Virginia Room Digital Collection

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The Virginia Room Digital Collection includes photographs, oral histories, books, pamphlets and finding aids to items in the Virginia Room. Continue to check back for new additions.

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From left to right, the people at the front of the room, facing the crowd, are, Evelyn D. Bethel, Dr. John Kern, Alphonzo Holland, Sr., Ventriloquist Tammy Barnwell, and Branch Manager, Carla Lewis. Picture from Roanoke City Public Library’s 75th…

A small girl is being given a present by an unidentified woman. In the background, from right to left, there is Branch Manager, Carla Lewis, Ventriloquist Tammy Barnwell, Alphonzo Holland, Sr., and Dr. John Kern. Picture from Roanoke City Public…

An unidentified group of people are gathered for Roanoke City Public Library’s 75th Anniversary Celebration at the Gainsboro Library, 6 December 1996. Banner for the event is pictured above the doorway to the staff area. Photographs by Bob Hale.

Unidentified women is presenting a gift to an unidentified man in the image. In the background, from right to left, there is Branch Manager, Carla Lewis, Ventriloquist Tammy Barnwell, Alphonzo Holland, Sr., and Dr. John Kern. Picture from Roanoke…

Marion B. Smith (left) hugging an unidentified woman. To the far left, Dr. John Kern is seated to the left of Alphonzo Holland, Sr. Picture from Roanoke City Public Library’s 75th Anniversary Celebration at the Gainsboro Library, 6 December 1996.…

Marion B. Smith is speaking with Virginia Reeves in front of a crowd. The row of people sitting behind them include, from left to right, unidentified man, Evelyn D. Bethel, Dr. John Kern, Alphonzo Holland, Sr., assumedly Glenn Radcliffe, and an…

Marion B. Smith is pinning something on an unidentified woman. Behind them, from left to right, is an unidentified man, Evelyn D. Bethel, Dr. John Kern, and Alphonzo Holland, Sr. Picture from Roanoke City Public Library’s 75th Anniversary Celebration…

Branch Manager Carla Lewis shaking hands with her husband, Peter Lewis. Picture from Roanoke City Public Library’s 75th Anniversary Celebration at the Gainsboro Library, 6 December 1996. Photographs by Bob Hale.

From left to right, Marion B. Smith, Peter Lewis, and an unidentified woman stand for a group picture. Picture from Roanoke City Public Library’s 75th Anniversary Celebration at the Gainsboro Library, 6 December 1996. Photographs by Bob Hale.

This photo appears to be a picture of a painting. There is a woman and a man on a picnic blanket, and two other women toward the bottom of the image. All of the people in the scene are looking off to the right of the image.

A man is standing with his back to the camera in a light gray suit. The people facing the camera, from left to right, are Alphonzo Holland, Sr., Ventriloquist Tammy Barnwell, Branch Manager Carla Lewis, and two unidentified women. Picture from…

An unidentified man and an unidentified woman speak to one another in front of the podium, before the crowd. In the background, from left to right, there is Evelyn D. Bethel, Dr. John Kern, Alphonzo Holland, Sr., Ventriloquist Tammy Barnwell, and…

An unidentified woman hands a present to Reverend E. T. Burton. On the left side of the image, Alphonzo Holland, Sr. and Ventriloquist Tammy Barnwell stand by the podium. Picture from Roanoke City Public Library’s 75th Anniversary Celebration at the…

Marion B. Smith cuts a large sheet cake that says, “Happy 75th Anniversary Gainsboro Library.” Picture from Roanoke City Public Library’s 75th Anniversary Celebration at the Gainsboro Library, 6 December 1996. Photographs by Bob Hale.

Most likely a photograph taken by mistake. An unidentified person stands in front of the camera. Marion B. Smith can be seen in the corner. Picture from Roanoke City Public Library’s 75th Anniversary Celebration at the Gainsboro Library, 6 December…

Three unidentified people stand by a table with a punch bowl, and a small cake that reads, “Happy Birthday Gainsboro 75th Library.” Picture from Roanoke City Public Library’s 75th Anniversary Celebration at the Gainsboro Library, 6 December 1996.…

Two women and a small girl stand in front of a table with several catering trays on top of it. Picture from Roanoke City Public Library’s 75th Anniversary Celebration at the Gainsboro Library, 6 December 1996. Photographs by Bob Hale.

Marion B. Smith leans over a table, holding a piece of cake. Peter Lewis, in a navy sports coat, can be seen to the left of the image. Several other unidentified people can be seen in the image. Picture from Roanoke City Public Library’s 75th…

A group of unidentified people stand while assumedly listening to a presentation. Beverly James, City Librarian, is in the pink sweater to the right of the image, next to the display of balloons. Picture from Roanoke City Public Library’s 75th…

Dr. John Kern stands at the podium, speaking at the Gainsboro Branch Library. There is a row of people sitting behind him, including, from left to right, an unidentified man, Evelyn D. Bethel, Alphonzo Holland, Sr., and who is assumedly Glenn…

Marion B. Smith is standing behind the circulation desk at the Gainsboro Branch Library helping Ms. Graves and a small girl. Beverly James, City Librarian, can be seen to the right of the image, in a pink sweater, next to a display of balloons.…

Evelyn D. Bethel stands at the podium, speaking at the Gainsboro Branch Library. There is a row of people sitting behind her, including, from left to right, an unidentified man, Dr. John Kern, Alphonzo Holland, Sr., and, assumedly, Glenn Radcliffe.…

Dr. Walter Claytor is pictured standing against the circulation desk at the Gainsboro Branch Library. Picture from Roanoke City Public Library’s 75th Anniversary Celebration at the Gainsboro Library, 6 December 1996. Photographs by Bob Hale.

An unidentified woman is standing at the podium, speaking to an audience gathered at the Gainsboro Branch Library. From left to right, there are three other people sitting behind her, Evelyn D. Bethel, Dr. John Kern, and Alphonzo Holland, Sr. The…

An unidentified man is standing at the podium, speaking to an audience gathered at the Gainsboro Branch Library. From left to right, there are three other people sitting behind him, Evelyn D. Bethel, Dr. John Kern, and Alphonzo Holland, Sr. Picture…

Branch Manager Carla Lewis is sitting at the circulation desk at the Gainsboro Branch Library. Numerous other unidentified people are sitting in the crowd for the celebration. Picture from Roanoke City Public Library’s 75th Anniversary Celebration at…

This picture captures some of the audience members of the 75th Anniversary Celebration. Dr. Walter Claytor is sitting third from left in the front row, in the black sports coat. Peter Lewis is standing in the background with a light blue shirt and…

Dr. John Kern stands at the podium, speaking at the Gainsboro Branch Library. There is a row of people sitting behind him, including, from left to right, an unidentified man and Evelyn D. Bethel. Picture from Roanoke City Public Library’s 75th…

Three women are pictured speaking to one another. From left to right, there is an unidentified woman, Beverly James, City Librarian, and Ms. Graves. Picture from Roanoke City Public Library’s 75th Anniversary Celebration at the Gainsboro Library, 6…

Dr. John Kern, left, speaking to an unidentified man at the Gainsboro Branch Library. Picture from Roanoke City Public Library’s 75th Anniversary Celebration at the Gainsboro Library, 6 December 1996. Photographs by Bob Hale.

A group of four people at the 75th Anniversary celebration. From left to right, Ms. Graves, Peter Lewis, an unidentified woman, and Dr. Walter Claytor. Picture from Roanoke City Public Library’s 75th Anniversary Celebration at the Gainsboro Library,…

A group of unidentified people seated for the 75th Anniversary Celebration at the Gainsboro Branch Library. Picture from Roanoke City Public Library’s 75th Anniversary Celebration at the Gainsboro Library, 6 December 1996. Photographs by Bob Hale.

Two balloon decorations set up outside of the Gainsboro Branch Library. The balloons have writing on them (assumedly for the 75th Anniversary) and the Mill Mountain Star.

Streetscape image of the Gainsboro Branch Library. Photo assumedly taken from Patton Avenue on the west side of Gainsboro Road. Picture is assumedly from the Gainsboro Road Expansion Project.

Unknown man. Donated by the Gainsboro Family YMCA in 2012.

Portrait of Dr. F.W. Claytor. Donated by the Gainsboro Family YMCA in 2012.

Mr. Roscoe R. Banks. First YMCA Member, Past Chairman of the Board of Members, Elected Honorary Board Member William A. Hunton Branch YMCA, Roanoke, VA. 1927-1956. Photographer: Clark Studio. Donated by the Gainsboro Family YMCA in 2012.

Mr. Roscoe R. Banks. First YMCA Member, Past Chairman of the Board of Members, Elected Honorary Board Member William A. Hunton Branch YMCA, Roanoke, VA. 1927-1956.

Harrison School Trip to Washington D.C.

Harrison School Trip to Washington D. C. May 1950.

Harrison School Trip to Washington D. C. May 1950.

William A. Hunton Branch YMCA.

William A. Hunton Branch YMCA.

Perry Thomas Keeling, Sr. Boys' Work Secretary. 1955-1956, Executive Director: 1957-1990, the YMCA of Roanoke Valley Family Center Branch.

Virginia State Graduating Class of 1914. Mattie Bell (Morris) was later a teacher at Gainsboro School.

Photograph of a young Virginia Y. Lee. She is seated in this sepia toned image.

