W. Graham Claytor
Encyclopedia
William Graham Claytor of Roanoke, Virginia
, was the vice president of Appalachian Power Company
, an electric utility service.
He is best remembered for supervising the construction of a dam
and creation of a 4,500 acre (18 km²), 21 mile (34 km) long lake
on the New River in Pulaski County
, a hydroelectric project completed in 1939. The resultant Claytor Lake
and surrounding Claytor Lake State Park
in Virginia
are named for him.
Claytor married Gertrude Harris Boatwright, a lyric poet who published two collections of her poems. Their two sons each became well-known transportation administrators who led several large American railroads:
"The Claytor Brothers: Virginians Building America's Railroad" is a semi-permanent exhibit at the Virginia Museum of Transportation
in Roanoke, Virginia
.
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...
, was the vice president of Appalachian Power Company
Appalachian Power
Appalachian Power is a subsidiary of American Electric Power of Columbus, Ohio. It is based in Charleston, West Virginia and owns the rights to Appalachian Power Park in Charleston...
, an electric utility service.
He is best remembered for supervising the construction of a dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
and creation of a 4,500 acre (18 km²), 21 mile (34 km) long lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
on the New River in Pulaski County
Pulaski County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 35,127 people, 14,643 households, and 10,147 families residing in the county. The population density was 110 people per square mile . There were 16,325 housing units at an average density of 51 per square mile...
, a hydroelectric project completed in 1939. The resultant Claytor Lake
Claytor Lake
Claytor Lake in Pulaski County, Virginia, is a 4,500 acre , 21 mile long reservoir on the New River created for a hydroelectric project of Appalachian Power Company. It is named for W...
and surrounding Claytor Lake State Park
Claytor Lake State Park
Claytor Lake State Park in Pulaski County, Virginia is located on Claytor Lake, a 4,500 acre , 21 mile long artificial lake on the New River created for a hydroelectric project of the Appalachian Power Company. It is named for W...
in 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...
are named for him.
Claytor married Gertrude Harris Boatwright, a lyric poet who published two collections of her poems. Their two sons each became well-known transportation administrators who led several large American railroads:
- W. Graham Claytor Jr.W. Graham Claytor Jr.William Graham Claytor, Jr. was an American lawyer, naval officer, and railroad, transportation and defense administrator for the United States government, working under the administrations of three US presidents....
(1912–1994) headed the Southern RailwaySouthern Railway (US)The Southern Railway is a former United States railroad. It was the product of nearly 150 predecessor lines that were combined, reorganized and recombined beginning in the 1830s, formally becoming the Southern Railway in 1894...
and later AmtrakAmtrakThe National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
.
- Robert B. ClaytorRobert B. ClaytorRobert Buckner Claytor was an American railroad administrator. He became President of the Norfolk and Western Railway in 1981 and was instrumental in the merger of the Southern Railway and the Norfolk & Western in 1982...
(1922–1993) was president of the Norfolk and Western RailwayNorfolk and Western RailwayThe 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....
, and the first president of the new Norfolk Southern when it was created in 1982.
"The Claytor Brothers: Virginians Building America's Railroad" is a semi-permanent exhibit at the Virginia Museum of Transportation
Virginia Museum of Transportation
The Virginia Museum of Transportation is a museum devoted to the topic of transportation located in Downtown Roanoke, Virginia, U.S.A..- History :...
in Roanoke, Virginia
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...
.