Rabun Gap
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Page Contents
Rabun Gap – Appalachian Mountain Passageway
Rabun Gap is a natural mountain pass (wind gap) in the southern Appalachian Mountains, located in northeastern Georgia’s Rabun County. Serving as a vital passageway through the rugged Blue Ridge range, it connects the valleys of Georgia with those of North Carolina and beyond, offering one of the lower-elevation crossings in the region. The gap’s approximate coordinates are 34°55’06″N latitude and 83°23’02″W longitude, with an elevation of about 2,162 feet (659 meters) above sea level. This relatively modest height, compared to nearby peaks exceeding 4,000 feet, has made it a favored route for travel throughout history, avoiding steeper alternatives in the Appalachians.
Early History
The history of Rabun Gap as a corridor dates back millennia. Archaeological evidence suggests that ancient Eastern Woodland tribes and the Mississippian culture (A.D. 1300–1500) used trails through the area, with pottery shards and mounds indicating seasonal or trade-related passage. By the time of European contact, the Cherokee Nation maintained a network of paths converging near present-day Clayton, Georgia, extending north through the gap to settlements in North Carolina and Tennessee. These trails facilitated hunting, trade, and intertribal relations.
European exploration began in the 16th century, with Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto possibly traversing the gap during his 1540 expedition from Florida northward in search of gold. In the early 19th century, the gap became a conduit for Scots-Irish settlers migrating south from Pennsylvania and Virginia, drawn by fertile lands in Georgia’s Piedmont region.
Revolutionary Times
During colonial conflicts, the pass saw military activity. In the French and Indian War (1754–1763), Cherokee warriors allied with the British traveled north through it to combat French forces in the Ohio Valley. A 1,600-strong British-American army marched the route in 1760 to reinforce forts in Tennessee. The Revolutionary War (1776–1783) brought further use, as Cherokee allies of the British raided Carolinian settlements via the gap.
Wagon Trail and a Turnpike
By the 1820s, growing settlement prompted infrastructure development. In 1827, the Georgia legislature funded upgrades to wagon trails, creating the Locust Stake Road from Clarkesville north through the gap to the North Carolina line. In 1845, the Rabun Turnpike Road Company was chartered to convert it into a toll road, with gates collecting fees for maintenance—ranging from $1 for a six-horse wagon to 2 cents per hog. This turnpike boosted regional commerce until its disbandment in 1887.
Rabun Gap Railroads
Railroads recognized the gap’s strategic value in piercing the Appalachian barrier. In the 1830s, former Vice President John C. Calhoun championed the Blue Ridge Railroad to link Charleston, South Carolina, to Cincinnati, Ohio, routing through Clayton and Rabun Gap. Construction started in 1854, involving massive stone piers, culverts, and tunnels like the 2,421-foot Dick’s Creek Tunnel in Rabun County. However, the project stalled amid the Civil War and financial woes, completing only partial segments; about 60% of the Dick’s Creek Tunnel was excavated before abandonment.
Success came with the Tallulah Falls Railroad, incorporated in 1887. Unlike the Blue Ridge, it fully utilized Rabun Gap for its 58-mile line from Cornelia, Georgia, north to Franklin, North Carolina, incorporating some unused Blue Ridge grading. This narrow-gauge railway transported lumber, passengers, and goods, boosting local economies until its abandonment in 1961 due to declining traffic and highway competition. Remnants, including tunnels and roadbeds, remain as historical sites.
Additional Source for this article
Rabun County Historical Society
For More Information – Sources and Resources
The following are excellent resources for those of you wanting to explore and learn more about the history and operation of the Appalachian Railroads. These sources of information also serve as reference and historical materials for Appalachian-Railroads.org. Much of the content on the website is verified across multiple sources.
- Associations and their Archives
- ACL & SCL Railroads Historical Society
- Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Historical Society
- Chesapeake & Ohio Historical Society
- Carolina Clinchfield Chapter National Railway Historical Society
- ET&WNC Railroad Historical Society and their Facebook Page
- George L. Carter Railroad Historical Society (Johnson City Railroad Experience)
- Louisville & Nashville Railroad Historical Society
- Norfolk & Western Historical Society
- Pennsylvania Railroad Technical and Historical Society
- Southern Railway Historical Association
- Watauga Valley Railroad Historical Society
- Personal Maps & Memorabilia: Documents, maps, timetables, and track charts
- Archives of Appalachia: ETSU, Johnson City TN
- Newspaper Articles: Newspapers.com
- Magazines/Online: ‘Trains‘, ‘Classic Trains‘
- Books
- Castner, Flanary & Dorin: Louisville & Nashville Railroad The Old Reliable‘
- Davis: The Southern Railway, Road of the Innovators‘
- Drury: The Historical Guide to North American Railroads
- Dixon: ‘Chesapeake & Ohio, Superpower to Diesels‘, Chesapeake & Ohio in the Coalfields, and ‘C&O Allegheny Subdivision‘
- Flanary: The Louisville & Nashville Cumberland Valley Division
- Flanary, Lindsey & Oroszi. The Southern Railway‘
- Flanary, Oroszi & McKee: ‘The Louisville & Nashville in the Appalachians‘
- Goforth: ‘Building the Clinchfield‘ and ‘When Steam Ran the Clinchfield‘
- Graybeal: ‘The Railroads of Johnson City‘
- Huddleston: ‘Appalachian Crossings – The Pocahontas Roads‘
- Irwin & Stahl: ‘The Last Empire Builder: The Life of George L. Carter‘
- Lindsey: ‘Norfolk Southern 1995 Review‘
- King: ‘Clinchfield Country‘
- Lindsey: ‘Norfolk Southern 1995 Review‘
- Marsh: ‘Clinchfield in Color‘
- Oroszi & Flanary: ‘Dixie Lines, The Louisville & Nashville Railroad‘
- Poole: ‘A History of Railroading in Western North Carolina‘
- Poteat & Taylor: ‘The CSX Clinchfield Route in the 21st Century‘
- Prince: ‘Nashville Chattanooga & St Louis Railway‘
- Stevens & Peoples: ‘The Clinchfield No. 1 – Tennessee’s Legendary Steam Engine‘
- Way: ‘The Clinchfield Railroad, the Story of a Trade Route Across the Blue Ridge Mountains‘
- Webb: ‘The Southern Railway System: An Illustrated History‘
- Wolfe: ‘Southern Railway Appalachia Division‘
- Wolfe, Wilson & Mandelkern: ‘Norfolk & Western’s Clinch Valley Line‘
- Young: ‘Appalachian Coal Mines and Railroads In Color,’ Volume 1: Kentucky and Volume 2: Virginia
- Online Article: Flanary: ‘The Quick Service Route, The Clinchfield Railroad‘; Scientific American: ‘The Costliest Railroad in America‘
- Online Videos: Ken Marsh on Kingsport area railroads and region’s history Video #1 | Video #2:
- Websites:
- Carolana.com – North Carolina Railroads, South Carolina Railroads
- Diesel Shop
- HawkinsRails.net
- Multimodalways
- StateOfFranklin.net which hosts Johnson’s Depot
- RailFanGuides.us for Johnson City and for Erwin
- SteamLocomotive.com
- VirginiaPlaces.org – Railroad History of Virginia
- WvncRails.org – North Carolina and West Virginia Railroads
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