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Saturday, December 31, 2016

Market Street Bridge & Aquarium

Chattanooga Landmarks: Market Street Bridge & Chattanooga Aquarium

Chattanooga Landmarks: Market Street Bridge & Chattanooga Aquarium

Seen from across the Tennessee River soon before sundown.

Friday, December 30, 2016

Pulaski Gobbler

Pulaski Gobbler

More and more cities are coming up with a town mascot, which is then being made into artistic statues. It used to only be big cities that did this, like Nashville and the catfishes. Then, some of the smaller towns did it, also, such as Pulaski, TN and their Turkeys, since they have large flocks of wild turkeys walking around the countryside.

When I first found these, there was a website where I could look up the name of each painted turkey, but I can't find that link any more.

Rock City Barn at Legacy Farms

Rock City Barn at Legacy Farms

First of all, I would like to thank my best friend Will C. for letting me upload his photo. While I am eager to visit this place and take a photo like this, it might be a while before I ever get the opportunity to visit this venue.

Legacy Farms is often used as a wedding venue south of Lebanon, TN along highway US231. I am not sure if it is the featured attraction out here, but this barn with a Rock City advertisement makes for quite an interesting photographic spot at their farm. Looking over their website, many professional photos are taken with this as the backdrop.

Rock City is well known for their advertising program of hand-painted barns, but they had plenty of hand painted billboards over the years, such as the one seen here which has now been affixed to this barn at Legacy Farms. As is frequently the case with hand-painted billboards, the message changed at some point over the years and as the newer message begins to fade, some of the older words are showing through.

See Rock City topped by a curved rainbow was commonly used as their logo in the 1980's, often on a pastel background like powder blue of yellow. Rock City's billboard program dates back to 1946, but Alvin the mascot, who is part of the older advertisement, wasn't created until the 50's. The older message includes "Fun in your future at..." Along the bottom, it says "Kids love Mother Goose Village" which is the large room at the end of Fairyland Caverns and was finished in 1964.

Rock City Barn at Legacy Farms

Thursday, December 29, 2016

Savannah Theater - Savannah, TN

Savannah Theater - Savannah, TN

The historic theater is located on the court square behind the Hardin County Courthouse.

Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Leucistic Peacock

Leucistic Peacock

This peacock was seen at the Jackson, MS Zoo. Since it was all white in color, I figured it was an albino. However a true albino peacock would have a pink colored eye and be quite rare. It is more common to be Leucistic which means it is mostly white but not all white.

Tuesday, December 27, 2016

Waterfalls of Fall Hollow in Lewis County

Fall Hollow photo #4

When travelling the Natchez Trace Parkway through Lewis County, TN, there is a small parking area for a small scenic stop known simply as Fall Hollow.

From the parking lot, it's a 100 foot walk along a paved sidewalk to a wooden observation deck. From here, you can see the upper half of the Fall Hollow Waterfall, where you can see the water tumble about 30 feet. There is a second stream right next to it that tumbles just as far and they meet just a few feet below.

Fall Hollow photo #3

The official paved trail stops here, but in another 5 minutes of steep hiking, there is much more to see. As you leave the overlook, and walk along the top, unless it's dry season you'll see another 30 foot waterfall of side drainage. From here you can make a steep decline to the area below and if you make a left, you get to a small bridge crossing the tiny trickle and look up at this smaller falls.

Still at the base but off in the other direction, you see what I think is the best site here. The two streams that we saw merge from the observation deck now free falls 20-25 feet into a small pool below. Behind this is a small grotto where you can walk behind the falls.

Fall Hollow photo #1

Monday, December 26, 2016

Hartford & Slocomb Railroad #913

Hartford & Slocomb Railroad #913

Hartford & Slocomb was a shortline that operated 22 miles of track near Dothan, AL until 1992. Now, this engine is seen at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum in Chattanooga. This Alco RS-1 was built in 1950 and was one of ten built originally for the Atlanta and St. Andrews Bay Railroad.

