News

Jack Wilson Donates Locomotive Painting to Southern Museum

December 15, 2005

KENNESAW – A painting of the first locomotive to run in the United States, the Stourbridge Lion, will soon be hanging on the wall in the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History, thanks to the generosity of Kennesaw resident Jack Wilson.

Wilson will donate the painting to the Southern Museum at 11 AM on Friday, December 16, at the Southern Museum.

Growing up in Chattanooga, Tenn., Wilson developed an interest in trains early in life. “Chattanooga was a train city, and where I lived was not too far from the roundhouse. My friends and I would go there to see the trains,” he explained.

Wilson was also very familiar with the locomotive, the General, which is now housed at the Southern Museum, a Smithsonian Institution affiliate. “I used to walk by the General every day on my way to work, when it was in Chattanooga,” he remembered.

The painting, which until recently hung in Wilson’s office, was commissioned on the 100th anniversary of the running of the Stourbridge Lion locomotive.

When Wilson, who was also familiar with the Glover Machine Works, retired, he knew there was only one place for the painting.

“I always knew about the General, and I’ve known the Glovers for many years, so it seemed appropriate to give the painting to the Southern Museum,” he said.

Director of Recreation and Culture Jeff Drobney is excited about the donation. “We are so pleased that Mr. Wilson so generously decided to donate his painting of the Stourbridge Lion to the Southern Museum. It will make a significant addition to our locomotive collection,” he said.

The Southern Museum features collections of rare Civil War weapons, uniforms, and other personal items; an exciting exhibit about The Great Locomotive Chase, including a short movie; and a full-scale replica of a locomotive factory that helped rebuild the South after the war.

The Southern Museum is located 20 miles north of Atlanta, off I-75 at exit 273.  Click here for visitor information, or call (770) 427-2117.