A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE WILMINGTON RAILROAD MUSEUM
On May 1st, 1979, the Wilmington Railroad Museum Foundation was chartered and received official articles of incorporation from the State of North Carolina. Led by three women, Hazel K. Morse, Gerda Wooten, and Marguerite James, the museum grew quickly, from a single exhibit case in the Dudley Mansion and a table at Riverfest, to the museum we are today.
The railroad left Wilmington, and these women felt the need to keep the history of the railroad in Wilmington alive. As soon as they had a place for artifacts, they began to fill it. As soon as they had a building for the collection, they opened the doors to the public.
Wilmington Railroad Museum has the preservation of history at its heart. We collect and display railroad artifacts and memorabilia. We continually do restoration work on our locative and caboose. We have been a part of saving Atlantic Coast Line Railroad buildings in Wilmington. 45 years later, the museum continues the mission of the women who started it all: preserving the legacy of the railroad that built Wilmington.
Wilmington Railroads:
For more than 125 years, railroading was Wilmington's chief industry. In 1840 the Wilmington & Weldon Railroad was completed and was the longest continuous rail line in the world at 161 miles long.
Near the turn of the 20th century several railroads up and down the eastern seaboard, including the Wilmington & Weldon, merged to become the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad. The ACL company headquarters was located here in Wilmington.
During its heyday, the railroad contributed heavily to the area's commercial and industrial growth and provided jobs and revenue for the local economy. In 1960 the ACL moved its headquarters from Wilmington to Jacksonville, FL. It was the largest single move of employees ever staged by a southeastern industry. The railroad moved over 1,000 employees, their families, their belongings, and the company files and office equipment more than 450 miles by rail.