Little B's Pizza Calhoun Kentucky

 

I was able to visit Little B's Pizza in Calhoun recently!

Calhoun Kentucky February 2022

 I had a chance to revisit one of my favorite hangouts from way back- Calhoun Kentucky!

Battle of Sacramento 2018, Sacramento, Kentucky

I was able to stop by the "Battle of Sacramento" Civil War reenactment this past weekend.  I went with my dad, and, as I am usually on a bit of a time limit when I am in the area, we were only able to go on Friday.  We missed the actual battle with the reenactment, but we still had a great time.

As soon as we got there, I realized that my old pal David Wolfe was doing a talk as Abe Lincoln.  I did get to see him do two talks as the 16th President, and I was absolutely moved by both.  They were each unique, covering different ground about Lincoln.  During the later one, he actually talked, as Lincoln, about being assassinated by Booth.  It was the first time that I have watched a Lincoln impersonator really go there in character.  It truly made David seem almost ghostlike himself as he channeled the martyred President.

David Chaltas did a very convincing presentation as Robert E. Lee.  He was excellent too, and I even saw him tear up as he told a story of a father and son on opposite sides of the battlefield.

A funny moment occurred when Chaltas stepped away from a crowd while telling stories to answer a cell call.  A Confederate soldier near him, in a very serious tone grumbled about Lee using one of those fancy Yankee phones.

I ended up totally blowing my budget in the sutler's area.  There were some interesting vendors.  A blacksmith made these great hummingbirds on a pole.  I texted my wife a photo and she said that she would love one.  I did think these were pretty cool.

There were a couple of interesting authors on the field too.  I was personally very excited to see author John R. Scales selling his latest book on Nathan Bedford Forrest.  It is published through Savas Beatie, who has put out some interesting titles lately.  in fact, I had a very positive experience with Savas Beatie Publishing when I was trying to track down a copy of their book on the Gettysburg Cyclorama.  These are good people.

Anyway, I ended up buying a couple of books from John, and we chatted some about Forrest.

We were able to buy $3 sandwiches for lunch from a church group and we bought homemade rootbeer which was a real treat!

After exploring the sutler area and enjoying a nice lunch, we walked through the area where the reenactors camped out.  Most had little set ups in front of their tents, and they seemed eager to talk about the Civil War and soldier's lives during the war.

Many had actual relics they had come across displayed.  One medical table had medicine bottles and other related items a doctor might use during the Civil War.  The camp area had a bit of a DIY museum vibe going on.  All of the reenactors had something to talk about too.  Some talked about their relics, some told stories from the Civil War.

John Scales was scheduled to do a talk on Forrest as the day was winding down.  I definitely wanted to catch that!


John did a great presentation on Forrest and his battles.  He told some entertaining stores about Bedford Forrest and his adventures during the Civil War.

The sky had been cloudy all day and the rains held off until right in the middle of  John Scales' presentation.  Luckily, he was talking in front of the 1830's cabin on the battlefield, so the discussion was moved to the cabin's covered front porch.  This made his presentation feel more like a discussion.  It was a nice way to interact with the author.


Scales, an accomplished military man himself, seemed very focused on Forrest's way of thinking AS A GENERAL.  He noted that Forrest had a lot of knowledge about feeding, moving and managing his troops based on his experience as a horse and slave trader.

Scales was also able to point out where certain things during the battle of Sacramento would have occurred.  It was very exciting visualizing the battle, ON THE BATTLEFIELD, with Scales.


I think most of us at Scales' presentation also enjoyed a discussion of Forrest without getting into the controversies that are often brought up in our current climate.  This was pretty much a well informed talk on the military mind of Bedford Forrest.

My dad and I left Sacramento with the rain coming down in buckets (I hear that rain seems to always affect this event).  On the way home, we stopped for burger's at Jay's Drive-In in Calhoun, which is one of my favorite burger places.

This is a great 3 day event, and even paying $7.50 for the one day I was there was a bargain in my books.

Battle of Sacramento- Sacramento, KY

The Battle of Sacramento went down December 28th of 1861.  This was actually a pretty important fight in the Civil War (as all of the battles were- big and small) but this was one encounter where one of the legends of the Civil War started to make a name for himself.  Confederate Colonel Nathan Forrest impressed a lot of people in this fight, especially Brigadier-General Charles Clark.  Of note was his courage leading his men into battle and engaging in hand to hand combat with 4 Union soldiers- killing three and capturing one.  This particular battle has come to be known as "Forrest's First".

