Transcribed from microfilm and contributed by: Charles A. Sherrill, 1992
A project of the Bradley County Historical Society

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Petition Number 77, Year 1845_

[Cover sheet shows that the petition was read in the Senate on Nov. 20, 1845 and “laid on the table”. The clerk has noted: “Petition of sundary citizens of Bradley County, for legislation to complete the Hiwassee R.R. project”.]

To the House of Representatives and the Senate of the General Assembly of the State of Tennessee.

Your memorialists state unto your honourable body, as is well known that the Hiwassee Rail Road Company is a body corporate one half of the stock taken in said corporation is owned by the State. The object of the incorporation of said company was the c onstruction of a Rail Road from Knoxville, Tennessee, to a point on the Southern boundary between the State of Georgia and Tennessee, to connect at its Southern termination with a Rail Road constructed by the State of Georgia and thus open a choice and direct route for the products of East Tennessee to the Southron Market.

The company went forward in the prosecution of the Road. Large expenditures have been made of the funds of the state, and of the private Stockholders.

At Charleston, a bridge, at the cost of $20,000, has been constructed to cross the Hiwassee River at that place, for the use of said Rail Road. From this bridge to the Southern Terminus of the road, at the Georgia line, is a distance of about 22 miles, the whole of this distance, except about three miles, is graded and nearly in a state of preparation to receive the timber preparatory to laying down the rails.

Now your Memorialists state, that the further prosecution of the work of the said Rail Road, has been stayed by injunction under a Bill filed by the Attorney General on behalf of the State against the Hiwassee Rail Road Company and others. This Bill, after having been pending over two years, has been dismissed on final hearing in October 1845, from which decision an appeal has been taken to the Supreme Court at Knoxville. This appeal cannot be determined before the next Term of said court, which is about a year distant.

Your Memorialist will here state, that from the Southron termination of the Hiwassee Rail Road to Cross Plains, in the state of Georgia, is 15 miles, at this point the great Georgia Rail Road passes and is now finished to within say 42 miles of said point.

A company is incorporated & the stock taken in a rail road to connect with the Hiwassee Rail Road at the Southern termination on the Georgia line, and to intersect the great Georgia road at Cross Plains, a distance of 15 miles as before stated.

Your Memorialists are firmly persuaded that all that is necessary to ensure the immediate construction of this 15 miles of railroad and thus answer a connection with the Main Georgia railroad is a proper assurance that the Hiwassee Rail Road will be completed from the Hiwassee river to the Georgia line. That this portion of the work would be done your memorialists have no doubt, were it not for the pending of the Bill in Chancery, hereto before alluded to.

The premises considered your Memorialists pray that under such grounds as your wisdom may deem proper and just to the interests and rights of the state, that the Attorney General be directed to dismiss said Bill, and that your Honl. body to your consideration a work of internal improvement on which large sums of money have been expended, in which the State has a deep interest as well as the individual stockholders.

Your Memorialists in recommending the present situation of the Hiwassee Rail Road Company to your honourable consideration might have trespassed on your patience with arguments in favour of the objects of their memorial, but these they waive, believing that the whole representation of a great State will look to the interests of the whole state and every part, with a truly parental care.