Sunday, December 25, 2016

Welcome to Tennessee: Ardmore AL/TN Border at Christmas

Welcome to Tennessee: Ardmore AL/TN Border at Christmas

The town of Ardmore lies on the Tennessee / Alabama border, although more of the town is in Alabama. At this spot, State Line Rd, (also TN7 and old US31) crosses under the train tracks at the state line. In 2000, This sign and an Alabama sign on the other side of the tracks were placed.

For Christmas, the town adds a decoration up the hill, going with the train track theme. With the Santa Railroad, he has his own tinsel train.

Saturday, December 24, 2016

Christmas Tree at Opryland Hotel lobby

Christmas Tree at Opryland Hotel lobby 2015

This Christmas tree is made up of red and white flowers that spiral to the top. It is located inside the lobby of the main entrance to Gaylord Opryland Hotel.

Friday, December 23, 2016

Cades Cove: Cable Grist Mill

Cades Cove: Cable Grist Mill

Cades Cove at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most popular destination in the United States most visited national park. The isolated valley was the home to many early settlers and today several of those sites are well preserved. An 11-mile, one-way loop road circles the cove, offering motorists the opportunity to sightsee the wildlife, scenic beauty and historic district structures on the National Register of Historic Places at a leisurely pace.

One of the most successful -- and enduring -- grist mills in the cove was the John Cable Mill, built in 1867-68. He had to construct a series of elaborate diversions along Mill Creek and Forge Creek to get enough water power for the mill's characteristic overshot wheel. The mill, which processed logs, wheat and corn and was originally operated by millwright Daniel Ledbetter, continued to function in some fashion until the 1920s, and was still in use when the Park was formed.

Thursday, December 22, 2016

Eldorado Motel - Nashville, TN

Eldorado Motel - Nashville, TN

The historic Eldorado Motel sign is perhaps Nashville's least known neon treasure. I was unaware of this gem until reading Historic Nashville Inc.'s Civil Rights Walking Tour Brochure where it is stop #27.

This is located at 2806 Ed Temple Blvd. (Down the road from the Ted Rhodes Golf Course.) The actual motel was torn down ca. 2011 and only the sign remains. Go see it while you can - I had to park at the golf course and walk. It's also off the road a bit, so it's easy to miss.

Dr. Martin Luther King and Harry Belafonte spent the night here in Sept. 1961. King's Southern Christian Leadership Conference had arranged for Belafonte to perform at the Ryman Auditorium and they spent the night here.

Even if there was no associated history, it's also a fantastic neon sign. It's a little worn down but most of the neon tubes are intact. There's a couple of flags up top. The neon word Pool is on a pool shaped part of the sign. Likewise, the neon T.V. is on an old black & white television set.

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

The last Sassafras Mill Boiler in the U.S.

The last Sassafras Mill Boiler in the U.S.

This is located along highway TN18 in the small Hardeman County, TN town of Hickory Valley. According to the marker:

Sassafras Mill
1920 - 1974
This is the boiler portion of the sassafras mill that operated in Hickory Valley. It took native sassafras roots and processed them into an aromatic oil used in medicine, perfume, and flavoring. A man with a mule regularly dug a ton of roots a day and was paid $14.00. One owner promoted the mill by paying his workers with bills dipped in the oil. In its final years of operation, the Hickory Valley sassafras mill was the only one in the United States.

Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Opryland Hotel Christmas: Musical lights

Opryland Christmas 2015: Musical lights

Located in the Opryland Hotel Garden Conservatory are these large decorations hanging from the ceiling. They are a large music symbol surrounded by a ring of white Christmas light strands.

Monday, December 19, 2016

Central Christian Church - Murfreesboro, TN

Central Christian Church - Murfreesboro, TN

This church building is on the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing property to the East Main Street Historic District in Murfreesboro, TN. Here is a description of this house from the brochure entitled "Explore Historic Murfreesboro - A Walking Tour"

404 East Main Street
The Central Christian Church (1912) is the town’s best example of Neoclassical design, including the dome, Ionic columns, and pedimented entrances. The sanctuary is a perfect square with semicircular seating rather than the usual center aisle arrangement. The floor is canted (sloped downward) as in a theater to focus on the altar and chancel area.

