Victoria, Virginia
Encyclopedia
Victoria is an incorporated town
in Lunenburg County
, Virginia
, United States. The population was 1,821 at the 2000 census.
in the Southside region was established on May 1, 1746 in Great Britain
's Virginia Colony from Brunswick County
. The county is named for the former Duchy of Brunswick-Lunenburg
in Germany, because one of the titles also carried by Britain's Hanoverian
kings was Duke of Brunswick-Lunenburg.
After statehood, Virginia grew as part of the original 13 United States. Beginning in 1816, the Virginia Board of Public Works
began providing engineering and financial assistance to internal improvements around the state in transportation which continued during most of the 19th century. However, Lunenburg County had been largely passed by as canal
s, turnpikes, and railroads were built across much of Virginia. At the beginning of the 20th century, the area which was to become Victoria was mostly farmland (primarily cultivating tobacco
) and woodlands.
Victoria was founded in 1906 as a planned community
on what had been largely undeveloped land during the construction of the Tidewater Railway
. This was a new east-west railroad chartered in 1904 with its right of way
quietly secured in 1904 and 1905, so as to not alert the competition regarding plans to transport coal
originated by its sister Deepwater Railway
operating in southern West Virginia
. The Tidewater Railway was chartered to cross Virginia from the West Virginia border near Glen Lyn, Virginia
in Giles County
by way of Roanoke
and Suffolk
to port at Sewell's Point
on Hampton Roads
near Norfolk, Virginia
. Both railroads were planned and built by the team of mining manager and civil engineer William Nelson Page
and industrialist and financier Henry Huttleston Rogers
, and added a third Hampton Roads coal exporting railhead to the existing Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
(with coal piers at Newport News
) and the Norfolk and Western Railway
's similar facilities at Norfolk's Lambert's Point
.
Queen Victoria
of England was a favorite of Henry Rogers, and the new town was named in her honor. Victoria was the midpoint of the VGN's Norfolk Division, which extended from Sewell's Point to Roanoke. Designated to be a "division point" on the railroad (specifically a location for crew changes and servicing of the steam locomotive
s), Victoria became the location of a large equipment maintenance operation with roundhouse
, turntable, coaling and water facilities for servicing steam locomotives, and a large yard.
According to author H. Reid
in his 1961 book The Virginian Railway, investors recalled the rapid growth of Roanoke between 1882 and 1884, which had been nicknamed the "Magic City" when the Norfolk and Western (N&W) had established major facilities at the former bucolic location which had been earlier known as Big Lick. Comparisons were made when speculating about Victoria's future potential. They could also look to nearby Crewe
on the N&W (about 20 miles away from Victoria) to see what a substantial volume of activity and employment a division point on a steam railroad could bring. Predictably, land sales at Victoria were brisk, and buildings (and jobs) soon followed.
In 1907, as they began nearing completion, the Tidewater and Deepwater Railways were combined to form the Virginian Railway
(VGN). In March, the Tidewater Railway was formally rechartered by the Virginia State Corporation Commission as "The Virginian Railway Company" and William Nelson Page was elected president on April 15, 1907 at the first new board meeting in Norfolk. On April 22, the Deepwater Railway was acquired, formalizing the marriage of the two roads. Passenger service from Victoria to Norfolk began on June 17, 1907. The trip from Victoria took 12 hours, and operated once daily in each direction except Sundays, according to the first schedules published in the Norfolk Virginian-Pilot newspaper.
That first summer and fall, in conjunction with the Norfolk and Southern Railway
(a regional predecessor of the 21st century Norfolk Southern System), service was offered to the Jamestown Exposition
being held in Norfolk County
that same summer. At the Exposition, VGN president Page served as Chief of International Jury of Awards, Mines and Metallurgy. United States President Theodore Roosevelt
, attending the Jamestown Exposition, was one of the VGN's earliest passengers, according to author Reid.
Adjacent to the Jamestown Exposition site on Hampton Roads
at Sewell's Point
, a new coal pier
was being built. Completion of the entire railroad took 2 additional years. The low gradient VGN was considered an engineering marvel of the time when it was completed in 1909. Soon, coal and other commodities began rolling through Victoria. The new Norfolk Division offices of the railroad were on located on a second floor which was added to the original Victoria passenger station a short time later.
