L&N Caboose 6339 - Big Sandy, TN

Located in a mini-park in the middle of the small town

Cheatham County Courthouse and Lamps (Oct. 2014) - Ashland City, TN

The front of the Courthouse which is seen here serves as the main entrance with two columns and was built in 1914. An older section of the building is behind the front part and was built in 1869. If you view large, the words "Cheatham County Courthouse" appear above the front of the building. There is no "town square" in Ashland City, but this building faces the intersection on TN12 and TN49/249. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. The County Jail was added to the back of the courthouse in the 1980s.

This visit was made during October 2014 when the county placed some Breast Cancer Awareness Month decorations on the grounds. These include a pink ribbon on the lawn, a pink wreath above the main entrance and pink bows on the lamps.

Patriot Park - Covington, TN

From the Covington Parks webpage:
www.covingtontn.com/Departments/Parks.htm
This park was dedicated on Nov. 11, 2004. Centerpiece to this park is an A-4L Skyhawk Attack Bomber. This bomber was utilized extensively during the Vietnam Conflict and was developed to provide better ground attack and support services.

Ooltewah Baptist Church

Located in Ooltewah, TN. It's just fun to say Ooltewah.

The church building is nice looking. It opened in 1962.

Dunbar Cave Lake (From Inside the arch)

Dunbar Cave is a scenic State Natural Area in the middle of a residential area in Clarksville, but a hundred years ago it was a rural tourist destination.

At one time, a resort hotel operated here. More significantly, the opening of the cave became a popular party spot for big bands in the 1930's and 40's. (So popular, that Roy Acuff bought the area in 1948).

Caves tend to maintain a nice cool temperature, and having lots of people hang out by the entrance would be a cool place on a hot summer evening, plus the rock formations around the entrance make for a nice bandshell. The springs from the cave were dammed to make the picturesque Swan Lake.

The typical picture of the area shows the triple arches of the white concrete. As soon as I got here, I went down there, and there was nothing there. It looks like it should be an entrance, but it isn't. Instead, it's purpose from the big band era was to hold up the concrete dance floor. The reason the arched area was made accessible was so you could walk the nature trail along to the other side of the lake. The actual entrance is of course above the arches.

Today, Dunbar Cave is owned by the state and operated by the State Park service.

Stix - Nashville Public Art

Located in the 8th Avenue Roundabout near the Music City Center is Stix, Nashville's tallest piece of art. Stix is a collection of about 30 70-foot painted cedar poles. It is meant to be an homage to the painted wooden artwork of local Native Americans.

It's height might be impressive, but it still drew the ire of local watchdog groups who complain of its 3/4 of a million dollar price tag.

Shiloh Indian Mounds Site

It's unusual to think that on an old historic site in rural West Tennessee contains an even older historic site, but that's what we have here.

The site is located near the Tennessee River in Hardin County. Archaeologists believe indigenous people used the mound as a burial site from around 1000-1450 AD. Later on, the Civil War Battle of Shiloh took place in and around the Archaeological Site.

The Shiloh Indian Mounds Site has been labelled a National Historic Site independent of the Shiloh National Military Park. For more info: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiloh_Indian_Mounds_Site

The Old Mill - Pigeon Forge

In the early 1800s, this gristmill was built on the Little Pigeon river in what was then a small mountain community of Pigeon Forge. The mill, which was built to make meal and flour for the locals still does that today. The Old Mill even furnished electricity for the town until 1935.

In 1830, William Love dammed the Little Pigeon and started construction on the mill using 40' long yellow Poplar logs.

In those days, the mill was the hub of local activity and now, 180 years later is one of the most popular tourist spots around the Smoky Mountains. The adjoining restaurant is also one of the most popular in Pigeon Forge. The Old Mill is also on the National Register of Historic Places.

Stay on TENN58 and SEE Beautiful ROCK CITY

Stay on --> TENN58 and SEE Beautiful__ ROCK CITY

This is a few miles north of Chattanooga on highway TN58 inside the Hamilton County line. not far from Georgetown, TN

Update: It appears the part of the barn with the word ROCK has been replaced with new wood since this photo was taken.

