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East Tennessee & Virginia Railroad

ET&V Stats

ET&V Railroad

The East Tennessee & Virginia Railroad (ET&V) is a wonderful success story of cities and individuals investing in the promise of a early rail line which later became a economic driver for the region. The railroad was 130 miles in length, connecting Bristol and Knoxville TN. At those two cities, links were made with railroads that further connected the metropolitan areas of the northeast ( e.g. New York, Washington DC) to the cities in the south (e.g. New Orleans, Atlanta, and Birmingham)

The railroad was chartered in 1848, and was completed in 1856. Cities along its route included Bristol, Johnson City, Greenville, Morristown, and Knoxville TN.

Dr. Samuel B. Cunningham, ET&V Founder & President

The visionary leader for the new venture was Dr. Samuel B. Cunningham, who put his medical practice on hold for many years to make sure the railroad was funded, developed, and then survived and thrived. Dr. Cunningham, along with others, personally mortgaged their assets to provide the needed funding for the company.

Johnson City and Bristol

The routing of the railroad were the beginnings to two major cities in the region. Johnson City originally started out as ‘Johnson’s Tank,’ where Henry Johnson first built a general store, post office, and water tank to serve the new railroad. Today, Johnson City is the largest city in East Tennessee and has grown from a railroad hub to also being a key regional center for education and health services.

King’s Meadow, later renamed Bristol, was eventually the connection with the Virginia & Tennessee Railroad. Later the city became a major corporate center for the coal industry.

Civil War

The ET&V was a vital rail link for the south during the Civil War, which also made it a target for the north. The railroad was damaged during the war, and received a large amount of ‘repair funding’ from the sale of bonds by the State of Tennessee to aid in the rebuilding of the line.

ET&V Growth and Consolidation

Once the rebuilding was complete, the ET&V was consolidated with the East Tennessee & Georgia to form the East Tennessee Virginia & Georgia Railroad in 1869.

Growth continued as the region and the south prospered, but there were also world and national financial downturns. All of this led to creation of the Southern Railway in 1894 by combining the ETV&G, the Richmond & Danville, and several other railroads.

More Southern Railway information will be added to this page and others in the days ahead. Please let me know if you have any edits that should be made or any content you are willing to share by utilizing the comment form below. Would enjoy hearing from you if you have similar interests in the railroads, the region, or model railroading.

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Southern-Railroads.org Sources and Resources

The following are excellent resources for those of you wanting to explore and learn more about the Southern Railway and its predecessors. These sources of information also serve as reference and historical materials for Southern-Railroads.org. Much of the content on the website is verified across multiple sources.

3Cs Websites

Appalachian-Railroads.org | Clinchfield.org | Southern-Railroads.org