Robinson Switch is a small ghost town in Lowndes County, Alabama, United States of America. The town which is barely known by local residents of Lowndes County was established back in the late 1800s after the civil war. Robinson’s Switch was later abandoned and deserted after the railroad ceased operations and stopovers at the boisterous town. Today, it lies in despair with no hope of ever being revived or restored.

Birth of a promising town

William Robinson, born in 1799, moved to Lowndes County with his parents in 1817. He was a well-educated man who married Eliza Jane Ware in 1825 and settled near the river. He possessed 3,800 acres in the area at one point. He and Eliza had 11 children. Eli Robinson, the youngest of the Robinson brothers, was a trader and planter who had a store in Robinson Switch. William for years hoped that by more investments in the town, one day it would grow to be a fully-fledged town. This came sooner than he expected, a railroad company in an effort to extend their business decided to use the region as their stopover to various cities and states.

The region where Robinson’s would later be established provided the best spot for the railroad company. It had vast lands that were not being used and good-willed residents like William Robinson who were welcoming. They went ahead and extended their railroad past the town and even went further to build a rail warehouse where the trains were serviced and repaired. Soon hundreds of people flocked to the town with some looking for employment while others investing in the market that was rapidly growing. Being the most influential resident and investor of the town, the residents decided to name the newly established town in honor of William.

Discard of Steam locomotives

Steam locomotives were gradually replaced by electric and diesel locomotives beginning in the early 1900s, with railways fully transitioning to electric and diesel power beginning in the late 1930s. This slowed down business for most railroad companies who went deep into their pockets to buy new cars and other requirements that the government issued in their statements. To prevent running business in losses, most of the railroads made the decision to shut down some of their stations and stopovers. Robinson was one of the unlucky stopovers that were shortlisted and shut down. This left a dent in the economy of the town which in turn resulted in most of the residents fleeing to other towns.

What remained of the town?

Robinson's Switch was abandoned as soon as it was created. Within a year following the railroad's closure, the town's population had shrunk to one-quarter of its former size. At the end of the 1900s, the town was declared a ghost town. Today, most of the structures have crumbled but are entirely overrun by plant tendrils. The town site is available to both domestic and international tourists.