Greenville & Columbia RR

Front: The Greenville & Columbia Railroad, founded in 1845, began construction in 1849. It reached Greenville in 1852, with a branch at this point to Anderson – the Blue Ridge Railroad. The town of Belton grew up around the junction of the two railroads, which later merged after the Civil War. The two rail lines made Belton the hub of passenger and freight service for Anderson District. Reverse: Belton, incorporated in 1855, was named for Judge John Belton O’Neall, president of the G&C RR. Its square was laid out around the first depot. The Blue Ridge RR was acq uired by the Southern Railway in the 1890s, and this depot was built in 1908-09. With an electric rail line added in 1902 and the arrival of the Piedmont & Northern RR in 1912, as many as 85 trains passed through Belton daily.