Sunday, December 18, 2016

Owen Bradley Park - Music Row - Nashville

Owen Bradley Park - Music Row - Nashville

Located in a small park at the Music Row Roundabout is this bronze piano-playing statue to prominent songwriter Owen Bradley. The statue to the architect of the Nashville Sound was dedicated on October 19, 1999 and was created by artist Gary Ernest Smith. The statue is in the middle of a circle made of bricks, with the titles of his famous songs around the edge. The sheet music in the statue highlights two songs, Sweet Dreams and Crazy.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owen_Bradley

Saturday, December 17, 2016

Maxwell's Big Star - Bolivar, TN

Maxwell's Big Star - Bolivar, TN

Apparently, Maxwell's Big Star was at one time a chain of grocery stores in and around west TN, but the location in Bolivar at the town square seems to be the only one still around.

Friday, December 16, 2016

Merry Christmas from Smyrna

Merry Christmas from Smyrna

Every year, my hometown puts this decorative Santa lighting upon their welcome to town sign on the south side of town along US41.

Thursday, December 15, 2016

Remains of Lockeland Spring Water bottler

Remains of Lockeland Spring Water bottler

In the pioneer days of Nashville, Col. Robert Weakley built his mansion at a spring. His mansion was named Lockeland in honor of his wife's family name, and the community that sprung up around here became Lockeland Spring. (The mansion was where Lockeland Elementary School is today, where there is also a historic marker.)

At the beginning of the 20th Century, businessmen wanted to sell the water. at the St. Louis Exposition in 1904, the Lockeland Springwater won a prize for its "unique mineral composition and salubrious quality." Eventually, the springwater company went out of business, and the bottling plant went out of business, and this spot remained vacant for many decades.

In 2010, the property was deeded to the Metro Nashville Parks Department with a goal of making this historic site a place to be visited again. Only the foundation of the building remains today. Much of the overgrowth has been cleared out, nature trails have been established and a couple of footbridges over the stream have been built.

The best way to get here today is at the entrance along South 19th St. @ Oakhill Dr. where there is room for a couple of cars to park on the side of the street. While there is no parking, there is an entrance for locals at the end of Woodland St. There may be an entrance from the back of Lockeland Elementary School. There are also plans to extend a trail from Shelby Park around the golf course into this area.

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

B.B. King Statue - Memphis

B.B. King Statue - Memphis

This 1996 statue of B.B. King, as well as a statue of Elvis are located inside a visitors information center in downtown Memphis.

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Hazel Path Mansion - Hendersonville, TN

Hazel Path Mansion - Hendersonville, TN

Hazel Path is a mansion on the National Register of Historic Places located in Hendersonville, TN. An office park has surrounded in just off of US31. Today, the mansion is used for lawyer offices.

Here is the history from a Civil War Trust marker:
Hazel Path Mansion is associated with the beginnings and legacies of the Civil War in Tennessee. The home of Confederate Gen. Daniel Smith Donelson, completed in 1857, became a camp for escaped slaves during the war.

Donelson was the grandson of Pioneers Daniel Smith of Rock Castle and John Donelson of Nashville. From the age of three, after his father's death, Daniel Donelson lived with his uncle, Andrew Jackson, at Jackson's Hermitage plantation. Donelson graduated from West Point in 1825 but served less than a year in the U.S. Army.

Before Tennessee seceded in 1861, Gov. Isham G. Harris appointed Donelson a general of state troops and asked him to locate sites for fortifications. Fort Donelson, on the Cumberland River, was named for him. He became a Confederate General in July 1861 and served under Gen. Robert E. Lee in western Virginia. Donelson then served under Gen. Braxton Bragg in the 1862 Kentucky campaign and led a brigade at the Battle of Stones River at the end of the year. On April 17, 1863, Donelson died of natural causes while in charge of the Department of East Tennessee. He is buried west of here at the Presbyterian Church on Gallatin Pike.

