Winter afternoon with no snow

copyright 2005. all rights reserved.

Ferry

Recuerdo
We were very tired, we were very merry --
We had gone back and forth all night upon the ferry.
It was bare and bright, and smelled like a stable --
But we looked into a fire, we leaned across a table,
We lay on the hill-top underneath the moon;
And the whistles kept blowing, and the dawn came soon.

We were very tired, we were very merry --
We had gone back and forth all night on the ferry;
And you ate an apple, and I ate a pear,
From a dozen of each we had bought somewhere;
And the sky went wan, and the wind came cold,
And the sun rose dripping, a bucketful of gold.

We were very tired, we were very merry,
We had gone back and forth all night on the ferry.
We hailed, "Good morrow, mother!" to a shawl-covered head,
And bought a morning paper, which neither of us read;
And she wept, "God bless you!" for the apples and the pears,
And we gave her all our money but our subway fares.

- Edna St. Vincent Millay, A Few Figs from Thistles: Poems and Sonnets

Most of us are familiar with large ferries like the Staten Island Ferry

http://www.si-web.com/

or this one, which travels between Nantucket and Hyannis.

http://www.steamshipauthority.com/

I was surprised to learn, however, that there are still several inland ferries operating in the United States. Some are of medium size, such as this one over the Susquehanna at Millersburg, Pennsylvania:

http://www.millersburg.com/

In all there are at least 75 inland ferries over rivers in the United States. It is not surprising that most connect cities on the Mississippi River. There are also several on the Ohio, Columbia and Willamette Rivers.

This ferry is on the Green River between Cool Springs and Rochester on Highway 369. To find out about the others, visit http://www.webspawner.com/users/b389.

copyright 2005

Book Recommendation

Lovers of historical AND crime writing should read THE DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY, by Eric Larson. In the 1880s, a plan was conceived to host an exposition in the United States to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Columbus’ voyage to America. The exposition was meant to rival the 1855 Exposition Universelle de Paris, for which the Eiffel Tower was constructed. Chicago competed with St. Louis, New York, and Washington, D.C. to host the fair. In 1890, the honor was given to Chicago.

Larson’s book not only follows the World’s Columbian Exposition through the planning stages of the project, including insight into the commissioned architects and a study of the historical significance of the event, but also chronicles the crimes of Henry H. Holmes, who designed an edifice of his own – a “Murder Castle” blocks from the fairgrounds where he housed, and ultimately murdered, dozens of women, disposing of many bodies in a crematory in the basement of his horror hotel.

Larson, whose ISAAC’S STORM continues to be a favorite, is exceptional at enhancing the true crime story of Holmes with the historical context of the crime, at juxtaposing two different stories centered around a singular event.

After reading THE DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY, the reader may want to check out http://xroads.virginia.edu/~MA96/WCE/history.html for more information about the World’s Columbian Exposition, and http://www.prairieghosts.com/holmes3.html for more details, including floor plans, of Holmes’ “Murder Castle.”

Near Paradise

There is no softer ground cover than fallen pine needles.

copyright 2005

Rochester Dam

When I die let my ashes float down the Green River,
Let my soul roll on up to the Rochester Dam.
I'll be halfway to heaven with Paradise waiting
Just five miles away from wherever I am.
from "Paradise", John Prine

When a navigation survey of the Green River from Evansville, Indiana to Bowling Green, Kentucky, conducted by the US Department of War in 1828 was complete, the State authorized construction of Lock and Dams #1-4 on the River to improve navigation. The 175-mile project was completed in 1842. (http://thinkwestkentucky.com; see also http://www.kycourts.net/Counties/Butler_text.asp)

Lock and Dam #3 was located at Rochester, Kentucky.

Rochester Dam circa 1925

http://www.muhlenbergcountyky.com/page5.html

Rochester is located in Butler County at the juncture of the Green and Mud Rivers. The area around the mouth of the Mud River was settled in the early 19th century. What was then called "The Mouth" later became the communities of Rochester, Skilesville and McCrarysville.(http://www.uky.edu/KentuckyAtlas/ky-rochester.html)

The US Army Corps of Engineers used earth and rock to construct the dam. The dam underwent repair in 1888, but it was abandoned by the Corps of Engineers in early 1980.

Rochester Dam 2004

copyright 2005

Unclaimed pit near White Plains

Coal has always been an abundant resource in Kentucky, and parts of Western Kentucky which have been stripped remain unclaimed. This pit on Orton Bridge Road is an example of the strange beauty some of these unclaimed areas have. Others are merely unsightly scars on the land.

copyright 2005

This photograph was taken after extensive flooding in the area, so the depth of this pit is hidden.

Pond River in Summer

The Pond River is a tributary of the Green River which begins in Jewel City in McLean County. The Pond forms the boundary of Hopkins and McLean Counties, then continues south as the border between Hopkins and Muhlenberg Counties. At the juncture of Hopkins, Muhlenberg and Christian Counties, the Pond splits into the East Pond and West Pond.


copyright 2005

The above photograph was taken from a bridge on Mount Carmel Pond River Road in Muhlenberg County, near the Cottonmouth Lodge.

For more information about Cottonmouth Lodge, see http://www.cottonmouthlodge.com.

House on the Tenant Farm

Imagine porch swings on each end of the porch. Imagine a trellis on the right side of the porch trailing morning glories. Imagine a stone retaining wall where the lawn meets the road, lined with marigolds of many colors.


copyright 2005

Then this house would look like my grandparents' house when I was very young. My grandfather was a tenant farmer in Christian County. The old house on the Russellville Road is gone now. Only remnants of the stone wall remain to show where it once stood.