Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-12-29

mountains. 1t was never built over the
whole route provided for in the char
ter. and only within late years was it
built as far west as the east base of
) the Blue Ridge.
Divisions Of the road were put in
: Operation as they were completed
westward from Alexandria. At what
time the road was put in operation
across Goose creek the Rambler does
not know, but 1t was about the year
1857. and that approximately estab-
ishes the date of the building Of
the tall red stone piers which sup
port the bridge above the creek.
+"*
West of Goose creek are two other
ptreams. Tuscarora and Sycoline
greeks. These, which Join Goose
0reek before it reaches the Potomac,
are also spanned by railroad bridges.
During the civil war when this part
Of Virginia was called "Mosby's Con-
federacy." and was trampled over
day and night by. the partisan
federal troops Of all arms Of the
service, these bridges were burned.
The tall stone piers, smudged with
smoke, stood up In the deep valley Of
the creek as though they were wit
pesses giving their pathetic testi-
mony on the waste Of war. Many
cd Of happy homes in northern Vir-
kinia, also gave this testimony.
In one of the early rambles in the
Goose creek country the Rambler, in
tketching the history Of the old rail-
Soad that runs through 1t. traced 1t
back only to the charter of 1849.
There was an earlier charter, which
shows that the talk Of building rail-
roads in this part Of the country be-
gan Just about as soon as talk about
such things started up in the United
States.
y An act of the legislature of yir-
einia, passed July 8. 1884, incorpo-
rated the Loudoun Railroad Company
This old charter recites that 1t shall
be lawful to open books at the town
OF Waterford and at such other place
or places and under the direction Of
commisson D as hsrein asSsS G nam aes
shall think At. under the direction
of Thomas Philips, John Williams.
Joshua Pusey, John Braden, Samuel
Hough, Daniel Stone, Thomas j. Mar
low, Amasa Hough and Joseph Bond,
Amount of 100000, In shares of $50
each, to constitute a joint stock COM
pany for the purpose of making
railroad from some convenient point
on the Potomac river at or near the
mouth of Ketoctin creek, in the
county Of Loudoun, passing Ketoctin
mountain, to the waters of Goose
creek SO as to intercept the Ashbys
gap turnpike road" 1t was provided
that publication Of the facts should
be made in the newspapers of Lees
burg. Winchester, Charles Town and
Warrenton.
I This seems to have been period of
lnternal improvement In Virginia. In
the year Of the charter of the Lou
doun railroad there was incorporated
the Leesburg and Smokers Gap Turn.
pike Company. The incorporators of
q. McCabe. Burr w. Harrison. Samuel
M Edwards Of Leesburg. Jonah Sands.
ELI Janney, Conrad Bitter, Joseph
Tavener. James McIlhany, Townsend
Heaton. Stacy Taylor. Richard Adams,
Joshua Osborn. Jonathan Heaton.
David Lovett, Joel Osborn. James
tisid. James Stephenson. Perrin wash
lngton. Hector Pearce. Daniel Janney,
William Hogue. Yardly Taylor.
Thomas Nichols. Bernard Taylor. John
White. j. A. Marmaduke. Thomas c.
yanney. Samuel Clendenning, Andrew
Cope. Thomas Phillips, Isaac Walker,
Jesse Cover. John Williams and Lewis
opened at Charles b. Hamilton's store,
Valentine v. Purcells store. Samuel b.
+. Caldwell's store at Snickersville, at
Daniel Janney's mill. at Hillsboro. and
1t Waterford. Many Of the present
''placenames" in Loudoun county may
be traced to these family surnames.
In the same year was Incorporated the
Winchester and Berryville Turnpike
Company. the incorporators being
John R. Cooke. Alfred H. Powell, Alex
8. Tidball, John Heiskell and Henry
M. Brent Of Winchester and Treadwell
Smith, Dawson Mccormick. William
Taylor, George Mccormick and Jacob
Isler of Berryville.
X
In the course Of the Goose creek
FAMILIES mention has been made at
different times of locks, dams and
sections Of canal, and the Rambler
has prom 'sed to tell to people OUT
eide of the Goose creek region the
meaning Of those old works. The
reason tor them Is very well known