Half-Moon

  

   Perhaps no other rock formation in the gorge is as well known as the Half Moon Rock. It has been climbed, repelled, photographed and admired from every conceivable way possible. It is also mentioned in several versions of the Swift journal. The mention is casual to be sure and there are numerous rocks outcrops that could be claimed to be the Half Moon. The one I am familiar with is in the heart of the Red River Gorge.

   The Half-moon rock is located on a ridge parallel to the Chimney Rock ridge spur with a small box canyon between the two massive rock outcrops. They are located at the mouth of Chimney Top creek where it flows into the Red River. This creek is one of the major streams in the heart of the gorge and is full of rock formations.

    The Half-moon rock is mentioned in some of the more prominent Swift journals and some of the oldest versions as well.  While a number on cliff formations can have the shape as described as a half rounded object, this particular one in the Red River Gorge certainly fits the bill.

    Interestingly, a lot of other Swift landmarks are in the general area and certainly a lot of formations that could easily be interpreted as the specific ones that Swift supposedly recalled when recording his journal for the purposes of returning to his hidden mine workings. There is the adjacent Chimney Rock, perhaps the most notable formation in the Red River Gorge. In the distance is the Cloud Splitter. Nearby is the Indian Stairway, Haystack Rock and a host of others that could be the very ones Swift describes.

    There is even a small arch at the Half-Moon which once again fits the descriptors in the Swift legend.

All these beautiful and amazing rock formations have for decades fueled the search for clues to solve the mysterious legend. This is one reason why the Red River Gorge area has been a prime target search area of the the years.

     Though there is no official trail to the Half-Moon rock, thousands hike there every year and scale the backbone of the cliff and the only way to the summit without proper climbing gear. It is a dangerous climb up a bare rock face with nothing to hold to, so extreme care is required to make the summit. In the course of the trip one has to negotiate across the small arch mentioned before and appropriately named the Half-Moon Arch.

The view of the back side of Chimney Rock across the canyon from the Half-Moon

    The Half-Moon rock has always been a favorite of mine and I only return there recently this spring. I must admit the climb seemed more difficult than it did more than 40 years ago. During my visit this trip a local search and rescue group were conducting training exercises at the Half-Moon rock.  They said that they will make several rescues each year in the Red River Gorge. So, be careful if you decide to make the trip. But once you are on top of that mighty rock, the view is breath taking.

  My novel Swift is available in both printed and e-versions.  

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Morel Mushrooms-Treasure of Nature

 This entry was published last March. With a lot of interest in this article I thought I would post again for new visitors to the site. If you are in search of that elusive morel mushroom, Kiowa offers some good advice in this post. 

 Welcome back Kiowa Scott Muncie guest blogging this entry. Those of you who follow this blog recall that Kiowa is one of the true modern day Swift legend researchers. He has made some pretty fascination discoveries and has done extensive research on the legend especially in the Red River Gorge Country of Kentucky. If you have questions about places and landmarks in that area Kiowa is your man to go to for answers. Now all that hiking and exploring it seems that Kiowa has found his share of that delectable springtime treat, the morel mushroom. I love those treats but I have not had much luck in the past couple of years. Since Kiowa has found literally buckets of these beauties I asked him if he would write a piece for the Swift Blog sharing some of his thoughts and knowledge of what the old timers called "dry land fish." Don't worry treasure hunters and Swift fans Kiowa is polishing up his next entry about his Swift search in an upcoming post. While I am on the topic, why not follow this blog by clicking on the right side of this page to follow. Also, please share this site with your friends and others so they can stop by and visit. I enjoy discovering unusual things and sharing them, but also, it wouldn't hurt for me to sell a few books.  Enjoy the post! 

