Halloween Cupcakes

This was seen at the 2009 Tennessee State Fair where this cupcake design was a blue ribbon winner in a baked goods contest. Does anyone have an idea what covers the ice cream cone to make it the sparkly greenish witch hat?

Post Card Tuesday: Tennessee Supreme Court Building

The Tennessee Supreme Court building is located in downtown Nashville and faces the Capitol. Here is the way it looks today:



The building is virtually unchanged from when it was built, which I'll guess was the 1930's based on the Art Deco style. However, most everything around it has changed. Here is a copper seal of the court which has turned green from age.

Walden Farm: Crow Decoration

Walden Farm is a fall agritourism farm just outside of Smyrna in Rutherford County. They have all the things you'd expect from such a place: a corn maze, hay rides, and pumpkins as far as the eye can see. Unlike most of these places that pop up every fall, there's no admission cost to get in, but instead each activity costs a small fee. That's great for parents, or people like me that just wants to photograph stuff.

When You See ROCK CITY You see the Best

The rust has made this old barn difficult to read, but it says:
When You See
ROCK CITY
You See The Best
The "ou" in You is also underlined.
This barn is located on U.S. Highway 11 in Dekalb County, Alabama, north of Ft. Payne. US 11 runs from Birmingham to Chattanooga.
This barn was last painted decades ago.

I last visited this barn six years ago and you can see how the barn has fallen apart since then.

Waterloo Falls

Waterloo Falls is a 35 foot drop along the 100 foot wide Spring Creek. This creek runs along the border between Putnam and Overton Counties.

This waterfall is not part of a state park, however, there is an unsigned turnoff along the road, and at the end of the gravel turnoff is some parking spaces. From there is a short path just a few hundred feet along the side of the water right along the side of the falls and perhaps evidence of an old mill. The path doesn't go much further than this, so you're looking at it from an angle. (I suppose you could be a little adventurous and do some climbing, but I didn't.

Technical Stuff: I was using two ND 0.6 Filters along with ISO100 and the smallest aperture the lens would allow, f/22. I did not have a tripod, and there wouldn't have been anywhere to put one, but there was a nice tree that I held the camera against.

Nice Barn along the highway

Every once in a while when I am driving the Middle Tennessee backroads, I see a nice rural scene that makes me want to stop my car, and get out and look around for a while. Then, I remember I am on a highway and I can't do that. This well manicured barn did deserve a second look. It is seen along highway TN96 in Putnam County.

Gone, but not forgotten: The White Trash Cafe

Sadly, this place is now closed, and I learned about it's closing one day when I drove by and the building was repainted beige. I'm sad, not because I'd ever eaten there, but because I never got a better picture of the place, so this one will have to do.

It didn't really have a drive-thru, but on the left, you can see how the owners recreated a fake crash by having the back half of a pink Cadillac appear to smash through the blocks, with a message of "Under Repair."

They were located across the street from one of the entrances to the state fairgrounds. Depending on who you asked, it was a great meat-and-three, or nothing special. I suspect their biggest problem was location.

Small Town Halloween scene

Halloween is one week away! Here is a Halloween decoration I saw in a small town about a year ago. It was seen in the small city of Brighton in Tipton County out in West Tennessee.

Post Card Tuesday: Hotel Peabody

The South's Finest - One of America's Best Hotels
Hotel Peabody - Memphis, TN

The Peabody is perhaps the most famous hotel in all of Tennessee, as it's located in the downtown area of Tennessee's largest city.  While it's famous, it may not be famous for being the finest.  Instead, their famous for the Peabody Ducks.  Every day, the Duckmaster - a position which is taken seriously - makes sure the ducks march their way to their rightful place in the fountain at 11 a.m. and then back upstairs at 5 p.m.

Sadly, this isn't a Tennessee tradition I haven't been able to see firsthand yet.  Luckily, my mom was willing to share this photo she took about 15 years ago as they strutted down the red carpet.



The Peabody website has the entire story as well as some fun facts about their noted practice.

Drink Royal Crown Cola sign - Maryville, TN

Taken from the hill of the Blount County Courthouse, with the row of shops facing Main Street in the background.

