Wreck of the Old 97.

Saturday was 100th anniversary of the wreck of the Old 97, one of my hometown's few claims to moderate fame. The wreck, while tragic, wasn't exactly catastrophic. The only reason anyone other than local historians even remembers it is because of the song, "The Wreck of the Old 97", which has been recorded over 1,000 times since the 20's.

If the above whetted your appetite for blood-soaked old time folk and country music, The Blue Ridge Institute and Museum has an online exhibit called Deathly Lyrics: Songs of Virginia Tragedies with many articles, photos, lyrics, and audio clips.