    Well, we've reached the time of year once again when the wind blows warm, trees awake and bloom and the mushrooms pop. Mushroom hunting is a a passion that resides deep inside me from my childhood days of watching my late papaw Woodrow Lacy. He would bring home huge yellow mushrooms from the oil fields he worked. Today I hunt my own though I never got the chance to hunt mushrooms with my papaw. But I feel he's with me every time I find one of these hidden "treasures." I've been hunting the illusive morel for the past eleven years and every season seems to offer a new challenge of the hunt. Each spring begins a bit different than the one before so in order to stay on top of them I decided to learn the ways of the morel mushroom. Nothing with mushroom hunting is set in stone but I'll go over some basic information about mushrooms that may be helpful to the beginner as well as the expert.

    The morel mushroom is a "fungus" and this plays into the most important behavior of the morel. There are a lot of things to factor into the conditions being just right for a morel to fruit. These include air temperature, soil temperature, humidity and rainfall. Mushrooms love rain and I've noticed they seem to get bigger with each rain. Have you ever heard someone say that a mushroom just pops up out of the ground? This has been a big question I pondered in my early days of mushroom hunting. On a few mushroom hunts I would find small mushrooms and decide to leave them until I hiked back through about a week later. When I did this I would always return to find them somewhat larger. This got me wondering, do morels grow? Turns out morels do grow! Research and time lapse video show that morels have a life span of two and a half to three weeks of growth given the right weather conditions. So if your out hunting and find small morels leave them and return later. This will make a difference in your overall yield.  You can do this in places that most people do not hunt. If a lot of people hunt the area you pretty much have to pick them right away or someone else will. This is totally up to the one hunting at the time but really works well in less public places.
    In order to find and understand the morel mushroom I've included a few basic tips than may help you find these wonderful treasures.

    Tip # 1 Perhaps the most important tip for anyone wanting to take up mushroom hunting is to learn your trees! Morels are always found around and under certain species of trees. The morel is thought to be "mycorrhizal." This means they form a mutual relationship with the roots of certain kinds of trees. The trees commonly associated with morels are ash, elm (dead or dying), poplar, sycamore, and apple. Black morels tend to show themselves first in the season followed by the yellows mid way through the season. The most important tip I give anyone wanting to take up mushroom hunting is to know those trees.

    Tip # 2 Always carry your morels in a "mesh bag." Never use plastic bags! Morels asexually reproduce by a spore system and they spread by the dispersal of those spores. The more spores you spread the more morels you'll find year after year. By carrying the morels you find in a mesh bag you drop spores as you stop and go. Something else very important to do is never pick all the mushrooms. Leave the older more dry morels to spore out for the following  years. It is possible to pick a spot dry which leads to my next important tip.

    Tip # 3 Never pull a morel up out of the ground. When you pull the morels up you kill the root system. This root system can extend a few feet to a few hundred yards. This is why if your out hunting and you find one mushroom you will usually find a few more. They are all  a part of this same root system or better known to the mushroom hunter as a "patch."

    Tip # 4 Recognize the weather conditions as well as soil textures. These conditions in the soil have to be just right for the morel to fruit and our mountains here in eastern Kentucky are great for this. We have the right mixture of sand, clay and decaying organic matter. Remember, mushrooms are a fungus so we also have to have the right air temperature, soil temperature and humidity. The area needs to stay damp so always look on the wet side of the mountain. The spring "awakening" of certain trees trigger the mushroom to start it's life cycle and reproduce. When all these conditions are right watch for a good warm rain followed by a few days of 60-70 degrees for the highs and lows in the 40-50 degree range. When you get all these conditions in the right spot you'll likely find mushrooms. This is one reason why the mushroom is considered illusive, timing is everything.

    Some great places to look for morels are old logging sites. They love places the ground has been disturbed in the past. Many of these places can be found in the forests of eastern Kentucky from the logging days of long ago. Also look for places that are disturbed by water. This could be run off from a mountain or the flood plains of a river. Just make sure you have permission before entering any property. Another great place to search for morels are in areas of past forest fires. Burn sites are great and produce the most morels of any site. One of my favorite patches was involved in a forest fire a few years ago and produced 15-20 pounds in one season! The black morels especially love burn sites and usually produce a bumper crop compared to the yellow morels which arrive a little later.

