The Virginia Creeper in West Jefferson

The Virginia Creeper in West Jefferson. . The Norfolk and Western Railroad first came to Ashe County in 1914. As the train line was established, numerous small communities began to emerge along the rails. A lone depot, placed between Paddy Mountain and Mount Jefferson, would soon blossom into the town of West Jefferson., After 1933, West Jefferson became the last stop on the line. As many as four times every day, the slow moving "Virginia Creeper" would rumble into town, connecting West Jefferson and other towns in Ashe County with thousands of miles of interconnected rail lines running all over America. However, by the late 20th century, the rise of paved highways made high speed interstate travel common and rendered many rural rail lines like the Virginia Creeper obsolete. It departed West Jefferson for the last time in 1977., This caboose, and others like it, spent thousands of hours traveling the rails of the Norfolk and Western lines during a time when rail travel was an everyday reality for the residents of Ashe County. It stands as a monument to the once flourishing rail system that gave birth to West Jefferson, brought Ashe County in closer contact with the rest of the nation, and forever changed the Southern Appalachian region., For more information about the Virginia creeper, see the large display and diorama in the Museum of Ashe County history, located in Jefferson's Old Courthouse, (captions) This photo, taken shortly after the creation of West Jefferson, shows the train entering the town from the direction of Smethport. , Before the conversion to diesel locomotives in 1957, steam engines for a daily site in West Jefferson. , Many of the original structures along the Backstreet behind you still stand today, like the old hotel and the WF Hardware building (pictured above). These early structures are continuous reminders of West Jefferson's early years.