Sparta couple among residents fighting against railroad expansion project

November 30th, 2023

Janet Paige Smith and her husband, Mark Smith, are part of a coalition of property owners in Hancock County opposed to the construction of the Hanson Spur. (Courtesy of the Smith family)

Janet Smith and her husband, Mark, are driven by their faith and part of a coalition.

The couple, married for 43 years, contend that they and their family members are the largest landowners in Hancock County. The Smith family is one of the 18 property owners who would be impacted if a proposed spur runs on their properties.

This week, Georgia Public Service Commission is hearing testimony to determine if Sandersville Railroad Company can legally condemn the properties and acquire by eminent domain in order to build the 4.5-mile rail line. The proposed development would install a CSXT rail line and connect it to an existing aggregate quarry in the rural and predominantly Black community.

On Thursday’s edition of “Closer Look,” the Smiths talked with host Rose Scott about what they are doing to protect the 600 acres of land their grandfather, James Blaine Smith, a descendant of enslaved people, bought in 1926.