Melbourne and Atlantic Railroad

The Melbourne and Atlantic Railroad is located at the intersection of A1A and Ocean Ave. Here a section of the railroad still remains and is available for viewing. The Railroad was built in 1889. Another piece of the railroad remains and can be found on the corner of Ocean Ave and Riverside Drive. This railroad was essential to the town for bringing in supplies and tourists to the town.

The Melbourne and Atlantic Railroad is located at the intersection of A1A and Ocean Ave. Here a section of the railroad still remains and is available for viewing. The Railroad was built in 1889. On this site, in February of 1889, Captain Alfred Wilcox took delivery of a shipment of steel rail that would be used in the building of the Melbourne & Atlantic Railroad. This railroad track would be laid to connect the Indian River with the Atlantic Ocean. Starting on the western end of the Melbourne Beach Pier and running the distance from the Melbourne Beach Pier, then continuing along a straight path to the Atlantic Ocean. The railroad was used to deliver supplies and goods to the town after being taken to the barrier island from the mainland by ferry. The ferry and railroad also worked together to bring tourists to the town. Although the railroad was a great asset to the town in its early years, as the town grew and through the evolution of modern transportation, the railroad was not needed anymore and was torn down and created into a street for cars. Two parts of the railroad remain on both the East and West sides of the street and are able for viewing.

Cox, Jamie. Melbourne & Atlantic Railroad , THE HISTORICAL MARKER DATABASE . February 12th, 2012. Accessed June 16th, 2016. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=52544.

The Melbourne and Atlantic Railroad is located at the intersection of A1A and Ocean ave. Here a section of the railroad still remains and is available for viewing. The Railroad was built in 1889. On this site, in February of 1889, Captain Alfred Wilcox took delivery of a shipment of steel rail that would be used in the building of the Melbourne & Atlantic Railroad. This railroad track would be laid to connect the Indian River with the Atlantic Ocean. Starting on the western end of the Melbourne Beach Pier, running the distance from the pier, and continuing along a straight path to the Atlantic Ocean.

“History of Melbourne Beach.” Melbourne Beach FL, https://www.melbournebeachfl.org/home/pages/history-melbourne-beach. 

This website tells us all of the history surrounding Melbourne Beach. It touches on the Melbourne and Atlantic railroad and how it ran west across the street of Ocean Ave with just one modest push car. The was later a freeze that covered this area is shrubs. In 1909, a stock company called the Melbourne Beach Improvement Company took on rebuilding the railroad and the pier that held up part of it.

Historical Marker Project.

“Melbourne & Atlantic Railroad - Melbourne Beach - Fl - US.” Historical Marker Project, Historical

Marker Project, 25 Oct. 2014, https://historicalmarkerproject.com/markers/HMZHF_melbourne-atlantic-railroad_Melbourne-Beach-FL.html. 

This website touches on the expansion of the railroad. It tells us captain Alfred Wilcox took delivery of a shipment of steel rail that would be used in the building of the Melbourne & Atlantic Railroad. Over the coming months, railroad tracks would be laid to connect the Indian River with the Atlantic Ocean. Starting on the western end of the Melbourne Beach Pier and running the distance of the pier and then continuing along a straight path to the Atlantic Ocean.

“Melbourne Beach Pier: Indian River Lagoon Byway.” Indian River Lagoon Byway |, 23 Oct. 2017, https://www.indianriverlagoonbyway.com/destination/melbourne-beach-pier/. 

This site shows the relation of the Melbourne beach pier to the Melbourne and Atlantic railroad and how it contributed to the railroad. This website tells us more about the original uses of the pier where the railroad was laid like being a spot for ferries to bring tourists along with supplies to the barrier island.

George Lansing Taylor, Jr.

“Melbourne Beach Pier Marker, Melbourne, FL.” UNF

Digital Commons, https://digitalcommons.unf.edu/historical_architecture_main/3349/. 

On this page, you can find more information on the Melbourne Beach pier that was built in 1889 to support the Melbourne and Atlantic railroad and then restored in 1995 for tourists and people to fish, walk, view the river, and more. This page unlike the “Melbourne Beach Pier: Indian River Lagoon Byway” site, gives a more precise timeline of the pier.