For nearly 150 years, a great iron road has snaked its way through the Franconia community. This railroad was born in the era of the legendary railroad tycoons, and its history weaves a tale of political intrigue in the Reconstruction Era. Started in 1872, this railroad went by many names over the next century including the Alexandria and Fredericksburg Railway, the Washington Southern Railway and the company recalled fondly by many: the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad. Today the railroad is owned by CSX. Whatever its name, this railroad tied the Franconia community together, gave it a lasting identity and a doorstep to the nation. Following the Civil War, railroads around the country were entering a golden age. The world's largest railroad, the Pennsylvania Railroad, had its eye on the South. Its visionary founders, John Thomson and Thomas Scott wanted a way into the South and its markets by any means necessary, and the Alexandria and Fredericksburg Railway offered them just that chance. This hastily built railroad was held together sometimes by only a sheer force of will and a few wood planks. Phineas Barnum, founder of the Ringling Brothers Circus, even exclaimed, "I have been all over the United States, but this is the first railroad I ever saw tied to a tree!" Yet for its humble beginnings, the Alexandria and Fredericksburg Railway would grow over the next century into one of the most important railway corridors on the East Coast. "The Iron Road of Franconia" is a community-focused book that documents the many flag stops that dotted the countryside throughout the county. These stops came and went over the years, but were integral in developing Franconia's economy and future development sites. Some of the stops found were previously unknown to anyone, their foundations forgotten, left to lie in the woods. This book also documents some of the strange yet memorable occurrences on the rails over the years, including wrecks, robberies and explosions!
About the Author: NATHANIEL CAREY LEE is not old enough to have seen all the important Franconia landmarks of days gone by, but he sure knows where they were located. Serving as a member of the Franconia Museum Board of Directors, historian and museum docent, Nathaniel is a great resource when memories get fuzzy. In fact, he has documented their location on a hand-drawn map that blends old and new landmarks in the Franconia community. It has already become an important tool when visitors to the Franconia Museum want to know where something is located. Nathaniel's family has lived here in the Franconia community for three generations, watching the area transform from a farming community to a bedroom suburb of Washington, D.C. He grew up next to Franconia Elementary School, which he attended, along with Mark Twain Middle School and Robert E. Lee High School. Nathaniel now lives next to the railroad described in this book, and loves to listen to the train as it rumbles past in the night.