    So after you find your morels it is time to prepare them. I use the most common method of frying them. I get asked quite often on how I prepare my mushrooms. I begin by washing them and cutting each one in half. I then soak them in salt water for about 30 minutes to an hour. Next, I roll them in flour or cornmeal/flour mixture making sure each side is coated good. Then I fry them in lard using a cast iron skillet. I fry them turning them until both sides are crispy. Sometimes I freeze and store the mushrooms for a treat later.You repeat all the steps mentioned above in preparation for cooking but do not cook them. Place them on a cookie sheet and place in the freezer. After they have frozen solid simply put them in a freezer bag and they will keep for months. They taste just as fresh as the moment you froze them.

    The last thing I want to leave with you comes from my papaw. He always said watch the dogwood tree, once the leaves on the dogwood are the size of a mouse's ear the yellow mushrooms are up. I hope everyone has a great mushroom season this year. If you have any questions or comments please feel free to leave them in the box below.   

   

  

Jeptha's Knob and other Craters

    Perhaps 425 millions ago a meteorite nearly a half a mile in diameter slammed into the earth between present day cities of Shelbyville and Frankfort, Kentucky. The giant interplanetary traveler was traveling at an estimated speed of 10 miles per second. That is roughly 36,000 miles per hour! Needless to say, something the size of a small Kentucky town hitting the earth at such a speed was bound to leave an impact and that it did.

Jeptha's Knob near Clay Village in Shelby county Ky

    Perhaps some of you from Kentucky while traveling between Lexington and Louisville on I-64 have noticed the lone hill structure in the vast open flat landscape of the region. The hill is called Jeptha's Knob and is what is left of the ancient meteorite impact. What is now observable is not the typical crater that is most familiar such as on the moon or the famous Arizona crater. What you see actually represents the bottom, center of the crater. You see, geologist tell us that when the meteorite hit the earth the impact is so forceful that he causes the rock strata below to rebound upward and shatter. Over time the familiar surface crater has eroded away leaving only the more dense rebound materials that were once below the surface of the landscape and are still there today in the surrounding countryside.  The Kentucky Geological Survey provide a very clear explanation of this effect here.  You can easily see the circular impact area on the geological map. This is Jeptha's Knob. For years geologists thought the unusual land uplift in the otherwise flat region was the result of volcanic activity. A historical marker nearby claimed as much. In recent times geologists have come to understand the results of an impact meteorite and have completely revised the cause of the structure. The marker is no longer in place.

    A larger and more famous meteorite impact site is located in extreme southeastern Kentucky.  The town of Middlesboro, Kentucky is built precisely in the center of crater created by the impact of a meteorite over a half mile in diameter. It was thought to have landed about 300 million years ago. The crater is over four miles in diameter. Little visible evidence is left today but there is some of the outer crater wall still detectable from aerial  views.  The Middlesboro crater is unique in all the world in the fact it is the only known impact crater that coal has been mined.

View of Middlesboro impact crater

    When you drive down into the noticeable flat plain that most of the town is situated you are in the bottom of the ancient meteorite crater. It is pretty obvious too, since a land area this broad and flat is rare to say the least in the mountains of southeastern Kentucky.
     Though there have been several reported meteorite impacts with some recovered in Kentucky none compare to these large impacts from ancient times which include one more near Versailles, Kentucky. Here we find yet another impact site that for years was mistaken to be the remnants of a large sinkhole, something not uncommon in the central Kentucky region. As it turns out this is the ancient remains of another meteorite impact similar to Jeptha's Knob.
     Not doubt there have been others that have long ago succumbed to erosion and time. However, we do have evidence that we have been hit before and it has been a long time.
    What if one of those ancient meteorites contained precious metals such as say, oh, perhaps silver. Suppose it impacted the earth in some remote place and suppose our legendary John Swift happened to find that heavenly treasure. Of course, there is no evidence what so ever that has happened or even could happen. It does prove however, that pure sedimentary geological activity is not all that has happened in the amazing landscape we call Kentucky.

