The locals referred to the train that climbed eastward into the Iron Mountains as the "Virginia Creeper", a name taken from the native plant that grows along the route. During this time the Norfolk and Western Railroad had purchased partial ownership in the railroad which helped capitalize the expansion of the rail line. By the end of the decade the railroad had been extended to Elkland, North Carolina. Villagers out picking blackberries or elderberries along the tracks watched as stacks of red spruce, freshly cut from virgin forests high atop Mount Rogers, rumbled by on flatbed carts. After two years of building bridges and laying track the Virginia-Carolina Railroad started running in February of 1900 when it's first train steamed between Abindgon and Damascus.īy 1912, the railroad was extended to Whitetop Virginia and by 1918 the line stretched 75 miles to Elkland, North Carolina (now named Todd, NC), and included more than 100 trestles. The assets of the Virginia Western Coal & Iron Railroad Company were purchased, but this time the focus was on the rolling hills rich with timber.
Wilton E Mingea, a freight agent in Roanoke for Norfolk and Western Railroad knew about the high demand for lumber in the northeast and began work forming a new company called the Virginia-Carolina Railroad Company. With many problems to overcome and after many delays the Virginia Western Coal & Iron Railroad Company also found itself bankrupt, thus leaving it's assets available and cheap.
Work on the railroad was slow and tedious. In the 1894 the company's assets were taken over by the Virginia Western Coal & Iron Railroad Company. After of thousands of dollars and man hours too great to count, the railroad company was broke. By the early 1890's not one rail had been laid on the partially cleared rail bed. During the late 1880's the rail company began to secure the land rights to build a railroad from Abingdon to Damascus.
It was believed that the land in the area around Abingdon was rich with minerals such as coal and iron. The railroad began in Abingdon, Virginia as the Abingdon Coal and Iron Railroad Company. The trail itself runs on a rail right-of-way that dates to the late 1880's. We comply with the Federal Trade Commission 1998 Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).The Virginia Creeper Trail had its beginnings as a Native American footpath and was later used by pioneers and explorers such as Daniel Boone. The 4-H Name and Emblem have special protections from Congress, protected by code 18 USC 707. Reference to commercial products or trade names does not imply endorsement by MSU Extension or bias against those not mentioned. This information is for educational purposes only. Quentin Tyler, Director, MSU Extension, East Lansing, MI 48824. Issued in furtherance of MSU Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Michigan State University Extension programs and materials are open to all without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, religion, age, height, weight, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, family status or veteran status. MSU is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer, committed to achieving excellence through a diverse workforce and inclusive culture that encourages all people to reach their full potential.
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