Amos Kent (1853-1898)

Amos Kent Lumber & Brick Co., Ltd. (1898-1921)

Kentwood Greensburg & Southwestern Railroad (1905-1921)

36" gauge Headquarters: Kentwood, LA Mill Location: Kentwood, LA (Tangipahoa Parish) Mill Capacity:  Years of Operation: 1880-1921 (railroad) Miles Operated: Main line: Kent’s Mill, LA to Freiler, LA, 13.21 miles. Later extended to Coles and Nettles. Locomotives Owned:	Equipment: 6/30/1914: Locomotives: 5. Cars: 4 passenger, 1 combination, 10 box, 72 flat, 3 other, 2 service. 6/30/1916: Locomotives: 3. Cars: 4 passenger, 81 freight, 4 work.	Click Map for Larger Version
History by Gil Hoffman: In 1880 Amos Kent built a 36-inch gauge logging railroad westward from his sawmill at Kent’s Mill, two miles south of Kentwood. By 1902 it extended to Freiler, 13.2 miles, immediately north of Greensburg. The Kentwood, Greensburg & South Western Railroad was chartered on February 4, 1905. On January 10, 1906, the road, then consisting of approximately 22 miles of main line, extending from Kent’s Mill, near Kentwood, to Nettles, was purchased from the lumber company. Authorized capital stock was $350,000 of which $95,000 was issued to the lumber company for road and equipment and $5,000 for cash. In January 1906, the Natalbany Lumber Company, at Natalbany, 27 miles south on the IC, bought the Kent sawmill operation and the KG&SW.  Some time after the acquisition, the KG&SW extended the line from Nettles into the timber for about 5 miles. This section was constructed for use by the lumber company. The section of line between Freiler and Nettles, about 7.8 miles, was removed before 1912.  On April 18, 1921, the KG&SW applied to the ICC for abandonment of its line from Kent’s Mills to Freiler, 13.21 miles. At the time nearly all of the timber had been removed from the area and the parent lumber company’s mill had burned and had not been rebuilt. On July 16, 1921, the ICC granted permission for abandonment.
September 1910 Official Guide of the Railways
ROSTER by Leon Ford and Gil Hoffman:      Road No.   Type   Builder   C.N.   Date   Cyls.   Dri. Dia.   Engine Wt.   Previous Ownership   Disposition   1   0-4-0T   Porter   377   6/1880   7x12   24   9000   New. Named Eva. Lettered “Kent’s Mill R.R.” Built for wood rail track. Changed to steel rail in 2/1904.   Amos Kent Lumber & Brick #6.   2   0-4-2T   Porter   1384   6/1892   9x14       23000   New. Named Maud.   Kentwood, Greensburg & South Western #7, in 1906.   3   2-6-0   Brooks   547   6/1881   15x18   36   60000   Colorado Central #12. Re. #154 in 1885. Union Pacific, Denver & Gulf #154, in 1890. Re. #4. Colorado & Southern #3, in 1898. F. M. Hicks Co., Chicago, IL (d), in 12/1898. Amos Kent Lumber & Brick#3, in 1899. Named Amos.   Kentwood, Greensburg & South Western #8, in 1906.   4   2-8-0   Baldwin   11628   2/1891   16x20   37   68000   Mineral Range #7 Superior, Hancock, MI. Ashland, Siskiwit & Iron River $7,Ashland, WI, in 12/1897. Amos Kent Lumber & Brick #4, in 1903. Baldwin class 10-26 E 173   Kentwood, Greensburg & South Western #9, in 1906.   5   2-6-0   Brooks   756   8/1882   15x18   36   60000   Denver, South Park & Pacific #36 Re. #163 in 1885. Denver, Leadville & Gunnison #163, in 1889. Colorado & Southern #18, in 1898. F. M. Hicks Co., Chicago, IL (dealer), in 10/1900. Amos Kent Lumber & Brick #5       6   0-4-0T   Porter   377   6/1880   7x12   24   9000   Re. from #1.                                                           