The General was the annual for Lee Junior High School.

The General was the annual of Lee Junior High School.

The General was the annual for Lee Junior High School.

The General was the annual for Lee Junior High School.

The General was the annual for Lee Junior High School.

The General was the annual of Lee Junior High School.

The General was the annual of Lee Junior High School.

The General was the annual of Lee Junior High School.

The General was the annual of Lee Junior High School.

The General was the annual of Lee Junior High School.

The General is the annual for Lee Junior High School.

The General was the annual for Lee Junior High School.

The General was the annual for Lee Junior High School.

The General was the annual of Lee Junior High School.

The General was the annual for Lee Junior High School.

The General was the annual for Lee Junior High School.

The General was the annual for Lee Junior High School.

The General was the annual of Lee Junior High School.

The Glenn-Minnich store, formerly located at 108 W. Campbell Avenue, on closing day. Glenn-Minnich operated from 1913 until 1960 and was founded by C.B. Minnich, Myrl Glenn, and H.A. Glenn.

Cutting a cake celebrating Glenn-Minnich's Rub Jubilee or forty years in business are, left to right, Estelle Penn, Nancy P. Deyerle, LeCompte Glenn Deyerle, unidentified, and Mildred Glenn.

The Boy Scout Department after a recent remodel at Glenn-Minnich, formerly located 108 W. Campbell Avenue.

Interior of Glenn-Minnich after a recent remodel.

The College Shop in Glenn-Minnich shown after a recent remodel.

Interior of Glenn-Minnich after a recent remodel.

Interior of Glenn-Minnich after a recent remodel.

Amy Jo Glenn (left) and Vetty Beckwith Glenn cutting cake inside Glenn-Minnich on the occasion of the store's Ruby Jubilee or fortieth anniversary.

Street-level entrance of Glenn-Minnich, formerly located at 108 W. Campbell Avenue.

The shoe department at Glenn-Minnich.

LeCompte Glenn in front of Glenn-Minnich, formerly located at 108 W. Campbell Avenue.

Window display of Glenn-Minnich after remodeling. The slogans of the store were, "The store with the friendly door." and "Clothes for men and men who stay young."

1976 annual for Grandin Court Elementary School.

1978 annual for Grandin Court Elementary School.

Headlight is a special edition periodical featuring Roanoke and scenes along the Norfolk & Western Railroad.

Date of Birth: October 15, 1841
Mayor from July 1, 1892 to June 30, 1894
Other offices held: Virginia House of Delegates, December 5, 1877 to December 3, 1879; Senator, Virginia's 4th District, December 5, 1883 to December 8, 1887; City Council,…

An index to homes from Roanoke, Salem, and the surrounding areas profiled in Historic Garden Week in Virginia, 1938-2010.

Locomotive No. 1219 arrives in Roanoke. The Class A was considered to be one of the "Magnificent Three" designs developed by a Norfolk & Western team headed by J.A. Pitcher, G.P. McGavok, and C.H. Faris. The Class A would break all previous…

Amongst the clerks, boilermakers, carpenters, mechanics, and engineers were a slew of instrumentalists, singers, song writers, and composers. Together, they formed the Roanoke Shop Band. Here the band stands on the grounds of the Hotel Roanoke. …

The carpenter crew has almost completed work on the station at Vicker, Virginia in this photo. Carpenters built everything from depots to boxcars and cabooses, to the finished interiors of passenger coaches.

This photograph captures the station and crew at Welch, West Virginia. It is believed that the building in the background is the courthouse. Notice the freight car to the left.

Here is the Old Yard Office located upstairs from the N&W Passenger Station at Radford. Pictured from right to left are Zince, Stump, E.E. Allen, Lawrence Allen, Louis Lucas, Horace Price, Tom Heslep, H.A. Hall, J.C. Turner, O.C. Charlton, J.H.…

Employees at the N&W roundhouse in Lynchburg. While Lynchburg served as the divisional point for the N&W during its first few years, increased coal and ore traffic caused the N&W to move its divisional points farther west in 1888.

Working for the railroad was not always about work. Here is the 1895 N&W General Office Building Baseball Team. Team members are from left to right: (front row) ? Coleman, Winfree Reed, Max Howe, and G.F. Butler; (middle row) Harry Moore, Garnet…

An early N&W mail car. The N&W purchased the car, which was built in 1892. Railroads were a popular and effective way to distribute mail around the country. Clerks aboard the cars would actually cancel the letters en route with the initials RPO,…

On July 2, 1889, a night storm swelled Wolf Creek near Thaxton, Virginia, which rose out of its banks just as passenger train No. 2 was crossing. The situation became N&W's first major disaster. There was only one survivor, trainmaster James…

An N&W passenger train speeds between Roanoke and Christiansburg, Virginia. The N&W provided extensive passenger service through southwestern and southeastern Virginia, the Shenandoah Valley, West Virginia, and into parts of North Carolina. With…

This photograph of the crew of Engine No. 82 was taken when Goodwin, West Virginia was a western terminus. The engine was standing on the Wye track. Crew members are S.D. Clowers, engineer; R.S. Brown, engineer; James Emmons, fireman; George…

Engine No. 500 pulls out of Norfolk with the Pocahontas. The Pocahontas' maiden run occurred on November 21, 1926, when she ran between Norfolk and Columbus, Ohio. That run replaced the former "Norfolk-Chicago Express".

Passengers board an N&W coach. Passenger service when into a steep decline after the mid-1940s. In 1946, for example, the N&W carried 3.4 million passengers. By 1950, that figure was about 900,000. The automobile was taking its toll on the…

The crew of Engine No. 102, shortly after the engine was taken over by the N&W, included Conductor Lawrence Boyles, Engineer George Agee, Fireman Harley Pugh, and Brakeman Jesse Honaker and R.C. Warden.

This photograph captures a proud moment in the development of the N&W. Rolled out from the shop is the first locomotive built by Roanoke Machine Works. Roanoke Machine Works would later become the N&W Roanoke Shops. The engine is a Class I.

This photograph was taken at east Radford coal wharf. It depicts Engine No. 138 and crew. Mr. Akers, engineer; Charlie Roby, fireman; Mr. Allen and Mr. Adkins.

Rail workers watch a safety film inside the N&W's motion picture car.

In the late 1920s, the N&W developed a new strategy in rail safety education - the motion picture car. Carrying the "Safety First" logo, the car traveled various rail lines of the N&W as a mobile classroom for the purpose of providing safety…

The caboose functioned in may was as the train's office. Often train orders and other paperwork were handled aboard the caboose, which come on the scene in the late 1800s to serve as living quarters as well as an office for the crew. With the…

A foreman gauges track to make certain the distance between the rails is exactly 4 feet, 8 inches. In 1883, the N&W operated primarily on a 5-foot gauge; however, on June 1, 1886, the N&W and other southern railroads adopted the now-standard gauge…

This photograph shows the interior of a 52-foot long baggage and express car built in 1892. Notice the hanging oil lamp and stove at the mid-point.

Commonly called the "boxcar", this particular model was used by N&W in 1960. The small numbers along the side under the logo indicated its hauling capacity, weight and load limits, measurements, when it was built, and when it was most recently…

A hopper with coal is ready to go. 1970 was the peak for N&W coal traffic, when the railway carried 90.6 million tons of coal. While coal was profitable, it was not always a source of revenue. Floods, miner strikes, and other labor disputes cut…

Engine No. 2165 is northbound near Waynesboro, Virginia, hauling a small but varied freight load.

A freight train pulled by Engine No. 1228 moves eastbound near Bonsack.

Locomotive No. 1212 pulls a load in a scene of the past: a steam engine at work. The N&W was the last major American railroad to abandon the steam engine in favor of the diesel engine. The designers and engineers of the N&W developed the steam…

Engine No. 1442 is placed on the new 115-foot turntable and in the new roundhouse of the Shenandoah Division. For this moment, the men of the roundhouse take a break to pose in recognition of achievement.

Electric engines acquired by the N&W were from Baldwin-Westinghouse. There were 16 locomotives in all. The system, including overhead catenary wires and a generating plant, was completed in 1916. Engine No. 2506 makes the Bluefield run. In 1950,…

This electric locomotive, Engine No. 126, was from the Virginian Railway. The Virginian was formed by Henry Rogers for $30 million in 1907. Having made his fortune in oil, Rogers died a month after the Virginian was officially formed and his…

Engine No. 1 was the switching locomotive used at the Roanoke Machine Works (later Roanoke Shops) in 1886. Standing in the cab of the engine is H.S. German. Others, from left, are Brakemen W.H. Hall and W.W. Rule, Engineer Paul DeArmond, and…

Engine No. 345 was the first compound engine owned by N&W. This photograph was taken at Crewe, Virginia. Crew members include A.D. Lane, engineer, and Julian Hark, fireman.

During the first part of the 20th Century, N&W tried to cultivate agricultural products and freight as possible revenue. Rail agents often advertised farmland near N&W depots to encourage such activity. Here a "farm train" stops as men gather…

The railroad employed a number of young boys to serve as apprentices during the advent of child labor laws. This photograph shows the Roanoke Shops machinist apprentices. A young apprentice would work a 10 hour day and often overtime on weekends. …

This photograph shows track crews at work along the N&W line. Track laying and maintenance was an awesome undertaking, given the thousands of miles of track owned and operated by N&W. Only in the middle part of the 20th Century did track work…

Unidentified employees at the Roanoke roundhouse pose with locomotive wheels. Notice the various tools each is holding, which suggest the different types of work done at the roundhouse.