"Best by Taste-Test"

In addition to the ad being painted on this brick building, two metal RC bottles were affixed to the wall. The one on the left is all rusty and the one on the right fell off leaving a faded outline of where it used to be.

Bristol, VA NASCAR Mural

Bristol of course has it's own Nascar Race, but the mural mentions the Daytona 500. The mural features Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty. The mural was painted in 2001, the year Earnhardt died. In the background, you may also notice a faded ad for Bristol Grocery Co., which is what this building used to be many years ago.

Confederate Redoubt No. 1 - Nashville, TN

Tucked away in a residential neighborhood in the Green Hills area of Nashville is an undeveloped lot with significance during the Civil War Battle of Nashville. In Dec. 1864, Confederate troops built earthworks here positioned atop this hill providing a view of the state capitol and eventually the union troops as they awaited the inevitable. (if you look closely, you may be able to see some downtown buildings.)

Read the full story from the marker here provided by the Battle of Nashville Preservation Society:
seemidtn.com/gallery/index.php?album=historical-markers%2...

Dixie Cafe neon sign - Selmer, TN

With a menu of Catfish, Chicken, Steaks and Seafood, the Dixie cafe was one of the most popular places to eat in Selmer for 50 years. The Cafe was located along the main road through town, which was also US45/64. The Cafe went out of business in 1997, and a few years later the building was razed while the old neon sign out front was in ruin. In 2006, the McNairy County Historical Society worked to preserve their historical landmark. All of the neon tubing was gone, but it has received a fresh coat of paint and the base is fenced off.

Grand Hotel Wall Ad - Downtown Chattanooga

The Grand Hotel was located in Downtown Chattanooga along Market Street, appealing to Passengers coming to town along the Chattanooga Choo-Choo which was almost across the street. This faded wall ad is on the side of that building which is not a hotel anymore.

The second line says "Fire Proof." Back in the day when that was a major selling point that not all hotels must have been able to claim.

The Old Hickory Triangle Gazebo

The small municipal park at the center of Old Hickory, TN in Davidson County. This Triangle essentially is surrounded by the small central business district of the community that was started for the employees of the nearby Dupont plant, otherwise known as "Rayon City."

Post Card Tuesday: Peabody College

Social-Religious Building, George Peabody College for Teachers, Nashville, Tenn.

Peabody College was one of the many schools in Nashville to help establish our town as the "Athens of the South." The college was founded in 1875. A little over a century later, they merged with Vanderbilt to become their Graduate school for teachers.

This building seen here is still on their campus, and has notable architecture with the dome. It is located a couple of blocks off of 21st Ave.  For more info, see the Wikipedia article.

Gov. William B. Bate burial site

Tennessee Governor William Brimage Bate is buried at Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Nashville, TN. In the Civil War, he became a Major General. He was elected governor twice and served from 1883-87. After that, he was elected to the U.S. Senate four times, but died 5 days into his fourth term.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_B._Bate

Henry County War Memorial - Paris, TN

Located in front of the County Courthouse. Uploaded in honor of Memorial Day 2012.

This monument was originally erected in 1947 as the main entrance to Barton Field. In 1999, the memorial was moved to its current location and soldiers who lost their lives in more recent wars were added.

Would be a pity to miss Rock City

I suppose one thing my photostream is known for is the extensive collection of Rock City barns. I drive the backroads whenever I can and stumble across some that way. However most of the barns that I photograph are already known by the community at large, such as the Rock City Barn book that they commissioned about 15 years ago, or websites such as ohiobarns.com. If it's to be found, then I've found it. Or so I thought.

About a month ago, a reader of my website named Steve wrote me. He likes looking for the barns, too. He found a barn that I missed, the book missed and I suppose everyone who's posted their barn shots on the internet has missed, too. And, it's in my home county! (That's the part that really got under my skin.) It's along US41, just about a mile away from one that I have photographed.

I'm not sure how many times I've driven right past it. There weren't really any trees or other obstructions blocking the view, but the roof is rather rusty making it a tough read.