  We are now in the fourth year of this blog. There have been thousands of visits to the blog site from around the world. I appreciate very much the valuable time that everyone took to visit and look at this blog site. I am especially grateful to those that subscribe and follow. 

   As I have noted many times before, I started this blog site to promote my now not so recent book entitled 'Swift." My aim was and has been to connect real places and subjects related to the book and special history of Kentucky. As time progressed I found myself covering a lot of interesting topics.

     Keeping a blog up and running requires a lot of time and work as any of you know that maintain your own blog site. It is enjoyable and keeps me constantly searching for new adventures and ideas around the state. In recent months the blog seems to have done little to generate book sales, which after all, was my main objective.

   With that in mind I plan to take a break from the regularly scheduled bi-monthly posts. Instead, for the time being I will randomly post articles. This will be the last post for a time. Besides this blog I am involved with another one called B and E's Bee's that is associated with our excellent honey we sell. 

    This blog site will remain live and active. With hundreds of visits each week the blog is popular, especially with treasure hunters. I will respond to comments and will post in the future as well as monitor the site.

     With all that said this entry will mark the last one as I go on break from posting for now.  Please share the contents of this blog to others. Thank you for visiting. Oh, the book is still available at most outlets.

Swift Synopsis

     Now that the book has been out for a year, well it is old news. For those who never heard of the book or thought they might be interested in purchasing their own copy, I thought I would use this post to give blog readers a brief overview of the book.
    First, let me say the book is a historic fiction. It is however, based on historical events and places as well as famous pioneers of Kentucky. It is also based on perhaps the most famous and oldest legend of Kentucky often called "The Lost Silver Mines of John Swift."  This legend has been around since even before Kentucky official became the fourteenth state in 1792.  The Swift mine workings were mentioned in land grants as early as 1788.
     Since the legend claims that John Swift was in the wilds of what might now be Eastern Kentucky in 1769 and Daniel Boone was making his second exploratory trip that same year the two concepts come together nicely. So from the outset of my writing adventure I wanted to be central to the overall story was this important fact. Boone and others never mention searching for silver. John Filson does file the land claim in 1788 and specifically states that a man by the name of Swift worked the mines seventeen years earlier.
    The book is set in modern day and follows the adventures, discoveries and heartbreak of three pals, well a couple and a pal. Will, Jennifer and Ray are the three main characters and by chance make an archaeological discovery that leads to other clues and set them on a race to solve a mystery they are not sure of what it is to begin with.  At the same time this treasure hunt is going on a parallel story is being told about historic events unfolding that left the clues in the first place. Although it appears as a flashback, this book is actually two complete stories being told at the same time. Either story could stand on its own without one word from the other. I had both a lot of pleasure and frustration in compiling this tale under those conditions but believe it is the very best way to tell the story in a novel form.
    The first part of the book is devoted to introducing all the characters and offering explanation of the early days of pioneer Kentucky and how John Swift made his way into the region. The Swift legend is explained and coincides with the early activities of Daniel Boone and John Finley, both recorded in early Kentucky history.
     I did not make up the history nor the legend information. Both have been around for hundreds of years now and much has been written about both. I did imagine, if you will, verbal exchanges, chance meetings and  the assumption the Swift legend has some validity.
    At the same time throughout the book, the main story is being told which features our modern day characters and the hero of the story. In their blunder efforts they begin to uncover clues that they feel compelled to follow up on.  The whole adventure begins with the discovery of a map carved into the rock wall of a sandstone shelter at a well known Kentucky landmark. Containing carvings not unlike many found today put there by early explorers and Indians three friends set out on a quest to understand what the carvings mean. After some efforts in research and inquisition on their part they come to the revelation that the carving represents a map with key markings that can be found actually on the ground if searched out.
    As noted Boone, Finley and others were historically noted to be in Kentucky in 1769. The legend of John Swift also places Swift in Kentucky the same year. Though just a legend this bit of information provided the backdrop for the fiction interface on history. Here is were I take great artistic license if you will.
    In my version of the Swift legend I place Finley as a new found partner to Swift after Swift looses his old friend George Mundy. By the time that Finley arrived on the scene meeting up with Swift on a raft trip down the Ohio River, Swift and Mundy had already hidden their treasure. Will, Jennifer and Ray follow clues and figure out that the map seems to match the Warriors Path. They then learn of Shawnee Town and John Finley. There efforts really pay off when they discover more information in a mysterious cave in Lexington, Ky.
    The whole time the trio are on their grand treasure hunt adventure, Roger Hampton follows causing them much irritation. Being more careful they try to elude his inquires. As the tale unfolds our hero's solve questions that have plagued  treasure hunters for the past two centuries. Eventually the tale and history unravel at a fast pace resulting in mistakes being made by everyone involved and ultimately serious consequences.
    The ending is a surprise and will certainly not be what the ready expected. Now the book relies upon just about every version of the Swift Journal. Some of Kentucky's most interesting early history is included as well. The whole premise of the book really is a "what if" scenario. What if things had happened this way or that way. Swift, is an adventure into our past history and lore.
   You can review and purchase my book  here. Thank you for stopping by and reading my blog. Comments are always welcome so, please, share your thoughts below.. 

