The Greenback Depot

Alleghany Town Co. was formed int eh late 1800s on land owned by J.B. Hall and Robert Thompson at the intersection of Morganton Road and the Knoxville Southern Railroad track. The name Alleghany came from an area resort and appeared on the first depot in 1891. The name, Greenback, taken from the local Post Office, appeared on the depot in 1897. By 1929 the town boasted thirty-four commercial buildings, housing a hotel, some stores, doctors and lawyers' offices, and a baseball team. Continued. The original depot burned around 1898, one of many fires suffered by the town. Rebuilt, the depot remained in service until 1914 when replaced by the current structure built by the L&N Railroad, which acquired the line in 1902. Peak traffic was in 1914 when six trains ran daily between Knoxville and Atlanta. Passenger service continued until 1954 and freight service until 1978. Through the preservation efforts of Ron Edmondson, who purchased the property in 2012, the badly neglected depot was rescued.