January 6, 2012

With the construction of the railroad through parts of Madison County in the late 1800s, the timber industry began to flourish. In the southern part of the county, millions of feet of virgin hardwood trees were harvested to be sawed into lumber, railroad ties, and barrel staves and shipped to other states. The development of the small town of Delaney was greatly affected by the timber industry. Timber workers are shown here on one of the town’s main streets, with their mule teams delivering logs to the local sawmill.