Valley of Bones

    One of the most fascinating places of National significance, geologically speaking, has to be Big Bone Lick near Union, Kentucky. Since historic times the place has been known to pioneers, presidents and paleontologist world-wide. Without much doubt the origin of the study of paleontology had its beginnings right here at this world known landmark. Thomas Jefferson, while in the White House had bones collected from the site and shipped back east. Some of these bones are now distributed in museums around the world.

    In Jefferson's day the question as to the origin of these giant elephant like creatures bones had not yet been deduced. The greatest scientists of the day had not reconciled the idea of bones of a known tropical animal had somehow been uncovered in a region that was clearly inhospitable to such wildlife. Yet, here they were and in large numbers. To make matters worse, many of the bones could not be identified with any known, living creature on the planet at that time. Some, including Jefferson, began to conclude that perhaps the species had indeed vanished from the earth.

    There are lots of unusual factors related to the formation of the area that preserved the bones of ancient mammoths, mastodons, bison, horses, musk ox and sloths, all of which now are extinct. It seems conditions were created by the last ice age. As the giant ice sheet that covered North America as far south as the Ohio River area the gradual melt and retreat of the mile thick ice sheet left bogs and swamps behind along with a different landscape. All the melt water run off had to go somewhere. Geologist consider that the Ohio River itself was formed as the trillions of gallons of melt water flowed away from the rapidly melting glacier. The shear weight of the ice sheet pressing down on the earth compressed the layers of rock and water trapped in them.

    The ice age mammals had been forced to move south but apparently they found suitable food sources in the cold climate near the glaciers.  Evidence for that is that is that musk ox are found in the cold north  even today and cannot live in a warmer climate. Deep down in the rock strata-thousands of feet down- below the surface of the earth then and today rocks formed from ancient seas that were once in the area hundreds of millions of years ago. Over time these sediments were gradually pushed down as more layers piled up. Somewhere down there are formations containing large amounts of salt, probably the result of the drying of a salt sea much like that of the great Salt Lake in Utah. At any rate my theory is that due to the tremendous weight and therefore compression of the rock strata, water was forced to the surface of the earth and carried along with it the salts and minerals trapped in those ancient strata.

    Large herbivorous need salt in their diet and would visit the place on a regular basis. They apparently came in such large numbers that they created a quagmire in the valley as they drank up the briny water that nature had uniquely provided under such unusual circumstances.So muddy and messy had the area become that some animals would simply get stuck in the mud and eventually died. It must have been a tormented place to see, yet the need for salt brought more and more some destined to die but most would move on in search for food.

