On this day in 1879, the Western North Carolina Railroad’s Swannanoa Tunnel officially opened, a key step in the construction of the railroad. Before its construction, Western North Carolina was largely isolated, with no good nor easy way to transport goods and people into and out of the mountains.
The need for better transportation became urgent in 1845 when a severe drought devastated crops. With little food available, families relied on pack trains and wagons, but the mountainous terrain made large-scale relief nearly impossible. In response, the state authorized the construction of the Western North Carolina Railroad in 1855 to provide a vital transportation link.
By the start of the Civil War, only 70 miles remained to complete the rail line into Asheville. After the war, the state secured $4 million in bonds to finish the project, but corruption and embezzlement delayed progress. Work did not resume until 1877, and to complete the Swannanoa Tunnel, the General Assembly approved the use of 500 convicts as laborers.
The tunnel’s construction was brutal. Convicts worked under extreme conditions, using hand tools and black powder to carve through the mountain. Many were malnourished and treated as expendable. Over the course of the work, 125 men lost their lives. Though the tunnel was finally cut through in March 1879, the first train did not reach Asheville until October 1880.
The dangers of railroad construction in Western North Carolina did not end with the Swannanoa Tunnel. Just a few years later, on December 30, 1882, tragedy struck at Cowee Tunnel, near Dillsboro, during its construction.
Like the Swannanoa project, the Cowee Tunnel was built using convict labor, primarily African American men. On the morning of December 30, a group of those prisoners was crossing the icy river on their way to begin excavation when the boat they were in capsized. 19 of the men drowned.
Despite the sacrifices and tragedies, the completion of these railroad transformed Western North Carolina. The railroad connected the region to the rest of the country, sparking economic growth. Towns along the route flourished, and Asheville became a key destination for commerce and tourism.
If you’d like to know more, check out our video about the construction of the W.N.C.R.R. helow.
Do you know about the conditions of it post-Helene?
Of the tunnel itself, no, we don’t, although Swannanoa itself was badly hit by Helene.