N&W employed a wide variety of skilled laborers. In this photograph, upholsterers in the Roanoke Shops prepare seats for passenger coaches. In addition to outfitting trains, the upholstery shop also fitted office furniture and some items for the…

Roanoke Boiler Shop employees at the corner of Salem Avenue and Commerce Street. Pictured from left to right (front row): Frank Bianchi, T.D Equi, John Griffin, P.E. Lawhorn, F.H. Wigmore, George Leisinger, T.J. Murray, James Conway, Edward Irvin,…

Carpenter Force No. 1, Pocahontas Division at Richlands, Virginia. From left are R.L. Sorah, J.A. Dye, Dayton Henderson, O.J. Lawson, R.L. Maxwell, J.D. Farmer, T.R. Stinson, S.T. Sparks, G.W. Petts, E.W. Clay, A.G. Quillen, R.H. Honaker. Notice…

Drawing room employees in the N&W office building. Pictured from left are: John Worthington, Charles Jacobsen, James Woods, Fred Scuiffer, two unidentified, George Worthington, Otis Bellingrodh, Servelius Bisphan.

This history of the Nickel Plate Railroad is an amassment of histories from other lines, such as Lake Erie and Western, Clover Leaf, and the Wheeling and Lake Erie. The Nickel Plate was officially the New York, Chicago, and St. Louis Railroad…

Like many railroads, the lines of the Wabash Railway Company predated the company's formation in 1877. The history of the Wabash is long and complicated, involving certain dubious personalities, mergers, receiverships, and a wavering bottom line. …

In addition to Engine No. 1776, N&W also had painted certain cars within their rolling stock to highlight the Bicentennial. Here a caboose wears the nation's colors.

Public relations was not always left to copy editors and high-ranking N&W officials. This photograph shows a "train" built by the men at the Roanoke Shops for advertising purposes.

The station at Schooler, Virginia was operated by W.H. Cord (left). The small station operated from March 1883, when coal first began to move from Pocahontas to Norfolk, until 1900 when the station was bypassed by new track. The young man in the…

Locomotive No. 37 was used in 1871 when the South Side, Norfolk and Petersburg, and Virginia and Tennessee Railroads were consolidated, forming the Atlantic, Mississippi and Ohio Railroad. The AM&O was the forerunner of N&W.

Coal Pier 4 at Lamberts Point. The pier served N&W for nearly half a century.

This aerial view shows the N&W coal piers at Lamberts Point. Coal Pier 4 (center) was built in 1914. At the time of its initial construction, the pier was 1,200 feet long, 70 feet wide, and 90 feet above the water. It could empty 600 cars per day.…

At Coal Pier 4 at Norfolk, hoppers are dumped into pier cars which carry coal to the loading shutes. In the background is a portion of N&W's 12,000 car classification and storage yards.

Coal quickly became N&W's leading freight commodity. Here an employee loads an N&W hopper with coal.

N&W hoppers at a West Virginia coal tipple are loaded for their eastbound trip to Lamberts Point near Norfolk. In 1883, N&W moved nearly 106,000 tons of coal. A century later, N&W moved 75 million tons annually.

Engine No. 1200. As part of the Class A engines, No. 1200 was the first to be built by N&W between 1936 and 1950. Maximum horsepower was 6,300 at 45 miles per hour.

Front view of Engine No. 1200, a Class A built in 1936.

Engine No. 114 was a member of the K-1 Class of N&W locomotives. This class of engine, numbering 100 to 115, was built between 1916 and 1917. The Class K engines were built to pull more weight since new steel passenger cars were replacing those…

The sleek, Class K-2, Engine No. 118 was acquired by N&W in 1919. These engines, numbering 116 through 125, were rebuilt later and streamlined by N&W.

Steam Engine No. 130, a Class K-2A locomotive.

Engine No. 209.

The Class M Engine No. 1112 was built in 1910. Their purchase was almost solely in response to the increased demands for hauling coal.

Engine No. 37 was a Class N, as were all engines numbered 28 through 37. These engines, purchased by N&W, were made between 1887 and 1888. This photograph was taken at Wakefield, Ohio.

Engine No. 76 was a Class U engine. On the N&W line, these engines were numbered 71 through 85.

Engine No. 800 was an N&W Class W-6. These engines, numbered 800 through 814, were made between 1898 and 1899.

Engine No. 2023 was a Class Y-3 locomotive. This was one of 50 built between 1919 and 1923.

The Class Y-3A engines included No. 2058. These engines, numbering 2050 through 2079, were built in 1923. This photograph was taken in Cincinnati.

The Class Y-4 engines were developed by N&W in 1927. Only 10 were produced, with Engine No. 2087 among them.

In an effort to heavier freight, N&W developed the Y-6 locomotive. While retaining many of the design elements of the previous Y models, the Y-6 had a new steel frame, roller bearings, and mechanical lubrication at 213 points. A peak horsepower of…

Engine No. 2156

Between 1948 and 1952, 30 Class Y-6B engines were produced by N&W. Engine No. 2200, the last of the Y-6Bs, is shown here at Roanoke.

Engine No. 1438 was one of many Class Z-1A engines used by N&W. This particular engine was built in January 1916 in Schenectady, New York. These engines, numbered 1315 through 1438, were built between 1912 and 1917. A number of them were purchased…

To join the celebration of the nation's bicentennial, N&W painted this diesel locomotive red, white, and blue. The engine's number was appropriately 1776.

The Shenandoah Valley Railroad operated a 239-mile line from Hagerstown, Maryland to Roanoke, Virginia, which was completed in 1883. Norfolk & Western purchased the railroad in 1890. The Shenandoah Valley's president, Fredercik Kimball, would…

Union Local 440 entered this "Safety First" float in a Roanoke parade. It testifies to the cooperation by rail unions and officials to improve worker safety.

Safety became a paramount concern of the railroad. Pictured is the Eckman Shop Safety Committee on Engine No. 1343. In 1893, Congress passed the Railroad Safety Appliance Act and in 1916, rail employees won Congressional approval for an 8-hour work…

The shop gang of the Portsmouth (Ohio) Shop pose in front of Engine No. 600. In 1901, N&W purchased the Cincinnati, Portsmouth, and Virginia Railroad for $2.5 million. Portsmouth would become a major location in the future operations of N&W.

Some "cars" were used for necessary tests to properly maintain a railroad track. One example is the Scaletest Car in this photograph. The car was used to test the scales on the N&W system that weighed the rolling stock. Instructions on the car…

This N&W ambulance from the 1920s signifies the hazards of being a rail worker. In fact, N&W financed the hospital in Roanoke for its first two years of operation so rail families could get necessary medical services.

Passenger coaches went through numerous stages of development. From wood to steel construction, and from basic amenities to luxurious accomodations, the coach was designed for both comfort and safety. This is an early passenger coach used by N&W.

Henry Fink, president of N&W from 1895 until 1902, was the chief operating officer for Mahone's AM&O Railroad. A life-long bachelor, Fink had immigrated to the United States with his brother in 1851 and became a railroad engineer four years later. …

General William Mahone served as the president of the AM&O Railroad for its 10-year existence. Gen. Mahone first gained attention during the Civil War as a field commander, notorious for his unorthodox battle antics. Following the war, Mahone…

The Pocahontas moves east through Blue Ridge, Virginia pulled by Diesel No. 1014. The engine, though bearing the N&W name, was a diesel originally belonging to the Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Potomac. By the late 1950s, as the N&W was…

Electric engines were developed in 1914 so crews could safely navigate the tunnel at Coldale, West Virginia. Slow-moving steam engines choked the badly ventilated tunnel to the detriment of the crew's health. The electrified line ran between…

Diesel Engine No. 1633, photographed shortly after being built. Notice the railroad's last corporate logo, the more streamlined "NW". The white-on-black design was introduced by John Fishwick when he was the railroad's president in 1971.

Diesel engines could operate more efficiently than the steam engine and American railroads were quick to make the switch. Between 1941 and 1955, the number of diesel locomotives in use went from 1,200 to 20,000. Pictured is Engine No. 8511.

The diesel engine was developed in 1890 by Rudolph Diesel. The Central Railroad of New Jersey was the first to use a diesel locomotive in 1925. It was not until 1955 that N&W began to order diesel locomotives, primarily from American Locomotive…

After the first N&W office building burned in 1896, this building took its place. Constructed on the same location as the old, one section was completed in 1896 and the other in 1907. The building is now used for upscale apartments.

Passenger locomotive No. 29 pulls into the Winston-Salem yard in 1890. This train may have been operating on the former Roanoke and Southern track that was absorbed into the operations of N&W in 1892.

Engine No. 1100, a Class M-2, was one of a number of engines purchased by N&W in 1910. The Class M, as rebuilt, had a 4-8-0 wheel alignment, allowing it to meet the freight demands of the railroad.

Given the hazards of early railroading, even Mother Nature did not cooperate at times. This image shows a collapsed car shop in Roanoke, a result of a heavy snow storm in 1890.

A school group lines up to board the Powhatan Arrow. The name of the train was the result of a contest conducted by N&W, wherein 140,000 entries were submitted. The winner of the $500 first place prize was an N&W retiree, Leonard A. Scott.

