N&W in 1909--Bland county

[NW Mailing List]

Sorry I did not identify myself below.

 

R.D. Williams

On the Virginia Creeper

Jefferson NC

 

  _____  

From: nw-mailing-list-bounces at nwhs.org
[mailto:nw-mailing-list-bounces at nwhs.org] On Behalf Of NW Mailing List
Sent: Thursday, March 26, 2009 3:29 PM
To: 'NW Mailing List'
Subject: RE: N&W in 1909--Bland county

 

This is a great one Gordon.  J.C. Honaker was my Great Grandfather, while
interested in real estate as the article states he also ran a general store
for the county.  I have a day book from the store from the era of this
article. The Honaker family home was built on Clear Fork/ Wolf Creek and
there is/was a railroad bridge just in the front yard of the house.   Rt 61
used this bridge to cross the creek and ran along the old railroad bed prior
to its current alignment.

 

  _____  

From: nw-mailing-list-bounces at nwhs.org
[mailto:nw-mailing-list-bounces at nwhs.org] On Behalf Of NW Mailing List
Sent: Thursday, March 26, 2009 2:41 PM
To: 3N&W Mailing List
Subject: N&W in 1909--Bland county

 

Bluefield Daily Telegraph
June 18, 1909

 

OUTLET FOR BLAND'S IRON AND TIMBER

------

Contract Let for Building Railroad >From Day, Virginia, to Rocky Gap

------

EIGHT MILE EXTENSION OPENS RICH TERRITORY

------

Agent for Virginia Iron, Coal and Coke Company En Route to Secure Option on
Land and May Establish Large Operation

------

DEPOSITS OF IRON SAID TO BE ALMOST INEXHAUSTIBLE

------

        J. C. Honaker, of Rock [sic] Gap, Va., largely interested in Bland
county real estate, who was in the city yesterday, is authority for the
statement that the New River, Holston & Western Railroad Company has let a
contract for the building of a railroad from Day, Va., to Rocky Gap, a
distance of eight miles.  This is an extension of the road owned by the
company and already in operation connecting with the Norfolk and Western at
Narrows, Va.

    The purpose of the company is to furnish an outlet for the rich iron and
timber country of Bland county.  The iron in particular is said to be the
richest in the state, and the deposits covering a wide territory are said to
be practically inexhaustible.  The quality is good, and capital at this time
is looking toward the development of the bodies.  C. E. Lucas [Microfilm
blurred.  Best interpretation shown.] of Patterson, Va., general manager of
the Virginia Iron Coal and Coke Company, is now en route to Bland to secure
an option on some of this land, and Mr. Honaker says he understands that if
the deal is completed, a large operation will be established by the company.

    In addition to the iron, Bland in this locality has vast timber
resources which will be rendered marketable much more easily by the building
of the new road.  Mr. Honaker says he expects to see Bland boom in the very
near future.

------

[Does anyone have photos of 100-car unit ore trains moving down Wolf Creek
on the NRH&W carrying some of the "almost inexhaustible" iron deposits
toward the N&W and some hungry smelter?  No?  Then I have another question.
As a youth I attended boy scout camp at Camp Roland in Bland county, and I
remember hiking over deteriorated crossties along a logging railroad on our
way up to a fire tower.  Camp Roland is on the upper reaches of Wolf Creek
whereas the N&W Narrows Branch left Wolf Creek to reach the end of line at
Suiter on Hunting Camp Creek, on the opposite side of Round Mountain from
Camp Roland.  Does anyone have any info on the logging railroad at today's
Camp Roland?]

 

Gordon Hamilton

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/nw-mailing-list/attachments/20090326/159774ab/attachment.htm>