Chapter XV
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The development of railway systems after to close of the Civil War created an industrial revolution, and the beginning of a great material development which is still in its infancy. The Railroads opened communication with the markets of the world, and attracted capital to exploit rich coal fields and valuable timber lands. Every day of delay in securing transportation facilities postponed a day of prosperity. Every extension of railroad has resulted in great industrial and social changes, including large increase in the permanent population.
The main line of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway crosses Fayette in a northeast-southwest direction, following the valleys of the Kanawha and New rivers and almost bisecting the county.
The road-bed is double-tracked from Clifton Forge, Virginia, to Cincinnati, Ohio, excepting a few short stretches in tunnels and along the gorge of New River from Gauley Junction to Cotton Hill.
Between the bridge at Hawks Nest and that just below Sewell, the east-bound track is on the west bank of New river, and the west-bound track is on the east bank. The total length across Fayette is 57 miles.
J. M. Callahan in his "Semi-Centennial History of West Virginia," gives the following interesting account of its early history, organization and construction:
"The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway traversing one of the most picturesque regions of West Virginia is the successor of the Covington and Ohio Railroad, which was organized as an extension of the Virginia Central (incorporated 1850) the successor of the Louisa Railroad which obtained its charter in 1836. The Virginia Central received its charter under the influence of a state policy to link Chesapeake Bay and the Ohio river by railway, and construction was prosecuted by state appropriations until 1861, when the line was in operation to Jackson's river (ten miles east
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of Covington). It was operated to Covington in 1867. Work on the Covington and Ohio, abandoned in 1861, was resumed in 1867 under charters of incorporation secured from the legislature of both Virginia and West Virginia in 1865, and under later acts of 1867 which conferred additional privileges. Commissioners, appointed by the two states to co-operate in enlisting the interest of capitalists and the early completion of the road, experienced great difficulty in securing the financial aid necessary to meet the heavy expense of construction. In August they finally contracted with the Virginia Central Railway Company which undertook the construction. Under this arrangement the name of the road was changed to the Chesapeake and Ohio. Its president General William C. Wickham, succeeded in attracting the interest of Collis P. Huntington and his associates who in November 1869 made a contract which insured the successful completion of the road.
On June 9, 1870 the new road acquired from Virginia the title to the Blue Ridge railroad, which Virginia constructed through the mountains.
The new road was aided by the state through and act of 1868 which authorized townships to hold special elections to determine whether they would purchase stock. It also received aid from the sale of public land. The policy of the state to aid the road created much opposition to which railroad men actively replied.
In the "Greenbrier Independent" in 1872 appeared articles opposing the road on the ground that it carried whiskey, killed chickens and cows, scared the horses, and threw teamsters out of employment.
Construction westward to Huntington was pushed vigorously. From 1869 to 1873 engineering corps and contractors were busy in the Alleghanies, in the Greenbrier Valley, along the canyon of the New River and the bottom lands of the Kanawha, and across Teay's Valley, until continuous rails completed the new link between East and West. The full story of the work done would tell of hardship and dangers bravely borne, and of the faith and patience of skill and intelligence.
The materials for construction were brought over land in wagons or down the Greenbrier river in bateaux. The labor used in con-
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struction was largely furnished by colored laborers from Virginia. The employees for several years were principally Virginians.
On January 29, 1873, the last spike was driven on the New river bridge at Hawks Nest, and the special Richmond train of President Wickham proceeded westward to Charleston and to Huntington. At Charleston the event was celebrated by appropriate speeches, terminating in a great display of fireworks. At Huntington the union of opposing waters by bands of steel was celebrated by pouring into the Ohio a barrel of James river water brought from Richmond. The president in his speech, emphasized four great advantages of the road: (1) shortness of route between the Ohio and Norfolk harbor; (2) its easy grade and reduced number of curves; (3) the mild climate along the route; (4) the short distance of its Huntington terminus from Cincinnati.
The service of the road for several years was very inefficient and the tonnage very light. Only local passenger trains, and only a few freight trains were operated. The first engines were fired with cord-wood."
