Yesterday we were pleased to contact the grandchildren
of John Nolan Jr.

Mr. Nolan was an NC&StL
engineer, who was killed at Dutchman's
Curve.

Mr. Nolan's story is featured in our film, "Dutchman's Curve, Nashville's Story", in the section "Irish on the
railroad". Locating his grandchildren
was a major achievement for the project.
NCPS Vice President Terry Coats provided us with the information that enabled us to contact Denise Nolan and her brother Pat.

The Nolans plan to travel to Nashville to attend the marker dedication. We
look forward to meeting them, and hearing
their stories.

The dedication of Metro Marker #128 will take place in Nashville Tennessee on the morning of July 9, 2008 at ten o'clock.

The marker commemorating the worst train wreck in U.S. history now stands on White Bridge Road near the entrance to the Richland Creek Greenway . The dedication is scheduled to take place on the ninetieth anniversary of the rail disaster known as the Train Wreck at Dutchman’s Curve. Juan Gipson, Deacon at Priest Lake Community Baptist Church will offer a prayer of remembrance for the accident victims. Mr. Gipson is also Shoney's Company Marketing and Human Resources Field Manager. Shoney’s Company and the Shoney’s Restaurant in Bellevue helped with the purchase the Dutchman's
Curve marker and they are also providing partial funding for the documentary, “Dutchman’s Curve, Nashville’s Story”.

The documentary will relate Nashville and Tennessee history through events that occurred near the marker site and through the lives and family history of the people affected by the Dutchman's Curve train wreck. The film is still in production.

A reception in the Multi-Purpose room at nearby Mary Queen of Angels will begin promptly at 10:45.

Featured speaker, Nashville attorney, David Ewing will share his knowledge of the rail disaster. Mr. Ewing is a former member of the Metro Historic Commission and is the current president of the prestigious Old Oak Club.

Douglas Bates III whose grandfather Douglas Bates was killed at Dutchman's Curve will also speak . Mr. Bates is a Centerville attorney, his grandfather also practiced law in Centerville.

Excerpts from the upcoming documentary will be shown, including a section that relates Bellevue history and the story of Daniel Timmons a young Bellevue man who died at Dutchman's Curve. Daniel Timmons was the nineteen year old son of farm manager Orres Timmons and his wife Ross.

Denise Nolan of Redondo Beach California and her brother Patrick Nolan of Leesburg Virginia will be present for the dedication ceremony. Their grandfather John Nolan Jr was an NC&StL engineer who died in the train wreck at Dutchman's Curve.

Senator Douglas Henry and City Councilman Jason Holleman plans to attend the dedication and reception. Also in attendance will be family members of victims, witnesses and rescue workers as well as representatives from many of Nashville’s historical societies and museums.

This event is open to the public. The tale of the Dutchman’s Curve Train wreck is a story with national significance. It remains the worst rail disaster in the one hundred and seventy five years of American railroad history. More than one hundred people were killed in the head-on collision.

In 1918 The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Memphis Commercial
Appeal and the Chicago Defender all reported on this disaster.

Schedule of Events

10:00 AM

Prayer of Remebrance at Marker Site
by Deacon Juan Gipson

10:45 AM

Reception at Mary Queen of Angels

Reception at Mary Queen Of Angels

Video Presentation Part 1 Introduction to Dutchman's Curve

Speaker, David Ewing
Video Presentation Part 2 The Railroad Men of Dutchman's Curve

Speaker Douglas Bates III
Video Presentation Part 3 The Passengers of Dutchman's Curve

Closing words, Betsy Thorpe

Lunch will follow the closing words

For more information
email history@dutchmanscurve.com

or call
Betsy Thorpe
(615) 480-4396

http://www.dutchmanscurve.com

Danny Little and Tara Melnik

On Tuesday, June 3rd 2008, I met with
Danny Little, from the Public Works Department
and Tara Melnik of the Metro Historical Commission to select the location for the
Dutchman's Curve Marker.

A flat spot near the entrance to the Richland
Creek Greenway was selected, a white X was
painted on the ground (X marks the spot)
and the marker will be placed there later
this week.

* * * UPDATE * * *

Dutchman's Curve marker

David Ewing

On Monday June 2nd, David Ewing made a Dutchman's Curve presentation to the Nashville Rotary.

I first met David last year when he attended
the Dutchman's Curve 89th anniversary gathering at the old White Bridge. We have talked several times since then
and I now have a better understanding of the story,
due in part to the fact that he has shared his knowledge
and perspective of the events that occurred in Nashville
on July 9, 1918.

David began his power point presentation by defining the phrase "Train Wreck" in contemporary terms as an event that is unbearable to watch, but so compelling one can't look away.
The drama surrounding Anna Nicole Smith was an example he used to illustrate that definition.

He also listed several significant events in American history that occurred on July 9th, concluding with the Grateful Dead's final concert in Candlestick Park on July 9, 1995.

Before David began his narrative of the Dutchman's Curve
Train Wreck, a moment of silence was observed for the unfortunates who lost their lives during the tragedy.
I appreciated the respectful way he told the story and his empathy for the victims of Dutchman's Curve.

I look forward to hearing David speak
again. He has a great sense of history.

