Sunday Bridges ~ 4-3-11

The Remains of the Old Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad Bridge 

Lexington, Virginia

On these pilings once sat the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad bridge over the Maury River that brought the trains into Lexington, Virginia. Sadly, after Hurricane Camille took it out, the bridge was not rebuilt and the trains quit running into town. In the years to come,  there were a number of different footbridges built on these pilings forming a connection between Woods Creek and the Chessie Trail, but each time they were lost to flooding.  Now all we have left as a reminder of days past are the old pilings. The last footbridge was beautiful and such a pleasure to walk across, but like so many nice things in this area is not being replaced due to it vulnerability to floating downstream when the waters rise and flood. The building way up on the hill above the river is Virginia Military Institute founded in 1839.  On 12 June 1864 Union forces under the command of General David Hunter shelled and burned the Institute as part of the Valley Campaigns of 1864. The destruction was almost complete and VMI had to temporarily hold classes at the Alms House in Richmond, Virginia. 

"Any victory would be dear at such a price.”

~Robert E. Lee, on the death of Stonewall Jackson

This post is linked to Louis la Vache’s

San Francisco Bay Daily Photo

If you want to drink some excellent coffee or tea, go online and order from Louis La Vache’s “Holy Cow Coffee Company”. We are return customers many times over and highly recommend them both.