East Tennessee State University
Archives of Appalachia
Box 70295
Johnson City, Tennessee 37614
E-mail: archives@etsu.edu
Telephone: (423) 439-4338
INTRODUCTION
Title: CARL B. KNIGHT PAPERS
Collection Number: Accession No. 209
Physical Description: 2.5 linear feet, 4 Hollinger boxes
Creator: Carl B. Knight
Repository: Archives of Appalachia, East Tennessee State University
ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
Provenance: The Carl B. Knight Papers were donated to the Archives of Appalachia by Carl B. Knight on April 23, 1984. The documents had been stored previously in a Richmond, Virginia lawyer's office.
Access: The papers are open for research.
Processing Information: Scott Schwartz, Alice Cunningham, and Becky Tuthill completed processing and the records were opened to researchers March 20, 1990.
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
Carl B. Knight (1903-1986) prior to his death February 16, 1986 had been the principle editor and publisher of the Big Stone Gap Post Newspaper, Big Stone Gap, Virginia, and a member of the Board of Directors for the Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway. He was a 1922 graduate of the Old Big Stone Gap High School, Big Stone Gap, Virginia; the founder and editor of Wise County's first high school newspaper; and an alumnus of Washington and Lee University and president of the Appalachian Washington and Lee Alumni chapter.
Carl B. Knight's career encompassed a wide range of activities that included serving as president for the Wise Printing Company, United States Truck Leasing Corporation of Miami, and the Virginia Press Association; vice-president of the Virginia State Printers Association; and director of the Interstate Railroad Company, a subsidiary of the Southern Railway System, the Virginia Travel Council, and the American and Overseas Corporation of Panama. Knight was also a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Air Force and is listed in Marquis' Who's Who in the South and Southwest and Who's Who in International Commerce and Industry.
In addition to his business activities, Carl Knight was an active member of the Christ Episcopal Church of Big Stone Gap, Virginia. Knight was married to Ruth Hamilton Sevier and had three children: Gilbert Sevier Knight, Carole Knight Groce, and Katherine Sherrill Knight.
SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE
The Carl B. Knight Papers contain correspondence, newspaper clippings, reports, and periodicals documenting both Carl Knight's activities as a member of the board of directors of the Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway and the general administrative operation of the CC&O Railway between 1972 and 1983. A large portion of the correspondence describes the sale of the CC&O Railway Company to the CSX Corporation in 1983. The remaining correspondence gives many details regarding the lawsuits between CC&O and Stanley Hershfang, and CC&O Railway and Holston Land Company. The newspaper clippings include numerous feature stories on the sale of the CC&O Railway to CSX. The stockholder reports of the CC&O Railway Company and the annual reports of the CC&O Railway and the Seaboard Coast Line Industries document the general financial operation of both companies.
Organization: The collection is divided into two series: Series I, correspondence and newspaper clippings, 1972-1983; and Series II, reports and periodicals, 1976-1983. Series I contains papers that document the general administrative operation of Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway; the sale of the CC&O Railway Company to CSX; and lawsuits between CC&O and Stanley Hershfang and CC&O and the Holston Land Company. Series II contains stockholder reports for the Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway and annual reports for the CC&O Railway and the Seaboard Coast Line Industries. A subject index to the papers follows the Box and Folder list.
Important subjects covered in the collection include:
Big Stone Gap (Va.)
Cadenasso, Eugene P.
Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway
Chappell, R. Harvey (Robert Harvey), 1926-
Coal Gasification
CSX Corporation
Early, Albert D.
Goforth, James A.
Hershfang, Stanley
Holston Land Company
Knight, Carl B. (Carl Bickley), 1903-1986
Knotter, J. Calvin
Norfolk and Western Railway Company
Railroads
Railroads--United States--Mergers
Republic Industrial Life Insurance Company
Rice, W. Thomas (William Thomas), 1912-
Seaboard Coast Line Industries
Stanley Hershfang vs. J. Calvin Knotter, et al
United States. Securities and Exchange Commission
York, Dorothy
York, Robert
SERIES DESCRIPTION
Series I, CORRESPONDENCE AND NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS, 1972-1983, Boxes 1-4.
Series I contains correspondence and newspaper clippings documenting the general financial and administrative operation of the Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway, the business activities of the CC&O Board of Directors, and the sale of the CC&O Railway to CSX between 1972 and 1983. In addition to these activities, the records also describe the law suits between CC&O Railway Company and Stanley Hershfang, and CC&O Railway Company and Holston Land Company. In several instances copies of financial reports, newsclippings, and meeting agenda were included with correspondence when the content of the letters involved those specific reports and newsclippings. The newspaper clippings feature the history of the CC&O Railway and its acquisition by CSX. The records are arranged first alphabetically by content type and then chronologically by the first date of each folder's date span.
Series II, REPORTS AND PERIODICALS, 1976-1983, Box 4.Series II contains stockholders reports of the Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway Company and annual financial reports of both the Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway and the Seaboard Coast Line Industries dating between 1976 and 1983. The periodicals document general management problems and procedures encountered by American railway companies. In addition to these records, there is one folder of miscellaneous pamphlets. The papers are arranged first alphabetically by content type and company name and then chronologically within each content group according to date of publication.
BOX AND FOLDER LIST
Series I, CORRESPONDENCE AND NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS, 1972-1983, Boxes 1-4.
