The old Clinchfield Railroad loops and tunnels through the Blue Ridge Mountains before you. Construction of this difficult section began in 1905 when 4,000 workmen, mainly Russian, German and Italian immigrants, began blasting and hammering their way over and through the mountain.
Labor strife led to bloodshed, and cave-ins were common. It is believed that more than 200 men were killed before construction of the Loops was completed in 1908.
The long, shrill whistle of the steam engine signaled many changes for the people who lived in nearby communities. Timber and mining companies used the railroad to haul lumber and minerals out of the area. Industry, with its promise of steady wages, lured many men from the farm and changed forever the lives of mountain families.
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