Williamson in Mingo County, West Virginia — The American South (Appalachia)

Williamson and the Railroad

Williamson

— National Coal Heritage Trail —

Photographed by J. J. Prats, July 23, 2021

1. Williamson and the Railroad Marker

Inscription.

Williamson and the Railroad. Williamson. , This city is named for Wallace J. Williamson, whose family owned vast tracts of undeveloped land along Tug Fork in what was originally southwestern Logan County, West Virginia. In 1888, following a visit to the area by a Norfolk and Western Railway (N&W, now Norfolk Southern Corporation) survey crew, Wallace Williamson formed the Williamson Mining and Manufacturing Company. With advance knowledge that the main line of the railroad would run through the area, he subdivided family-owned land surrounding a planned railroad depot near the West Virginia-Kentucky state line. In 1892 the new town of Williamson was surveyed, and lots were laid out and sold at auction. , The railroad reached Williamson the same year, assuring the town almost immediate prosperity. By 1894, four daily passenger trains serviced Williamson’s new frame depot. In 1895 a portion of western Logan County was split off and became Mingo County. Williamson, with barely 100 inhabitants, was chosen as the county seat, primarily due to the influence of the N&W. , By 1900 the N&W had established a divisional hub and built extensive rail yards at Williamson to service the booming southwestern West Virginia coal industry. The Williamson yards eventually rivaled those at Bluefield in importance, and grew larger in size, exceeded only by the company’s main yards at Roanoke, Virginia. , Williamson was incorporated as a city in 1905, and its population and economy boomed with the development of the local coal fields. From a population of 27 in 1893, Williamson peaked at an estimated 10,000 persons about 1925. , The East Williamson Rail Yard is one of the largest coal marshalling yards in the world. Over a billion dollars worth of coal has passed through the yard since the late 1800s, and large amounts of freight continue to pass through Williamson daily, in 1907 Railroad Gazette stated “The traffic passing through the yard now amounts to about 1,500 cars a day or 750 in each direction.” The repair yards engine service buildings, and machine shops at Williamson have kept engines and cars functioning safely and efficiently for the N&W and Norfolk Southern Corporation for over 100 years. A prominent feature of the yards is the Williamson Roundhouse and turntable, which is one of the few operating roundhouses left in the U.S. The roundhouse could accommodate up to 25 locomotives and is still used to service freight cars.

This city is named for Wallace J. Williamson, whose family owned vast tracts of undeveloped land along Tug Fork in what was originally southwestern Logan County, West Virginia. In 1888, following a visit to the area by a Norfolk and Western Railway (N&W, now Norfolk Southern Corporation) survey crew, Wallace Williamson formed the Williamson Mining and Manufacturing Company. With advance knowledge that the main line of the railroad would run through the area, he subdivided family-owned land surrounding a planned railroad depot near the West Virginia-Kentucky state line. In 1892 the new town of Williamson was surveyed, and lots were laid out and sold at auction.

The railroad reached Williamson the same year, assuring the town almost immediate prosperity. By 1894, four daily passenger trains serviced Williamson’s new frame depot. In 1895 a portion of western Logan County was split off and became Mingo County. Williamson, with barely 100 inhabitants, was chosen as the county seat, primarily due to the influence of the N&W.

By 1900 the N&W had established a divisional hub and built extensive rail yards at Williamson to service the booming southwestern West Virginia coal industry. The Williamson yards eventually rivaled those at Bluefield in importance, and grew larger in size—exceeded only by the company’s main

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yards at Roanoke, Virginia.

Williamson was incorporated as a city in 1905, and its population and economy boomed with the development of the local coal fields. From a population of 27 in 1893, Williamson peaked at an estimated 10,000 persons about 1925.

The East Williamson Rail Yard is one of the largest coal marshalling yards in the world. Over a billion dollars worth of coal has passed through the yard since the late 1800s, and large amounts of freight continue to pass through Williamson daily, in 1907 Railroad Gazette stated “The traffic passing through the yard now amounts to about 1,500 cars a day or 750 in each direction.” The repair yards engine service buildings, and machine shops at Williamson have kept engines and cars functioning safely and efficiently for the N&W and Norfolk Southern Corporation for over 100 years. A prominent feature of the yards is the Williamson Roundhouse and turntable, which is one of the few operating roundhouses left in the U.S. The roundhouse could accommodate up to 25 locomotives and is still used to service freight cars.