    Time changes everything. The animals decaying bones would sink beneath the mud and eventually fossilized by the very minerals supplied by the amazing springs. Moving for several thousand years the bones along with the dirt, rocks and materials have been covered over with new dirt and rock deposits. The salt springs still survived and continue to pour out the rich salt and mineral  waters which come to the attention of some of the Native Americans that hunt and live in the region. 

    Humans have a need and requirement for salt. It didn't take long for the people of the area to discover the salt springs and would collect salt by evaporating the water and collecting the remaining salt. The whole region was dominated by the Shawnee at the time of the first European contact. It did not take long for early pioneers to locate the salt springs and begin major salt collecting enterprises. Some reports that at one time as much as 60 bushels of salt were collected a day! This was done by boiling the brine water in large kettles. As the water is boiled off the salt is left as a thick residue. The amount of wood to keep such an operation going simply boggles my mind.

    It did not take long for the pioneers to take note of the strange bones that were found washed out of the stream bank and strewn about. It would not be long that word spread back east and eventually to the inquiring mind of Thomas Jefferson. The sitting president was so mystified by the reports of the giant bones that he instructed  Meriwether  Lewis of the famous Lewis and Clark expedition to visit the site and ship back to Washington samples of the various bones. This was the beginning of a serious study of vertebrate paleontology.  No one could explain why elephant bones were found at Big Bone.

     So the name says it all. Big Bone Lick was a salt lick, like many found around the region, most probably resulting from the same ancient geological events as previously mentioned. Big Bone, well this was the place the bones of the largest mammals to ever roam North America first came to the attention of the world and eventually led to the scientific study of extinct life preserved in earth strata. The science of paleontology had its origin right here in Kentucky at Big Bone Lick.

    Today the Valley of the Bones main source of the bone finds and mineral springs are preserved as a state park. A person can walk a well maintained trail through the area that contains, no doubt, many more bones below the surface of the ground. Visitors can also see one of the salt springs that is still pumping up the briny,  sulfur smelling water. There is also a visitor, interpretive center with displays of bones from the site and information about the interesting history of the area. Don't expect to find giant mammoth bones sticking up out of the ground ready to be carried off. The surface area was picked clean decades ago. Paleontologists and archaeologists from major universities have also done extensive excavations and research over the years leading to much of the information we have today. 

Eskippakithiki-Eden of the West

   by Kiowa Scott Muncie

 This is not your usual post concerning Swift, his mines or even his hidden silver, but better yet, about a treasure we all seem at some point take for granted. A certain tract of land here in Kentucky was called the Eden of the West by pioneers passing their stories around campfires describing the magnificent meadow lands of the Indians and the Blue Licks. It truly must have been a hunter's dream if one could brave both the Natives and hardships of the trip across the mountains. What an experience it must have been to explore and hunt the vast unknown wilderness. The history surrounding the old Shawnee village has always peaked my curiosity though I personally do not believe the area is related to the Swift legend. I do believe, however, more attention should be given to this area by state and local archaeological organizations. Doing so would help secure and preserve the history associated to this unique place. This is, after all, the place Kentucky gets is name from.

    Many Indians had their own interpretation of the word Kentucky. The Wyandotte who traveled the Warriors Path called the area "Ken-ten-tah-teh" meaning "land of tomorrow." The Delaware called it a place "among the meadows." The Shawnee who actually claimed the area and lived here called it "Eskippakithiki" meaning the "place of blue licks." This described the many salt licks that were found in the area. I believe this to be one of the main reasons the Shawnee settled here.  The springs sought out and much prized by the Shawnee. One spring named Oil Springs was believed to have healing and medicinal waters. These springs were used by the natives long before Columbus arrived and here within acre are located five mineral springs. It is said that these springs  produce different kinds of mineral waters in claimed to be the only place in the world where this kind of geological condition occurs. Nowadays people seem to easily mistake the name Kentucky to mean "the dark and bloody ground."  This can be attributed to the writings of Kentucky's first author and historian, John Filson. Filson mentions in this book that the place was known to all Indians by that term. Filson also informs the reader that this spot became an object of contention from which it was often called the bloody ground. The area Filson is referring to  may have well been the meadow lands at Eskippakithiki or now commonly referred to as Indian Old Fields.

