Title: Jefferson and Northwestern
1Jefferson and Northwestern Railway Company
Erin Mitchell Linden-Kildare High School Gail
Dorgan Teacher Linden, Cass County, Texas
Photo courtesy Kenneth Hitchcock
2Background
In 1892 Clark and Boice Lumber Company, located
north of Jefferson on the east bank of the Big
Cypress Bayou, built a 36-inch gauge tap line
for the purpose of bringing logs to their mill in
north Jefferson, Texas, from points in northern
Cass County, Texas.
J NW at Clark and Boice Lumber Company Camp in
Cass County
Photo courtesy of Kenneth Hitchcock
31899
On November 15, 1899, Jefferson and Northwestern
Railway was Formally Chartered with 20,000 in
capital stock.
Purchased in November, The 19.03 mile 3-inch
gauge tap line connected Jefferson to a location
four miles southwest of Linden in Cass County.
Photo courtesy of Kenneth Hitchcock
41903-1904
By 1903 the J NW had Reached the Cave Springs
Community. In 1904 Linden received its first
railroad connection when the J NW completed the
branch line to the county seat.
J Nw engine 107
Photo courtesy Kenneth Hitchcock
51910
The j NW railway has no passenger traffic and
handles logs and lumber for the Clark and boice
lumber company in the amount of 26,950 tons of
logs and 10,200 tons of lumber. and hauled
crossties for a firm of railway contractors at a
charge of 10 per car for the 18 mile haul. 81
of the revenue for 1910 came from the Clark and
boice lumber company.
Clark and Boice loader and crew Cass County circa
1910.
Photo courtesy of Kenneth Hitchcock
61911
The j nw railway completed its line to linden,
bypassing Lanier by 3 miles, the residents of
which moved the community to its present located
to be near the railway.
The J NW entering Lanier from Marion County.
Photo courtesy of Kenneth Hitchcock
7J NW at Lanier
J NW officials and employees at lanier circa
1911
Photos courtesy Kenneth Hitchcock
81911
On November 27, 1911, the railroad commission
granted JNW status as a common carrier when
Clark and boice built an entry into linden as a
branch from Lanier. JNW would build 31.00
miles of track between Jefferson and camp and
between givens and linden.
Cass County circa 1921 showing Givens , Lanier
and Linden.
Photo courtesy of Texas Transportation Archive.
91911
On 6 December 1911, w.c. and Donie Taylor paid
the j NW railway 150 Same being the sum
donated to said company by the said w.c. Taylor
to induce said company to extend its line of road
into the town of linden.
Parcel of land 400 yards southwest from the
courthouse in linden.
Page 578 Grantor/Grantee book CCCO
101911
On 8 June, 1911, I.E.E Brougher received from J
NW Railway 125 for block 30 in linden. There is
a stipulation that the contract will remain in
full force as long as railway shall continue to
operate, if discontinued this land shall revert
to the grantor, heirs, executors and assigns.
P. 579 of Grantor/Grantee Book CCCO
111911
On 11 December 1911, W.H. and Ida Harris received
50 from J NW, but the deed reads the sum of
fifty dollars paid by the Jefferson and
Northwestern railway company as follows ten
(10.00) dollars cash, the receipt of which is
hereby acknowledged.
P. 580 showing J NW purchase of land lying east
of the Jefferson and Linden Road.
Grantor/Grantee deed
121911
On November 1 1911, for the first time in the
towns history, a regular passenger and freight
train service began operation in linden. Farm
produce, passengers, goods, wares, merchandise
and the output of several saw and shingle mills
began their trip to Jefferson.
Cass county sun
13J NW Freight
In 1911, the J NW shipped 3,000 to 6,000 bales
of cotton and other products in the fall.
Photo courtesy of pictorial history of cass county
141934 - 1941
In 1934, the line was sold under foreclosure. On
October 31, 1934, and Rechartered as the J nw
railroad company. J NW R.r. line operations
were discontinued on September 9, 1941
Passenger car of the Jefferson Northwestern.
Photo courtesy Kenneth Hitchcock
15Timeline
- 1899 Chartered November 5
- 1912 Built 31 .00 miles from Jefferson to Camp
and 4.86 miles from Given to Linden - 1917 Built 4.25 miles from Camp to Marietta
