Virginia and North Carolina Construction Company

The Virginia and North Carolina Construction Company was formed in February 1888 by a group of businessmen from Roanoke, Va., Martinsville, Va., and Winston-Salem, N.C. Most important among these were Richard Joshua Reynolds, the prominent tobacco grower and wholesaler, and Colonel Francis Henry Fries, whose family controlled large textile interests. Also on the board of directors was Henry Theodore Bahnson, a prominent physician and civic leader from Winston-Salem, N.C. The company was formed to construct a railway line between Winston-Salem, N.C., and Roanoke, Va., for the Roanoke and Southern Railway Company, after an earlier contractor had defaulted on the project. Fries was appointed president of the company, a post he held until he became president of the Roanoke and Southern Railway Company in 1891. In 1890, the company was the subject of a buyout attempt by a consortium headed by General John Gill. The attempt foundered, but did lead to a reorganization of the company's finances.

From the guide to the Virginia and North Carolina Construction Company Record Book (#5030-z), 1888-1896, (Southern Historical Collection)

The Virginia and North Carolina Construction Company was formed in February 1888 by a group of businessmen from Roanoke, Va., Martinsville, Va., and Winston-Salem, N.C., including Richard Joshua Reynolds, a tobacco grower and wholesaler, and Colonel Francis Henry Fries, whose family controlled large textile interests. The board of directors also included Henry Theodore Bahnson, a physician from Winston-Salem, N.C.

The company was formed to construct a railway line between Winston-Salem, N.C., and Roanoke, Va., for the Roanoke and Southern Railway Company, after an earlier contractor had defaulted on the project.

From the description of Virginia and North Carolina Construction Company record book, 1888-1896. WorldCat record id: 45594701