Virginia and Tennessee Railroad named rather than numbered their locomotives. This locomotive was Roanoke. Chartered in 1849 and completed in 1856, the V&T ran from Lynchburg to Bristol and later merged with the AM&O.

The Powhatan Arrow boasted the finest passenger service amenities when introduced, including a tavern-lounge car. Here the Arrow moves from Roanoke to Bluefield and was photographed at Singer, Virginia. The round-end tavern car, No. 581, allowed…

Called a "vestibule car", this interior shot shows passenger seating in an 1892 coach. Notice the window shutters, ornate interior design, and fold-down seats. Despite its comfortable feel, early trains of this era were unsafe and not that pleasant…

Engine No. 475 steams out of Roanoke. In 1946, the year considered to be the beginning of N&W's modern passenger service, an average ridership per train was 118. By 1971, when N&W discontinued passenger trains, the number had dropped to less than…

The Pocahontas traveling along the New River. This route was the most spectacular and difficult. After leaving the New River Valley, The Arrow climbed abruptly to Bluefield and then downhill along the Tug River at Williamson.

This head-on collision occurred at Rippon, Virginia. Engine No. 481 is at left.

A closer view of the Thaxton wreck shows the debris pile. Engineer Pat Donovan's body was so badly mangled he was only identified by his clothing. The entire woodwork of the train was burned due to exploding gas lights in the coaches. Seven cars…

Engines No. 14 and No. 37 collided at Rural Retreat. Note the collapsed front half of the first baggage coach. While engines could often withstand collisions, the wood-constructed baggage and passenger coaches were extremely vulnerable.

One of the largest freight depots along the N&W line was in Roanoke. Today, the freight depot is home to the Virginia Museum of Transporation, wherein are housed many N&W artifacts and archival material, as well as some steam engines in the outdoor…

This view shows the early Roanoke passenger station (center),the N&W office building (center right), and the Hotel Roanoke (right).

"Roanoke Wheel Shop 1927" is stamped on the axel of the car wheel displayed by the men of the wheel shop. Individuals unidentified.

Engine No. 53 and her crew excavate for new track near Bluefield, West Virginia. N&W pioneered and financed early coal production in the mountains of West Virginia and carved the rail beds that allowed the "black gold" to move east.

The blacksmith gang at the Bluefield Shops. Blacksmithing was rugged and often dangerous work, but a necessary trade to make the railroad operate. Individuals unidentified.

Freight Engine No. 173 of the Radford Yard is depicted at a Radford pipe shop.

Employees of Roanoke Machine Works build a caboose. They are, left to right: W.E. Meadows, Ted Swain, William Patterson, R.L. Daddow, R.L. Funk, and T.S. Jones.

Diesel Engine No. 1590 passes through Buena Vista, Virginia. Notice the train order raised to be grabbed by the engineer as the train passes.

This is an unidentified station office. Pictured left to right are: C.E. Moore, C.C. McPherson, W.L. Bingham, Harvey Call, and W.G. Light.

An interior view of a sleeper car.

This image symbolizes the commercial ventures of N&W - a coal train enters the picture as a passenger train, the Powhatan Arrow, leaves. Engine No. 1213 is westbound out of Williamson, West Virginia, to deliver coal to the Great Lakes region. The…

Unidentified men work in a standard rail mail car. The United States Postal Service discontinued use of the railroad post office in 1967.

This photograph includes three types of modern, coal-burning steam locomotives designed and built by N&W. These represent the best elements of steam engine design: low initial investment, high utilization, low-cost operation and maintenence, and…

Passengers enjoy a ride on a N&W coach.

Engine No. 17 is surrounded by rail employees in this photograph taken near Elkton, West Virginia. On the ground at the extreme left is G.W. Pile; standing fourth from the left is H.S. Walker; standing second from the right is C.C. Edmondson; and…

One of the largest freight depots along the N&W line was in Roanoke. Today, the freight depot is home to the Virginia Museum of Transporation, wherein are housed many N&W artifacts and archival material, as well as some steam engines in the outdoor…

The station at Christiansburg, Virginia awaits freight and passengers. Note the mail and express carts to the right.

The N&W, like all major railroads, served its country well during World War II for the movement of troops and military freight. In fact, passenger service reached its zenith during wartime. While the exact location of this scene is unknown, it…

Employees repair an N&W locomotive at the Roanoke Shops.

An interior view of the erecting shop at Roanoke showing an engine's assembly in progress.

Taken from the Roanoke passenger station, this photograph shows the Birmingham Special in the background and the Pocahontas in the foreground..

Shown here is the back, lower level of the Roanoke passenger station three years before the Raymond Loewy renovation.

The N&W passenger station at Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

The N&W station at Bluefield, West Virginia.

The depot in Ivor, Virginia.

Two employees examine car wheels at the Roanoke Shops. C.G. Wiley is at right; the man at left is unidentified. Unfortunately, African American employees of the N&W could not be promoted beyond entry-level positions until the passage of the Civil…

The Dynamometer was pulled by locomotives to determine their actual horsepower and potential speeds. Such calculations were extremely important for effeciently moving freight over different grades and distances. The ability of the locomotive to do…

Here, a former N&W mail car is a museum display. Notice the period mail bag hanging from its post. As the train would pass, the mail clerk would position the hook, grab the bag, and then begin the sorting process inside the car.

The Powhatan Arrow on one of its runs. The Arrow traveled along a diverse scenic route through Virginia's Dismal Swamp, the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Alleghanies, and into the West Virginia coal fields.

Aerial photograph of N&W freight docks at Lambert's Point near Norfolk.

Coal was not the only export transported by N&W. This image shows freight docks and a grain elevator at Sewall's Point at Norfolk. Pier A is in center foreground.

Engine No. 382 runs the steepest grade of all - a sustained three percent grade to the summit at White Top Station. This run, affectionately known as the "Virginia Creeper", ran between Abingdon, Virginia and West Jefferson, North Carolina. Here,…

A small coal yard in West Virginia. N&W pioneered and developed the state's coal industry.

When passenger services encompassed long distances, dining service was offered. While cooks had to operate in a relatively confined space, they prepared full-course meals as good as any fine restaurants.

The depot at Grundy, Virginia was reminiscent of many rural depots that lined the tracks of the N&W.

The "Wheel Rollers" of the Roanoke Shops include (front left): Earl Dunning, John Cantry, Charles Wiley, Monk Wiggins, and Thomas Campbell. The Wheel Rollers competed in wheel rolling competitions around the nation and always placed high.

The Norfolk and Western Male Chorus consisted of African American employees who toured and performed hundreds of concerts. Here, the chorus performs at Roanoke's Academy of Music. The chorus was of such a high caliber that one needed an audition to…

The old car record office at Portsmouth, Virginia. Shown from left are: Floyd Chabot (seated), Paul Jones, S.A. Highfield, H.H. Hester, and John Farley.

Car yardmen at Kimball, West Virginia. As the coal mines opened, the number of men employeed by N&W soared, bringing economic opportunity to many West Virginia families.

One of N&W's largest freight stations was in Roanoke. Depicted are unidentified freight station employees. The average annual wage for railroad workers in America at the turn of the century was $740, much higher than the average American wage.

The crew of Engine No. 19. This engine, like most of the engines used by N&W in its infancy, was built by Baldwin Locomotive Works.

An early example of freight locomotives used by N&W was Engine No. 264.

Class Q Engine No. 516 pulls into a depot at Nolan, West Virginia. The engine was originally put into service in April 1882. Crew members are servicing both passenger and express cars.

Shop employees and crew of Engine No. 205 in Roanoke, shortly after the locomotives construction.

Engine No. 54 with her crew (from left): Engineer E.H. Jones, Fireman Guy Emery, and Conductor Lloyd Pugh. The train was running between Sardinia and Hillsboro branch, and the main line of the Cincinnati, Portsmouth, and Virginia Railroad.

An aerial view of Bellevue Yard in Ohio, looking east. The classification yard is at left center and immediately to the right is the car repair facility. In the distance are the receiving and departure yards.

Wreck at Powhatan, West Virginia. Notice the double-tracking in the image. Unfortunately, the development of adequate rail safety technology was years from completion, making railroading a dangerous profession.

A postcard image of the N&W depot at Salem, Virginia. The depot still remains, although the shed at the tracks was dismantled many years ago. During the 1930s, depots like this dotted the lines of the N&W. Few remain today, either abandoned or in…

Interior view of a typical N&W lounge car.

Interior view of a typical N&W dining car.

Here is but one example of how mechanization assisted significantly in the maintenance of tracks. A machine removes cross ties for the crew.

To keep passenger coaches looking good, the railroad regularly sent them through a mechanical washing facility.

Freight cars line up outside a coal-cleaning and prep plant near Gary, West Virginia. The N&W relied heavily on many of the larger coal mines and facilities throughout West Virginia.

A hopper car loaded with coal coasts down the "hump" incline toward classification tracks at the Portsmouth, Ohio freight yard. This car is half-way through the master retarder. The scale house and assistant yard master's office are located in the…

The Bluefield Yard in 1888. In that year, the N&W organized

The Portsmouth Freight Office included (from left): L.M. Dory, Gus Kehrer, Fred Dressler, S.R. Crawford, T.M. O'Connor, and Theodore Doty.

This engine was a Class W-1, 2-8-0 type and was originally built by the Roanoke Shops in October 1900.

