On Our Way and Exploring Paris...Tennessee That Is!

Of course, in order to experience a 'found family gathering' in Paris Tennessee as previously reported, we had a bit of a drive to get there.  The distance was about 290 miles...not a particularly long drive for us.

Note:  Tennessee is a long and narrow state.  If one was to drive from the northeastern most point in Tennessee to the southeastern most point, you would cover about 424 miles.

We had skipped breakfast at home before leaving, giving us a good excuse for a meal break and a chance to stretch our legs.  I can't remember where we found this Waffle House location, but I think that it was in Clarksville Tennessee.  There are 124 Waffle House restaurants in Tennessee. 

Waffle House has been our 'go to' road stop in the Southeast USA for many years but, right or wrong we both feel that the quality or consistency has slipped.  Other alternatives are in our future...

This isn't a bridge over the Seine River approaching Paris (France).  Rather it's a bridge over one part of Kentucky Lake approaching Paris Tennessee.  Kentucky Lake is a navigable reservoir created by Kentucky Dam along the Tennessee River.  It has 2,064 miles of shoreline and a surface area of 160,309 acres.  It is the largest reservoir in the USA east of the Mississippi River.  It is connected via a free-flowing channel to Lake Barkley, a reservoir that impounds the Cumberland River and adds another 58,000 acres to this huge dual lake complex.

A short time later, we entered the town of Paris Tennessee.  One of the first things we noticed was this welcome sign topped with a giant blue catfish.  The sign states that Paris is the home of the World's Biggest Fish Fry... To explain this claim, a giant fish fry is held at the Fairgrounds during the last full week of April every year.  Most recently, attendees at this festival consumed about 12,500 lbs. of catfish!  Other events included a carnival, parade, rodeo, a catfish race, arts and crafts offerings, a demolition derby and much more.  For more information, just go to https://www.worldsbiggestfishfry.org/.

Yes indeed, this is the Eiffel Tower!  Paris Tennessee has it's own version of Paris France's original... This iteration of the Eiffel Tower is 60 feet tall.  It is a 1:20 scale replica that was completed in 1993.  It can be found in Paris' Memorial Park.  FYI, there are at least 10 Eiffel Tower replicas in the USA with 32 other nations having replicas of their own. 

 

I 'borrowed' the first photo of the Henry County Courthouse from Wikipedia as it shows how the courthouse appeared before the current and ongoing efforts to refurbish and upgrade the structure.  It was originally completed in 1897.  The city of Paris Tennessee is the county seat.  While the city was named "Paris" in honor of the Marquis de Lafayette, a hero of America's Revolutionary War, the county was named in honor of one of our country's founding fathers, Patrick Henry.

I just had to include a photo of this 40 inch catfish statue that I noted on Courthouse Square.  A total of 15 catfish statues with different colors and decor were placed around Paris in early 2019.  The idea was to add another promotional element to the city's annual fish fry festival.   

 

...and then Laurie found a shop open while I was exploring the town square!  American Honey Mercantile does indeed sell honey...plus quality costume jewelry, home decor, women's and kid's clothing, pantry items, kitchen cooking supplies, pet accessories and more.  This store is located in one of 4 sections of a large 4-bay mercantile structure that was built in 1899.  American Honey Mercantile is located at 108 North Market Street in Paris Tennessee...and Laurie did make a purchase. 

Looking around the Courthouse Square, I thought that this 3-story Italianate commercial building was worthy of a photo.  I like the different color schemes and I love those old windows.  The structure was built ca. 1880.

I was quite sure that I'd photographed these buildings on a previous road trip.  We did wander through Paris several years prior to Laurie learning that she had relatives in the area... (See link to previous blog post at the end of this one)

I may have even previously photographed the Post Office in Paris.  It was built in 1908.  This structure, as well as the previous three buildings as shown above, are all part of the Paris Commercial Historic District.  The District is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.  There are a total of 44 'contributing' structures in the Historic District.  To learn more, you can go to https://npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/88001424.  

This is the James Davis Porter house, which is located at 407 South Dunlap Street in Paris.  The Federal style home was built by Thomas Crawford, a wealthy merchant, ca. 1850.  Porter family in-laws purchased the home in 1859.  The home is most notable as being the residence of Tennessee Governor James Davis Porter between 1887 and his death in 1912.  The home stayed in the family until at least 1972.

In addition to being a 2-term Governor of Tennessee, James Porter also served in the Tennessee Legislature, was a Lt. Colonel in the Confederate Army, then served as a judge.  Under President Cleveland Porter was the First Assistant Secretary of State and later served as the Minister/Ambassador to Chile.  The former Governor also served as the President of the Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railroad for 4 years.

