Thousands of incarcerated people toiled on the Western North Carolina Railroad during the 1870s and 80s as forced laborers. Most of these individuals were Black men and boys, who were convicted under discriminatory legal and judicial systems. These incarcerated workers built the railroad through the Blue Ridge Mountains, which transformed the social and economic landscapes of western North Carolina.
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"Round Knob and Vicinity," a postcard published by T. H. Lindsey in Asheville, N.C., depicting incarcerated workers on the Western North Carolina Railroad, ca. 1885. Photo courtesy of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Incarcerated Labor on the Western North Carolina Railroad by the Numbers
Estimated Total 1875-1891
Known Toll 1875-1890
Known Attempts 1875-1890
Laying the Tracks
The History of the Western North Carolina Railroad
Life on the Rails
Workers' Living and Working Conditions on the Railroad
People Imprisoned
Remembering the Lives of Incarcerated Workers
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The Story Lives On
Incarcerated Laborers' Legacy Today
The banner for this exhibit, a photograph of incarcerated workers on the Western North Carolina Railroad, ca. 1885, is courtesy of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.