Norfolk & Western #675 - Bluegrass Railway

Seen at the Bluegrass Railway Museum in Versailles, KY is the N&W Diesel Locomotive #675 which is now used for most of their excursion trains. The Class GP-9 Engine was built by E.M.D. of General Motors. It was donated by Consolidated Coal Corporation of Pittsburgh PA. She was restored at the Mid-America Locomotive Works in Evansville, Indiana, painted in N&W freight black and placed back in operational service in 2007. 675 is equipped with dual control stands, both of which are still operational. This allows the engineer to run the locomotive from either side of the cab.

When I was in the process of lining up this photo, a museum employee asked me to hold my pose so he could photograph me photographing the train. I guess I ought to ask them if I can get that picture from them. :)

Cumberland Mountain State Park Stone Arch Bridge

Also known as Byrd Creek Bridge, this concrete stone arch bridge is the centerpiece of the Cumberland Mountain State Park near Crossville, TN. Here, a dam was built on Byrd Creek forming a lake on the southeast side. Highway TN419 carries the seven span bridge which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Cumberland Homesteads Historic District. Byrd Creek Dam is the largest masonry structure ever built by the Civilian Conservation Corps. Here is the text of the nearby historic marker:

Men of the Civilian Conservation Corps' Company 3464 built this unsuspended bridge between 1935 and 1940, for a 30-acre impoundment of Byrd's Creek. Three thousand five hundred and fifty cubic yards of dirt and rock were excavated and the core, containing 8,000 tons of concrete, is faced with Crab Orchard stone for the 319-foot span. Seven spillways, rising 28 feet above the stream bed, carry the 18-foot roadway approximately 16 feet above water level.

Huntsville Madison County Veterans Memorial Aviator Statue

The Huntsville Madison County Veterans Memorial Foundation dedicated this Aviator Statue on Veterans Day, 2015. The statue's face was modeled after Marine Captain Trey Wilbourn who died in Desert Storm. The bronze statue was created by local sculptor Dan Burch.

For the full story:
whnt.com/2015/01/19/huntsville-mother-eagerly-awaits-dedi...

Hickerson's Motel Court

Located along Nolensville Rd. (US31A/41A) in the Woodbine area of Nashville. There used to be several Motels through this area, but these days it's probably not the kind of area you'd want to stay in. I'm not aware of any other motels near here. If you're familiar with the area, it's across from Phonoluxe record store, which I was always looking at and missing this cool old neon sign.

Rock City's Fairyland Caverns: Cindarella

After spending some time trying to see seven states and various unusual rock formations, visitors to Rock City finish their visit along the Enchanted Trail by enjoying the sights of Fairyland Cavern.

When Fairyland Caverns first opened, most of the scenes consisted of their gnome collection and related decor fitting a fairy tale theme, all moved into a new section of the park that needed a purpose. Then in the late 40s, Rock City hired Atlanta artist Jessie Sanders to create the glow-in-the-dark scenes from popular fairy tales and these are the scenes that still exist today.

The first thing Mrs. Sanders crafted was a deer that stands next to Snow White. From there, she created individual displays for different tales. Other than the first two scenes (which depict a mother reading bedtime stories to the children and then the children asleep with "Dream Fairies" flittering about) she was given free reign to create the scenes as inspiration struck. As the figures were cast from her Atlanta studio, they would be shipped to Rock City and installed after another artist, Marcus Lilly, would paint the backdrops. Jessie's husband Charles also helped create many of the props that are seen today.

After Jessie Sanders spent about a decade creating all of the vistas along the main hallway, she envisioned her most elaborate display in 1958. Mother Goose's Village was to be a large room with a miniature mountain, adorned by a castle, and many fairy tale characters seamlessly placed together to save the attraction's best for last. After six years of construction, the fantastic finale was opened to the public in May, 1964 delighting young and old since.

On my website, I have created a gallery entitled "A Tour of Rock City" where I not only have tried to photograph each individual display in Fairyland Caverns and much of Mother Goose's Village, but all the other wondrous scenes at the beloved tourist attraction.
seemidtn.com/gallery/index.php?album=chattanooga%2Frock-city

Stones River Battlefield: Entrance to Civil War Cemetery

The Stones River National Battlefield is a park in Murfreesboro, TN along the Stones River in Rutherford County, TN. The park commemorates the Civil War battle that took place here on Dec. 31, 1862 and Jan. 2, 1863. The park was established using public and private funds, with significant help from the NCStL railway, and is now under the oversight of the U.S. National Park Service.

To see all of my Stones River Battlefield pictures, Look Here.

The entrance to the Park and the cemetery across the street are on Old Nashville Highway, which many years ago was the Dixie Highway.

