An African American couple from Sparta, Georgia, Blaine, and Diane Smith, are battling to prevent Sandersville Railroad Co. from annexing their family’s property for a new rail spur. The Smiths want to appeal a recent decision that favored the firm.
Eleven acres of the Smith family’s 600-acre Sparta property are sought by the railroad business. The farm was purchased by Blaine’s grandpa in the 1920s and has since provided food, income for schooling, and memories for the family.
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A traditionally Black community will be traversed by the proposed 4.5-mile train route, disturbing the tranquility of their land.
Blain told reporters, “We’ve had to fight to keep this land. It’s always somebody coming in trying to bamboozle you out of it.”
Blaine further noted, “There’s people trying to come hunt on it and trespass on it. It’s gonna be easier for them to do that if we put a railroad through the middle of it… You asked me, ‘What things bother me about it?’ I mean, everything bothers me about it.”
The spur, according to Sandersville Railroad, will increase local commerce, decrease truck traffic, and provide employment. Benjamin Tarbutton III, the president of the company, recognized the family’s worries and stated that they are amenable to more conversations. The majority of the 18 impacted landowners have already struck deals with the corporation.
Supported by the Institute for Justice, the Smiths contend that there is no true public benefit to the train project. They are concerned about trespassing, noise, and possible property damage. The family is still committed to opposing the decision and defending their culture.
Diane stated, “We’re going to fight till we can’t fight anymore.” Adding, “I don’t want to leave any stone unturned. My grandmother used to say, ‘no stone unturned’, so you keep unturning and unturning.”
The family is still fighting the lawsuit, and it is now headed to the Georgia Supreme Court.
