Chartered in 1866, the Cartersville and Van Wert Railroad was originally planned to connect the Western and Atlantic Railroad

Western and Atlantic Railroad

The Western and Atlantic Railroad of the State of Georgia' is a historic railroad that operated in the southeastern United States from Atlanta, Georgia to Chattanooga, Tennessee....

 at Cartersville, Georgia

Cartersville, Georgia

Cartersville is a town in Bartow County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 19,7314. The city is the county seat of Bartow County.-Geography:Cartersville was named for Colonel Farish Carter....

 to the Selma, Rome and Dalton Railroad at Prior, Georgia almost on the Alabama

Alabama

Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...

 state line.

By 1870 the railroad had 14 miles (22.5 km) of broad gauge track connecting Cartersville to Taylorsville, Georgia

Taylorsville, Georgia

Taylorsville is a town in Bartow and Polk counties in the U.S. state of Georgia. The population was 3,796 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Taylorsville is located at ....

 but further growth was apparently impeded by shady financial dealings by then Governor Rufus Bullock

Rufus Bullock

Rufus Brown Bullock was an American politician.-Biography:He served as the 46th Governor of Georgia from 1868 to 1871 during Reconstruction and was the first Republican governor of Georgia. After various allegations of scandal, in 1871 he was obliged by the Ku Klux Klan to resign the governorship...

, Hanniball Kimball

Hanniball Kimball

Hannibal Ingalls Kimball was an American entrepreneur and important businessman in post-war Atlanta, Georgia.-Early years:Born in Oxford County, Maine to family of Methodist wheel-wrights...

, and other associates. These problems caused the railroad to be reorganized as the Cherokee Railroad

Cherokee Railroad

The Cherokee Railroad is a historic railroad that operated in the U.S. state of Georgia.It was organized in 1870 to take over operations from the failing Cartersville and Van Wert Railroad. The Cherokee Railroad initially operated from Cartersville to Taylorsville, and the new owners extended the...

.