John Henry

John Henry, Reaford Walker, 2016. This mural depicts the American folk hero John Henry. A freed African American, Henry worked as a steel-driver hammering in railroad spikes for new tracks. The most famous tale about Henry contends that he made a bet he could work faster than a steam-powered rock drilling machine. Though the man triumphed over the machine, Henry dropped dead immediately after winning due to the intense effort. Thanks to the work of historian Scott Nelson, we know that the more likely story is that Henry's death and that of many other African American laborers was the result of the convict labor system. Henry and other laborers were required to create holes for explosives in order to create railroad tunnels, and that led to inhaling fragments of rock that filled the air when they blasted tunnels.

One proposed site for this apocryphal tale is Big Bend tunnel in West Virginia. Stories about Henry have inspired a number of folk, blues, and country ballads, some of which date back at least a century. Walker, who owns a sign-making company, enjoyed completing this commission, as he typically works with digital rather than physical signage.

John Henry, NPR. September 2nd 2002. Accessed February 5th 2021. http://www.npr.org/programs/morning/features/patc/johnhenry/.

Nelson, Scott. Steel drivin' man : John Henry, the untold story of an American legend. New York, NY. Oxford University Press, 2006.

Suntrup, Jack. Walking paths, mural lighting planned for West Side Gallery 64, Charleston Gazette-Mail. August 2nd 2014. Accessed February 5th 2021. https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/walking-paths-mural-lighting-planned-for-west-side-gallery-64/article_bbd43182-ec7d-58d5-88e7-708c6a15057f.html.