Whitehaven Welcome Center- Paducah Kentucky 2024

Check out historic Whitehaven.....  A nice old home that now serves as a welcome center!

"On Bended Knees" By Bill Cunningham

 While in Adams Tennessee, I picked up a copy of Bill Cunningham's "On Bended Knees:  The True Story of the Night Rider Tobacco War in Kentucky and Tennessee" while at the wonderful community museum in the old school.

First, I will say honestly that this book was one of the most enjoyable reads I have had recently.  It is well written about an area close to where I grew up (I am familiar with just about every community mentioned in the book).  Also, I grew up around tobacco farming.  Some of my earliest memories are of following my dad and other family members around the tobacco barn and fields.

Bill Cunningham sort of makes the book a story about Dr. David Amoss, the leader of a group of tobacco farmers who unite to refuse to sell their tobacco in an effort to get better prices for their leaves.  Amoss' rival- Buck Duke who has created a tobacco buying monopoly.

The author does clarify that the wealthy Duke, with business dealings worldwide, probably barely knew about Amoss and his efforts with the farmers, but the farmers were very aware of Duke.

I almost hate to make the comparison, but the book brought the TV series "Breaking Bad" to my mind, in a weird sort of way.  You might not be as sympathetic towards the main character by the end of the book as you were to him at the beginning.

Anyway, Amoss organizes his farmers into a military like unit- and, taking some notes from the KKK, they wear masks and commit some violent crimes to influence those who refuse to cooperate with them.  Of course, they wear masks during these crimes.  Some of the crimes are on a very big scale too.

Bill Cunningham's story telling is exciting and detailed, but never boring.  The book has a great flow.

Not to give anything away, but there is an ironic twist in the relationship to Duke and Amoss at the end of the book

I really enjoyed this one and I give "On Bended Knees" my highest possible recommendation.

Land Between the Lakes Elk and Bison Prairie- Bison Likes My Car

   



So, several years ago my Dad and I made this video while at Land Between the Lakes.  With a little time on my hands recently, I have been reediting my old recordings, and putting them on youtube under the name "jimerado".  Here is the one from LBL.  I love this video because a bison uses my car as a pillow for several minutes!

Land Between the Lakes- Kentucky and Tennessee

Probably every year or two, my dad and I make the short drive to Land Between the Lakes for a day trip.  He used to go to the area a lot to hunt and fish with his cousin.

My first trip to the area was probably in the early 80s.  My family went down for an over night trip.  I remember seeing all of the main things you would want to see at LBL.


My 5th grade class from Utica Elementary School went there for a weekend trip too, which was a lot of fun.

There used to be a cool observation area at the top of a silo.  I remember going there on those first couple of trips.  There was a wooden walkway leading to the top of the silo which was very cool.  Sadly, this is no longer accessible as people were setting things on fire, and tossing them down the silo.  Here is a little more about the silo.

On this trip, we mostly just drove around and took in the scenery.

One thing we always do while here is go to the Elk and Bison Prairie.

It's $5 a car to go in to the Prairie area.  Once inside, you drive slowly around a long road and look for elk and bison.

We did not see any elk on this day, though we did hear the elk bugle.  This mating call is actually kind of scary if you don't know what it is.

We made a lap around and did see a LOT of bison.  They were big and numerous!  They also seem very comfortable around vehicles.


At one point, they very slowly surrounded my car.  One literally put its head on the hood of my vehicle.  I really wasn't sure what to do about this....  so I just waited.

The bison's eyes looked heavy, and I thought for a moment that it was going to take a nap, using my car as a pillow (see third photo from bottom).  I did back up... a little, but there were bison behind me too.


This whole exchange lasted probably 45 minutes.  I felt excited about this bison and its friendly attitude towards us, but I also felt some concern, as I just bought this new car a few weeks ago.

Our friendly bison finally moved on... slowly.  I looked at my car later.  There were no dents or damage- just a furry dusty chin print and some bison slobber.

Misty Morning on Kentucky Lake

This spectacular postcard was distributed by Riverdale Resort.

Upper Broadway- Paducah, KY

This card says on the back:

 

The 'Broadway Mall' is the new look in Paducah.  It presents a comfortable and relaxing atmoshpere for downtown shoppers.

Kentucky Dam and Lake

Bison at Land Between the Lakes

Here are a few photos I have taken at land Between the Lakes over the last few years.

There is the one trail where they will literally walk up to your vehicle.  We have had to wait for them to casually move out of our way a few times.

I remember going here in the 5th grade and seeing them for the first time.

And they are still awesome.

Moonlight Scene at the Great Kentucky Dam

Blessed Mother School, Owensboro

Sent in 1942 from a guy in the Coast Guard to his buddies at the No. 1 Fire Station in Paducah!

Those guys that served in WWII were tough!

