Railroads in Carter County
Railroads are an important part of Carter County history.
The East Tennessee & Western North Carolina (“Tweetsie”) narrow-gauge line made travel and transportation of materials across the mountain less costly and faster than travel by foot, horse, wagon, or even car!
The East Tennessee, Virginia & Georgia Railroad had a spur from Johnson City to Elizabethton, as shown on the 1880 map (click here to view).
Pittsburgh Lumber Company built the small Laurel Fork Railway to haul logs to its saw mill in the community named Braemar, near Hampton. A portion of this railroad grade contribute to the Appalachian Trail.
Pittsburgh Lumber Company Train Derailment, 1915
// source: https://teva.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p15138coll50/id/421/rec/8
Many sites on-line have lots of historical information and photos. The following are particularly detailed (note that TNGenWeb does not endorse, nor is it responsible for content and availability of external links provided for information only):
Carter County History: Railroads of Carter County
Carter County History: ET & WNC Railroad
The Cy Crumley Scrapbook ET&WNC Railroad Historical Photo Collection