The Great Bend Tunnel is where the legend of John Henry was born.

 Contruction of Great Bend Tunnel, under Big Bend Mountain, began in late 1869, and was completed three years later. W.R. Johnson, a former Confederate officer, was the contractor and he employed 800 to 1000 men and boys to work on this project. The first train passed through the Great Bend Tunnel in 1872. The tunnel is over a mile long and it is the setting of the steel drivers' ballad, "John Henry".

The Big Bend Tunnel was completed between 1930 and 1932. Two tunnels, Great and Big Bend, run parallel and 6500 feet long passing under Big Bend Mountain. The Great Bend Tunnel closed to regular use in 1974. All traffic now east and west passes through the Big Bend Tunnel.