History of the Charleston Cincinnati & Chicago
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- Related: Clinchfield.org | Southern-Railroads.org
Page Contents
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
Temporary Links for Information
- http://www.stateoffranklin.net/johnsons/washrail.pdf
- https://www.johnsoncitypress.com/living/features/rails-to-highways-and-trails-keeping-johnson-city-moving/article_5a4e3d16-e6ad-5299-811d-7cea5e0df601.html
- https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=24840
- https://www.carolana.com/SC/Transportation/railroads/sc_rrs_charleston_cincinnati_chicago.html
- https://www.carolana.com/NC/Transportation/railroads/nc_rrs_charleston_cincinnati_chicago.html
- https://digital.tcl.sc.edu/digital/collection/sclmaps/id/244/
- https://www.steamlocomotive.com/locobase.php?country=USA&wheel=4-6-0&railroad=ccac#16186
- https://archives.etsu.edu/agents/corporate_entities/156
- https://en-academic.com/dic.nsf/enwiki/11521997
- https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Clinchfield_Railroad
- http://www.catskillarchive.com/rrextra/stclin.Html
- http://www.virginiaplaces.org/rail/clinchfield.html
For More Information – Sources and Resources
The following are wonderful resources for those interested in Appalachian Railroads. They also serve as sources of information for Appalachian-Railroads.org
- Association/Archives: Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Historical Society
- Association/Archives: Chesapeake & Ohio Historical Society
- Association/Archives: Louisville & Nashville Railroad Historical Society
- Association/Archives: Norfolk & Western Historical Society
- Association/Archives: 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
- Book: 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
- Magazine: ‘Trains‘
- Magazine: ‘Classic Trains‘
- 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: WvncRails.org – North Carolina and West Virginia Railroads
- Video: Ken Marsh on Kingsport area railroads and region’s history Video #1
- Video: Ken Marsh on railroads and region’s history Video #2:
- Article: Flanary: ‘The Quick Service Route, The Clinchfield Railroad‘
- Articles: ‘Johnson City Comet‘
- Article: Scientific American: ‘The Costliest Railroad in America‘
- Personal Maps & Memorabilia: Documents, maps 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.