USA > Virginia > Rockingham County > Rockingham County > A history of Rockingham County, Virginia > Part 18
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In February, 1871, Robert S. Jones began building (or rebuilding) the bridge across North River, on the Valley Pike above Mt. Crawford. The flood of the preceding autumn had destroyed nearly all the bridges in the county. The rebuild- ing of others is chronicled in other connections.
In 1871 the Virginia legislature granted a charter for a graded road from Rawley Springs to Bridgewater; but one of the commissioners, writing in 1873, intimated that his board had failed to carry out the project for the reason, as he said, that they could not decide where to locate the bridges over
7. David A. Heatwole was born in Rockingham, March 9, 1827. He was a man of influence and enlightened public spirit. He served a term as county supervisor for Central District, and frequently as assessor of real estate. For 25 years he was president of the West Rockingham Mutual Fire Insurance Company (organized 1872), and for about the same period was president of the Rawley Springs Turnpike Company. He en- couraged the young men of his community in educational and literary work, and was himself a writer and investigator of no mean ability. For further particulars see Heatwole Family History, page 200, and Hardesty's Encyclopedia, Rockingham edition, pp. 409, 410. He died at his home near Dale Enterprise, March 29, 1911.
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General View of Harrisonburg (Looking North)
Mr. R. Mauzy at site of Salyards' School (Page 289)
Singer's Glen High School
Orphans' Home, Timbervile ( Pages 313, 314)
Old Flk Run Church (Page 264). Photo by Hammers
The Blosser Hatchery, Dayton ( Page 37 2)
ROCKINGHAM COUNTY
Dry River. He declared that the river so often changed its channel that the commissioners were fearful lest any bridge they might erect should in time be left on dry land.
In February, 1872, Acts of Assembly were passed incor- porating the Bridgewater and Mt. Crawford Turnpike Com- pany and the Bridgewater and Rawley Springs Turnpike Com- pany. Among the directors of these companies were J. W. F. Allemong, G. W. Berlin, and Dr. J. G. Minor. Neither of the turnpikes contemplated in these Acts were constructed.
It was announced in May, 1873, that "a new and com- fortable coach called the Mountain Rover" had been put upon the stage route from Harrisonburg to Shenandoah Iron Works. This line of stages was still in operation the following Au- gust. Whether it survived the financial crash of September or not is not known. In July, 1874, Jos. B. Moyers was ad- vertising a new stage line, on a tri-weekly schedule, from Harrisonburg to Roadside and Newman's Cave, at the base of the Blue Ridge, in East Rockingham.
One of the well-known roads of Rockingham is the "Law- yer Road," so called after Gabriel Jones, the famous lawyer. He had it cut through the woods, it is said, as a "near cut" to the county-seat at Harrisonburg. It begins at Bogota, the Jones homestead, on the river near Lynnwood, and comes out on the Rockingham Turnpike at Roudabush's Mill, on Cub Run.8 Crossing the Shenandoah Mountain, from the Feed Stone on Dry River, above Skidmore's Fork, is an old trail known as the Lawyers' Path. This is probably so called because the lawyers crossing from Harrisonburg to Franklin, and vice versa, used it.
In June, 1878, the bridge on the Valley Pike, across North River above Mt. Crawford, was again being rebuilt. It, with a number of other bridges in the county, had been carried away in the great flood of the preceding November.
In 1877-8 Judge O'Ferrall issued orders in the Rocking- ham County court directing the road boards of Stonewall and
8. For interesting sketches of the Lawyer Road, see Rockingham Reg- ister, January 23, 1874, and May 3, 1888.
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R.C.H-8.
A HISTORY OF
Central districts to take charge of, repair, and keep in order the Rockingham Turnpike, the said road evidently having been abandoned by the company.
In 1891 a bridge was being erected over the Shenandoah River at Island Ford, East Rockingham.
