The Iron Trail to Hattiesburg: The Gulf & Ship Island Railroad

This is the story of William Hardy's vision of a railroad from the coast to Hattiesburg. The railroad became known as the Gulf & Ship Island railroad, and sparked the timber boom of south Mississippi. As a result, Hattiesburg was born, and experienced phenomenal growth over the first part of the Century. This video was made with my original 3D models of Hattiesburg. Terrain sculpting and animation were accomplished using Trainz Railroad Simulator. All music was composed and performed by the author.

[@adeleclark4869]

Great!

[@luannparks5709]

Beautifully done! Enjoyed this immensely 😊❤

[@jackbcjr]

Thanks!!

[@millistaxx2191]

Great history! I've always loved the ornate architecture in my home city. Some of he neighborhoods surrounding some of the noted structures also feature impressive homes.

[@jackbcjr]

Thanks Milli.

[@benjaminpettis5468]

Great Video & History Lesson

[@jackbcjr]

Thanks!

[@patmccarthy1624]

Very well done, Jack! I hope you can do another edition focusing on the G&SI in Hattiesburg and it's movement north. Thanks for the effort!

[@keepdigginmetaldetecting]

Fantastic video history of our area.

[@jackbcjr]

Thanks!

[@keepdigginmetaldetecting]

I can’t wait to watch this.

[@johnw.shepherd7360]

Outstanding job, well done.

[@jackbcjr]

Thanks John.

[@markklem]

Awesome!

[@jackbcjr]

Glad to know that you enjoyed it.

[@ffp1974]

My Grandfather was hired by Jones. My GF built all the bridges and the pier to allow ships to offload. He built over 20 bridges

[@jackbcjr]

That is fascinating information. That would have been quite an undertaking in 1900 or so! That pier was about a mile long at some point.

[@Hat12man]

Well done young man! I also highly recommend the great and unique autobiography/biography of Captain William Harris Hardy by himself and his son Toney Hardy "No Compromise With Principle--The Life & Times of William Harris Hardy and The Mississippi He Loved!" [1911--WHH; 1946, Tony Hardy]. Available in the Archives of the Southern Miss McCain Graduate Library.

[@jackbcjr]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it.

[@Hat12man]

This CZcams video is 36 minutes long, and while not perfect (e.g., regarding giving far too much credit to northern "yankee carpetbaggers"), is nevertheless well done and worthy..
However, this production does fail to point out the fundamental fact that if there had been no "War of Northern Aggression" from 1861-65 (primarily started by Abe Lincoln and the radical Republican northerners for power & money--not to help black folk), or had The South won that war, there would have been no need or allowance for any northern capital investments to commence or finish the Gulf & Ship Island RR--or any other Southern railroads of that era--the required funding would have come straight from Mississippi investors and likely wealthy New Orleans investors: As per the U.S. federal Census of 1860, Mississippi was THE RICHEST highest per capita income State in America, NOT last, as it has been since that UNNECESSARY war. Mississippi's annual wealth was over twice that of the closest northern State of Connecticut and THREE TIMES that of New York! (And it was NOT nearly all based on slavery as over 90% of Mississippians [or any Southerners] every owned a single slave!)..Pennsylvanian--NOT a Tennessean--opportunist profiteer WFS Tatum--would not have been allowed to cross the State Line!!
I also highly recommend the great and unique autobiography/biography of our truly illustrious Founder--CSA Captain William Harris Hardy written by himself and his son Toney Hardy 35 years apart: "No Compromise With Principle--The Life & Times of William Harris Hardy and The Mississippi He Loved!" [1911--Wm Hardy; 1946--Tony Hardy]. Available via the Archives of the Southern Miss McCain Graduate Library.

[@Hat12man]

First Baptist Church was the third Church of Hattiesburg in 1884, not the first--First Presbyterian was first in 1882, then Main Street Methodist in 1883, then FBC.