Norfolk and Petersburg Railroad map, circa 1858-1870, issued by William Mahone, President

The Norfolk and Petersburg Railroad was built between Norfolk and Petersburg, Virginia and was completed by 1858. It played a role on the American Civil War (1861-1865), and became part of the Atlantic, Mississippi and Ohio Railroad (AM&O) in 1870. The AM&O became the Norfolk and Western (N&W) in 1881. About 100 years later, Norfolk & Western was combined with the Southern Railway, another profitable carrier, to form Norfolk Southern Corporation (NS) in 1982. William Mahone (December 1, 1826 – October 8, 1895), was a civil engineer, teacher, soldier, and a member of the Virginia General Assembly and U.S. Congress. ... Norfolk, Virginia, viewed from Portsmouth, across the Elizabeth River Norfolk is a city in the U.S. state of Virginia in the United States of America. ... Petersburg is an independent city located in Virginia. ... 1858 is a common year starting on Friday. ... The American Civil War was fought in the United States from 1861 until 1865 between the United States – forces coming mostly from the 23 northern states of the Union – and the newly-formed Confederate States of America, which consisted of 11 southern states that had declared their secession. ... 1870 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Norfolk and Western Railway (AAR reporting mark: NW), a US class 1 railroad, was formed by more than 200 railroad mergers between 1838 and 1982. ... The Southern Railway (AAR designation SOU) was the product of nearly 150 predecessor lines that were combined, reorganized and recombined since the 1830s. ... Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC) is a US publicly-traded stock corporation based in Norfolk, Virginia. ... 1982 is a number and represents a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar Events January-February January 6 - William Bonin is convicted of being the freeway killer. January 8 - AT&T agrees to divest itself of twenty-two subdivisions January 11 - Mark Thatcher, son of the British...

In the 21st century, almost all of the original well-engineered N&P, including the corduroy roadbed through the Great Dismal Swamp and 52-mile tangent alignment is still in service. It forms part of a major coal export route terminating at Lambert's Point near Hampton Roads. In addition to coal, most of the route is in active use in the 20th century for intermodal container and automobile parts and completed vehicle shipments. Coal is a fossil fuel extracted from the ground either by underground mining, open-pit mining or strip mining. ... Hampton Roads, Virginia 1858 Hampton Roads is the name of both a body of water and the land areas which surround it in southeastern Virginia in the United States. ... Intermodal is a term that refers to more than one mode of transport. ...

History

Although railroads emerged as a new transport technology in the 1830s, Norfolk was to wait 20 more years for a railroad line. In 1851, the authority to build the line was finally obtained followed many years of lobbying by Norfolk area politicians who were attempting to overcome opposition in the Virginia General Assembly. The representatives of inland port cities such as Richmond and Petersburg correctly foresaw that building the new railroad would lessen their role in export shipping trade. Dr. Francis Mallory (1807-1860) a former Representative in the United States Congress and later a member of the Virginia General Assembly was named the railroad's first president. Events January 23 - The flip of a coin determines whether a new city in Oregon is named after Boston, Massachusetts, or Portland, Maine, with Portland winning. ... The Virginia General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Virginia. ... Richmond is the capital of Virginia, a state (officially the Commonwealth of Virginia) of the United States of America. ... The Congress of the United States is the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States of America. ... The Virginia General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Virginia. ...

In 1853, the new Norfolk and Petersburg Railroad hired as its chief engineer 26-year old William Mahone (1826-1895), of Southampton County, and construction began. A civil engineer and graduate of Virginia Military Institute, he is credited with the design and implementation of an innovative roadbed through the Great Dismal Swamp near Norfolk, Virginia, employed a log foundation laid at right angles beneath the surface of the swamp. Still in use today, Mahone's design withstands immense tonnages of coal traffic. He is also responsible for engineering and building the famous 52 mile-long tangent track between Suffolk and Petersburg which is a major artery of modern Norfolk Southern rail traffic. 1853 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... William Mahone (December 1, 1826 – October 8, 1895), was a civil engineer, teacher, soldier, and a member of the Virginia General Assembly and U.S. Congress. ... Southampton County is a county located in the state of Virginia. ... The term civil engineer refers to an individual who practices civil engineering. ... The Virginia Military Institute {VMI} is the first state-supported military college and is located in Lexington, Virginia, USA. It has been referred to as the West Point of the South. Early history On November 11, 1839, the Virginia Military Institute was founded on the site of the Lexington state... Headline text Link title The Great Dismal Swamp is located in southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina in the United States on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. ... Norfolk, Virginia, viewed from Portsmouth, across the Elizabeth River Norfolk is a city in the U.S. state of Virginia in the United States of America. ... Coal is a fossil fuel extracted from the ground either by underground mining, open-pit mining or strip mining. ... In mathematics, the word tangent has two distinct, but etymologically related meanings: one in geometry, and one in trigonometry. ... Suffolk is an independent city located in the South Hampton Roads area of eastern Virginia. ... Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC) is a US publicly-traded stock corporation based in Norfolk, Virginia. ...

