Greenbrier County, West Virginia - 160th Anniversary Booklet - Part 15 *********************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. *********************************************************************** Historical Booklet - Greenbrier County 160th Anniversary - 1778-1938 Published 1938 Transcribed by Lori Samples THE COMING OF THE IRON HORSE The Board of Public Works of the State of West Virginia in 1855, realizing that railways would supplant the canals of the nation, authorized the construction of the Covington and Ohio Railroad through and across the Allegheny Mountains; having in mind its extension at some future time to the western boundaries of the State - as it then existed - along the Ohio River. Regardless of topography and at enormous first cost this Board decided to adopt the route that would bring the railway through Greenbrier County - because the White Sulphur Springs are located high up in these mountains in this county. The Engineer intrusted with the location of the railway had wisely planned it with easy grades on bold alignment. The work was but partially completed when the War between the States stopped further construction. When that long conflict was over, Greenbrier County had become a part of the new State of West Virginia and Collis P. Huntington in 1868 formed the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad Company, which resumed construction and completed the road in 1873 to Huntington, which was named in his honor. The rails, however, were laid to the White Sulphur Springs and trains operated to that place over several stretches of temporary track around and before tunnels and high embankments for a short time before the line was open for traffic farther west. It is an interesting fact that no trans-Appalachian railway north or south of this famous crossing has ever been built that is comparable to its easy grades on the eastern slope of the mountains. In 1902, the C & O Railway Company built a railway from a point near Ronceverte that follows the Greenbrier River to Durham in Pocahontas County where connections are made with the Western Maryland Railway. Subsequently a railway was built by private parties from Sandstone on New River to the extensive coal fields in the western part of this county and this line was subsequently acquired by the C & O Railway Company - which together with the New York Central Railway Company made extensions and other connections for the further development of these great coal deposits in Greenbrier County and to provide ample transportation facilities for the movement of commodities that abound in that region. BEIRNE'S FOLLY An interesting bit of early history concerns Oliver Beirne, owner of Sweet Springs. On one of his numerous trips to Old White he was angered because the old woman at the toll gate insisted that he pay. Finally, he tossed a large bill into the dust, and said, "Now give me my change!" The old woman gave him his change - in coins of small denomination, which she also flung into the dust. Oliver Beirne swore he would build his own road, and it was actually started at each end, tbut the project was abandoned before the two points met. NEXT: IT'S THE LIMESTONE ON THE HOOF (Livestock and herd owners of Early Greenbrier)