In 1911 or 1912 that part of the Harrisonburg and Warm Springs Turnpike lying in Rockingham was taken over by the county.
One of the unmistakable signs of progress at the present is to be found in the construction of fine macadamized roads, by co-operation of local and State forces, in various parts of the county. It costs money to build good roads, in Rocking- ham as well as elsewhere; but we are learning that they are a good paying investment, worth as much here as anywhere else.
Referring now to the railroads in Rockingham County, we shall take up first those that have actually been con- structed, namely, (1) the one coming up the Valley on the west side of the Massanutten, and passing through Strasburg, Woodstock, Broadway, Harrisonburg, and Staunton; (2) the one coming up the Valley on the east side of the Massanutten, and passing through Shenandoah City, Elkton, Grottoes, and Basic City; (3) the one crossing the Valley from Elkton, through Harrisonburg, Dayton, and Bridgewater. Having spoken of these, we shall next present a few facts regarding certain railroads that have been projected, but not constructed, as yet.
(1) "Under an Act of the Virginia Legislature, passed March 9, 1850, which provided for the organization of a cor- poration under the style of Manassas Gap Railroad Company, 'for the purpose of making a railroad from some convenient point on the Orange and Alexandria Railroad, through Manassas Gap, passing near the town of Strasburg, to the town of Harrisonburg, in the county of Rockingham,' and subsequent Acts, construction was begun at a connection with the Orange & Alexandria at Manassas, and the line was opened from Manassas to Strasburg in 1854. As indicated
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above, the original charter of the Manassas Gap required the company, after crossing the mountains, to extend its line down the Valley of Virginia to Harrisonburg, but the line in the direction of Harrisonburg was not destined to be opened until after the war."
In 1858 the Manassas Gap road had already been sur- veyed past Broadway, to Harrisonburg; and another railroad had been surveyed through Brock's Gap, to connect Broad- way with a proposed line of the B. & O. on the South Branch of the Potomac. In February, 1861, an Act of Assembly was passed authorizing the county of Rockingham to issue bonds for a sum not exceeding $100,000, to be loaned to the Manassas Gap company for the purpose of completing the road to Har- risonburg.
"During the Civil War the Manassas Gap Railroad was entirely wrecked, its rails and rolling stock being carried away for use in other parts of Virginia, where they could better facilitate military movements. The Orange & Alex- andria, while it did not suffer the same fate, was, however, left in a condition which demanded a practical reconstruction. It was accordingly proposed that the two properties should be consolidated the better to carry out their common purpose, and an Act passed February 14, 1867, which recited an agreement negotiated between the Manassas Gap Railroad Company and the Orange & Alexandria Railroad Company for consolidation, upon condition that the Orange & Alexan- dria Railroad Company should reconstruct the Manassas Gap Railroad within two years from February 14, 1867, and should assume the debts of the Manassas Gap Railroad Com- pany, authorized such consolidation under the style of Orange, Alexandria & Manassas Railroad Company."
Rockingham County took $150,000 worth of stock in the Manassas Gap company, which was turned into the consoli- dation of the O. & A. and M. G. railroads in 1867.9
On December 11, 1868, the first passenger train ran into
9. The Rockingham Register, February 28, 1867.
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A HISTORY OF
Harrisonburg.10 From that date, or shortly afterward, regu- lar travel and traffic began. According to a schedule of the O., A. & M. railroad, between Harrisonburg and Alexandria, advertised in the Register of October 14, 1869, passengers could leave Harrisonburg at 9:45 a. m., daily, except Sunday. Samuel Ruth was superintendent of transportation; J. B. Gentry, general ticket agent.