In Fayette county many branch lines have been constructed from the main line up the larger tributaries of the Kanawha and New rivers to tap rich coal fields. These will now be described.
POWELLTON BRANCH - C. & O. R. R. - This branch of the Chesapeake & Ohio system extends southeastward along the valley of Armstrong creek from Mount Carbon to the head of Right Fork, 2 miles above Powellton, a total of 8 miles, and was completed about March 1905. It transports to the main line lumber, and coal from six mining operations of the No. 2 Gas and Powellton coal beds.
PAINT CREEK BRANCH - C. & O. R. R. - This branch of the Chesapeake & Ohio extends southeastward from Paint Creek Junction in Kanawha county to Kingston in Fayette county for a distance of 20 miles, its length in the latter county being only 8 miles. It was completed to Keeferton in June 1905, and later, May 1911, extended to its present terminus at Kingston. It furnishes transportation for coal from a large number of mining operations in each county.
GAULEY BRANCH - C. & O. R. R. - This branch of the Chesapeake & Ohio extends from Gauley Junction northward along Gauley river and the waters of Twenty-Mile creek to Greendale, Nicholas county, a distance of 14.2 miles. It was completed in 1893-4 from Gauley to Green-
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dale, and in September 1904 extended to Carterboro. This is an important freight feeder for the main line, in that it transports large quantities of coal and lumber.
MILL CREEK BRANCH - C. & O. R. R. - This branch of the Chesapeake & Ohio extends northeastward along Mill creek waters from Hawks Nest to Ansted, a distance of about 3 miles, and was completed as a broad-gauge road in August 1890. Coal constitutes the chief source of freight, there being three large mining operations on the No. 2 Gas bed just north and northeast of Ansted, and another on the Sewell seam, one-half mile above Hawks Nest.
KEENEYS CREEK BRANCH - C. & O. R. R. - This branch of the Chesapeake & Ohio extends northeastward along Keeneys creek t Lookout, a distance of 4 miles, but measured along the railway, 7 miles, the latter result being caused by a long switchback northeastward from Keeneys Creek station along the steep east valley-wall of New river gorge in order to attain sufficient elevation to overcome the rapid fall in gradient of the bed of Keeneys creek in the lower mile and a half of its course. Coal from several operations in the Sewell bed is the main source of freight. The road was completed i December 1894.
ARBUCKLE CREEK BRANCH - C. & O. R. R. - This branch of the Chesapeake & Ohio was completed in 1904, and extends westward from Thurmond along the precipitous west hillside of New river and up Arbuckle creek to Minden; a distance of 5 miles. Coal from the mines in the Sewell bed near Minden is the chief source of freight.
LOUP CREEK BRANCH - C. & O. R. R. - This branch of the Chesapeake & Ohio was begun in 1892, completed to MacDonald in January 1894, and extends southwestward from Thurmond along Dunloup creek to Price Hill, a distance of about 14 miles. Coal from a large number of mining operations, mostly in the Sewell bed, is the chief source of freight. It traverses a better agricultural region than and of the branches previously described.
LAUREL CREEK BRANCH - C. & O. R. R. - This branch of the Chesapeake & Ohio was completed to Gentry in October 1904, and extends northeastward from Quinnimont on the main line along Laurel creek to Gentry (Layland), a distance of about 7 miles. Coal is the chief source of freight from nine operations on the Fire creek coal bed.
WHITE OAK BRANCH - C. & O. R. R. - This branch of the Chesapeake & Ohio, completed in December 1900, extends northward from White Oak Junction on the Loup creek branch of the C. & O. R. R. along White Oak creek to Lochgelly (formerly Stuart), a distance of about 10 miles. It traverses a good agricultural region, but coal is the chief source of freight from mining operations in the Sewell bed.