Delta Queen on the Ohio River in Paducah

TVA'S Kentucky Dam and Navigation Lock, Western Kentucky

Random Photos- Paducah, KY

Beautiful Kentucky Lake

"TVA's Kentucky Dam and Lake-Kentucky Dam, in Tennessee River about 20 miles from Paducah, Kentucky, was built at a cost of $114,000,000. The dam creates Kentucky Lake which is 184 miles long and has a shore line of 2,200 miles. Construction of Kentucky Dam was begun in 1938 and completed in 1944.

Someone wrote their friend about a fishing trip in 1950 on this postcard.

George Rogers Clark Bridge near Paducah

Postcard: Kentucky Dam and Lake, Western Kentucky

"TVA's Great Kentucky Dam located in Western Kentucky is 8,412 ft. long and 206 ft. high, and was completed in 1944 at a cost of $115,000,000. Built across the Tennessee River this dam created Kentucky Lake which is 184 miles long and has a shoreline of 2,400 miles- the largest man-made lake in the world."

Land Between the Lakes

When I was in the 5th grade, my class took a trip to Land Between the Lakes. All 5th grade classes at my elementary school took this trip over a couple of days. It was such a great experience. We had to make a Land Between the Lakes book. This was a huge event for all students before they advanced to middle school.

I was grateful to my school for giving us the experience. I know for many of us, this was our first real "away from home" trip. I went to a very calm school, and I really liked all of my classmates. My memory of this trip is still vivid and happy.

My dad and I have made a couple trips to the Land Between the Lakes area recently. Growing up in Western Kentucky, this was not an uncommon trip. I remember some family and friends near Owensboro probably going down monthly.

There is a lot going on there. I just found out that they have a blog too! Check it out:

http://www.landbetweenthelakes.blogspot.com/

LBL is one of those places that you really have to go to to appreciate. It is nice, and you hear it is nice, but you just have to go there to see exactly how nice it is. Also, it helps if you have someone going with you familiar with the area, like my dad. Ask him, he will go with you! Seriously, he has nothing else going on.

I love the Animal Center near the Center Furnace. Its 4-5 bucks to go through. I remember seeing a presentation on snakes here while on that 5th grade trip. They let me hold a snake. I was scared to death, but they calmly explained that it wouldn't bite. There was no mischievous person around to try to scare me. It was a pleasant and positive experience. They still have snakes, and many other animals. My dad and I got there right when they opened, and they were bringing out there owls. The unreal friendly rangers there gave us a presentation on each owl that came out! I assume they do this every day when they open up. The presentation alone was worth 3 times the price of admission.

There are a ton of trails and camping areas throughout. I would love to take a week and just go walk around.

There is the Elk and Bison Prairie. I think it is five bucks to enter it. You pay your entry fee at an automated area, and then you drive in. I do wish they would put a real person at the entrance, but it does seem that friendly rangers are around once inside the range.

My last time there, I saw one buffalo at a distance. A ranger told us that they were all over in another area, off the trail. The loner we saw was an older buffalo that had been there since the start of the trail. The new, younger buffalo do not socialize with him according to the ranger.

On another trip trough the Elk and Bison Prairie, we had to wait for many of the buffalo to get out of our way! They were everywhere! They obviously are comfortable around visitors, and they would walk right next to our truck.

There is another area to see Buffalo next to the Great Western Furnace. I am not sure about their status, but they are across the road in a field. They are always very visible.

Speaking of furnaces. I really don't know a lot about old iron furnaces, or even how the furnaces operated, but the area has 2 standing furnaces that have been around for some time. The Great Western Furnaces dates back to the 1850s. It still looks good. The Center Furnace looks a little rougher each time I see it.

There is the Golden Pond Planetarium too. I love planetariums, and this area is lucky to have this one, connected to the visitor center. I saw a great presentation here about a year ago on the International Space Station. There was a great Q&A session after the show, and the audience was told about a web site where you could type in your location and find out times that you could see the ISS over head! The next night, my dad and I actually looked up at the right time and saw the ISS! It is quick, you have to look up and catch it. It could easily be mistaken for a fast moving plain.

The gift shop in the visitor center has a great selection of local interest books.

Oh, and you can't really bring up LBL without mentioning Patti's. I have a friend from the Paducah area that kept telling me that I must stop there. The word is the portions are huge. My friend was not kidding. I had a salad, and 3 people could have helped me finish it off. It was big. Oh, and they give you bread baked in a flower pot. It is just as cool as it sounds. Think Cracker Barrel but bigger and more authentic. You couldn't franchise this kind of Kentucky atmosphere. They have a nice gift shop too. Check out their web site.

http://www.pattis-settlement.com/iron_kettle_restaurant.htm

I guess this is a great area just to go and drive around (keep a map around though!). I have seen turkey and deer just walking around on the roads. It is very relaxing just driving around the area.