Chesapeake and Ohio Historical Society Inc

The Sportsman Giving Program - Let's Keep History on Track!

OUR FOCUS

On March 30, 1930, The C&O introduced a new train called The Sportsman. It not only traveled a new route, but carried a new type of car that made it the envy of the railroad world. This was followed a few years later with air-conditioning. The train connected the vacation resorts of the Virginia seashore with the resorts in the mountains of Virginia and West Virginia, and with the playgrounds of the Great Lakes in Michigan.

Now more than 95-years later the 57-year old Chesapeake & Ohio Historical Society is using the motif of The Sportsman to convey that this history of the mighty C&O is still foundational. Without contributors like you who share our vision to preserve and interpret the history of the C&O Railway, we could not continue as we do. Giving generously helps support: The Archives; our Publication Department; the Retail Department; Staff, Business Office, & Member Services; the C&O Railway Heritage Center museum; the many Conferences and Events throughout the year; and our St. Albans Museum.    

CELEBRATING THE RAILROADERS 

THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE CHESAPEAKE AND OHIO RAILWAY

Many people think that a railroad is powerful locomotives pulling fast trains, colorful freight and passenger cars, large and small stations and yards.  But it is the people of the railroad that make it go and keep it rolling.  People such as car inspectors, accountants, sales agents, geologists, track workers, signal maintainers; people that work in public relations and advertising, research and development, information technology, safety, real estate, and industrial development; machinists, mechanics, electricians, carpenters, and yes, locomotive engineers, conductors, and brakemen.

We hope you will join us in this fundraising campaign as we salute and honor all of the men and women of the C&O and their contributions, both large and small that kept the freight trains moving and the passenger trains rolling and made the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway the great railroad it was.

YOUR CONTRIBUTION

Your generous donation will allow the C&O Historical Society to move forward with restoration efforts to preserve and maintain our collection of locomotives, freight and passenger cars, and our facilities at the Heritage Center along with maintaining and enhancing our collection of images and artifacts within our Archives. And if you have not visited the C&O Heritage Center in Clifton Forge, or have not visited for a while, we invite you to come and share the wonderful experience of American Railroading as seen through the history of the Chesapeake and Ohio. 

All contributors to the C&O Historical Society through this portion of The Sportsman Giving Program will receive special certificate of appreciation for this campaign, and a copy of the “The Homestead and the C&O Railway” booklet.   For those contributing $500.00 or more, you will receive a copy of the book, "Gene Huddleston's Chesapeake & Ohio: His Color Photography."