Wreck of the Old 97
N 36° 35.728 W 079° 23.566
17S E 643764 N 4051200
Located at the Site of the train Wreck the inspired the popular folk song by the same name
Waymark Code: WMC60
Location: Virginia, United States
Date Posted: 05/08/2006
Views: 48
This historical marker is located in the City of Danville, Virginia at the site where the Southern Railway mail train jumped a trestle in 1903 killing 9-people. The Wreck of the Old 97 inspired the popular folk song by the same name. Today the site of the crash is an overgrown ravine; the historical marker located nearby is the only thing that marks the site of the crash.
The text of the marker reads:
"Here, on September 27, 1903, occurred the railroad wreck that inspired the popular ballard, 'The Wreck of the Old 97.' The southbound mail express train on the Southern Railroad left the tracks on a trestle and plunged into the ravine below. Nine persons were killed and seven injured, one of the worst train wrecks in Virginia."
Marker Number: Q-5B
Marker Title: The Wreck of the Old 97
Marker Location: U.S. Route 58 (Riverside Dr) .1 mile west of Highland Ct.
County or Independent City: City of Danville
Web Site: [Web Link]
Marker Program Sponsor: Virginia Conservation Commission
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