TALCOTT, WV (LOOTPRESS) – The legend of John Henry has lived on for generations and a statue dedicated to the “steel drivin’ man” is about to turn 50-years-old.
The statue located at John Henry Historical Park in Talcott was dedicated and erected on December 28, 1972 right in front of the Big Bend tunnel, where John Henry participated in its construction.
The 750-pound bronze statue was created by sculptor Charles O. Cooper and was brought in on a mobile rail crane after it arrived in Hinton.
John Henry was destined to prove that man could indeed beat a machine.
According to the legend, John Henry’s prowess as a steel driver was measured in a race against a steam-powered rock drilling machine, a race that he won only to die in victory with a hammer in hand as his heart gave out from stress.
The construction of the railroad tunnel, which is no longer used, was a product of physical labor such as Henry’s and. The physical labor of men such as John Henry is what built America and its railroads.
Trains still run right past John Henry’s statue and the tunnel he helped build.
The John Henry Historical Park is located at 3262 State Route 3 and 12, Talcott, WV 24981.
