Tag: Railroad History

The Omni Homestead Resort and Spa, Hot Springs, Virginia

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

The U.S. state of Virginia is a state loaded with historic cities and towns and historic sites.  From Alexandria to Williamsburg and Jamestown to Mount Vernon to Montpelier and Monticello to the historic battlefields of Richmond and Manassas.  It is one of the most visited of the United States of America.  Many people do not think about the state being a place of hot springs.  In the western region of the state is a town called Hot Springs.  Although the local Native Americas originally discovered the springs, it was later found by three men who were surveying the land during the French and Indian War.  They later bought the land and moved their families here.  They built and wooden hotel here in 1766.  Today, the Omni Homestead Resort and Spa continues to welcome visitor from around the world.  From a small homestead hotel to a massive resort with the spring and golf courses that produced golfer Samuel Snead, the Omni Homestead Resort and Spa is an amazing place to relax and enjoy.

Some of you are saying, “Wow!  This place is amazing.  This is one incredible place.  It sure beats a night at your normal hotel.  The hot springs must be very relaxing.  There is a very big problem.  What is the big problem?  There is no railroad here.  Therefore, you will not see me resorting to this place.”

So, you refuse to come here because there is no railroad here.  Why would someone who loves railroad want to visit a place where there is no railroad?

As you arrive at the Omni Homestead Resort and Spa, you will see a brick structure with its iconic brick tower.  You will see a great view of the surrounding mountains and golf courses.  What you will not see is a railroad.  You will not see a railroad bed or even a caboose.  The nearest railroad line to the resort is in the town of Covington, which is nineteen miles south of here, and the nearest Amtrak station is in the town of Clifton Forge which is thirty miles away and in White Sulphur Springs in the U.S. state of West Virginia.  So why would you want to visit here?

A resort that was opened in 1766 that is still open today obviously had numerous owners.  In 1881, a prominent lawyer named M. E. Ingalls came to the town of Hot Springs from Cincinnati, Ohio.  Why was he here?  He was doing research for the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway.  The railway was looking to bring a spur railroad line to the resort.  Mr. Ingalls and other investors to include a man named J. P. Morgan, bought the resort, and the railroad line was built.  The railroad brought many people to the resort.  A newer hotel was built.  The railroad served the resort until people began using the automobile.  The railroad was discontinued, and the tracks were taken up.

Some of you are saying, “The tracks are gone, and there is no signs of the train here.”

Actually, you are wrong.  The original train platform remains, and where the terminal tracks are located is now a small field.  Much of the old railroad bed is on private property, but the main railroad line where the spur ran from is still in service and is now owned by CSX Transportation.  The old train platform can be seen from U.S. Route 220.

As you can see, one of the finest places to relax was once served by the railroad.  You can take a tour of the hotel.  The tours are free, and you do not have to stay here to take the tour.  You are also free to walk the grounds but be warned.  You will be tempted to spend a night here.

The Omni Homestead Resort and Spa is owned by Omni Hotels that own hotels and resorts around the world.  It is located at 7696 Sam Snead Highway (U.S. Route 220) in Hot Springs, Virginia.  You can read more into the history of this resort to include the 1901 fire that burned down the hotel and book a room by going to https://www.omnihotels.com/hotels/homestead-virginia?utm_source=yextlisting&utm_medium=organic.

Come and spend some time at the Omni Homestead Resort and Spa.  Enjoy the springs.  Enjoy a night in a nice room.  Enjoy a great meal at one of their restaurants.  Enjoy a place where the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway once brought passengers to.

Fort Belvoir, Virginia

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

Many people who live in the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Area are very familiar with a place called Fort Belvoir.  It is a United States Army military base located in the U.S. state of Virginia on the Potomac River near Mount Vernon, the home of George Washington, the first President of the United States of America.  The military base was built on the site of the Belvoir Mansion.  (The mansion was destroyed many years ago.)  The base is not open to public visitors and is under very tight security, but U.S. Route 1 goes through the base as it leaves Washington D.C. and Alexandria, Virginia and continues south into Virginia and the U.S. states south.  As you pass by Fort Belvoir, you pass by a place that employs many people who work for the United States Army.

Some of you are saying, “That is nice.  I have never heard of Fort Belvoir.  I am a great supporter of the United States Armed Forces.  Sadly, this is not a railroad site.  Therefore, there is nothing really special about this base.”

