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1837
Along the Woodville Highway (State 363)
The Tallahassee to St. Marks Railroad was the first rail line established in Florida, starting operation in 1837. It was an important means of transporation during the Antebellum Period, taking cotton from the rich agricultural region around Tallahassee, as well as naval stores from this same region, to port for shipment abroad.
The railroad orginally consisted of cars being pulled along wooden rails by mules. In the 1850s, the wood rails were replaced with iron, and a steam powered locomotive was added.
During the Civil War, the railroad was used to move Confederate troops between Tallahassee and several Confederate camps south of town, and to Confederate Fort Ward at St. Marks. When the U.S. landed troops at the St. Marks lighthouse in 1865, the railroad was used to transport troops, militia, and volunteers to the front, including to defend Natural Bridge on the St. Marks River and the bridge across the St. Marks at Newport.
The route is now the Tallahassee to St. Marks Historic Railroad State Trail and it is possible to follow it all the way between Tallahassee and St. Marks by foot, bicycle, or horse.
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