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Private company

Lake Wimico and St. Joseph Canal and Railroad Company

Early railroad in Florida

The Lake Wimico and St. Joseph Canal and Railroad was the first steam railroad in Florida and one of the first in the U.S., opening in 1836. With the collapse of the town of St. Joseph, the railroad was abandoned by 1842. The Lake Wimico and St. Joseph Canal Company was chartered by Legislative Council of the Territory of Florida in 1835, and was renamed in 1836 to the Lake Wimico and St. Joseph Canal and Railroad Company.2 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

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Map of Calhoun County, Florida in 1842
Photo: Jeremiah Greenleaf, A New Universal Atlas, Brattleboro, Vermont, 1842, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons3

The Lake Wimico and St. Joseph Canal and Railroad was the first steam railroad in Florida and one of the first in the U.S., opening in 1836. With the collapse of the town of St. Joseph, the railroad was abandoned by 1842.2

Sources

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