In 1855, Mahone married Otelia Butler (1837-1911). She was the daughter of the late Dr. Robert Butler from Smithfield, Virginia, who had been Treasurer of the State of Virginia. Otelia, who was said to have been a "cultured" lady, and William Mahone settled in Norfolk. A Yellow Fever Epidemic swept through Norfolk in 1855 and killed 2,000 of its 6,000 citizens. However, the Mahones went to stay with his mother in Southampton County until the epidemic passed. Construction of the new railroad was delayed for more than a year due to the many deaths and resulting financial hardships. 1855 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Smithfield is a town located in Isle of Wight County, in the South Hampton Roads region of Virginia in the United States. ... 1855 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

Otelia Mahone became a well-known character of sorts in her own right. Popular legend has it that Otelia and William Mahone traveled along the newly completed railroad naming stations from Ivanhoe a book she was reading written by Sir Walter Scott. From his historical Scottish novels, she chose the place names of Windsor, Waverly and Wakefield. She tapped the Scottish Clan "McIvor" for the name of Ivor, a small Southampton County town. When they reached a location in Prince George County not far from the end of the line in Petersburg, they could not agree. It is said that they invented a name based upon their "dispute", and that is how Disputanta was named. In 1858, the railroad was completed and William Mahone was named its president. For the first Premier of Saskatchewan see Thomas Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott (August 14, 1771 - September 21, 1832) was a prolific Scottish historical novelist and poet popular throughout Europe. ... Windsor is a town located in Isle of Wight County, Virginia. ... Waverly is a town located in Sussex County, Virginia. ... Wakefield is a town located in Sussex County, Virginia. ... Ivor is a town located in Southampton County, Virginia. ... Southampton County is a county located in the state of Virginia. ... Prince George County is a county located in the state of Virginia. ... Disputanta, Virginia is an unincorporated town located in Prince George County, Virginia in the Richmond-Petersburg region and is a portion of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). ... 1858 is a common year starting on Friday. ...

Civil War

By the time the Norfolk and Petersburg Railroad was completed, the clouds of conflict which would become the American Civil War were already forming. In 1861, the railroad had 85.5 miles of track, 13 stations, 6 wood-burning steam locomotives, and 98 freight and passenger cars. The American Civil War was fought in the United States from 1861 until 1865 between the United States – forces coming mostly from the 23 northern states of the Union – and the newly-formed Confederate States of America, which consisted of 11 southern states that had declared their secession. ... 1861 is a common year starting on Tuesday. ... Great Western Railway No. ...

William Mahone became a prominent officer in the Confederate Army, and Otelia worked as a nurse in Richmond. Early in the War, the N&P was valuable to the Confederacy and transported ordnance to the Norfolk area where it was used in during the Confederate occupation. In 1861, Mahone helped bluff the federal troops to abandon the Gosport Shipyard in Portsmouth by running a single passenger train into Norfolk with great noise and whistle-blowing, then much more quietly sending it back west, and then returning the same train again (again with much noise, etc.) creating the illusion in Portsmouth across the Elizabeth River just out of sight of large numbers of arriving troops. The ruse worked, and not a single Confederate soldier was lost as the Union authorities abandoned the are, and retreated to Fort Monroe across Hampton Roads. Later in the War, Union forces controlled most of the N&P and the City Point Railroad (which also ran east from Petersburg). Brigadier General Mahone became the hero of the Battle of the Crater during the Siege of Petersburg in 1864, and was with Confederate General Robert E. Lee at the surrender at Appomattox Court House in April, 1865. This article is in need of attention. ... A nurse is a health care professional, who is engaged in the practice of nursing. ... Aerial View of the Norfolk Naval Shipyard The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard, is a U.S. Navy facility in Portsmouth, Virginia, for building, remodeling, and repairing the Navys ships. ... The Elizabeth River is a short tidal estuary forming an arm of Hampton Roads at the southern end of Chesapeake Bay in southeast Virginia in the United States. ... Fort Monroe, Virginia (also known as Fortress Monroe) is a military installation located at Old Point Comfort on the tip of the Virginia Peninsula at the mouth of Hampton Roads on the Chesapeake Bay in eastern Virginia in the United States. ... Hampton Roads, Virginia 1858 Hampton Roads is the name of both a body of water and the land areas which surround it in southeastern Virginia in the United States. ... The Union was a name used by many to refer to the Northern states during the American Civil War. ... Battle of the Crater Conflict American Civil War Date July 30, 1864 Place Petersburg, Virginia Result Confederate victory The Battle of the Crater was a battle of the American Civil War, part of the Siege of Petersburg. ... Troops in the Siege of Petersburg faced the usual siege armaments — projectiles of all shapes and sizes and attacks on fortifications — but the Union added underground explosives to the mix. ... Robert Edward Lee, as a U.S. Army Colonel before the war Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870) was a career army officer and the most successful general of the Confederate forces during the American Civil War. ... The court house The Appomattox Court House is a historic court house located in Appomattox, Virginia famous as the site of the surrender of the Confederate Army under Robert E. Lee to Union commander Ulysses S. Grant on April 9, 1865, effectively ending the American Civil War. ...

