Through a series of leases and mergers, the railroad was leased to Richmond & Danville Railroad (1871), working as part of the Pennsylvania Railroad, and in 1893, the North Carolina Railroad was folded into the Southern Railway system. Following the leasing of the railroad to Richmond & Danville, many of the railroad jobs transferred to Richmond and Manchester. With the railroad shops no longer operated there, the citizens of Company Shops decided a new name was needed. In February 1887, a contest was held to decide a name, and one person submitted the name "Burlington" after seeing it on a passing train. An appointed committee for the town selected the name, and the name was officially changed through North Carolina State Legislature.
Through a series of leases and mergers the railroad was leased to Richmond & Danville Railroad (1871) working as part of the Pennsylvania Railroad and in 1893 the North Carolina Railroad was folded into the Southern Railway system Following the leasing of the railroad to Richmond & Danville many of the railroad jobs transferred to Richmond and Manchester With the railroad shops no longer operated there the citizens of Company Shops decided a new name was needed In February 1887 a contest was held to decide a name and one person submitted the name "Burlington" after seeing it on a passing train An appointed committee for the town selected the name and the name was officially changed through North Carolina State Legislature