Casey Jones and The Cannonball
N 32° 48.415 W 090° 02.492
15S E 777019 N 3633759
Vaughan, Mississippi is the site of the fatal train crash the took the life of John Luther "Casey" Jones.
Waymark Code: WM178N
Location: Mississippi, United States
Date Posted: 02/09/2007
Views: 172
NOTE: WAYMARKER "the irb" REPORTS IN THE NOTE BELOW THAT THE TRAIN HAS BEEN MOVED TO GEORGETOWN, MS AND THE DEPOT IS NOW LOCATED 30-MILES NORTH IN THE TOWN OF WEST, MS.(DECEMBER 2009). The photos show this site as it appeared during my visit on November 1, 2004.
Just north of the Vaughan Railroad Depot, in the early morning hours of April 30, 1900, Casey Jones was injured when his southbound "Cannonball" (Engine #382) crashed into a northbound train that has failed to pull completely onto a siding. Casey Jones was brought to the Vaughan Depot and died a short time later while lying on a baggage cart.
The Casey Jones Railroad Museum State Park at Vaughan was designated a State Park on April 27, 1980. The museum began as a project of Massena Jones (no relation to Casey) and featured the damaged bell, which was salvaged from the wreck site. The museum closed in early 2004 and on my visit to the site in November 2004 the depot was falling into disrepair.
The folksong originally sung by Wallace Saunders has preserved the memory of Casey Jones and the Cannonball. For more information on "The Ballad of Casey Jones" visit: (
visit link)