"Under date August 20, 1873, the Washington City, Vir- ginia Midland & the Great Southern Railroad Company leased to the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Company the line between Strasburg and Harrisonburg, and the Baltimore & Ohio con- tinued in possession of this line under the lease referred to until after the reversionary interest therein had passed to the Southern Railway Company, when on March 1, 1896, de- fault was made in the payment of rental; and subsequently on November 30, 1896, the receivers of the Baltimore & Ohio surrendered the line to the Southern Railway Company, the successor of the Virginia Midland Railway Company which had acquired the property of the Washington City, Virginia Midland & Great Southern Railroad Company."11
April 4, 1866, a great meeting was held in Staunton, com- posed of delegates from Roanoke, Botetourt, Rockbridge, Augusta, Rockingham, Shenandoah, Berkeley, and Alleghany counties and Richmond City, to organize the Valley Railroad Company. Col. M. G. Harman was elected president, with eleven directors. 12
The Valley Railroad Company was chartered in 1868, to construct a railroad from Harrisonburg to Salem (in Roanoke County).13 In 1872 that part of the road between Harrison-
10. The Old Commonwealth, December 16, 1868.
11. The paragraphs quoted are from a letter written to the author, October 14, 1911, by Pres. W. W. Finley, of the Southern Railway Com- pany.
12. Rockingham Register, April 13, 1866.
13. From letter of Sept. 2, 1911, by C. W. Woolford, secretary, Balti- more, Md.
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burg and Staunton was under construction. On March 3, 1874, the cars went from Harrisonburg to Staunton for the first time.14 For short periods in 1876 and 1877 traffic was suspended owing to the lapsing of leases, etc.
The present status of the road (or roads) under consid- eration is this: The part from Harrisonburg down the Valley, past Woodstock and Strasburg, is in the hands of the Southern Railway Company; the part from Harrisonburg up the Valley through Staunton, to Lexington, is in the hands of the Baltimore and Ohio Railway Company.
(2) In the later 60's there was in evidence much organ- ized agitation for the construction of a railroad through Page County and East Rockingham. In 1870 Hon. William Milnes subscribed $60,000 to the project.
The Shenandoah Valley Railroad Company was chartered February 23, 1867, and the work of construction was com- menced during the year 1870, but was suspended in 1873, af- ter a considerable amount of grading had been done.
Work was not resumed until the spring of 1879, when the construction of the line from Shepherdstown to Waynesboro was commenced. The progress was such that on December 15th, 1879, the contractors having the work in hand were able to run trains from Shepherdstown to the Shenandoah River, a distance of 42 miles, when track laying was suspended to await the completion of the bridge at Riverton. The North- ern Division, then known as the Maryland Division, from Hagerstown to Shepherdstown, including the Potomac River Bridge, was commenced in February, 1880, and finished in August of 1880. In May, 1880, work was begun at Waynes- boro also, and track-laying was pushed northward from that point until the junction of the rails was effected near Luray in the spring of 1881.
In tabular form the progress is indicated as follows :-
14. Diary of Judge James Kenney.
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Date of Schedule
From
To
Dec. 15, 1879
Shepherdstown
Shenandoah River.
May 10, 1880
Shepherdstown
Bentonville.
August 19, 1880
Hagerstown
Bentonville.
Sep.
6, 1880
Hagerstown
Milford-76 miles.
Dec.
20, 1880
Shenandoah
Waynesboro
The road was accepted from the contractors in March, 1881, and on April 18th, 1881, the first through schedule of trains between Hagerstown and Waynesboro was put into effect.
The Atlantic, Mississippi & Ohio Railroad was purchased on February 10, 1881, and reorganized as the Norfolk and Western Railroad Company, by parties having a large finan- cial interest in the Shenandoah Valley Railroad. The exten- sion from Waynesboro to Roanoke was undertaken in June, 1881, and prosecuted with such vigor that the first through schedule of trains between Hagerstown and Roanoke was put into effect on June 19th, 1882.
