Historical Note

After years of proposals from Lynchburg citizens, the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad was chartered in 1849. Built in the 1850s, the V&T connected Southwestern Virginia, from Lynchburg to Bristol. With V&T rail lines came expanded economic markets and new industry. During the Civil War, the V&T served as a Confederate lifeline by moving supplies, weapons, and troops. The Confederate reliance on the V&T resulted in the partial destruction of lines by Union forces. In 1870, the V&T joined the Norfolk and Petersburg Railroad and the City Point Railroad to create the Atlantic, Mississippi, and Ohio Railroad. The AM&O later became the Norfolk and Western.

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