The Virginia General Assembly
granted a charter and incorporated the Town of Victoria on March 11, 1916.
merged with the larger Norfolk and Western Railway
. Under combined operations, the through coal traffic was shifted from Victoria to the bigger road's main line through Crewe, Virginia
, fortunately within commuting distance for N&W's Victoria-based employees. Local customers on the former VGN line through Victoria and nearby Kenbridge
were few, and the portion of the line through Victoria and Kenbridge was eventually abandoned in the 1980s. All tracks and virtually all structures were removed, and a portion of the land donated to the community by N&W.
Much like many other communities all across the United States, the end of steam railroading and the era of mergers and consolidation in the second half of the 20th century reduced rail-oriented employment opportunities and had a generally negative impact upon Victoria and the surrounding area. However, the community and Lunenburg County proved resilient, and by the late 1990s, transportation employment represented only a minimal portion of the area's economy.
Early in the 21st century, work was begun to develop a rail heritage park and obtain a caboose to help present the town's rail heritage. After several years of work, one of the last C-10 cabooses built in-house by VGN employees at the company's massive shops complex in Princeton, West Virginia
in the 1950s was located.
Rail preservationist, historian, and photographer Kenneth Miller of Roanoke had purchased Caboose 342 in the 1980s, and working with his father, had carefully restored it over a period of years. Miller, a long-time VGN fan, agreed to let Victoria have what is considered by many to be the finest extant VGN caboose for the new rail heritage park.
To prepare an appropriate display area for Caboose 342, a short stretch of roadbed was prepared, ballasted, and ties and rail were laid by volunteers in Victoria. The initials "H.H.R." and "W.N.P." were engraved as a lasting tribute to the founders of the Virginian Railway
, industrialist and financier Henry Huttleston Rogers
and coal mining manager and civil engineer William Nelson Page
.
Late in 2004, Norfolk Southern carefully transported Caboose 342 from Roanoke
to the NS rail yard at Crewe, Virginia
by rail. From there, it traveled overland by truck and was placed on the new rails at Victoria on December 22, 2004. In Victoria, it has been placed on display fully equipped, and has become a popular attraction for school groups and retired railroaders alike.
The park has continued to expand and has become more kid-friendly. They have recently installed new swings and various other playground equipment. The park hopes to expand even more with the land that has been cleared around the park. Maybe tennis courts could be put in but only time can tell.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 2.9 square miles (7.4 km²), of which, 2.8 square miles (7.3 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (1.05%) is water.
of 2000, there were 1,821 people, 803 households, and 517 families residing in the town. The population density
was 644.6 people per square mile (248.4/km²). There were 903 housing units at an average density of 319.6 per square mile (123.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 76.22% White, 21.47% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.05% Asian, 0.38% from other races
, and 1.70% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.37% of the population.
There were 803 households out of which 26.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.1% were married couples
living together, 15.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.6% were non-families. 33.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.85.
In the town the population was spread out with 22.8% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 22.9% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 21.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 85.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $24,694, and the median income for a family was $32,311. Males had a median income of $26,797 versus $17,054 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $13,693. About 18.6% of families and 24.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 38.9% of those under age 18 and 18.2% of those age 65 or over.
Incorporated town
-Canada:Incorporated towns are a form of local government in Canada, which is a responsibility of provincial rather than federal government.-United States:...
in Lunenburg County
Lunenburg County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 13,146 people, 4,998 households, and 3,383 families residing in the county. The population density was 30 people per square mile . There were 5,736 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, United States. The population was 1,821 at the 2000 census.
History
Lunenburg CountyLunenburg County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 13,146 people, 4,998 households, and 3,383 families residing in the county. The population density was 30 people per square mile . There were 5,736 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile...
in the Southside region was established on May 1, 1746 in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
's Virginia Colony from Brunswick County
Brunswick County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 18,419 people, 6,277 households, and 4,312 families residing in the county. The population density was 32 people per square mile . There were 7,541 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile...
. The county is named for the former Duchy of Brunswick-Lunenburg
Brunswick-Lüneburg
The Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg , or more properly Duchy of Brunswick and Lüneburg, was an historical ducal state from the late Middle Ages until the late Early Modern era within the North-Western domains of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation, in what is now northern Germany...
in Germany, because one of the titles also carried by Britain's Hanoverian
House of Hanover
The House of Hanover is a deposed German royal dynasty which has ruled the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg , the Kingdom of Hanover, the Kingdom of Great Britain, the Kingdom of Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
kings was Duke of Brunswick-Lunenburg.