Ladies and gentlemen, you are about to learn something about a Washington D.C. area United States Military base.

As mentioned, Fort Belvoir is a base for the United States Army in the southern region of the Washington-Baltimore Metropolitan Area.  It was erected on the site of an old mansion of the same name in a region where there were many plantations of which many are still standing.  (Nearby Woodlawn and Mount Vernon are two of those mansions.)  As you drive along U.S. Route 1, you see the fences that protect the base from unwanted visitors.  What you will not notice is anything that has anything to do with the railroad.  Most people are unaware of the fact that the railroad was a big part of Fort Belvoir.

Before it was called Fort Belvoir, it was called Camp A. A. Humphreys named after General Andrew Atkinson Humphreys.  The camp was erected in 1918 to train soldiers to fight during World War I.  The soldiers were taught to build roads, bridges, trenches, and… railroads.  Twenty miles of a narrow gauge railroad was built in the camp.  Sadly, it was a short lived railroad as the tracks were taken up in 1920, and the locomotives were bought by mining companies who used them to transport coal around the mines.  (It is unknown if any of these locomotives exist today.)

The base was renamed Fort Belvoir in the 1930’s.  About four miles west of the base was a major railroad line that was owned by the Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Potomac Railroad.  The Fort Belvoir Military Railroad was born connecting the base to a major railroad line.  (The main railroad line is owned by CSX Transportation today.)  The railroad supplied the base with supplies and even had passenger service.  Passenger service ceased after the Korean War, but the railroad continued to run until 1993.

Today, the railroad bridge that crossed U.S. Route 1 is long gone and replaced with a street bridge.  Although much of the old railroad bed remains, it is either part of the military base or is on private property and is not open for the public to be walked upon, but sections of the old railroad bed called be viewed from the old Backlick Road and from Virginia Route 286.  (Please note that much of the original Backlick Road has been rerouted or dismantled by Virginia Route 286 and the interchange with Interstate 95.)  One of the original bridges can be viewed from Backlick Road between U.S. Route 1 and Virginia Route 286.  (It must be viewed from Backlick Road as it is behind a fence.)  You can also drive under one of the original railroad bridges on Cinder Bed Road north of Backlick Road and Virginia Route 286.

The next time you are driving along U.S. Route 1 or along Interstate 95 and see signs for Fort Belvoir, do not think of it as another military base.  Think of it as a military base with a railroad past.

Batesville, Indiana

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

The small town of Batesville in the southeast region of the U.S. state of Indiana.  It is not a famous town as it is centrally located between the major cities of Indianapolis, Indiana, Cincinnati in the U.S. state of Ohio, and Louisville in the U.S. state of Kentucky.  Its historic district is on the National Register of Historic Places.  As you drive through the town, it looks like any other small town.  It has its town hall town parks.  It is truly what small town America is about.

Some of you are saying, “It is nice to visit a small town.  I enjoy small town America.  However, there is a problem with this town.  What is the problem?  This is not a railroad town.  Therefore, I will not be stopping by to visit.”

So, the reason that you will not visit the town of Batesville, Indiana is because it is not a railroad town.  As you drive through the town and historic district, you do not see any railroad tracks or old train station of rail trails.  The only railroad line in the town runs through the south side, but there is no railroad yard or train station here.  Trains mainly just pass through.  Why visit this town?

You enter into the historic district of the town.  You see the old buildings.  You see the town hall.  You see the Sherman Inn, and German style hotel and restaurant.  What you do not see is railroad tracks nor do you see any sign of the railroad ever being here.  Then you come upon Depot Square.  Wait a minute.  Where are the railroad tracks?  You see an old railroad crossing sign.  Where are the railroad tracks?  You see no signs of railroad tracks.

You walk towards the town center, and you see doors.  Doors?  They are just doors that are just there, but they have pictures on them.  What are they pictures of?  They are pictures of the old town.  Then you see pictures of the railroad.  You look behind the door, but you just see a street or a lot.

In the early years, a railroad line ran along what is now E. Pearl Street.  There was also a freight depot and a passenger depot.  Along these tracks was once a Buick car dealership where, in 1910, Buicks were brought to the dealership by train.

Some of you are saying, “Alright!  Batesville was a railroad town, but it is no longer a railroad town.”

