Appalachian Cities and Towns
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- Charleston Cincinnati & Chicago Railroad: History | Locos | Maps | John T. Wilder | Railfan Guide
- ET&WNC: History | Maps | Locomotives | Timetables | A. Pardee | G. Hardin | T. Matson
- Appalachian Railroad Cities: Asheville | Cincinnati | Erwin | Johnson City | Knoxville | Lynchburgh | Roanoke | Spartanburg | and more
- Railfan Guides
- Abandoned Lines & Railroads
- 3Cs Model Railroad: CRR, SOU, ET&WNC & the 3Cs
- Sources & Resources: Scholars & Authors | Books | Museums | Organizations | Links
- Appalachian-Railroads.org: Site Map | Editor
- Related: Clinchfield.org | Southern-Railroads.org
Page Contents
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
- Estillville Convention (1831)
- Jonesborough Convention (1835)
- Knoxville Convention (1836)
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 Clinchfield and the Southern. Ohio River to Atlantic Ocean Page
Appalachian Cities / Towns
Kentucky
- Ashland
- Corbin
North Carolina
Ohio
South Carolina
Tennessee
- Bluff City
- Bristol TN/VA
- Chattanooga
- Elizabethton
- Erwin
- Johnson City
- Kingsport
- Knoxville
Virginia
Early Railroads of the Region (In Chronological Order)
Virginia & Tennessee Railroad
- Lynchburg VA to Bristol VA
- Completed in 1856
- V&T Railroad Page
East Tennessee & Virginia Railroad
- Knoxville TN to Bristol TN/VA
- Completed in 1858
- ET&V Railroad Page
East Tennessee & Georgia Railroad
- Dalton GA to Knoxville TN with a branch to Chattanooga TN
- Completed in 1859
- ET&G Railroad Page
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
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
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. Here is the first page showing the abandoned rail lines in East Tennessee.
Suggested Reading
Southern Railway: Hawkins Rail
Johnson City: Johnson’s Depot
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.