Halfway between Memphis and Nashville is the historic town of Jackson, Tennessee. Though you may not of heard of Jackson, just about everyone has heard of the town's most famous former resident Casey Jones.
Just in case you haven't heard the tale of his death and the song that transformed him into an American folk hero:
Born John Luther Jones on March 14, 1864, in Missouri, Casey Jones is an American folk hero who was an engineer during the heyday of the American railroad. He is best known for his courage, sacrificing his life by keeping one hand on the brake to slow the train and one hand on the whistle to warn others who might be near the train, as well as for his tenacity in keeping trains on schedule and his famous "whippoorwill whistle." He died in 1900 in Vaughan, Mississippi, when he collided with another train. A ballad written by Wallace Saunders entitled "The Ballad of Casey Jones" made Jones a permanent figure in American folklore. - Biography
Built adjacent to Jones' family home in Jackson is the Casey Jones Village home of the Casey Jones Home & Railroad Museum. The sprawling complex is a wonderful collection of stores, restaurants and museums surrounded by vintage railroad equipment including a old Illinois Central steam locomotive painted to resemble Jones' famous number 382 and other rolling stock. The one item that really stuck out to me was a vintage railroad caboose perched on top of a fifty (or so) foot tower. If that doesn't get your attention going down the highway nothing will.
Okay, to be honest the caboose stunt works because that is what caused me to pull off Interstate 40 and discover the place. Kudos to whoever thought about putting that thing up there.
If you want to see how life was back in the turn of the last century I urge you to visit the perfectly preserved Casey Jones homestead. It honestly looks like the family just left it. It's a real step back in time that you will really enjoy.
If your a railroad geek like me you will really enjoy climbing on the vintage railroad equipment. You can even climb into the cab of old Illinois Central locomotive 382 and pretend that you are driving her down the tracks towards immortality.
Overall this is a really great combination of a museum and shopping complex that is well worth spending an afternoon exploring either by yourself or with your family.
Now I'm going to pass the mic over my good friend Johnny Cash:
From the Casey Jones Village website:
Located next to Casey Jones's historic home, our Railroad Museum contains many exhibits dedicated to Casey's life and famous last ride. Enjoy a short film about the story of Casey Jones, a walk through Casey Jones’ historic home, and pictures with our 35-ton locomotive, our version of Casey’s engine 382. Kids of all ages are welcome to climb aboard and ring the bell just like Casey. Civil War enthusiasts will enjoy our permanent exhibit entitled "The Railroads & The Civil War In Tennessee." We are also proud to have the Jackson Room: a room dedicated to our town's rich railroad history.
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