Guide to Fairfax County Railroad Files, 1866 - 1927
Created by: Victoria Thompson Creation date: June 2019
Shelf Location: Unit 40, Shelf 7 & Unit 26, Drawer 7
Contents Summary:
Extent: 3 Linear Feet Date Range: 1866 - 1927
Geographical Location: Fairfax County & City of Alexandria, Virginia, Washington, D.C. Materials & Media: Paper, newsprint, blueprint, cardstock, photographs, ink, graphite Topics Covered: Railroads, land condemnation, accidental injuries & deaths, damage to property Prominent People & Organizations: Alexandria & Fredericksburg Railroad Co., Arlington & Fairfax Railway Co., Chesapeake & Ohio Railway Co., Fairfax, Potomac & Washington Electric Railway Co., Great Falls & Old Dominion Railroad Co., Metropolitan Western Railroad Co., Mt. Vernon & Camp Humphries Railway Co., Pennsylvania Railroad Co., Richmond & Danville Railroad Co., Southern Railway Co., United States Railroad Administration, Virginia Midland Railway Co., Washington, Alexandria & Mt. Vernon Electric Railway Co., Washington, Arlington & Falls Church Railway Co., Washington & Ohio Railroad Co., Washington & Old Dominion Railway Co., Washington Southern Railway Co., Washington-Virginia Railway Co. Historical Events Covered: Nationalization of the railroads; railroads boom and bust; Popes Head Derailment
Arrangement: Land Records are organized alphabetically, Judgments are ordered by date and then alphabetically within dates, Chancery Cases are organized by date.
Biographical/ Historical Note
Following the invention and popularization of steam locomotive trains in Great Britain, the United States readily took to this efficient mode of mass transportation. The first railroad line, the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, was constructed in 1828 linking Baltimore to the Erie Canal. Other railroad companies soon formed to meet the demand for this new type of freight carriage; locomotives were much faster and cheaper than the traditional transportation methods of canal barge, stagecoach and wagon.
In the mid-19th century, railroad companies were formed to link Virginia cities and towns to the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C. Many of these passed through Fairfax County. Early railroads in the County were the Richmond & Danville Railroad Co. (1847 – 1894), Alexandria, Loudoun & Hampshire Railroad Co. (1853 – 1870), Alexandria & Fredericksburg Railroad Co. (1854 – 1887) and the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway Co. (1869 – 1971).
The early railroads also served Fairfax’s smaller rural settlements, and stations built between these localities grew into
communities in their own right. Fairfax Station and Clifton Station are good examples of these. As new railroads were formed, and established ones expanded, they needed more land to build their tracks and supporting infrastructure. Given the legal right to condemn and purchase any necessary land by the Commonwealth of Virginia, these companies brought many land condemnation suits to the Fairfax County courts. The land condemnation cases in this collection begin in July 1866, when the Alexandria & Fredericksburg Railroad Co. decided to widen their tracks. The last land condemnation suit in the collection is from 1906, when the Great Falls & Old Dominion Railroad Co. condemned land from the Great Falls Power Co. Several local citizens backed the railroad’s need to expand. Some landowners were willing to sell marginal parts of their land to the railroad companies; these land transfer records in the collection begin in 1886 and conclude in 1911. The railroad companies involved were the Fairfax, Potomac & Washington Electric Railway Co., Great Falls & Old Dominion Railroad Co., Southern Railway Co. and Washington Southern Railway Co.
Fairfax Circuit Court Historic Records Center, August 2019
Electric trolley companies started in the county in 1890, with the Metropolitan Western Railroad Co. The company formed in 1864, and used horse drawn cars until it was granted the right to build electric tracks. The Washington, Alexandria & Mt. Vernon Electric Railway Co. and the Washington, Arlington & Falls Church Railway Co. merged in 1913 to form the Washington-Virginia Railway Co. Mergers typify the railroad industry in Fairfax County and Virginia in the 19th and early 20th centuries, with multiple smaller lines being combined under one company name.
Local citizens also took initiative to meet their transportation needs. In 1900, the citizenry chartered the Great Falls and Old Dominion Railroad Co. electric trolley. After being bought out in 1912, the company became the Great Falls division of the Washington & Old Dominion Railway Co. Local citizens formed the Arlington & Fairfax Railway Co. in 1927, funding it by way of subscriptions. The company bought part of the bankrupted Washington-Virginia Railway Co. line. In 1936, the company re-chartered as the Arlington & Fairfax Auto Railway, and switched to using buses. Many railroad lines folded in the 1920s and 1930s as automobiles became more readily available.