Donelson's widow. Margaret Branch Donelson, returned in July 1865 to find the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands (Freedmen's Bureau) occupying the plantation, which had been a contraband camp since the Battle of Nashville in December 1864. About 900 former slaves had lived there, growing crops, cutting timber, and operating a sawmill. Mrs. Donelson petitioned President Andrew Johnson for the return of her property. Johnson agreed because her father, North Carolina Gov. John Branch, had been kind to him in his youth. The Berry family owned the house from 1886 to 1978.

Monday, December 12, 2016

Opryland Hotel Christmas: Guitar Decoration

Opryland Hotel Christmas 2015: Guitar D

Suspended from the ceiling at Gaylord Opryland Hotel's original Garden conservatory are four large guitars.

Looking for last minute Christmas presents with one of my photos set to a Bible verse? Check out this link to my Zazzle store. Available as Prints, posters or greeting cards.

Sunday, December 11, 2016

Lindsley Avenue Church of Christ - Nashville, TN

Lindsley Avenue Church of Christ - Nashville, TN

Lindsley Avenue Church of Christ is a historic church at 3 Lindsley Avenue in Nashville. The Late Gothic Revival building designed by architect Robert Sharp was built in 1894 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. According to the Register's nominating form, "The Lindsley Avenue Church of Christ, a late Victorian Gothic-style building with a great deal of ornate architectural detailing, is unique in Nashville for its decorative exuberance on a church of its scale."

Saturday, December 10, 2016

Cairo Rosenwald School

Cairo Rosenwald School

This historic school house has worn down a little bit, but I think the building looks happy.

The historic marker is seen next to the school in the picture, but it must have originally been located at the intersection of highway TN25 and Ziegler Fort Rd. The school is down the road from the entrance to Bledsoe Creek State Park in Sumner County. Here is the text of the marker:

Located 2.6 miles south of here is the Cairo Rosenwald School. Completed in 1923, it provided educational opportunities for African-American children until 1959. Funding for the school's construction was provided by the Rosenwald funds. The architectural plan followed the standard Rosenwald School design for a one-teacher African-American school. Closed in 1959 due to the consolidation of schools, this building has remained in use as a community center. The Cairo School building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Friday, December 9, 2016

U.S. Post Office - Nashville Arcade

U.S. Post Office - Nashville Arcade

The Nashville Arcade is a downtown shopping center that dates back to 1902. It is modeled after an Italian shopping arcade as it's a bunch of shops along this two-story alley with a roof but open air. There are a few restaurants and retail stores along with a vibrant arts community. Then there is this post office labelled as Uptown Station with an Art Deco facade.

Thursday, December 8, 2016

Nashville's 2010 Christmas Tree & Courthouse

Nashville's 2010 Christmas Tree & Courthouse

Every year, the city's Christmas Tree is in the Public Square and the Davidson County Courthouse and Public Building is in the background.

For more info on this Courthouse, look here:
www.flickr.com/photos/brent_nashville/3358741495/

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Main Street Trading Post - Oakland, TN

Main Street Trading Post - Oakland, TN

Oakland is a small town in Southwest Tennessee in Fayette County.

Tuesday, December 6, 2016

Stone Hall - Nashville, TN

Stone Hall - Nashville, TN

Stone Hall was built by Dempsey Weaver Cantrell soon after the "1916 Great Fire" of Edgefield in Nashville. The home is constructed of hand-hewn pure dove limestone quarried on the Cantrell farm. Stone Hall takes its name from the sixteenth century home of the Cantrell ancestors in England. (Of course, there is a double meaning since the home is made of limestone and it overlooks the Stones River.)

Today, the 1918 Colonial Revival home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was acquired by Metro Parks in 2007 and connects to the Stones River Greenway.