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KANAWHA AND MICHIGAN RAILROAD
The main line of the Kanawha & Michigan railroad now the New York Central, extends from Gauley Bridge along the north bank of Kanawha river northwestward in Fayette, crossing the Kanawha county line near the mouth of Smithers creek, just above Cannelton. Northwestward from the latter point, the road continues along the north bank of the Kanawha via Charleston to Point Pleasant and thence with its connections across Ohio to the Great Lakes. The portion of the main line included in Fayette is about 11 miles in length. It hauls large quantities of lumber, coal, coke, salt, chrome ore, and lime.
SMITHERS CREEK BRANCH - K. & M. R. R. - This branch of the Kanawha & Michigan extends northward from Cannelton, also from Smithers, along Smithers creek to Marting, a distance of about 5 miles. It hauls a large tonnage of coal from operations of No. 2 Gas and Eagle beds.
The Virginian railway extends from Deepwater, Fayette county, on the main line of the Chesapeake & Ohio southward to the head of Loop creek and across the waters of Paint creek, intersecting the Fayette-Raleigh county line, one-half mile south of Herberton, its total mileage being about 28 in the territory of Fayette county. From Herberton it continues southward across Raleigh, Wyoming and Mercer counties, and thence eastward across the State of Virginia to tidewater at Sewells point.
The road was begun in 1894 by the construction of a five-mile stretch southward from Deepwater to serve certain lumber interests in that locality. In 1902 the extension of this road with a straighter alignment and lighter grades was begun. In 1907 the Deepwater railway of West Virginia and the Tidewater railway of Virginia, both owned by the late H. H. Rogers of New York City, were incorporated as the Virginian railway. Mullens was its terminus in March 1907, and on July 1, 1909, it was in operation throughout its entire course from Deepwater to tidewater at Sewells point and Norfolk. No expense was spared by Rogers to
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secure the best possible alignment and grade through the mountainous region of West Virginia to the great coal deposits of the counties traversed, as also in the State of Virginia, and its final location was decided upon only after several thousand miles of field surveys had been made. In addition to a very heavy coal traffic it receives large shipments of lumber throughout its course in West Virginia.
In Fayette county, it has a short branch line, less than two miles long, connecting Bishop on its main line with Oak Hill on the White Oak branch of the Chesapeake & Ohio railway system.
The Manns Creek railroad extend from Sewell on the main line of the of the Chesapeake & Ohio railway eastward along Manns creek to Cliff Top and Landisburg, with a total length of about 10 miles, all in Fayette county. It carries a large amount of lumber from mills at Landisburg and coal from mining operations in the Sewell bed near Cliff Top, the coal being coked in a battery of bee-hive ovens at Sewell.
The Sewell Valley railroad extends from Meadow creek station on the main line of the Chesapeake & Ohio railway northeastward along Meadow creek and down Sewell creek to Rainelle on Meadow river, and thence down the latter stream to Wilderness (Nallen P. O.), one-half mile north of the common corner of Fayette, Greenbrier and Nicholas counties. It has and immense traffic in lumber from the large band mills at Rainelle, Honey Dew and Nallen. It also carries the commercial coal production of a mine in what appears to be the No. 6 Pocahontas bed, one mile northward from Rainelle. That portion from Meadow creek to Rainelle was completed several years ago and that below the latter point to Wilderness, or Nallen during the early part of 1916.
The Kanawha, Glen Jean and Eastern railway extends southward from Glen Jean on Loup creek branch of the C. & O. R. R. to MacDonald and thence westward to a connection with the Virginian
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railway at Pax. It was constructed in 1913, according to C. E. Krebs. It has also a short branch line extending southward from MacDonald to Tamroy on the head of Dunloup creek in Raleigh county. Its total length, including the two and a half miles in Raleigh, is about 15 miles. Coal from several mining operations of the Sewell bed is the chief source of freight, although it traverses a fair agricultural region.
The foregoing text was taken directly, verbatim, from The History Of Fayette County, West Virginia as it was originally written. This book was written by J. T. Peters and H. B. Carden. It was published in 1926 by the Fayette County Historical Society, Inc., Fayetteville, West Virginia, and printed by Jarrett Printing Company, Charleston, West Virginia. All rights reserved.
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