Erected by the National Coal Highway Authority, the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration, and Norfolk Southern.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Railroads & Streetcars

Photographed by J. J. Prats, July 23, 2021

2. Williamson and the Railroad Marker

. In addition, it is included in the Coal Heritage Trail series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1888.

Location. 37° 40.388′ N, 82° 16.588′ W. Marker is in Williamson, West Virginia, in Mingo County. It is at the intersection of Fourth Avenue (U.S. 52) and Logan Street, on the right when traveling south on Fourth Avenue. It is at City Hall, formerly the N&W passenger station. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 700 Hendricks St, Williamson WV 25661, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Southern Coalfields.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Williamson (a few steps from this marker); Williamson Historic District (within shouting distance of this marker); Veterans Memorial (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Williamson, Mingo County (about 600 feet away); Chief Logan (about 600 feet away); West Virginia (Mingo County) / Kentucky (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Ohio Extension (approx. 3.3 miles away); Baby’s Grave Site (approx. 4.2 miles away in Kentucky). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Williamson.

More about this marker. This interpretive panel reproduces eight photographs with the following captions (clockwise from top left)

Wallace J. Williamson, founder of Williamson, West Virginia

View of Williamson circa 1913

Powhatan
Photographed by J. J. Prats, July 23, 2021

3. Former Williamson N&W Passenger Station, Now city Hall
Arrow passenger train and coal train in Williamson Station, Williamson, West Virginia (September, 1953). The Arrow was in operation from 1946 to 1969.

Workers service locomotive engine 1232 inside the Williamson service building, July 1946

Interior of the roundhouse

View of the roundhouse at Williamson rail yards

Hopper cars in Williamson

Williamson rail yards circa 1930

The Coal Heritage Highway Authority manages development of the Coal Heritage Trail, a national scenic byway stretching from Bluefield to Ansted and passing through the counties of Fayette, Raleigh, Wyoming, McDowell, and Mercer. The Coal Heritage Trail was designated as a national scenic byway in 1998 and is part of a network of scenic byways and All American Roads that tell the story of America.

Regarding Williamson and the Railroad. The Norfolk & Western Railway, today absorbed into the Norfolk Southern Railroad, dates from 1838 and was a class 1 railroad headquartered in Roanoke, Virginia. It built through Williamson in 1892. One of its nicknames was “King Coal.”

N&W's main business was hauling coal, but it also ran passenger trains over its tracks. Four passenger trains in each direction stopped at Williamson station every day in 1957. Westbound was the 1 a.m. Norfolk to Cincinnati overnight

Norfolk & Western Railway’s <i>Powhatan Arrow</i> image. Click for full size.

By N&W Railway, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons, circa 1945

4. Norfolk & Western Railway’s Powhatan Arrow

A streamlined steam locomotive pulls N&W’s premier passenger train in this oversized publicity postcard. Train ran daily from Norfolk, Virginia through Williamson to Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1956 this day train took a little under 16 hours to complete its daily journey that began at 7 AM in Norfolk and 8:30 AM in Cincinnati.

train, The Pocahontas; at 2:10 p.m. it was the “local,” train No. 15, which stopped at all stations between Bluefield WV and Cincinnati; then a few minutes later at 2:25 it was The Cavalier from Norfolk to Cincinnati; and at 5:30 p.m. it was The Powhatan Arrow, the day train from Norfolk to Cincinnati. Eastbound it was The Pocahontas at 5:15 a.m.; The Powhatan Arrow at 1:10 p.m., the local train, No. 16, at 4:05 p.m.; and finally The Cavalier at 4:20 pm. The Cavalier also delivered westbound and picked up eastbound in Williamson, a sleeping car from/to Washington DC. It was transferred to The Pelican in Roanoke VA.

N&W ran its last passenger train through Williamson in 1971.

<i>The Pocahontas,</i> on Norfolk and Western R. R. image. Click for full size.

Public Domain postcard via Wikimedia Commons, circa 1949

5. The Pocahontas, on Norfolk and Western R. R.

Donor information plaque on the depot image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), July 30, 2021

6. Donor information plaque on the depot

Credits. This page was last revised on August 1, 2021. It was originally submitted on July 31, 2021, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. This page has been viewed 3,139 times since then and 188 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on July 31, 2021, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. 6. submitted on August 1, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.