Maps of Johnson City Tennessee and its Railroads
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- Related: Clinchfield.org | Southern-Railroads.org
Page Contents
Maps of Johnson City and its Railroads
Researched and Chronicled by Scott Jessee and Sandhi Kozsuch
In 1920, Johnson City was a bustling railroad town with 3 railroads running through the heart of downtown: the Southern Railway (SOU), the East Tennessee & Western North Carolina (ET&WNC), and the Carolina Clinchfield & Ohio Railway (CC&O) which would soon become the Clinchfield Railroad (CRR).
On this map, you will see the 17 tracks that at this time fully filled the space around the ET&WNC Passenger Station (Yee-Haw Brewing) and the Clinchfield Freight/Passenger Station (Burg’r & Barrel). By this date, the Southern had already moved into their new passenger station two blocks east.
In the 1920s and 1930s, you could expect at least 16 passenger trains per day, and even more freight trains and switchers doing yard work. 30-40 trains per day through downtown would be a common sight.
Also on this map, note the building that had been serving as the General Headquarter Offices of the CC&O Railway. Carter had moved the new railroad’s headquarters to Johnson City in 1907, and then to Erwin in 1915. Some railroad offices, which were not immediately moved to Erwin, were still in this building in 1920.
You can also see the Ashe Street Court House (originally the Johnson City Post Office) and Summers Hardware.
This map was originally created by the Sanford Fire Insurance Company. You can access these historic maps at the Library of Congress.
More Johnson City maps to be added in the coming days.
Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC
Link to the full image: https://www.loc.gov/resource/g3964jm.g3964jm_g083261920/?sp=23
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.
- Association: Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Historical Society
- Association: Chesapeake & Ohio Historical Society
- Association: Carolina Clinchfield Chapter National Railway Historical Society
- Association: ET&WNC Railroad Historical Society and their Facebook Page
- Association: George L. Carter Railroad Historical Society
- Association: Louisville & Nashville Railroad Historical Society
- Association: Norfolk & Western Historical Society
- Association: Southern Railway Historical Association
- Association: Watauga Valley Railroad Historical Society
- Personal Maps & Memorabilia: Documents, maps, timetables, and track charts
- Archives of Appalachia: ETSU, Johnson City TN
- Book – Castner, Flanary & Dorin: Louisville & Nashville Railroad, The Old Reliable
- Book – Drury. The Historical Guide to North American Railroads
- Book – Flanary: The Louisville & Nashville Cumberland Valley Division
- Book – Flanary, Lindsey & Oroszi. The Southern Railway
- Book – Flanary, Oroszi & McKee: ‘The Louisville & Nashville in the Appalachians’
- 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 – Lindsey: ‘Norfolk Southern 1995 Review’
- Book – King: ‘Clinchfield Country‘
- Book – Marsh: ‘Clinchfield in Color‘
- Book – Oroszi & Flanary: ‘Dixie Lines, The Louisville & Nashville Railroad’
- 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 – Webb: ‘The Southern Railway System: An Illustrated History’
- Book – Wolfe: Southern Railway Appalachia Division
- Magazines/Online: ‘Trains‘, ‘Classic Trains‘
- Newspaper Articles: Newspapers.com
- Online Article: Flanary: ‘The Quick Service Route, The Clinchfield Railroad‘; Scientific American: ‘The Costliest Railroad in America‘
- Online Videos: Ken Marsh on Kingsport area railroads and region’s history Video #1 | Video #2:
- Website: Carolana.com – North Carolina Railroads, South Carolina Railroads
- Website: HawkinsRails.net
- Website: StateOfFranklin.net which hosts Johnson’s Depot
- Website: RailFanGuides.us for Johnson City and for Erwin
- Website: SteamLocomotive.com
- Website: VirginiaPlaces.org – Railroad History of Virginia
- Website: WvncRails.org – North Carolina and West Virginia Railroads
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
