Way Back When
In Baldwin County with Harriet Outlaw:
The 10:10 was a mighty fine train
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Steam Engine 123 of the Foley branch of the L&N spur line. Photo enhanced and contributed by John C. Lewis. Select to see larger.
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by Harriet Brill Outlaw
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You never know which stories you tell will become a part of your legacy.
I once told my wee twin grandsons that in Bay Minette in the 1920s, the main source of entertainment for teenagers like their great-grandmother was going to the depot to watch the L&N train come in at 10:10 each night. They made up stories about the disembarking passengers and sometimes even talked to them. This was before there were any fast food places they could hang.
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Above is a map of the L&N railroad with all of its stops and the names of the stations. The map is dated January 28, 1913. Select to see larger.
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While driving around one day, we crossed a railroad track, and Parker, age 3, piped up, "Yup, that 10:10 was a mighty fine train." That has become a catchword any time we cross a track today - which isn't nearly as often as it was way back when the trains carried passengers daily. I am ecstatic about the restoration of the passenger line from Mobile to New Orleans and plan to be one of the first to try it out - my last time being in 1968, shortly before Camille devastated the Gulf Coast tracks. I wish I had been lucky enough to ride the now defunct rail line in Baldwin County running south from Bay Minette to Foley. But I have been lucky enough to talk to people who did.
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Bay Minette Depot, where the L&N made a stop every night at 10:10 for about 50 years. Select to see larger.
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The rail tales around here are the stuff legends are made of. The spur line was opened in 1905, especially designed to bring prospective home and farm owners to the central part of the rural county. There were plans to go all the way to Fort Morgan and even connect with the People's Railroad from Fairhope, but the end of the line was completed only to Foley.
Bay Minette and Fort Morgan Railroad Company certificate
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A one share certificate issued by the Bay Minette and Fort Morgan Railroad Company for one-hundred dollars to W.A. Colston in 1908. J. H. Ellis is secretay and W. L. Mapother is vice president. Select to see larger.
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Train schedule for July 4, 1909
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Investors had purchased large tracts of land all along the future rail line and began to develop towns and mark off farmsteads - all for sale, of course. They even offered a reduced rail fare on the Homeseekers' Excursion and a free night in a hotel if the prospective homeowners would just visit with a real estate agent. Sound familiar? Right - there is not much new under the sun.
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Hotel Magnolia was built in 1906 for guests at the end of the rail line from Bay Minette to Foley. Select to see larger.
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One of the primary investors was John Foley, who had been a leader in the movement to open up the county. He had town plans drawn up and built the magnificent Hotel Magnolia near the depot. The Railroad Depot in Foley is a story in itself. The building was abandoned when the train ceased its daily runs and was slated to be destroyed, but John Snook came to the rescue, buying it and moving it to his farm in Magnolia Springs. Then, years later, when the city wanted it to be the center attraction of the park created around the old train tracks, John moved it and restored it to its original splendor.
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Foley train depot in the 1920s. Select to see larger.
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It now houses the Foley Railroad Museum, well worth a day-long visit. Be sure you go when the model trains are running. What a treasure is found in the former loading dock building. Model train enthusiasts dedicate countless hours and money to keep the extensive display open to the public.
One of the main railroad enthusiasts is Bob Ingram, who actually rode on the train when he was just 4 years old. His grandmother took him to Summerdale and then back that afternoon. I love this grandmother!
Train schedule for February 1, 1948
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In its heyday, the train ran from Foley to Bay Minette every morning and returned at 5 that afternoon. Soon after the line was completed, the hurricane of 1906 struck with a force that left thousands of pine trees in ruins. The rail line decided to convert a coal burning engine to wood burning by redesigning the smokestack to accommodate wood fuel. The purpose of the design was to prevent live embers from being expelled. Locals gathered dead wood and put it in the boxes at the stations with a validating form. The railroad would then pay them with a monthly check. The engine became fondly known as the Pine Knot Special.
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The Pine Knot Special boasted a smokestack converted from coal to wood burning furnace to use the trees destroyed by the 1906 hurricane.
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There were water tanks and fuel boxes at the stops along the way: Bay Minette, Stapleton, Loxley, Robertsdale, Summerdale and Foley. Foley featured a wye turn-around rather than a round house to reverse the engines.
After regular passenger service ceased, the trains were used for years to transport potatoes, cucumbers, gladiolus flowers, livestock and anything else farmers shipped to the northern markets. Specially designed refrigeration chambers simply used ice in compartments in the boxcars.
Probably the most famous train to pay a visit to the county was the General, of the Great Locomotive Chase in Georgia during the War Between the States. The engine is on display today in the Kennesaw Rail Museum. For the USA Bicentennial in 1976, a special train ran the spur line for passengers dressed in colonial costumes with events at every stop along the way.
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Above is a map of the L&N railroad spur rail line in Baldwin County. The Bay Minette and Fort Morgan Railroad Company incorporated June 21, 1904 with the following officers, Thomas P. Hamm, Willard W. Olney and William D. Stapleton. They began buying land and constructing the railroad until May 11, 1905 when it was completed at Foley, never reaching Fort Morgan as it had been originally planned. This map neglected to list the depots at Stapleton and Silverhill/Robertsdale. Select to see larger.
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The General rode the rails on its own power to Foley. This illustration is of the Great Locomotive Chase or "The Mitchell Raid" of which The General was a part in 1862.
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Much credit goes to the towns along the tracks and the Rails to Trails organization for creating public space along most of the railbeds. The parks are the center points of Summerdale, Robertsdale and Foley - and maybe someday we can walk the entire distance. Hope we get there by 10:10 that night so we can see that mighty fine train come in.
Go here to read about the Silverhill Train Depot in Robertsdale.
Printed in the Gulf Coast Media
gulfcoastmedia.com
May 28, 2025
Written May 2025
by Harriet Brill Outlaw
Gulf Coast Media Contributor
ABOUT THIS ARTICLE
This is part of a bi-weekly series with content exclusive to Gulf Coast Media.
Do you remember way back when? ... Gulf Coast Media featured a column series written by
Harriet Outlaw, covering topics like Spanish moss, local ghosts and unique cultural artifacts?
Now, Outlaw's work returns with a new twist. Her series, "Way Back When," delves into
forgotten people and places along the Gulf Coast, bringing to light the characters and stories
that shaped local culture. Look for stories about notable figures like Hatchett Chandler and
Walter Overton, and explore places rich with untold history.
Outlaw's storytelling is both entertaining and educational, blending history with a down-to-earth
narrative style. She has authored several books and produced documentaries with local
schools and the Baldwin County Commission, available on YouTube.
Have a story from "Way Back When" to share? Contact her at harrietoutlaw@ gmail.com.
Resources
Outlaw, Harriet Brill. Email communication with Debbie Owen, containing photographs and document, "Way Back When in Baldwin County with Harriet Outlaw: The 10:10 was a mighty fine train." written May 2025 by Harriet Outlaw. Email June 2025, harrietoutlaw@ msn.com.
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