The Virginia Creeper in Ashe County

The Virginia Creeper in Ashe County. . , Horse Creek , After crossing the border into North Carolina, the Virginia Creeper wound along the banks of Big and Little Horse Creeks, crossing the creeks a total of 17 times., Tuckerdale , One of the largest for timber extraction in the Ashe County, Tuckerdale at one point rivaled Lansing in size. At its peak,it was the home to a depot, general store. , Warrensville , Warrensville quickly grew from a community of isolated farmers into a developed town after the construction of its rail depot, uniquely located in a curve of the tracks., West Jefferson , The largest town is Ashe County began as a simple train station. After the depot originally planned for Jefferson was moved bere on the insistence of local politician Tam Bowie and others, the newly created town of West Jefferson exploded into a vibrant community with a brick hotel, livery stable, movie theater in dozens of businesses., Elkland , Known today as Todd, the town of Elkland was at one time of thriving timber hub that marked the end of the line for the Virginia Creeper's daily runs. At its peak, the town contained a Ford dealership, a bank, a general store, and an unusually large, two-story depot. After 1933, West Jefferson became the last stop on the line, and the tracks to Elkland were abandoned., Nella , This small station was originally called Allen, but changed its name to avoid confusion with another station further up the line. The new name was created by spelling Allen backwards. Due to its remote location and the numerous creek crossings and the vicinity, the tracks around Nella were frequently in need of repair., Lansing , Although it already existed as a small farming community, the trains arrival spurred rapid growth in Lansing. Both iron ore and timber production helped grow the town. When it was formally chartered in 1928, it was home to a variety of businesses, a bank, and a hotel. , Smethport , The Smethport depot got its name from the Smethport extract plant, which was constructed here to extract tannic acid from chestnut bark. Although there was no Community located here when the train first came to Ashe county, a thriving Community soon spring up around the new station., Bowie , Known today as Fleetwood, the original train station was named after Tam Bowie, a local landowner and lawyer who was instrumental and bringing the train to West jefferson. Bowie is buried and the large marble mausoleum behind the West Jefferson Library., photos and design of this display courtesy of the Ashe County Historical Society