Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-10-20

A short distance this side Of Goose
creek tho railway to Leesburg and
Bluemont comes to q small station
bearing the name Of Belmont Park.
At one time this place was the west
ern terminus Of the railroad. That
was before the building Of the
trestles over Goose creek, sycoline
and Tuscarora creeks. Then, accord
ing to Information given the RAM
bier in the neighborhood. these tres
ties were burned during the civil
Ys1 and for long time Belmont
Of the railway. freight for the west
being transshlpped from the cars to
wagons, hauled along the ancient
road which parallels the east side Of
the creek to the Washington and
ns pks N, There the oagen
tollbridge that spanned the creek
and resumed their way to the west:
That covered wooden bridge stood
until the year of the Johnstown flood,
when 1t was carried down the creek
IL that the old bridge was carried
down the Potomac until 1t lodged
among the rocks and trees Of Van
Deventer Island, three miles below
the mouth OF Goose creek. After the
loss Of the bridge the county set up
boat being ga seo COW ' Fred Miller was
tho ferryman and he is still living
near Ashburn. The present iron truss
bridge was built the year after the
great flood.
The Rambler may sidestep here to
relating to the origin of the railroad
to Bluemont. This line ran from
Alexandria, and Washington travellers
connected with 1t by passing over
the Long bridge and reaching 1t at
ago a line was built across country
from the Georgetown and Great Falls
line and connecting with this older
railway at place now called Blue
mont Junction.
The road. which we generally call
is part Of the Washington and Old
Dominion railway, Is q road of con-
siderable age, as age Is measured
among railroads in this part of the
land. It began as q railroad Of great
hopes and expectations. and 1t has
at first was to connect Alexandria by
rail with Harpers Ferry, which had
become railroad point of. Inn
portance. Then the plan was changed
to link UP Alexandria with the coal
then Vr she but now
q West Virginia, county. On March
20, 1e47, the Virginia legislature au-
thorized the Incorporation of the
Alexandria and Harpers Ferry rail-
road, and the act recites that 1T
scription In the town Of Alexandria
under direction Of John H. Brent.
George H. smoot, William l. Powell,
Henry Daingerf1eld. Robert Jameson,
Benoni Wheat, Lewis Mckenzie. Cas-
T s!Ss e n IN ne eer1sn Johnston and
1t was authorized to combine with
the winchester and Potomac railroad
on assuming certain obligations Of
tho Alexandria and Winchester rail-
road, and 1t was also authorized to
and Ohio at Harpers Ferry. About
this time were also incorporated the
Orange and Alexandria, the Norfolk
and Western, the Fredericksburg and
Blue Ridge and the Lynchburg and
Tennessee. At that time there were
Virginia the seaboard and Roanoke.
the Richmond and Petersburg, the
Richmond and Danville, the Apo
matto~ ~e''road and the Louisa Coun-
ty railroad.
X X
The act Of March 20, 1s4s. incorpo-
rating the Alexandria and Harpers
Ferry railroad was amended by the
Virginia legislature on March Is. 1853.
The amendment was for the purpose
Of enabling the incorporators to con-
struct a railroad to be called the
Alexandria, Loudoun and Hampshire.
The articles Of Incorporation recite
that at shall lie lawfy to open books
in the city Of .Alexant ia under direc-
tion of George II. Smt bt, Robert JAM
lesson. Lewis Mckenzie, VIM. L. Pow