Rich in mineral and agricultural resources, Southwestern Virginia drew interest from those seeking to develop its wealth. On March 2, 1849, the Virginia General Assembly funded construction of the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad from Lynchburg, Virginia, to Bristol, Tennessee. In what is now Radford, the railroad built a depot near Lovely Mount and named it Central for its midpoint location between Lynchburg and Bristol. Workers erected several freight buildings, a machine shop, and a large-engine roundhouse on fifteen acres, and the rail line officially opened at Central Depot on June 1, 1854. The region’s geography posed major engineering challenges, including crossing the New River near Central Depot, which was accomplished with Morgan's Bridge in 1855. At seven hundred thirty feet, it was the longest bridge built by the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad, and its route has continued in use since then. After Norfolk and Western began taking over the rail lines in 1881, it launched major improvements and additions throughout the area, including a new curved rail bridge across the New River in 1888 to support growing coal traffic.