There is a very cool folk HEROINE (on the Confederate side) associated with this battle.  A young Molly Morehead warned Forrest of the Union troops nearby.  Forrest wrote about the girl (he did not know her identity at the time). 

There is a historic driving trail between Calhoun and Greenville on 181.  There is a great brochure giving the stops and info on each one.  There is also a great website about the battle, the reenactment, and history.

This is yet ANOTHER example of a place I have been to many times, and never realized the great history of the area.  I have driven this stretch of road probably 100 times and never realized its significance.

I DID make a point to go out and actually drive to the stops on the tour- and I did it during the weekend of the Battle of Sacramento Reenactment.

The reenactment event has been going on since 1995, and you can tell the guys putting this event on have become pretty efficient.  Sacramento is a nice, small town, and it was pretty easy getting around at the event and all.  PLUS, it is only $5 for an all weekend pass (its actually not a "pass" but a nice little button).

We were only able to stop by Friday for several hours, as the weather was terrible all weekend!  That didn't stop the festivities though!

I had a great time (and spent WAY more money than I planned) in the vendor area.  We bought a lot of honey that was made by a fellow from Hartford.  Great stuff!  There was a fun and friendly couple from Greenfield, Illinois called Pop Jack's.  The couple running the booth were super friendly.  They were selling homemade root beer!  This was the perfect setting for that, and I refilled my bottle with them more than once.  You could buy a bottle for $3, then it was a buck per refill for the rest of the festival!  They even said that next year you could bring your bottle back for $1 refills!  They had several flavors, but I had been craving sassafras for some time, so that was my pick.

Another couple- Knox and Mary Adler (Adlers Dry Goods) had a lot of pioneer related toys and clothes items.  These guys were super friendly too, and they seemed to really enjoy the whole retro vibe going on here.  I bought some lead soldiers from them, and they made me a very good deal!

There were several other interesting vendors there, but these were the ones I interacted with the most.

There was an AMAZING country band that played for a short period of time (their set was cut short due to the weather), but I really enjoyed these guys.  They did a great Merle Haggard cover, a couple of gospel standards and a few others before it was over.  These guys were solid musicians who weren't trying anything fancy.  They were playing old classics the way they were meant to be played, and you could tell that the crowd loved it!

Check out my photos, which are mostly from the stops on the trail, with a few from the reenactment event.

Calhoun Kentucky

Just a few pictures from Calhoun Kentucky, a nice little place.

I find myself going through Calhoun on my way to other places a lot, but it is always a treat to get a burger at Jays.

I love the Green River too.  It always makes me think of John Prine songs.  It is still pretty, but I saw several large items that had been dumped in it.  My dad says he once saw a fish in the Green River that he thought was a car at first.  There are some big fish in there!

I remember my dad buying the family's first VCR player in Calhoun.  Dad knew the guy running the shop, and talked him in to throwing in about 4 blank tapes on the deal (a huge bonus at the time).

We would rent movies at the theater/movie rental place in town.  I remember being young, and going to see kids movies at the small theater.  I think it was 50 cents or you could get in for free with 6 RC bottle caps.  That was in the 80s I think.  Anybody else remember doing that?

We had friends that worked for the local chiropractor, Dr. Strange.  He was in business for what seemed like forever.  He was always a great guy too!

Calhoun would be a great area to settle down in.  You have access to Owensboro, Madisonville, Greenville, etc. but it is still far enough away to keep its own identity.

Green River is up in Calhoun!

I took some pictures near Calhoun recently of the Green River. The rain has been non stop!

Jay's Burgers in Calhoun

When I think of going somewhere just to get a burger, I think of Calhoun Kentucky. The little town is not far from Owensboro. I always thought of it as being between Owensboro and Greenville, but I never really mapped it out.

Calhoun is small. There is a grocery, a post office, and a few other businesses here and there. I remember, as a kid, my dad going to a business where you could "trade" a cow for some burgers in Calhoun!

Speaking of burgers, going to Jay's Drive In in Calhoun has always been fun. My dad and I had burgers, shakes and some fries for about $11 there recently.

Calhoun is a scenic town. I wouldn't describe it as hopin' but it is pleasant. It is a small enough town that directions to Jay's are no problem. Drive to Calhoun, and drive towards Green River. You are there.

I do enjoy looking out at the river and the bridge. My dad swears he saw a fish the size of a car in this river once. In fact, he first thought it was a car that had gone into the river, until its tail flopped out of the water.