Elliston Place Soda Shop interior

Interesting painting / artwork plus jukebox control tableside.

Clinton, TN Train Depot

This passenger train station was originally owner by Southern Railway. The tracks on the right are active and still in use by NS.

Third Baptist Church - Nashville, TN

Located in the Buena Vista neighborhood in Nashville, this congregation is now known as the Hopewell Missionary Baptist church. The brick building dates back to 1909 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

Cold Water Falls - Tuscumbia, AL

Cold Water Falls is the world's largest "man-made Natural Stone Waterfall" to be known in existence. (Personally, I don't know what the difference in a natural stone waterfall and other man-made waterfalls might be.) The waterfall is 80 feet wide and 48 feet tall. It was constructed over 120 days using 1,780 tons of local Colbert County Sandstone with the largest stone weighing 77,000 pounds. Every day 4,320,000 gallons of water flows over the falls.

This waterfall is located at Tuscumbia's Spring Park and the Big Spring would be the highlight on this spot if not for the waterfall. Michael Dickson of Tennessee settled here ca. 1817 and in 1819 the town was laid out centered near the Big Spring. Tuscumbia was originally named Ococoposo, which is Chickasaw for Cold Water. Spring Park was established in 1919. To the right of this spot, there is a fountain in the lake with 50+ jets which performs a weekend show at dusk. Spring park also has a small railroad, carousel and kiddie roller coaster.

TVA Cumberland Power Plant

Located in Cumberland City, TN along the banks of the Cumberland River, this power plant produces the most electricity in the TVA system. At 1,001 ft, these two chimneys are two of the 50 tallest chimneys in the world, and among the five tallest when constructed in 1970. The plant is also built at the site of the Wells Creek Crater, a large meteorite impact site from long, long ago.

Old Bartow Co. Courthouse - Cartersville, GA

Cartersville, GA has two courthouses. I wouldn't call the ornate 1903 courthouse "new" but it replaced this one as the current courthouse still.

This building was built in 1873, but eventually was moved. Since the courthouse was near the tracks, trains blowing their whistles would interrupt court proceedings.

Not too long ago, this older courthouse opened as a local history museum after presumably sitting vacant for a while.

Partially obstructing the view is where Church Street now has a bridge over the railroad tracks. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Shelby Park Follies: Concrete Water Fountain Shelter - Nashville, TN

Usually, when people think of a folly, the usual definition is of a foolish act or mistake. The other definition as it applies here is an ornamental building with no practical purpose, built in a large garden or park.

The following text describing this shelter and the other Shelby Park follies is taken from the city of Nashville's website on the Shelby Park Master Plan:
www.nashville.gov/Portals/0/SiteContent/Parks/docs/planni... (large file download)
Original features built in Shelby Park included several architectural “follies” or fanciful, picturesque structures. One was the Dutch Windmill. Built for the park opening in 1912 on what became known as Windmill Hill, it was a full scale interpretation of what
one might have imagined in Holland. The tall structure allowed visitors to climb an exterior staircase and enjoy expansive views of the park. The windmill burned in 1940. The Lake Sevier Boathouse (1912) was constructed of wood & concrete and designed to look like the prow of a riverboat. Paddle boats and canoes were available for rental at the boathouse, which also offered views of lake and surrounding area from an upper deck. The water fountain shelter (1912) near the Lillian Avenue entrance is the only folly still standing today, and is the most fanciful of several cast concrete structures in the park designed by E. C. Lewis.

McLemore House Museum - Franklin, TN

The Harvey McLemore house was built in 1880 with Colonial Revival architecture. Five generations of the McLemore family lived here until 1997. Today the house is on the National Register of Historic Places and is the McLemore House African-American Museum.

From the Historic Marker:
Hard Bargain
In 1873, W.S. McLemore subdivided 15 acres, which he called "Hard Bargain" because of a difficult land deal struck in 1866. Hard Bargain became a stable community, largely African-American. The Harvey McLemore house on this lot, built in 1880, was the home of a successful ex-slave and his descendants for 117 years. To the north stands the Franklin Primitive Baptist Church, organized in 1867, and Mt. Hope Cemetery, begun in 1875. On the east stood St. John's Episcopal Church, the church's Negro mission, and a tobacco warehouse. Due south was the 1910 subdivision of Franklin banker E.E. Green and the Green Street Church of God. On the west stood Folk Town, a row of shotgun houses, now a playground.

