Mountain State Destinations: John Henry and the Great Bend Tunnel
TALCOTT, WV (WVNS) — Many historical locations in West Virginia have stories behind them, but one tunnel in southern West Virginia has a story that echoes with the sound of a hammer.
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The Great Bend Tunnel, also known as the Big Bend Tunnel, is part of the John Henry Historical Park and the tunnel that can be found in the Talcott area of Summers County.
According to WV Explorer and the West Virginia Encyclopedia, construction of the Great Bend Tunnel, started in 1870 and was one of the largest projects that was taken on by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O). Many of the workers who built the tunnel were African-Americans recently freed from enslavement, Irish immigrants, and more.
Rock falls were common so for the tunnel that C&O eventually lined the tunnel with brick, a project which took 10 years and over six million bricks. The tunnel is also the longest tunnel on the C&O Railway at 6,450 feet long, which also makes it one of the longest tunnels in West Virginia.
John Henry Historical Park – Photo Courtesy: Jessica Phillips John Henry Historical Park – Photo Courtesy: Jessica Phillips John Henry Historical Park – Photo Courtesy: Jessica Phillips John Henry Historical Park – Photo Courtesy: Jessica Phillips John Henry Historical Park – Photo Courtesy: Jessica Phillips John Henry Historical Park – Photo Courtesy: Jessica Phillips John Henry Historical Park – Photo Courtesy: Jessica Phillips John Henry Historical Park – Photo Courtesy: Jessica Phillips John Henry Historical Park – Photo Courtesy: Jessica Phillips John Henry Historical Park – Photo Courtesy: Jessica Phillips John Henry Historical Park – Photo Courtesy: Jessica Phillips John Henry Historical Park – Photo Courtesy: Jessica Phillips John Henry Historical Park – Photo Courtesy: Jessica Phillips John Henry Historical Park – Photo Courtesy: Jessica Phillips John Henry Historical Park – Photo Courtesy: Jessica Phillips John Henry Historical Park – Photo Courtesy: Jessica Phillips John Henry Historical Park – Photo Courtesy: Jessica Phillips John Henry Historical Park – Photo Courtesy: Jessica Phillips John Henry Historical Park – Photo Courtesy: Jessica Phillips John Henry Historical Park – Photo Courtesy: Jessica Phillips John Henry Historical Park – Photo Courtesy: Jessica Phillips John Henry Historical Park – Photo Courtesy: Jessica Phillips John Henry Historical Park – Photo Courtesy: Jessica Phillips John Henry Historical Park – Photo Courtesy: Jessica Phillips John Henry Historical Park – Photo Courtesy: Jessica Phillips
However, perhaps the most well-known aspect of the Great Bend Tunnel is its connection to folklore legend John Henry, “The Steel Driving Man”.
Although exact details about John Henry’s life are relatively unknown, it is often agreed that John Henry did work as a steel driver during the construction of the Great Bend Tunnel.
The legend of John Henry was immortalized by “The Ballad of John Henry” which told the tale of John Henry and his battle against the steam drill. The company brought in the steam drill to replace men, as they believed that it would be faster, however John Henry challenged the steam drill to a competition to see which one would finish the job first.
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Many versions of John Henry’s story state that he beat the steam drill before dying from exertion. Some people doubt his existence, but according to the West Virginia Encyclopedia, scholars Guy Johnson and Louis Chappell tried to uncover details about John Henry in the early 20th century. While they reportedly did not fully succeed, they did manage to find that a person like John Henry did beat the steam drill.
John Henry’s legend can be found in many places such as “The Ballad of John Henry”, and other works. While the John Henry’s legend can be found in fiction and might be entertaining, they do not always portray the legend accurately. Work songs, ballads, blues songs, movies, children’s books, and more pass down the story of John Henry.
Workers who lined the tunnel with brick reported that they heard the sound of the hammer or even saw the ghost of John Henry. Other reports claim that once the tunnel was finished, his ghost could be seen and heard in the area.
A statue of John Henry was built and put on the hillside above the tunnel in 1972, and was restored and relocated to the bottom of the hillside near the entrance of the Great Bend Tunnel in 2012.
Despite the fact that exact details about John Henry’s life and his involvement in the Great Bend Tunnel were hard to uncover, the folk tales about him still ring with the determination of a man and how far it can take him.
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