When trains reigned -- Raylrode Daze celebrates town's rich railroad heritage

BRANCHVILLE — President George W. Bush won't be among the VIPs at the 37th Annual Raylrode Daze Festivul this weekend, but three presidents before him did stop in Branchville when the town and the railroad junction that make it famous were in their heyday. Among the countless travelers who enjoyed meals in the dining room in the old Branchville passenger depot were Presidents William H. Taft, William McKinley and Teddy Roosevelt. President Franklin D. Roosevelt's train also stopped in Branchville en route to Warm Springs, Ga., but he remained on board. Today, Gov. Mark Sanford will be in Branchville for Raylrode Daze, greeting and meeting festival goers.