Railroad

The Rogersville and Jefferson Railroad Company Building a Branch to the ET & V Railroad 1852- 1860

 

When the East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad Company adopted the route south of the Holston River for its proposed road the people living north of the Holston were much disappointed. Those of the town of Rogersville determined to make the most of the situation and obtain the desired railroad connection by means of a branch road to which end they obtained a charter in an Act entitled:
An Act to charter the Rogersville and Jefferson Railroad Company Passed February 27, 1852 Acts of Tennessee 1851 52 ch 360 p 654 which provided for the organization of a corporation under the style of the
ROGERSVILLE AND JEFFERSON RAILROAD COMPANY for the purpose of establishing a communication by railroad between Rogersville and the most eligible point on the East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad.

Two years later this charter was enlarged by the Act passed February 23, 1854

Acts of Tennessee 1853- 54 ch 311 p 699 which authorized the company at their own discretion to extend said Rogersville and Jefferson road from Rogersville to the Virginia State Line at or near Moccasin Gap. Under this charter an organization was effected and a survey was made for a line from a connection with the East Tennessee and Virginia at a point near Bull's Gap, since known as Rogersville Junction, thence northerly across the Holston River to Rogersville. This being done the company applied to the State for aid under the general Internal Improvement Law of 1852 and there was obtained the Act entitled:
An Act for the Denefit of the Rogersville and Jefferson Railroad Passed February 20 1856 Acts of Tennessee 1855-56 ch 234 p 476, which as amended by section 21 of the Act of February 25, 1856 Acts of Tennessee 1855-56 ch 193 p 353 provided that the company should have 100,000 in State bonds to aid in bridging the Holston River, and also additional aid at the rate of $10,000 per mile to buy rails when the road bed was made ready therefore.

This Act also reflected a desire to avoid the expense of bridging the Holston River in the event of the construction of the Cincinnati, Cumberland Gap, and Charleston road, north of Morristown in the provision that the company might at its discretion commence said road at Rogersville and run it so as to connect with the Cincinnati, Cumberland Gap, and Charleston Railroad by intersecting the said road at some point, on said road, between Clinch Mountain and Holston River.

But to this there was added a further provision, probably intended to secure to the East Tennessee and Virginia, a direct connection with Rogersville in any event to wit:
That the Rogersville and Jefferson Railroad is hereby declared to be a branch road of the East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad. Nothing much was accomplished during the next three years except to secure a subscription by Hawkins County (see Hord v R & JRR Co 3 Head Tenn 208) and as the company could not, under the Act of 1856, obtain any State aid until its entire line was graded. 

It appealed to the Legislature once more and obtained tke Act passed February 26, 1858 (Acts of Tennessee 1857 58 ch 87 p 199) which provided:

That the Rogersville and Jefferson Railroad Company when they have completed the grading and masonry ready for the timber, as the law now provides upon their road from Bull's Gap to the bridge at Holston River, shall have authority to draw the State bonds for the purchase of iron for that portion of the road. Under the spur of this Act, the grading of the ten miles extending from the function with the East Tennessee and Virginia at Bull's Gap to the Holston River was completed before July 7, 1859 on which date the company drew $100,000 in State bonds.
In the same year, $59,000 in State bonds was also drawn for bridge aid and with the proceeds of these bonds, the line was completed from Rogersville Junction to the Holston River in 1860, and was put in operation while the bridge was being completed and the grading north of the river made ready for rails.

While the company was so engaged, the Civil War intervened and suspended its operations.

 Reconstruction 1866-1870

During the Civil War the Rogersville and Jefferson Railroad was wrecked, but in 1866, when reconstruction was undertaken, the grading north of the Holston River was represented to be sufficient to justify the State to issue bonds. therefore and on April 24, 1866, the company secured $55,000 on that account. Meanwhile there had been passed the Act of January 18, 1866 (Acts of Tennessee 1865 66 ch 14 p 33) which after reciting the condition of the principal railroads in the State as the result of hostilities proceeded to grant them liberal aid for reconstruction and in this, the Rogersville and Jefferson, was included to the extent of $100,000 which it obtained on May 29, 1866.

