John Henry / The lengend?

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lester perry

A while back someone asked about the lengend of John Henry. There were many responces on this topic. it supposidly took place in Alalbama, North Carolina, West Virginia. But no one seemed to know for sure.
My wife and I were taking a short vacation in Hungry Mother state park in South Western Virginia. In our travels around the area we ended up in Hinton WV for some reason. Could be C&O related I don't know, we just ended up there by chance. Any way I found out about Talcott WV. Here are some pics I took there. You can come to your own conclusions
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Can you see a light at the end of the tunnel?
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Also found this at Hinton
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Here's a version of the song:

Well, John Henry was a little baby
Sittin' on his daddy's knee
He pick up a hammer and a little piece of steel,
And cried, "Hammer's gonna be the death of me, Lord, Lord
Hammer's gonna be the death of me"

Now the captain he said to John Henry,
"I'm gonna bring that steam drill 'round
I'm gonna bring that steam drill out on these tracks
I'm gonna knock that steel on down, God, God
Gonna knock that steel on down"

John Henry told his captain,
"Lord, man ain't nothin' but a man
Before I let that steam drill beat me down
I'm gonna die with a hammer in my hand, Lord, Lord
Die with a hammer in my hand"

John Henry driving on the right side
That steam drill driving on the left
Says, "Before I'll let your steam drill beat me down
I'm gonna hammer myself to death, Lord, Lord
I'll hammer my fool self to death"

Well, captain said to John Henry,
"What is that storm I hear?"
John Henry said, "That ain't no storm
Captain, that's just my hammer in the air, Lord, Lord
That's just my hammer in the air"

John Henry said to his shaker
"Shaker, why don't you sing?
'Cause I'm swingin' thirty pounds from my hips on down
Yeah, listen to my cold steel ring, Lord, Lord
Listen to my cold steel ring"

Now John Henry, he hammered in the mountains
His hammer was striking fire
But he worked so hard, he broke his heart
John Henry laid his hammer and died, Lord, Lord
John Henry laid down his hammer and died

Well, now John Henry, he had him a woman
Her name was Polly Ann
She walked down to those tracks, picked up John Henry's hammer
Polly drove steel like a man, Lord, Lord
Polly drove that steel like a man

Well, every Monday morning
When the bluebird he begin to sing
You can hear John Henry from a mile or more
You can hear John Henry's hammer ring, Lord, Lord
You can hear John Henry's hammer ring
say it again!

So you can hear John Henry's hammer ring, Lord, Lord
You can hear John Henry's hammer ring
 
Well, you got me curious so I started digging to see what I could find. Using a combination of topo maps and aerial pictures, I finally figured out that the actual tunnels are just west of Talcott, WV. Did you photograph the east or the west end? As far as the legend goes, it seems there is some controversy as to whether the man even existed. I found lots of articles that supported the legend and others that did not. Regardless, he raced a steam drill, supposedly beat it and then died on the spot. Hope it was worth it. Beautiful pictures and from the topos and aerials, it looks like beautiful country. I'm always up for twisty, curvy roads (my favorite is between Kahului and Hana, Hawaii) and hope to visit this area someday... unlikely but hey, who cares. Thanks for the link. I love exploring and learning about little things like this.
 
I have been there also.

The monument stands on a mountain above the tunnle portal out side of Hinton, a big railroad town on the C&O main line.

The C&O had shops there. It is still a wonderfull place to visit on the Greenbrier River and with Pipestem State Park and Blue Stone Damn near by.

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TrainNut said:
hope to visit this area someday.
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I've been through WV once. Pretty country but between the road construction and the toll booths, I'm not sure how anybody gets anywhere in that state. And Pax, WV is just a creepy creepy place....... (Hums Dueling Banjos from Deliverance)
 
Pax is a very nice place with a great little dinner. That exit takes you to a lake and a reclaimed trout stream that I fish often thanks to the Upper Paint Creek Asc.

Yes, the tolls suck but much is being done to keep the toll road authurity and replace the hacks that get fat from it.

