SR History at Franklin Junction VA 1880-1900

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I just stumbled upon this site thinking there may be mention of my ancestors in early railroad history. My g-grandfather Thomas S. Stone worked for Southern for approximately 25 years (from Franklin Junction VA 1880 to Hillsborough NC 1910)and my grandfather Dearing Fauntleroy Stone worked for Southern for 50 years (from Franklin Junction VA 1900 to Greensboro NC 1950). Uncles, cousins and others on the Jordan side of the family also worked for Southern through it's Cary NC Station. Friendships were formed, marriages took place, homes were established in new places, even some lives and limbs were lost- all because of the railroad. Are there books,diaries, or websites I might explore to help me learn about what the times were like, and where I might find mention of these men? Thanks, Karen

-- Karen Stone (kstone@dlj.com), January 08, 1999

Answers

After I published the Legacy of the Carolina & North-Western (Overmtn Press, 1997), a NC man gave me a diary of a B&B worker who worked for the railroad in the 1897. (The C&N-W was a Southern Railway shortline.)This diary will be published as a Volume II in June, 1999 along with other material. While not mentioning anyone you listed, it gives an amazingly detailed and eloquent, at times heartwrenching, account of a typical single male's railroad years. Living on the road, going to church campmeetings, chasing redheaded women, helping friends die peacefully, etc make for some very interesting reading. Email me in the summer and I'll be better able to tell you how to get a copy.

Hope this will help.

Matt Bumgarner

-- Matt Bumgarner (StealthNFO@aol.com), January 08, 1999.


I was just browsing this site and came across your inquiry regarding ancestors of the eary railrod history. My Grandfather, Sam Smith, was a retired Southern Railroad foreman. My Father, Vester Smith (Nickname was Rosco),also worked for the Southern (Applachian Division) I have a photograph of my Father with some of his railroad buddy's. Their names are Myran Sams, Floyd Bare, Joe Carmody, Isam Sams, Carl Webb, Lynn Riggins, Earl Ellis, and Elec Bare. This photograph was taken in 1923. Do any of these names connect? I also have some of my Grandfathers old time books. These books mention employee names of E.L. Fleenor, J.M. Carmody, and B.R. Carmody with the hours worked and money paid. These were recorded from 1931 up to 1936. My Father is now 99 years old but still enjoys talking about his past days on the railroad.

-- Geraldine Burrow (gburrow@preferred.com), February 11, 2000.

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