Norfolk and Petersburg Railroad - William Mahone: Engineering and Building The N & P

William Mahone: Engineering and Building The N & P

In 1853, the new Norfolk and Petersburg Railroad hired as its chief engineer 26-year old William Mahone (1826–1895), of Southampton County, and construction began. A civil engineer and graduate of Virginia Military Institute, he designed and built drawbridges across the busy Eastern and Southern branches of the Elizabeth River near Norfolk. Mahone, who had gained previous experience building plank roads, is credited with the design and implementation of an innovative roadbed through the Great Dismal Swamp near Norfolk, Virginia, employing a corduroy log foundation laid at right angles beneath the surface of the swamp. Still in use today, Mahone's design withstands immense tonnages of coal traffic through the swamp. He is also responsible for engineering and building the famous 52 mile-long tangent track between Suffolk and Petersburg which is also part of a major artery of modern Norfolk Southern rail traffic.

In 1855, Mahone married Otelia Butler (1837–1911). She was the daughter of the late Dr. Robert Butler from Smithfield, Virginia, who had been Treasurer of the State of Virginia. Otelia, who was said to have been a "cultured" lady, and William Mahone settled in Norfolk. A Yellow Fever epidemic swept through Norfolk in 1855 and within several months, killed 2,000 people, nearly a third of the population. However, the Mahones went to stay with his mother in Courtland, about 40 miles away, until the epidemic passed. Construction of the new railroad was delayed for more than a year due to the many deaths and resulting financial hardships to those financing the project. Ever frugal, Mahone was widely credited with staying within a very tight budget while maintaining his high engineering standards, earning considerable public esteem along the line.