L&N Caboose #369 - Guthrie, KY

Guthrie, KY is a city that became important because of the railroad. Over the years, L&N main lines intersected here, such as the one from St. Louis to Nashville or the one from Louisville to Memphis. Honoring the town's railroad history, they display this caboose in a small city park.

L&N is no more, but there are plenty of trains in town. CSX runs along the old St. Louis to Nashville line. The smaller RJ Corman Railroad also has a major presence in town.

Blues City Cafe neon sign - Memphis, TN

Blues City Cafe - Beale St. Memphis
The neon alternates between the three forks.

Cheatham County Bicentennial Trail Bridge (Road View)

This view is from Chapmansboro Rd. from where it crosses Sycamore Creek.

This bridge was originally built in 1901 by the Tennessee Central Railway as they extended their rail line from Nashville west to Clarksville. Around 1990, the tracks west of Ashland City were abandoned and soon many people wanted to convert the old rail-bed and this bridge to a pedestrian trail. With a partnership between the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy and the Cheatham County Parks Department, the Cumberland River Bicentennial Trail was built and it utilized the old bridge. (The trail parallels the Cumberland River but actually crosses Sycamore Creek.) The iron Parker through truss bridge with a length of 550 ft. was built by American Bridge Co.

For other views of this bridge: www.flickr.com/search/?sort=relevance&text=cumberland...
For the full story: www.railstotrails.org/news/recurringfeatures/trailmonth/a...
or: www.cumberlandrivertrail.org/history.htm

Old Man in the Mountain

See it? The front of the rock looks like a face!

The name of this rock formation dates back to a time when people were easily entertained. It's located near Chattanooga atop Lookout Mountain and the recently revitalized Stone Bridge Park. When I first visited this spot eight years ago, the entire park was so overgrown with vegetation, that the Old Man rock formation was the only thing worth seeing here. Since all of the overgrowth has been cleared out, the entire area looks nicer.

Railroad Mural - Paris, TN

This mural depicts an Orange and Yellow locomotive pulling a brown caboose which is chased by a couple of anthropomorphic dogs with their pizza and beer. If you'r wondering why there'd be pizza and beer in this mural, it must have been commissioned by a local pizza place. The name PAPA J (not Papa Johns) was painted on the train, and then painted over in a different shade of orange.

In Paris, the railroad went right down the middle of Fentress St. and is seen along the street in this picture. The 1896 NCStL depot is just down the street a couple of blocks.

Bradford - Doodle Soup Capital of the World

Never heard of Doodle Soup? Then you probably haven't been to Bradford. The simple answer is it's chicken broth with vinegar, sometimes served with spice. I'd go into more detail, but this Tennessee Crossroads video goes into better detail:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJ1InpT0c-s

This sign is located along old US45E on the south side of town.

Sumter County Courthouse - Livingston, AL

The courthouse was built in 1902 and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The two-story Beaux-Arts style structure is red brick with terracotta architectural elements over a stone foundation. It is topped by an domed cupola. The courthouse is centered in a large public square that is enclosed within an iron fence.

Upper Wetumpka Falls - near Ledford Mill

Recently, I posted some photos of Ledford Mill and the waterfalls on their property. If you ever visit them, make sure to also see Wetumpka Falls which is only 1/4 mile away. The city of Tullahoma is only three miles away but technically this is in Moore County and Lynchburg.

Along Shipman Creek Road is a small paved pull-off which can hold 3 or 4 cars and you can see the waterfall from the creek.

There are two parts to the falls, the smaller upper part is a five foot tall tiered section and the main waterfall is a 15 foot plunge into a tiny slot canyon. I've been told that there used to be a moonshine still by the upper part several decades ago, so you might see someone call this Moonshine Falls.

Getting to the top is done via a short but steep and muddy trail up the right side of the stream. getting up close to the main plunge is easy as you can get as close as you want as long as your willing to walk up the stream.

I enjoyed this waterfall but it was not without its costs. I brought with me two cameras, my Canon EOS 50D for these still photographs and a Canon Powershot SX40 for HD video. As I was setting up for one of these photos, the SX40 fell out of my pocket into the stream and it was completely soaked, but only for a few seconds. I didn't get home for several hours, but I had that camera dry in a bag of rice for a couple of days but it still wouldn't power on. :( If you'd like to see the final video I ever made with that camera, which is of Wetumpka Falls, look here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=roV9EWrplSY