100 years ago... Logan County and Upper Guyan

[NW Mailing List]

Keep those coming, Ron!

EdKing
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "NW Mailing List" <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
To: "NW Mailing List" <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2007 11:39 PM
Subject: Re: 100 years ago... Logan County and Upper Guyan



> At 08:38 AM 2/18/2007, you wrote:

>

>>Are we dealing with some typical journalistic mis-construing the situation

>>or wishful thinking?

>

> I'm glad everyone is enjoying this material as much as I.

>

> We need to remember that this material is written in the past.

>

> The late 19th and early 20th centuries were boom times for railroads.

> There were many people trying to make their fortunes building

> railroads. Just like the dot-com boom of the 1990's, many people were

> proposing and talking up various railroad proposals in hopes of

> attracting enough interest for folks in the surrounding areas to

> invest their own money in the ventures. Many of these proposals never

> turned the first spade of dirt.

>

> Others were started and then faltered and declared bankruptcy during

> the next financial panic. Such a panic delayed construction of the

> Virginian Railway.

>

> Some lasted until the coal and timber in the region was exhausted and

> still others were bought up and became branch lines to the bigger 

> railroads.

>

> Journalists of the time were happy to trumpet the next big proposal.

> Local excitement over a new railroad would help sell papers and

> shares of the fledging line's stock. Unfortunately for us, the lines'

> demise are not as newsworthy so it becomes more difficult to find out

> what happened.

>

> So we need to keep these points in mind when reading these nuggets

> from the past. Some, such as this one generate more questions than

> answers. And make us dream and wonder "what if?"

>

> Enjoy,

> Ron Davis

>

>

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