On May 17th 2008 I attended the Nashville Chattanooga & St. Louis Preservation Society
reunion in Nashville. The reunion was held at the
Tennessee Central Railroad Museum.

After dinner I showed a ten minute segment
of our documentary "Dutchman's Curve, Nashville's
Story". The segment was created specifically
for the NCPS and focused on the story of the
men who worked for the railroad.

I would say it all went very well, the society
made me an honorary member and they continue to
support the Dutchman's Curve project.

I would like to thank Tom Knowles for his kind words, NCPS Vice President Terry Coats and his
wife Jane for the fine dinner and NCPS President
Dain Shult for his honest critique.

Today in our Dutchman's Curve Project monthly conference I expressed my
concerns about the proposed release date for
our documentary "Dutchman's Curve, Nashville's Story".
The story is still revealing itself and
I do not want to rush finalizing the documentary.
There many aspects of the story we should explore
at a deeper level, and without doing so, the documentary will lack the depth of knowledge it deserves.

All team members supported my proposal that we
stop production temporarily and redirect our focus on researching historic documents and family histories.
We will also spend more time collecting photos
and images revelant for the documentary.

We consulted with our major financial supporters
and they also agreed to the postponement and our
proposed actions.

I am very relieved. I want to do this story justice, and look forward
to learning more about the saddest day in American railroad history.

I want to acknowledge the volunteers working on the Dutchman's Curve Project. This team includes people with diverse and specific talents.

The board of the Bellevue Harpeth Historic Association
keeps track of all the Projects expenditures and donations.
They were very kind to adopt the Dutchman's Curve
Project.The BHHA is influential and established
in the community and their willingness to share their experience
in managing a historic project continues to be helpful.

The webhead for dutchmanscurve.com
keeps the Dutchman's Curve web site fresh and up to date.

The good folks who offered to maintain a You Tube
site for the Dutchman's Curve Project have enabled the
Project to reach a new and global audience.

My friends are a big part of this team, some take care of detail work for
the Project and make sure I get where I need to be,
when I need to be there, and some help with editing
my narrative and selecting photos. Others have located stories related to this project in unlikely places.

I am very fortunate to work with such a good team.
They keep the Project on track. The work they do allows me to devote my "Project" time to research and writing.

I appreciate each and every one of them.

I also want to mention the cyber space team,
those unknown surfers who promote this Project
by linking their
web sites, My Space pages and You Tube videos
to dutchmanscurve.com and The Trailer for Dutchman's
Curve. Thanks to this promotional assistance, interest in the
Project continues to grow.

Trailer for "Dutchman's Curve".
Coming July 2008.

"Dutchman's Curve"......
the sorrowful tale of
the worst accident in
American railroad history,
told by descendents of
witnesses and victims
and by railroad historians.

Two passenger trains on the historic
Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis
Railway collided in a corn field a few
miles west of Nashville Tennessee
on July 9, 1918. Nearly one hundred
passengers and at least thirty
NC& St.L employees lost their
lives at Dutchman's Curve.

Photographs documenting the hours
following the accident,
taken by NC&St.L
photographer Henry Hill Sr. are
featured in this film.

"Dutchman's Curve" includes the
recollections of Elizabeth Jacobs.
She was twelve years old in 1918.
She was awakened on the morning
of July 9th by the loud
bang made by the collision.

The documentary, "Dutchman's Curve, Nashville's Story" will premier in Nashville Tennessee July 9, 2008.

Today was a good day for the Dutchman's Curve Project. Our event at Shoney's was very successful. Money was raised for the project, and meeting the people who came in to share their family stories of the Nashville Chattanooga Railway and of Dutchman's Curve was exciting.

The biggest surprise of the day was learning that a gentleman who eats at Shoney's several times a week is the son of a nurse who was present at Dutchman's Curve.

Carrie Climer (Shoney's Server) and Juan Gipson (Shoney's Field Marketing Manager) with Dutchman's Curve photos and drawing of Bellevue Station.
Juan Gipson, Shoney's Field Marketing Manager, was pleased with the event and is very interested in the story of Dutchman's Curve. Carrie did an amazing job at the merchandise table and sold most of our donated items. With Carrie at the table I was free to listen to the guests who came to Shoney's to share their stories and to show them the trailer of our documentary, "Dutchman's Curve, Nashville's Story." Several DVD's were pre-ordered.

Pictured: Dan Binkley (grandson of James Banks Binkley, Nashville Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway engine mechanic and Dutchman's Curve survivor), Joe Loftis (grandson of Henry Loftis, NC New Shops employee and member of Dutchman's Curve wrecking crew). Steve Johnson, NCPS Vice President Terry L Coats,
and Senator Douglas Henry

NCPS member,Steve Johnson gave me a copy of a story written by E. B. Heineman in 1935 for the magazine "Railroad Stories". The story, titled "America's Greatest Rail Disaster" will be a good secondary source for some of my data. Nashville Chattanooga Preservation Society Vice President Terry L Coats hosted the event with me and I look forward to working with him again soon.

On January 25, the Dutchman's Curve historic
marker was ordered. It will be in place
sometime in May. It is Metro Marker #128.

Last week Cyndea and I created a trailer for
our documentary "Dutchman's Curve". It is
available for viewing on youtube.com.
We are really pleased with it and we
are looking forward
to finishing the movie.