Roadtrippin' with Darla Kay - Casey Jones Village

Casey Jones Village - Jackson, Tennessee

Casey Jones Village -- there's not a whole lot here, but if your kid (or yourself) is really into trains, it's a good place to stop off on your way down I40. I told Benjamin the story of Casey Jones before we left and checked out a book about him from the library. Then I found some various versions of the song, burned them to CD, and we listened to them on the way. The best one is by Johnny Cash; he changes the words around a little, but for the better, I think. I don't like the version where Mrs. Jones is said to have another man when Casey was killed ("Got another papa on the Salt Lake Line"). Janie Jones didn't either; she said in a speech that she did not like that version and said that "devil hasn’t shown up in 58 years". If you sing a verse of the Casey Jones song at the restaurant in Casey Jones Village, they will give you a free piece of pie.

On the night of April 30, 1900, Casey Jones left Memphis bound for Canton, Mississippi. He was filling in for a sick engineer and so the train was running late. Casey took his train, the Cannon Ball Express with engine 382. Casey had never been late so he was running the train as fast as he could. He was making up the time and would have made Canton on time, but when he rounded a curve at Vaughan, Mississippi, there was a train broken down on the track. He told his fireman, Sim Webb, to jump, which he did. Casey was found with one hand on the whistle and one hand on the brake. They carried him up to the station where he died on a baggage cart. He became famous from the song written about him by Wallace Saunders, an engine wiper in the Canton railroad shop.

Casey Jones Links

Illinois Central Magazine's article about the July 24, 1953 gathering in Vaughan, Mississippi to honor the memory of Casey and place a bronze marker on the spot where Casey Jones train wrecked - includes a photo of Janie Jones, Casey's widow, and Sim Webb, Casey's fireman who jumped from the train
Story of Casey Jones - includes photo of Casey leanin' out the window and the long version with a drawing showing the layout of the wreck
Article about Janie Jones
Some interesting stuff about the Casey Jones song

There are so many versions of the Casey Jones song or the Ballad of Casey Jones. This one is mostly the lines from Johnny Cash's version, but I took liberties when I wanted to since that's what everyone else did. The song was actually published by some rascals that never gave any credit to Wallace Saunders who actually wrote it.

Come all you rounders if you wanna hear
The story about a brave engineer.
Casey Jones was the rounder's name
On a big 8 wheeler, boys
He won his fame.

Caller called Casey about half past four.
He kissed his wife at the station door.
He climbed in the cabin with his orders in his hand
And he took his farewell trip to the Promised Land.

Casey Jones
Mounted to the cabin
Casey Jones
Orders in his hand
Casey Jones
Leanin' out the window
Taking a trip to the Promised Land

Through South Memphis Yards on a fly.
Rain been a fallin' and the water was high.
Everybody knew by the engine's moan
That the man at the throttle was Casey Jones

Well Jones said fireman now don't you fret.
Sim Webb said we ain't a givin' up yet.
We're eight hours late with the southbound mail.
We'll be on time or we're leavin' the rails.

[Chorus]

Dead on the rail was a passenger train.
Blood was a boilin' in Casey's brain.
Casey said hey now look out ahead.
Jump, Sim, jump or we'll all be dead!
With a hand on a whistle and a hand on a brake,
North Mississippi was wide awake.
I see, railroad official said,
He's a good engineer to be a laying dead.

[Chorus]