1896 New England and Savannah Steamship Company Railroad Map of Florida

This is an 1896 New England and Savannah Steamship Company railroad map of Florida and the southeastern United States. Thick black lines highlight the railroad and steamship network known as the Plant System, covering from Charleston, South Carolina and Montgomery, Alabama to Punta Gorda and Titusville, Florida. Nearly every stop along the Plant System's network is identified by name. A dashed line in the Gulf of Mexico illustrates the Plant Steamship Line from Mobile, Alabama to Tampa, Key West, and Havana, Cuba. Thinner black lines trace railways that connect with the Plant System. A mileage table is situated in the lower-left below the title. Advertising for the 'Savannah Line' appears along all four sides, promoting the line's 'careful handling' and 'quick time guaranteed'.

Verso Content

A bill of lading, which has been filled out and signed, is printed on the verso. Dated October 17, 1896, A.J. Murat consigned 821 empty half barrels to the New England and Savannah Steamship Company for transport from Boston, Massachusetts to Apalachicola, Florida. A. J. Murat is almost certainly Antoine Jean Murat (January 27, 1836 - October 13, 1922), a Greek immigrant living in Florida who served as mayor of Apalachicola in 1871. Born in Greece, Murat emigrated to the United States after the Crimean War in 1858. He fought for the Confederacy during the American Civil War and entered the sea food business after the war.

The Plant System

The Plant System, named after its owner, Henry B. Plant, was a system of railroads and steamboats in the U.S. Southeast. The system was based upon the Savannah, Florida and Western Railway, running across southern Georgia. The Plant Investment Company was formed in 1882. It grew coverage by leasing or buying other railroads, among them the Charleston Railroad and the Brunswick and Western Railroad. It also began acquiring steamship lines, extending coverage from Tampa to Cuba, Key West, and other points. The Plant system was competition to Henry Flagler's Florida East Coast Railroad. It was taken over by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in 1902.

Publication History and Census

This map was created by an unknown cartographer and published by the New England and Savannah Steamship Company in 1896. While the present example is unique because if the manuscript content on the verso, we are aware of one other similar example in private hands. This piece is not cataloged in OCLC.