After statehood, Virginia grew as part of the original 13 United States. Beginning in 1816, the Virginia Board of Public Works
Virginia Board of Public Works
The Virginia Board of Public Works was a governmental agency which oversaw and helped finance the development of Virginia's internal transportation improvements during the 19th century. In that era, it was customary to invest public funds in private companies, which were the forerunners of the...
began providing engineering and financial assistance to internal improvements around the state in transportation which continued during most of the 19th century. However, Lunenburg County had been largely passed by as canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
s, turnpikes, and railroads were built across much of Virginia. At the beginning of the 20th century, the area which was to become Victoria was mostly farmland (primarily cultivating tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
) and woodlands.
Born as a railroad town
Planned community
A planned community, or planned city, is any community that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed in a previously undeveloped area. This contrasts with settlements that evolve in a more ad hoc fashion. Land use conflicts are less frequent in planned communities since...
on what had been largely undeveloped land during the construction of the Tidewater Railway
Tidewater Railway
The Tidewater Railway was formed in 1904 as an intrastate railroad in Virginia, in the United States, by William N. Page, a civil engineer and entrepreneur, and his silent partner, millionaire industrialist Henry Huttleston Rogers of Standard Oil fame...
. This was a new east-west railroad chartered in 1904 with its right of way
Right-of-way (railroad)
A right-of-way is a strip of land that is granted, through an easement or other mechanism, for transportation purposes, such as for a trail, driveway, rail line or highway. A right-of-way is reserved for the purposes of maintenance or expansion of existing services with the right-of-way...
quietly secured in 1904 and 1905, so as to not alert the competition regarding plans to transport coal
Bituminous coal
Bituminous coal or black coal is a relatively soft coal containing a tarlike substance called bitumen. It is of higher quality than lignite coal but of poorer quality than Anthracite...
originated by its sister Deepwater Railway
Deepwater Railway
The Deepwater Railway was an intrastate short line railroad located in West Virginia in the United States which operated from 1898 to 1907.William N. Page, a civil engineer and entrepreneur, had begun a small logging railroad in Fayette County in 1896, sometimes called the Loup Creek and Deepwater...
operating in southern West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
. The Tidewater Railway was chartered to cross Virginia from the West Virginia border near Glen Lyn, Virginia
Glen Lyn, Virginia
Glen Lyn is a town in Giles County, Virginia, United States, at the confluence of the East and New Rivers. The population was 151 at the 2000 census...
in Giles County
Giles County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 16,657 people, 6,994 households, and 4,888 families residing in the county. The population density was 47 people per square mile . There were 7,732 housing units at an average density of 22 per square mile...
by way of Roanoke
Roanoke, Virginia
Roanoke is an independent city in the Mid-Atlantic U.S. state of Virginia and is the tenth-largest city in the Commonwealth. It is located in the Roanoke Valley of the Roanoke Region of Virginia. The population within the city limits was 97,032 as of 2010...
and Suffolk
Suffolk, Virginia
Suffolk is the largest city by area in Virginia, United States, and is located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 84,585. Its median household income was $57,546.-History:...
to port at Sewell's Point
Sewell's Point
Sewells Point is a peninsula of land in the independent city of Norfolk, Virginia in the United States, located at the mouth of the salt-water port of Hampton Roads. Sewells Point is bordered by water on three sides, with Willoughby Bay to the north, Hampton Roads to the west, and the Lafayette...
on Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Norfolk–Virginia Beach metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia, United States...
near Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
. Both railroads were planned and built by the team of mining manager and civil engineer William Nelson Page
William N. Page
William Nelson Page was an American civil engineer, entrepreneur, industrialist and capitalist. He was active in the Virginias following the U.S. Civil War...
and industrialist and financier Henry Huttleston Rogers
Henry H. Rogers
Henry Huttleston Rogers was a United States capitalist, businessman, industrialist, financier, and philanthropist. He made his fortune in the oil refinery business, becoming a leader at Standard Oil....
, and added a third Hampton Roads coal exporting railhead to the existing Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway was a Class I railroad formed in 1869 in Virginia from several smaller Virginia railroads begun in the 19th century. Led by industrialist Collis P...