Railroads and trains were often dangerous places to be. This collection contains suits brought against railroad companies for injuries and fatalities occurring after accidents on the tracks. Accidents at railroad crossings became even more frequent with the first advent of automobiles. The largest number of concurrent suits brought against a railroad company was the result of a tragic accident known as the ‘Popes Head Derailment’. On June 16, 1888, a Virginia Midland Co. train derailed at a curve near Popes Head Bridge just outside Clifton Station. The engineer, fireman, baggage master and telegraph operator were crushed and killed, and numerous others were badly injured. The suits were brought against the owner of the track, the Richmond and Danville Railroad Co., as well as the railroad operator. Other cases include destruction of crops and trees, and general negligence on behalf of the railroads.
Chancery cases brought against the Washington-Virginia Railway Co. after it went into receivership are also part of this collection. The Washington-Virginia Railway Co. was under the control of the United States Railroad Administration when it began experiencing insurmountable financial problems. The United States Railroad Administration was formed in December 1917, following a proclamation by then-president Woodrow Wilson. The purpose of the administration was to operate the nation’s railroads more effectively to support U. S. war operations during World War I. Nationalization enabled the 440-plus railroads in existence to coordinate troop maneuvers and movement of supplies and armaments. The Administration was run by Director General William McAdoo and his successor Walker Hines. Both their names appear in these records. The Administration ended in March 1920, having served its purpose, and the railroads were once more privatized.
Scope & Content Note
Series 1: Land Records, 1886 – 1906, deeds, plats, notices & appraisals covering land transactions recorded in Fairfax
Deed Books
Series 2: Judgments, 1866 – 1927, land condemnation papers including plats, notices & appraisals; commissioners oaths; trespass on the case suits covering accidental injury and death, damage to property and general negligence; jury summons; notices; orders; witness summons
Series 3: Chancery Cases, 1923 – 1927, case paperwork for Consolidated Equity Causes: Real Estate Trust Co. of
Philadelphia, Girard Trust Co., Pennsylvania Co. for Insurances on Lives & Granting Annuities and Bank of North America & Trust Co. vs. Washington-Virginia Railway Co.
Fairfax Circuit Court Historic Records Center, August 2019
Container List
Box
1
Folder
Series 1: Land Records, A – W Series 2: Judgments, 1866 – 1891
Judgments, 1891 – 1898 Judgments, 1899 – 1903 Judgments, 1903 – 1911 Judgments, 1913 – 1916 Judgments, 1916 – 1921 Judgments, 1921 – 1927
Series 3: Chancery Cases, 1927
RR-0001 to RR-0048 RR-0049 to RR-0094 RR-0095 to RR-0113 RR-0114 to RR-0152 RR-0153 to RR-0171 RR-0172 to RR-0175 (Folder 1) RR-0175 to RR-0178 (Folders 1 – 3) RR-0178 to RR-0190 RR-0191
23456789
Additional Notes
Please see addendum below for itemized contents list.
The collection includes oversized material, numbered RR-OS-0001 to RR-OS-0029, which is stored in Unit 26, Drawer 7. Physical evidence for Riffey vs. Southern Railway Co. RR-0172 is stored in Court-Related Artifacts Box 2, Unit 54, Row 8. Railroad records can also be found in the Deed Books and Term Papers, Chancery Cases and Inquests collections. Oversized railroad records, mainly plats, can be found in Units 4, 16, 26 and 27.
Drawer-X contains railroad plats: X-I-1333, X-I-1394 & X-I-1301. The railroad case Ponnet vs. Southern Railway Co. can be found in Unit 40, Shelf 5. Physical evidence for this case is in Unit 40, Shelf 8; photographs and plats are in Unit 26, Drawer 2.
Fairfax Circuit Court Historic Records Center, August 2019
Index: Fairfax County Railroad Files, 1866-1927
Series 1: Land Records
Plat
XXXXXXXX
- GRANTOR
- GRANTEE
- Record Type
Plat Plat Plat Plat Plat Plat Plat Plat
- Notes
- DATE
- BOX FOLDER
- RR-OS-0024
- Adams, Charles M.
Adams, Marietta Daingerfield, Henry Davis, James B. to to to to to to to to to to
Washington Southern Railway Co. Washington Southern Railway Co. Southern Railway Co. Moore, R. Walton Moore, R. Walton Washington Southern Railway Co. Moore, R. Walton Moore, R. Walton Washington Southern Railway Co. Washington Southern Railway Co. Washington, Arlington & Falls Church Railway Co. Washington Southern Railway Co. Southern Railway Co.
