Rise of a Railroad Hero: Black Dick’s Symphonies of Freedom
Rise of a Railroad Hero: Black Dick’s Symphonies of Freedom
Rise of a Railroad Hero: Black Dick’s Symphonies of Freedom (Black Dick Part #2) is a historically-based storytelling (a creative nonfiction & microhistory), of the life and deeds of Richard Smith. Richard was was most likely born near Gettysburg in the late-1830s to mid-1840s. Richard Smith, aka “Black Dick” grew up in a small shack, in a historically Black neighborhood called Judystown, located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. During his lifetime “Black Dick” was considered a “feebleminded giant” who stood near 7 feet tall by the time he became a legendary figure. Today, we would consider him neurodivergent… in other words, Richard was an Autistic Savant. The story of his heroism and his tragic fate was told in many ways across the United States in the late-1800s, but it has not been told for over 150 years, until now…
You can read the original post, which gives some historic information about Richard Smith and the world he lived in here—Black Dick: Astonishing Legend of a Disabled Railroad Hero
Prelude: Black Harrisburg in the Early 19th Century
Harrisburg grew from its earliest days due to its strategic location as a gateway to western expansion, becoming one of the most important inland centers of U.S. transportation and trade. The city was a point of convergence as the state capital, but it was also emerging as a very important transportation center for the entire United States– serviced by no less than four railroads, the Pennsylvania Canal, and shallow boats traversing the Susquehanna River.
Approaching the middle decades of the 19th century, Harrisburg’s streets reverberated with the sounds of life. Those were the days when you heard the call of Perry Hooper, as he pushed his water cart through the streets, hacking clean buckets full for the wash women to scrub rich folk’ Whites clean. Carriages and carts hauled all kinds of goods, with horses’ hooves clacking on cobblestone, and clouds of dust rising behind them on unpaved streets. Men living in the city limits took cows out to pasture, crossing the railroad tracks to get to the fields beyond! This was before coal stoves were used in our houses, and chimney sweeping was big business–the companies that dominated the market were run by Black men and women. Fire companies rarely went without a days work. And when the barbers were lucky, they caught all the good gossip and often heard the whispers of the comings and goings of slave-catchers far in advance of their arrival in town.
Harrisburg was undergoing a transformation, and the communities within the city began their own metamorphosis. The Black community, although still facing immense challenges, was growing in independence. Our population swelled, fueled by escaped and manumitted slaves seeking refuge.
We formed our own households. We built our city’s first Black churches, learned to read from the Bible in Sabbath school. We formed our own mutual aid societies to aid the hungry and care for the sick. We buried our dead in the negro cemetery next to the Wesley African Church. We created our own spaces of strength and resilience, even as suspicions were cast upon us.
Let me not paint a picture that is too idyllic...
The fires that ravaged the city were blamed on our presence, as if we were the catalysts of chaos rather than seekers of justice.
To combat this perceived threat, the Borough Council established a citizen’s patrol and nightwatch, their gaze fixated upon us. Their watchful eyes intensified our sense of vulnerability, we were constantly under scrutiny, our every move monitored. And indeed, many chose to leave, seeking solace elsewhere, away from the piercing gaze of suspicion.
In the midst of this fraught landscape, the air itself seemed to vibrate with tension, a palpable energy that hung over the city like a shroud…
In a humble abode in Judystown, the walls seem to clap to rhythm of iron wheels clicking and clacking against the tracks, and then mingling with the whistles of the engines, form a resonant melody that beckons–calling a humble child to achieve greatness…
Dreaming Symphonies of Freedom
The crackling fire provided a flickering warmth that barely penetrated the chill of the tiny cabin Rosa Smith called home. No matter the discomfort, Rosa found solace in her son’s innocent laughter.