Monday, December 5, 2016

Gibson GuitarTown - Carter Family

Gibson GuitarTown - Carter Family

In 2004, Gibson Guitars started the Nashville GuitarTown project which placed decorated Guitar statues (such as this one) around town. Then in 2006, the guitars were auctioned off for charity.

The Carter Family guitar is named "They Started it!" which is written down the neck. Other messages are "Keep on the Sunny Side" and "You owe us Big!" The Artist was Sheila Bartlett and was originally placed in 2004 in front of the CMT building on Commerce St. Now, it appears along Music Row in front of Curb records next to the Johnny Cash guitar.

Sunday, December 4, 2016

Christmas Tree at Huntsville's Big Springs Park

Christmas Tree @ Huntsville's Big Springs Park 2015

Seen at Huntsville's Big Springs Park in 2015, where several local companies and organizations have decorated trees.

Saturday, December 3, 2016

Huntsville Turntable & Blue Boxcar

Huntsville Turntable & Blue Boxcar

Located at the Huntsville Depot Museum is this vintage railroad turntable. Just to the right is the depot's roundhouse which has been converted to an event venue. Also shown here is a blue boxcar.

Friday, December 2, 2016

Fisk Memorial Chapel

Fisk Memorial Chapel

According to the historic marker:
Fisk Memorial Chapel, designed by New York architect William Bigelow, was erected in 1892 in memory of General Clinton B. Fisk, a founder of the University. The religious and cultural center of the campus, the Chapel has welcomed foreign dignitaries, outstanding concert artists, and renowned lecturers, such as Booker T. Washington and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Fisk Memorial Chapel

The Chapel is the home performance site for the famous Fisk Jubilee Singers. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Fisk University Historic District.

To learn more, here is the history section on their website:
fiskmemorialchapel.com/History/History_of_the_Chapel/

Fisk Memorial Chapel

Thursday, December 1, 2016

Mary Kate Patterson Home - LaVergne, TN

Mary Kate Patterson Home - LaVergne, TN

West of the Old Nashville turnpike stands the home of Mary Kate Patterson, a Confederate spy. She assisted Capt. Henry B. Shaw's Coleman's Scouts, a Confederate cavalry unit and spy network that served the Army of Tennessee, from 1862 to 1865. She befriended Federals and obtained passes to Nashville, where she secured supplies and messages to smuggle to the Scouts in her buggy's false bottom. Her brother, Everard Patterson, also served in the Scouts. Her family sheltered and fed Confederate soldiers, signaling them by an arrangement of louvers and lanterns in the windows when it was safe to come in for medical help and hot meals. She was among the last to see neighbor and fellow spy Sam Davis before he was captured and killed in November 1863. She lived at this house until her death in 1931.

For her full story, check this story from the Murfreesboro Post:
www.murfreesboropost.com/the-unsinkable-mary-kate-cms-27343

Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Opryland's Country Christmas Snowman Musician

Opryland's Country Christmas Snowman Musician

Opryland Hotel doesn't have just any snowman for their Country Christmas celebration. Their snowmen have tree limbs for arms. Plus this one can play the banjo and the harmonica!

Monday, October 17, 2016

In the news: 2016 Nashville Nine released

Every year, Historic Nashville Inc releases their list of Nashville's Endangered historic places.

Check out the list here.

Included on the 2016 list is Fort Negley:

Gates to Ft. Negley

Also on the 2016 list are Crescent Amusement Company bowling alleys:

Madison Bowling neon sign

Madison Bowling sign at Night

Donelson Bowl

Friday, September 30, 2016

Gray's Neon Sign - Franklin, TN

Gray's Neon Sign - Franklin, TN

Gray Drug Co. was a longtime drugstore located along Main St. (US31) in Franklin. Frank Gray Jr. had the sign installed in 1952 at a cost of $860.

In 1998, the Pharmacy closed, and a new tenant operated here as Gray's Cards and Gifts. Up until then, GRAY was in the blue space below Rx and DRUGS was the vertical portion. That store closed six years later and the building remained vacant for nearly a decade.

