Coffee Connection Hopkinsville KY 2024

We found "Coffee Connections" in Hopkinsville kind of by accident, but we loved the vibe and the spirit of this coffee shop- where NOTHING is charged!

"Finding Daniel Boone" by Ted Franklin Belue

I read "Finding Daniel Boone:  His Last Days in Missouri & the Strange Fate of His Remains" by Ted Franklin Belue and I really enjoyed this one.

Most people in Kentucky and Missouri learn in elementary school that the remains of Daniel Boone and his wife were moved from Missouri to Kentucky years after his death.  Very briefly, some people from Frankfort hoped to sell some plots in their cemetery by getting Boone reburied in the state.  Through some slick talking (and promise of a new, grand memorial) they convince Missouri to let the remains go.

As the story progressed, a rumor starts that, instead of taking Daniel's remains, the remains of someone else were taken.  The rumor does reek of racism, as the story involves slaves, and Kentucky taking the remains of a black man instead of Daniel.  Also, multiple stories lead to this rumor, including confusion about where is grave was, and deception in other stories.

Many know the basics of the story, but Belue gets credit for tracking down the sources of the legends...  He tracks down who said what, and when.  He finds two source descriptions of the coffins (that are different).  He also tells how the transfer happened, and he paints a picture of the crowded city of Frankfort, when Daniel and Rebecca Boone are buried again.

MORE INPORTANTLY, he covers the fact that a cast and copies of parts of Daniel's skull were made.  He gets opinions from experts about whether or not the skull could have come from an elderly Caucasian. 
 

"The Big Muddy Monster" by Lewis/Voss/Nelson

While on our recent roadtrip going through southern Illinois, we stopped by Giant City State Park Lodge.  LOVED the lodge and park by the way.  I was really excited to see that the Lodge had a lot of cool local interest type books in their gift shop with many of them signed!

I picked up "The Big Muddy Monster:  Legends, Sightings, & Other Strange Encounters."  It has been a fun read, giving info on all of the sightings involving "The Big Muddy Monster."  It also covers a lot of the other strange history in the area.  The book has a great chapter by Kevin Lee Nelson going deep in to explanations for the supernatural and sightings.  It is a smart and thoughtful chapter.

I really enjoy a book that is a complete, deep dive into a legend, and the authors of this book have done that, and they have done a good job.

It seems that the area is getting a related festival going too!
 

"Somewhere in Crime" by Dave McVeigh and Jim Bolone

I picked up "Somewhere in Crime" by Dave McVeigh and Jim Bolone while we were on Mackinac Island.  It was a perfect book to read in the area where the book was based.

A bit about the book...  It is a book about a young boy staying on Mackinac Island and trying to solve an unsolved murder, while the filming of the legendary film "Somewhere in Time" is going on.  The entire book is pure fiction, EXCEPT for the movie.  The movie (and it's stars) are legendary, but the story in the book is all made up.

I love the movie, and figured this would be a lot of fun to read while in the same area described in the book.  I was right.  I got my copy at the great book store "Island Bookstore" while there.

This is a really fun read from a 1979 perspective of a 12 year old boy on the Island.  He and some friends realize there is an unsolved murder, reward money, a cute new girl on the island, AND some A list actors are around to make a movie!

It is a very fun adventure, and had a great flow to it.  Its an easy 300 page read, and its the kind of book that keeps you interested, and feels believable.