Near Old Fort in McDowell County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)

Memorial to the Incarcerated Railroad Workers

Photographed by Mark Parker, August 29, 2025

1. Memorial to the Incarcerated Railroad Workers Marker

Inscription.

Memorial to the Incarcerated Railroad Workers. . Memorial to the Incarcerated Railroad Workers Who Built the Mountain Division of the Western North Carolina Railroad. Look around. See the railroad tracks looping up the mountainside? About 3,000 African American men and a few hundred African American women virtually all of them prisoners and former slaves - laid those tracks. Between 1875 and 1879, they also created seven tunnels to get the Mountain Division of the Western NC Railroad to the top of Old Fort Mountain., Some of those laborers had been convicted on false or flimsy evidence or sentenced to terms much longer than their crimes merited. They arrived at nearby Henry Station in crude boxcars, having been shipped like produce from the NC State Penitentiary in Raleigh., With only their muscles and a few hand tools, and the aid of black powder and nitroglycerin (first used in the southeastern US on these tunnels), the laborers performed brutally hard work under severe conditions. They pounded through solid rock, cleared and smoothed the land, and laid 9.4 miles of rails from Henry Station up the eastern continental divide to the mountain top at Ridgecrest., At least 139 of these prisoners , perhaps closer to 300 , died while working on this project. This entire section of track became a graveyard., This plaque, installed in 2021, recognizes and memorializes those convict laborers, their work and sacrifices. Without them, the railroad would not have been built., Incarcerated WNC Railroad Workers from Census Records. Henry Adams . Charley Aikins . Daniel Baird . Edward Banner . Degrand Barber . Alexander Barger . James Barns . Moses Bell Ellen Bell . Sampson Best . Henry Bigger . Corsey Blair . James Bost . Thomas Boyakin . Pinkney Boyd . John Brasswell . Henry Brinson . Daniel Brown . John Brown . Cissiro Bryant . George Bullock . Milton Clark . Joseph Cox . Chester Davis . Frank Day . Simon Devenport . S. Dick . Henry Edwards . David Fitzgerrell . John Folk . George Fox . Gauld Foy . Peter Foy . Charly Gaston . Henry Gilliam . Linsey Green . Webb Gudger . Winslow Gush . Jeff Hamilton . Charley Hansley . John Hargrove . Charles Harper . Anderson Harshow . Israel Hays . Burley Haywood . Tobe High . William Hill . Hampton Holeman . Lorance Hunter . Isaac Hunter . James Hurt . Jessee Johnson . George Johnson . Alexander Johnson . Frank Johnson . Thomas Jones . William Jones . Henry Jones . Benjamin Jones . Noah Kindsey . Henry Knight . John Lamb . Peter Lathan . Jones Lathauo . Archey Leach . Peter Little . Albert Long . Green McCullep . George McEntire . Jones Miller . Isaac Mitchell . Thomas Moore . Lucey Morgan. Israel Morrison . David Odens . Sandy Pagan . Zebulen Parker . George Parson . David Passmore . Anderson Pearch . Cato Peeds . Henry Portner . Arch Ragan . Sam Reid . Susan Reston . Cornelius Rich . Daniel Richardson . Dan Richardson . George Rolen . George Roundtree . Norton Roundtree . Ranerd Ruffien . Hardy Sanders . Nedums Sanders . Rollay Sanders . Fred Satterfield . Robert Sawyer . Allen Seras . Frank Sikes . John Simmons . Dan Simmons . Joseph Smith . Charley Smith . Monroe Smith . Moses Smith . Shephard Smith . Peter Smith . Willis Sprewell . Tobe Street . John Suwell . Abern Taft . Arther Timmons . Hampton Tompson . John Tompson . Nash Trollenger . Armsted Troutman . James Vick . William Walker . John Walker . Alfon Wallace . James Warren . Abe Watt . Felix Whitson . Henry Williams . Willis Williams . Thomas Williams . Lee Williams . Jessie Williams . George Willis . Robert Willis . Pink Wilson . William Woodley . West Word . Levi Yokely, Many of these persons were state prisoners who were forced to work on this railroad..

Memorial to the Incarcerated Railroad Workers Who Built the Mountain Division of the Western North Carolina Railroad
Look around. See the railroad tracks looping up the mountainside? About 3,000 African American men and a few hundred African American women virtually all of them prisoners and former slaves - laid those tracks. Between 1875 and 1879, they also created seven tunnels to get the Mountain Division of the Western NC Railroad to the top of Old Fort Mountain.

Some of those laborers had been convicted on false or flimsy evidence or sentenced to terms much longer than their crimes merited. They arrived at nearby Henry Station in crude boxcars, having been shipped like produce from the NC State Penitentiary in Raleigh.

With only their muscles and a few hand tools, and the aid of black powder and nitroglycerin (first used in the southeastern US on these tunnels), the laborers performed brutally hard work under severe conditions. They pounded through solid rock, cleared and smoothed the land, and laid 9.4 miles of rails from Henry Station up the eastern continental divide to the mountain top at Ridgecrest.