07/1903 08/1903 07/1903 09/1903 09/1903 01/1903 09/1903 09/1903 11/1902 01/1903
1 RR-0001
RR-OS-0025
1 RR-0002 1 RR-0002
RR-OS-0018
1 RR-0002 1 RR-0002 1 RR-0003 1 RR-0004
Davis, Edna T. Forrest, Douglas F., estate Hammill, Paul E. Hammill, Daisy Selectman Harrover, Elizabeth Hill, Fanny L.
Plat Plat
XX
Klock, Elizabeth Maltby, Mary E. Marshall, R. E. McKee, R. H.
Plat Plat Plat Plat Plat Plat Plat Plat to to to to to to to to
XXXXXXXX
07/1902 11/1902 05/1903 05/1903 05/1903 12/1902 03/1903 03/1903
1 RR-0005 1 RR-0006 1 RR-0007 1 RR-0008 1 RR-0009 1 RR-0010 1 RR-0011 1 RR-0011
Washington Southern Railway Co. Washington Southern Railway Co. Washington Southern Railway Co. Washington Southern Railway Co. Washington Southern Railway Co.
Miller, John Moore, R. Walton Palmer, Henry D. Palmer, Richard M.
Richmond & Danville Railroad Co. Virginia Midland Railway Co.
Chesapeake & Ohio Railway Co. Chesapeake & Ohio Railway Co. Washington, Arlington & Falls Church Railway Co.
Agreement Agreement and and
04/1903 04/1903
1 RR-0012 1 RR-0012
- Robey, Lucy A.
- Plat
- to
- X
- 07/1902
- 1 RR-0013
Washington, Arlington & Falls Church Railway Co. Washington Southern Railway Co. Central Trust Co. of New York Detwiler, S. H.
Robey, Tobias A. Smith, Alexis Southern Railway Co. Southern Railway Co. Southern Railway Co. Springman, Joseph M.
Plat Plat Mortgage Condemnation Mortgage Plat to to to vs. to to
XX
07/1902 01/1903 12/1904 09/1904 06/1906 12/1902
1 RR-0013
RR-OS-0020
1 RR-0014 1 RR-0015 1 RR-0016 1 RR-0017
X
Standard Trust Co. of New York Washington Southern Railway Co.
X
Fairfax Circuit Court Historic Records Center
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Index: Fairfax County Railroad Files, 1866-1927
Springman, Emma Plaskett Daniels, William Daniels, Ethel Talbert, James Virginia Midland Railway Co.
- Washington Southern Railway Co.
- Plat
Plat Plat Plat to to to to to
XXXX
12/1902 12/1902 12/1902 05/1903 10/1886
1 RR-0017 1 RR-0017 1 RR-0017 1 RR-0018 1 RR-0019
Washington Southern Railway Co. Washington Southern Railway Co. Washington Southern Railway Co.
- Central Trust Co. of New York
- Mortgage
Virginia Midland Railway Co. Washington, Alexandria & Mt. Vernon Railway Co. Washington, Arlington & Falls Church Railway Co. Washington, Arlington & Falls Church Railway Co. Washington, Arlington & Falls Church Railway Co. Washington, Arlington & Falls Church Railway Co. Washington Southern Railway Co. Washington Southern Railway Co. Washington Southern Railway Co. Washington Southern Railway Co. Washington Southern Railway Co.
- Richmond & Danville Railroad Co.
- Lease
- to
- 11/1886
03/1905 09/1900 09/1904 09/1904 09/1900 09/1903 05/1903 09/1903 09/1903 08/1903 08/1903 08/1903
1 RR-0020 1 RR-0021 1 RR-0022 1 RR-0023 1 RR-0024
Real Estate Trust Co. of Philadelphia Trust to
Falls Church Milling Co. Martin, Thomas B. Sowers, Elmer J. Tavenner, David J. Adams, Charles M. Adams, Charles M. Adams, Marietta Baker, Daniel
- Condemnation
- vs.
vs. vs. vs. vs. vs. vs. vs. vs. vs. vs.
XXXXXXXXXXX
Condemnation Condemnation Condemnation Condemnation Condemnation Condemnation Condemnation Condemnation Condemnation Condemnation
1 RR-0025
RR-0026; RR-OS-0021
11 RR-0027 1 RR-0028 1 RR-0029 1 RR-0030 1 RR-0030 1 RR-0030
Baker, Thomas
Washington Southern Railway Co. Washington Southern Railway Co.