True, but there is more to the story.  How much more?  Let us start at the beginning.

Before there was the town of Batesville, Indiana, it was just empty land.  The early settlers came and settled the land.  A man named Teunis Amack brought land from the government hoping to make it into a farm, but he later sold it to a man named George H. Dunn.  Who is George H. Dunn?  He was the owner of the John Callahan Trust Company.  Why did Teunis Amack sell the land?  George H. Dunn was also the president of the Cincinnati and Indianapolis Railroad.  The land was bought to be used for a railroad line.  The railroad line was built, and the town of Batesville, Indiana was built around the railroad.  The first train arrived on November 1, 1853, and passed through the center of the town.  The last passenger train served the town in 1906.  Through the years, the tracks were removed, and the train depot was demolished.

Now you have a reason to visit the town of Batesville, Indiana.  The trains may be gone, but the ghosts of the trains remain.

Valley Falls State Park, Fairmont, West Virginia

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

The U.S. state of West Virginia is a state known for its natural beauty and its mountains.  The state has many state parks.  One of those state parks is Valley Falls State Park near the city of Fairmont.  The park is mainly famous for its waterfalls, but it has many hiking trails as well.  A visit to Valley Falls State Park is a place you will cherish.

Some of you are saying, “Wow!  This must be a beautiful place.  I enjoy seeing waterfalls.  There is a big problem.  This park has no connection with the railroad.  Therefore, this park is not a place I will fall for visiting.”

Why visit Valley Falls State Park?  It has very beautiful waterfalls.  There is beauty surrounding you.  Why visit Valley Falls State Park?

You enter the park, and you drive down to the main parking lot.  You park your car, and you make your way to the waterfalls, but you cross a bridge.  What are you crossing?  You are crossing a railroad line.

Some of you are saying, “Yeah, but there are many railroad lines that pass through parks and towns but have no history with the parks or towns.”

You do have a point.  So, what is special about Valley Falls State Park?

Well, you arrive at the waterfalls, and you are amazed at its beauty.  As you walk around, you notice some ruins.  What was here?

What you are seeing is the ruins of a sawmill and a grist mill.  The water was used to power these mills.  The property was acquired by a trader in the 1830’s, and he built the mills on the site.  A town was erected around the mills, and it was named Valley Falls after, of course, the waterfalls.  Although the mills were the centerpiece of the town, something that arrived in 1853 caused the town to boom.  What came to the town?

In 1853, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was built between the town of Grafton to the east and the city of Wheeling located in what is called the Northern Panhandle of the state, and the railroad passed right past the mills.  Sadly, in 1886, the town was destroyed by fire and floods.  The town was never rebuilt although the grist mill itself remained in operation until 1905.

Today, you can see the waterfalls, but you can also see the same railroad line that served the town, but, today, CSX trains pass by the falls.  How great would it be to enjoy the waterfalls and be rewarded by a passing train?

Valley Falls State Park is located at 720 Valley Falls Road southeast of the city of Fairmont, West Virginia off of West Virginia Route 310.  The park is open year round from 7:00am to sunset, but please note that the park will close due to snow and ice.  (If you are adventurous, they do allow you to walk through the park on snowy and icy days.  You just have to park at the entrance and hike in.)  Please note that the walk to the falls is on uneven terrain, which may be difficult for wheelchairs, but much of the falls are viewable from the parking area.  Please also note that the railroad line is an active line.  (No trespassing on the railroad tracks.)

Valley Falls State Park was once the site of a bustling town made possible by the railroad.  Today, the only thing that is bustling is the waterfall and the surrounding natural beauty.  Visit Valley Falls State Park.  You may find it hard to leave.

Gassaway, West Virginia

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

The U.S. state of West Virginia is a state that has so much natural beauty.  It has famous sites like the New River Gorge and the New River Gorge Bridge, the Glade Creek Grist Mill at Babcock State Park, one of the most photographed mills in the United States of America, the natural spas in Berkeley Springs to include George Washington’s Bathtub where George Washington, well… you probably figured it out what he did here, plus the town of Harpers Ferry, and so much more.  It has its cities like the capital city of Charleston, Beckley, and Morgantown, and its many small towns.  One of these small towns located northeast of Charleston is the town of Gassaway.

