Stokesville

The village of Stokesville, established by 1901, became a boomtown after the Chesapeake Western Railway was extended there in 1902. Tram lines into the mountains brought timber to the rail head. Lumber mills, bark tanneries, a stave and heading factory, and other enterprises attracted many workers, and the town’s population reached 1500 by 1905. A passenger depot, post office, hospital, hotels, stores, and a church served the community. Stokesville declined after 1910 as the area’s timber supply dwindled. A flood in 1949 destroyed most of its remaining structures. The town was named for the Stokes family, financial backers of the railroad.

Virginia · United States