Baker, Margaret Allen, Baker
Fairfax Circuit Court Historic Records Center
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Index: Fairfax County Railroad Files, 1866-1927
Washington Southern Railway
- Co.
- Baker, George R.
Baker, Thomas O. Baker, Herbert U. Bayliss, George Brown, Marion G. Clark, Charles
Condemnation Condemnation Condemnation Condemnation Condemnation Condemnation Condemnation vs. vs. vs. vs. vs. vs. vs.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
08/1903 08/1903 08/1903 05/1903 07/1903 05/1903 05/1903 07/1903 07/1903 05/1903 07/1903 07/1903 07/1903 07/1903 07/1903 07/1903
1 RR-0030 1 RR-0030 1 RR-0030 1 RR-0031 1 RR-0032 1 RR-0033 1 RR-0034
RR-OS-0026
1 RR-0035 1 RR-0036 1 RR-0037 1 RR-0038 1 RR-0039
Washington Southern Railway Co. Washington Southern Railway Co. Washington Southern Railway Co. Washington Southern Railway Co. Washington Southern Railway Co. Washington Southern Railway Co. Washington Southern Railway Co. Washington Southern Railway Co. Washington Southern Railway Co. Washington Southern Railway Co. Washington Southern Railway Co. Washington Southern Railway Co. Washington Southern Railway Co. Washington Southern Railway Co. Washington Southern Railway Co.
Clark, Hannah
- vs. Cockrell, Charles B.
- Condemnation
Condemnation Condemnation Condemnation Condemnation Condemnation Condemnation Condemnation Condemnation
Dotson, Sarah Kitson English, Charles Gillingham, F. P. Gillingham, W. T. Goodwin, Rachel Grimesly, Emmeline Grimesly, F. M. vs. vs. vs. vs. vs. vs. vs. vs.
1 RR-0040
RR-0041;
- RR-OS-0027
- 1
- Grimesly, J. P.
- 1 RR-0042
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Index: Fairfax County Railroad Files, 1866-1927
Washington Southern Railway
- Co.
- Grimesly, James W.
- Condemnation
Condemnation Condemnation Condemnation vs. vs. vs. vs.
XXXX
08/1903 07/1903 07/1903 07/1903
1 RR-0043
- RR-0044;
- Washington Southern Railway
Co. Washington Southern Railway Co. Washington Southern Railway Co.
Gunnell, James S. Gunnell, Mary N. Haines, G. J.
- RR-OS-0028
- 1
1 RR-0045 1 RR-0046
Washington Southern Railway
- Co.
- Harrison, Levi
Washington Southern Railway Co.
Condemnation Plat vs. to
XX
12/1903 12/1902
1 RR-0047
- 1 RR-0048
- Webster, J. B.
Series 2: Judgments
Plat
X
- PLAINTIFF
- DEFENDANT
- Record Type
Notice
- DATE
- BOX FOLDER
Alexandria & Fredericksburg Railroad Co. Alexandria & Fredericksburg Railroad Co. Alexandria & Fredericksburg Railroad Co. Alexandria & Fredericksburg Railroad Co. Alexandria & Fredericksburg Railroad Co. Alexandria & Fredericksburg Railroad Co. Alexandria & Fredericksburg Railroad Co. Alexandria & Fredericksburg Railroad Co.
- Spinks, Albert
- RR-0049
RR-0050; RR-OS-0001 RR-0051; RR-OS-0002 vs. vs. vs. vs. vs. vs. vs. vs.
07/1866 08/1866 08/1866 08/1866 08/1866 08/1866 08/1866 08/1866
222
Bayliss, Henry Bayliss, Richard H. Beach, Barbara Davis, William H. Franklin, Nancy Grady, Sarah
Condemnation Condemnation Condemnation
XX
- X
- 2 RR-0052
RR-0053;
Condemnation Commissioners' Report
- RR-OS-0003
- X
- 2
222
RR-0054
Condemnation Condemnation
RR-0055 RR-0056;
- RR-OS-0017
- Henderson, Willis
X
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Index: Fairfax County Railroad Files, 1866-1927
Alexandria & Fredericksburg Railroad Co. Alexandria & Fredericksburg Railroad Co. Alexandria & Fredericksburg Railroad Co. Alexandria & Fredericksburg Railroad Co. Alexandria & Fredericksburg Railroad Co. Alexandria & Fredericksburg Railroad Co. Alexandria & Fredericksburg Railroad Co. Alexandria & Fredericksburg Railroad Co. Alexandria & Fredericksburg Railroad Co. Alexandria & Fredericksburg Railroad Co. Alexandria & Fredericksburg Railroad Co. Alexandria & Fredericksburg Railroad Co. Alexandria & Fredericksburg Railroad Co. Alexandria & Fredericksburg Railroad Co. Alexandria & Fredericksburg Railroad Co. Alexandria & Fredericksburg Railroad Co.
