Western North-Carolina Railroad Company was incorporated under act of

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

on February 15, 1855.Interstate Commerce Commission. ''Southern Ry. Co.'', Volume 37, Interstate Commerce Commission Valuation Reports, November 6, 1931, p. 215. Washington: United States Government Printing Office, 1932. . Western North Carolina Railroad Company went through several slight changes in name and reorganizations before being sold at foreclosure on August 21, 1894, and conveyed to

Southern Railway (U.S.) The Southern Railway (also known as Southern Railway Company and now known as the Norfolk Southern Railway) was a class 1 railroad based in the Southern United States between 1894 and 1982, when it merged with the Norfolk & Western to form Nor ...

on August 22, 1894. Future

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

officer Samuel McDowell Tate was instrumental in planning and sponsoring the construction of the first leg of the railroad in 1855, then in managing it in the era after the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. The state of North Carolina helped finance, build, and operate the new railroad through subscription to $1.4 million of the $2.1 million in capital stock, which was paid for through the issuance of state bonds.ICC, ''Southern Ry. Co.'' valuation report, 1931, p. 643. The company constructed of

gauge Gauge ( or ) may refer to: Measurement * Gauge (instrument), any of a variety of measuring instruments * Gauge (firearms) * Wire gauge, a measure of the size of a wire ** American wire gauge, a common measure of nonferrous wire diameter, es ...

railroad line between

Salisbury, North Carolina Salisbury is a city in the Piedmont region of North Carolina, United States; it has been the county seat of Rowan County since 1753 when its territory extended to the Mississippi River. Located northeast of Charlotte and within its metropolita ...

, and a point near

Morganton, North Carolina Morganton is a city in and the county seat of Burke County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 16,918 at the 2010 census. Morganton is approximately northwest of Charlotte. Morganton is one of the principal cities in the Hick ...

, between 1858 and 1863.ICC, ''Southern Ry. Co.'' valuation report, 1931, p. 223. The Western North Carolina Railroad was halted because of resistance from voters. Voters were angry about that law allowed purchasers of private bonds, that paid one third of the cost, to have the trains veer to their towns. The provision of the laws that allowed this was not repealed until

Reconstruction Reconstruction may refer to: Politics, history, and sociology *Reconstruction (law), the transfer of a company's (or several companies') business to a new company *'' Perestroika'' (Russian for "reconstruction"), a late 20th century Soviet Unio ...

, after the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

. Charles F. Fisher, later

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

commanding the 6th North Carolina Regiment, who was killed leading a charge on a

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

battery at the

First Battle of Bull Run The First Battle of Bull Run (the name used by Union forces), also known as the Battle of First Manassas

, had the initial contract to construct the line. Western North Carolina Railroad Company's charter was amended by act of North Carolina, August 19, 1868, which divided the company's property between Western North Carolina Rail Road Company - Eastern Division and Western North Carolina Rail Road Company - Western Division. Western North Carolina Rail Road Company - Eastern Division acquired the existing of railroad line.ICC, ''Southern Ry. Co.'' valuation report, 1931, p. 642. Western North Carolina Rail Road Company - Western Division acquired the franchise to build a railroad line from the

French Broad River The French Broad River is a river in the U.S. states of North Carolina and Tennessee. It flows from near the town of Rosman in Transylvania County, North Carolina, into Tennessee, where its confluence with the Holston River at Knoxville forms ...

Paint Rock, Alabama Paint Rock is a town in Jackson County, Alabama, United States, along the Paint Rock River, and is included in the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area. It was incorporated in July 1894.Ducktown, Tennessee Ducktown ( chr, ᎦᏬᏅᏱ, translit=Gawonvyi) is a city in Polk County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 461 at the 2020 census and 475 at the 2010 census. It is included in the Cleveland Metropolitan Statistical Area. History Duc ...

, but did not complete construction of any part of the proposed railroad line. Western North Carolina Rail Road Company - Eastern Division constructed of railroad line between a point near

, and

Old Fort, North Carolina Old Fort is a town in McDowell County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 811 people in the 2020 U.S. Census. History Before the arrival of European settlers, the area that is now Old Forts was populated by the Catawba and Chero ...

