By Christian Warren Freed
There was a time, long before the internal combustion engine and endless webs of pavement crisscrossing the area, when horse and wagon was the dominant form of transportation. Horses were eventually supplanted by the steam engine and thus the birth of the railroad. The rail system became the glue the nation needed as it expanded and settled into what we now know and enjoy today.
As a young child, I remember having matching conductor hats with my grandfather and taking trips on historic trains throughout New York and Pennsylvania or heading down to his basement to watch him work on the massive model train table he spent years building. Those memories may be faded around the edges, but the allure of the railroad spirit remains. Just like me, Holly Springs remembers as well.
This summer, on August 22 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Holly Springs Cultural Center, the town will be celebrating the Durham & Southern Railroad with “All Aboard, Holly Springs!” This event is part of the larger 150th Anniversary of the town founding and promises to be an amazing time for people of all ages. There will be interactive model train displays hosted by the Atlantic Coast S Gaugers, Neuse River Valley Train Club, and the North Raleigh Model Railroad Club. If you’ve never seen one of these displays, you are in for a treat. The level of detail goes beyond incredible.
One train set includes interactive buttons that participants can adjust. A train-themed craft, historical photos, a presentation about the history of the rail line that used to travel through Holly Springs, and safety and educational information will be part of the event, as well. The Town is also unveiling a historical marker commemorating the train, and that unique feature from Holly Springs history is reflected on the new mural that is being painted downtown.
The Railroad through Holly Springs
The railroad was one of the most important economic developments in our town during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Before that, commerce depended on poorly conditioned roads and interminably long journeys, even over short distances. Not an easy life for anyone. The Civil War was over, and the country was in the throes of rebuilding. Something needed to happen and that something was the railroad.
Our very own George Benton Alford chartered the Cape Fear and Northern Railway in 1892. Construction began six years later, stretching almost 60 miles from Durham to Dunn. By 1906, the railway was re-named the Durham & Southern Railroad. The name would change every now and again all the way up to 1990.
It wasn’t until the closure of the cotton and denim mill in Erwin in 2000 that the railroad finally saw its last days. Textiles had been one of the top three largest industries in North Carolina, prompting the need for a dedicated transportation line. With the mill shut down, so, too, went the Durham & Southern Line. The tracks were largely abandoned and the stations closed, though some of the tracks between Durham and Apex are still being used by CSX.
For a brief hundred-year period, the railroad was the life’s blood of Holly Springs and the surrounding area. It seems only fitting that the town has dedicated a day to celebrate this proud tradition and remind people of a different time.
Robert Rousseau knows the powerful allure of the mighty locomotive. He is a member of the Norfolk & Southern Historical Society and the Carolina Piedmont Division of the National Model Railroad Association (NMRA). Both organizations do their part to help preserve and share railroad history and its impact — then and now — on our communities.
The Norfolk & Southern Historical Society focuses on researching, preserving, and interpreting the history of the original Norfolk & Southern Railway and the communities it served. Through publications, archives, and historical research, they help ensure that important stories such as the Durham & Southern Railroad and its connection to Holly Springs are not forgotten.
The Carolina Piedmont Division of the NMRA promotes education through model railroading, historical programs, clinics, and public outreach. Model railroading is much more than a hobby; it is a way to understand how railroads operated, how towns developed around them, and how transportation shaped economic growth throughout North Carolina and the nation.
Robert explains, “One of the most rewarding aspects of being involved with these organizations is helping people discover that railroad history is really community history. The story of the Durham & Southern Railroad is not just about trains; it is about the people of Holly Springs who worked together to bring new opportunities and economic development to their town. Preserving and sharing that story helps future generations understand how their community was built.”
Both organizations help people connect with history in a hands-on way. When someone studies a railroad map, researches a local depot, builds a model of a railroad scene, or visits a historical marker, they gain a better understanding of how railroads connected communities, created jobs, supported local businesses, and helped towns like Holly Springs grow and prosper.
The pace slowed and life was easier, thanks to the railroad. Rail lines became major arteries for moving everything from crops and goods and the mail, to passenger trains taking people across this massive nation. The railroad connected Holly Springs with the rest of America in ways that were previously unthinkable just a few decades prior.
“In many ways, railroads were the highways of their era, and communities that secured rail connections often experienced significant economic advantages over those that did not,” Robert explains.
To commemorate the anniversary of Holly Springs and the importance of the railroad, a historical marker emplaced at the location of the original Holly Springs train station is a reminder of our history and how far we have come in a relatively short period of time. The marker serves as a testament to the allure of the railroad and our predecessors who had the vision and determination to bring new opportunities and economic growth to Holly Springs.
We are entirely shaped by our history. Forgetting our past — whether it was good, bad, or unremarkable — diminishes our ability to strive for a better future and stunts our collective growth. Thanks to people like George Benton Alford and Miss Mattie V. Alford, who turned the first ceremonial shovelful of dirt in 1898, Holly Springs has a place in our shared history and continues expanding the promises of the past through dreams of the future.
Robert sums this up perfectly by saying, “Preserving that history helps us appreciate both the opportunities and challenges they faced and reminds us that today’s community was built by generations of residents who believed in Holly Springs’ future much like today’s own town citizens.”
Mark your calendars now for Saturday, August 22, and come celebrate this historic occasion as only residents of Holly Springs can.
For details about the All-Aboard event, visit hsnc150.com. Curious about Holly Springs’ historical marker program? Check out hollyspringsnc.gov/266/Historical-Marker-Program. If you want to learn more about the Durham & Southern Railroad, please go to durhamsouthern.com. You can also read more about railroad history and preservation organizations at norfolksouthernhs.org and cpd13.org.
