Small Towns and Railroads

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I have always wondered why Roanoke (Big Lick) grew & Salem, an older & more established town & already on the railroad, did not? I have read a book or two that refers to Salem (&nothing about Big Lick) during the Civil War (War of Northern Aggression) & the importance of the Virginia & Tennessee railroad. Was the difference all about Moomaw? Can someone give me the 'short version'?ThanksHerb EdwardsLynchburg


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From: NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
To: NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>; NW Modeling List <nw-modeling-list at nwhs.org>
Sent: Wed, May 31, 2023 10:06 am
Subject: Small Towns and Railroads

It is well-known in literary circles that before the coming of the railroad/s, towns tended to be about 5 or so miles apart so as to make for easier one-day travel from the farm to the market center of a region. Travel over those old, dusty roads, often rutted and questionably maintained at times depending upon the road were the norm and a wagon load maybe once a week or two behind a 2 or 4 horse team was a true adventure.

Some of those towns grew in size and stature and when railroads came into planning, the planners wanted to bring their rails to where there could be waiting needs and services. Other even smaller communities which may have required even less had a water-tank, hence were called "tank-towns" for the obvious reason.

As the railroad/s grew and expanded, so did their influence and adaptability for all kinds of goods and services. Those locales more accomodating grew more readily than others, as did those that had something needed like water or wood for fuel, etc.

The N&W history, especially well-documented is the Shenandoah Valley line that for a $5,000 "inducement" ....... 'er bribe, shall we say, and the promise of availability of needed goods and services caused the creation of a little village named Big Lick from a small watering hole and salt source for cattle to The Magic City and Roanoke. How could brother Moomaw have ever thought that for the delivery of his promise in 1881 what became the center of business in the central valley and the heart of a large RR corporation.

Once the RR's came to a region, those 5-mile distances could have been lengthened a bit as movement between became far easier than over a waggon-rutted, dirty non-macadamised pathway became less of a necessity.

One need look no further than the line between today's Roanoke and Bristol, a distance of about 140/150 miles and the towns about every 5 or 10 miles apart. The same can be seen in the northern part of the Shenandoah Valley from Charles Town (today WV), thru Winchester to Lexington. Towns, some larger and more prosperous than other smaller ones have blossomed and grown and others faded to various degrees over time. Of course, today, the rails aren't as much an absolute necessity as 200 years ago, but the principles remain.

end of simple history lesson for the day.

Bob Cohen
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