Atlantic, Mississippi, and Ohio Railroad

After the war, Mahone led the rebuilding of the N&P, and soon became involved in the South Side Railroad, which ran from Petersburg to Lynchburg, becoming its president as well. He was the driving force in the linkage of N&P, South Side Railroad and the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad to form the Atlantic, Mississippi & Ohio Railroad (AM&O), a new line extending from Norfolk to Bristol, Virginia which was formed in 1870 after several years of lobbying of the Virginia General Assembly by Mahone and his political allies. William and Otelia Mahone moved to Lynchburg, where headquarters were established. The letters A,M & O were said to stand for "All Mine and Otelia's." Lynchburg is an independent city located in the state of Virginia. ... Bristol is an independent city located in Virginia, bounded by Washington County, Virginia and Sullivan County, Tennessee. ... 1870 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

The A,M,& O operated successfully for several years, but fell behind in bond payments during the financial panic of 1873. The bondholders worked well with Mahone until 1976, when they had other receivers appointed. After several years of operating under receiverships, Mahone's role as a railroad builder ended in 1881 when northern interests purchased the A,M, & O and renamed it Norfolk and Western. 1881 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Norfolk and Western Railway (AAR reporting mark: NW), a US class 1 railroad, was formed by more than 200 railroad mergers between 1838 and 1982. ...

Mahone was able to arrange for the proceeds of the sale of the AM&O (including the former N&P) to help found 2 schools for teachers. The Virginia Normal and Collegiate Institute near Petersburg was forerunner of Virginia State College, which expanded to become Virginia State University. The other school he helped fund became Norfolk State College, which expanded to become Norfolk State University in Norfolk, Virginia. Petersburg is an independent city located in Virginia. ... Virginia State University, located in Ettrick, Virginia (near Petersburg, in the Richmond area), was founded on March 6, 1882. ... Norfolk State University, founded 1935, is a historically black university located in Norfolk, Virginia. ... Norfolk, Virginia, viewed from Portsmouth, across the Elizabeth River Norfolk is a city in the U.S. state of Virginia in the United States of America. ...

The former South Side Railroad was originally one of 3 A,M & O divisions, and was later consolidated with the former N&P into a single division. The A,M & O did well for several years, but fell on hard times in the financial panic of 1873 which negatively impacted almost all of the railroads. After several years of operating under receiverships, Mahone's role as a railroad builder ended in 1881 when northern interests purchased the A,M, & O and renamed it Norfolk and Western. Mahone was able to arrange for a portion of the State's proceeds of the sale to help found a school to prepare teachers to help educate black children and former slaves. The Virginia Normal and Collegiate Institute near Petersburg was forerunner of Virginia State College, which expanded to become Virginia State University. 1881 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Norfolk and Western Railway (AAR reporting mark: NW), a US class 1 railroad, was formed by more than 200 railroad mergers between 1838 and 1982. ... Petersburg is an independent city located in Virginia. ... Virginia State University, located in Ettrick, Virginia (near Petersburg, in the Richmond area), was founded on March 6, 1882. ...

Norfolk and Western, Norfolk Southern

The Norfolk and Western itself grew into a great system, and the former Norfolk and Petersbburg Railroad formed a major piece of the line used to transport bituminous coal from the mines in southwestern Virginia and southern West Virginia to port at Norfolk, where a huge transloading facility was built at Lambert's Point. The N&W merged with the smaller but also highly efficient Virginian Railway in 1959, facilitating a more favorable route for eastbound coal than offered by the former South Side Railroad west of Burkeville. However, from that point east, the combination brought an increase to the South Side Railroad alignment as former VGN traffic was rerouted through Crewe to connect with the former N & P on its way to Lambert's Point. Norfolk & Western Railway was combined with the Southern Railway, another profitable carrier, to form Norfolk Southern Railway (NS) in 1982. Norfolk and Western Railway (AAR reporting mark: NW), a US class 1 railroad, was formed by more than 200 railroad mergers between 1838 and 1982. ... Bituminous coal Bituminous coal is a soft coal containing a tar-like substance called bitumen. ... State nickname: Mountain State Other U.S. States Capital Charleston Largest city Charleston Governor Joe Manchin Official languages None Area 62,809 km² (41st)  - Land 62,436 km²  - Water 376 km² (0. ... The Virginian Railway (AAR reporting mark VGN) was a Class 1 railroad located in Virginia and West Virginia in the United States. ... Crewe is a town located in Nottoway County, Virginia. ... The Southern Railway (AAR designation SOU) was the product of nearly 150 predecessor lines that were combined, reorganized and recombined since the 1830s. ...

