History of the Charleston Cincinnati & Chicago

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Charleston Cincinnati & Chicago Railroad - 3Cs

Charleston Cincinnati & Chicago Railroad History Timeline

The initial vision for the Charleston Cincinnati & Chicago Railroad began in the 1830s, but the company was not chartered until 1886.

  • 1831: Present-day Gate City VA was the site for the first meeting of regional officials (Estellville Convention) to discuss a road/railroad across the Appalachian Mountains, from the Ohio River to the Atlantic Ocean. The route they discussed was very similar to the Charleston Cincinnati & Ohio Railroad, and the eventually the Clinchfield Railroad.
  • 1886: Charleston Cincinnati & Chicago Railroad was chartered
  • 1887: Construction began at Rutherfordton NC, going south to Camden SC, from Johnson City going both north and south, and in Kentucky from Ashland to Whitehouse (some accounts say construction began at Camden)
  • 1887: Operation on a small segment of the rail line began
  • 1889: Construction was completed north to Marion NC from Rutherfordton
  • 1890: CC&C track reached Erwin
  • 1893: The CC&C’s major investor, Baring Brothers & Company of London failed during a world financial downturn
  • 1893: CC&C entered into receivership
  • 1890s: The South Atlantic & Ohio purchased some of the unfinished CC&C roadbed in Virginia. This line eventually became part of the Southern Railway
  • 1893: CC&C sold to Charles Hellier for $550,000. Reorganized as the Ohio River & Charleston Railroad (OR&C RR)
  • 1898: The segment from Marion NC to Camden SC was sold to the South Carolina & Georgia Railroad, which would later become the Southern Railway in 1902
  • 1900: The segment in Kentucky was sold to the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway
  • 1902: Seven miles of unfinished grade from St. Paul to Dante VA was sold to the Lick Creek & Lake Erie Railroad
  • 1902: The only segment left was in the middle, from Johnson City TN south to Boonford, North Carolina. The OR&C and this segment was purchased by George L. Carter, and thus the Clinchfield Railroad was born

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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