Some of you are saying, “Interesting.  I bet the town got its name from the fact that somebody was getting gasoline, but the gasoline got away.”

You are very wrong.  The small town, established in 1905, is named after Henry Gassaway Davis, a West Virginia politician who was nominated for the Vice President of the United States of America in 1904.

Some of you are saying, “It is nice that they named a town after a politician.  There is a very big problem.  This is just a small town that has no railroad.  Therefore, I will not be taking these country roads to this town.”

If you were to ask people if they had ever heard of the town of Gassaway, West Virginia, you would get many strange looks.  The town is often overshadowed by the town of Sutton which is east of Gassaway and is famous for it Bigfoot Festival and museum.

As you approach the town of Gassaway, the very first thing you see it the ‘Welcome to Gassaway’ sign.  Many towns have a welcome sign to greet you as you enter, but you see something interesting.  What do you see?  You see a steam locomotive on the sign.  You continue to drive into the town, and you see an old railroad bridge.  You drive further into the town, and you see an old train station.  You drive to the old train station, and you see a mural with a steam train.  What you do not see is a railroad line.  Well, the railroad line is now a railroad trail.  How did the train station get here?  Today, the town of Gassaway, West Virginia does not look like much, but that was not always the case.

The town of Gassaway, West Virginia was a town built by the railroad.  The Coal and Coke Railway, which ran between Charleston and Elkins, ran through the town of Gassaway, and, in 1914, they built the train station giving passenger train service to the town.  There was also a railroad yard in the town as they changed locomotives in the town as more powerful locomotives were needed to pull the trains to Elkins while locomotives with less power could be used for trains to Charleston.  During its heyday, the town had two hotels, a bank, retail stores, office buildings, and, schools, and churches.  When the railroad went into decline, so did the town.  Railroad service ended and was eventually converted into a rail trail.

As for the train station, it was abandoned for many years, but it was then restored and was put on National Register of Historic Places, and it now serves as an event and meeting space for the town.

The town of Gassaway, West Virginia is four miles west of Interstate 79 on West Virginia Route 4.  The old train station is located on 4th Street one block west of West Virginia Route 4.  It is open available for events like weddings and parties.

The small town of Gassaway may no longer be a railroad town, but the ghosts and the legacy of the railroad remain.

The Kentucky Railway Museum, New Haven, Kentucky

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

The U.S. state of Kentucky is a state known as the Bluegrass State.  Many people know about Kentucky Fried Chicken which was started by a man named Harland Sanders, commonly known as Colonel Sanders, even though he started in a restaurant in the state, the first Kentucky Fried Chicken was opened in Salt Lake City, Utah.  The state is known for its horses, and it has the continuously running sporting event in the world, the Kentucky Derby in Louisville, which is a horse race that is the first race of the Triple Crown.  The state is known for its bourbon, of which there are plenty of bourbon distilleries in the state mainly around the Frankfort and Lexington areas.  You may have heard of My Old Kentucky Home.  It is a real house in Bardstown.  In the city of Bowling Green, you will find the National Corvette Hall of Fame.  Along with Churchill Downs where the Kentucky Derby is run, the city of Louisville is known for the Louisville Slugger bat factory where many baseball bats are made and sold, and you can tour the factory and buy a bat of your own.  You have Mammoth Cave, the largest known cave system in the world.  Very few people think of the railroads in Kentucky as there of plenty of great railroad sites in the state.

Welcome to the Kentucky Railway Museum in New Haven, Kentucky.  Although the original museum was founded in 1954, it has been at it current site since 1990 after the land was donated by locals to be used as the site of the museum.

As you enter the museum parking lot, you are greeted by Locomotive Number 11 from the Louisville Cement Company.  You park your car, and you notice a wooden boxcar next to the old train station.  What is this boxcar?  It is known as a Merci Car and it one of fifty wooden boxcars that were sent to different areas of the United States of America by France as a thank you to the U.S. for protecting the nation of France from being taken over by Nazi Germany during World War II.  The Kentucky Railway Museum was one of the fortunate recipients of one of these cars.

Now it is time to go inside.  You enter the gift shop which is located in the ticket master’s office.  You see the telephone, the telegraph machine used to send Morris code, and you get a view that the ticket master had of the trains even though it is much different today that the original view.

