Party planned in Jackson on March 14 to honor Casey Jones

JACKSON, Tenn. - Festivities are being planned to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the birth of famed railroad engineer Casey Jones in Jackson on March 14.

Lawrence Taylor, director of the Casey Jones Home & Railroad Museum in Jackson, says Jones' 150th birthday presents a special opportunity for railroad buffs and fans of Tennessee folklore to honor him.

Jones, who lived in Jackson, became an internationally known hero after he slowed the Cannonball Express before it collided into a stalled freight train near Vaughan, Miss. His passengers survived but he was killed from the impact. A song titled "The Ballad of Casey Jones" has immortalized him.

The celebration at the museum will include educational activities, a presentation of proclamations in honor of Jones, and entertainment provided by an old-time music preservation club.

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