(with coal piers at Newport News
Newport News, Virginia
Newport News is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia. It is at the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula, on the north shore of the James River extending southeast from Skiffe's Creek along many miles of waterfront to the river's mouth at Newport News...
) and the Norfolk and Western Railway
Norfolk and Western Railway
The Norfolk and Western Railway , a US class I railroad, was formed by more than 200 railroad mergers between 1838 and 1982. It had headquarters in Roanoke, Virginia for most of its 150 year existence....
's similar facilities at Norfolk's Lambert's Point
Lambert's Point
Lamberts Point is a point of land on the south shore of the Elizabeth River near the downtown area of the independent city of Norfolk in the South Hampton Roads region of eastern Virginia, United States...
.
Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
of England was a favorite of Henry Rogers, and the new town was named in her honor. Victoria was the midpoint of the VGN's Norfolk Division, which extended from Sewell's Point to Roanoke. Designated to be a "division point" on the railroad (specifically a location for crew changes and servicing of the steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
s), Victoria became the location of a large equipment maintenance operation with roundhouse
Roundhouse
A roundhouse is a building used by railroads for servicing locomotives. Roundhouses are large, circular or semicircular structures that were traditionally located surrounding or adjacent to turntables...
, turntable, coaling and water facilities for servicing steam locomotives, and a large yard.
According to author H. Reid
H. Reid
Harold A. Reid was an American writer, photographer, and historian. Reid is best known for his lifelong love of railroading and related photography and published work...
in his 1961 book The Virginian Railway, investors recalled the rapid growth of Roanoke between 1882 and 1884, which had been nicknamed the "Magic City" when the Norfolk and Western (N&W) had established major facilities at the former bucolic location which had been earlier known as Big Lick. Comparisons were made when speculating about Victoria's future potential. They could also look to nearby Crewe
Crewe, Virginia
Crewe is a town in Nottoway County, Virginia, United States. The population was 2,378 at the 2000 census. It was founded in 1888 as a central location to house steam locomotive repair shops for the Norfolk and Western Railroad which has a rail yard there for east-west trains carrying Appalachian...
on the N&W (about 20 miles away from Victoria) to see what a substantial volume of activity and employment a division point on a steam railroad could bring. Predictably, land sales at Victoria were brisk, and buildings (and jobs) soon followed.
In 1907, as they began nearing completion, the Tidewater and Deepwater Railways were combined to form the Virginian Railway
Virginian Railway
The Virginian Railway was a Class I railroad located in Virginia and West Virginia in the United States. The VGN was created to transport high quality "smokeless" bituminous coal from southern West Virginia to port at Hampton Roads....
(VGN). In March, the Tidewater Railway was formally rechartered by the Virginia State Corporation Commission as "The Virginian Railway Company" and William Nelson Page was elected president on April 15, 1907 at the first new board meeting in Norfolk. On April 22, the Deepwater Railway was acquired, formalizing the marriage of the two roads. Passenger service from Victoria to Norfolk began on June 17, 1907. The trip from Victoria took 12 hours, and operated once daily in each direction except Sundays, according to the first schedules published in the Norfolk Virginian-Pilot newspaper.
That first summer and fall, in conjunction with the Norfolk and Southern Railway
Norfolk Southern Railway (former)
The Norfolk Southern Railway was the final name of a railroad running from Norfolk, Virginia southwest and west to Charlotte, North Carolina. It was acquired by the Southern Railway in 1974, which was merged with the Norfolk and Western Railway in 1990 to form the current entity of the Norfolk...
(a regional predecessor of the 21st century Norfolk Southern System), service was offered to the Jamestown Exposition
Jamestown Exposition
The Jamestown Exposition was one of the many world's fairs and expositions that were popular in the United States in the early part of the 20th century...
being held in Norfolk County
Norfolk County, Virginia
Norfolk County was a county of the South Hampton Roads in eastern Virginia in the United States that was created in 1691. After the American Civil War, for a period of about 100 years, portions of Norfolk County were lost and the territory of the county reduced as they became parts of the separate...
that same summer. At the Exposition, VGN president Page served as Chief of International Jury of Awards, Mines and Metallurgy. United States President Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
, attending the Jamestown Exposition, was one of the VGN's earliest passengers, according to author Reid.