This is the Thomas P. Jernigan House.  This beautiful Classical Revival home was built at 918 Dunlap Street in Paris ca. 1905.  Thomas Jernigan was a banker and investor who grew rich through his investments in the E.W. Grove Medicine Company.  That company prospered through the sale of its well-known patent medicine products, including Grove's Tasteless Chill Tonic and its Laxative Bromo Quinine tablets.

A few years back I posted a blog that included the old Paris railway depot.   It was built in 1891 to serve the Paducah, Tennessee and Alabama Railway...or in 1896 to serve the Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway...too many conflicting dates.  Passenger service was available here until the depot was closed in 1951.

As I researched the history of the depot, I ran across my previous blog post about Paris Tennessee, including the depot.   Apparently I took this photo from the other end of the building.  These days the depot seems a bit more worn out although it is in use as the home of the Paris-Henry County Arts Council.

To view other historic sites in Paris Tennessee that I'd included in my previous post from a little over 6 years ago, you can check out my earlier exploration of the city at https://bigdaddydavesbitsandpieces.blogspot.com/2018/09/on-to-paris-tennessee-that-is.html.

That's all for now.  Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them...

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Found - Family

Both Laurie and I are interested in our family histories and we've gathered a plethora of family related items, articles and documents over the past few years.  In addition, off and on we have subscribed to and participated in both the Ancestry.com as well as 23andme.com on-line sites.  While it is interesting to learn that our genetic roots lead back to Scotland, England, Germany, Ireland, Sweden...and most recently Iceland in my case, the real payoff takes place when you discover family and begin communicating with them...    

What better way for us to start a 13 day road trip than to actually visit 'found family', in this case via 23andMe... So off we headed to western Tennessee to meet Laurie's 'found' cousin, Meggen, and her family!

This is Meggen's family's home which is just a bit south of Paris Tennessee.  The family lives out in the country on a nice piece of property.    

I took this photo of Laurie and Meggen shortly after we arrived.  Meggen had just gotten home from work and apparently Belle (the pointer) was really happy to see her.  

Meggen and her husband Bradley have a lot of critters...and both Laurie and I love critters.  Tucker aka "Tuck" is more or less the 'house dog' and his favorite place for cuddles is in Bradley's lap.

This is Bravo.  Despite the presence of so many canines, he is about as 'chill' as a cat can be.  Its like he owns the place!

Meggen and Bradley's farm includes a flock of chickens and one very busy rooster.  Laurie has always wanted chickens but 'sadly' our POA doesn't allow for farm animals.  We both do love fresh eggs and Meggen told Laurie that almost all of her chickens lay eggs with a greenish tint.  FYI, Laurie almost never buys white eggs...

Meggen and Bradley live on a nice parcel of land...wooded acreage with plenty of pasture land and privacy.

Lots of dogs!  This is Gabby and he is an old boy.  When Meggen and Bradley bought the farm, Gabby had been living there for quite a while...so he actually came with the farm.

While both Bradley and Meggen also work elsewhere, he in manufacturing and she in health care, they raise Katahdin sheep on their farm!  Neither Laurie or myself had ever heard of this breed.  This breed was developed by a breeder in Maine...so it is an American breed.  They are a cross-breed involving African Hair Sheep with various meat breeds, principally the Suffolk.  

The Katahdin breed are easy-care sheep.  In addition, they are resistant to many common parasites.  They grow a hair coat with little wool which molts naturally in the spring...no sheering needed.  Meggen and Bradley raise them for their high quality meat, selling off all of their lambs every year.  Meggen does have 4 sheep that have been given names...and those will not be sold!

Note the large black and white sheep in the middle of this photo.  It's the ram in the middle of his 'ladies'.  He is a Dorper ram...the Dorper being a South African breed that was created by the South African government to breed a meat sheep suitable to the more arid regions of that country.  While his 

'harem' of Katahdin ladies average 145 lbs., Dorper rams can weigh 230 lbs.

When raising sheep, goats or other small farm animals, coyotes abound in Tennessee so its a good idea to provide them with a protector.  In this case he is a Great Pyrenees whose name is Buck.  Buck does like a bit of human attention, especially if one of us would pick the burrs off his coat, but he is not a house dog...not his thing.

When owning a farm with critters to care for, an ATV is pretty much a necessity!  Meggen and Bradley rode down from the house to check out their flock of sheep.  They drove the ATV and we rode down to the pasture on a golf cart. 

