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 Railroad — Western North Carolina Railroad
   An act to incorporate the Western North Carolina Railroad Company was ratified by the General Assembly February15, 1855. The railroad opened Fall 1858 with 84-mile line from Salisbury to within four miles of Morganton. The first train arrived in Marion in 1870 and Old Fort in 1873.

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    		    The state of North Carolina officially took over the operation of the Western North Carolina Railroad in 1875. The state operated the Western North Carolina Railroad until 1880 when it was sold to a local group (". J. Best), which immediately resold its interest to owners of the Richmond and Danville Railroad. 
   On Oct. 2, 1880, the Western North Carolina Railroad was completed into Asheville. On April 5, 1882, the line was completed to Paint Rock.
   In 1894, the Richmond & Danville Railroad became part of the Southern Railway Company. Southern Railway took over operation of the Western North Carolina Railroad in 1896.

Eastern and Western Divisions (1868 - 1879)
   An act ratified August 19, 1868, the existing Western North Carolina Railroad was established as the Eastern Division — from Salisbury to Asheville — and a new company the Western North Carolina Railroad, Western Division — composed of two future lines, one to Paint Rock and the other to Ducktown, Tennessee.
   To build the Western Division, bonds were authorized for sale and thus a great scandal was borne. 
   The Western Division was abolished in 1879 and merged with the Eastern Division

Officers of the North Carolina Railroad (not complete yet)
President   1855 
     
     
  Dr. A. M. Powell 1860 - 1865
  -- Caldwell - Sept. 1866
  Samuel McDowell Tate  Oct. 1866 - 1868
 (Eastern Div.) Dr. J. J. Mott  1869 - 
  W. W. Rollins* 1875 - 1877
 (Western Div.) George W. Swepson Oct. 1868 - Oct. 1869
  Milton S. Littlefield Oct. 1869 - March 1870
  William W. Rollins* 1875 - 1877
 (combined RR) James W. Wilson 1877 - 1879+
  Alexander Boyd Andrews 1881 - 1886+
Superintendent & Chief Engineer James C. Turner 1861 - 1863
  James W. Wilson 1863 - 1868
  W. A. Eliason  1868 - April 1871
  James W. Wilson Oct. 1875 -
     
  Samuel Kirkland? 1865?
     
     
     
Secretary & Treasurer    
  R. F. Simonton 1861 - 1865
  George Phifer Erwin 1877
     

 



 
   

 
   Directors:
  
Otho Gillespie 1861 - 1863
Jonas Kline 1861 -
Anderson Ellis 1861 - 1863
Richard A. Caldwell 1861 - 1863
A. Henderson 1863
J. C. McDowell 1863 - 
J. A. Hunt 1864 -
John Malone 1864 -

 
     Joseph Cathey (1863)?

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