The Tapeworm Railroad (Not to be confused with Gettysburg Railroad.) was a railway line planned by Congressman Thaddeus Stevens and nicknamed by opponents ridiculing a lengthy serpentine section around the Green Ridge of South Mountain after an orator compared the path to a tapeworm depiction on a product's packaging. Switchbacks were planned on the west slope at Hughs Forge along the E Br Antietam Creek ("Cold Spring Cr" in 1839) and on the east slope at Stevens'1822 Maria Furnace along Toms Creek (Monocacy River), with 3 east slope tunnels through spurs of Jacks Mountain.
The Columbia Democrat. (Bloomsburg, Pa.), 06 Oct. 1838.
The Columbia Democrat. (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, October 06, 1838, Image 2 « Chronicling America « Library of Congress
The Columbia Democrat. (Bloomsburg, Pa.), 06 Oct. 1838.
The Columbia Democrat. (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, October 06, 1838, Image 2 « Chronicling America « Library of Congress
