▁New ▁River ▁Valley , ▁near ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁An sted ▁in ▁F ay ette ▁County , ▁West ▁Virginia . ▁ ▁The ▁last ▁sp ike ▁was ▁driven ▁by ▁C . R . ▁Mason , ▁who ▁had ▁also ▁driven ▁the ▁first ▁sp ike ▁of ▁the ▁Louis a ▁Rail road ▁and ▁had ▁held ▁various ▁positions ▁over ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁the ▁Virginia ▁Central ' s ▁and ▁C & O ' s ▁history . ▁ ▁Hun ting ton ▁was ▁also ▁aware ▁of ▁the ▁potential ▁to ▁ship ▁east bound ▁coal ▁from ▁West ▁Virginia ' s ▁un t apped ▁natural ▁resources ▁with ▁the ▁completion ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁rail road . ▁His ▁agents ▁began ▁acqu iring ▁property ▁in ▁War wick ▁County ▁in ▁eastern ▁Virginia . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 8 8 0 s , ▁he ▁o vers aw ▁the ▁extension ▁of ▁the ▁C & O ' s ▁new ▁Pen ins ula ▁Sub div ision , ▁which ▁extended ▁from ▁the ▁Church ▁Hill ▁T unnel ▁in ▁Richmond ▁sout heast ▁down ▁the ▁pen ins ula ▁through ▁Williams burg ▁to ▁New port ▁News , ▁where ▁the ▁company ▁developed ▁coal ▁pi ers ▁on ▁the ▁har b ors ▁of ▁Ham pton ▁Ro ads ▁and ▁New port ▁News . ▁ ▁The ▁Richmond ▁and ▁Al leg h any ▁Rail road , ▁which ▁ran ▁from ▁Cl if ton ▁For ge ▁to ▁Richmond ▁following ▁the ▁James ▁River ▁and ▁the ▁old ▁James ▁River ▁and ▁K ana wh a ▁Canal , ▁was ▁merged ▁into ▁the ▁Ch es ape ake ▁and ▁Ohio ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 9 . ▁ ▁On ▁this ▁line ,