Here is an interesting find to share with y'all. Do you know what a Gandy Dancer is? Kendall had them here in town in the years 1875-76. Anyone familiar with the railroad would know the term well.
A Gandy Dancer is the name given the men who had the job of laying railroad tracks. What's interesting was a farmer's wife who lived in West Kendall. Mrs. Absalom Harradine prepared one hot meal a day for these men and in doing so made enough money to make a down payment on a farm. The meal consisted of roast beef, potatoes, gravy and one vegetable. This required an entire cow per week! She would pack the food in wash tubs, load it in her wagon and deliver it to the men at lunchtime. As a result of the back breaking work by these men, the track was completed and the first passenger train went through town on 12 June 1876. The railroad line was known as "The Hojack Line".
For the sake of saying, the last revenue train on
the Hojack Line ran on 31 March 1978. The Hojack was alive for 102 years.