Engine No. 102 rolls out of assembly at the Roanoke Shops and employees pose for the customary photograph of the engine.

The "Jawn Henry" was the nickname for this combination steam-electric locomotive. It was N&W's last-ditch effort to give steam one last try. The engine had 12 traction motors, weighed in at 1.1 million pounds, and was 161 feet long. Delivered in…

Welch, West Virginia. The old N&W station is in the foreground; the courthouse is atop the hill and businesses are at left.

Passenger Engine No. 90 was an example of many engines purchased by N&W in its early years from Baldwin Locomotive Works. Engine No. 90 was a Class A engine.

Engine No. 72 is another example of a Class U locomotive built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1892. This passenger locomotive weighed in excess of 132,000 pounds and was later converted to simple cylinders.

Engine No. 93 was a small shifting engine used at Roanoke Machine Works. It was built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1883.

The old Class M engine was built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1883. N&W owned two of these engines, Nos. 94 and 95, as shown here.

Freight Locomotive No. 1203 rests on the turntable at Shaffer's Crossing in Roanoke.

A stock train rolls through the Virginia countryside. As a way to encourage agribusiness, N&W operated a working farm at Ivor, Virginia for some years around 1910-1915.

An interior view of an express car used by N&W. Express cars held all kinds of freight, from passenger baggage to commercial merchandise.

An interior view of a N&W passenger coach. Notice the oil lamps. Although beautiful design features, these lamps would often shatter during an accident, spilling their fuel into the car. Resultant fires sometimes killed more passengers than the…

Passenger coaches changed significantly over time. Once elaborate and finely appointed coaches evolved into more basic design, as seen in passenger coach No. 1650.

Passenger coach No. 1700.

This passenger train stops in Ivanhoe, Virginia. Passenger service would serve as a popular form of distance travel until the emergence of the automobile.

The Class J 600 is pulling a Southern Railway streamlined passenger train. The Class Js were built between 1941 and 1950.

This photograph shows one of the largest loads of coal cargo on a single ship at Lambert's Point. A total of 493 carloads were required.

Loaded coal cars await their turn at the car-dumping machine. Upwards of 400 cars of coal are required to fill the large colliers.

Norfolk & Western always kept a spare for every part necessary to cargo operations.

An interior view of a Pullman car after being made into a sleeper.

Frederick J. Kimball was one of the most forward-thinking of the early N&W presidents. He was so respected, the citizens of Big Lick voted to change its name to Kimball in his honor. He declined and suggested the location be called Roanoke, which…

This photograph of a bygone era shows a racehorse car with an auction occurring on the platform car. Taken by George Davis of Roanoke, it hints at the possible location of the auction. There were several racehorse tracks in the Roanoke Valley at…

Employees of the Roanoke freight office.

Engine No. 550 is a later example of the steam locomotive used by N&W. The crew poses for a picture in Roanoke.

The Birmingham Special moves northbound, having detoured through Waynesboro, Virginia, on account of a washout on the Southern Railway's main line between Monroe, West Virginia and Charlottesville, Virginia. The Special was among a number of other…

An industrial hoist rests in the yard at Roanoke. Notice the huge pulleys hanging from the arm. Engine No. 131 is in the background.

Norfolk & Western's passenger service ceased in 1971. Here is the Pocahontas on her last run, traveling eastbound at Blue Ridge, Virginia. An estimated 100,000 spectators lined the route to catch a glimpse of a passing era.

This consist of coal includes some hoppers from the Virginia Railway, which had been acquired by N&W in 1959.

Engine No. 2146 pulls a load of coal. In the 1940s, N&W served the following seven coal districts: Kenova, Thacker, Tug River, Pocahontas, Clinch Valley 1 & 2, and Radford.

This is the view across the flat yard at Norfolk, Virginia. Hoppers would wait in the yard to be emptied.

Diesel Engine No. 322 pulls a consist of coal through Virginia. The switch to diesel was difficult for N&W given its commercial investment in coal.

Loaded coal cars awaiting shipment from an N&W coal tipple. Note the different grades of coal being loaded. During World War II, the United States Navy almost exclusively used N&W coal for its Atlantic fleet.

Two N&W locomotives prepare to pass one another heading to and from the West Virginia coal fields.

Pictorial booklet of scenes of and around Hollins Institute (now Hollins University).

A description of Roanoke with a directory of businesses and industries.

The Imprint is the annual for Roanoke Valley Christian School.

The Imprint is the annual for Roanoke Valley Christian School.

This is an index of articles written by Raymond Barnes for the Roanoke World News. Barnes' feature articles, entitled "Echoes of Roanoke", ran from 1958-1969 and covered an array of historical topics related to the Roanoke Valley.

This document is a subject index to the Journal of the Historical Society of Western Virginia. Originally called the Journal of the Roanoke Historical Society, on February 15, 1972, the Historical Society changed its name to the Roanoke Valley…

This document is an index to the Roanoker Magazine arranged alphabetically by subject. from 1974-present.

Prepared for the Virginia Insurance Rating Bureau, this request contains an inventory of city owned property with descriptions and in many cases photographs.

This is a guide to a collection of death certificates of individuals buried in Old Lick, First Baptist Church, and City Farm cemeteries beginning with the earliest available certificates in 1912 and concluding with 1960 when burials at the cemeteries…

A two story and basement building of frame construction, composition shingle roofm plastered interior finish, wood floors on first and second, concrete basement, steam heat and electric lighting. Excellent condition. Valuation: The sound value of…

A one story and basement building, frame construction, metal roof, plastered interior finish, wood floors, concrete basement, electric lighting, steam heat. Building in good condition. Valuation: The sound value of this building is approximately…

A two and one story frame building, composition roof, plastered interior finish, wood floors, stove heat. Building in fair condition. Valuation: The sound value of this building is approximately $4K.

A one story and basement building of log and stone construction, composition roof, wood boards and earth floors, open interior finish, electric lighting, stove heat. Built in 1930 and in excellent condition. Valuation: The sound value of this…

A two and one story frame dwelling, metal roof, wood floors, plastered interior finish, electric lighting. Approximately 40 years old in fair condition. A small frame outbuilding also located on premises. Valuation: The sound value of this building…

A one and a half story building of frame construction, composition roof, wood floors, plastered interior finish, electric lighting, stove heat. Building approximately 40 years old and in fair condition. Small frame outbuilding on premises. Valuation:…

One and two story building with basement. The modern fire resistive building was completed in 1947. Valuation: The sound value of this building is approximately $227K.

"A two story and basement brick building with stucco finish, metal roof, wood floors, except basement, which is brick, plastered interior finish, electric lights, low pressure steam heat. Approximately 125 years old. Occupancy: Basement - Heating…

"One story brick building, wood joisted roof covered with slate. Interior; floor of concrete with mastic tile wearing surfaces, close plastered sidewalls, metal lath and plastered beam ceiling. Electric lighting, stoker-fired low pressure steam…

One story and part basement brick building, wood joisted roof covered with slate. Interior; joisted floor, oak wearing surfaces, close plastered sidewalls, ceilings metal lath and plaster. Basement partly finished with concrete floor. Electric…

"A two story and part basement brick building of fire resistive construction, roof of composition on concrete slab, concrete floors, plastered interior finish, electric lighting, low pressure steam heat. Approximately 25 years old and in good…

This is a three story and basement and part two story and basement brick building of fire resistive construction with a roof of composition on concrete slab, concrete floors throughout. One open stairs from basement to third floor. Electric…

A two and one story part basement building of brick and frame construction with composition shingled roofm concrete floors with tile and wood surfacing, plastered interior finish,electric lighting, low pressure steam heat. Built in 1939 and in…

A two story and basement and part one story and basement brick building, metal roof, wood floors except basement which is earth, plastered interior finish, electric lights and steam heat; fair condition. Occupancy: Office and apartments. Valuation:…

One story frame dwelling with composition covered roof and wood floor. Building in fair repair; occupied as tenant dwelling. Valuation: The sound value of this building is approximately $2.5K

Two buildings of similar construction. Each building of cinder block walls with large frame doors, wood joisted roof covered with composition, concrete floor, electric lighting; stove heat. Buildings recently erected and in good repair.