For those of you keeping score at home, and I'm not sure why anyone would, this is one of over 75 different Rock City barns I have posted to flickr. Would be a pity to miss this barn ever again. Have you ever wished there was a convenient way to find all of the Rock City Barns that are still out there? Well, that's what I've tried to do on my website. On my Map of Rock City Barns page, I have plotted each barn on a Google Map.

Jefferson County Courthouse - Dandridge, TN

This courthouse is one of the oldest in Tennessee, dating back to 1845.

Built by the Hickman Brothers with bricks from McQuistion kiln in East Dandridge, it's a Greek Revival structure that replaced a smaller brick courthouse on same grounds. The construction took much longer than planned due to floods. It is a two story building with a recessed two story portico and a tall tower

The courthouse was almost lost to the ages as the city was going to be underwater as the result of a New Deal era TVA lake, but after discussion, FDR had the town saved by an earthworks levy. At some point in the 1900's the courthouse was painted white and the roof and the shutters and tower top were red. In the late 70's the courthouse front was restored to its earlier appearance and the tree planters were added in the front.

Today, this building is also home to the Jefferson County Historical Museum that proudly displays the 1806 marriage license of Davy Crockett and his sweetheart Polly Finley and an eclectic mix of small relics and artifacts of daily life in early East Tennessee.

Franklin, TN Fire Hall

Located along main street and facing near the Five Points intersection

Greeneville TN Train Depot

This depot was built by Southern Railway and is now owned by Norfolk Southern.

One of the main roads into town goes under the tracks here, but if you drive to a nearby street, you are back at track level. I got out of my car and walked a short distance to get this picture. It's the only time so far a cop asked me what I was doing, but when I said I was sightseeing, the cop was cool about it.

Post Card Tuesday: Clingman's Dome Observation Tower

Observation Tower atop Clingman's Dome,
Elevation 6642 feet
Great Smoke Mountains National Park

I've driven up to Clingman's Dome twice in my life. The first time was about 20 years ago, well before I had my first camera. The next time was 6 years ago, and on that day it was so smoky that there was no point for me to walk to the top.



I don't know how long it has been since the wooden firetower-esque observation deck has been replaced with the modern curvy walk, but it was at least 20 years ago!

Last weekend, I was back in the Smokies, but south of here along the Cherohala Skyway. When you get to those higher elevations, the leaves turn their colors early, and you avoid the bigger crowds.

Cahoots - Fayetteville, TN

Eat in a Jail Cell!

At Cahoots Restaurant in Fayetteville, TN, the owners bought Lincoln County's 18th century jail in the late 80's.

In my opinion, the food was ok, but didn't stand out. I suppose if the food was well above average, this place would be a top ten tourist eatery spot in the state.

Two original cells have been preserved, and each has 2 tables. If you go with the intention of eating in a jail cell, I recommend going during non-peak hours.

Allardt's Pumpkin Festival - Today! Gernt Office & Fentress Co. History Museum

http://nicesingles.com/festival/fest.html

This weekend is the yearly Allardt Pumpkin Festival. Allardt is a tiny town in Fentress County. To go along with the festival is the debut of the brand new and still developing Fentress County Historical Society Museum. This museum is located in the Bruno Gernt Office for the Allardt Land Co., which is on the National Register of Historic Places.



In the late 1800s, Gernt and M. H. Allardt founded a community of immigrant Germans in the Upper Cumberland Plateau at about the same time the British were settling nearby (and today the much more famous) Rugby. German land agent Bruno Gernt envisioned a self-sufficient city here. Gernt sold 9,000 acres owned by the Clarke family of Nebraska in parcels of 25,50, and 200 acres at $4 per acre to farmers, miners, and lumbermen.

The town was laid out geometrically and named for Gernt's partner, M. H. Allardt, who died before settlement began. Gernt recruited skilled craftsmen, professionals, and experienced farmers from Germany, and soon Allardt led the region in production of hay, fruits, and vegetables. For more than 50 years, Gernt never ceased his efforts to have the town of Allardt be all he dreamed it could be, and the community prospered for a time. Today, more than a dozen buildings make up the Allardt Historic District.