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least 139 of these prisoners — perhaps closer to 300 — died while working on this project. This entire section of track became a graveyard.

This plaque, installed in 2021, recognizes and memorializes those convict laborers, their work and sacrifices. Without them, the railroad would not have been built.

Incarcerated WNC Railroad Workers from Census Records
Henry Adams • Charley Aikins • Daniel Baird • Edward Banner • Degrand Barber • Alexander Barger • James Barns • Moses Bell Ellen Bell • Sampson Best • Henry Bigger • Corsey Blair • James Bost • Thomas Boyakin • Pinkney Boyd • John Brasswell • Henry Brinson • Daniel Brown • John Brown • Cissiro Bryant • George Bullock • Milton Clark • Joseph Cox • Chester Davis • Frank Day • Simon Devenport • S. Dick • Henry Edwards • David Fitzgerrell • John Folk • George Fox • Gauld Foy • Peter Foy • Charly Gaston • Henry Gilliam • Linsey Green • Webb Gudger • Winslow Gush • Jeff Hamilton • Charley Hansley • John Hargrove • Charles Harper • Anderson Harshow • Israel Hays • Burley Haywood • Tobe High • William Hill • Hampton Holeman • Lorance

Incarcerated WNC Railroad Workers image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Parker, August 29, 2025

2. Incarcerated WNC Railroad Workers

Hunter • Isaac Hunter • James Hurt • Jessee Johnson • George Johnson • Alexander Johnson • Frank Johnson • Thomas Jones • William Jones • Henry Jones • Benjamin Jones • Noah Kindsey • Henry Knight • John Lamb • Peter Lathan • Jones Lathauo • Archey Leach • Peter Little • Albert Long • Green McCullep • George McEntire • Jones Miller • Isaac Mitchell • Thomas Moore • Lucey Morgan• Israel Morrison • David Odens • Sandy Pagan • Zebulen Parker • George Parson • David Passmore • Anderson Pearch • Cato Peeds • Henry Portner • Arch Ragan • Sam Reid • Susan Reston • Cornelius Rich • Daniel Richardson • Dan Richardson • George Rolen • George Roundtree • Norton Roundtree • Ranerd Ruffien • Hardy Sanders • Nedums Sanders • Rollay Sanders • Fred Satterfield • Robert Sawyer • Allen Seras • Frank Sikes • John Simmons • Dan Simmons • Joseph Smith • Charley Smith • Monroe Smith • Moses Smith • Shephard Smith • Peter Smith • Willis Sprewell • Tobe Street • John Suwell • Abern Taft • Arther Timmons • Hampton Tompson • John Tompson • Nash Trollenger • Armsted Troutman • James Vick • William

Part of the WNC Railroad above the marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Parker, August 29, 2025

3. Part of the WNC Railroad above the marker

This section, across Mill Creek Road from the marker is known as "The Loops", which is a winding section of the WNC railroad to ease the railroad up and down a steep section to the east of the Eastern Continental Divide from Ridgecrest to Old Fort. The elevation drops 843 feet in about 6 miles

Walker • John Walker • Alfon Wallace • James Warren • Abe Watt • Felix Whitson • Henry Williams • Willis Williams • Thomas Williams • Lee Williams • Jessie Williams • George Willis • Robert Willis • Pink Wilson • William Woodley • West Word • Levi Yokely

Many of these persons were state prisoners who were forced to work on this railroad.

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° 39.08′ N, 82° 14.485′ W. Marker is near Old Fort, North Carolina, in McDowell County. It is on Mill Creek Road (State Road 1407) 0.4 miles south of Graphite Road, on the right when traveling south. Marker is near the public parking lot for Andrew's Geyser. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2111 Mill Creek Rd, Old Fort NC 28762, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in North Carolina’s Mountains. It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Southern Appalachia.

Wide view of Memorial to the Incarcerated Railroad Workers Marker looking towards Andrew's Geyser image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Parker, August 29, 2025

4. Wide view of Memorial to the Incarcerated Railroad Workers Marker looking towards Andrew's Geyser

Hidden in the woods on the mountain side is a section of the WNC known as "The Loops", which is a winding section of the railroad to ease the railroad up and down a steep section to the east of the Eastern Continental Divide.

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 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 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Andrews Geyser (here, next to this marker); McDowell County (a few steps from this marker); Swannanoa Gap Engagement (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Andrews Geyser (approx. 1.7 miles away); Wind Blowed Cold, Babe: The Swannanoa Stockade (approx. 2.6 miles away); Somebody's Dead: Swannanoa Tunnel (approx. 2.6 miles away); All Day Long: Building the Western North Carolina Railroad (approx. 2.6 miles away); a different marker also named Swannanoa Gap Engagement (approx. 2.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Old Fort.

Another marker is no longer nearby. Swannanoa Gap Engagement (was approx. 2.7 miles away but has been replaced with

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another marker now near it).

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 89 times since then and 35 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on September 12, 2025, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.