{"id":13802,"date":"2013-07-28T08:32:10","date_gmt":"2013-07-28T13:32:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.howderfamily.com\/blog\/?p=13802"},"modified":"2021-12-09T07:41:39","modified_gmt":"2021-12-09T12:41:39","slug":"kentucky-water","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.howderfamily.com\/blog\/kentucky-water\/","title":{"rendered":"Kentucky Adventure, Part 4 (Power of Water)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I noticed a common theme intertwined with water as we explored the southern tier of Kentucky, from Lake Cumberland to Mammoth Cave: water as an historical and modern source of power; water as a recreational activity; water as an obstacle and water as a force of nature. The Cumberland River and the Green River, both tributaries of the Ohio River, ran tendrils throughout the areas we traveled as we moved towards the west.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Mill Springs Mill<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Mill Springs Park<\/a> sat along a side-road on Lake Cumberland’s southern side (map<\/a>). The Cumberland River cut steep banks over millennia along that southern flank, and over those walls rushed streams forming waterfalls. It didn’t take settlers long to figure out how to harness that fortunate confluence to their advantage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Mill<\/a>
The Mill<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

An 1817 mill lent its name to the community of Mill Springs, while the mill itself went by a somewhat more redundant name, Mill Springs Mill. As implied by its title, the mill with its huge waterwheel harvested the power of a spring-fed stream as it rushed towards the Cumberland River. It ground grain into flour and cornmeal, as it still does on weekends for historical demonstrations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Mill<\/a>
The Battlefield and Cemetery<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The site also provided a name and played a small role in the Battle of Mill Springs<\/a> during the Civil War. That battle isn’t known particularly well today although it was important at the time. Fought in January 1862, this was the first battle of any significance won by the Union army. The Confederate general, Felix Zollicoffer, established winter quarters at the mill before moving to the northern side of the Cumberland River where the battle took place and where he lost his life during his defeat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The distance between the mill and the battlefield isn’t long as the crow flies. Today, however, a large lake stands in the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Wolf Creek Dam and National Fish Hatchery<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

That interceding lake is Lake Cumberland, and it was created by the Wolf Creek Dam in the 1950’s both for flood control and for hydroelectric power. It took most of a day to drive around the lake in a complete circle, albeit at a leisurely pace with plenty of stops along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Wolf<\/a>
The Dam<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

One of those stops included the Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery<\/a> at the base of the dam (map<\/a>). Trout raised for sport fishing by the Fish and Wildlife Service started as eggs in incubators then moved to indoor tanks and finally into outdoor raceways as they grew in size before being released. Fish food was available for sale at the visitor center. The kids enjoyed watching the scrum as fish devoured each handful tossed their way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Green River Ferry<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A couple hours west, on the grounds of Mammoth Cave National Park<\/a>, we took a short ride on the Green River Ferry<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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