It is with great sorrow I must report Ted Burdette of Elk River Coal and Lumber Co., Cass Scenic Railroad, and Silver Dollar City fame died February 20. Ted also worked at Cass for Mower Lumber Company, the first Doe River Gorge tourist operation, the New York Central shop in Charleston, WV, and was the engineer on the last train on the Graham County Railroad. In addition to his work on the railroad Ted also worked for a Chevrolet dealer as a mechanic and delivered mail on horseback.

Services for Ted will be held in Sevierville, TN Thursday February 22 between 1:00 and 2:00 pm and in Clendenin, WV on Saturday the 24th between 1:00 and 3:00 pm. Burrial will follow at the Burdette family cemetary.

John Bohon

John, thats sad to hear. I know his son Cody pretty well. Ted also worked for the C&O at Cane Fork on Cabin Creek for a time many years ago. I wished i could have met him.



Scott

I have known for two days I was missing a stop in Ted's railroad career. Thanks for setting the record straight.

I wish you could have met him too. Ted was a great guy with a million stories. What he did not know about a shay did not matter. The ordeal of delivering mail on horseback in the cold West Virginia winter was perhaps the most fascinating. How many people still living have done that?

John Bohon

John, Id say not very many still living. A gentleman over in Richwood i know. Is the last surviving timberman from the Cherry River Boom and Lumber Co. He is 88 he hired on at 15 in 1935. Talk about stories he'll tell ya anything ya want to know about Richwood and the surrounding area. Best thing to do if you know about these old timers is record there stories its part of history and once there gone all there stories die with them.


Scott

Sorry to hear of this as well. Back in 1962 I rode Georgia Pacific Shay up the Lilly Fork out of Swandale, WV. Ted was the engineer.

Ed Kaspriske
cp Laurel Run