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| Webbville c.1910 |
In 1889 the
Eastern Kentucky Railway extended it's track south just under two miles to Webbville, the final limit of the railway's main
track. Lumber was in great supply in the Webbville area and the Eastern Kentucky Railway needed all the business it could
handle. Various types of businesses came about because of the railroad. Some residents of Webbville opened up their homes
to railway workers, people could buy livestock here, and even rent a mule for a trip to Blaine. What I found interesting being
a man that owned a lumber business built a track made of logs and had a type of steam engine (similar to a locamotive) to
the transporting of the lumber via the log track. There is a picture of it below.
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| Log hauling steam engine, Webville c.1890 |
The financial status of the railway
in the early 1890s was not very favorable according to the 1893 report of the Kentucky Railroad Commission. A very disastrous
flood in the Little Sandy River Valley occurred in the summer of 1899. Much of the line was rendered nearly useless.
In 1909 the company had its first deficit.
This caused the railway to cut it's schedule for the first time during it's history. The railway continued to loose more money
than it made. On March 31, 1919 a suit was brought by the First National Bank of Greenup for a demand note of $2,000. The
company went into bankruptcy. An application of abandonment was filed on June 1, 1926 to the Interstate Commerce Commission
for the entire line.
The people of Grayson, Willard, and Webbville
were very much opposed. They wanted to continue a schedule between Grayson and Webbville. The Interstate Commerce Commission
agreed, however another abandonment could be filed in one year.
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| Last days of E.K. |
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