Estillville, Virginia Convention
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Page Contents
Estillville Convention – Gate City Virginia
In 1831, present-day Gate City VA was the site for the first meeting of officials (Estellville Convention) to discuss a road and trade route across the Appalachian Mountains, from the Ohio River to the Atlantic Ocean. The various routes they discussed were surveyed and compared so construction on the road could be financed and constructed. One of the preferred Estillville options was very similar to the routing of the Charleston Cincinnati & Ohio Railroad, and the eventually the Clinchfield Railroad.
Meeting attendees were from the states Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky. A representative from Charleston SC was to attend, but lost their way in the mountains.
The stated goal of the convention was to discuss a routing that would connect “the Ohio River, the great Valley of the Tennessee River, and the Southern states.”
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.
- Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Historical Society
- Chesapeake & Ohio Historical Society
- Louisville & Nashville Railroad Historical Society
- Norfolk & Western Historical Society
- Southern Railway Historical Association
- Archives of Appalachia: ETSU, Johnson City TN
- Book – Drury. The Historical Guide to North American Railroads
- Book – Flanary, Lindsey & Oroszi. The Southern Railway
- Books – Goforth: ‘Building the Clinchfield‘ and ‘When Steam Ran the Clinchfield‘
- Book – Graybeal: ‘The Railroads of Johnson City‘
- Book – Irwin & Stahl: ‘The Last Empire Builder: The Life of George L. Carter‘
- Book – King: ‘Clinchfield Country‘
- Book – Marsh: ‘Clinchfield in Color‘
- Book – Poole: ‘A History of Railroading in Western North Carolina‘
- Book – Poteat & Taylor: ‘The CSX Clinchfield Route in the 21st Century‘
- Book – Stevens & Peoples: ‘The Clinchfield No. 1 – Tennessee’s Legendary Steam Engine‘
- Book – Way: ‘The Clinchfield Railroad, the Story of a Trade Route Across the Blue Ridge Mountains‘
- Book – Wolfe: Southern Railway Appalachia Division
- Magazines/Online: ‘Trains‘, ‘Classic Trains‘
- Carolana.com – North Carolina Railroads, South Carolina Railroads
- HawkinsRails.net
- StateOfFranklin.net which hosts Johnson’s Depot
- RailFanGuides.us for Johnson City and for Erwin
- SteamLocomotive.com
- WvncRails.org – North Carolina and West Virginia Railroads
- Online Videos: Ken Marsh on Kingsport area railroads and region’s history Video #1 | Video #2:
- Online Article: Flanary: ‘The Quick Service Route, The Clinchfield Railroad‘
- Numerous Newspaper Articles: Newspapers.com
- Article: Scientific American: ‘The Costliest Railroad in America‘
- Personal Maps & Memorabilia: Documents, maps, timetables, and track charts
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
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.