With this aid the line was again put in operation to the Holston River and was extended to the terminus at Rogersville in 1867. Meanwhile the company had defaulted in interest due on the State debt and in the summer of 1866, the Governor placed C J McKinney in possession of the property as receiver so that he was enabled to collect on November 30, 1866, the $41,000 balance still due on the promised $100,000 for bridge aid, and although all of these bonds were not immediately applied on the bridge (see Acts of Tennessee 1870 71 ch 80 p 105), still the bridge was so far completed as to admit the passage of trains thereon. One result of the receivership was the attachment of certain of the State bonds which had been issued to the company and had been sent to New York to be sold, and the State being still willing to help the company out of its difficulties passed the Act of March 7, 1868 (Acts of Tennessee 1867 68 ch 84 p 187) which provided for the issue of $30,000 additional of bonds to be used until those which had been attached in New York might be released. These bonds were delivered to the receiver on March 28, 1868.

Austin House for Sale: Herald and tribune. (Jonesborough, Tenn.), 05 Oct. 1871. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. Link

 The Foreclosure of the State Lien 1870-1872

In 1867, the State of Tennessee determined to retrench the enormous debt which had been created in aid of her railroads. To this end there were passed during the years 1867-1871 various Acts which resulted finally in the appointment of Commissioners with authority to sell all the delinquent State aided railroads in foreclosure of the statutory liens thereon while the Chancery Court at Nashville was vested with plenary jurisdiction to determine all questions which might arise out of the action of the Commissioners. (see Acts of Tennessee 1867- 68 (ch 17 p 14), 1869- 70 (ch 3  P 39), 1870 (ch 79 p 1260, 1870- 71 (ch 23 p 25) 1870- 71 (ch 102 p 123). As the Rogersville and Jefferson Railroad Company was indebted to the State in the sum of $532,013.20 on January 1, 1871, it was included in these foreclosure proceedings, which so far as it was concerned were as follows:

IN THE CHANCERY COURT AT NASHVILLE

The State of Tennessee against The Edgefield and Kentucky Railroad Company, The Rogersville and Jefferson Railroad Company impleaded with others Jan 20,1871. Bill filed alleging among other things that the State had advanced $385,000 to the Rogersville and Jefferson Railroad Company under the various Internal Improvement Laws for which it held a lien upon the railroad

July 6 Decree reciting that the Rogersville and Jefferson Railroad Company had confessed its insolvency and providing for a sale in foreclosure of the lien of the State.  (For a full discussion of this legislation see the history of the Cincinnati Cumberland Gap and Charleston Railroad supra 917)

1871 Oct 2 Report of Commissioners that they had offered the Rogersville and Jefferson Railroad for sale on September 20, 1871 and that the only bid was that of the East Tennessee and Virginia sic Railroad Company which was $10,000, but which was not accepted by them.

1872 March 20: Sale by Commissioners at public auction in Knoxville, the best bidder being Joseph Jacques acting for the East Tennessee Virginia and Georgia Railroad Company who bid $23,000 ie the equivalent in State bonds of $15,548.91 in cash

June 3 Report of sale by Commissioners and that purchase money had been paid Nov 18. Decree confirming sale and providing: That all the right title and interest in and to the property rights privileges franchises and immunities heretofore appertaining and belonging to the Rogersville and Jefferson Railroad Company be and the same are hereby vested in the East Tennessee Virginia and Georgia Railroad Company in accordance with the terms of the decrees of the 6th day of July, 1871, and the other decrees rendered in this cause in regard to the said Rogersville and Jefferson Railroad Company and the rights and privileges and duties of the purchasers of railroads and the laws of the State applicable thereto.

*This last decree is the only evidence of this devolution of title as no deed appears to have been executed It was registered in Hawkins County Tennessee on November 14, 1879

 

ROGERSVILLE AND JEFFERSON RAILROAD

Line of Road Rogersville Junction Tenn to Rogersville, Tenn 15.5 miles Sidings 0.50 mile, Gauge 4 ft 9 in Rail 52 lbs Rolling Stock, Locomotive engines 2, Cars passenger 2, baggage 1, freight 4. Chartered February 27, 1852. Built chiefly on State subsidy. On January 1, 1871, the State's interest in the road amounted to $532,013.20. No interest was paid and the Governor took possession and sold the property to the East Tennessee Virginia and Georgia RR Co In 1877, it was resold to HM Aiken. Capital stock $300,000, Net earnings for several years past have been used in improving the road etc. Gauge originally 5 feet narrowed to Northern standard. June 1, 1886, HM AIKEN, President and Manager Rogersville, Tenn Secretary and Treas, Jas Cooper, Rogersville,. Tenn Superintendent, Joseph Helton Rogersville, Tenn PRINCIPAL OFFICE AND ADDRESS Rogersville, Tenn

(Source: A History of the Legal Development of the Railroad System of Southern Railway Company, Fairfax Harrison, 1901)

 

 

 

  

 

 

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