wise county va

Inman School Train

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inmanschooltrain

Inman is an unincorporated community in Wise County VA.  This is a divided-back postcard that was allowed between 1907 and 1914.  A website had this card for sale and, without attribution, stated it was “1910’s”.  Close enough.  I think this is an Interstate Railroad steam engine, but I can’t be sure.

On the back, scrawled in pencil (it was never posted) “Hello CB  Ans soon CDM”
Addressed to Miss Blanche Gladson, RR #4 Rogersville Tenn.
If you want to know more about Miss Blanche, go here.  If it’s still not the top entry, look for “Rogersville Postcards” in the menu.

Mudlick Junction

Bob Lawrence2 Comments

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Ladies and germs, welcome to Mudlick Junction, about halfway between Stonega and Andover, snuggled between Stonega Road and Roda Road.  The two lines on the left are, obviously, dead and I think originally went to the mines at Roda.  The line on the far right is live and runs up to strip mines north of Stonega.

According to Hanson’s placename book, “Roda” is short for “rhododendron” and you have the Post Office to thank for omitting the “h” that should have been in “Roda”.  Andover is named in honor of Andover College in New England, which was of some significance to the president of the Virginia Coal and Iron Company.  “Stonega”?  Hanson says it’s just “Stone  Gap” without the “p”.  Ahh, ha.

“Mudlick” isn’t a placename.  It might have been a small settlement once.  A “lick” refers to an outcropping of salt that attracted wild animals and, eventually, hunters.  Meat and salt, all in one.

Diversion: Kent Junction

Bob LawrenceLeave a comment

Kent Junction is centered at 36.921466, -82.728876, northeast of Appalachia.  I don’t know why I like it so much…it’s just sort of a tidy triangle of trackage (heh, alliteration) out in the country. It was originally laid down by the Interstate Railroad as part of its trackage to Cane Patch and to Dorchester.  You can get a good look at it on Google Earth.  That N&S loco isn’t going anywhere.  It was just sitting there, hissing occasionally.  This was in February, 2012.
kentjunction