ET&WNC | George W. Hardin
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Page Contents
George W. Hardin and the Hardin Family
The ET&WNC is a fabled and beloved railroad. Much of its legacy, charm, and existence is due to one family, the Hardins. Jordan C. Hardin was one of the first investors in the railroad in the 1880s and served on the Board of Directors. His son George Hardin (George W. Hardin) had the same passion for railroading and the ET&WNC, leading the iconic railroad in the 1900s.
George Hardin – Vice President & General Manager
George W. Hardin was ET&WNC Railroad’s Superintendent, and Vice-President and General Manager up until his death in 1922.
In his youth, George Hardin graduated from Milligan University and later started out as a switchman on the ET&WNC in 1886. Throughout the years he served as a yard master, station agent, and master of the transportation department. In 1901 he was appointed Superintendent of the Railway and in 1918 VP/General Manager.
Photo courtesy Cy Crumley Collection at StateOfFranklin.net
In 1901, a flood damaged a section of the railroad that ran through the Doe River Gorge near Hampton TN. This photo is of Hardin supervising the repair and reconstruction of line at Pardee Point. Due to the mountainous terrain and the spring rains, floods were common in upper East Tennessee, especially in the gorge and nearby mountain valleys. Railroad bicycles and rail cars were used to inspect and to survey the roadbed and rails.
Photo courtesy Cy Crumley Collection at StateOfFranklin.net
Community Leader/Milligan University
Hardin was also a Johnson City civic leader and a major benefactor to then Milligan College, now Milligan University. Hardin Hall on the campus is named in his honor.
ET&WNC Sources & Resources
The following are excellent resources for those of you wanting to explore and learn more about the ET&WNC Railroad. 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.
- Archives:
- Associations:
- ET&WNC Railroad Historical Society and their Facebook Page
- George L. Carter Railroad Historical Society (Johnson City Railroad Experience)
- Personal Maps & Memorabilia: Documents, maps, timetables, and track charts
- Books:
- Ferrell: ‘Tweetsie Country’
- Graybeal: ‘The Railroads of Johnson City’
- Graybeal: ‘Along the ET&WNC’ Volumes 1-6
- Poole: ‘History of Railroading in Western North Carolina’
- Scheer & Black: ‘Tweetsie: The Blue Ridge Steamwinder’
- Sulzer: ‘Ghost Railroads of Tennessee’
- Newspaper Articles: Newspapers.com
- Magazines/Online: ‘Trains‘, ‘Classic Trains‘
- Websites:
- Carolana.com
- CarterCountyHistory.com
- StateOfFranklin.net which hosts Johnson’s Depot
- SteamLocomotive.com
