Where Is/Was the "Big Spring at Elliston ?

[NW Mailing List]

It would seem to me based on the bluff being on the right in the postcard that the view is looking north (east by RR) and as Bruce says located between the road and bluff on the east (or south) side of 11/460.

At coordinates + 37.211075,-80.234112  I believe I can still make out the back of the spring wall. There remains a low dam just downstream from the spring which I believe I can also make out in the postcard.  Interesting question Abram. Nice postcard.    Thanks. John Garner   Newport VA

 

From: NW Mailing List [mailto:nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org] 
Sent: Wednesday, April 17, 2019 11:05 PM
To: NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
Subject: Re: Where Is/Was the "Big Spring at Elliston ?

 

On Wed, Apr 17, 2019 at 4:21 PM Ray wrote:

Abram,

 

This response does not provide exact answers to the questions you raised but perhaps provides some useful background information.

 

What I believe to be the  location of the Big Spring is about  2000 feet west of where the depot was in Elliston, on the south side of the tracks.  If you look on Google Earth, you will see some ponded water that still exists there  and is related to the spring.  It is on the north side on Rt.11/460 between that and the tracks.  While I do not direct knowledge of this, I have read that the spring and pond were used to produce watercress which was put on “an express train” in Elliston and shipped overnight to New York restaurants.  One will still see watercress growing in the pond.

 

Ray is right about the watercress. That pond is somewhat weed choked now, but is between the road and bluff, across from the sawmill just west of where Big Spring Road joins the four-lane highway.

 

This just scratches the surface of the names of that community:

"Big Springs lies on Norfolk and Western Railway, with its tremendous water reserves and flat fields lying between highway and railroad, it was picked by Andrew Carnegie in the "boom days" of 1880 as a steel center (Montgomery had an "Iron Mountain Railway and Iron Mines"), and was called for a time "Carnegie City"; when the bubble burst its Pennsylvania Avenue reverted to Main Street, and the community changed its name to ELLISTON, a lovely, industrous area today."  from The Montgomery County Story 1776-1957 compiled and edited by Charles W. Crush

 

Here is the Google map view of the area: https://goo.gl/maps/87nPQdrhbLPNJo3v5

 

Bruce in Blacksburg

 

 

 

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