American Civil War - Issues in History Today
Thanks for watching the Wichita State University's Department of History's pilot episode of Issues in History Today. The shows will typically showcase faculty but today we bring you Dr. Wendy Hamand Venet from Georgia State University.
The Civil Wars Most Famous Locomotive the General from the Great Locomotive Chase.
The General is a type 4-4-0 steam locomotive that was the subject of the Great Locomotive Chase of the American Civil War. The locomotive is preserved at the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History in Kennesaw, Georgia, and it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Built in 1855 by Rogers, Ketchum & Grosvenor in Paterson, New Jersey,[2] The General provided freight and passenger service between Atlanta, Georgia, and Chattanooga, Tennessee, before the Civil War on the Western and Atlantic Railroad of the State of Georgia and later, the Western and Atlantic Railroad Company. During the Civil War on April 12, 1862, The General was commandeered by Northerners led by James J. Andrews at Big Shanty (now Kennesaw, Georgia), and abandoned north of Ringgold, after being pursued by William Allen Fuller and the Texas. Low on water and wood, the General eventually lost steam pressure and speed, and slowed to a halt two miles north of Ringgold, where Andrews and his raiders abandoned the locomotive and tried to flee.
Later, the General narrowly escaped destruction when General John Bell Hood ordered the ordnance depot destroyed as he left Atlanta on September 1, 1864. However, the engine was severely damaged by being run into boxcars of ammunition and the Missouri locomotive. This was done deliberately so as to render the engine unusable for the approaching Union forces. It is quite likely that, after the engine was damaged, it was left as such for the remainder of the war. The United States Military Railroad Service had many new or like-new engines, so they had no need to restore captured ones such as the General. The USMRR had often left the damaged equipment of a captured railroad undisturbed, and its records, having listed the General as captured and returned, further suggest such was the case of the General.
After the war ended, the General was repaired and continued service on the Western and Atlantic. In the 1870s, the General was completely rebuilt, it had received a new pilot, boiler, and other components. Most notably, its three dome configuration was reduced to two domes, and its Radley-Hunter style balloon stack was replaced with a diamond stack, as the engine had been converted to burn coal. Indeed, the rebuilt engine had little resemblance to its original form.
Before the Civil War, most railways in the south, including the W&A, did not give their engines numbers. Rather, they were simply named, such as the General. When the railroad began numbering engines after the war, the General was the 39th engine to be acquired by the road, and was numbered accordingly. Locomotives came and went as years progressed, and by 1880, a renumbering was necessary. At this time, the General was given the number 3, being the third oldest engine that the railroad had at the time. The engine continues to carry this number today.[4]
In the mid 1880's, the Atlanta and Florida Railroad began construction. During this time, the W&A had a locomotive surplus after buying several more modern engines, so they leased the General to the A&F from 1887 to 1888 to assist in construction.
The General was retired from service in 1891 and stored on a siding in Vinings, GA where it awaited its final fate. Early the next year, E. Warren Clark, a professional photographer, discovered the engine in Vinings, and approached John W. Thomas, president of the Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway (which had won the lease on the Western and Atlantic Railroad of the State of Georgia in 1890), with the proposal of restoring the General for exhibition at the upcoming World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Thomas accepted, and the General was soon taken to the NC&StL Ry Shops at West Nashville to be restored. At this time, the engine was given a Radley-Hunter style balloon stack similar to the engine's original, and was reverted to a wood burner. The engine soon encountered problems involved with burning wood, so it was restored back to a coal burner. The engine was given a unique new stack at this time, one that, while designed for coal burning, was styled like the original so as to give the appearance of a wood burner.
While the engine's display in Chicago was costly, and left Warren Clark broke afterward, it had insured the General's preservation. In 1901, the General was placed on display in the Chattanooga Union Depot. There, it remained on display for nearly fifty years, only being removed for short periods for exhibitions. In particular, the engine was taken to Baltimore in 1927 to participate in the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad's Fair of the Iron Horse, then in 1933 to Chicago's Century of Progress Exhibition, the 1939 New York World's Fair, and finally, the Chicago Railroad Fair in 1948.
The General Locomotive
Journey to Kennesaw Georgia to visit the General. A great chase depicted by several movies. Andrews Raiders really created a stir. It was housed in Chattanooga till legal disputes brought it back to Kennesaw. Great little museum and a great town to visit.