1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:06,400 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of iHeartRadio. Hello, 2 00:00:06,680 --> 00:00:10,440 Speaker 1: and welcome to This Day in History Class, a show 3 00:00:10,480 --> 00:00:13,720 Speaker 1: that goes full steam ahead through history, one day at 4 00:00:13,720 --> 00:00:18,680 Speaker 1: a time. I'm Gabeluesier, and today we're talking about a 5 00:00:18,720 --> 00:00:23,319 Speaker 1: man's synonymous with America's age of steam, a speedy and 6 00:00:23,440 --> 00:00:33,280 Speaker 1: courageous train engineer by the name of Casey Jones. The 7 00:00:33,440 --> 00:00:38,920 Speaker 1: day was March fourteenth, eighteen sixty three. American folk hero 8 00:00:39,200 --> 00:00:44,159 Speaker 1: Casey Jones was born in southeastern Missouri. Back then, he 9 00:00:44,280 --> 00:00:47,440 Speaker 1: was known as John Luther Jones, and he didn't stay 10 00:00:47,440 --> 00:00:52,120 Speaker 1: in Missouri very long. His father, schoolteacher, Frank Jones, and 11 00:00:52,200 --> 00:00:55,720 Speaker 1: his mother, Anne Nolan Jones, didn't think their son would 12 00:00:55,720 --> 00:00:59,120 Speaker 1: have many prospects growing up in the backwoods of Missouri, 13 00:00:59,680 --> 00:01:02,400 Speaker 1: who was a little older, They moved the family just 14 00:01:02,480 --> 00:01:07,279 Speaker 1: over the state line into Casey, Kentucky. Around the same time, 15 00:01:07,640 --> 00:01:11,200 Speaker 1: Jones developed a fascination with steam trains and set his 16 00:01:11,280 --> 00:01:15,319 Speaker 1: sights on becoming an engineer. And since every good railroader 17 00:01:15,440 --> 00:01:18,960 Speaker 1: went by a nickname, people started calling him Casey after 18 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:23,560 Speaker 1: his new hometown. In the late eighteen hundreds, the heyday 19 00:01:23,680 --> 00:01:26,440 Speaker 1: of the steam era working on the railroad was an 20 00:01:26,480 --> 00:01:30,800 Speaker 1: exciting and lucrative prospect. In the years following the Civil War, 21 00:01:31,120 --> 00:01:34,160 Speaker 1: freight trains had become a vital part of American commer 22 00:01:34,680 --> 00:01:37,920 Speaker 1: and the rise of passenger trains further fueled the need 23 00:01:38,040 --> 00:01:41,440 Speaker 1: for skilled engineers who could handle the fast speeds and 24 00:01:41,560 --> 00:01:45,520 Speaker 1: even faster schedules. Determined to be a part of the 25 00:01:45,600 --> 00:01:49,880 Speaker 1: new booming industry, Casey Jones moved to Columbus, Kentucky when 26 00:01:49,880 --> 00:01:52,360 Speaker 1: he was just fifteen and took a job as a 27 00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:57,400 Speaker 1: telegrapher for the Mobile and Ohio Railroad. Then in eighteen 28 00:01:57,480 --> 00:02:00,680 Speaker 1: eighty four, he moved to Jackson, Tennessee, where he was 29 00:02:00,680 --> 00:02:04,400 Speaker 1: promoted to the position of flagman, the person who protected 30 00:02:04,400 --> 00:02:07,520 Speaker 1: the train by signaling behind or ahead of it whenever 31 00:02:07,560 --> 00:02:11,320 Speaker 1: it was in danger of collision. Casey lived at a 32 00:02:11,360 --> 00:02:14,000 Speaker 1: boarding house in Jackson, and it was there that he 33 00:02:14,080 --> 00:02:17,000 Speaker 1: met and fell in love with Mary jo Anne Brady, 34 00:02:17,320 --> 00:02:21,160 Speaker 1: the daughter of the proprietor. After a brief courtship, the 35 00:02:21,200 --> 00:02:24,239 Speaker 1: couple got married in eighteen eighty six and moved into 36 00:02:24,280 --> 00:02:27,040 Speaker 1: a home of their own right there in