The impact of the arrival of trains in the mid-19th Century cannot be underestimated, although it can certainly be forgotten: everything from building a national economy to promoting settlement in vast uninhabited regions of the country, thereby dispersing the population outside the urban areas of the time.

In Mississippi, the arrival of trains transformed the state’s economy from cotton to timber-based and — as it was throughout the country — towns popped up along the railways that transported those products throughout the country. Towns like Maben owe their existence to the arrival of the railroad and forest products remain Mississippi’s greatest agricultural product to this day.

The arrival of the highway system in the mid-20th Century changed the nature of transportation and, in many cases, the decline of the once-bustling towns found along those routes.

Mapping company Atlas Obscura has cataloged around 2,500 rail lines that cover over 60,000 miles and most of these are in the United States. In Mississippi there are eight major rail lines no longer in service.

These abandoned rail lines, like their history, have been largely forgotten.

That is why we are intrigued by a proposal from Mississippi attorney and cyclist Wilson Carroll to repurpose the former dormant 92-mile rail line between West Point and Greenwood as a bike trail. The rail line, owned by Genesee and Wyoming Railroad, approached Wilson, a Greenwood native, about converting the line to a bike path after plans to recommission the rail lines fell through.

The success of converting railroad lines to bike paths already has been proven in North Mississippi. In 2013, the old Gulf and Ship Island line between Houston and New Albany was converted to the Tanglefoot Trail. Since then, it has drawn thousands of cyclists and other visitors to the towns along its route — New Albany, Ecru, Pontotoc, Algoma, Houlka and Houston — where cyclists seek lodging, food and other goods and services.

The Tanglefoot Trail covers 43.6 miles, roughly half the length of the proposed West Point to Greenville trail.

Tanglefoot is funded and maintained by a citizens group known as Friends of Tanglefoot, along with donations from corporate sponsors.

Wilson said a federal grant will cover 80 percent of the cost of the conversion, which primarily consists of replacing the rail lines with paved paths.

Another appealing aspect of the project is that there are so few obstacles in the way. The land is already cleared. There are no environmental hoops to jump through, no rights-of-way to secure.

We enthusiastically endorse this effort, not only for what it would mean to the small towns along the 92-mile path, but as an excellent new opportunity for healthy recreation.

In the mid-1800s, the arrival of a rail line in a community was heralded with great enthusiasm.

Today, giving new life to these rail lines in a way that promotes tourism and recreation, should be greeted with that same enthusiasm.

The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.