2013 marks 150th birthday of railroad legend Casey Jones
(Source: Casey Jones Home & Railroad Museum press release, February 26, 2013)
JACKSON, Tenn. — On the 150th anniversary celebration of American railroad hero Jonathan Luther "Casey" Jones’ birthday, the Casey Jones Home & Railroad Museum is hosting a birthday celebration on March 14, 2013.
Jones, who lived in Jackson with his wife and three children, was a railroad engineer who became an internationally known icon due to his heroic last ride on April 30, 1900, when he saved all the passengers on his train. Jones slowed the Cannonball Express before colliding into a stalled freight train near Vaughan, Miss.
His actions were immortalized in a ballad sung by his friend Wallace Saunders. Today, Casey Jones’ fame is attributed to the traditional song, The Ballad of Casey Jones, recorded by Mississippi John Hurt, Pete Seeger, Furry Lewis and Johnny Cash, among others.
“We are proud to celebrate and honor Casey Jones on his 150th birthday. This will be a special opportunity for railroad buffs, history aficionados and Tennessee folklore fans to gather together and celebrate this heroic Tennessee legend,” said Lawrence Taylor, museum director, Casey Jones Home & Railroad Museum.
Festivities will be held Thursday, March 14, from 9 am to 9 pm with a special kick-off ceremony at 10 am. Museum admission will be free that day with educational activities, refreshments, door prizes, and a presentation of local, regional and state-wide proclamations in honor of Casey Jones. Entertainment will be provided throughout the day by the Jackson Area Plectral Society, a local old-time music preservation club.
Casey Jones Village, a family destination located in Jackson, Tenn., includes the Historic Casey Jones Home & Railroad Museum, Brooks Shaw’s Old Country Store, Providence House, Casey Jones Village Amphitheatre, the Shoppes at Casey Jones Village, Music Highway Crossroads, Casey Jones Mini-Golf, the Wellwood store with the Wildlife in Wood Studio of master woodcarver Dee Moss and the Judge Milton Brown Pullman Railcar. The Shoppes at Casey Jones Village include Music Highway Crossroads, Southern Junction, Art in the Village Gallery, Little Artist Studio and the Church at the Village.
Casey Jones Home & Railroad Museum is located off Interstate 40, exit 80A in Jackson, Tenn., between Memphis and Nashville. Visit www.caseyjones.com for more information.
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
