1889 Matthews Northrup Railroad Map of Florida

This is an 1889 Matthews Northrup railroad map of Florida. Thick black lines highlight the main railroads throughout Florida, including the Jacksonville, Tampa, and Key West System; the Savannah, Florida, and Western Railway; the Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Halifax River Railway; the Florida Southern Railway; and the St. Johns and Halifax River Railway. Major stops along all these railways are identified. Dashed lines illustrate associated steamship lines associated, such as the Indian River Steamboat Company operated by the Jacksonville, Tampa, and Key West System. Thinner lines trace unaffiliated railways, such as the Orange Belt Railway and the Florida Central and Peninsular Railroad. Two insets appear along the left depicting the Florida panhandle and the railroad network in the eastern United States, respectively.

The Jacksonville, Tampa, and Key West System

The Jacksonville, Tampa, and Key West System (JTKW) operated in Florida from 1879 until 1899. Originally founded as the Tampa, Peace Creek and St. Johns River Railroad in 1879, the company changed its name on June 27, 1881. In 1886, a line between Titusville and Enterprise opened and was operated by the Atlantic Coast, S. Johns and Indian River Railroad. This route was then leased to the Jacksonville, Tampa and Key West, which also bought all the Atlantic Coast's rolling stock. Then, the JKTW began operating steamboats from its dock in Titusville down the Indian River to Jupiter and established the Indian River Steamboat Company. The JTKW went bankrupt in 1893 and was bought by the Southeastern Railway in 1899. Later that same year it was sold to the Florida East Coast Railway, which was in turn sold to the Plant System even later in 1899.

Publication History and Census

This map was created and published by Matthews, Northrup and Company for the Jacksonville, Tampa, and Key West System in 1889. This is the only known cataloged example of the 1889 edition of this map. We note four cataloged examples of the 1891 edition.