*1873 reorganized as the Carolina Central Railway.

Was the Wilmington & Charlotte Railroad.

Construction of the Wilmington, Charlotte & Rutherford Railroad was done in two phases and began in 1857. Work was started at Wilmington to connect to Charlotte. At the same time work began at Charlotte to connect to Rutherfordton. For several months construction of the railroad was halted making the end of the line Brevard's Station. At this temporary end of the line a wye was constructed for a train turn around. During the months that construction of the railroad was delayed, hacks or horse drawn carriages were provided for travelers to Lincolnton or surrounding areas.

The railroad was completed to Lincolnton in April of 1861. The Wilmington to Charlotte stretch of the railroad was stopped in 1861 after reaching Rockingham. The beginning of the Civil War brought a halt to further construction of the railroad, with exception of a stretch of road leading from Lincolnton to Cherryville, which was completed in November of 1862.

The 78.8 mile tangent from a point near East Arcadia, in Bladen County, to Laurel Hill, in Scotland County, is still considered the longest stretch of straight track in this country.

Considerable damage to this railroad during the U.S. Civil War was attributed to the Confederate Army, which stripped much of the rail for use on more important lines. Upon the fall of Wilmington in February of 1865, the company's trestle over the Big Swamp, several miles eat of Lumberton, was ordered burned by the army of the Confederacy. After the war, the railroad was rebuilt, and new construction was resumed int 1870, with nine miles of new track was laid between Rockingham and the Great Pee Dee River.

Entrance into Wilmington was gained in 1867 over the Wilmington Railway Bridge Company, which was jointly owned by the Wilmington, Charlotte & Rutherford Railroad and the Wilmington, Columbia & Augusta Railroad. This company owned bridges across both the Cape Fear River and the North East River, together with about 2-1/2 miles of track between Navassa and Hilton in Brunswick County.

After the Civil War, the railroad went into receivership. On April 10, 1873, the Wilmington, Charlotte & Rutherford Railroad was reorganized as the Carolina Central Railroad and the next year the road was completed to Charlotte.

Towns on Route:

Line #1 - Wilmington to Rockingham:

Wilmington

Hood Creek (1850s)

Phoenix (1873)

Summerville

Robeson

Rosindale (1869)

Vicksburg (1873) > Elkinsville (1874) > Elkton (1888)

Western Prong > Brown Marsh (1866) > Dalton (1870) > Clarkton (1873)

Bladen (1866) > Abbottsburg (1869)

Bryants Swamp > Bladenboro (1866)

Yorkville (1867) > Richardson (1889)

Bear Bay (1871) > Allenton (1874)

Lumberton

Buies Store (1866) > Red Banks (1867)

Plummerville (1870-1890)

Gilopolis (faded 1866)

Shoe Heel (1866) > Maxton (1886)

Stewartsville (faded 1860s)

Laurel Hill > Laurinburgh (1855) > Laurinburg (1893)

Laurel Hill #2 (1866)

Marks Creek (1854-1857)

Rockingham

Line #2 - Charlotte to Shelby:

Charlotte

Woodlawn > Mount Holly (1888)

Brevard (1860s)

Stanleys Creek (1856) > Stanley (1894)

Iron Station (1867)

Lincolnton

White Pine > Cherryville (1865)

Buffalo (1850s)

Shelby