New River, Holston & Western Railroad

The New River, Holston and Western Railroad is a former railroad between the Norfolk & Western Railway in Narrows to Suiter, Virginia. The 43-mile line followed Wolf Creek or its tributaries for its entire length.

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In 1903, Lees and McVitty of Salem, Virginia sought to build a tannery along the New River in Narrows, where tanbark from virgin stands of white oak and hemlock would be used to tan leather. ⁴ To source the timber, the pair constructed the first three miles of the New River, Holston & Western Railroad (NH&W) up Wolf Creek from Narrows. It was partially financed by W.E. Mingea, Jr. of Abingdon, a major county landowner who was involved in the lumber and bark industry. ^1 4

The NH&W was extended to Rocky Gap in 1912 and to Suiter in 1914, a distance of 43 miles, ⁴ and featured 12 stations at Talmash, Penvir, Bridge No. 2, First Ford, Chappel, Nidey, Round Bottom, Rocky Gap, Novis (South Gap), Hicksville, Bastian, and Suiter. ^1 2 4

The NH&W was sold to the Norfolk & Western Railway (N&W) in 1919. ¹ Timber began to be exhausted along the line by the 1930s and the railroad was dismantled in 1946. ^{1 2} Portions of the NH&W were converted into Virginia Route 61.

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Sources

1. United States. Dept. of the Interior. Wolf Creek Bridge. Comp. Michael J. Pulice. Washington: National Park Service, Feb. 1972. Web. 23 Oct. 2012. Article.
2. Fisher, Terri L. “Transportation.” Pearisburg and Giles County. Charleston, SC: Arcadia, 2008. 83. Print.
3. “Outlet for Bland’s Iron and Timber.” Bluefield Daily Telegraph 18 June 1909: n. pag. Print.
4. Hamilton, Stephanie. “The Wolf Creek Railroad.” Bland County History Archives 2000 Web. 23 Oct. 2012. Article.