This is a one-high story building with roof of gypsum plank on unprotected steel, cinder block walls, concrete floor. One side is open. Building of recent construction and in good repair. Occupancy: Nose-in hangar and office. Valuation: The sound…

This is a one story building of cinder block construction, all metal roof, concrete floor, electric lighting and steam heat. Occupancy: airplane hangar and supplies storage. Valuation: The sound value of this building is approximately $25.5K

This is a one story building of cinder block construction, all metal roof, concrete floor, electric lighting and steam heat. Occupancy: airplane hangar, with woodworking, machine shop and spray. Valuation: The sound value of this building is…

Four Quonset hut buildings of similar construction. Buildings of all metal on concrete dwarf walls, asphalt floors, electric lighting; no heat. Buildings new and in good condition. Occupancy: airplane storage. Valuation: Each hangar is valued at…

This is a two story frame building with metal roof, wood floors, plastered interior finish, electric lights and coal stove hear. This building is approximately 50 years old an in fair condition. Occupancy: Offices, drugstore, dwelling. Valuation:…

This is a one story building of cinder block construction with a metal roof on wood boards on metal truss, concrete floor, electric lighting, stove heat. Occupancy: Offices, waiting room and restaurant. Valuation: The sound value of this building is…

This is a two story and part basement brick building, metal roof, concrete floors, with the exception of the second which is wood boards, open interior finish with the exception of the second floor which is plaster. One stairs basement to first…

This is a two story brick building with composition roof on wood boards. First floor has open interior finish, metal ceiling and concrete floor. Second floor has plastered interior finish and wood floors. One stairs first to second flood. Electric…

This is a two story and part basement brick building of ordinary joisted construction with composition roof; open interior finish with the exception of the second floor which is plaster, concrete floors with the exception of the second floor which is…

This is a one story brick building with metal roof, wood floors, plastered walls and metal ceiling, electric lights and cooking gas range. This building is approximately 30 years old and in fair condition. Occupancy: Restaurant. Valuation: The sound…

This is a two story and part basement brick building with slate roof. First floor, open interior finish with metal ceiling; second floor, plaster. Concrete floors with exception of second floor which is wood boards. One stairs basement to second…

This is a two story and part basement brick building with slate roof. First floor, open interior finish with metal ceiling; second floor, plaster. Concrete floors with exception of second floor which is wood boards. One stairs basement to second…

This is a two story and part basement brick building with slate roof. First floor, open interior finish with metal ceiling; second floor, plaster. Concrete floors with exception of second floor which is wood boards. One stairs basement to second…

This is a two story and part basement brick building of semi-fire resistive construction with composition shingled roof on wood boards over concrete slab, open interior finish with exception of second floor which is plastered, concrete floors. One…

This is a two story and part basement brick building of semi-fire resistive construction with slate roof, open interior finish with exception of second floor which is plaster, concrete floors - wood surface on second floor. One stairs basement to…

This is a two story and part basement brick building of semi-fire resistive construction with composition roof on a concrete slab; Plastered interior finish with exception of basement which is open; concrete basement, terrazzo first floor, wood…

This is a one-two story and part basement of brick veneer, frame and cinder block, ordinary joisted construction with approved roof. Part of first floor concrete, stove heat; indifferent repair. Occupancy: 1617 - Life Saving Station. 1619-21 - Fire…

A large two story and basement building, frame clapboard and wood shingle construction, wood shingle roof, board floors, wood board interior finish, electric lighting, heat from stoves and fireplaces; in poor condition. Occupancy: First floor - dance…

A one story frame, approved roof dwelling, electric lighting, stove heat; no basement and in fair repair. Valuation: The sound value of this building is approximately $3K.

A two story building of brick and stone stuccoed construction with composition shingle roof, wood board floors, plastered interior finish, electric lights, coal-fired Arcola heat. Approximately 50 years old and in good condition. Valuation: The…

This is a two story and basement brick building with slate roof, wood floors with the exception of the basement which is concrete, plastered walls with the exception of the basement which is open, electric lights and low pressure steam heat. This…

A one story octagonal shaped open pavilion with wood shingle roof, wood floors. Valuation: The sound value of this building is approximately $4500.

A two story frame clapboard building with composition shingle roof, wood floors with exception of basement which is concrete, plastered interior finish with exception of basement which is open finish, one stairs basement to first floor and one stairs…

A one storage octagonal shaped open pavilion with wood shingle roof, wood floors. Valuation: The sound value of this building is approximately $500.

A one story frame stuccoed building with concrete shingle roof, wood floors, plastered interior finish, electric lighting, stove heat. Building in good condition. Valuation: The sound valuation of this building is approximately $2.4K

A two story and part basement brick building with metal roof, wood floors, plastered interior finish, three stairs first to second floor, one stairs basement to first floor. Electric lighting and low pressure steam heat. About 100 years old and in…

A one and a half story part basement building of frame construction with metal roof, wood floors, plastered interior finish, electric lighting and stove heat. About 150 years old. Valuation: The salvage value of this building is approximately $3K.

A two story brick building with frame addition and approved roof, wood floors, plastered interior finish, stove heat and electric lighting. Building in fair condition. Valuation: The sound value of this building is approximately $3.5K.

A one story and basement frame, approved roof building, with wood floor. Valuation: The sound value of this building is approximately $4K.

A two story brick building with composition roof, first floor is concrete and second floor wood boards, plastered interior finish, electric lights, hot water heat (heating equipment cut off in fireproof room). Approximately fifty years old in good…

A three story brick building with a metal roof, wood floors with the exception of first floor which is concrete, wood lath and plaster interior finish, electric lighting, stove heat. Approximately 50 years old and in poor condition. The building is…

A one story brick building, composition roof, open interior finish, concrete and wood floors, electric lighting; fire resistive addition. Building in good condition. Occupancy: Steam reciprocating pumps and boilers. Valuation: The sound value of…

This is a large five story building of fire resistive construction erected in 1916, having a built-up roof, concrete and terrazzo floors, and direct plaster interior finish. There are two open stairs from the first to the the third floor, one…

This is a two story building and basement brick building with metal roof, plank floors with the exception of the basement floor which is concrete, plastered interior finish and one open stairs from basement to second floor, electric lights and low…

One story part basement frame building, new composition roof, plastered interior finish, wood floors, electric lighting, hot air heat. Building in good condition. Occupancy: Church of Christ. Valuation: The sound value of this building is…

Article written by Robert P. Hunter, then Parks and Recreation manager for the City of Roanoke. Published in the July 1956 edition of Park Maintenance magazine.

Date of Birth: January 9, 1868
Mayor from July 1, 1900 to February 13, 1902
Date of Death: August 1, 1909

Date of Birth: March 25, 1881
Mayor from June 2, 1938 to August 31, 1938
Other offices held: City County, 1934-1940; Virginia House of Delegates, 1924-1929 and 1946-1947
Date of Death: September 4, 1956

Date of Birth: February 4, 1868
Mayor from July 1, 1898 to June 30, 1900
Other offices held: City Council, November 10, 1896 to July 1, 1898; U.S. House of Representatives, Virginia's 6th District, February 25, 1919 to March 3, 1923
Date of…

Jo Lane Stern Battalion, Company B, in front of the Roanoke Auditorium. Col. Jo Lane Stern, inspector general of the State, mustered in the Jo Lane Stern Battalion of Virginia volunteers in Roanoke, composed of four full companies, numbering 267 men…

Date of Birth: February 2, 1846
Mayor from July 1, 1902 to April 9, 1912
Other offices held: City Council, July 1, 1898 to July 1, 1902
Date of Death: September 20, 1917

Date of Birth: c. 1839
Mayor from July 1, 1884 to June 30, 1885
Date of Death: September 21, 1902

Date of Birth: July 27, 1858
Mayor from July 1, 1912 to December 23, 1912
Other offices held: Virginia House of Delegates, 1889-1900
Date of Death: December 23, 1912

Articles in this issue include: Vice Presidential Candidate had Carvins Cove Summer Home Emma Comer, First Graduate of Roanoke City High School, 1894 Celebrating the Millennium, 1901Mrs. Breckinridge's BreweryGrowing Up and Having Fun in South…

Articles in this issue include: Railroads and Their PeopleThe Virginia & Tennessee Railroad 150 Years AgoWorking with Winston Link at the End of Steam PowerThe Turnpikes of Southwest VirginiaThe Harris Family ArchivesWhat Do We Leave…

Articles in this issue include: The Legend of Benjamin Deyerle RevisitedLest We Forget: A Vinton LandmarkThe New River on Mid-Eighteenth Century MapsThe Craft Revival in Appalachia, 1896-1937And The Mountains Sing with Joy: White Top MusicThe Great…

Articles in this issue include: No Contract Too Large or Too Small for C. Markley and SonThey Go Quietly: Agricultural Change in Franklin CountyMy Memories of Carvins Cove: A Long, Peaceful ValleyAfrican Americans Have a Proud AncestryGainsboro and…

Articles in this issue include: The Progressive Reform Movement in Roanoke, 1900-1912The Victoria Courtship of Miss Emma and Mr. TinsleyLife in 1905Roanoke Families Built Many Roads from 1950-2005Bob Childress and His Six Rock ChurchesThe Early…

Articles in this issue include: Historical Society Journal is 43Roanoke County and Valley: The Lessons of HistoryThe Past is Right Here for the ArchaeologistThe Great FloodSeeing Virginia in 1797Roanoke County in the 1840sHow the Mother County…

Articles in this issue include: A Personal History of the Hotel RoanokeDust-Clad Motorcars Arrive in Roanoke in 1909Lincoln's Virginia RootsColonel J. Sinclair Brown: Hard to BeatWhat is it about the Civil War?Images from the Old BeltResidential…

Articles in this issue include:A New Way of Looking at Old ThingsThe Career of Henry H. FowlerCol. John Smith: Unsung Hero of Virginia's Colonial FrontierOld County Courthouse is 100 Years Old16th Century Spanish Invasions of Southwest VirginiaThe…

Articles in this issue include: Defining and Dating Log Buildings in Southwest Virginia Lewis Miller: Folk Artist and Chronicler of the 19th Century Roanoke's Social Life in 1912: The Diary of Nina Quinn Blue Ridge Parkway: A Graceful Mountain Drive…

Articles in this issue include:An Interview with Carter BurgessWhere was Totera Town? A ReviewS.H. McVitty's Collection of Presidential SignaturesS.H. McVitty: Industrialist, Philanthropist, CollectorThe Late, Great Cattle BattleThe Two Michael…

