The legend of John Henry, as told in the well-known and often recorded folk song, has inspired Americans for generations. It is the story of a skillful and powerful African-American laborer who drove spikes into rocks to make holes for the placement of dynamite as his railroad company blasted through mountains in its race westward. When challenged to a contest with a machine that could rob his fellow workers of their livelihoods, he vowed that “A man ain’t nothing but a man. Before I let this steam drill beat me down, Lawd, I'll die with this hammer in my hand.”
John Henry’s deeds have been kept alive through songs, novels, plays, animated films, scholarly articles, and a postage stamp. In the part of Alabama where Shelby , St. Clair and Jefferson Counties converge, John Henry’s story has been kept alive through oral transmission. Many older citizens of the area were told by their grandparents that he resided in the railroad workers’ camp in Dunavant as tunnels were built through Coosa and Oak Mountains.
On September 15, 2007 the Alabama Folklife Association, the Leeds Historical Society and the Leeds Arts Council sponsored a day of programs discussing the long-lasting significance of the man and the legend.
5 photos below are by Steve Grauberger, Alabama Center for Traditional Culture.
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| Ron Dometrovich opened the program with the ballad of John Henry watched by event organizers Joyce Cauthen and Marie Cromer. (Photo by Steve Grauberger) |
Dr. Carl Marbury approached the topic from his background both as a humanities scholar and as one who grew up in the Leeds area hearing of John Henry. (Photo by Steve Grauberger) |
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John Garst, Ph. D. told how his research on the history behind the song “John Henry” led him to conclude that the legendary steel driver was a historic person who died after a contest with a steam drill that took place in the tunnel being built through Oak Mountain in 1887. (Photo by Steve Grauberger) |
Professor Scott Nelson spoke on why the legend of John Henry endures. Nelson, who does not believe that John Henry's contest occurred near Leeds, is here given a certificate of bravery by Marie Cromer. |
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| Leeds merchants prepared a delightful lunch on the town for folks attending "John Henry in Leeds." | Jerry Voyles led a tour to Coosa Mountain tunnel, one of the sites associated with John Henry. (Photo by Joey Brackner) |
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Speakers for "John Henry in Leeds" were:
Marie Cromer is a journalist who has written extensively on the John Henry legend as it pertains to Leeds . (9 a.m.)
John Garst is professor of chemistry, emeritus, at the University of Georgia . In addition to scientific research and publications, he has researched the historical backgrounds of traditional American ballads and Sacred Harp songs and published numerous articles on them. His article “Chasing John Henry in Alabama and Mississippi ” in the Alabama Folklife Association’s journal Tributaries, was the impetus for the City of Leeds to pass a resolution declaring the third weekend in September as time to celebrate the legend of John Henry. (11:15 a.m.)
Carl Marbury grew up in Leeds and received degrees from Alabama A&M (B.S.), Oberlin College (M.A. and B.Div.), Harvard University (Ph.D) and Vanderbilt University (M. Div.). He has taught at numerous universities, including Alabama A& M, where he served as President. He is now an educational consultant, active in many local and statewide educational and historical organizations. (10 a.m.)
Scott Reynolds Nelson is Legum Professor of History at the College of William and Mary. He has written extensively on the civil war and reconstruction and in 2006 he authored the award-winning book, Steel Drivin' Man: John Henry, the Untold Story of an American Legend. .Nelson places John Henry’s contest with the steam drill in Virginia at the Lewis Tunnel of the C & O Railroad. (1:30 p.m.)
Susan Thomas has a M.A. in Communications from the University of South Alabama. She attended the Alabama Community Scholars Institute in 2004 and has done fieldwork on Croatian woodworking traditions in Clarke County and on the John Henry legend in the Leeds area. (2.40 p.m.)
Jerry Voyles directs feature films and television programs for River Oaks Films and Cahaba Pictures. He is currently working on a movie, Steel Driver: The Legend of John Henry. (9 a.m.; 3:30 p.m.)
“John Henry in Leeds ” was sponsored by the Alabama Folklife Association, the Leeds Historical Society and the Leeds Arts Council with support by
The City of Leeds
The Leeds Area Chamber of Commerce
The Leeds Historical Preservation Commission
The Leeds Scenic ByWay Management Team
The Leeds Downtown Committee
New College of the University of Alabama
Alabama State Council on the Arts
Leeds Magazine
It was made possible, in part, with a grant from by the Alabama Humanities Foundation, a state program of the National Endowment for the Humanities