Near Black Mountain in Buncombe County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)

In Memoriam

Photographed by Mark Parker, August 29, 2025

1. In Memoriam Marker

Inscription. Dedicated to the incarcerated workers who died in the construction of the Mountain Division of the Western North Carolina Railroad between 1875 and 1879. The workers, most of whom were African Americans arrested under unjust Jim Crow laws put in place as an extension of slavery, labored under dangerous, brutal and unhealthy conditions. According to North Carolina penitentiary records, at least 139 perished from disease, accidents in tunnels and other areas, or were shot while trying to escape a living hell. Forensic research in 2022 indicated that some of these victims were probably buried in unmarked graves near this monument.

"No stone in the ground can make up for a life...And yet, we must try to honor those lives and to account for this history as best we can. It is the very act of attempting to remember that becomes the most powerful memorial of all." -Clint Smith

The RAIL Memorial Project, Inc. - 2023
https://therailproject.org

Erected 2023 by The Rail Memorial Project.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Law Enforcement • Railroads & Streetcars. A significant historical year for this entry is 1875.

Location. 35° 37.212′ N,

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82° 16.42′ W. Marker is near Black Mountain, North Carolina, in Buncombe County. It is on Yates Avenue west of Kitazuma Road (North Carolina Road 2700), on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 391 Yates Ave, Black Mountain NC 28711, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Mountains and in Greater Asheville.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the original Cherokee Nation,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Swannanoa Gap (a few steps from this marker); Swannanoa Tunnel (about 800 feet away, measured in a direct line); Swannanoa Gap Engagement (approx.

Wide bore In Memoriam Marker. Small pulloff area on the right image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Parker, August 29, 2025

2. Wide bore In Memoriam Marker. Small pulloff area on the right

0.2 miles away); All Day Long: Building the Western North Carolina Railroad (approx. 0.2 miles away); Somebody's Dead: Swannanoa Tunnel (approx. 0.2 miles away); Wind Blowed Cold, Babe: The Swannanoa Stockade (approx. 0.2 miles away); Billy Graham Statue (approx. ¼ mile away); Stoneman's Raid (approx. 0.3 miles away).

Another marker is no longer nearby. Swannanoa Gap Engagement (was approx. 0.2 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).

More about this marker. Visitors stopping by the monument should exercise caution. A small pulloff area is accessible for viewing the monument, however mountain curves from both directions at the site on Yates Avenue have limited visibility.

Also see . . .
1. Memorial Boulder Unveiled at Ceremony.

The Memorial Ceremony in Ridgecrest, North Carolina, which took place on Sunday, October 22, 2023 was marked by the unveiling of a stone boulder and plaque commemorating the mostly African American incarcerated laborers who toiled, and whom many lost their lives, in order to build the Western North Carolina Railroad between Old Fort and Ridgecrest, up and over
Photographed by Mark Parker, August 29, 2025

3. In Memoriam Marker looking west on Yates Avenue
the Swannanoa Gap. This stretch of railroad track remains, to this day, one of the country’s most marvelous and deadly feats of engineering.

(Submitted on September 12, 2025, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina.)

2. The Workers.

Through the research of the members of RAIL, we have been able to uncover many of the names of the incarcerated African Americans who labored on the construction of the railroad up the Blue Ridge Escarpment.

(Submitted on September 12, 2025, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina.)

Credits. This page was last revised on September 14, 2025. It was originally submitted on September 12, 2025, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. This page has been viewed 80 times since then and 24 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on September 12, 2025, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.