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Jay Gould rail car "Atlanta"
Jay Gould is famous in Jefferson history for deciding to bypass the town with his railroad, leading to its decline not long after the Civil War. (Objective researchers say this is all a distorted myth, but it makes a good story.) Supposedly he had demanded the town grant him about half the land downtown. The city fathers refused, offering to sell the land to him instead. This so infuriated Gould that he cursed the town, saying "Grass will grow in your streets" and build his railroad around the town. In any case, the economic decline of Jefferson was actually a major factor in preserving so many of its historic structures. Few people had enough money to tear down and rebuild new. Those who did have money tended to leave. So in the end, perhaps the current residents should thank Mr. Gould for his curse!
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Jay Gould rail car "Atlanta"