Covington & Macon Railroad The Covington and Macon Railroad Company was chartered in 1885 to build a rail line from Macon to the town of Covington, a small but prosperous community on the Georgia Railroad about 35 miles southeast of Atlanta. Construction began in the spring of 1886. A year later a 34-mile section from Macon to Hillsboro had been completed, but the company was struggling financially. Not long after the rails reached Monticello in June of 1887, the railroad’s officers decided to alter their plans by building to Athens instead of Covington, a move primarily designed to attract new investment dollars in the failing enterprise. The strategy was successful and by March of 1888 the railroad was completed to Madison. The last section of the 105-mile line was built by the end of that year and the line opened for business January 15, 1889. Traffic on the new road fell below expectations, however, and it was ordered to be sold at public auction on May 21, 1891. The line was reorganized two days later as the Macon and Northern Railroad. 1886 map (53K)   Georgia's Railroad History & Heritage. Copyright, Steve Storey. Railroad History | The Depot List | Locomotives On Display | Odds & Ends | Sources & References | Home