You then go into the big room.  What is in the big room?  Of course, you have railroad artifacts.  You have an HO model train display.  You have many models of locomotives and passengers cars on the wall.  You have model locomotives enclosed in glass.

The model trains and artifacts are nice, but you want to see big trains.  Time to go outside.

Locomotive Number 770 from the Nashville and Louisville Railroad is the first thing you see as you approach the train shed covering a row of cars.  Many of these cars to include passenger cars were used on the Louisville and Nashville Railroad.  If you are fortunate enough, the museum does have train rides.

The Kentucky Railway Museum is located 136 South Main Street (U.S. Route 31E) in New Haven, Kentucky.  Hours vary by the time of the year.  Parking is on site.  The great news is that the museum and the train is wheelchair accessible.  You can get more information about the history of the museum, admission, train rides, and hours at https://www.kyrail.org/.

The Kentucky Railway Museum is one great museum to visit.  You can almost say that it is one of the state’s great treasures.

The Hagerstown Police Department, Hagerstown, Maryland

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

The U.S. state of Maryland is one of the original thirteen states.  It was in this state where the National Anthem of the United States of America was written near Fort McHenry.  The oldest Catholic Church is in this state.  The oldest continuously operating airport in the world, College Park Airport, in located in the state.  The capitol building in Annapolis is the only capitol building in the nation where the capitol dome is completely made with wood.  It is where you will find the largest estuary, the Chesapeake Bay, in the nation.  As for the railroad, the first railroad began in Maryland, and you can still ride the first mile and a half of railroad at the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Museum in Baltimore.  The oldest railroad bridge in the nation as well as the oldest railroad aqueduct in the nation are in the state and still used today by the Chessie Seaboard System (CSX).  The oldest surviving train station in the nation is in Ellicott City and is open as a museum.

Then you have the city of Hagerstown.  Located in the western region of the state, it is a city that is at a crossroads.  The National Road (present day U.S. Route 40) passes through here as well as U.S. Route 11, and it is where Interstates 70 and 81 meet.  In the city of Hagerstown, you have the Hagerstown Police Department.  What is special about the Hagerstown Police Department?  Well, it is like any other police department in the nation, but they do have one exception.  What is special about the Hagerstown Police Department?  We must look to their headquarters.  Yes, some cities have a fancy elaborate headquarters for their police, but Hagerstown is different.  How?  It was not always the headquarters of the Hagerstown Police Department.

Before it was the Hagerstown Police Department Headquarters, it was a train station for the Western Maryland Railway.  The structure you see today was not the original train station for Hagerstown.  The current structure was built on the site of the original train station.  When passenger serviced ceased to Hagerstown, the building was spared and bought by the city of Hagerstown and became the headquarters of the police department.

The Hagerstown Police Department Headquarters is located at the intersection of U.S. Route 11 and U.S. Route 40.  Along with the station, there are a few monuments to the police and to the railroad on the grounds.

The Reading Railroad Heritage Museum, Hamburg, Pennsylvania

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

What was the Reading Railroad?

Some of you are saying, “Well, duh!  It was a railroad where people read books while riding the railroad.”

Ladies and gentlemen, that is not the correct answer.

Some of you are saying, “Oh!  I see. It was a railroad that had the ability to read so they called it the Reading Railroad.”

Ladies and gentlemen, that is not the correct answer either.

What was the Reading Railroad?  (In case you are wondering, it is pronounced red-ing as in the color red as opposed to reading as in reading a book.)  It was originally called the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad Road running mainly along the Schuylkill River between the city of Philadelphia and the city of Reading in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, and it was one of the earliest in the United States of America.  It was later renamed the Reading Company but was commonly known as the Reading Railroad or the Reading Lines even though the headquarters remained in Philadelphia.  The Reading Company served the eastern region of Pennsylvania connecting the coal mines to the ports in Philadelphia until they were overtaken by Conrail in 1976.  Many of the surviving railroad lines are now owned by the Norfolk Southern Railway.

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Reading Railroad Heritage Museum.  The museum is completely dedicated to the Reading Company.

The journey begins at the entrance.  The museum occupies a structure originally owned by the Pennsylvania Electric Steel Casting Company.  You enter the gift shop and then the museum.  You see models of trains.  You see model train displays.  You see a replica of a station master’s office.  You see tools and artifacts used by the Reading Company.

