Instructor: Sam Ellis is Museum Coordinator at the Aiken Train Museum. An Aiken native, Sam has always had a fascination with railroad culture, particularly that of Southern Railway. Additionally, Sam’s love of railroad folklore and music defines in a large part his work at the museum, as it frames our rail history through a unique lens. Description: This course will review the many innovations and achievements of the South Carolina Canal and Railroad Company, and later the South Carolina Railroad and Southern Railway. These rail innovations not only contributed to the founding of Aiken but determined in a significant way how and why the town developed the way it did, laying the groundwork for our equestrian industry. We will finish the course by covering Aiken’s changing railroad landscape, following the end of passenger service to Aiken in 1950.