In August of 2013, a new establishment took on the Gray's name as Gray's on Main restaurant opened up in the 1876 building. For the opening, the sign was restored and it now works again!

Gray's Neon Sign - Franklin, TN

Thursday, September 29, 2016

Southern #630 Ready to Depart - Railfest 2013

Southern #630 Ready to Depart - Railfest 2013

Railfest is the annual celebration at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum in Chattanooga, TN. This year as part of the celebration, they offered Southern Railway 2-8-0 #630 as an excursion round trip to Cleveland, TN. .

This locomotive was built in 1904 by the American Locomotive Company Richmond Works. It was restored to operation at TVRM in 2011 and is now part of Norfolk Southern's 21st Century Steam program.

You can see quite a thorough collection of photos of #630, the Missionary Ridge Local with Southern FP7 #6133, and other rolling stock on the grounds. This gallery is on my website here:
seemidtn.com/gallery/index.php?album=chattanooga%2Frailfe...

Also, I took video and put it on youtube:
Just the steam train departure seen here: youtu.be/QVBCATNnTQI
That, and more footage of the steam train: youtu.be/85iljPK1TfY
All the steam footage, plus the Missionary Ridge local: youtu.be/AhCCpvO41iM

Wednesday, September 28, 2016

A. Schwab's Dry Goods Store Neon Sign - Beale St.

A. Schwab's Neon Sign - Beale St.

A. Schwab dry goods store is the only remaining original business on Beale Street in Memphis, TN. Their motto is "If you can't find it at A. Schwab, you're probably better off without it!"

Established in 1876 by Abraham Joseph Schwab, a Jewish immigrant from France, the store is a local tourist attraction with two floors of shopping and, between the first and second floors, a small balcony which houses the Beale Street Museum, a collection of Beale Street memorabilia along with several items and records of the Schwab family, which ran the store until 2011. It began as a men’s haberdashery, transitioned to a dry goods store, and later evolved into a seller of quirky merchandise. Products include various hoodoo items, assorted dry goods, and tourist memorabilia. A. Schwab's was also the retailer of the largest overalls in the world which sold two pair a year. The overalls were so large they hung from the ceiling.

A. Schwab's Dry Goods Store - Beale St.

A. Schwab, the oldest store in the Mid-South, is housed in the oldest remaining building on Beale Street. The store was founded at another location on Beale Street and moved to 163 Beale Street in 1911 and expanded into 165 in 1922. Both of these buildings were constructed before 1890. Prior to the expansion, 165 Beale housed a Piggly Wiggly. The building is part of the Beale Street Historic District which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1966.

The neon sign has a badge that it was made by Artkraft of Lima, Ohio. A second label mentions the H.A. Balton Sign Co. of Memphis.

Would you like to see more photos from Beale street? Check out the Beale Street gallery

Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Humboldt, TN Confederate Statue

Humboldt, TN Confederate Statue

This statue is located in Bailey Park on the east side of town and faces 22nd Ave (US79/70A). The monument which honors CSA soldiers from Gibson County was built by the local chapter of the Daughters of the Confederacy. It was carved by J.J. Snyder of Eclipse Marble Works in 1914. The statue was originally located along Main St. but later moved here.

Here is the Smithsonian writeup of the statue:
Figure of a Confederate soldier standing at parade rest. He wears a uniform consisting of a hip-length coat, trousers, boots, and a brimmed hat. The bearded figure holds the barrel of a rifle with both hands. The butt of the rifle rests in front of his proper right foot. His proper left foot is slightly forward and bent at the knee. The tiered granite base includes four columns around a central block of granite.

Monday, September 26, 2016

Jackson, TN City Hall (New)

Jackson, TN City Hall (New)

Built in 1996, the new City Hall with its notable concave window-capped entrance is located across the street from the Madison County Courthouse. The prior occupant of this block was Jackson's multi-story First National Bank building which was imploded in August, 1995.

Sunday, September 25, 2016

The hand of man reaching up for the hand of God

The hand of man reaching up for the hand of God

Located at the entrance of Brentwood United Methodist Church