, in 1869.ICC, ''Southern Ry. Co.'' valuation report, 1931, p. 222. Five-hundred

African Americans African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

were assigned to provide back breaking labor through

Convict lease Convict leasing was a system of forced penal labor which was practiced historically in the Southern United States, the laborers being mainly African-American men; it was ended during the 20th century. (Convict labor in general continues; f ...

which was a near continuation of slavery as charges were often only applied to people of African descent. Men were shipped to and from the worksite in iron shackles. Western North Carolina Rail Road Company - Eastern Division was sold at foreclosure, June 22, 1875, and conveyed to the state of North Carolina, August 3, 1875. Western North Carolina Rail Road Company - Western Division was sold in settlement of a judgment, July 8, 1872. After several changes in title, Western North Carolina Rail Road Company - Western Division was acquired by the state of North Carolina on April 17, 1875. Western North Carolina Rail Road Company - Western Division was consolidated with Western North Carolina Railroad Company - Eastern Division to form Western North Carolina Railroad Company (No. 2), which had been incorporated March 3, 1873 in anticipation of the sale of the property of the Western North Carolina Railroad Company - Eastern Division.ICC, ''Southern Ry. Co.'' valuation report, 1931, p. 641. Three-fourths of the capital stock was held by the state of North Carolina and one-fourth was held by private stockholders. Western North Carolina Railroad Company (No. 2) constructed of railroad line between

and Azalea, North Carolina in 1879.Azalea is a populated place located in

Buncombe County, North Carolina Buncombe County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is classified within Western North Carolina. The 2020 census reported the population was 269,452. Its county seat is Asheville. Buncombe County is part of the Asheville ...

, just east of Asheville, North Carolina, at latitude 35.58 and longitude -82.471. This included the 1,822-foot Swannanoa Tunnel, which one report said cost the lives of 23 prisoners. The first train, the ''Salisbury'', weighed seventeen tons and was pulled using ropes by convicts who laid track in front of it. Western North Carolina Railroad Company (No. 2) was sold at foreclosure, April 27, 1880, and conveyed to Western North Carolina Railroad Company (No. 3) on May 27, 1880. Western North Carolina Railroad Company (No. 3) was incorporated under act of North Carolina, May 27, 1880. The Richmond and West Point Terminal Railway and Warehouse Company controlled the company through ownership of a majority of the outstanding capital stock.ICC, ''Southern Ry. Co.'' valuation report, 1931, p. 639. Mortgage bonds were issued to the State of North Carolina in partial consideration for the acquisition of the property while preferred stock was issued to the private stockholders.ICC, ''Southern Ry. Co.'' valuation report, 1931, p. 640. In July 1893, the Richmond Terminal Reorganization Committee obtained control of the company. Western North Carolina Railroad Company (No. 3) constructed of railroad line between Azalea, North Carolina, and

Paint Rock, North Carolina Paint Rock is an unincorporated community in Madison County, North Carolina, United States. The community is named after the nearby mountain of the same name along the North Carolina–Tennessee state line. Located along the south banks of the F ...

, in 1882 and of railroad line between

Asheville, North Carolina Asheville ( ) is a city in, and the county seat of, Buncombe County, North Carolina. Located at the confluence of the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers, it is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the state's 11th-most populous cit ...

, and

Murphy, North Carolina Murphy is a town in and the county seat of Cherokee County, North Carolina, United States. It is situated at the confluence of the Hiwassee River, Hiwassee and Valley River, Valley rivers. It is the westernmost county seat in the state of North Ca ...

, in 1882–1890. The construction work was performed by The American Construction Company, a corporation controlled by the Richmond and West Point Terminal Railway and Warehouse Company. Nineteen African-American prisoners on their way to work on the Cowee Tunnel drowned in the

Tuckasegee River The Tuckasegee River (variant spellings include Tuckaseegee and Tuckaseigee) flows entirely within western North Carolina. It begins its course in Jackson County above Cullowhee at the confluence of Panthertown and Greenland creeks. It flows ...

weighted down by their shackles. The property of Western North Carolina Railroad Company (No. 3) was leased and operated by the

Richmond and Danville Railroad The Richmond and Danville Railroad (R&D) Company was a railroad that operated independently from 1847 until 1894, first in the U.S. state of Virginia, and later on of track in nine states. Chartered on March 9, 1847, the railroad completed its ...

Company and its receivers from April 30, 1886, to August 31, 1894. Western North Carolina Railroad Company (No. 3) was sold at foreclosure on August 21, 1894, and was conveyed to Southern Railway Company, August 22, 1894, although possession was retained by the receivers until August 31, 1894.

Notes

References

* Files of the University of North Carolina library * Interstate Commerce Commission. ''Southern Ry. Co.'', Volume 37, Interstate Commerce Commission Valuation Reports, November 6, 1931. Washington: United States Government Printing Office, 1932. . * {{DEFAULTSORT:Western North Carolina Railroad 4 ft 8 in gauge railways in the United States Defunct North Carolina railroads Historic American Engineering Record in North Carolina Predecessors of the Southern Railway (U.S.) Railway companies established in 1855 Railway companies disestablished in 1894 Transportation in Appalachia 1855 establishments in North Carolina

See also

Notes

References