Timeline of Railroads Coming to Brooksville

1880’s – Florida had built just 50 miles of railroad north of Ocala after the Civil War

1870’s – Henry Plant and Henry Flagler build and an additional 2,560 miles of railroad track  

1879 – Florida Southern Railway was incorporated to build a railroad from Lake City (Central FL) to Charlotte Harbor (Port Charlotte) 

1883 – Henry Plant invests in the Florida Southern Railway

1885 – Florida Southern Railway completes track to Croom (Pemberton Ferry)

1885 – Brooksville citizens form the Brooksville Railroad Association and Telegraph Company to extend railroad track from Croom to Brooksville.  The track was completed, and Train Depot built by the Florida Southern Railway.  The first train comes to Brooksville.  The extension was known as the “Brooksville Short”.

1890 – The Florida Southern Railway goes into receivership

1892 – Florida Southern Railway reorganized into the Florida Southern Railroad (RR)

1896 – Florida Southern Railroad is absorbed into the Plant System of railroads

1902 – The Brooksville & Hudson Navigation Railroad was built and owned by Aripeka Sawmill Inc.  Brooksville now has two railroads servicing the city: the Florida Southern Railroad of the Plant System, and the Brooksville & Hudson Navigation Railroad.

1903 – The Plant System sells the Florida Southern Railroad to the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACL)

1907 – The Brooksville & Hudson Navigation RR is purchased by The Tampa Northern Railroad. The Tampa Northern RR builds a second train depot in Brooksville – Tampa Northern Depot (on Jefferson Street and ACL Street) which provides through passenger service directly from Brooksville to Tampa.

1908 – Brooksville becomes a junction to the Atlantic Coast Line and the Tampa Northern Railroad.

1912 – Tampa Northern Railroad bought by the Seaboard Air Line Railroad (SAL).

1941 – The Croom station and yard were permanently closed eliminating all passenger traffic for the Brooksville area. 

1967 – The Atlantic Coast Line (ACL) and the Seaboard Air Line (SAL) railroads merge to become the Seaboard Cost Line Railroad (SCL). The Brooksville Russell Street Train Depot was closed; however, it was leased to government agencies until 1983.

1971 – Federal legislation established Amtrak for all passenger service; however, Seaboard Coast Line elected to run passenger service from Lorton, VA to Sanford, FL.  This became the Auto Train. 

1986  – Seaboard Coast Line (SCL) and the Chessie System of railroads merged into CSX Transportation, a subsidiary of the CSX Corporation

1991 – The Hernando Historical Museum Association purchased the Brooksville 1885 Train Depot from the CSX Corporation.

1996 – The Tampa Northern Depot was destroyed by fire.