Richard was just a boy, big for his age, but he seemed much younger than his ten years. Even now, Rosa overheard him giggling as at how his brown face was briefly distorted wavy panes of glass. Then suddenly solemn, he pressed his nose against the window that looked over the large expanse of tracks to watch for the approaching engine. Richard loved how the trains seemed to rumble up in his belly, and when the powerful vibrations of the passing engine supplanted all other sound, and the joy would bubble nearly burst his throat before he let it out, and then he would call back, creating an almost supernatural sound. Because he sang back to them in their own language.
It was a bittersweet struggle for Rosa as she watched her son’s love for the locomotives blossom. Fear sometimes clenched at Rosa’s heart, the dangers that lurked on those tracks were ever-present in her mind. The reckless speed, the screeching metal, and the harrowing tales of accidents passed amongst the community sent shivers down her spine.
Rosa’s life had dealt her blows that left her with little but an unyielding determination to provide a better future for her precious child. Yet, she couldn’t deny the spark of joy in Richard’s eyes as he traced the path of each passing train. She longed for him to find safer pursuits, to play ball with other children, or find a trade or a calling that didn’t carry the weight of danger. But as she observed Richard’s unwavering devotion, she couldn’t help but marvel at his spirit. He was all her hope. And there, in the dimly lit room, she would pour every ounce of her soul into her child, unaware of the remarkable path that lay ahead.
As the years unfolded, Rosa witnessed her child’s adoration evolve into something remarkable. Richard’s love for the trains transformed into a profound connection—a friendship that transcended the boundaries of human understanding. He breathed life into those steel giants, attributing them with human qualities, their chugs and whistles becoming a language only he could decipher.
With each passing day, Richard’s understanding of the locomotives deepened. He grew to recognize their unique personalities, distinguishing their voices in the symphony of steam and metal. Rosa watched as her son’s small hands, roughened by the hardships of their life, reached out to pat and caress the massive engines, as if trying to soothe their weary souls.
Another “Autistic Savant”
Thomas ‘Blind Tom’ Wiggins was born in Columbus, Georgia, in 1848, on a slave plantation owned by Wiley Jones. Though Tom was originally designated to be sold off or left for dead for his blindness and presumed uselessness on a slave plantation, Tom’s mother fought to keep him with the rest of his family by arranging to have herself, her husband, Tom, and her two other children sold as a group to a different master, General James Bethune.
Current historians believe that Wiggins was an autistic savant. Savant syndrome is a kind of neurodivergence in which people experience major differences between their abilities and disabilities. For example, someone can be a brilliant violinist and be unable to read, write or do mathematics. Tom showed these traits. While Wiggins’s ability to play and compose music was extraordinary, he was mostly non-speaking and used sounds and body language to communicate with others.
Tom didn’t merely play music and create new music from his environment; he felt music with the entirety of his being. He would move in time with his music, experiencing it as solidly as one would raindrops upon the skin, the sun’s rays on the face, the feeling of the earth giving way under one’s feet during a leisurely walk.
When Tom was 8, he was promoted as something of a circus freak: an otherworldly combination of heaven-sent talent and terrifying disability… He was taken on tour across the country becoming one of the highest paid pianists of his time, earning the modern equivalent of over one million dollars a year. In 1860, Wiggins even performed at the White House for President James Buchanan at the tender age of eleven.
But even after the Civil War the money from Tom’s performances continued to go to the white people who exploited him for his talents.
Gardiner, F. (2018) ‘Blind Tom Wiggins: Black Neurodivergent Excellence’, NOS Magazine, 26 February. Available at: http://nosmag.org/blind-tom-wiggins-black-neurodivergent-excellence/ (Accessed: 8 April 2023).
Though Rosa often worried for Richard’s safety, she couldn’t deny the joy that radiated from him. His face would light up with an infectious smile whenever he embarked on his adventures to the half-round house and machine shop, a sanctuary where he could indulge in the company of his metallic companions. In those moments, Rosa found solace, knowing that her son had found a source of comfort and purpose in a world that had often been harsh and unforgiving.
