Christiansburg, Virginia | Historical Society of Western Virginia

A father and his son watch a coal extra charging Westbound out of Montgomery Tunnel. - On December 14, 1955, Winston Link asked C. E. "Jack" Hash of the N&W's Advertising Department if he and his young son, Dan, would like to be in one of his photographs. Hash accepted and this image of "father and son" has become one of Link's most popular. He has added two figures to the scene, both to establish the space and give personality, as two generations of humanity are awestruck by the thunderous power of Class Y5 locomotive 2110 roaring out to the tunnel and pushing upgrade, westbound.

OWL2003.10.02

Record Type: Photo

A father and son watch a heavy Freight Extra at Montgomery Tunnel. - A father and son watch a heavy Freight Extra at Montgomery Tunnel. This photograph, which Winston Link liked and used in his book, Steam, Steel & Stars, demonstrates one of the problems of his first flash power supply. There was no way to check to make sure that the various circuits were working. In this case, the bank of flashbulbs which was to have illuminated the middle ground just beyond the figures, failed to fire. As a result, C. E. "Jack" Hash of the N&W's Advertising Department and his son Dan, are almost totally lost in darkness as they watch Class A locomotive 1241 move out of the west portal of Montgomery Tunnel near Christiansburg, Virginia., about 27 miles west of Roanoke. For foreground lighting only the flashbulb in the child's lantern, carefully masked to reduce its power, has worked correctly and saved this part of the image from being totally black. Such flash failure occurred often enough for Link to build a new power supply shortly thereafter. 12/14/55.

OWL2003.09.04

Record Type: Photo

An Aerial View of Elliston, Virginia - A black and white aerial photograph of Elliston, Virginia, the place name of a community between Salem, Virginia, and Christiansburg, Virginia, lying along Route 460. It has a population of less than 1,000 people. Its most notable former inhabitant was the illustrator and artist, Walter Biggs, who was born there in 1886, studied in New York, and spent his later years in Salem, Virginia. In earlier times the stage coach traveling between Salem and Christiansburg would stop at the big spring located at Elliston to provide water for the team of horses and the passengers. This was documented in a work by Pennsylvania artist and sometimes Christiansburg resident, Lewis Miller. In more recent times a portion of Route 460 known as the "Elliston Straightaway", a lengthy and stright strip of rural flat divided highway, has provided a speedway for local youths in their souped up cars.

1990.69.1177

Record Type: Photo

A train of empty coal hopper cars, westbound west of Montgomery Tunnel. - Montgomery Tunnel was a favorite spot for Winston Link. There was a heavy grade in the westward direction, so trains exiting from the west portal of the tunnel were working hard.

OWL2002.07.43

Record Type: Photo

Biography of James Power Smith - 1896

The first two pages of this three-page series are a draft of the third page. James Power Smith was born July 4, 1837, at New Athens, Ohio. His father, the Reverend Joseph Smith, was president of a college in that city. His mother, Eliza Bell. was from Winchester, Virginia. He graduated in 1856 from Jefferson College in Pennsylvania, and was also graduated from Union Theological Seminary in Prince Edward County, Virginia. In May 1861, he enlist...

Record Type: Archive

Cash Book/Day Book - February to December 1844

A day book from an unknown writer in Lafayette, Montgomery County, 1844. Includes a cash book recording cash on hand and cash for others; a day book recording purchases of various people; two acrostic poems; letter records; and various mathematical calculations.

Record Type: Archive