Skiffe's Creek facts for kids
Skiffe's Creek is a small waterway located in James City County and the city of Newport News in southeastern Virginia, United States. It flows into the James River.
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A Look Back: Early History of Skiffe's Creek
In the early 1600s, Skiffe's Creek was an important border. It was next to Martin's Hundred, one of the first settlements in the British Colony of Virginia. In 1634, when Virginia's government (called the House of Burgesses) created eight main areas called "shires," Skiffe's Creek became the border between James City Shire and Warwick Shire. This was ordered by King Charles I.
For over 300 years, the creek continued to be the dividing line between James City County and Warwick County. Warwick County later joined with the city of Newport News in 1958. Today, Skiffe's Creek still marks the boundary between these two parts of Virginia.
Trains and Coal: The Railway Arrives
In 1881, a new train track was built over Skiffe's Creek. This was a wooden bridge, called a trestle. It was part of the new railway line created by Collis Potter Huntington. This railway, the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway, helped bring coal from mines to the large port at Hampton Roads. This port was important because it never froze, allowing ships to come and go all year.
Coal quickly became a major part of the railway's business. Even more than 125 years later, coal is still important for the company that took over, CSX Transportation.
Near Skiffe's Creek, a train station was built in 1881-1882 at a place called Lee Hall. This station became very busy during World War I and World War II. Tens of thousands of soldiers used it to travel to and from Fort Eustis, a military base nearby.
Skiffe's Creek Reservoir: Your Drinking Water
Skiffe's Creek is also part of the Skiffe's Creek Reservoir. This reservoir is a big lake that holds water for the Newport News Waterworks. This system provides drinking water to over 400,000 people! It serves cities like Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson, and parts of York County and James City County.
The idea for this water system came from Collis Potter Huntington. He also helped develop the railway, the coal piers, and a huge shipyard. These projects helped Newport News grow into an important city.
Skiffe's Creek Today
In the early 1900s, a road called U.S. Route 60 was built over Skiffe's Creek. Today, most cars traveling long distances use bigger highways like Interstate 64 or State Route 143. Route 60 is now mostly used by local people traveling between the communities of Grove (in James City County) and Lee Hall (in Newport News). These areas are trying to keep some of their natural, rural feel as they grow.
A small part of the large Naval Weapons Station Yorktown is also located in the area where Skiffe's Creek flows.
In the late 1900s, the old Lee Hall train station was saved from being torn down. It's now a special place for people who love trains and history.
In June 2007, a CSX train carrying coal had an accident at the Skiffe's Creek Trestle. Luckily, no one was hurt.
