1889 Thaxton Train Wreck

On 2 July 1889, a heavy storm turned nearby Wolf Creek into a raging river. The railroad embankment known as Newman's Fill, just north of here, became saturated. About 1:25 am, it collapsed under the weight of Norfolk & Western Passenger Train Number Two, heading east from Roanoke. The train plunged into the washout. Survivors remained stranded for hours, while passengers trapped inside died in a fire that ripped through the wreckage. At least 18 people perished in one of Virginia’s worst railroad accidents. In Cleveland, Tennessee, a monument was erected to honor three young residents killed in the wreck.