The Edgefield Branch Railroad was incorporated in South Carolina in 1878 for the purpose of constructing a railroad from Edgefield Court House, South Carolina, to connect with the Charlotte, Columbia and Augusta Railroad at Trenton. The charter was amended in 1879 to change the railroad's name to the Edgefield, Trenton and Aiken Railroad Company, and apparently the line was extended from Trenton to Aiken at that time. The ET&A was consolidated with the Atlantic and French Broad Valley Railroad Company in 1882 to form the French Broad and Atlantic Railway Company. The FB&A apparently became part of the Cincinnati, Cumberland Gap & Charleston Railroad by 1895. It is believed that the CCG&C became part of the Southern Railway by 1900.

The section from Croft to Trenton was abandoned in the late 1970s. The section from Trenton to Edgefield has just recently been taken out of service or abandoned by Norfolk Southern, and most of the rail to the outskirts of Edgefield is still in place. Rails are still in service (NS) from Aiken to Croft, where the last customer on the line is Southeastern Clay.

Towns along the abandoned section north and west of Croft are Laketon, Milledgeville, Eureka, Baynham, Trenton, Parkhill and into Edgefield.