Some of you are saying, “That is nice that they built a museum that remembers the Reading Railroad, but it would be nice to see some real trains.”

That is where we come to the best part of the museum.  What is the best part?

Welcome to the yard.  This is a railroad yard made up mostly of railroad cars used on the Reading Railroad with a few exceptions.  You have boxcars, passenger cars, locomotives, cabooses, and so much more.  There is also a replica railroad tower.

The Reading Railroad Heritage Museum is located at 500 S. Third Street in Hamburg, Pennsylvania.  It is a short drive from Interstate 78, U.S. Route 22, and Pennsylvania Route 61.  The museum is only open from March to December on Saturdays from 10:00am to 4:00pm and Sundays from 12:00pm to 4:00pm.  Admission required to enter the museum.  Parking is street parking.  The museum is self-guided, but only guided tours for the yard.  The museum is wheelchair accessible, but the yard tour requires walking on terrain that is not paved and may be difficult for wheelchairs.  You can get more information at https://www.readingrailroad.org/.

Come to the Reading Railroad Heritage Museum in Hamburg, Pennsylvania.  Learn more about the Reading Railroad, a railroad worth reading about.

The Mansfield Historical Society and Museum, Mansfield, Missouri

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

The U.S. state of Missouri is located in the heartland of the United States of America.  It is a state that has so much to offer.  You have the city of Saint Louis, nicknamed the ‘Gateway of the West’.  It is famous for the Gateway Arch, a huge arch that rises over the city that is located on the Mississippi River just south of where the Missouri River flows into it.  The Saint Louis Cardinals, the city’s professional baseball team, is the second most championed team in Major League Baseball.  (The New York Yankees are number one.)  On the opposite side of the state is Kansas City that is mostly in Missouri with sections in the U.S. state of Kansas.  The city is known for being a city of fountains having more fountains that any other city in the nation, and it has been known for its barbeque, but it has been most famous for the Kansas City Chiefs, an American football team that is part of the National Football League.  The state has its small towns.  The most famous small town in the state is Hannibal.  What is famous about Hannibal?  No, it is not named after the famous criminal Hannibal Lector.  It is where the famous author Samuel Clemens, famously known as Mark Twain, grew up, and his famous stories, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer was based.  You have Branson, a city kind of known as the Las Vegas of theme parks.  (In case you are wondering, Las Vegas, Nevada is famous for its numerous casinos.)  Then you have the town of Mansfield.

What is special about the small town of Mansfield, Missouri?  As you visit the town of Mansfield, Missouri, it may appear to be an average American town.  It was the home of baseball pitcher Carl Mays, and it was also the home of Laura Ingalls Wilder, the author who gave us Little House on the Prairie which was made into a television series, and her home is open for tours and she is also buried in a cemetery in town.  As you go to the center of the town, it may not appear to be much, but the town was much different in its heyday.

Welcome to the Mansfield Historical Society and Museum.  As you approach the museum, which is also the tourist information center, you will see that it looks like a train station.  Well, it is a replica train station built on the site of the original train station which was demolished.  There is also an old passenger car on the site.

Today, only the main railroad line passes through the town, but the town was once the site of a railroad yard.  The Ava Southern Railroad, a short line railroad, went south to the town of Ava.

You go inside the museum.  Of course, the museum is about the history of Mansfield Missouri, and the different displays are about the life in the town to include the lives of Carl Mays and Laura Ingalls Wilder.  During here time in Mansfield, Laura Ingalls Wilder made much use of the railroad and the train station as she use the railroad to brings many of her goods to the town.  As you look through the exhibits, you will see a photo of Laura Ingalls Wilder attending an event with the driving of the last spike of the Kansas City Ozark and Southern Railroad which later was known as the Ava Southern Railroad.

Mansfield Historical Society and Museum is located at 101 W. North Street in Mansfield, Missouri, one block south of U.S. Business Route 60.  It is open from 10:00am to 3:00pm Monday through Saturday.  (It is closed on Sunday and from 12:00pm to 1:00pm.)  Parking is on site.  Admission is free, but they do take donations.  The museum is on one floor in two different rooms that are wheelchair accessible.  You can get more information about the museum and read more into the historical society at https://mansfieldhistoricalmuseum.com/.

The state of Missouri is nicknamed the ‘Show Me State’.  Allow them to show you the small town of Mansfield.

