What Heroes Are Made Of

Find out what makes John Henry and Joe Magarac tick

Review the legends of John Henry and Joe Magarac;
List the kind of work that real railroad and steelworkers do and what they are like (see steelworker photo gallery for clues);
List the exaggerated traits, words, and deeds of John and Joe.

Folk Hero	What's the real work like?	What are the real workers like?	Hero's physical traits	Hero's character traits	Hero's words	Hero's deeds
John Henry	Hard rock mountainsides Steep climbs Rock slides Swinging big sledgehammers weighing 9 pounds	Strong back and arms Aerobic strength: heart, lungs continuous effort Work in teams	Tall and muscular Great muscular and aerobic strength Endurance Used a 30-pound hammer with a 9-foot handle	Perseverance, determination Proud of work Skill with hammer Self-sacrificing Brave	"I'll die with a hammer in my hands." "Get me a thirty pound hammer with that nine foot handle--I'll beat your steam drill down"	Worked so hard he beat the steam drill Died rather than let the steam drill beat him
Joe Magarac	Steel mill buildings line up for miles Furnaces 5 or 6 stories tall. Huge machines to cast and roll steel Steel so hot it melts to a liquid Hot, dirty, heavy Dangers: burns, crushing	Careful with hot steel Know how to run rolling mills, cranes, and other machines Strong to handle raw materials like coal, iron ore, limestone, chemicals Protect themselves from heat and things falling Work in teams	Huge enough to use furnaces as stepping stones Molten steel doesn't burn hime Strong enough to bend steel without machines Has endurance to work 24/7	Proud of his work Generous; cares for other people Self-sacrificing Loves to work, willing to work long hours, never gets tired or bored Brave	Doesn't say much	Saves workers from accidents Lets "prize" wife marry her real boyfriend

Folk Hero

What's the real work like?

What are the real workers like?

Hero's physical traits

Hero's character traits

Hero's words

Hero's deeds

John Henry

Hard rock mountainsides
Steep climbs
Rock slides
Swinging big sledgehammers weighing 9 pounds

Strong back and arms
Aerobic strength: heart, lungs continuous effort
Work in teams

Tall and muscular
Great muscular and aerobic strength
Endurance
Used a 30-pound hammer with a 9-foot handle

Perseverance, determination
Proud of work
Skill with hammer
Self-sacrificing
Brave

"I'll die with a hammer in my hands."
"Get me a thirty pound hammer with that nine foot handle--I'll beat your steam drill down"

Worked so hard he beat the steam drill
Died rather than let the steam drill beat him

Joe Magarac

Steel mill buildings line up for miles
Furnaces 5 or 6 stories tall. Huge machines to cast and roll steel
Steel so hot it melts to a liquid
Hot, dirty, heavy
Dangers: burns, crushing

Careful with hot steel
Know how to run rolling mills, cranes, and other machines
Strong to handle raw materials like coal, iron ore, limestone, chemicals
Protect themselves from heat and things falling
Work in teams

Huge enough to use furnaces as stepping stones
Molten steel doesn't burn hime
Strong enough to bend steel without machines
Has endurance to work 24/7

Proud of his work
Generous; cares for other people
Self-sacrificing
Loves to work, willing to work long hours, never gets tired or bored
Brave

Doesn't say much

Saves workers from accidents
Lets "prize" wife marry her real boyfriend

Create a Coal Mining Folk Hero

Look through the coal mining gallery for clues about what real mining is like;
Create your coal miner hero's character (body and personality) by exaggerating what real miners do;
Imagine the words he or she might say and the deeds he or she might do.

Coal Miner Folk Hero

What is real coal mining like?

What are real coal miners like?

Miner hero's physical traits (body)

Miner hero's character traits (personality)

Hero's words

Hero's deeds

Your coal miner hero's name

Dark, cold, damp, dirty
Close quarters: narrow tunnels, low roof
Dangers: gas leaks, coal dust, cave-ins

Work in a team.
Cautious and safe
Strong, skilled with tools
Able to work in dark, close quarters (nimble)
Protect lungs, limbs
Wears lamps, hardhats, long underwear, gloves, boots, rescue breather

Write and Illustrate the Story of your Miner Hero!

Email us your story and illustrations and we may post it on this Web site!

Education: Heritage Discovery Center

Larger than Life, Part 2

Push and Pull

Before your Visit

During your Visit

After your Visit

Making a Life

Before your Visit

During your Visit

After your Visit

Making a Living

Before your Visit

During your Visit

After your Visit

What Heroes Are Made Of

Find out what makes John Henry and Joe Magarac tick

Create a Coal Mining Folk Hero

Write and Illustrate the Story of your Miner Hero!