Historical highway markers

Wreck of the Old 97

Historical highway marker Q-5-b · Danville

Here, on September 27, 1903, occurred the railroad wreck that inspired the popular ballad, "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 history.

Virginia Conservation Commission, 1947

Marker text and location: Virginia Department of Historic Resources, Highway Marker Program, opens in a new tab.

This marker in DHR’s marker database, opens in a new tab