Adjacent to the Jamestown Exposition site on Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Norfolk–Virginia Beach metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia, United States...
at Sewell's Point
Sewell's Point
Sewells Point is a peninsula of land in the independent city of Norfolk, Virginia in the United States, located at the mouth of the salt-water port of Hampton Roads. Sewells Point is bordered by water on three sides, with Willoughby Bay to the north, Hampton Roads to the west, and the Lafayette...
, a new coal pier
Coal pier
A coal pier is a transloading facility designed for the transfer of coal between rail and ship.The typical facility for loading ships consists of a holding area and a system of conveyors for transferring the coal to dockside and loading it into the ship's cargo holds...
was being built. Completion of the entire railroad took 2 additional years. The low gradient VGN was considered an engineering marvel of the time when it was completed in 1909. Soon, coal and other commodities began rolling through Victoria. The new Norfolk Division offices of the railroad were on located on a second floor which was added to the original Victoria passenger station a short time later.
The Virginia General Assembly
Virginia General Assembly
The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the oldest legislative body in the Western Hemisphere, established on July 30, 1619. The General Assembly is a bicameral body consisting of a lower house, the Virginia House of Delegates, with 100 members,...
granted a charter and incorporated the Town of Victoria on March 11, 1916.
End of steam, mergers, abandonment
Victoria's importance as a rail point declined sharply in the 1950s when the change to diesel-electric locomotives greatly reduced the labor and facilities needed. The last Virginian passenger train served Victoria in January, 1956. VGN steam operations ended completely in June, 1957. Then, on December 1, 1959, the Virginian RailwayVirginian Railway
The Virginian Railway was a Class I railroad located in Virginia and West Virginia in the United States. The VGN was created to transport high quality "smokeless" bituminous coal from southern West Virginia to port at Hampton Roads....
merged with the larger Norfolk and Western Railway
Norfolk and Western Railway
The Norfolk and Western Railway , a US class I railroad, was formed by more than 200 railroad mergers between 1838 and 1982. It had headquarters in Roanoke, Virginia for most of its 150 year existence....
. Under combined operations, the through coal traffic was shifted from Victoria to the bigger road's main line through Crewe, Virginia
Crewe, Virginia
Crewe is a town in Nottoway County, Virginia, United States. The population was 2,378 at the 2000 census. It was founded in 1888 as a central location to house steam locomotive repair shops for the Norfolk and Western Railroad which has a rail yard there for east-west trains carrying Appalachian...
, fortunately within commuting distance for N&W's Victoria-based employees. Local customers on the former VGN line through Victoria and nearby Kenbridge
Kenbridge, Virginia
Kenbridge is a town in Lunenburg County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,253 at the 2000 census. It is in a tobacco farming area. The area is home to noted folk artist Eldridge Bagley.-Geography:Kenbridge is located at ....
were few, and the portion of the line through Victoria and Kenbridge was eventually abandoned in the 1980s. All tracks and virtually all structures were removed, and a portion of the land donated to the community by N&W.
Much like many other communities all across the United States, the end of steam railroading and the era of mergers and consolidation in the second half of the 20th century reduced rail-oriented employment opportunities and had a generally negative impact upon Victoria and the surrounding area. However, the community and Lunenburg County proved resilient, and by the late 1990s, transportation employment represented only a minimal portion of the area's economy.
Remembering Victoria's rail heritage
Princeton, West Virginia
Princeton is a city in Mercer County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 7,652 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Bluefield, WV-VA micropolitan area which has a population of 111,586. It is the county seat of Mercer County...
in the 1950s was located.
Rail preservationist, historian, and photographer Kenneth Miller of Roanoke had purchased Caboose 342 in the 1980s, and working with his father, had carefully restored it over a period of years. Miller, a long-time VGN fan, agreed to let Victoria have what is considered by many to be the finest extant VGN caboose for the new rail heritage park.
To prepare an appropriate display area for Caboose 342, a short stretch of roadbed was prepared, ballasted, and ties and rail were laid by volunteers in Victoria. The initials "H.H.R." and "W.N.P." were engraved as a lasting tribute to the founders of the Virginian Railway
Virginian Railway
The Virginian Railway was a Class I railroad located in Virginia and West Virginia in the United States. The VGN was created to transport high quality "smokeless" bituminous coal from southern West Virginia to port at Hampton Roads....