After visiting the family at the farm, we headed into Paris Tennessee for a family dinner and gathering...

We got together with everyone at Moustos Pasta and Grill.  This restaurant is family owned and has been in business for over a decade.  With over 1,400 reviews on TripAdvisor, the restaurant has a 4.6 out of 5 rating.  As the focus was on meeting 'found family' I didn't take photos of the food, however both the food and service were very nice.  This restaurant has 2 locations in the area now, with another one opening soon.  Website: https://www.moustospastagrill.com/.  Unfortunately, this restaurant's website doesn't feature a menu which is a bit strange.   

Our family gathering included Meggen's son Collin, his wife Jordan, Meggen's mother Alice, then my better half Laurie, Meggen's son Alex at the head of the table, then Bradley and Meggen, then their son Sam...and at the end of the table their son Isaac with his girlfriend Kimora.

One final photo from our visit with Laurie's found family.  Laurie is at the left, then Meggen, and then Meggen's mother Alice.  Alice's mother was Laurie's grandmother's older sister on the paternal side of Laurie's heritage.

It was great meeting everyone and we loved the farm visit with all the critters.  The family has an open invitation to come and visit us at the eastern end of Tennessee!

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them...

Thanks for stopping by for our family gathering!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave and Laurie

Focusing on Railroads...Depots and a Little History (#3)

OK, I'm back at it...into my series that revisits groups of my favorite road-trip railway depot photos.  Moving a bit further back in my blogging history, this group of photos begins in early 2019 and ends in mid-2018.  Of course some of the most interesting depot photos I've taken were of derelict depots with interesting architecture...some of them quite massive.  But I decided to go with the positive photos.  I hope that railroad and railway depot fans agree with me...

This classic railway station with the covered portico is located at the Shelburne Museum near Burlington Vermont.  The depot once served as the original depot for the town of Shelburne.  The station was built in 1890, serving passengers for both the Central Vermont and Rutland Railroads.  It was designed by the same architect who designed the nearby Vanderbilt-Webb estate.  The founder of the Museum, Electra Havemeyer Webb and her family frequently used the depot for their trips to New York City.  Rail service to Shelburne ceased in 1953 and Mrs. Webb had the station moved to its current location at the museum. 

Note: The steam locomotive peeking out of its protective shed, No. 220, was built by the American Locomotive Company in 1915 for the Central Vermont Railway.  This locomotive became known as the 'Locomotive of the Presidents", as it powered special trains carrying Presidents Coolidge, Hoover, F.D. Roosevelt and Eisenhower.

The Shelburne Depot also serves as a railway museum.  Exhibits include waiting rooms for men and women, the stationmaster's office, telegraphic equipment, maps, historic photos, early telephone equipment, and much more.

I thought that this classic little railway depot was built for the township of Milton Maine in 1873.  It was constructed by the Maine Central Railroad.  Further research indicates that it served as the Depot for Jay (The Bridge) Maine.  I did find a post card showing this depot, that was dated in 1914.  At the time we stopped by this 512 sq. ft. structure was listed for sale at $50,000.  I discovered that it sold for $42,500.  Someone new now owns a little piece of railway history.

The Gilead Maine Railway Station was built in 1851.  It is the oldest known surviving railroad depot in the State of Maine as well as the oldest surviving depot that served the former Grand Trunk Railway.  It was relocated to the town of Auburn Maine for about 20 years but it was returned to Gilead in 2001.  It is maintained by the Gilead Historical Society.  In 1850 Gilead had a population of 359 but now its down to 195. 

The Grand Trunk Railway was founded in 1845, connecting Montreal Quebec Canada to Portland Maine.  It provided a means to ship goods to Montreal via an ice-free port during the winters.  The railway operated the route until the 1920s.

During our New England road trip a few years ago, we drove through St. Johnsbury Vermont.  That's where we discovered this large and very eye-catching former railway depot.  At one point in the mid-1800s, St. Johnsbury became a junction for east-west and north-south rail lines.  In 1883 the Connecticut and Passumpsic Rivers Railroad and the St. Johnsbury and Lake Champlain Railroad joined in the construction of this big French Chateau-style station.  The depot now serves as a Visitor's Welcome Center and it contains the town's municipal offices.

This former railway station in Rockland Maine was built in 1917 by the Maine Central Railroad.  It is the eastern terminus of the Rockland Branch, a state-owned track connecting Rockland and Brunswick Maine.  The Maine Central operated passenger service to this depot until 1959.  For a while, until 1996, it served as Rockland's City Hall.  Currently, it is occupied by a restaurant.

