Tag: John Henry

Long-awaited West Virginia Park Officially Opens

Crowds gathered to watch the grand opening of a long-awaited West Virginia park.

News outlets report about 100 celebrants gathered Friday to watch the opening of the John Henry Historical Park in Talcott. The park will feature a John Henry statue, an interactive educational kiosk and a picnic shelter.

Rick Moorefield, WVU-Tech Extension Agent and project coordinator, says the idea for the park took form in 1968 as a vision of the Hilldale-Talcott Ruritan Club, whose members wanted to bring economic development to the area.

It wasn’t until 2014 that the Summers County Commission acquired 21 acres for the development of the park, which was earmarked as a $2.4 million project.

The John Henry Historical Park Steering Committee also raised more than $500,000 through grants and community donations. 

January 19, 1894: John Hardy Hanged in Welch

John Hardy was hanged in the McDowell County seat of Welch on January 19, 1894.

The black railroad worker had been convicted of murdering a man in a gambling dispute at present-day Eckman.

Hardy was just one of tens of thousands of African Americans who poured into southern West Virginia in the late 1800s and early 1900s to work in the coal and railroad industries.

Hardy’s hanging probably would have been the end of the story if not for a ballad written about the event. The song circulated by word of mouth, with the details changing over time.

Today, “John Hardy” is considered a standard in folk and bluegrass circles and has been performed by everyone from the Carter Family to Béla Fleck.

The Big Bend Completed: Sept. 12, 1872

The Great Bend Tunnel, also known as the Big Bend, was completed in present-day Summers County on September 12, 1872.

At more than a mile long, it cut off a seven-mile meander of the Greenbrier River and was the longest tunnel on the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway.

About 800 men—many of them African-Americans—worked on the tunnel’s construction. The crew drilled through hard red shale that disintegrated when exposed to air, causing many rockfalls and landslides. Although the exact number of deaths will never be known, many construction workers lost their lives on the project.

Great Bend’s importance to railroad construction is undeniable, but the primary reason we remember the tunnel is a bit more debatable. According to tradition, the tunnel is where John Henry defeated a steam drill, becoming one of the world’s best-known folk heroes. While it’s not known for certain whether John Henry was a real person or whether he achieved his immortality at Great Bend, it’s clear that this heroic story of man over machine resonated with a 19th-century America that was rapidly being transformed by modern technology.

New Talcott Museum Honors John Henry

Talcott, West Virginia, is the home place of folklore hero John Henry. A project is underway to restore one of the town’s oldest buildings to serve as an information hub about the legend.

Dillion’s Superette, a convenience store, was housed in what was a 1890s general store before it closed its doors two years ago. The owners were very active in the community and donated the old building to the John Henry Historical Society for a promise:  to restore the building back to its 20th century look.

And that’s what William Jones is doing. He, along with members of the John Henry Historical Society, have been working on refurbishing the building. This involves exposing the original tin ceiling, finishing the wood floors, and removing siding to show the original.

The building now houses the John Henry museum: a place that tells the story of the legend and helps visitors interpret the tale.

Jones says that the museum and annual summer festival are significant for a variety of reasons.

“It’s good for the local community, it’s good for the economy,” Jones says. “And it is important because John Henry is the most famous African American laborer in history […] it brings everyone together for the history and culture of West Virginia.”

The new museum is part of the development of a 26-acre park dedicated to Henry. The park will house future John Henry Days, a cultural event that attracts thousands to the tiny town.

One of the features of the museum is an archive with interviews from the 1920s and 30s that were part of a study conducted by the University of Kentucky.

Jones says that while they have already spent a few thousand to renovate the building, it will take between $15-17,000 to finish.

But no need to fear… the museum will be open for John Henry Days July 11-14.

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