Jackson. They 37 00:02:27,080 --> 00:02:30,600 Speaker 1: would go on to have three children together, two sons 38 00:02:30,680 --> 00:02:34,480 Speaker 1: and a daughter. Casey continued to work at m and 39 00:02:34,520 --> 00:02:37,600 Speaker 1: O until eighteen ninety one, when he was offered his 40 00:02:37,720 --> 00:02:42,600 Speaker 1: dream job as engineer for the Illinois Central Railroad. He 41 00:02:42,680 --> 00:02:45,680 Speaker 1: proved to be a natural at driving trains and quickly 42 00:02:45,720 --> 00:02:49,000 Speaker 1: earned a reputation for staying on schedule, no matter how 43 00:02:49,080 --> 00:02:52,600 Speaker 1: fast he had to go to do it. Casey also 44 00:02:52,720 --> 00:02:56,080 Speaker 1: distinguished himself through his unique use of the train whistle. 45 00:02:56,760 --> 00:03:01,160 Speaker 1: His wife later recalled this peculiar talent, telling reporters quote, 46 00:03:01,480 --> 00:03:04,640 Speaker 1: he established a sort of trademark for himself by his 47 00:03:04,760 --> 00:03:08,320 Speaker 1: inimitable method of blowing a whistle. It was a kind 48 00:03:08,320 --> 00:03:12,280 Speaker 1: of long drawn out note that he created, beginning softly, 49 00:03:12,560 --> 00:03:17,160 Speaker 1: then rising then dying away almost to a whisper. People 50 00:03:17,200 --> 00:03:20,600 Speaker 1: living along the Illinois Central right of Way between Jackson 51 00:03:20,680 --> 00:03:23,639 Speaker 1: and Water Valley would turn over in their beds late 52 00:03:23,680 --> 00:03:27,080 Speaker 1: at night and say, there goes Casey Jones as he 53 00:03:27,240 --> 00:03:32,240 Speaker 1: roared by. The long drawn out note was described by 54 00:03:32,280 --> 00:03:35,120 Speaker 1: the public as a sort of whipper will bird call, 55 00:03:35,480 --> 00:03:47,080 Speaker 1: and it sounded something like this. For the next nine years, 56 00:03:47,240 --> 00:03:50,960 Speaker 1: Casey mostly drove freight trains, but in early nineteen hundred 57 00:03:51,080 --> 00:03:54,440 Speaker 1: he was promoted to passenger trains, a higher paying job 58 00:03:54,560 --> 00:03:58,960 Speaker 1: due to the added responsibility of transporting living people. He 59 00:03:59,040 --> 00:04:02,640 Speaker 1: began serving on the Illinois Central's fastest run, the so 60 00:04:02,760 --> 00:04:08,880 Speaker 1: called Cannonball Express, connecting Memphis, Tennessee, and Canton, Mississippi. For 61 00:04:08,920 --> 00:04:12,880 Speaker 1: the next three months, Casey handled the demanding assignment with ease, 62 00:04:13,240 --> 00:04:17,279 Speaker 1: bringing his train in on schedule every time, but late 63 00:04:17,320 --> 00:04:21,120 Speaker 1: in the evening. On April twenty ninth, nineteen hundred, Casey 64 00:04:21,240 --> 00:04:24,680 Speaker 1: arrived in Memphis to learn that his fellow engineer Sam 65 00:04:24,760 --> 00:04:29,000 Speaker 1: Tate had suddenly fallen ill Casey was asked to take 66 00:04:29,080 --> 00:04:32,800 Speaker 1: Tate's place by pulling engine number three eighty two back 67 00:04:32,839 --> 00:04:36,360 Speaker 1: to Canton. It was a tall order, as Casey had 68 00:04:36,440 --> 00:04:39,520 Speaker 1: just completed a long run from Canton and was supposed 69 00:04:39,560 --> 00:04:42,599 Speaker 1: to go off duty for arrest. But because the train 70 00:04:42,800 --> 00:04:46,359 Speaker 1: was already an hour and fifteen minutes behind schedule, and 71 00:04:46,400 --> 00:04:49,479 Speaker 1: because Casey loved a challenge, he agreed to make the 72 00:04:49,560 --> 00:04:54,280 Speaker 1: run anyway, and so in the early hours of April thirtieth, 73 00:04:54,480 --> 00:04:57,600 Speaker 1: Casey pulled out of the Poplar