Little did Rosa know that her child’s innocent fascination would bloom into something extraordinary—a dedication that would earn Richard the title of “Black Dick” That he would become a hero in the eyes of the community, known across the country for his astounding deeds. But for now, in the cocoon of their modest cabin, Rosa’s love enveloped Richard, shielding him from the dangers that lay beyond their doorstep.
Death is the Hollow Space Between Railroad Ties
The weight of the world pressed heavily upon Rosa’s weary shoulders. As her health began to wane, she found herself grappling with a bitter truth that lingered in the back of her mind. Richard, her beloved son, possessed gifts beyond measure, but he also carried the marks of a unique burden. And this burden carried a threat that would seek to extinguish his brilliance.
Gazing at Richard, Rosa noticed the subtle nuances that hinted at his disability. His movements were sometimes unsteady, his coordination never keeping up with his rapidly growing frame. He never learned to read at the Sunday school, and even his thoughts never seemed to come out the same as other people’s.
The world was a cruel place, none who were born colored were safe, and even those who were called “free” weren’t free. The slave catchers were always in the streets. Who would care ’bout one gangly negro child gone missing from Judystown?
A sense of urgency gripped her. Her own mortality loomed like a specter, reminding her of the limited time she had left to ensure Richard’s safety and well-being. The realization that she would soon depart from this world intensified her desire to shield him from harm.
“Richard, baby” Rosa’s voice quivered, her eyes brimming with tears. “You got a bright light shining within you child. You like that lantern coming out the darkness, before the engines round the bend. But the world ain’t goin’ to always see you like I do. You got to stay strong, just like your engines, and pass over them who fixin’ to do you harm. I cain’t stay with you love, and when I’m gone– you stay close to them trains ‘n let them shelter you.”
Rosa cautioned him about the perils of being captured and sold into slavery, she warned him that riding the trains south would lead to a sure trap. She reminded him about the lurking menace of violence, the rowdies that ruled the Harrisburg streets. Outside the relative safety of King Bennett’s domain, the gangs of local White boys and traveling men would seek out his light, and smother his vibrant spirit with their own dark souls.
Rosa poured her heart into every word, fervently praying that her warnings would be etched into Richard’s consciousness, a beacon of guidance to navigate the treacherous path ahead.
As day turned into night, and Rosa’s strength waned further, leaving her with a heavy heart and a mind burdened by worries and unfulfilled hopes. She strengthened her spirit through the songs of her people. When Richard returned home from his long day at the half-roundhouse Rosa told him the stories of her childhood.
With a tenderness that surpassed her weakening body, Rosa sang her hopes for Richard’s future. Only the power of her music drowned out the voices that insisted her dreams would remain unrealized. She sang of the opportunities he might encounter, the paths he could forge if only given a chance. Her voice faltered as she acknowledged the harsh reality that he would go on in the world without her small bit of protection, with all its systemic barriers and prejudices, it might forever deny him the opportunities available to other men.
With her last bit of life, she whispered, “My sweet baby, carry my love with you always. Be brave, let your light shine always. I will watch over you from above, forever guiding your steps.”
And as the tears streamed down Richard’s face, he whispered his own promises into the air, vowing to honor his mother’s legacy, to navigate the treacherous path before him with strength and resilience.
Whistles in the Wind
With his mother gone, Richard drew closer to the only companions he had ever known—the trains. From his earliest memories, the sight and sound of locomotives had captivated his young mind. After Rosa’s death they became his friends, his confidants, and his guardians. Richard spent all of his time at the roundhouse. Pouring as much love into the engines as his mother had given to him.
The world outside his small hut in Harrisburg, once a place of wonder and discovery, had become a labyrinth of danger and uncertainty. The Fugitive Slave Act loomed over the city like a dark cloud, casting its menacing shadow upon anyone with African American heritage. Richard’s heart ached with the weight of his newfound vulnerability, as the prospect of being kidnapped and sold into slavery gnawed at his thoughts.
