The Dick & Willie Railway, the popular name for the Danville & Western Railway, linked rural counties with the urban worlds of Martinsville and Danville in a new way. At a time when most travel was by horse, mule, or river transport, its powerful steam engines made rail travel a central feature of life shared by mountain and city dwellers. Families rode the train to visit relatives and loved ones, and farmers and businesses used it to move crops and goods to wider markets. The idea of connectivity and economic development remains important as Martinsville and Henry County develop recreational trails that make the area a more active place to live and do business while preserving the history of routes like the Dick & Willie.