My photo above is about 3 1/2 years old. Today, the Lost Jamestown page on facebook posted a new photo of the building. Here is how it looks today! On a personal note, they were nice enough to ask me to use my photo of the Fentress County Courthouse clock tower for the sign, which is a cropped version of this:

The Old Railroad Bridge to Nowhere

The Old Railroad Bridge dates back over 140 years as an important crossing of the Tennessee River between Florence and Sheffield in The Shoals area of Alabama.

Back in 1840, the first bridge at this location opened. It significantly damaged by tornadoes and storms all through the 1850's and eventually that bridge was destroyed during the Civil War.

In 1870, the Memphis & Charleston Railroad decide to build another bridge at this spot. Over the next 120 years, there is quite a lengthy history about who got to use the bridge and changes to the bridges configuration. I'll hit some of the highlights, but below I'll link to a thorough history.

Originally, there was not a method for tall ships to go through, so a drawbridge was installed in 1872 along the northern end. A new drawbridge was installed in 1906. In 1948, the drawbridge was replaced when a turn span was installed. (When the bridge was open to tall ship, this span pivoted or rotated counter-clockwise and had stone piers to rest upon.) In 1962, this segment was changed again to a lift bridge, raising to 350 feet of clearance over the water. In 1988, all railroads abandoned the bridge and the lift section was completely removed.

This bridge not only carried railroads on the top, but also had a lower deck for vehicular traffic. This closed in 1939 with the opening of the O'Neal Bridge.

Other railroads that used this bridge were Virginia & Georgia; Nashville, Florence & Sheffield; L&N; Southern; Around 1903, a streetcar service also used the rails to get passengers from one side to the other and it lasted until 1933.

The complete history is here:
www.oldrailroadbridge.org/index.php?option=com_content&am...

In 1990, a preservation society began in an effort to restore the bridge. The old railroad bed leading to the upper portion of the bridge now has a large gate in front of it, so you can look across it, but go no further. Down below, the access area was cleaned up and the wood that had been rotting for over 50 years was replaced. Today, this lower deck is a pedestrian bridge where you can walk about 1500 feet to where the segment is missing, and then you have to turn around.

Here are all 9 photos in my set
www.flickr.com/photos/brent_nashville/tags/1870railroadbr...

Finally, the Library of Congress has some photos of this bridge dating back to 1976
www.loc.gov/pictures/search/?q=Photograph:%20al1320&f...

Trolley Car @ The Chattanooga Choo Choo

This trolley car was originally built in 1924 by Pearly Thomas Car Works of High Point, NC. The trolley operated along the Canal Street Line in New Orleans until 1960.

It Came to Chattanooga when the Choo Choo opened as a hotel in 1973. It runs most every day giving guests a tour of the complex. During the down hours, the crew works to restore and refurbish the trolley.

Post Card Tuesday: Carthage Cumberland River Bridge

This Real Photo Post Card shows an interesting view of what Carthage looked like from about 100 years ago.

First of all, this bridge was taken from a bridge that looks to me like it was in the same spot of today's Cordell Hull bridge, which was built in 1934. (So this post card is at least older than that.) The bridge has a wooden deck and guard rails that don't look like they could stop much. I'm sure glad bridges aren't like this anymore!

While the Hull Bridge is now closed, perhaps permanently, you can't drive in and get this view anymore. This was made on a winter's day, but even when the trees were in bloom, you could still see the top of the courthouse tower. Below, I have a photo of the Cordell Hull Bridge and the Courthouse Tower.

35 Miles to Beautiful Rock City

This Rock City "Barn" is in a car junkyard on Highway US 11 in Dekalb County, Alabama. US11 is the old highway that runs from Birmingham to Chattanooga. The other side of the barn is a painted ad for Sequoyah Caverns, which isn't too far away.

I've been to this barn before, about six years before. Since then, the roof appears to have some damage along either side. I don't know this for certain, but based on nearby places that were damaged, it could have been caused by the same day of storms that produced the Tuscaloosa Tornado.