▁company ▁would ▁extend ▁tracks ▁from ▁West ▁Jefferson ▁to ▁El k ▁Cross ▁Ro ads . ▁The ▁train ▁was ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁" V ir gin ia ▁C ree per " ▁because ▁of ▁its ▁slow ▁but ▁steady ▁as cent ▁of ▁the ▁ste ep ▁gr ades . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁peak ▁of ▁the ▁bo om , ▁Tod d ▁bo asted ▁two ▁do ctors , ▁a ▁dent ist , ▁one ▁bank , ▁seven ▁stores , ▁three ▁mill s ▁and ▁two ▁hot els . ▁The ▁community ▁was ▁incorpor ated ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 5 ▁and ▁had ▁a ▁mayor , ▁council ▁and ▁a ▁town ▁mar shal . ▁Walter ▁Cook , ▁co - found er ▁and ▁operator ▁of ▁the ▁general ▁store ▁for ▁more ▁than ▁ 4 0 ▁years , ▁was ▁the ▁only ▁elected ▁mayor . ▁ ▁The ▁Virginia - Car ol ina ▁rail road ▁came ▁to ▁Tod d ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁vast ▁tract s ▁of ▁standing ▁tim ber ▁in ▁the ▁area . ▁By ▁ 1 9 3 4 , ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁mountains ▁in ▁the ▁valley ▁were ▁stri pped ▁of ▁all ▁trees ▁and ▁the ▁rail road ▁company ▁was ▁losing ▁money ▁running ▁the ▁extra ▁ 1 4 ▁miles ▁of ▁track ▁to ▁Tod d . ▁It ▁was ▁the ▁midst ▁of ▁the ▁Great ▁De pression ▁and ▁the ▁train ▁pulled ▁up ▁its ▁tracks , ▁the ▁Bank ▁of ▁Tod d ▁was ▁liquid ated ▁and ▁the ▁town ' s ▁commerce ▁all ▁but ▁van ished ▁in ▁a ▁few ▁years . ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 0 , ▁a ▁dev ast ating ▁flo od ▁was hed ▁away