The Southwestern Railroad of Georgia was the first rail line to connect with Eufaula when the railroad bridge between Georgetown, Georgia and Eufaula was completed in late 1865. In 1867 the Vicksburg & Brunswick Railroad Company was formed to build a line from Eufaula to Meridian, Mississippi. Vicksburg & Brunswick Railroad passenger and freight depot opened in 1872, and that same year, the line was leased by the Southwestern Railroad of Georgia. In 1879 the line was purchased by Central Railroad and Banking Company of Georgia. Due to the poor condition of the Vicksburg & Brunswick Railroad passenger and freight depot, Central Railroad of Georgia built a new passenger depot in 1889. Around the same time, Central of Georgia Freight Depot was completed just west of the passenger depot. The passenger depot remained in service until the early 1950s when it was razed. The freight depot was utilized by Central of Georgia Railroad until the late 1980s when it was abandoned.
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The City of Eufaula acquired the Central of Georgia Railroad Freight Depot building in the 1980s with plans to rehabilitate it for use as a multi-purpose facility for the Eufaula Barbour County Chamber of Commerce, Eufaula Barbour County Tourism Council, Main Street Eufaula and the Barbour County Interpretative Center. Under the leadership of Mayor Jay Jaxon and former House Speaker James S. Clark, in cooperation with the Chamber and Eufaula Barbour County Historic Foundation, more than $1 million was raised for this project. Renovation began in 1999. The building was occupied by the Chamber on March 1, 2002 and named the James S. Clark Center on April 15, 2002. The former freight depot is included within the Seth Lore and Irwinton Historic District. The Center is the starting point for the Eufaula Rails to Trails program, which follows a portion of the old railroad bed in close proximity to Lake Eufaula and on to historic Old Creek Town Park.
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