Norfolk Depot for N&P

[NW Mailing List]

Thank you, Mr. Sledge !

But now this hillbilly really be confused !!!, for a lot of reasons:

1. The name Elizabeth River has been ambiguously applied on mapping over the years. What is obviously Newton's Creek is shown as (part of) Elizabeth River on today's Google Maps. The more old maps one consults, the worse it gets.

2. US Geological Survey Topo maps for this area only go back to 1902 (albeit the 1902 ed. is based on surveys made 1888-1889.) The 1902 Topo is not of a scale adequate to show the details which would help people with our kinds of interest (e.g. creek names and street names.)

3. The names Bramble's Point, Noe's Bridge, Racefield Bridge and Hardy Home are not productive when Internet searched.

2. It appears to me that Richard Prince's book, Pocahontas Coal Carrier, simply quoted some source and Mr. Prince never looked at a map to see if the reference was understandable (or accurate.) If he had checked a map, he would have seen that the quotation has east/west and north/south backwards, with respect to the ways the water courses run !

However, if we take Prince's quotation at face value, and make a big fudge factor allowance, the quotation appears to be saying that the Norfolk & Petersburg RR had its Norfolk depot somewhere within perhaps a mile east of its crossing of the Elizabeth River. Which location is about a mile north of Newton's Creek/Newton Creek... good grief. (The Elizabeth River Bridge is at coordinates 36.774960, -76.294995. The Newton Creek coordinates are 36.7671294, -76.27912194. )  This may put the location of the N&W depot about a mile north of Newton Creek and about a mile west of the lower end of present Portlock Yard.

To allow others to share in, enjoy and laugh at my utter confusion, I have put the 1902 USGS Topo up on Google Drive, and you may get it here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WF3rVgYk28dn1242g8r50SMZoaPA7KxN/view?usp=sharing

This Roanoke hillbilly is in over his head. This is clearly a job for a Norfolk city-slicker. Where is the Estimable Mr. Harry Bundy when we need him to draw a nice map for us mountain people ? Earth Calling Mr. Bundy... Please meet me at Newton's Creek !

-- abram burnett,
        lost turnip-head