Lois Kemper, CEO of AIC/ Insuring American Inc., and an avid enthusiast of trains, spoke at a recent meeting of the Rotary Club of Greene and Putnam Counties. Kemper loved trains as a child, but it wasn’t until she opened a Lake Oconee extension of the Athens based independent agency, AIC/Insuring America, that her dream of having a train became a reality.

Kemper shared with Rotarians some fascinating facts about trains, and more importantly the Georgia Railroad, the railroad built in the early 1830s, which helped develop the area which we all now call home.

Kemper shared the following fascinating facts with the Rotarians: “The Georgia Railroad was only the third operating railroad of its kind in the United States. The first railroad cars between Union Point and Athens were set on the rails and drawn by horses. The first locomotive to pull the cars was called the ‘Firefly,’ named for the sparks flying from the cords of wood used to power the engine. The wood for the locomotives was important. The community of Woodville took its name from the huge piles of wood stored for use by the railroad. Railroad fares were 5 cents per mile and trains traveled about 15 miles per hour, and took eight hours to travel the 85 miles to Augusta.

“With the completion of the first leg of the rail line from Augusta to Greene County, wagonloads of goods were brought from the communities of Eatonton, Sparta and Madison and loaded onto the trains. Bales of cotton were shipped from Greene County to Augusta for loading on ships where they traveled to England and other parts of the United States. In 1838, 8000 bales of cotton traveled by rail from Greene County to Augusta. That number grew to more than 150,000 bales in 1849 and 200,000 bales by 1855. It was a business worth millions of dollars.”

A visit to Kemper’s Lake Oconee office (AIC/Insuring American is located at 6340 Lake Oconee Parkway Ste 100, Greensboro) will bring back memories of a visit to a train station. As you enter the lobby, you will notice a large mural, which was painted by Greek Orthodox Priest, Father Anthony Salzman. This mural depicts the Greensboro train depot and is enhanced with a drawing of Dr. Lee Parker’s grandfather (who was killed in the 1925 train crash). Additional train memorabilia is found throughout the Insurance Agency and if you look up, you will see a Georgia Railroad Steam Locomotive (G Scale). Ask one of the AIC employees to “start the train” and you will be taken back to the train sounds and nostalgia of another era.

In concluding her talk with the Rotary Club, Kemper stated: “At some point we need to look at the advantage of high speed trains, like those you find in European Countries. This type of transportation would provide economical and efficient travel to many areas. Approximately 70 percent of the rail system is still in place. If we can get everyone “On Board” with the idea, it will make a difference to the economic growth of our area.”

Kemper has been keeping clients “on track” with their insurance business for 37 years. Five years ago, a satellite office was opened at Lake Oconee. The main office of AIC/Insuring America and Independent Insurance Agency is located in Athens, with another satellite office in Clayton. She moved to Georgia after obtaining a Masters Degree in Education from Bowling Green University, Bowling Green, Ohio. Lois and her husband, Bill, enjoy the arts, theater, the love of trains and their two long haired Dachshunds.