A Guide to the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company Records, 1836-1943 Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company Records 1836-1943 4364, 30428

A Guide to the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company Records, 1836-1943

A Collection in
the Library of Virginia
Accession Number 4364, 30428


[logo]

Library of Virginia

The Library of Virginia
800 East Broad Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219-8000
USA
Email: archdesk@lva.virginia.gov(Archives)
URL: http://www.lva.virginia.gov/

© 2009 By The Library of Virginia. All Rights Reserved.

Processed by: LVA Staff

Repository
The Library of Virginia
Accession Number
4364, 30428
Title
Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company Records, 1836-1943
Extent
196 maps, 67 plans, 25 charts and 16 items
Language
English

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company Records, 1836-1943. Map Collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, VA 23219.

Acquisition Information

Gift of Chessie System (Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company), Huntington, West Virginia, April-July 1977, June 1978.

Biographical Information

The Louisa Railroad Company, incorporated in 1835, merged, on Feb. 18, 1836, with the Virginia Central Railroad Company. On Aug. 31, 1868, the Covington and Ohio Railroad Company and the Virginia Central Railroad Company merged to form the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad Company. In 1870 the Blue Ridge Railroad Company merged into the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad Company which, in 1878, was reorganized as the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company.

Scope and Content

Records, 1836-1943, of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company mainly consist of maps of the James River and vicinity formerly occupied by the James River and Kanawha Canal. The railroad bed was laid on the canal towpath, and many maps show the relative positions of the canal and the railroad right of way. The collection also consists of letters and proposals concerning construction or alterations affecting the property of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company.

There are 196 maps cataloged by location, with a date range from 1836 to 1943. One map is a later compilation of surveys dating back to 1825. The 67 plans are also arranged and listed by location and cover the years 1848 to 1927. The 25 charts and graphs range from 1870 to 1927. The additional 16 records cover the years 1886, 1892, 1895 and 1898.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged into the following series:

Series I. Maps, 1836-1943 Series II. Plans, 1848-1927 Series III. Charts, 1870-1927 Series IV. Records, 1886-1898

Contents List

Series I. Maps , 1836-1943 .
Extent: 196 maps.

The maps relate to a variety of subjects. While most show railroad rights of way along the old canal, others contain surveys of routes through towns, such as Charlottesville, Lynchburg, Richmond, and Hampton; plats of railroad depots and private property condemned for the use of the railroad; and surveys of branch line routes.

Back to Top
Series II: Plans , 1848-1927 .
Extent: 67 plans.

The plans are for dams, designs for a pile hammer, sections through canals and water sheet pits, and profiles of riverbeds. There are also plans for fish ladders, canal lock gates and their machinery, gauging platforms, a lighter, and a bridge over the Manchester Canal.

Back to Top
Series III: Charts , 1870-1927 .
Extent: 25 charts and graphs.

The charts primarily show the relative depth of the canal or river bottom over a period of time. Other charts pertain to the use of water power at Richmond.

Back to Top
Series IV: Records , 1886-1898 .
Extent: 16 items.

The records consist of letters and proposals concerning construction or alterations affecting the property of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad Company. Most of these manuscripts relate to the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad Company maps.

Back to Top