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Gil Finn said:
Pax is a very nice place with a great little dinner.
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Yeah..... We stopped at that little diner/gas station/convenience store about 8:30 at night. Everyone in there just stared at us. We were going to eat there but I just paid for the gas and we left. They freaked us out that badly.
 
West Virginia the state where sisters marry brothers and every lady has only one front tooth. Now as a Pennsylvanian we often associate Fayette County as a past of West Virginia.

However the truth is that West Virginia is one of the best states in the Union. At least they were smart enough to separate from Virginia. The flat truth is that I love West Virginia and to under stand West Virginia you have to get off the four lanes. In addition they have some of the most beautiful women and yes they have all their teeth.

Most of my time was spent fishing and canoeing on the Capon River. One of my favorite sites is Caudy’s Castle. At places there is even an old roadbed of the Winchester and Western Railroad. We use to camp on some land own buy a gentleman by the name of Sonny. Sonny was a strange man but as long as you fed him enough beer he made sure that you had enough firewood. Sonny was always one to sit up late spitting out stories until everyone went to bed.

[FONT=&quot]It was only a few years after we stopped our canoe trips that I found out Sonny was in jail for murder. I never did find out any more details but if you know the area it is as about as remote as you can get.

However in all of my years I have never found any more helpful people than those that live in the Great State of WV.[/FONT]
 
Straycat,
Thanks for postng the lyrics of that song. I also like the classic, "Nine Pound Hamer".

Ralph (self-taught, fat fingered, mandolin player) :)
 
Thoroughbreed said:
I had also researched that awhile back, quite by accident. The tunnels that he worked on (IMO) are in Alabama, as his "former owner" was contracted to the railroad in that area. The explanataion behind this can be found here:
John Henry - The Story - Alabama
Intriguing tale:)
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I went to the site you suggest and heard the same stories about WV. Supposedly a man found a short hammer and drill buried at the tunnel and has it in his possesion somewhere in WV. There are supposed people who's ancestors told them about this story as being in WV and they witnessed it. In fact one of these people supposedly was the man who held the drills for him. But before this gets out of hand it is folklore.
Oh yea Train nut it was the east end.
Les
 
Cannonball said:
Yeah..... We stopped at that little diner/gas station/convenience store about 8:30 at night. Everyone in there just stared at us. We were going to eat there but I just paid for the gas and we left. They freaked us out that badly.
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Was there a snaked eyed kid with a buzz cut and a banjo??

What were you DRESSED like?:mrgreen:
 
Gil Finn said:
Was there a snaked eyed kid with a buzz cut and a banjo?? What were you DRESSED like?:mrgreen:
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No kid with a banjo..... Although I did hear that song in my head.

Yeah, OK.
I probably shouldn't have been wearing the mascara and black leather outfit. Especially with my mohawk being dyed blue that day....... :twisted:

Seriously, we were dressed normal.
Not that much different than them except they were all staring at us like, "We don't like strangers around these parts....*SPIT*"
 
Country folks are all like that, they gawk and talk. Good fishing around there. You sure about the kid & banjo?

Maybe they were just in awe of you...couldn't figure out why a mule skinner was comeing home without a hot rod trailered behind his car.
 
Concidering where you live, I wouldn't be throwing stones at hillbillies:mrgreen:

Maybe they were waiting on you to "show them " something...like green backs.
 
Gil Finn said:
Concidering where you live, I wouldn't be throwing stones at hillbillies:mrgreen:

Maybe they were waiting on you to "show them " something...like green backs.
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I was born and raised in an Iowa cornfield before I moved to Missouri and about as redneck as they come, I got no hate for the Hillbillies. Not unless they're looking at me like, "You shore do got a pretty mouth, boy!" ;)
 
Ralph said:
Straycat,
Thanks for postng the lyrics of that song. I also like the classic, "Nine Pound Hamer".

Ralph (self-taught, fat fingered, mandolin player) :)
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There's several different versions. Folk songs get changed over the years.
Good luck with the mandolin, my husband has one and he needs to practise. :rolleyes:
 
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