UNCA to Host Talk on the Legend of John Henry

UNC Asheville’s History Department will host a talk on the legend of John Henry at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 18, in UNCA’s Laurel Forum, Karpen Hall. The talk, "Following in the Tracks of John Henry," will be given by Scott Nelson, a history professor at William and Mary College. The event is free and open to the public.

According to legend, an African-American railway worker named John Henry achieved fame by beating a steam drill in a hammer-driving contest. The story was preserved in the ballad "John Henry," one of the most recorded pieces of folk music in America. Nelson will discuss how the story was transmitted, some of the secrets about railroad work that are buried in the story, and how the story became magnified and altered in the present.

For more information, call Sarah Judson, UNCA Assistant Professor of History, at 828/251-6297.

Media Contacts:

• Dr. Sarah Judson, UNCA Assistant Professor of History, 828/251-6297
• Jill Yarnall, UNCA Public Information Assistant Director, 828/251-6526