The purchasers of the Wilmington & Manchester Railroad received a charter in March of 1870 from the legislatures of North Carolina and South Carolina as the Wilmington & Carolina Railroad, and opened an extension west to Columbia, SC in 1871.

In 1872 the Wilmington, Columbia & Augusta Railroad leased the Wilmington & Manchester Railroad for ninety-nine (99) years. That lease was cancelled in 1878 due to the Wilmington, Columbia & Augusta's bankruptcy; it was sold in 1879 and reorganized in February of 1880 under the same name.

By a curious turn of events, eight years after the dissolution of its lease with the Wilmington & Manchester Railroad in 1878, the lessee became the lessor and vice versa, when on June 1, 1885, the Wilmington & Manchester Railroad took a ninety-nine (99) year lease on the Wilmington, Columbia & Augusta Railroad. This lease remained in effect until it was cancelled on July 18, 1898, in order that the Wilmington, Columbia & Augusta Railroad entered as a separate unit into the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad of South Carolina.

In 1897, it was merged into the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad of South Carolina, which subsequently merged into the overall Atltantic Coast Line Railroad in 1900.

When the Wilmington, Columbia, & Augusta Railroad built a new depot at Wedgefield, SC, the residents of Manchester began to move away until the only reminder of the town is the historical marker, a few miles south of Wedgefield.

From the 2nd Annual Report of the South Carolina Railroad Commissioner, dated October 31, 1880:

"The Wilmington, Columbia and Augusta Railroad Company was originally the Wilmington and Manchester Railroad Company, running from Wilmington to Kingsville, S.C.

"The Wilmington and Manchester Railroad was chartered by the State of South Carolina, December 18th, 1846, and by the State of North Carolina, January 9th, 1847. This Road was sold under orders of the Courts of North and South Carolina for the purpose of foreclosing the various mortgages, January 5, 1870.

"Was purchased by Messrs. W.T. Walters, B.F. Newcomer, and D.W. James, for themselves and trustees for others. Was chartered as the Wilmington and Carolina Railroad Company, by the State of South Carolina, March 1st 1870, and the State of North Carolina, March 1st, 1870, with power and authority to change the name, as the majority of the persons who are purchasers may designate and adopt at their first meeting, after the passage of this Act. At a meeting held April 26th, 1870, the name was changed to the Wilmington, Columbia and Augusta Railroad Company, to go into effect April 27th, 1870. Was opened to Columbia, S.C., about 13th of December, 1871."

From the Fourth Annual Report of the South Carolina Railroad Commissioners issued in 1882, the following stations were named for the Wilmington, Columbia & Augusta Railroad:

Station................................................ Distance between Stations

NC/SC State Line............................................... 0 miles
Nichol's .............................................................. 6.00 miles
Millet's ................................................................ 6.00 miles
Marion ................................................................ 9.00 miles
Pee Dee .............................................................. 8.00 miles
Mars Bluff ........................................................... 7.00 miles
Florence .............................................................. 6.00 miles
Ebenezer ............................................................. 5.00 miles
Timmonsville ........................................................ 6.00 miles
Cartersville ........................................................... 6.00 miles
Lynchburg ............................................................ 4.00 miles
Adam's Turnout .................................................... 4.00 miles
Mayesville ............................................................ 5.00 miles
Sumter .................................................................. 9.00 miles
Cain Savannah ...................................................... 6.00 miles
Wedgefield ............................................................ 4.00 miles
Camden Crossing .................................................. 2.00 miles
Acton .................................................................... 6.00 miles
Eastover ................................................................ 3.00 miles
Grovewood ........................................................... 6.00 miles
Sims's ................................................................... 10.00 miles
Charlotte, Columbia & Augusta Junction ................ 5.00 miles
Columbia ............................................................... 1.00 mile

Towns on Route (in SC):

Causey (1900)

Nichols

Mullins Depot > Mullins 1884

Todd (1888)

Marion

West Marion (1906)

Peedee

Gibson (1882) > Winona (1895)

Marrs Bluff

Florence

Ebenezer (1876)

Timmonsville

Cartersville

Magnolia (1878) > Lynchburg (1905)

Lynchburg > South Lynchburg (1905)

London (1883)

Atkins (1886)

Mayesville

Sumter C.H. > Sumter (1892)

Middleton

Cape Savannah (1890s)

Wedgefield (1872)

Camden Junction (1890s)

Acton #2 (1875)

Acton (1872) > Eastover (1875)

Weston (1887)

Grovewood (1872) > Congaree (1879)

James Crossing (1915)

Lykesland (1888)

Simms (1890s)

Columbia