Wagener

Front: Wagener, established after the Blackville, Alston, & Newberry RR built its line from Blackville to Seivern in 1887-88, was originally known as Guntersville or Gunter’s Crossroads. When incorporated in 1888 it was renamed for George A. Wagener (1846-1908), a Charleston merchant and president of the B. A. & N. RR. In 1891 the B. A. & N. merged with the Barnwell Railway to form Carolina Midland Railway, which would be absorbed by the Southern Railway in 1900. Reverse: George A. Wagener was also president of the Standard Kaolin Company, shipping kaolin clay on the B. A. & N. from mines in Aiken Co. to railroads connected to Charleston and its markets. From 1898 to 1933 a freight and passenger train known as “The Swamp Rabbit” ran from Perry to Batesburg, at first on the Carolina Midland and the Sievern & Knoxville lines but for many years on the Southern Railway. It linked Wagener to several Aiken County and Lexington County towns.