BIO: Edward Cunningham, Bullitt Co., KY

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Transcribed by: bobndonnaky@alltel.net
Date:  01 Oct 2000
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Below the following article is a picture, and beneath the picture is the following: "Sam 
LEWIS (father of Walter LEWIS who worked for the L&N in the mechanical department), 
Katherine MOONEY LEWIS,Tom HOAGLAND, About 1908. This small school near the LEWIS home on 
Pine Tavern Road later moved to a small building near the L. J. Cemetery, and still 
laterconsolidated with BOWMAN's Valley  near Shepherdsville. Bowman's Valley was the only 
school for blacks until the Bullitt County Schools were integrated."  This is from the book 
"Railroad Town: A Pictorial History of Lebanon Junction, KY" by Masden and Pike, 1991, 
Published by Peoples Bank of Bullitt County. 

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Edward CUNNINGHAM
    The working lifetime of Edward CUNNINGHAM paralleled the history of he L&N from 1880 to 
the 1930's. In 1885, the monumental task of changing the tracks to "standard gauge" was 
accomplished over the entire system and Ed carried the gauge and helped spike the rails. 
    He could look back to his days as "flunky boy" on a construction train, boarding car, 
and as a track laborer on the Lebanon Branch. In 1892, he helped build the first coaling 
station and switching yards at Lebanon Junction. This paved the way for the big event when 
L&N moved the branch terminal to Lebanon Junction. 
    Then Ed moved into the mechanical department where he worked on boilers and all kinds of 
repairs on in and out of the Lebanon Junction roadhouse.
    Edward Cunningham was Black. The "colored" community in Lebanon Junction was small and 
few rose above the ranks of domestic workers, section men, and laborers. They made a real 
contribution to the town and the railroad, but, alas, until recent years, were relegated to 
their own "seperate" churches, a tiny, segregated school, and ended their days in a black 
cemetery. 
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