Appalachian Cities and Towns

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Appalachian Cities and Towns

Even though the region was considered remote and rural due to the mountains, the Central Appalachian area was settled relatively early in the nation’s history. Within just a few years after the first railroad in America, meetings and efforts began to charter and construct railroads that would connect the region to the population centers of the Northeast, and the trade and commerce of the Ohio River and the ports of the Atlantic Ocean.

The history and timelines of Appalachian towns and cities and their railroads is diverse and extensive. So, I’ve categorized the content of this section of the website into five categories:

  • Early Regional Railroad Conventions and Meetings
  • Grand Vision: Connecting the Ohio River and the Atlantic Ocean
  • Cities and Towns of he Appalachian Region
  • Early Appalachian Railroads
  • Abandoned Appalachian Railroads

Railroad Conventions of the 1800s

The Race to Connect the Ohio River and the Atlantic Ocean

We’ll explore the race to connect these two very import regions, compare and contrast the routes, and measure their success. There were failures like the CC&C, but also grand successes like the B&O, C&O, Clinchfield, L&N, N&W, and the Southern: Appalachian Railroads

Appalachian Cities / Towns

Kentucky

North Carolina

Ohio

South Carolina

Tennessee

Virginia

Early Railroads of the Region (In Chronological Order)

Virginia & Tennessee Railroad

  • Lynchburg VA to Bristol VA
  • Completed in 1856
  • V&T Railroad Page (Southern-Railroads.org)

East Tennessee & Virginia Railroad

  • Knoxville TN to Bristol TN/VA
  • Completed in 1858
  • ET&V Railroad Page (Southern-Railroads.org)

East Tennessee & Georgia Railroad

  • Dalton GA to Knoxville TN with a branch to Chattanooga TN
  • Completed in 1859
  • ET&G Railroad Page (Southern-Railroads.org)

Charleston, Cincinnati & Chicago Railroad – 1886

  • Chartered in 1886
  • Some say it is the longest railroad roadbed that never saw completion
  • Sold in foreclosure in 1893
  • 3Cs Home Page

Ohio River & Charleston Railroad – 1893

  • Bought the CC&C in foreclosure in 1893 by Charles E. Heller
  • At purchase, 171 miles were operational between Camden SC and Marion NC, and 20 miles between Johnson City and Chestoa TN.
  • Still under construction and non-operational were 145 miles from Johnson City TN to Dante VA
  • Heller sold the southern portion of the line in North and South Carolina in 1897
  • Heller sold the remaining Johnson City TN to Boonford NC segment to George L. Carter in 1902
  • OR&C Railroad Page

Virginia & Southwestern Railroad – 1899

  • Bristol TN to Appalachia VA
  • Bristol TN to Elizabethton TN and Mountain City TN
  • George Carter purchased the South Atlantic & Ohio and the Bristol Elizabethton & North Carolina in 1899, giving the new company the name Virginia and Southwestern Railroad
  • V&SW Railroad Page (Southern-Railroads.org)

South & Western Railroad – 1903

  • After purchasing the final segment of the OR&C, George Carter gave his new railroad holdings a name that would not divulge his intended route or business strategies
  • Carter hired M.J. Caples in 1905 as General Manage and Chief Engineer. Caples persuaded Carter to invest much more money to construct and complete the railroad with minimal grades and fewer curves. This expensive initial capital investment allowed for reduced operational costs over many years.
  • The S&W name was eventually changed to the Carolina, Clinchfield & Ohio Railway (CC&O). A few years later in 1924, the railroad was jointly leased by the Atlantic Coast Line and the Louisville & Nashville Railroads and its name was changed to the much simpler ‘Clinchfield Railroad’ (CRR).
  • S&W Railway Page (Clinchfield.org)

Abandoned Railroads

Over the months ahead, I will visit the area and chronicle the area’s abandoned railroads with current pictures, interactive maps, and historical information. Click here for the first version of a page showing the abandoned rail lines in East Tennessee. More pages on the abandoned Appalachian Railroads will be added in the future.

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.

Contact Us

Would enjoy hearing from you if you have questions, suggestions, edits, or content that you are willing to share. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have similar interests in the railroads or model railroading.

3Cs Websites

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