Over 150 years after completion, much of the former Norfolk and Petersburg Railroad route is still in active use and is a vital portion of Norfolk Southern Corporation, a Fortune 500 company which has its headquarters in Norfolk, only a short distance from the coal piers at Lambert's Point. Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC) is a US publicly-traded stock corporation based in Norfolk, Virginia. ... The Fortune 500 is a ranking of the top 500 United States corporations as measured by gross revenue. ...

References

Books

• Blake, Nelson Morehouse, Phd. (1935) William Mahone of Virginia; Soldier and Political Insurgent, Garrett and Massie Publishers; Richmond, VA
• Dixon, Thomas W, Jr., (1994) Appalachian Coal Mines & Railroads. Lynchburg, Virginia: TLC Publishing Inc. ISBN 1-883089-08-5
• Huddleston, Eugene L, Ph.D. (2002) Appalachian Conquest, Lynchburg, Virginia: TLC Publishing Inc. ISBN 1-883089-79-4
• Lambie, Joseph T. (1954) From Mine to Market: The History of Coal Transportation on the Norfolk and Western Railway New York: New York University Press
• Lewis, Lloyd D. (1992) The Virginian Era. Lynchburg, Virgina: TLC Publishing Inc.
• Lewis, Lloyd D. (1994) Norfolk & Western and Virginian Railways in Color by H. Reid. Lynchburg, Virginia: TLC Publishing Inc. ISBN 1-883089-09-3
• Prince, Richard E. (1980) Norfolk & Western Railway, Pocahontas Coal Carrier, R.E. Prince; Millard, NE
• Reid, H. (1961). The Virginian Railway (1st ed.). Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Kalmbach Publishing Co.
• Reisweber, Kurt (1995) Virginian Rails 1953-1993 (1st ed.) Old Line Graphics. ISBN 1-879314-11-8
• Striplin, E. F. Pat. (1981) The Norfolk & Western : a history Roanoke, Va. : Norfolk and Western Railway Co. ISBN 0963325469
• Traser, Donald R. (1998) Virginia Railway Depots. Old Dominion Chapter, National Railway Historical Society. ISBN 0-9669906-0-9
• Wiley, Aubrey and Wallace, Conley (1985}. The Norfolk and Western Railway Handbook. Lynchburg, Virginia: W-W Publications.

External links

• Norfolk & Western Historical Society (http://www.nwhs.org/)
• Virginia Museum of Transportation  (http://www.vmt.org/)
• West Virginia Coal Mines site (http://www.rootsweb.com/~wvcoal/begin.html)
• Virginian Railway (VGN) Enthusiasts (http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/VirginianRailwayEnthusiasts/) non-profit group of preservationists, authors, photographers, historians, modelers, and railfans
• listing of Virginian Railway authors and their works (http://www.virginiasampler.com/virginian_railway_authors.htm)
• Mullens West Virginia Caboose Museuma (http://www.virginiasampler.com/virginian-railway-mullens.htm) community project with photos
• Victoria Virginia's new home for Virginian railway Caboose 342 (http://www.club-e-stores.com/Caboose/VGNcaboose_342-3.htm) a community project with photos
• Lynchburg Virginia's project to save the oldest extant Virginian Railway Caboose # 64 (http://www.club-e-stores.com/Caboose/caboose64_lynchburg.htm) a community project with photos
• preserving the Virginian Railway Passenger Station at Roanoke Virginia (http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Cities/Roanoke/NR_Roanoke_VirginianRailwayStation_128-5461_text.pdf) a community project with photos (requires a pdf file viewer)
• Winding Gulf MSN Group (http://groups.msn.com/WindingGulf)A group focused on one of the VGN and N&W's most productive coalfields, with information about many coal camps, family histories, maps, photos and links
• official site, Library of Virginia, William Mahone page (http://www.lva.lib.va.us/whoweare/exhibits/political/william_mahone.htm)
• Norfolk Southern Corp website (http://www.ns.com/)