Have you ever wondered where the bell in the middle of Catawba’s campus came from? If you look closely, you will notice the words “Donated by Southern Railway” written on the front. Like most everything else, this bell has a story. A story about one community contributor assisting another. The bell is a railroad bell from the Southern Railway, which served the Salisbury area from 1896 to 1982. It is quite symbolic that a bell from a huge part of Rowan County History resides in another distinguished component of our community.
From the Southern Railway’s founding in 1896, the railroad relied heavily on steam locomotive power to pull its trains. As steam engines required to be serviced often, a facility needed to be built for that capacity. Location was key, thus the Spencer/Salisbury area was chosen as a direct halfway point between Washington DC and Atlanta. Southern’s Spencer Shops eventually became Rowan County’s largest employer.
However, times soon changed. In 1939, the first diesel locomotive began operation, becoming a direct competitor to the aging steam engines. In 1953, the Southern became the first railroad in the United States to completely transition to diesel. Steam power was no longer needed, and the old engines were set aside to eventually be scrapped. Bells, whistles, and headlights, among other things were taken off of the engines and placed in storage. The Southern Railway had a notorious reputation for helping out those in the communities it served, and when a North Carolina church needed a new bell, the railroad presented them with a bell from one of the steam engines.
Soon after, Southern began a mass donation to various schools, churches, and other distinct places in need of a bell. This proved beneficial for numerous reasons: the railroad could save a bit of history and provide outreach to the community. The community could enjoy parts no longer needed by the railway, and the legacy and memory of the steam locomotion that carried them could live on through time.
Due to being a critical and respected location of higher education, Catawba College was one of the many area schools selected, and along with other schools and numerous county churches, received a railroad bell. The donated bell has called Catawba home ever since.
The next time you pass by the old bell, imagine it clanging on the perch of a large steam locomotive racing through town. Though not a flashy or popular component of the campus, it still stands as a reminder of the community’s storied past. One of the Southern Railway’s well known slogans was “The Southern Serves The South.” Even in the twenty-first century, the Southern still indirectly serves the south, particularly in the form of an old bell that rests in the heart of the campus of Catawba College.
