MADISON Co. (WTXL) - In the late 1800s, the Valdosta Southern Railroad brought new industry to the state, expanded the tourist economy, and allowed for rapid development of residential and commercial areas.
In the 1970s, the railroad shut down and sat vacant for 20 years. That's when Madison County decided to turn it into a walking trail.
Jeanne Bass, the Madison County Planner explains that, "In 1990, the Department of Transportation offered it to people to buy the old railroad bed but there weren't too many takers on it, a couple of people did buy parts of it that then donated it back to the county for us to do the trail.
In 2002, plans were drafted to convert the former railroad right of way into trails. The six mile trail from the Withlacoochee river to Hanson was completed in 2007 and an additional six miles from Hanson to Madison was added in 2011.
Bass says, "We were able to get a grant from the Department of Transportation to continue it on to the Northern boundary of Madison which now the total trail is about 12 miles long."
The entire project cost over one million dollars; money Bass says was well spent in order to transform a piece of the city's history into something that families can now enjoy, "Every time I'm out here, I meet somebody that has come from somewhere else that have heard about the trail, so I'm very pleased that people are enjoying it, using it, and I think it's a great asset for our county."
