1885 People's Line Railroad Map of the Southeastern United States

A remarkable bit of ephemera, this is an 1885 People's Line of Steamers railroad map of the southeastern United States. Depicting from Memphis, Tennessee, south to Manatee, Florida, and east to the Atlantic Ocean, the map focuses on the region's railroad network and how it joined with the Ocean Steamship Company's route connecting Savannah with New York and Philadelphia. The Central Railroad of Georgia, connecting Atlanta and Savannah, acts as the focal point. Other railroads, including the Southwestern Georgia and the Port Royal and Augusta Railroad, are also illustrated. Stops are marked from Selma east to the coast and from Chattanooga south to Albany. Thinner black lines further fill out the region's railroad network, but must not have been affiliated with the Georgia Central Railroad or the Ocean Steamship Company.

Verso Content

A Bill of Lading for the People's Line of Steamers on the Hudson River is printed on the verso. Filled out on February 6, 1885, the bill consigns a shipment from Troy, New York to Macon, Georgia, via the People's Line Steamers and the Ocean Steamship Company.

Publication History and Census

This map was published by the People's Line of Steamers in 1885. We have seen several variations of bills of lading with maps printed on the recto. Given that this bill of lading is filled out, that makes this a unique historical document.