Street station in Memphis, 74 00:04:57,760 --> 00:05:01,360 Speaker 1: carrying twelve passenger and mail car loaded with more than 75 00:05:01,400 --> 00:05:05,720 Speaker 1: one hundred people. At his side was Simeon T. Webb, 76 00:05:06,000 --> 00:05:09,640 Speaker 1: a railroad fireman whose job was to heave coal into 77 00:05:09,640 --> 00:05:13,560 Speaker 1: the engine's furnace to keep it moving. Webb's role would 78 00:05:13,560 --> 00:05:17,160 Speaker 1: be especially important on that early morning run, as Casey 79 00:05:17,240 --> 00:05:20,400 Speaker 1: was determined to make up for lost time. He kept 80 00:05:20,400 --> 00:05:23,720 Speaker 1: the train running at speeds nearing one hundred miles per hour, 81 00:05:24,240 --> 00:05:27,240 Speaker 1: a feat Casey had handled before and was confident he 82 00:05:27,240 --> 00:05:31,160 Speaker 1: could do again. The run went smoothly at first, and 83 00:05:31,160 --> 00:05:34,400 Speaker 1: by the time they reached Durant, Mississippi, only thirty five 84 00:05:34,520 --> 00:05:38,200 Speaker 1: miles from their destination, they were just about back on schedule. 85 00:05:39,000 --> 00:05:41,520 Speaker 1: But what they didn't know was that just down the 86 00:05:41,600 --> 00:05:44,880 Speaker 1: track in Vaughan, Mississippi, there was a backup of other 87 00:05:45,000 --> 00:05:48,880 Speaker 1: trains blocking the way. An airline had burst in one 88 00:05:48,880 --> 00:05:52,239 Speaker 1: of the engines, stranding a caboose and several other cars 89 00:05:52,360 --> 00:05:55,960 Speaker 1: right in the path of the cannonball. As Casey rounded 90 00:05:56,000 --> 00:05:58,640 Speaker 1: a curve and to Vaughan, Webb cried out that there 91 00:05:58,720 --> 00:06:02,560 Speaker 1: was another train stop just ahead of them. The engineer 92 00:06:02,680 --> 00:06:06,200 Speaker 1: reacted with lightning speed, grabbing the brake lever with one 93 00:06:06,240 --> 00:06:08,800 Speaker 1: hand and pulling the whistle cord with the other in 94 00:06:08,800 --> 00:06:11,880 Speaker 1: in effort to warn those near the train. He then 95 00:06:11,960 --> 00:06:14,839 Speaker 1: turned to Webb and ordered him to jump to safety. 96 00:06:14,920 --> 00:06:19,479 Speaker 1: While there was still time. Casey remained on board, trying 97 00:06:19,520 --> 00:06:22,119 Speaker 1: to the last second to slow the train and save 98 00:06:22,200 --> 00:06:25,960 Speaker 1: his passengers. The cannon ball plowed through the wooden caboose 99 00:06:26,040 --> 00:06:28,000 Speaker 1: and freight cars of the train in front of it, 100 00:06:28,279 --> 00:06:31,880 Speaker 1: but thankfully no one was on board. As for his 101 00:06:31,960 --> 00:06:36,000 Speaker 1: own passengers, all of them survived the collision, as Casey 102 00:06:36,080 --> 00:06:40,000 Speaker 1: had successfully reduced his speed from about seventy five miles 103 00:06:40,040 --> 00:06:44,480 Speaker 1: per hour to thirty five. The engineer himself was the 104 00:06:44,480 --> 00:06:47,719 Speaker 1: only casualty of the crash, and when his body was 105 00:06:47,760 --> 00:06:50,520 Speaker 1: found in the wreckage, it was discovered that his hand 106 00:06:50,800 --> 00:06:55,600 Speaker 1: was still clenched on the brake lever. Casey Jones's heroic 107 00:06:55,680 --> 00:07:00,240 Speaker 1: sacrifice was immortalized in song shortly after his death. The 108 00:07:00,279 --> 00:07:04,320 Speaker 1: man responsible was a fellow railroad worker, an African American 109 00:07:04,440 --> 00:07:08,719 Speaker 1: engine wiper named Wallace Saunders. He wrote the Ballad of 110 00:07:08,800 --> 00:07:12,360 Speaker 1: Casey Jones as a tribute to the fallen engineer, and 111 00:07:12,440 --> 00:07:14,960 Speaker 1: over the next several years it became a kind of 112 00:07:15,040 --> 00:07:18,680 Speaker 1: anthem among other men in the railroad yards. Here's a 113 00:07:18,720 --> 00:07:23,200 Speaker 1: clip from a nineteen nineteen recording by Irving and Jack Kaufman. 