Last parts order 2/8/1908.   7   0-4-2   Porter   1384   6/1892   9x14       23000   Re. from #2. Named Maud. 8-wheel tender added.   In service 6/30/1916.   8   2-6-0   Brooks   547   6/1881   15x18   36   60000   Re. from #3.       9   2-8-0   Baldwin   11628   2/1891   16x20   37   68000   Re. from #4. Named Margaret M.   In service 6/30/1916.   10   4-6-0   New York   87   6/1884   14x20   42   48000   Denver Circle #4, Denver, CO. Denver, Utah & Pacific #5, in 1886. Fulton County Narrow Gauge #5, Lewistown, IL, in 12/1889. (tentative) Moreton & Helms Lumber Co. #5, Cold Springs, MS, ca. 1905. Kentwood, Greensburg & South Western #10, ca. 1908.       11   4-4-0   Baldwin   7146   1/1884   14x18   46   48000   Detroit, Bay City & Alpena #6, Tawas City, MI. Built 38" gauge. Orange Belt Ry. #6, Oakland, FL, by 12/1891. Changed to 36" gauge by 2/1892. Sanford & St. Petersburg #6, Oakland, FL, on 8/13/1893. Moreton & Helms Lumber Co. #9, Cold Springs, MS, in 10/1903. Kentwood, Greensburg & South Western #11, ca. 1908. Baldwin class 8-22 C 63   In service 6/30/1916.   12   0-4-2T   Porter   446   8/1881   12x18   40   40000   Cincinnati Northern Ry. #5, Cincinnati, OH. Toledo, Cincinnati & St. Louis R.R. #55, Cincinnati, OH, in 5/1883 Cincinnati, Lebanon & Northern Ry. #5, Cincinnati, OH, on 8/1/1885 Birmingham Rail & Locomotive Co. East Union Mills, Hyde, LA, on 9/25/1899. Moreton & Helms Lumber Co. #2, Cold Springs, MS, by 12/1904. Kentwood, Greensburg & South Western #11, ca. 1908.   In service 6/30/1916.   28   4-6-0   Schen.   5006   3/1889   16x20   42   83000   Golden Circle #52 Vista Grande. Florence & Cripple Creek #52, ca. 1901. Cripple Creek & Colorado Springs #28, in 1915. Cripple Creek Central Co. #28. Kentwood, Greensburg & South Western #28, in 1920.       33   2-8-0   A/Brooks   41126   6/1906   16x20   37   95000   Colorado & Northwestern #33, Boulder, CO. Denver, Boulder & Western #33, Boulder, CO, on 3/29/1909. Morse Brothers Machinery Co., Denver, CO (d) in 9/1919. Kentwood, Greensburg & South Western #33, in 6/1920.   Natchez, Columbia & Mobile #33, Norfield, MS ca. 1921. Rebuilt to standard gauge. Birmingham Rail & Locomotive Co., on 4/17/1926. Alabama Central R.R. #33, Jasper, AL, on 2/28/1928. Southern Iron & Equipment Co. #2352   2nd 3   33-2 Shay   Lima   1598   11/1905   3-10x10   28   66000   Easterling Lbr. Co. #1, Ora, MS. Natalbany Lumber Co. #1. Changed to standard gauge.   Scrapped ca. 3/1924.   2nd 6   36-2 Shay   Lima   2218   11/1909   3-10x10   28   72000   Easterling Lumber Co. #5, Ora, MS Tallahala Lumber Co. #5, Ora, MS, on 6/5/1917. Natalbany Lumber Co. #6, Kentwood, LA, by 8/21/1918.   Scrapped ca. 3/1924.   2nd 7   50-2 Shay   Lima   2159   5/1909   3-11x12   32   100000   Argentine Central #7, Silver Plume, CO. Argentine & Grays Peak #7,Silver Plume, CO, in 1913. Amos Kent Lumber & Brick Co. #7, Kentwood, LA, by 8/1918.   Too heavy - transferred to: Natalbany Lumber Co. #3, Natalbany, LA, in 6/1921. Changed to standard gauge.

                                     HOME                                              ABOUT  US                                              LINKS           

For more information contact Tony Howe at tonyhowe76@yahoo.com or David S. Price at davidsprice46@gmail.com