Bonsal, North Carolina facts for kids
Bonsal is a small community in Wake County, North Carolina. It's not a big city, but it has an interesting history, especially with railroads! Bonsal is located in the southwestern part of Wake County.
Contents
What is Bonsal?
Bonsal is a special kind of community called an "unincorporated community." This means it's not officially a town or city with its own local government. Instead, it's part of a larger area, like the New Hill, North Carolina postal district.
How Bonsal Got Its Name
Long ago, this area was known as Godsey. It was named after the Godsey Farm, which was in the area. In 1905, the community's name changed to Bonsal. It was named after a man named William Roscoe Bonsal. He was important because he helped build the Durham & South Carolina Railroad and was its first president.
For a short time, from 1907 to 1917, Bonsal was officially its own town. This allowed the people living there to make important decisions for their community. However, in 1917, the town stopped being incorporated. The people decided they no longer needed to be a separate town and did not want to pay town taxes.
Bonsal's Railroad History
Bonsal was once a very important spot for railroads. It was a "junction," which means it was a place where two different railroad lines met. These lines were the Durham & South Carolina Railroad and the Seaboard Air Line Railroad.
The Durham & South Carolina Railroad was first known as the New Hope Valley Railroad. The Seaboard Air Line Railroad was originally called the Raleigh and Augusta Air Line Railroad. This made Bonsal a busy place for trains carrying goods and people. However, one of these railroad routes was no longer used by the late 1970s.
Today: A Museum and Tourist Railway
Even though some old railroad lines are gone, Bonsal is still a place where you can learn about trains! Today, Bonsal is home to the North Carolina Railway Museum (NCRM). It is also where the New Hope Valley Railway (NHVRy) operates.
The New Hope Valley Railway
The New Hope Valley Railway is a special "tourist line." This means it's a railroad that takes people on fun rides, often for historical or scenic purposes. The railway owns about 6 miles of track. These tracks run between Bonsal and New Hill, North Carolina.
You can ride the train on the first Sunday of each month from May to November. In December, you can ride on both Saturday and Sunday during the first two weekends. They also have other special train rides throughout the year for different events.
The American Tobacco Trail
Part of the old railway line north of New Hill, North Carolina has been changed into something new. It is now called the American Tobacco Trail. This trail is a popular place for walking, running, and biking.
