The "Hub City"

Front: The first rail line to serve the Hub City, the Spartanburg & Union R.R., was completed in 1859. In 1873, the Atlanta & Charlotte Air Line R.R., later Southern Railway, linked Spartanburg to cities along the East Coast, resulting in major growth for the city and the local textile industry. Later, Spartanburg emerged as a major rail junction with 7 lines serving the city. The lines radiated outward like spokes on a wheel, leading to the moniker “Hub City.” Reverse: Spartanburg Union Station, sometimes called Southern Station, was designed by architect Frank Pierce Milburn. Southern Railway built Spartanburg Union Station here in 1905 to serve their passenger trains. The main station was razed in 1973. The remaining section, which now houses the Hub City Railroad Museum, was built in 1915 to serve Southeastern Express, a railroad-owned parcel shipping company.