- 1926 Built 9.00 miles from Marietta to Naples
- 1932-1933 29.31 miles from Linden Junction to
Naples were abandoned - 1934 Sold under foreclosure in August and
rechartered on October 31 as the Jefferson and
Northwestern Railroad Company - 1935 January 1 Jefferson and Northwestern
Railroad acquires the line - 1941 Operations were discontinued on September
1 - 1942 19.03 miles of track from Linden to
- Jefferson were abandoned
1899 chartered November 5, 1912 built 31.00
miles from Jefferson to camp and 4.86 from
givens to linden 1917 built 4.25 miles from
camp to marietta 1918 trackage 35,429 miles on
the first main track 4.297 miles of yard and
side track 1926 9.00 miles from marietta to
naples 1932 /1933 29.31 miles abandoned from
linden junction to naples 1934 in august,
sold under forclosure 1934 on october 31,
1934, Jefferson and northwestern railroad
company chartered 1935 j NW R.R co. acquired
line 1941 operations discontinued September 1,
1941 1942 line abandoned
Photo Courtesy Kenneth Hitchcock
16Visual Credits
Slide 1 Photo courtesy of Kenneth
Hitchcock Slide 2 Photo courtesy of Kenneth
Hitchcock Slide 3 Photo courtesy of Kenneth
Hitchcock Slide 4 Photo courtesy of Kenneth
Hitchcock Slide 5 Photo courtesy of Kenneth
Hitchcock Slide 6 Photo courtesy of Kenneth
Hitchcock Slide 7 Photo courtesy of Kenneth
Hitchcock Slide 8 Photo by Texas Transportation
Archive Slide 9 Photo by Erin Mitchell Slide
10 Photo by Erin Mitchell Slide 11 Photo by
Erin Mitchell Slide 12 Photo by Cass County
Sun Slide 13 Photo courtesy of Kenneth
Hitchcock Slide 14 Photo courtesy of Kenneth
Hitchcock Slide 15 Photo courtesy of Kenneth
Hitchcock Slide 16 Photo courtesy of Kenneth
Hitchcock Slide 17 - Photo courtesy of
KennethHitchcock
17Bibliography
Almira Dots. Cass county Sun. 13 Feb 1917
2. Cass County Genealogy and History Resources.
retrieved 31 Aug 2009 from http//www.ttarchive.co
m/library/counties/county_Cass .html Clark and
Boice Lumber Company. Sawmill database Texas
forest museum Lufkin, TX. Retrieved 11 Sept 12
from http//www.treetexas.com/research/sawmill/?ac
tionviewcid2108 Extends Line in Cass County.
Cass county Sun. 13 Feb 1917 2. Grantor deed
from I.E.E. Brougher to The Jefferson and
Northwestern Railway Company, 8 Dec 1911(filed 8
December 1911) Cass County, Texas.
Grantor/Grantee Book page 579. Cass County
Clerks Office, Linden, Texas. Grantor deed from
W. H. Harris and Wife, Ida Harris to The
Jefferson and Northwestern Railway Company, 11
Dec 1911 (filed 12 December 1911) Cass County,
Texas. Grantor/Grantee Book page 109. Cass
County Clerks Office, Linden, Texas. Grantor
deed from W.C. Taylor and Wife, Donie Taylor to
The Jefferson and Northwestern Railway Company, 6
Dec 1911(filed 13 December 1911) Cass County,
Texas. Grantor/Grantee Book page 578. Cass
County Clerks Office, Linden, Texas. Harper,
Jr., Cecil. Lanier, Tex. Handbook of Texas
Online(http//www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/a
rticles/hn/11) accessed September 12, 2012.
Published by the Texas State Historical
Association. Hines, C.C. Old New Linden,
Texas. Cass County Sun. 15 October 1912 21.
Charline Wiley Morris Collection Linden, Texas.
J NW Railroad. Cass county Sun. 15 June
1919 3. Jefferson Lumber Company. Retrieved
11 Sept 12 from http//www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/
txcass/resources/misc/casscosawandgristmills.html
Jefferson and Northwestern RR. Texas
Shortlines and Industrial Railroads. Retrieved
11 sept 2012 from http//donsdepot.conrossgroup.
net/dr707.htm Jefferson Northwestern RY.
Historic Texas logging railroads lumber
carriers. Retrieved 27 may 2010 from
http//www.ttarchive.com/Library/Lists/Tx_trams_T
TA.List.html Jefferson and Northwestern (1899).
Retrieved 11 Sept. 2012 from http//qeusnet.com/r
teeter/RR-of-NETexas/Talk_JNW.html The Jefferson
Northwestern Railroad Company. Citizens
Journal. 17 March 1983 1. The Jefferson and
northwestern railway. Retrieved 11 Sept. 2012
from http//www.angelfire.com/tx/nostalgia/pagetw
o.html Lazara, Sue. JNW railroad. Message to
Erin Mitchell. 10 Sept. 2012. E- Mail. Lazara,
Sue. Forward 2. Message to Erin Mitchell. 16
Oct. 2012. E-Mail. Lazara, Sue. route map
jnw. Message to Erin Mitchell. 16 Oct 2011.
E-Mail. Loading of Cotton. A pictorial history
of Cass County. Richardson, T.C. East Texas
its history and its makers. New York Lewis
Historical Publication, 1940. M ET
Abandonment Hearing. Cass county Sun. 27 Mar
1917 1. McGilvray, Victor. Personal Interview.
5 Dec 2012. Mitchell, Jackie. Personal
Interview. 7 Dec 2012. Notice of Special
Meeting of stockholders of Jefferson
Northwestern Ry co. Cass County Sun 13 March
1917 2. Photographs of J NW at Lanier. Taken
around 1911. Copy in possession of Kenneth
Hitchcock, Linden, Texas. Saw and Grist mills
of Cass County. Retrieved 11 sept 2012
http//www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/txcass/resources
/misc/casscosawandgristmills.html Stephens, Kay.
Personal Interview. 5 Dec 2012. Tapline Case
Summaries Jefferson Northwestern Railway.
Retrieved 11 Sept. 2012 from http//www.ttarchive
.com/Library/Articles/TaplineCase_JeffersonNorthw
estern.html Tarpley, Fred. Jefferson Riverport
to the Southwest. Austin Eakin Press, 1983.
Tram Railroad database Jefferson
Northwestern Railway Company. Retrieved 11 Sept.
12 from http//www.treetexas.com/research/railroad
/?actionviewcid36 Warranty deed from The
Jefferson and Northwestern Railroad Company to
O.R.Taylor, 12 Aug. 1941 (filed 19 August 1941)
Cass County, Texas. Grantor/Grantee Book page
109. Cass County Clerks Office, Linden, Texas.
Young, Nancy. Jefferson and Northwestern
Railway." Handbook of Texas Online.
(http//www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articl
es/egi02),accessed Sept. 29, 2011. Published by
the Texas State Historical Commission.