The promoters of the Shenandoah Valley Railroad, also of the Norfolk and Western Railroad, were mainly gentle- men of Philadelphia and Boston. Mr. Upton L. Boyce, of Boyce, Va., was instrumental in bringing this project to the attention of capitalists, and had much to do with furthering the construction of the road. The chief engineer during the construction was Mr. W. W. Coe.15
(3) As early as February, 1870, perhaps earlier, a rail- road west from Harrisonburg, past Dayton, Bridgewater, and other places in that course was being agitated. In October, 1872, the people of Harrisonburg voted a corporation sub- scription of $25,000 to the narrow gauge road proposed-vote 222 for, 19 against. In June, 1873, this subscription was in- creased to $50,000-vote 171 for, 29 against. R. B. Osberne was chief engineer; P. B. Borst of Luray was president.
15. For most of the above particulars I am indebted to the kindness of Supt. E. A. Blake, of the Norfolk & Western Railway Company.
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November 3, 1873, Judge Kenney wrote in his diary:
Cloudy and warm this morning. Yesterday I walked out to where they have commenced work on the narrow gauge railroad. This road has a sounding name, the Washington, Cincinnatti & St. Louis Railroad. They are working about ten hands and two carts. All the capital they have is the subscription of $50,000 by the town of Harrisonburg.
In August, 1874, the Register reported work on the nar- row gauge "entirely suspended." In November following it was stated through the same paper that the grading from Harrisonburg to Bridgewater had been completed, and that the whole line from Harrisonburg to Sangerville was ready for the ties and iron. For the next ten years the work was in the main suspended, except for hopeful talk on the part of a few individuals, and occasional digging here and there. In 1892 the project was revived with new vigor. In 1895 the old narrow gauge interests were transferred to the standard gauge Chesapeake & Western, and on June 7 work was begun again at or near the point, south of Harrisonburg, where the Chesapeake-Western now crosses the B. & O. The first rail was laid July 1. The old narrow-gauge grade, properly widened, was utilized at some places.
From January to March, 1895, the sum of $150,000 was subscribed, mainly in Rockingham, conditioned upon the com- pletion of the road from Elkton to Bridgewater. Among the chief promoters were E. C. Machen, W. H. Rickard, J. M. Snell, Jacob Meserole, W. H. Ritenour, and P. W. Reherd. O. H. P. Cornell was chief engineer. On March 23, 1896, track-laying was completed between Elkton and Bridgewater; and on April 28 following the road was opened to traffic between those towns. In 1901 the contract was awarded for the extension of the road from Bridgewater to North River Gap. Its present western terminus is Stokesville, Augusta County. C. A. Jewett is traffic manager; C. B. Williamson is superintendent. These gentlemen have their offices at Harrisonburg.
Now, a few words concerning the railroad projects that have not yet materialized.
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It will be recalled that in 1858 a road had been surveyed from Broadway, through Brock's Gap, to the South Branch. In 1873 a company that evidently intended to follow the same route in general was chartered: B. Chrisman, president; Dr. Cootes, Dr. Winfield, and Dr. Williams, directors. The road proposed (through Brock's Gap) was to have connections and extensions reaching from the Atlantic to the Great Lakes, and was to be known in its entirety as the Norfolk, Massa- netta, & Toledo Railway. 16 In Feburary, 1883, John Q. Win- field and P. W. Pugh, of Broadway, with A. W. Kercheval of Romney, and others, were promoting the Toledo, Massa- nutta, & Petersburg Railway.
One of the most interesting projects of the early seventies was the one set on foot by the North River Railroad Company, chartered March 21, 1872, and organized at Bridgewater Jan- uary 9, 1873. J. W. F. Allemong17 was made president; D. A. Plecker, vice-president; R. N. Pool, general superinten- dent; John W. Jacobs, secretary; Dr. Harvey Kyle, treasurer. The directors were G. W. Berlin, J. G. Minor, T. M. Hite, D. A. Plecker, G. H. Dinges, J. W. F. Allemong, R. N. Pool, Harvey Kyle, and J. W. Jacobs. The road was to extend from Bridgewater to Port Republic. The charter required that the part from Bridgewater to Berlinton be put under contract within 90 days. In April the enterprise was pur- chased by Henry M. Clay of Kentucky, who was reported to