Box 1
1. Correspondence: Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway Financial Reports, 1972-80.
2. Correspondence: Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway and Albert Earley, May 1975-September 1978.
3. Correspondence: Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway - Legal Opinions 1975-82.
4. Correspondence: Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway - Tom Rice, 1975-82.
5. Correspondence/Newsclippings: Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway Feature Stories, 1975-82.
6. Correspondence: Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway 1977-80.
7. Correspondence/Newsclippings: Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway Legal Activities, 1977-80.
8. Correspondence: Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway - Financial Reports, 1978-79.
9. Correspondence: Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway - Deeds and Legal Opinions, 1978-79.Box 2
1. Correspondence: Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway - Board of Directors Minutes, Part I, 1978-79.
2. Correspondence: Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway - Board of Directors Minutes, Part II, 1979-80.
3. Correspondence: Interstate Commerce Commission Finance Docket #29009, 1979.
4. Correspondence/Newsclippings: Gasification Plant at Dungannon, 1979-80.
5. Correspondence: Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway - Annual Reports, 1980-81.
6. Correspondence: Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway - Financial Reports, 1980-82.
7. Correspondence: Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway - Harvey Campbell and Carl B. Knight, 1981.
8. Correspondence: Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway Lease with Seaboard Coast Line Industries, 1981.
9. Correspondence: Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway - Robert and Dorothy York, August 1981.
10. Correspondence: Securities and Exchange Commission and New York Stock Exchange, 1981.
11. Correspondence: Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway - Stockholders Board Meetings, 1981.
12. Correspondence: Transfer of Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway Papers to Archives of Appalachia, 1981.Box 3
1. Correspondence: Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway - Carl B. Knight and Calvin Knotter, 1981-82.
2. Correspondence: Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway - Board of Directors Minutes, 1981-82.
3. Correspondence: Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway Travel Itineraries-Carl B. Knight, 1981-82.
4. Correspondence: James Goforth and Carl B. Knight, 1981-82.
5. Correspondence: Sale of Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway to CSX, 1981-83.
6. Correspondence: Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway Protective Committee and Eugene Cadenasso Suite, 1982.
7. Correspondence: Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway - Board of Directors and Stockholders Meeting Minutes, 1982.
8. Correspondence: Proxy Statements for Exchange between Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway and CSX, 1982.
9. Correspondence: Republic Financial Services, TNC, 1982.
10. Correspondence: Securities and Exchange Commission, 1982.
11. Correspondence: Isabel H. Berham's Testimony before the Interstate Commerce Commission, 1982.
12. Correspondence: Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway - Eugene P. Cadenasso and Carl B. Knight, 1982.
13. Correspondence: Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway - Hershfang Suit, 1982-83.Box 4
1. Correspondence: Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway - Hershfang Suit, 1982-83.
2. Correspondence: Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway - Carl B. Knight and CSX Corporation, 1983.
3. Newspaper Clippings: CSX Stock Offer, 1982.
Series II, REPORTS AND PERIODICALS, 1976-1983, Box 4.
Box 4
4. Memorandum: Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway - Holston Land Company Suit, 1976.
5. Pamphlet: Rikeno Hunting Lodge, ND.
6. Periodical: Family Lines, July-August 1980.
7. Periodical: Trains (clippings), October 1983.
8. Reports: Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway - Annual Report, 1981.
9. Reports: Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway - Stockholder Annual meetings, 1982.
10. Reports: Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway - Stockholders Report, 1982.
11. Reports: Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway - Proxy Vote Counts, 1982.
12. Reports: Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway - List of Stock Shares, ND.
13. Reports: Clinchfield Railroad Company - Annual Report, 1980.
14. Reports: Clinchfield Railroad Company - Condensed Stock Profile, 1981.
15. Reports: Clinchfield Railroad Company - Inspection Trip, September 16, 1981.
16. Reports: Norfolk and Western Railway Company - Track Rights Applications involving properties subject to joint application of Chessie System presented before the Interstate Commerce Commission, 1979.
17. Reports: Republic Industrial Life Insurance Company, 1982.
18. Reports: Seaboard Coast Line Industries, Inc. - Annual Report, 1977.
INDEX TO THE CARL B. KNIGHT PAPERS
Benham, Isabel H.: 3-11.
CSX Corporation: 3-5, 3-8, 4-2, 4-3.
Cadenasso, Eugene: 3-5, 3-6, 3-12.
Chappell, R. Harvey, Jr.: 2-7, 3-13.
Coal Gasification: 2-4.
Early, Albert D.: 1-2.
Goforth, James: 3-4.
Hershfang, Stanley: 3-13, 4-1.
Holston Land Company: 4-4.
Interstate Commerce Commission: 2-3, 3-11, 4-16.
Knotter, J. Calvin: 3-1.
Lawsuits: 3-13, 4-1, 4-4.
Merger, CSX and CC& O Railway: 3-5, 3-8, 4-2, 4-3.
New York Stock Exchange: 2-10.
Norfolk and Western Railway Company: 4-16.
Republic Financial Services: 3-9.
Republic Industrial Life Insurance Company: 4-7.
Rice, W. Thomas: 1-4.
Seaboard Coast Line Industries: 2-8, 4-18.
Securities and Exchange Commission: 2-10, 3-10.
York, Robert and Dorothy: 2-9, 3-5.
MTC 12/00