, industrialist and financier Henry Huttleston Rogers
Henry H. Rogers
Henry Huttleston Rogers was a United States capitalist, businessman, industrialist, financier, and philanthropist. He made his fortune in the oil refinery business, becoming a leader at Standard Oil....
and coal mining manager and civil engineer William Nelson Page
William N. Page
William Nelson Page was an American civil engineer, entrepreneur, industrialist and capitalist. He was active in the Virginias following the U.S. Civil War...
.
Roanoke, Virginia
Roanoke is an independent city in the Mid-Atlantic U.S. state of Virginia and is the tenth-largest city in the Commonwealth. It is located in the Roanoke Valley of the Roanoke Region of Virginia. The population within the city limits was 97,032 as of 2010...
to the NS rail yard at Crewe, Virginia
Crewe, Virginia
Crewe is a town in Nottoway County, Virginia, United States. The population was 2,378 at the 2000 census. It was founded in 1888 as a central location to house steam locomotive repair shops for the Norfolk and Western Railroad which has a rail yard there for east-west trains carrying Appalachian...
by rail. From there, it traveled overland by truck and was placed on the new rails at Victoria on December 22, 2004. In Victoria, it has been placed on display fully equipped, and has become a popular attraction for school groups and retired railroaders alike.
The park has continued to expand and has become more kid-friendly. They have recently installed new swings and various other playground equipment. The park hopes to expand even more with the land that has been cleared around the park. Maybe tennis courts could be put in but only time can tell.
Geography
Victoria is located at 36°59′36"N 78°13′30"W (36.993365, -78.224891).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 2.9 square miles (7.4 km²), of which, 2.8 square miles (7.3 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (1.05%) is water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 1,821 people, 803 households, and 517 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 644.6 people per square mile (248.4/km²). There were 903 housing units at an average density of 319.6 per square mile (123.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 76.22% White, 21.47% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.05% Asian, 0.38% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.70% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.37% of the population.
There were 803 households out of which 26.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.1% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 15.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.6% were non-families. 33.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.85.
In the town the population was spread out with 22.8% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 22.9% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 21.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 85.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $24,694, and the median income for a family was $32,311. Males had a median income of $26,797 versus $17,054 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $13,693. About 18.6% of families and 24.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 38.9% of those under age 18 and 18.2% of those age 65 or over.
Further reading
- Lewis, Lloyd D. (1994) Norfolk & Western and Virginian Railways in Color by H. Reid. Lynchburg, Virginia: TLC Publishing Inc. ISBN 1-883089-09-3
- Reid, H. (1961) The Virginian Railway. Milwaukee, WI: Kalmback Publishing
- Reisweber, Kurt (1995) Virginian Rails 1953-1993 (1st ed.) Old Line Graphics. ISBN 1-879314-11-8
- Striplin, E. F. Pat. (1981) The Norfolk & Western : a history Roanoke, Va. : Norfolk and Western Railway Co. ISBN 0-9633254-6-9
- Traser, Donald R. (1998) Virginia Railway Depots. Old Dominion Chapter, National Railway Historical Society. ISBN 0-9669906-0-9
- Wiley, Aubrey and Wallace, Conley (1985). The Virginian Railway Handbook. Lynchburg, Virginia: W-W Publications.
Periodical, business, and on-line publications
- Beale, Frank D. (1955) The Virginian Railway Company 45th Annual Report Year Ended December 31, 1954. published in-house
- Cuthriell, N.L. (1956) Coal On The Move Via The Virginian Railway, reprinted with permission of Norfolk Southern Corporation in 1995 by Norfolk & Western Historical Society, Inc. ISBN 0-9633254-2-6
- Reid, H. (1953) "Trains & Travel Magazine" December, 1953 "Some Fine Engines" Kalmbach Publishing Co.
- Norfolk Virginian-Pilot newspaper, June 16, 1907 advertisement
External links
- Victoria, Virginia homepage
- Victoria's new home for VGN Caboose 342 a community project with photos, updated 24 December 2004 (Defunct site prior to 11/10)
- Virginian Railway (VGN) Enthusiasts non-profit group of preservationists, authors, photographers, historians, modelers, and railfans
- No Limits Skydiving Virginia