The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #4018   Message #545756
Posted By: GUEST,wlb@vaix.net
09-Sep-01 - 02:14 PM
Thread Name: Origins: John Henry
Subject: RE: The origins of John Henry
To those who continue to search for "The Real John Henry" I think I know more about him than what is now published or suspected.

I live in a wood frame farm house (in Virginia) that I think that he built. This was long after his famous race with the steam drill. Though many parts of the puzzle that was his life, remain unknown, what I do know is a glorious extention of the origional folklore. It reflects the true strength of this man and his race. Not only should he be celebrated for his victory in that tunnel the day he beat the steam drill, but his victory over the tyranny to which he was origionally subjected.

Please contact me by email if any of you want to know more about this truly great black man. By the way, he was knowned to be very "light-skinned" this may have lead to the questions about his race by "witnesses" of the origional events.

wlb