Articles in this issue include:The New Day at AppomattoxRare Lee Letter Tells of "Thinning Ranks"George S. Bernard on the Causes of the Civil WarAn Army of Many Colors Trains in Salem in 1863Hollins Institute Prepares for a New Civilization in…

Articles in this issue include:Two Roads Diverged: Architectural History and Historic Preservation in the 21st CenturyCotton to Silk: An Oral HistoryHow Lyman Draper Saved HistoryDown on the MarketFurniture and Aviation History Reside in Fogotten…

Articles in this issue include:Growing Up in Roanoke in the 1920s to 1930sO. Winston Link's 100th Birthday PartyBedford BarnsFrances Benjamin Johnston, Renowned Photographer, and the George Trout Farm in NW RoanokeRunaway Slaves: Mindset of Negroes,…

Articles in this issue include: Roanoke Jews: A HistoryCrossing Roanoke Valley in Chains and HandcuffsOld Chapel Church is 247 Years OldLong Stained Glass Window is Coming to the Link MuseumRoanoke's First FlightNatural Bridge, A Landmark for the…

Articles in this issue include:Virginia's Western Counties and the Making of AmericaA New Road to be Opened: The Poplar Forest ParkwayRecalling Poplar Forest After Mr. JeffersonSegregated Souls in the Star CityThe Photographs of George Newton Wertz,…

Articles in this issue include:Armistice Ended "Greatest War in History" a Century AgoThe Humilitation of Lord BotetourtRoanoke Cotton MillsSunday Trouble on Back CreekThe Legacies of Junteenth 150 Years RunningBob Angell: An Early Mover and Shaker…

Articles in this issue include:How the Mother County BeganThe Virginia Brewing Company: Roanoke's First BreweryTrees Provide Clues to Construction of Greenfield Kitchen and Slave QuartersTrouts, Father and Son, Were Early MayorsFrom the Front Porch…

Articles in this issue include:Roanoke and the Southwest in Virginia HistoryThe Enigmatic Stone Structures of Western VirginiaOrchard HillN&W, WWIIN&W ShopsLost ColonySlavery as America's "Peculiar" InstitutionRoanoke-Norfolk Photographer,…

Articles in this issue include: General James Breckinridge, Frontier Man for All Seasons Botetourt's Three CourthousesA Disastrous ConflagrationFire Remedy is 1,400 Years OldRoanoke's 300th AnniversaryEarly Lightning DevicesMontgomery Men in…

Articles in this issue include: Treasure TroveSome Phases of the Civil War in the Roanoke AreaThe Case of the Warrantless PrisonersTwo Ladies of the MuseumNewspaper Days, 1790The Borden Patent

Articles in this issue include: The South Western Turnpike RoadToll Gates in this CenturyBoyhood Collection is Remembrance of PastThomas and Tasker ToshLone Oak-1767?-1964Founding of Patrick CountyPeaks of OtterBeginnings of the Virginia Historical…

Articles in this issue include: Shot Tower at Jackson's FerryHome Life in Virginia, 1776-1835Big Lick Home Front, 1816-1865The Society Circles Franklin CountyMountain Lake; Historic Preservation-A Challenge to Virginians

Articles in this issue include: The Pennsylvania Dutch Culture of the Shenandoah Valley Interstate Interchange Covers Town of GainsboroBell Mont-the Fleming PlantationLet's All Make WhiskeyLocust LevelEarly Lutherans in Western Virginia

Articles in this issue include: Montgomery White, 19th Century Social CenterVirginia's Neglected Soldiers28th Regiment, Virginia VolunteersSamuel Rader, 1801-1891, Botetourt Brick MasonHistory Grows in BotetourtPennsylvania Dutch Fashions and Early…

Articles in this issue include: Lewis Miller, Folk ArtistJohnny Rebs from Virginia and the Fairer SexThe Four Anderson BrothersRoanoke River: Once Called Saponi, Round Oak, Goose CreekSt. Mark's Fincastle Has Roots 200 Years OldAppalachian Dialect:…

Articles in this issue include: The Great Flood of 1749Roanoke County in the 1840sA Misty Tour of HenryThe Town of NewbernOn Campus 70 Years AgoWoolen Mill, a Major Botetourt IndustryCivil War Draft Problems in the Shenandoah ValleyHales Ford…

Articles in this issue include: Forgotten Graveyards of the Roanoke ValleyThree-Layer Cake of Prehistoric VirginiaFincastle Springs, Resort of the '80sCivil War Comes to BuchananA Key Which Stayed HomeBuena Vista-Roanoke PlantationWilliam Fleming's…

Articles in this issue include:John Nolen's Roanoke City Plan of 1907Southwest Virginia Turnpikes1753-Saga of Pioneer Pilgrimage Through the Roanoke Region You Could Take a Legal Gamble in 1796Butler in RichmondMachine Age 1832Fort Vause-The Site and…

Articles in this issue include: Hollins College and the Civil WarHenry Ford and Friends on TourSearching for Your AncestorsRoanoke Valley's Early Iron MinesRecollections of Bent Mountain

Articles in this issue include: 28th Regiment, Virginia Volunteers, 1861-1865Roanoke at the BeginningNew River: First of the Western WatersThe Teays: Ancestral River of Mid-AmericaA New Brick House for $105 and a Horse Critter Walled in by the…

Articles in this issue include: Collectors' Items Span Four CenturiesSaving Virginia's TreasuresEdward William Johnston and Roanoke Female SeminaryIs There an Older Roanoker?Five Rivers Flow WestLongwood was Salem's CastleRoanoke's Cows in 1898

Articles in this issue include: How the Mother County BeganFincastle-More Than a County SeatEarly CraftsmenMary Johnston, Writer of the PastCherry Tree BottomFire Destroys LandmarksThe Turnpike Through BotetourtWestern Inhabitants-An Incumbrance?The…

Articles in this issue include: The Past is Right Here for the ArchaeologistThe 51st Virginia Infantry: Farmers Turned SoldiersTurner's Creek Valley-the Land that Time ForgotLog Buildings in the Valley of VirginiaMary Harvey Trigg, an Unusual…

Articles in this issue include: Old Barns of AppalachiaMontane Virginia in the RevolutionRoanoke Valley MedicineRecollections of Ballad CollectingEphraim Vause was RobbedWilliam Preston, Frontier Public ServantAlexander-Withrow BuildingCherry Tree…

Articles in this issue include: Government by Families in Botetourt CountyIndians Retreat from Virginians at Battle of Point PleasantThe Fincastle Resolutions, Southwest Virginia's CommitmentThe ResolutionsWho the 15 Signers WereSettlement, Defense…

Articles in this issue include: Seeing Virginia in 1797The Big FortCures From Mountain HerbsWhat They Owned in the 1840sLexington ArchitectureThe Washington Iron WorksThe National Register of Historic PlacesBringing an Old Pump to Life

Articles in this issue include:Clifton A. Woodrum, Congressman with a FlairColonel James P. Woods, Lawyer, CongressmanJohn Hook, New London MerchantHow We BeganSpinning and Weaving in Montgomery County

Articles in this issue include: Farmers Supply Transformed into Center in the SquareRoanoke's First Dairy was on Orange AvenueVinton's BeginningHow Dr. Hart Lost His SightDr. William Fleming Made House CallsBenjamin Keagy's HomeDr. Landon Cabell…

Articles in this issue include: First County Courthouse Stood from 1841-1909Fleming Backed ConstitutioRoanoke's First JudgesA Tale of Two HousesRoanoke Catholic ChurchesLetters from SchoolSalem MillsA Roanoke Visit in 1762Roanoke Fast Becoming Known…

Articles in this issue include: Roanoke County and the Valley: the Lessons of HistoryRoanoke County Communities Started Between the Mountains The Early Economy of Roanoke CountyOld City Point Railroad was N&W Forerunner in 1838Overlooked…

Articles in this issue include: Threading a Parkway through the Blue RidgeHotel Roanoke, "Large and Well-Equipped"The Railroad OfficesTotera Town ReconsideredColonel William Fleming's OriginsKentland Farm, a New River PlantationArchitecture of…

Articles in this issue include: Roanoke History as Recorded in 1912Where We Were in 1864When Knights Were BoldA Jefferson Street StrollRoanoke's First Fire StationHow a Railway Clerk Saw the New CenturyLife on Highland Avenue in the Early 1900sHorace…

Articles in this issue include: Benjamin Deyerle, Builder of Fine HomesRoanoke County Barns of the 19th CenturyColonel George Plater Tayloe, a Builder of Hollins CollegeWhere the Brethren SettledDigging at Looney's FerryNo. 1 Fire Station is…

Thomas A. Kinsey home, formerly located at 1510 Franklin Road SW.

Thomas A. Kinsey home, formerly located at 1510 Franklin Road SW.

Thomas A. and Josephine Kinsey in front of their home at 1510 Franklin Road, SW.

The Thomas A. Kinsey family on front porch of the home at 1510 Franklin Road, SW.

Josef Loebl stands next to a Vorclone drying tumbler in Loebl Dye Works, formerly located at 350 Salem Avenue.

William Staples, Iva Staples and an unknown woman prepare garments for cleaning and alterations at Loebl Dye Works.

Unidentified Loebl employees in the cleaning area.

Unidentified Loebl employees in the dyeing area.