16. Rockingham Register, September 19, 1873.
7. John W. F. Allemong, born at Stephens City, Va., Sept. 5, 1828, son of Rev. John and Hannah Payne Allemong; married Sarah C. Hail- man, June 7, 1857; moved to Bridgewater, 1863, and until 1889 was one of the most prominent and enterprising citizens of Rockingham, being a merchant, bank president, director in the Bridgewater Wool Mills, Bridge- water Carriage Works, etc. In October, 1889, he moved to Salem, Va., where he took his accustomed place, as a captain of industry, till his death, Oct. 29, 1904. He was a member of the Methodist Church, and served in various responsible offices therein. He was the father of six children, two of whom survive him: Mrs. Ella V. Strayer, of Harrison- burg, and Mr. John Edwin Allemong, a prominent attorney and business man of Roanoke City.
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be ready and able to push it. The narrow gauge, with the long name, was also being boomed at Bridgewater at the same time.
June 18, 1873, ground was broken at Bridgewater for the construction of the N. River R. R. A speech was made by Rev. J. S. Loose; the first shovelful of dirt was thrown by Adam Rader, the oldest resident of the town. In July the second mile was let for construction to Wm. H. Kiracofe. H. M. Clay, general superintendent, had bought 7 acres of land at the northeast end of the town, on the turnpike, and had laid out grounds for depot, car shed, machine shops, round house, etc. In August it was announced that the road was to extend westward to the Ohio River. But in Septem- ber came Black Friday.
In March, 1872, the Harrisonburg, Bridgewater, and W. Augusta R. R. Co. was incorporated. The road was to begin at or near McGaheysville, pass thence via Harrisonburg to Rawley Springs, thence through or near Bridgewater to some convenient point on the C. & O. Ry.
In 1874-5 D. A. Plecker was proposing to build a narrow gauge railway from Mt. Crawford depot to Bridgewater. In 1876 a bill was passed the Virginia legislature incorporating the Harrisonburg & Orange C. H. Ry. Co. In 1890 a railroad was proposed through Shendun Pass (Brown's Gap); a plan was being considered by business men of Elkton and Har- risonburg for connecting those towns with a railroad; a street railway for Harrisonburg was being considered; and the Harrisonburg & Western Ry. Co. was organized at Har- risonburg, Messrs. J. P. Houck, C. A. Sprinkel, T. A. Long, and Jacob Meserole being the chief promoters.
In 1891 a railroad from Shenandoah City to Harrisonburg was projected; another, from Shendun to Weyer's Cave station (on the B. & O.), was projected and surveyed. In 1892 (February 16) an Act was passed incorporating the Harrison- burg & Bridgewater Electric Ry. Co. In 1895 a charter was issued to the Basic City, Bridgewater, & Western Electric Ry. Co. In 1901 an Act was passed incorporating the Central
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Railroad of Virginia, Messrs. Wm. H. Rickard, P. W. Reherd, D. C. Reherd, Herman Wise, John B. Peale, H. B. Miller, and A. A. Chapman being named as incorporators.
It is of interest to notice that three periods of conspicuous activity in promoting and building railroads in Rockingham (as elsewhere) coincided with or shortly preceded the years 1857, 1873, and 1893: years of notable economic crises. In 1873, no less than five different roads were being projected or actually constructed: (1) The one from Harrisonburg to Staunton, opened in 1874; (2) the one through Page and East Rockingham, opened in 1881 (now the Norfolk & Western) ; (3) the narrow-gauge westward, past Bridgewater, opened as a standard-gauge in 1896; (4) the one from Bridgewater to Port Republic, still in possibility; (5) the one through Brock's Gap, also a possibility only, as yet.
