Episode 19 - The Story of Old Walking Joe

One of the loneliest sounds in the night is a lonesome train whistle.  It can  bring all kinds of images to mind.  

In this episode I share a fun and spooky story I wrote for my granddaughters.  It’s the story of Old Walking Joe.  

 Hop on board and enjoy the trip.

I invite you to share this podcast with others. If you have interesting stories about historical markers you've discovered, or perhaps are in your area, please email me at: americanhistoricalmarkers@gmail.com.

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Safe Travels!

Transcript

Hello Friends,

I’m your host Dave Laton and welcome to Signs of Our Time, Discovering America’s heritage, one sign at a time.

This podcast is designed to provide the story behind the story found on America’s roadside historical signs and markers.  

There are many different types of historical markers scattered across the United States.  But perhaps the most common type is one that you might not think of as a historical marker.  But, tomb stones, or burial stones are historical markers.  They range from a simple stone marker to elaborate works of art.  There are probably, and its only speculation on my part, but there are probably more unmarked gravestones than the type we normally think of.  Again, that’s just speculation on my part.  I think of the countless people that died in the development of our great nation.  I think of those who traveled through wilderness areas to settle the land.  

It was very common for slaves during the period of slavery in our nation to be buried in an unmarked grave or if there was a gravestone, it was usually a simple one with only their first name and the last name of their master.  

I recall during the time I was stationed at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama.  The Air Force wanted to extend the runway but there was an old cemetery in from the Civil War period that was in the pathway of where the runway was going to be.  An archeologist was hired to study the cemetery.  It was discovered that there were several unmarked graves probably belonging to slaves that had been buried there.  The Air Force exhumed all the graves and re-buried the remains with full military honors.

Well, since this is the Halloween season, I thought that it seemed fitting to share a spooky story, completely fictitious, but one that involves an unmarked grave.  I wrote this for my granddaughters that live in Red Bank, Mississippi.

 This is the story of Old Walking Joe.

Most of us don't think too much beyond the noise of a train as it passes in the night.  We might hear but soon dismiss it as another sound in the night. To those living around the small sleepy community of Red Bank, Mississippi, the train’s long lonesome horn and rumbling wheels bring mystery and sadness.  The old-timers remember an event that forever changed their thoughts when they hear the train, especially on deep dark nights.

As the story goes, one moonless night in late spring, long after sunset, an old black man known to the locals as Walking Joe was returning home from helping a neighbor with farm chores.  He decided to take a shortcut that would have him walking alongside the railroad tracks winding their way through the deep woods.  With only a dim kerosene lantern he made his way through the gathering evening mist.  As he walked along the rails, he was careful not to trip on the crossties.  At first, the only sound he could hear was a far-away barking dog.  But things soon changed.  As he continued down the tracks, he heard the distant sound of the train’s longsome whistle coming from behind.  

Joe knew there was still a way to go before he made it to the railroad crossing where he could safely leave the tracks.  He continued walking along the tracks but began to walk faster.  As he carefully watched his steps he didn’t think about the rapidly approaching train.  Suddenly, the train gave out a loud blast on the whistle and Joe realized that the train was close.  He began to run in a desperate attempt to get off the tracks and away from the on-rushing train.  Then, as the tracks began to curve not far from the railroad crossing, Joe tripped and fell.  As he tried to get up, he was struck by the train and killed.  The next day a railway maintenance crew discovered only his tattered body and the shattered lantern.

Later, during the investigation, the train engineer explained that he didn’t see a light or anyone on the tracks, only the distant flashing lights of the railroad crossing.   Joe was buried among the unmarked graves in the Red Bank Cemetery not far from the tracks, and the event was soon forgotten.

Then the stories began, mostly among the those living close to the tracks.  On deep dark moonless nights as the train makes it way, some have reported seeing the light that looks like a swinging lantern moving quickly down the tracks.  Then as the train approaches, the light disappears, and they hear a man’s scream.  Could it be Old Walking Joe?  No one knows.  Maybe it is the distant glow of car headlights.  Maybe it’s the wail of a disturbed nocturnal animal.  Or maybe it’s Old Walking Joe trying vainly to escape the oncoming train.  

If you find yourself in Red Bank Mississippi on a deep dark moonless night, you might look over at the train track to see if you can catch a glimpse of Old Walking Joe and his swinging lantern.

Well friends, there you have it.  A departure from my usual episodes about historical markers.  I hope you enjoyed it.  I invite you to subscribe and continue listening as we bring more episodes about the rich heritage of our great nation.

Please share this podcast with others.  If you have interesting stories about historical signs and markers, email me at: americanhistoricalmarkers@gmail.com.  Maybe your story behind the story will be featured.

I’m your host Dave Laton and thank you for listening, and safe travels!