A Railroad Void

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1870s Railroad Void

Map: 1932 Atlas of the Historical Geography of the United States

In 1870 the great Transcontinental Railroad had reached the west coast, but no railroad had made it across the Appalachian Mountains between Washington DC and Nashville TN, a distance of over 600 miles. The northern United States had extensive rail lines, the south had some, but the middle of the Eastern U.S. was void of this new and efficient means of transportation and economic development.

The lone railroad line running east to west, through the valleys of the Appalachian Mountains was what we now know as the Southern Railway. In the 1800s, it was a congruent amalgamation of smaller railroads. Without this one rail line, the central and southern Appalachians would have been ‘railroadless.’

The people, the states, the cities and towns, and the businesses of the Appalachian region were all well aware they would be left behind if they did not aggressively take action to bring railroads to their region and their towns.

United States Railroads 1870 - Map: 1932 Atlas of the Historical Geography of the United States

Great Rewards, Great Challenges

So, the concept was simple: run a rail line across the southern and central Appalachian Mountain region which was rich with natural resources such as coal, iron, and timber…..then transport the resources to either the Ohio River and the industrial northern United States, or to an Atlantic ocean port for export. It goes without saying that rail transportation of goods across the mountains would be quicker, more lucrative and more efficient than rivers or canals.

Conversely, the task was hard: building railroads across the mountains was initially expensive and then costly to operate.

The Champions

The list of politicians and entrepreneurs who championed this Appalachian Railroad effort reads like the Who’s Who of American History.

Politicians

George Washington was both a leader and investor in the ‘trade route’ effort, especially for those along the James River and Potomac River in his home state of Virginia. Washington’s efforts were on behalf of canals and roads, which after his death were rebuilt as railroads. He was even an investor in the development of the Dismal Swamp which eventually became part of a railroad route to the Atlantic Ocean. John Calhoun, our seventh U.S. Vice President was also a avid proponent of building a railroad from Charleston SC to the Ohio River across the Appalachians, hoping to benefit his state of South Carolina and its port.

States, Towns, and Communities

Additionally, cities and states were exhuberant to provide funding and incentives. Even smaller towns would subscribe and buy the bonds of the fledgling railroads with the promise the rails would pass through their communities.

Railroad Barons

And not to forget the ‘railroad barons,’ well-funded entrepreneurs and financiers got onboard, including Colis P. Huntington, J.P. Morgan, and William K. Vanderbilt. They not only invested in the railroads, but also the land, mineral rights, and related businesses that would prosper due to the railroad.

Appalachian Mountain Routes

Surveys had been completed throughout the 1800s for the best routes across the mountains. The initial surveys were actually for the construction for canals or roads, but by the 1850s, investment began to focus on railroads.

The two primary challenges for the railroads as they worked their way westward across the Appalachians were:

  • Climbing up and over the Blue Ridge Mountain range (blue area on the map below)
  • Climbing up and across the Appalachian Plateau (yellow area)

So, the railroads were limited to rivers and gaps as they looked for routes that were not too steep, not too long, and not too expensive to build. Across the 600 miles from northern Virginia to Nashville, Tennessee, the routes were very limited.

Appalachian Rivers and Gaps

There were three types of gaps: water, wind, and mountain. Water was of course a river or a creek such as the Potomac River. Wind was a natural opening between mountain ridges such as Burford’s Gap near Roanoke. And the hardest and highest gap to traverse was a mountain gap, a low spot on top of a mountain ridge, such as Rockfish Gap near Waynesboro VA or Cumberland Gap at the corners of Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee.

The following map and list of ‘potential’ Appalachian rivers and gaps (north to south) had been identified as options for railroad routes in the mid-to-late 1800s. Soon after the Civil War during reconstruction, the primary railroads were competing vigorously for the very limited number of suitable routes, well less than 10 viable and less than 5 preferred. In this competition for a premium route, some railroads failed, and many never made it past the ‘paper-railroad’ stage.

Appalachian Map Legend

1 – Potomac River, 2 – Rockfish Gap, Calfpasture River, and Cowpasture River. 3 – James/Jackson Rivers, 4 -Greenbrier River, 5 – Buford’s Gap near Roanoke, 6 – Roanoke River, 7 – New River Valley, 8 – Tug Fork River, 9 – Kanawha River Valley, 10 – Big Sandy River, 11 – Ohio River, 12 – Levisa Fork, Russell Fork, Flint Gap, Clinch River, and Moccasin Gap, 13 – Holston River, Watauga River, and Coffey Gap, 14 – Nolichucky River, Toe River, and McKinney Gap, 15 – Swannanoa Gap, 16 – Saluda Gap, 17 – French Broad River, 18 – Rabun Gap and Little Tennessee River, 19 – Cumberland Gap, 20 – Clear Fork River, 21 – Emory River, 22 – Tennessee River Valley

Next: First Appalachian Railroads

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For More Information – Sources and Resources

The following are excellent resources for those of you wanting to explore and learn more about the history and operation of the Appalachian Railroads. These sources of information also serve as reference and historical materials for Appalachian-Railroads.org. Much of the content on the website is verified across multiple sources.

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3Cs Websites

Appalachian-Railroads.org | Clinchfield.org | Southern-Railroads.org