114 00:07:26,320 --> 00:07:33,600 Speaker 1: Want here a brave Jenny Kasey Jones was a rounder's name, 115 00:07:33,960 --> 00:07:41,160 Speaker 1: an a nickname Fame, the caller Callana half as bar Kidney, 116 00:07:41,200 --> 00:07:48,800 Speaker 1: and wife Mata Fame dog mounted to the The jaunty 117 00:07:48,880 --> 00:07:52,240 Speaker 1: tune was later adapted by William Layton and became a 118 00:07:52,280 --> 00:07:57,040 Speaker 1: staple of vaudeville performers throughout the early twentieth century. From there, 119 00:07:57,280 --> 00:08:01,120 Speaker 1: it was popularized by various recording artists, helping turn Casey 120 00:08:01,200 --> 00:08:04,360 Speaker 1: Jones into an American folk hero, right up there with 121 00:08:04,440 --> 00:08:09,440 Speaker 1: Johnny Appleseed and John Henry. The Engineer's story was later 122 00:08:09,520 --> 00:08:14,280 Speaker 1: dramatized in plays, radio shows, and TV programs. It even 123 00:08:14,360 --> 00:08:19,600 Speaker 1: inspired two animated Disney characters, Casey Junior, the anthropomorphic steam 124 00:08:19,680 --> 00:08:23,560 Speaker 1: train in Dumbo and The Brave Engineer, a nineteen fifty 125 00:08:23,680 --> 00:08:27,440 Speaker 1: short based on Casey's exploits but with a much happier ending. 126 00:08:28,640 --> 00:08:31,120 Speaker 1: There are also plenty of tributes to Casey in the 127 00:08:31,160 --> 00:08:34,959 Speaker 1: real world. His house in Jackson, Tennessee, has since been 128 00:08:34,960 --> 00:08:38,880 Speaker 1: converted into the Casey Jones Home and Railroad Museum, and 129 00:08:38,960 --> 00:08:42,280 Speaker 1: in nineteen thirty eight, a historic marker was placed in 130 00:08:42,320 --> 00:08:47,000 Speaker 1: his hometown of Casey, Kentucky, with the engineer's widow, son, daughter, 131 00:08:47,320 --> 00:08:51,400 Speaker 1: and two grandchildren. In attendance. The marker is still there 132 00:08:51,440 --> 00:08:56,160 Speaker 1: today and it reads, in part famous for bravery and courage, 133 00:08:56,480 --> 00:08:59,720 Speaker 1: The name of Casey Jones lives deeply set into the 134 00:08:59,760 --> 00:09:03,840 Speaker 1: heart of American people. In both tradition and song. It 135 00:09:03,880 --> 00:09:07,200 Speaker 1: can be truthfully said of him. Greater love hath no 136 00:09:07,400 --> 00:09:10,520 Speaker 1: man than this, that a man lay down his life 137 00:09:10,960 --> 00:09:17,640 Speaker 1: for his friends. I'm Gabe blues Yay, and hopefully you 138 00:09:17,720 --> 00:09:20,640 Speaker 1: now know a little more about history today than you 139 00:09:20,679 --> 00:09:23,680 Speaker 1: did yesterday. If you'd like to keep up with the show, 140 00:09:23,840 --> 00:09:27,200 Speaker 1: you can follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at 141 00:09:27,200 --> 00:09:31,839 Speaker 1: TDI HC Show, and if you have any comments or suggestions, 142 00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:34,320 Speaker 1: feel free to send him my way by writing to 143 00:09:34,400 --> 00:09:39,320 Speaker 1: this Day at iHeartMedia dot com. Thanks to Kasby Bias 144 00:09:39,400 --> 00:09:41,959 Speaker 1: for producing the show, and thanks to you for listening. 145 00:09:42,320 --> 00:09:45,240 Speaker 1: I'll see you back here again tomorrow for another day 146 00:09:45,559 --> 00:09:57,520 Speaker 1: in History class.