Richard stood at the precipice of a world that seemed to grow increasingly complex with each passing day. Even at the age of eighteen, Richard’s mind and spirit were pure; he was innocent and his soul remained untouched by the cruel realities of human interaction that awaited him.
The loss of his mother had left a gaping void in his heart, and he yearned for her comforting presence, her steady guidance.
A long time passed...
Now Enters Our Railroad Hero “Black Dick”
Change comes to all things. When his Mama died, it came to Richard’s life. And, less than a decade later, it came again; with the trains, and the rest of the world too! Suddenly neither the landscape or the ritual familiarity of everyday life could be counted on…Someone had decided–It was time to tear down the old, and build new.
All methods and means of transportation, as well as the development and advancement of them, seemingly have the power to change one’s fate: they bring death or forge a new path for survival, inspire forced migration & enslavement, or create routes to freedom. The opportunities that were created by the Railroad sometimes incited violence, and often brought loved ones together again. And that is where our hero comes in…
The second Harrisburg Train Station, built in 1857, became a critical transportation hub during the Civil War. This was the station where “Black Dick” became a Railroad Hero.
It was at this time, that they had moved the train house, to the western part of Harrisburg. And in doing so, they brought the engineering and mechanic shops, the freight and the passenger lines, along with each of their stations together, in one place. With this new configuration, Richard found it best to visit with his locomotives at Harrisburg’s new passenger station.
‘Cause, like I said, the new station brought all the traffic of the railroads together: passenger trains, express lines, and freight traffic! With all of them passing and stopping, on a broad swath of parallel tracks.
Undoubtedly, the new railway setup, at Harrisburg, provided a great deal of increase in profit for the Railroad companies… But, whatever small improvement, had been made, for passengers in terms of convenience, seemingly did little in the way of improving the likelihood of their survival whilst they were at the station…
His field now broadened, Richard became acquainted with the Cumberland Valley Railroad and Northern Central Railway engines. There was one peculiarity he displayed in connection with some of the latter—no money could tempt him to board one destined to Baltimore, for he asserted that if he did so he would be carried into slavery.
Harrisburg’s Train station stood tall and proud, not just a mere collection of buildings and tracks; it was a reflection of the turbulent times we found ourselves in, a bustling hub of activity where people from all walks of life converged.
A symphony of sights and sounds, a tapestry woven with the threads of anticipation, farewells, and new beginnings.
The trains themselves seemed to carry the hopes and dreams of those who boarded them, a means of escape, a fleeting moment of respite from the realities that awaited beyond. But even these symbols of progress and movement were tainted by the shadows that engulfed our world.
Train travel was perilous at all times…The Pennsylvania Railroad trains ran in and out of the station, whilst others received and discharged their passengers on the track on the south side of the building; the Northern Central used the street tracks at or near Fifth street, and the Cumberland Valley those closer to Chestnut street.
There was death on the tracks
On the arrival of the various day trains (and especially at noon), the scene around the platforms at the depot of the Pennsylvania railroad is animating and lively—bustling in the extreme. The lengthy platform, or portico, facing the Cumberland Valley track is generally crowded with people awaiting the arrival of trains. Presently the approach of the two rails of the Northern Central railway, and the “yaller” train of the Cumberland Valley railroad, add hundreds upon hundreds of passengers to the Babylonic scene.
It was this confusion that suggested to Dick that someone should see to the safety of the public in crossing the tracks, and he immediately consecrated himself to the task, and then above the din of the hurrying crowd, the clanging bell and rumbling train, his warning call was heard, as, with body thrown forward, his long arms waving in the air like the wings of a windmill, he ran along the ties but a few feet in advance of the locomotive keeping the tracks clear of all human obstacles.