Mammoth Cave National Park, Cave City, Kentucky

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

There are many great things about the U.S. state of Kentucky.  Many people think about Kentucky Fried Chicken, a fast food restaurant chain.  You have the bourbon distilleries.  You have the Kentucky Derby in Louisville, the longest continuously running sporting event in the world and the first race of what is known as the Triple Crown.  Louisville is also the home of the Louisville Slugger, a company that makes baseball bats.  How about my Old Kentucky Home in Bardstown?  Then you have Mammoth Cave National Park, the home of Mammoth Cave, the largest known cave system in the entire world.  How big is the cave?  Let us say that you cannot do the entire cave in one tour.  There are many tours involved here.  How does it get the name ‘Mammoth Cave’?

Some of you are saying, “Well, duh, it was the home of a mammoth.  A mammoth lived in the cave.”

It is unclear if that is the answer but being the largest known cave system in the world, it is truly mammoth in size.  It is truly a natural marvel that you will truly want to see.  If you are ever in the south central region of Kentucky, you will want to visit Mammoth Cave.

Some of you are saying, “Wow!  That is one big cave.  However, there is one big problem.  As you can see, this is a cave.  This is not a railroad site.  Therefore, I will not be exploring this place.”

You are right.  This is not a railroad site.  Why visit Mammoth Cave National Park?

Mammoth Cave National Park, as mentioned, is centered around Mammoth Cave.  Hence the name.  It is located near Cave City, which is about eight miles from the park.

Some of you are saying, “Well, duh!  Cave City is an obvious name of a town erected around a cave.”

You are absolutely right, but this is where the story begins.  Cave City was not always called Cave City.  It was originally called Glasgow Junction.  If you are thinking of a railroad junction, you are thinking correctly.  The Louisville and Nashville Railroad brought people to Glasgow Junction.  Then they were brought to Mammoth Cave by a horse drawn carriage to the cave.

Some of you are saying, “It is nice that they were able to ride the train to Cave City, but then they had to take a carriage about eight miles to the cave.  That means that Mammoth Cave has nothing to do with the railroad.  This mean that there is no reason to visit this cave.”

Ladies and Gentlemen, there is more to the story.

In an automobile, eight miles is a short distance.  In a horse drawn carriage, it is a long distance.  The owners of the horse drawn carriages saw that it took time to get tourists from the train station to the cave.  They came up with an idea.  What was that idea?  In 1874, they started the Mammoth Cave Railroad, and the first train ran in 1886.  Instead of riding the train to Glasgow Junction and taking a horse and carriage to the cave, they could now ride the train to the cave.

The railroad, sadly, was only profitable in the first six years.  As more people were able to afford an automobile, fewer people took advantage of the train ride.  The last train ride to the park took place on August 31, 1931.

Now the Mammoth Cave Railroad is gone… but not forgotten.

As you enter Mammoth Cave National Park, you can see the old railroad bed that the Mammoth Cave Railroad once ran on, and it is a rail trail that you can hike and bike today.  Once you arrive at the Visitor Center, you are just a short walk from Mammoth Cave Railroad Locomotive Number 4 and Mammoth Cave Railroad Car Number 2.  These two pieces of rolling stock that are covered and surrounded by a steel fence rest at the site of the terminus of the Mammoth Cave Railroad.

As you can see, Mammoth Cave it not just a big cave.  It is a big cave with railroad history.  You can hike on the original railroad bed in the park.  Along with the many cave tours and rail trail, there are also numerous trails you can tread upon.

Mammoth Cave National Park is located at 1 Mammoth Cave Parkway in Mammoth Cave, Kentucky.  It is near Interstate 65 and U.S. Routes 31W and 31E.  Please note that Mammoth Cave is not wheelchair accessible.  You will also be making a descent into the cave with no elevator and escalator.  You will need to climb steps out of the cave.  The rail trail is dirt but is wheelchair accessible.  You can get more information on directions, cave tours, the history of the cave and the Mammoth Cave Railroad at https://www.nps.gov/maca/index.htm.  (Please note that the National Park Service recommends that you do not use GPS in the area and that you follow the directions on the website.)

The next time you think about Mammoth Cave and Mammoth Cave National Park, think about a big cave that has a mammoth history with the railroad.