ONLEY, Va. - A piece of Accomack County History is being removed. The railway that connected the Eastern Shore to major cities like New York City and Philadelphia is being torn up. Mayor Matt Hart says the tracks played a pivotal role in the growth of small towns on the Eastern Shore and held the economy together.
“Without the railroad being here that would disable the area from being able to grow, so it was instrumental at the time,” Hart said.
The tracks have not been used for the last few years and never will be again. Decades ago the railway was used to transport produce from local farmers as well as seafood from local fishermen. People who experienced railroads on the Eastern Shore, like Don Bowling, say they will miss the memories made on the train.
“When my boys were young we always looked forward to Santa Claus coming through on the train. He would stop here and of course they would come over and he would have a little gift for them and I always looked forward to that,” Bowling said.
Debris now lines the path of where the track used to lie. Eastern Shore Railway Museum President Ellen Johnson says everyone will miss the history of the iconic tracks.
“People always come to the museum and they see the tracks and you can tell them the history of the railroad. What it meant to people on the Eastern Shore and what it still means to people on the Eastern shore, they're very heartbroken that the tracks are gone,” Johnson said.
A piece of history gone, but memories of what the track once was will never be forgotten.