Whispers in the Steel
I ain’t just no ordinary man, that’s for sure. From as far back as I can remember, I been drawn to them trains like a moth to a flame. They speak to me, you see. Whisper in my ears with their steel tongues, beckoning me to a world beyond the confines of this here town.
Harrisburg, she’s a changin’, no doubt about it. Every day brings new faces and new struggles. But the trains, they’re my constant companions. They don’t care ’bout the color of my skin or the way I talk. To them, I’m just Richard, a young fella with dreams as big as the sky.
When Mama passed, I thought I’d lost everything. Them trains, though, they become my family. They tracks, my home. We spend hours together, me and them locomotives, bellowing our spirits into the wind. I’d watch ’em come and go, feel the rumble beneath my feet, and know I wasn’t alone.
But change came knockin’ at our door. That Fugitive Act turned the world upside down. Judystown ain’t safe no more, especially for folks like me. It don’t matter that I’m just a young boy, barely old enough to understand the ways of this wicked world. They see the color of my skin, and that’s enough to put me in danger.
The trains, they ain’t the same neither. My old companions vanishin’ one by one. I search for ’em, tryin’ to find that connection again, but they slip away like ghosts in the night. It feels like they’re bein’ taken from me, piece by piece.
But then, just when I’m ’bout to lose all hope, I come upon the new roundhouse, and depot too. Fresh and vibrant, like a flower in bloom. My heart leaps with joy, I don’ found my new sanctuary.
Yup–things in the world are tricky.
Mama said danger lurkin ’round every corner, waiting to snatch you up ‘n steal you to Baltimore. That’s where they sell you, and you don’t come back from that!
I ain’t just no ordinary man, I’m a giant, taller than any other man I know of. Strong like my engines, a force to be reckoned with–that’s fo’ sure. The tracks may be uncertain, the dangers ever-present, but fear don’t hold me back. I follow the whispers of the steel, ’cause that’s who I am.
Rise of a Railroad Hero: A “Sable Giant” to the Rescue
While this mass of humanity is grouped together, occupying every available inch of space, transacting business with the army of porters, or engaged in idle gossip, a cloud of vapor and the bright, highly polished mountings of one of the numerous ”first-class” locomotives belonging to the great Pennsylvania Central railroad, visible at first at the curve in the vicinity of the Eagle Works, announces the approach of the day express from Pittsburgh.
The train drifts up to the depot like a falcon on the wing.
When the approaching train is within one hundred yards of the depot— The engineer’s warning bell, ringing loud above the noise and confusion, sometimes fails to scatter the heedless crowd obstructing the track, then it is that the sable subject of this notice, “Black Dick,” makes himself promiscuously useful! And in this manner, “Dick” now makes, his appearance, running down the platform, in advance of the engine and with outstretched arms, like a condor preparing for flight, he flaps his enormous arms up and down, right and left, singing out, to the fullest extent of his healthy lungs:
“Look out, dar!—clear dis track !—out of dis, please !—away wid you don’t ye see de ingin ‘comin? If yer gits run over, its yer own fault !”
…&c., and the sable (voluntary), public benefactor trots down the entire length of the depot, his enormous understandings making but a trifle more noise on the planks of the platform than the footfall of a camel in the sands of the Sahara!
Harrisburg Telegraph. “A Public Benefactor ‘Black Dick.’” August 7, 1867. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/121624213/harrisburg-telegraph/.
Richard lived his life alone after his mother’s death.
He had no companions, no intimates. The influences of an approaching train arousing him into splendid activity would impel him enthusiastically to the spot of greatest danger. The moment the train had passed, his care would pass with it, and he becoming indifferent to his surroundings would shuffle along seemingly lost in his whistle.
For years Richard did this, never tiring, never faltering in his labor of love. It seemed every instant as he ran as if he must trip and fall to be ground to pieces under the fast moving train. Thousands upon thousands of travelers knew him and looked upon him as a public benefactor, and hundreds were saved from maiming or death by his watchful care.
