Due to inclement weather forecast at the previously announced time for the dedication of the historic marker for the Dover–Statesboro Railroad, the Bulloch County Historical Society has changed the start of the program to 1 p.m. Thursday, two hours earlier than previously planned.
The dedication to recognize Statesboro’s first railroad will take place on East Main Street, at the railroad tracks, near the Boro Art Park. The public is invited.
Virginia Anne Franklin Waters, executive director of the Society, said, “Weather forecasters are predicting considerable rain and possibly high winds for mid-afternoon on Thursday, so we thought the least disruptive alternative was to move the event up to 1 p.m.”
“The marker celebrates the coming of railroads to Bulloch County,” said Rodney Harville, a long-time advocate for the Dover-Statesboro Railroad marker. “This event was huge in the economic development of Bulloch County,” Harville added, “and much of the growth in Bulloch County agriculture was the direct result of this development.”
In 2013, the Historical Society dedicated a marker on Gentilly Road to highlight the Savannah & Statesboro Railway, which operated from 1894 to 1933.
“This is the 28th historic marker erected by the Bulloch County Historical Society,” said Joe McGlamery, president of the Society, “and the last marker currently on the erection schedule.”
The full text of the marker:
Dover & Statesboro Railroad
(D & S Railroad)
On February 28, 1889, it was announced that Statesboro would get its first railroad. The Dover and Statesboro was completed nine months later on November 16, 1889. Money was raised through stock and over 80 individuals contributed. Some of the larger contributors were: S.F. Olliff, B.E. Turner, T.H. Potter, W.W. Olliff, Blitch Jones Co., Charles Pretorius, W.H. Blitch, D.R. Groover and J.A. Brannen. The stops along the 10-mile route were: Rev. Jasper Wilson’s Place, Cail’s Place, Clito and Deal’s Place.
Clito, Georgia, is a town between Statesboro and Dover created after the D & S Railway came in 1889. The McDougald-Outland naval stores’ operations were located here. This included a general store, a turpentine distillery and a cotton gin. The company also owned some 1,185 acres of farmland just outside of Dover.
In 1894, Statesboro’s first long-distance telephone service was sent over open wires on cross arms and poles along the D & S Railroad right-of-way. When this service was converted to a dial system the open wires were removed and replaced with lead cables. When the Savannah and Statesboro Railroad was built, telephone long-distance service was connected to Southern Bell in Savannah.
Mr. J.F. Fields set up a large, six-acre park at Mill Creek for parties and dancing. A round-trip fare on the train from Statesboro to the park was ten cents. The opening picnic for Fields’ Park was held on Saturday, June 20th,1896 and included in the promotion were: “Music will be furnished by an Italian String Band of Savannah. There will be a bicycle race on an elevated track, a sack race, and rooting for dollars in a tub of flour. Beautiful croquet grounds about the park, swings hanging from trees and a 40 x 40 building for speaking.” In a June 1897 an advertisement read as follows:
“Big Social Picnic! at Field’s Park. Enjoy the day in harmless sports including wheel barrow and blindfold races and climbing greased poles. Positively no dancing so the church people are invited to come. Bring your baskets for an old-fashioned picnic.”
The D & S only existed for four years. On July 6, 1893, it faced financial trouble and was sold to Fred T. Lockhart, a representative of an Augusta syndicate. Citizens of Bulloch County enjoyed their train. By connecting with the Central of Georgia in Dover they could go to Savannah for a day of shopping or a business trip. The railroad offered excursions to Tybee for two dollars round trip. There were trips to the Ogeechee River at Dover for fishing parties and picnics.
Supported by the Jack N. and Addie D. Averitt Foundation.