Tag: NoDestination

NoDestination: I75, Exit 154


Driving north to Pittsburgh, Pa., I found myself needing to refuel. I was not anticipating my fuel stop a possibility for NoDestination, but as I stood putting 87-octane into my car I noticed a historic marker in the lawn between the Shell station and the KY-36. I suppose the moral of this story is that you never know when you might see something worthy of visiting and that you should always take the opportunity to inquire.

Marker #725 “A Civil War Reprisal” tells the tale of an Aug. 1864 execution of three Confederates in retaliation for the guerilla murder of two Union sympathizers. Interestingly, the three were held in Lexington prior to their execution but were brought to the Owen/Grant County area (home of their victims) to be executed. According to E. Polk Johnson’s 1912 A History of Kentucky, the executions were performed by firing squad.

NoD: Raven Run

Raven Run Nature Sanctuary in Nov. 2009

Nestled along Fayette County’s Kentucky River-front is Raven Run Nature Sanctuary. This 734-acre complex is unknown (and unvisited) by most Lexingtonians, but those who visit are so appreciative of its existence.

Off Jack’s Creek Pike (which is off Old Richmond Road, which in turn is off Richmond Road at Jacobson Park), Raven Run features over 600 species of flora and many varieties of fauna as well. The ten miles of hiking trail are all relatively easy and intertwined so that a variety of scenes can be visited in a single afternoon. It is remarkable to think that this site was purchased by the city in the 1960s as a landfill site. Under construction is a new Nature Center (scheduled to open in spring 2010) which will be LEED certified.

One of the most popular destinations is the Kentucky River Overlook (pictured above and below). At the Overlook, there are two ledges from which to enjoy the view. The upper ledge is more accessible, but the lower ledge ( only by a few feet) is often ‘uninhabited’ and allows for a much more peaceful moment. In fact, I have been known to visit on an early Sunday afternoon as a “church alternative.” Unfortunately, my recent visit (pictured above) was only slightly late – the peak change in fall colors had already passed. Pictured below is a much greener visit from June 2007).

Raven Run in June 2007


UPDATE/CLARIFICATION: The Jack’s Creek Landfill (a/k/a Raven Run Landfill) operated from 1969 until 1972. The official closure occurred following a 1971 fire and subsequent covering with dirt for reclamation, but additional deposits were left after that time. Oil and sludge deposits exist on the site, which is within the boundaries of the Nature Preserve.[Source]

No Destination: Middle Creek Battlefield

I traveled down the Mountain Parkway to a court hearing in Pikeville. The trip took me through Pike, Floyd, Magoffin, Wolfe and Morgan counties – counties unvisited on No Destination. Still, I had to get where I was going and had work to deal with when I returned to Lexington, so a leisurely drive was not possible.

Notwithstanding, I did pull off the road in Floyd County when I spotted a Civil War battlefield. Dressed in a suit, I couldn’t venture down either the Union or the Confederate Trail, but the small Middle Creek National Battlefield was a worthy visit. Admittedly, I had never before heard of the Battle of Middle Creek, but according to the signage (and a little Googling) it was relatively significant.

President Lincoln believed that keeping Kentucky in Union hands was an important task and the outnumbered Union troops pushed the Rebels back into Virginia during the January 1862 battle. The Union troops were led by Col. James A. Garfield. Garfield, who later became our twentieth President, was promoted to brigadier general as a result of the victory at Middle Fork.

Encompassing 450 acres, the Battlefield officially opened in 2004. The land was donated by the family on whose land the battle was fought (they have owned the land since 1798). Though only signage and trails now exist, plans are in the work for additional facilities. A great step for historic (and battlefield) preservation!

No Destination: Frankfort Co. Courthouse

Yesterday, the facilities committee of the AOC announced great news for the Franklin County Courthouse. The 1835 Gideon Shryock-designed structure (and the historic Good Shepherd Catholic Church) will be preserved in the creation of the new Franklin County “Judicial Center.”

This blog – particularly Nate’s Kentucky 120 Project – has touched on the creation of judicial centers at the expense of historic downtowns and city centers. Strike Franklin County as a win for historic preservation!

A rendering of the “new”courthouse is below (photo from: kentucky.com). Additions made in the mid 1900s will be torn down and new wings will be added to the 1835 structure. The old Catholic Church (c. 1858) is expected to be a non-profit center. At one point, authorities considered adaptively reusing the church itself as part of the courthouse (housing two courtrooms).

No Destination: Morehead

Once off campus, there is very little to see in Morehead. The “old” courthouse (not that old) is now an Arts Center. It is clear that the Center is uncertain what to do with the old jail – a neo-gothic structure behind the old courthouse that was constructed as a Works Progress Administration in 1938. Peering in its only window (on the door), I saw the following:
Additionally in Morehead, the First Christian Church has a forty-foot (diameter) labyrinth on its grounds that is open to the public. Walking the seven-circuit path – with St. Francis of Assisi in its center – was a wonderful experience at the end of a long day during which I saw so much (family, Cave Run Lake, the old Frenchburg School, the gravel road).

No Destination: Morehead State University

Morehead State University has a surprisingly beautiful campus. Sure, it has its traditional campus-like, Soviet-era bunkers (including one that is probably a six-story cylinder). But it also has nine buildings on the National Register which were build from 1926-1932 in a “Collegiate Gothic” design.

The school was begun as a Christian school in 1887 and when through various lives before it became MSU in 1966. Pictured above is the Camden Library (c. 1931); below is the clocktower in front of the library.

No Destination: Olive Hill (& Beckham County)

My initial reaction in seeing the old East Carter High School: imagine climbing all of those steps! Now the Olive Hill Historical Society, there is a mural showing the history of Olive Hill directly below this picture. From the mural, you learn that the Chesapeake & Ohio railway came through town from 1910 to 1971 and that the town was established in 1861.

For 90 days in 1904, Olive Hill was the county seat of Beckham County. Beckham County (originally to be called Hardscabble County, later Goebel County) was named after the Governor who signed it into creation on Feb. 9, 1904. Citizen Zimmerman, upon receiving a tax bill of $75.00, soon challenged the county’s legitimacy. Joined by Carter County (who did not want to lose the tax base), the Kentucky Court of Appeals ultimately dissolved Beckham County (finding it unconstitutional under Kentucky’s 1891 Constitution which geographically restricted the formation of new counties) on April 29, 1904.

No Destination: Pactolus

Pactolus. I’ve been here so many times. My father-in-law’s family was one of the founding families of the church (Pactolus Methodist) pictured above, c. 1922, and the family remains in the area.

Iron furnaces around this part of the state were quite common and it is believed that the Pactolus furnace (no longer in existence, last blast in 1835) was the first in the state. This unincorporated community is considered a part of Grayson.

No Destination: Grayson

At the convergence of the AA Highway and Interstate 64, the formerly sleepy town of Grayson is busy. Main Street (pictured above) is quiet as the new main strip is the Carol Malone Blvd. (named after an opera singer from Grayson). It was founded in the early 1800s by salt makers and was originally known as Crossroads, but the community was renamed Grayson when it became the county seat of Carter in 1838.

The town is also home to my wife’s family and Kentucky Christian University. I will return to Carter County many times with many more posts.