The Charlotte, Monroe and Columbia railroad was chartered in 1901 with intent to construct a railroad line from McBee, SC (at a connection with the Seaboard Air Line mainline there), to Monroe, NC, to the north. The line was built between McBee and Jefferson, SC, a distance of 18 miles, the following year. In 1912, the remainder of the line to Monroe to was surveyed, but not graded.

Primary freight revenue came from the lumber industry; sawmills were built along the line with associated tramways to bring logs out of the forests. Other products shipped along the CM&C were cotton, along with fruits and vegetables from local farms, and fertilizer.

Passenger service was also established; with seven stops along the route, a round trip would take three hours. Mileposts along the line:

Despite the prosperity that the railroad brought to nearby communities, those communities could not return enough to sustain the CM&C, which filed for abandonment in 1940; following suit, many of the communities served by the CM&C were subsequently abandoned as well.