Chattahoochee Valley Railway

he Chattahoochee Valley Railway was constructed by the West Point Manufacturing Company to serve a series of cotton mills that it operated along the west bank of the Chattahoochee River, in eastern Alabama. Operations began on the standard gauge line in January of 1897. The shortline operated between West Point, Georgia, and Bleecker, Alabama — a total of 41 miles. Interchange was made with the West Point Route (Atlanta & West Point, later CSX) at West Point, and with the Central of Georgia (later Southern Railway) at Bleecker. The common carrier line was owned by the West Point-Pepperell company, which operated the large cotton mill at Lanett. Traffic included cotton, textile products, and farm products. The CHV also did pulpwood hauling for the paper mill in Panama City, Florida. The line between Bleecker and McGinty was abandoned in 1974; the entire railroad ceased operations in 1992, with tracks removed the following year. By the time of the abandonment the railroad length was less than 10 miles. A 7-mile section of the right of way has been preserved as the Chattahoochee Valley Railroad Trail.