Just when the first telegraph line was put up in Rocking- ham County is not definitely known; but there was one run- ning into Harrisonburg as early as 1863-perhaps earlier. N. M. Burkholder was in charge of the Harrisonburg office from 1863 to 1865, as appears from an original schedule before me. Additional lines were being constructed, or earlier lines were being restored or repaired, in 1872-3. In 1884 the Bridgewater Journal said: "If we cannot get a railroad we must have a telephone or telegraph connection with Harrison- burg. A telegraph line will cost $300." The next year a. telegraph line was completed between Harrisonburg and Bridgewater. It is needless to say that at present telegraph lines are maintained by all the railroads; and there is a Western Union office in Harrisonburg.
No material improvement has had a more rapid develop- ment in Rockingham, or has done more to dissipate provin- cialism in the county, than the telephone systems. In Feb- ruary, 1893, the Valley Telephone and Telegraph Company was chartered by J. W. Click, C. Driver, N. W. Berry, and others. This company succeeded to the possession of the Rosenberger & Shirley lines, but was soon in competition with the Virginia & West Virginia Telephone Company. In
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August, 1895, the Valley Telephone Company, centering in Harrisonburg, had nearly 150 'phones in operation. In 1899 a gentleman from Illinois, widely traveled, who spent a couple of weeks in Rockingham, said there were more 'phones here than in any other section he knew.
In 1897 the Rockingham mutual telephone system was organized. The same year connection by telephone was established between Rockingham and Pendleton, from county- seat to county-seat. January 25, 1898, an Act was passed incorporating the Rockingham Mutual Telephone and Tele- graph Company, naming D. B. Showalter, Chas. H. Ralston, J. N. Fries, C. H. Brunk, J. R. Bowman, W. J. Lineweaver, C. N. Strickler, C. D. Wenger, M. A. Layman, J. E. Shaver, J. H. Shirkey, and W. C. Switzer. In April, 1899, the Rock- ingham Mutual and the Valley Company were consolidated.
In 1901 a long distance line between Harrisonburg and Staunton was completed. In March, 1902, an Act was passed incorporating the Harrisonburg Mutual Telephone Company, naming W. C. Switzer, John A. Switzer, S. B. Switzer, G. R. Eastham, and J. P. Mauzy.
At present there are in the county the following telephone companies: (1) Harrisonburg Mutual, with exchanges at Harrisonburg, Bridgewater, and Weyer's Cave; (2) Rocking- ham Mutual, with exchanges at Dayton, Timberville, Mc- Gaheysville, and Goods Mill; (3) Plains District, with exchange at Broadway; (4) Swift Run, with exchange at Elkton; (5) Mayland, with exchange at Mayland.
CHAPTER XIII. RACE ELEMENTS AND POPULATION.
Five years ago the conclusion was reached, after an analytical study of numerous facts and figures, that at least 70 per cent. of the people of Rockingham County are of German descent, and bear German names.1 This conclusion has had rather striking confirmation in an additional experi- ment just carried through. Lake's Atlas of Rockingham County, published in 1885, contains the names of practically all the heads of families outside of the larger towns, then living in the county, geographically distributed on the large-scale maps of the five districts. By inspection of these names, and by actual count, the following tables have been prepared; and while no absolute accuracy can be claimed for the results, they are believed to be generally reliable. The striking coincidence is to be found in the fact that these figures show a German element in Rockingham of almost exactly 70 per cent. Moreover, if we may be certain of any- thing in the case it is this, that the number of people of Ger- man stock has not been put too high. One is constantly con- fronted with instances in which names originally German have been changed into forms that are not now recognized as German. For example, the county records contain entries in which Zimmerman is changed to Carpenter; Yager to Hunter; Swartz to Black; etc. In an inspection of names Carpenter, Hunter, and Black would not usually be counted as German; and many similar cases may be cited; hence the probability that one is apt to underestimate the number of German families, rather than overestimate it, from an inspection of the names in their present forms.
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