A tunnel, a song and a dark secret uncovered
The completion of the Swannanoa Tunnel brought the railroad to western North Carolina and transformed the region. For almost 150 years, the legacy of the project has been one of growth and economic progress. But recent research about its construction has unearthed a tragic lost history. And surprisingly, the key to it all – was hidden in a song.
Featuring:
Jefrey Keith, professor of history and college archivist at Warren Wilson College
Links:
The Bitter Southerner: Somebody Died, Babe: A Musical Cover-Up of Racism, Violence, and Greed
Cover image: Incarcerated laborers circa 1880 working at…
The skinny
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