Railroad #28

WELCOME ABOARD

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The West Virginia Railroad Museum collects, conserves, restores, and interprets  the legacy of the railroad in West Virginia. OUR MISSION The purpose of the West Virginia Railroad Museum, Inc. is to be a cultural resource  dedicated to educating visitors and the community about West Virginia's railroad history. This mission will be accomplished through the collection, preservation and interpretation  of significant locomotives, rolling stock, artifacts, photographs and memorabilia directly  related to railroads and railroading in West Virginia. In addition to static exhibits,  select pieces of equipment in the collection are restored and operated throughout the year  to demonstrate steam, gasoline, and diesel technology and provide visitors with a first-hand  experience of our railroad history through the sights, sounds, and sensations of a train ride.  http://www.wvrailmuseum.com/

Railroad #27

About

The Collis P. Huntington Railroad Historical Society (CPH) is one of 160 National Railway Historical Societies in the United States. Founded in 1959 and became a part of the NRHS the same year. Our goals as a chapter are: “Preserve documents and artifacts of railroad history, to promote the use and improvement of the present railroad industry, to acquire and restore rolling stock for display and operations, and to generally encourage public interest in the ongoing story of the North American railroads.”

http://www.newrivertrain.c/about.shtmlom

Railroad History #26

The primary avenues of transportation in Virginia in the 1830s were the rivers and the ocean. The early railroads connected the coast with inland points, and one of these was the Louisa Railroad, chartered in 1836 to run from Taylorsville on the Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac Railroad (RF&P) just south of what is now Doswell, to points in Louisa County. At first the RF&P operated the railroad, but in 1847 the Louisa Railroad acquired its own rolling stock and took over its own affairs. By 1850 the railroad had been extended west to Charlottesville. That year it became the Virginia Central Railroad, and a year later over the protests of the RF&P it built its own line from Taylorsville to Richmond.

The original Blue Ridge Tunnel built by the Blue Ridge Railroad and used by the C&O until its replacement during World War II

West of Charlottesville lay the Blue Ridge Mountains, the crossing of which required a series of tunnels. The Commonwealth of Virginia, always keen to help with internal improvements, undertook construction of that portion of the line as the Blue Ridge Railroad and upon completion leased it to the Virginia Central (which later purchased it). Meanwhile, the Virginia Central leapfrogged its rails ahead to Clifton Forge. In 1853 the Commonwealth chartered the Covington & Ohio Railroad to connect the Virginia Central and the James River & Kanawha Canal at Covington with the Ohio River.

Alex Stanwick

Artist Bio

Hello, my name is Alex Stanwick, I’m from Parkersburg West Virginia, I graduated from Parkersburg South High School and I currently attend Marshall University as a Graphic Design Major! I have always loved to draw and create art, from a very young age I can remember drawing on walls and filling endless pages in my notebooks at school with drawings of cartoon characters and video games. My train for the Tri-State Artisans Express titled “Welcome to the Grid” is based on the 1982 Disney film “Tron,” a science fiction and action movie that starred Jeff Bridges as Kevin Flynn, a computer engineer who is able to transport himself inside a computer and interact with programs and data in human forms. I loved the original movie and its sequel that came out in 2010, “Tron Legacy,” particularly the art style and direction of futuristic and neon inspired cityscapes and bright color to distinguish between characters and factions within the films. The bright neon blue glow set on the deep black base is the most recognizable aspects of the original film. The light-cycles in particular, vehicles that resemble futuristic motorcycles with a similar neon color and glow, were my inspiration for the train design. I would like to thank everyone who was helped me complete this project, Brianna Jarvis (another Artisan Express winner) for helping me design my train and for supporting me, the faculty at the Visual Arts Center for providing myself and the two other Marshall student participants (Brianna Jarvis and Moriah Lockhart) a place to work together, the sponsors who made this whole project possible, and all my friends and family for supporting me.

Tony Wheeler

About The Artist…

Anthony Paris Wheeler is the owner and president of Paris incorporated that operates as Paris Signs, SignMonkey.com and SignsEZ.com. He is a proud father of 9 year old twin boys Oakley and Vance and also happily married to Heather.

Anthony’s Artistic career started in early in life designing and painting signs, He was fortunate to have a curious mind and talent to make almost anything. He credits his talent to his mother, Loretta Wheeler who had a great eye for design.

In 1991 Anthony Started Paris Signs with a “one goal to make anything a client could want”. Today Paris Signs still creatively manufacturing and offering everything. Building anything from small signs to large electric landmarks, both regionally and nationally.

·         Award winning Sign Company with signs published in many publications

·         Patent Holding Inventor - Power deliver system that has changed the way electric signs are installed also meets UL and NEC standards.

·         Freelance writer for Sign of the Times magazine and online at signweb.com

Skills:

                Sign and Design consulting including mechanical design

                Design – multimedia

                Sculptor - subtractive and additive in multiple materials and metals

Railroad History #25

History

Located on the banks of the Ohio River, Highlawn was at one time the most privileged residential area in Huntington.  Many of the city’s early business, civic and social leaders chose the 550-acres of high ground, now known as Highlawn, for their home sites.   Located east of Marshall University, it’s said that the area’s name came from the expansive lawns which once stretched from the Avenues to the water’s edge. It is from the steps of one of those original estates, Pleasant View, that development for the Jewel City began.

In 1870, Delos Emmons purchased the 434-acre Thomas Buffington Plantation and divided the land. Porches and porticos gave birth to a grand Colonial Revival mansion and it was renamed Pleasant View. The estate included nearly twenty acres of farmland where tobacco, vegetable and flower gardens flourished. West of the manor house stood an orchard, a cemetery and stone barns for the horses and cattle. Delos and his wife Mary frequently entertained guests including her brother, railroad magnate Collis Potter Huntington. For more than thirty years, Delos worked from his riverfront home, overseeing the planning of Collis’ new city. This history is reflected in the names of two of the neighborhood’s brick thoroughfares:Emmons and Collis Avenues.

One year after the City was incorporated development of the acreage commenced. Collis P. Huntington and other backers organized the Ensign Wheel and Car Works. Now recognized as the ACF Industries, the busy plant turned out as many as 4,000 cars a year for the Chesapeake & Ohio and other railroad companies. Lumber mills and rail yards followed and affordable housing was constructed nearby to attract a workforce to meet the demands of growing industry. In the fall of 1911, the Highlawn extension was put on the market.

Today, Highlawn reflects this diverse socio-economic background. The neighborhood’s brick streets and tree lined sidewalks are fronted with anarray of architectural styles including Four Square, Bungalow, Colonial Revival, Dutch Colonial, Federal, Tudor, Victorian and even a unique home which boasts a Moroccan influence.

Recognized for it’s friendly people, strong neighborhood leadership and convenient location to educational resources, major employers and entertainment, it’s easy to see why so many call historic Highlawn home.

http://www.highlawnneighbors.org/a/?page_id=476

Sassa Wilkes

Sassa Wilkes is a 34 year old Artist and Art Educator. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Sculpture, a Master of Teaching Degree in Art Education, and is currently teaching Studio Art at Cabell Midland High School. Sassa has a passion for drawing and painting the human form as well as portraiture, and continues to make and show her work while teaching. “We Are All The Same” is her second public art piece; the first is an 18 foot steel sculpture titled “Dancing With Max” that can be found at Harris Riverfront Park.