Railroad Issues

· In 1852, a bill was passed to run a railroad from Goldsboro to Beaufort. When the bill was passed, they’d not decided where the terminus would be. A surveyor came to Beaufort and identified four possible locations for the end of the line, but none suited the citizens of the town. Through misunderstandings and delays, Beaufort lost it’s chance for a railroad and did not get one for over 50 years. As a result, Wilmington outpaced Beaufort in commercial traffic and growth during the late 19th century.

· No railroad ran into the town of Beaufort until 1907.

· Round trip railroad tickets from Charlotte to Morehead City, good for the whole season were $19.05, a ten day ticket was $9.95

· The Beaufort Hotel went into bankruptcy because of the lack of transportation. Wilmington’s railroad was completed in 1840 and business there was booming in the hotel/hospitality industry.