According to legend, from the time he began this duty he absented himself but once, and then he was prevailed upon to accompany the Friendship Fire Company, of Harrisburg, to join in a fireman’s parade at Altoona. During his absence a little child was killed at the Market street crossing, and he never ceased charging his absence with the catastrophe, lamenting that he had permitted himself to be over-persuaded.
Richard’s brief, brave and glorious career, during which with a sublime faith he periled his own life to succor others, came suddenly to a close at 10 o’clock on Saturday morning, July 6, 1872.
The day was very warm, and he had been more than usually active. As was his custom, he made his daily plunge in the canal. The heat of the day and the sudden plunge was too much even for his robust constitution, and he only reached the station platform to die from shock.
His death was mourned wherever he was known, for this child of nature, homely, awkward and untutored, by his unselfish love for mankind had won man’s love and appreciation. His obsequies took place on Sunday afternoon, July 7. at 5 o’clock. The body, clad in a suit of black clothes, placed in a handsome walnut coffin, laid in state in the station in the rear of the baggage room, guarded by a colored military company “The Blue Mountain Sharpshooters,” Captain Thomas Hyers (Ayers).
The services were conducted by the Rev. C. J. Carter, of the Wesley Union Methodist Church. He delivered his eulogy from the little balcony just off from the Superintendent’s office, inside the station. It was impassioned, touching and eloquent. After the services the coffin was closed and placed in the hearse and taken to the colored cemetery for interment.
The railroad officials at Harrisburg in a number of carriages and omnibusses followed the remains to their final resting place, whilst a concourse of people, estimated at 5,000, showed the same respect by following on foot.
astonishing legend captured the imagination of the American public at a time when it was quite unlikely for a Black Disabled man to become famous, but he was a Railroad Hero. He saved countless lives. His death was publicized across the country.” class=”wp-image-6888″ width=”465″ height=”389″/>We are still working to recover Richard Smith’s headstone at Harrisburg’s Lincoln Cemetery.
Read More About Richard Smith aka “Black Dick” & His Rescues Below!
A Note:
According to the Harrisburg press, Mr. Richard L. Head, Chief Clerk in the Superintendent’s office, looked after his interests, saw that he was properly clothed, and that no one abused him; whilst Mr. John W. Hutchison, proprietor of the Station Cafe, fed him.
But, census data suggests otherwise. In the 1860 Federal Census of Harrisburg, Dick is living in the household of a Black man named James Wogans. So, he was also not quite-as-much of an outsider in Harrisburg’s Black Community as the papers would lead you to believe.
“Black Dick” in the Press
A Poem Honoring Richard Smith
James A. Wilson, then a clerk in the office of the General Superintendent, Northern Central Railway, Harrisburg, gave expression of his and his fellow railroad men’s appreciation of Dick’s life and character in the following:-
“DICK.”
I.
“There she comes look out here now,”
And the voice rings loud and clear,
As down the track a figure comes
Shapeless and void of fear.
His restless eye sees every form;
Be woman, man or waif,
And seeks a noble work to do,
To render travelers safe.
He grasps a trembling woman’s arm,
And saves her from a fate
Far worse than death’s cold, clammy grasp,
Or Satan’s dreaded hate.
A tottering form of hoary age
Is rescued by his arm;
And off he starts e’er thanks be said,
To others save from harm.
The old, the young, the rich and poor,
All know his value when
Before a swiftly passing train
He proves a safeguard then.
II.
But now his voice is stilled in death,
Freed, too, his form from pain.
The ear is dead to all around,
And every passing train.
Then lay him down, and gently, too,
For the good of his simple life
So full of acts and noble deeds,
As wrought of dangers rife.
His work is done, and nobly, too;
God bless that simple heart,
That proved a friend to man and beast,
And nobly played his part.
God bless you, Dick, we each one say,
While the soul its echo cries,
And take the wearied spirit home,
Yea, home beyond the skies.
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