Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Company. - Railroads of Southwest Florida

We need something to cheer us up, as we have looked so long for the proposed Rail-road, that we have come to the conclusion that there will never be one.

comment of Ft. Ogden resident, Sunland Tribune , December 13, 1879

Railroads were first proposed to the Charlotte Harbor area after the Civil War. Though none were built then, promoters kept dreaming of the day when trains would arrive here and connect with ships bound for New Orleans, Cuba, the West Indies, and perhaps South America.

The Florida Southern Railway was one of many firms that comprised the Plant System of railroads. Its route began at Palatka and ran down the peninsula to Pemberton Ferry by way of Gainesville, Ocala, and Leesburg. Another Plant enterprise, the South Florida, advanced its sibling to Bartow, where rails arrived in September 1885. There the Florida Southern embarked upon its last big construction effort: the 75-mile Charlotte Harbor Division down the Peace River Valley. The project launched the railroad story of Southwest Florida.

The Florida Southern actually began life in 1879 as the Gainesville, Ocala and Charlotte Harbor Railroad. In the early 1880s, a reorganization of the firm took place, Henry Plant got control and the Florida Southern name was adopted. Legislators looked kindly upon the enterprise and endowed it with a generous land grant. In the end the Florida Southern received the biggest handout of any Florida railroad2.58 million acres!

In the interest of saving money, the railroads directors had the line built with a narrow gauge track; that is, one measuring three feet between the rails instead of the standard gauge dimension of 4 feet, 8 1/2 inches. Engines and cars therefore were smaller than their standard gauge counterparts and less costly to purchase. Because the narrow gauge line passed through many citrus areas, the Florida Southern became known as The Orange Belt Route.

A six percent bond issue, totaling $807,900, helped finance the Charlotte Harbor Division, which meant the new line cost about $11,000 a mile to construct and equip. Surveyors began to locate the right-of-way in May 1885, and among those employed for the task was Albert Gilchrista civil engineer from Punta Gorda and future Florida governor. By fall, nearly 1,500 laborers were at work grading the line, building bridges and trestles and laying track.

A subject of much speculation was where the new division would actually terminate. Naturally the Charlotte Harbor area was widely spoken of, but other objective points were rumored such as Boca Grande, Pine Island, Fort Myers, Punta Rassa, even Marco Island. Railroad officials remained conveniently mum on the subject for they were busy extracting inducements from area communities and individuals. (Donations of land and cash helped decide where the route would go.) Case in point was Isaac Trabue, who owned prime parcels of land on the southern side of Charlotte Harbor. Trabue realized early on that only a railroad could make his hamlet of Trabue prosper. The Kentucky lawyer ended up giving the Florida Southern half of his holdings, and it was here that the Charlotte Harbor Division ultimately terminated. A year after the railroad arrived, Trabue became Punta Gorda.

The Florida Southern opened for business between Bartow and Arcadia in March 1886. That month, railroad officials toured Governor Edward Perry and state officials over the new line. At Zolfo Springs, the Pullman car special halted on the Peace River Bridge. There the governors entourage supped on cold turkey and Mumm champagne while a saucy mockingbird swayed and sang in a tree-top close by.

Construction halted at Arcadia allowing time for the town to commence. Prior to the railroads arrival, about 16 families resided in the area. But by autumn, thanks to the Iron Horse, Arcadia boasted nearly forty homes, four stores, three boarding houses, two drugstores, and two sawmills.

This interlude, however, infuriated folks who lived below Arcadia, many of whom had waited years for railroad service as our opening quotation suggests. The Fort Myers Press newspaper asked a correspondent for an explanation: No train to Fort Ogden yet; still at Arcadia; cause unknown. We are now having transportation by schooners as of old. There is a dead dog under the house as regards the railroad movements.