Robert Loebl (left) inspects the work of unidentified employees on the Hoffman Pressing Machine.

Robert Loebl (left) and two unidentfied men in the next to the cleaning tumblers.

As seen here, Loebl Dye Works once filled a row of buildings on Salem Avenue.

This package illustrates just how well known Loebl Dye Works was, not just locally, but globally. This was sent from a dry cleaner in New Zealand for dye work. Among other clients of Loebl were the White House, the Greenbrier, New York designers…

After the explosion of synthetic fabrics in the 1970s, Loebl Dye Works went out of business in 1981. The building was razed in 2001. The buildings at left in this photograph were also once used by the business and still stand today.

Left to Right: Josef Loebl, Robert Loebl, Julia Loebl, _____, and Roy Hargraves in front of Loebl Dye Works, formerly on Salem Avenue.

Left to right: Roy Hargraves, Josef Loebl and Robert Loebl in a dyeing room of Loebl Dye Works, formerly located on Salem Avenue.

In addition to dyeing, Loebl also provided dry cleaning and alteration services. Photo is labeled with the following names, though their order as they appear is unclear: Minnie Duncan, Gertrude Gentry, Mrs. Flippen, Stella Taylor, and Miss Sandberg

Hungarian born, Josef Loebl grew up in Austia. He set up his dyeing and cleaning shop on Salem Avenue in the 1920s.

A fleet of four Loebl Dye Works dry cleaning trucks parked in front of Loebl Dye Works on Salem Avenue.

Loebl Dye Works dry cleaning trucks parked in front of Loebl Dye Works on Salem Avenue.

Robert Loebl, Hattie Mae Beck and Iva M. Spangler in the pick-up and drop-off area of Loebl Dye Works.

Josef Loebl (center) and two unidentified men in "storefront" of Loebl Dye Works

Date of Birth: October 31, 1894
Mayor from October 15, 1943 to August 31, 1946
Date of Death: November 14, 1974

Julian Stanley Wise founded the Roanoke Life Saving and First Aid Crew in 1928. Wise had witnessed a drowning in the Roanoke River as a child. This incident greatly impacted his life, resulting in the formation of the first volunteer rescue squad…

Roanoke Life Saving and First Aid Crew equipment display, including the crew's first ambulance, a Cadillac donated by John M. Oakey and Sons Funeral Home.

Roanoke Life Saving and First Aid Crew purchased it first ambulance in 1932, a Ford panel truck.

Roanoke Life Saving and First Aid Crew equipment display arranged for the public.

Some equipment, including an "iron lung" and 1947 Oldsmobile 78 emergency vehicle on display at Roanoke Life Saving and First Aid Crew.

John M. Oakey and Sons garage, located at 321 Luck Avenue SW, provided the first ambulance and garage for Roanoke Life Saving and First Aid Crew.

Marshall Waid
Date of Birth: 1841
Mayor, Town of Big Lick from July 1, 1880 to February 3, 1882, and Town of Roanoke, February 3, 1882 to June 30, 1882
Date of Death: March 7, 1887

The Matador is the annual for James Madison Middle School.

The Matador is the annual for James Madison Middle School.

The Matador is the annual for James Madison Middle School.

The Matador is the annual for James Madison Middle School.

The Matador is the annual for James Madison Middle School. Pages 16 and 17 partially missing.

The Matador is the annual for James Madison Middle School.

The Matador is the annual for James Madison Middle School.

The Matador is the annual for James Madison Middle School.

The Matador is the annual for James Madison Middle School.

The Matador is the annual for James Madison Middle School.

The Matador is the annual for James Madison Middle School.

The Matador is the annual for James Madison Middle School.

The Matador is the annual for James Madison Middle School.

The Matador is the annual for James Madison Middle School.

The Matador is the annual for James Madison Middle School.

The Matador is the annual for James Madison Middle School.

The Matador is the annual for James Madison Middle School.

The Matador is the annual for James Madison Middle School.

The Matador is the annual for James Madison Middle School.

The Matador is the annual for James Madison Middle School.

The Matador is the annual for James Madison Middle School.

The Matador is the annual for James Madison Middle School.

The Matador is the annual for James Madison Middle School.

The Matador is the annual for James Madison Middle School.

The Matador is the annual for James Madison Middle School.

The Matador is the annual for James Madison Middle School.

The Matador is the annual for James Madison Middle School.

The Matador is the annual for James Madison Middle School.

The Matador is the annual for James Madison Middle School.

The Matador is the annual for James Madison Middle School.

The Matador is the annual for James Madison Middle School.

The Matador is the annual for James Madison Middle School.

The Matador is the annual for James Madison Middle School.

The Matador is the annual for James Madison Middle School.

The Matador is the annual for James Madison Middle School.

The Matador is the annual for James Madison Middle School.

The Matador is the annual for James Madison Middle School.

The Matador is the annual for James Madison Middle School.

The Matador is the annual for James Madison Middle School.

The Matador is the annual for James Madison Middle School.

The Matador is the annual for James Madison Middle School.

The Matador is the annual for James Madison Middle School.

The Matador is the annual for James Madison Middle School.

The Matador is the annual for James Madison Middle School.

The Matador is the annual for James Madison Middle School.

The Matador is the annual of James Madison Middle School.

The Matador is the annual for James Madison Middle School.

The Matador is the annual for James Madison Middle School.

This medical complex on Henry Street at Centre Avenue NW included (top left) Community Drug Store, where Dr. Beverly Adams (bottom left) was a pharmacist. Also in the building was the dental office of Dr. H.T. Penn (on right).

Gathering for a 1942 postcard at the Lynhaven Smoke Shop, formerly located at 125 N. Henry Street are from left: Mr. Roberts, Lorenzo Redd, Hobart Eggleston, Dr. George A. Moore, owner Bill Marshall and his son, James "Anse" Marshall.

Group photo of Norfolk & Western Veterans Association Colored Division in front of the Lincoln Theatre. Originally built as the Strand Theatre (circa 1920). The Strand Theater took a new name “The Lincoln Theater”. The theater eventually became the…

Medi Cen was the annual for Roanoke Memorial Hospital Nursing School.

Sign for Roanoke Metropolitan Area noting population as 160,0000.

A newly constructed First Federal Savings and Loan. The building is located on the corner of Church Avenue and 1st Street.

Sears Town, formerly located at 1502 Williamson Road NE.

Crowds gather for the grand opening of the new Miller & Rhoads. The department store was located at 32-38 Campbell Avenue SW.

Heironimus was located at 401 S. Jefferson Street.

Two 500 space parking garages were constructed on the corner of Bullitt Avenue and Jefferson Street to provide greater accessibility to downtown shopping facilities.

Shenandoah Life was affiliated with WSLS radio and TV services. The building is located at 401 3rd Street.

The Times-World building was home to Roanoke's two newspapers and the CBS affiliate, WDBJ radio and television.

The Norfolk & Western Passenger Station is located at 101 Shenandoah Avenue NE. The building now houses the Visit Blue Ridge Visitor's Center, O. Winston Link Museum, and History Museum of Western Virginia.

Hotel Roanoke

A crowd gathers for the dedication of the new terminal at Woodrum Field.

Panoramic view of Roanoke from Mill Mountain.

The Main Branch of Roanoke Public Libraries, located at 706 S, Jefferson Street.

A new YMCA building was completed in 1958 at 425 Church Avenue SW.

The second Lucy Addison High School was built in 1951. Located at 1220 5th Street NW, the high school was in operation until 1973. The building now houses Lucy Addison Middle School.

Home located at 2524 Cornwallis Avenue SE.

Home located at 2652 Cornwallis Avenue.

Home located at 4102 Mudlick Road.

Aerial view of Downtown Roanoke.

Home located at 3612 Troutland Avenue.

Aerial view of Downtown Roanoke.

Aerial view of Carvins Cove.

Aerial view of Carvins Cove.

The former general office building of Norfolk and Western, located at 108 N. Jefferson Street, now houses the Roanoke Higher Education Center.

General Electric, located at 1531 Roanoke Boulevard in Salem.

ITT Exelis is located at 7635 Plantation Road.

Yale & Towne Manufacturing Company. Located at 1242 S. Colorado Street, the building is now used by Graham-White.

Rowe Furniture Company was located at 239 Rowan Street in Salem before moving to Elliston.

Shenandoah Life Insurance Company, formerly located at 2301 Brambleton Avenue.

Yearbook for Morningside Elementary School.

William D. Fortune as an infant. Fortune was born 24 September 1908 to George E. Fortune and Mara Ophelia Blanton.

Frances Elvira Fortune as an infant. She was born 31 December 1909 to George E. and Mara Ophelia Blanton.

Roberta Blanton Fortune as an infant. She was born 6 August 1913 to George E. Fortune and Mara Ophelia Blanton.

Molly W. Wood milking a cow at her son Jessie's farm in Cave Spring.

George Fortune as a child. Born in Rocky Mount, 22 February 1879, to Charles McDonald Fortune and Cleopatra Board Gill.

George Fortune poses next to a car. Location unknown.

Portrait of George Fortune.

Unidentified streetcar employees pose next to a streetcar in Richmond. Destination sign reads Oakwood and Broad Street.

Unidentified streetcar employees pose next to a streetcar. Location unknown.

Unidentified service employee of Holdren's stands next to service van at 2272 Westover Avenue.
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