October 1995

Watauge River Bridge Abutments at Shulls Mills

Here's what's left of one of the abutments of the steel bridge over the Watauga at Shulls Mills. The abutment on the other side is kind of hard to see but maybe you can make it out. We're looking towards the Depot with the large field that held the sawmill and company town behind us. The river is running right to left. Don't know why, but these 2 abutments are in the worst shape of any remaining abutments on the old right-of-way. Don't know if they were made of inferior concrete, but they haven't held up well at all. The black rocks used in all the concrete made by the railroad are crushed tailings from Cranberry Mine, and can be found on the right-of-way all the way from Johnson City to Boone.