Still moving in reverse order by date...and in this case during our road trip to New England a few years ago...the depot shown in the 2 photos above is located at Boothbay Maine's Railway Village.  

The founder of the Village decided that he had to have a place for his collection of railway memorabilia and, in 1963, he discovered that the nearby Freeport Maine railway station was up for sale.  So he bought, had it cut into 9 sections and then moved each section 50 miles to Boothbay.  Then it was reassembled and it now is the centerpiece for the Railway Village.  Originally it was built by the Maine Central Railroad Company in 1912.

During our New England road trip, as we cruised through Alton and Alton Bay New Hampshire, we noted a collection...a gaggle of little railroad depots.  There were 4 small depots in total and this one had the most curb appeal.  

This particular depot once served as the Loon Cove New Hampshire combination passenger and freight station.  The depot was built in 1891 by the Concord and Montreal Railroad and it served that railroad's Lake Shore Line.  When the line was shut down, the depot was modified and used as a private residence until 2005.  Today all 4 depots are part of the Boston and Maine Railway Park in Alton New Hampshire.

Moving south, this is the old Railway Station in East Stroudsburg Pennsylvania.  This depot was built in 1856.  The name on the Depot is a bit confusing, but that was the name of the restaurant that occupied the building when we overnighted in Stroudsburg.  It now appears that the restaurant has closed and it is being used as an event center, for live music, etc.

The depot was originally built by the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad.  Passenger service ceased in January of 1970 when the railroad discontinued their "Lake Cities" service.  The structure was partially destroyed by fire in the early 2000s but the community rallied and it was rebuilt and refurbished.  In the Spring of 2021 Amtrak announced plans for a New York - Scranton Pennsylvania route so there is hope for renewed rail service.  Some of Scranton's Steamtown National Historic Site's excursion trains do stop here.

As we followed along our route in the Pocono Mountains we crossed a bridge over a railroad track and Laurie caught a glimpse of a little railway depot down in the hollow below us.  This is the former Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad's Cresco Depot.  Thanks to its preservation by a local businessman, it now serves as the Cresco Station Museum.

The Cresco depot was completed ca. 1880.  The Poconos became a summer refuge for city dwellers and, a little later on, a destination for skiers in the winter.  I'm guessing that this photo of the depot, (right side of the picture), was taken sometime in the early to mid-1920s.  At its peak the depot processed up to several trains per day and up to 1,000 passengers.  The depot was closed in 1968.  The local historical society now maintains and operates the museum.

This stone railway depot with is pillared passenger platform is located at a very historic spot in American history.  The Valley Forge Train Station is located on the grounds of the Valley Forge National Historic Park.

The station was built in 1911 by the Reading Railroad.  It was the point of entry for most visitors to Pennsylvania's Valley Forge State Park.  The depot was built using the same type of stone that was used to build Washington's Headquarters at Valley Forge.  

The State Park was established in 1893 and it was Pennsylvania's first State Park.  Passengers arriving from Philadelphia disembarked here to visit the park.  The depot continued to operate through the 1950s.  Valley Forge became part of the United States National Park System in 1976.  The structure is now being used as a museum and information center.

Getting somewhat closer to our home in East Tennessee, this handsome 2-story railway depot near downtown Hagerstown Maryland, was built by the Western Maryland Railroad in 1913.  The second photo, which was taken from a postcard dated 1915, shows the depot in use during its early days.  This then new depot had replaced an earlier single story depot.  Western Maryland Railroad's tracks had reached Hagerstown by 1872.  Passenger service to the city ended in June of1957.  The former depot now serves as Hagerstown's Police Headquarters.

This last entry in my third edition revisiting handsome or eye-catching old railway depots, skips over to Decatur Illinois.  This is the former Wabash Railroad Station and Railway Express Agency building. These buildings were built in 1901 in the classic-revival style.  It is now serving as the Wabash Depot Antique Centre.  

This photo of Decatur's Wabash Railway Depot and Railway Express Agency buildings is dated ca. 1907.  The buildings were actually two different structures built to look the same and joined in the middle.  It is a bit mind-boggling but by 1907 as many as 72 passenger trains stopped at this depot every day!  Passenger service by Wabash's successor, the Norfolk and Western Railroad ceased in 1971.  Amtrak started a new service here in 1981 but it was short-lived, as it was discontinued in 1983.

That's all for now... Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them.

Thanks for stopping by for this glimpse of railroad history.

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave