Hendricks in Tucker County, West Virginia — The American South (Appalachia)

Blackwater Canyon Grade

Photographed by Laura Edwards, August 3, 2023

1. Blackwater Canyon Grade Marker

Inscription. In 1888, Henry Gassaway Davis began a railroad expansion from Thomas to Hendricks. The Black Fork grade is a prime example of 19th-century railway engineering, with grades reaching 3.75% to drop 1,236 feet in 10 miles of mountainous terrain. Bought by Western Maryland Railway in 1905, the line was abandoned by its successor, CSX, in 1983. It now is a recreational rail-trail.

Erected 2017 by Friends of Blackwater & Tucker County Historical Society, West Virginia Archives and History.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Parks & Recreational Areas • Railroads & Streetcars. In addition, it is included in the West Virginia Archives and History series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1888.

Location. 39° 4.492′ N, 79° 37.831′ W. Marker is in Hendricks, West Virginia, in Tucker County. It is on Main Street (West Virginia Route 72) near Blackwater Canyon Trail, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Hendricks WV 26271, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in West Virginia’s Potomac Highlands.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Northern 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 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Mary Jane Snyder (approx. 2.7 miles away); Corricks Ford Battlefield (approx. 2.9 miles away); Clash at Corricks Ford

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(approx. 2.9 miles away); The Corrick House (approx. 3 miles away); Corricks Ford (approx. 3 miles away); Flood of November 4-5, 1985 Memorial (approx. 3 miles away); Historic Western Maryland Railway Depot / Parsons Railroad Depot (approx. 3 miles away); Tucker County Bank Building (approx. 3.1 miles away).

Photographed by Laura Edwards, August 3, 2023

2. Blackwater Canyon Grade Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on August 16, 2023. It was originally submitted on August 4, 2023, by Laura Edwards of Bethesda, Maryland. This page has been viewed 503 times since then and 32 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 4, 2023, by Laura Edwards of Bethesda, Maryland. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.