- Hicks, W. Alexander
- Condemnation
Condemnation
RR-0057 RR-0058; RR-OS-0004 RR-0058; RR-OS-0004 vs. vs. vs. vs. vs. vs. vs. vs. vs. vs. vs. vs. vs. vs. vs. vs.
08/1866 08/1866 08/1866 08/1866 08/1866 08/1866 08/1866 08/1866 08/1866 08/1866 08/1866 08/1866 08/1866 08/1866 08/1866 08/1866
222
Kincheloe, John R. Kincheloe, Mary A. Ladd, Harriet
XX
Condemnation Commissioners' Report
2 RR-0059
RR-0060;
- Landstreet, A. C.
- Condemnation
Condemnation Condemnation Condemnation Condemnation Condemnation Condemnation Condemnation Condemnation
RR-OS-0005 RR-0061; RR-OS-0006 RR-0062; RR-OS-0007 RR-0063; RR-OS-0008 RR-0063; RR-OS-0008 RR-0064; RR-OS-0009 RR-0065; RR-OS-0010 RR-0065; RR-OS-0010 RR-0066;
XXXX
2222222222
Lee, Mary E. Mason, William Henry McCarty, W. Thornton, HEIRS McCarty, J. B., trustee Potter, Mildred P. Rogers, Benjamin Rogers, Mary Ann Rogers, Lorenzo, estate Spencer, Russell C. Stuart, Ann L.
XXXXX
RR-OS-0011 RR-0067;
- RR-OS-0016
- Condemnation
Commissioners'
- Report
- 2 RR-0068
RR-0069;
- Troth, P. Hillman
- Condemnation
- RR-OS-0013
- X
- 2
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Index: Fairfax County Railroad Files, 1866-1927
Alexandria & Fredericksburg Railroad Co. Alexandria & Fredericksburg Railroad Co. Alexandria & Fredericksburg Railroad Co. Alexandria & Fredericksburg Railroad Co. Alexandria & Fredericksburg Railroad Co. Alexandria & Fredericksburg Railroad Co. Alexandria & Fredericksburg Railroad Co. Alexandria & Fredericksburg Railroad Co. Alexandria & Fredericksburg Railroad Co. Alexandria & Fredericksburg Railroad Co. Alexandria & Fredericksburg Railroad Co. Alexandria & Fredericksburg Railroad Co. Alexandria & Fredericksburg Railroad Co. Loudoun National Bank of Leesburg Loudoun National Bank of Leesburg
RR-0070; RR-OS-0014 RR-0071;
Weston, Lewis Young, Albert Johnston, C. F. M. Millard, Josiah Riley, George
Condemnation Condemnation Agreement Condemnation Receipt vs. vs. vs. vs. vs.
XX
08/1866 08/1866 12/1866 01/1868 01/1870 10/1870 01/1871 01/1871 01/1871 01/1871 03/1871 03/1871 06/1871 10/1877 10/1877
2
- 2
- RR-OS-0015
2 RR-0072 2 RR-0073 2 RR-0074 2 RR-0075 2 RR-0076 2 RR-0077 2 RR-0078 2 RR-0079 2 RR-0080 2 RR-0081 2 RR-0082 2 RR-0083 2 RR-0083
Order
- Earnest, William
- Order
- vs.
Papers
- Fowle, R. R.
- Condemnation
Condemnation Order vs. vs. vs. vs.
Lee, Mary, HEIRS Gunnell, F. M. Reardon, Elizabeth, alias Betsy
- Reardon
- Condemnation
Condemnation Lists
City of Alexandria Circuit Court City of Alexandria Circuit Court
Washington & Ohio Railroad Co. Lewis McKenzie
Judgment Judgment vs. vs. killed by train; Admr: Anton Schwab; widow: Mary
- Ramey
- Ramey, Ashton, ADMR.
- Richmond & Danville Railroad Co.
- Order
- vs.
- 04/1890
- 2 RR-0084