N&W in 1910--Office building

[NW Mailing List]

A residential treatment facility for folks with tuberculosis. before 
antibiotics.

Jeff Cornelius


-----Original Message-----
From: NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
To: Norfolk Western Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
Sent: Tue, Jan 26, 2010 7:23 am
Subject: RE: N&W in 1910--Office building


Anyone know what a "home for consumptives" is?
 
Thanks,
Dave Willis
(blt 1962, c/n 4)
 

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To: nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org
Subject: N&W in 1910--Office building
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 2010 15:34:48 -0500
From: nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org


Bluefield Daily Telegraph
August 13, 1910
 
BLUEFIELD IS LOSING ONE OF ITS LANDMARKS
------
Terminal Trainmaster Relates History of Old Division Office Now Being 
Torn Down
    Bluefield is losing one of its oldest landmarks, the old division 
office, which is being torn down.  A nice lawn will take its place.  
The building has been standing since July, 1888, and is almost a part 
of the town.  Within its walls the preliminary plans of the great 
Pocahontas Division were carried out and each room has such a history 
connected with it that old railroad men stand and watch it coming apart 
without even daring to walk inside of it, so great is their respect for 
the old site of their former battles to make the road a success.
    J. M. MeIlhaney, terminal trainmaster, gave the Daily Telegraph a 
short history of the building last night.  He easily remembers it from 
the days when this most wealthy division of the Norfolk and Western was 
only the Pocahontas branch.
    Mr. McIlhaney says the first offices were maintained in the present 
freight depot.  This was in July, 1888.  About this time twenty-two 
years ago the offices were moved in the building that is now being torn 
down.  The division at that time was called the Radford and Pocahontas 
division and John A. Hardy was superintendent.  The road at that time 
went to Powhatan, while branches ran to Pocahontas, Goodwill and 
Simmons.  The Clinch Valley division was not in operation at that time.
    The official family at that time was John A. Hardy, superintendent, 
Captain D. H. Barger, trainmaster, R. E. Winters, chief dispatcher.
    The yard office was located in the northwest room on the first 
floor while the trainmaster's office was overhead on the second floor.  
The dispatcher's office was in the north bay station.  The waiting room 
for trainmen was on the first floor in the northeast room, while the 
timekeeper occupied the room above.
    The supervisor, or roadmaster, as he is known occupied the 
southwest room on the second floor while the reading room for trainmen, 
out of which grew the Railroad Y. M. C. A., which now has a large 
building of its own, recently erected on Pulaski street, occupied the 
southeast room in the old building now being torn down.  The yard 
master, who was either a man named Wright or Joe Collins, occupied the 
other room on the south side.  The attic at that time was used as a bed 
room by the trainmaster and other men, the dispatchers many times 
turning in to sleep there at that time, which was long before the 
present regulations as to hours of work went into effect.
    It was hard at that time to get a house in this city and the first 
house completed by the railroad was the building on Princeton avenue, 
recently owned by Weslie Wilkes, which was first occupied by J. M. 
McIlhaney, who was at that time a train dispatcher.
    Since July, 1888, many changes have taken place in the Norfolk and 
Western but the old building was occupied as an office until about a 
year ago when the offices were moved to the old Bluefield Inn building, 
which was remodeled for office purposes.  This building is one of the 
most imposing structures in the city and at one time Thomas F. Ryan 
wanted to purchase it as a home for consumptives.  The Norfolk and 
Western, however, would not consent to the bringing to this city of a 
home for consumptives.
    The destruction of the building removes another of this city's 
landmarks and for years to come the few men who are left on the road 
who were here in 1888 will look to where the building now is and feel 
that something is lacking.
[I wonder if the wooden building in the attached picture from Neg. 
21413 in the Virginia Tech image database isn't the division office 
described in the article.  It has a bay on the north side as described 
for the location of the dispatcher's office.  Also, the article states 
that the building will be replaced by a "nice lawn," and vintage photos 
show a lawn east of the passenger depot where the parking lot was in 
later years and about where the building in question is in this 
picture.]
------
Gordon Hamilton


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