    Cherokee chief Dragging Canoe told early pioneers at a council meeting at Sycamore Shoals in March of 1775 that a dark cloud hung over the land.The chief explained that there would be great opposition from the northern tribes. Another chief at this same counsel explained that the land they desired was a bloody country going back through the age-old disputes between different warring tribes that claimed hunting rights in the fame rich Red River valley.
    Eskippakithiki (pronounced S-kip-pa-key-tah-key) was located along the well-traveled ancient Indian road known to them as the "Athawominee" or path of the armed ones. In later years up to this day the trail was more commonly called the Warriors Path. The trail crosses the Ohio River near present day Maysville and continued south across the Licking River near Blue Licks. Eventually the trail passes by and through the levels around Eskippakithiki. According to early records the trail divided into two separate paths, one led to the Red River and the other continued south toward the Kentucky River at Irvine. Eventually the Warriors Path passed through the Cumberland Gap.
    The French had established a trading post at the Eskippakithiki site during the time the French claimed all lands west of the Blue Ridge mountains. Reports claim the trading center occupied a space of 200 yards in length by 180 yards wide.The entire trade center was surrounded by a stockade with gates at both ends. In the middle of the trade center stood a large post where criminals and captives were put to death. The Shawnee village houses were scatted and located northward for perhaps a mile to where present day Kidville is located. The Shawnee welcomed trade from both the French and English but would not permit any settlement on their hunting grounds. 

    In 1750 Christopher Gist passed through the village area on his way exploring Kentucky. In my Swift research it seems likely John Swift could have been linked to trade with the Shawnee around 1752-53. If that were the case then Swift would have certainly known of Eskippakithiki. Another famous pioneer/trader the Shawnee welcomed was John Finley. In the early fall 1752 Finley was met by the Shawnee on the Ohio River near Big Bone Lick. They invited him to come trade at their village. By canoe they traveled from the Ohio up the Kentucky River to upper Howard's Creek, then a small path overland to the village. Here Finley built a cabin and a store. He surrounded the store with an entrenchment of palisades for additional protection. 
    From my research I have come to believe that Finley most likely built his cabin and store away from the main trading center on the banks of upper Howard's Creek just below the scarp. During the winter of 1753 a large party of Iroquois and a few Frenchmen traveled down the Warrior's Path on what was commonly known as a war party. Three of Finley's friends who were at the village at the time of the attack were killed. Finley's property was plundered and destroyed. All of his valuable pelts and furs were taken. He fled back to Virginia. This battle fought at Eskippakithiki in 1753 marks the first battle on Kentucky soil between Indians and whites and is said to be the first battle of the French and Indian War.
    Another state treasure is a peculiar landmark that is associated with Eskippakithiki is Pilot Knob named by Daniel Boone to help pilot land grants during the early years of Kentucky settlement. Pilot Knob is a sandstone outcrop that towers nearly 1500 feet above the surrounding country overlooking the area of the old Shawnee village as well as the Warrior's Path. This landmark was called the pigeon roost by the Shawnee and viewed as a pleasant backdrop to the flat meadows against the foothills of Appalachia. I sometimes get lost in thought of what magic Boone must have felt standing on the same overlook taking in the same view that has always renders one breathless.  It was here that history records Boone standing and describing the breath taking view in great detail. John Filson quotes Boone as saying "we found ourselves on the Red River where John Finley had formerly been trading with the Indians and from the top of an eminence, saw with great pleasure the beautiful level of Kentucke,for here let me observe, that for some time we had experienced the most uncomfortable weather as a rehabilitation of our future sufferings, at this place we camped and made shelter to defend us from the harsh season and began to hunt and reconcile the country."  This camp Boone mentions can be found on the trail going up to the overlook. It's located on the uppermost knoll of the backside of the mountain, anyone who hikes up pretty well walks right through were Boon's camp was located. 
    The following day after reaching the knob Boone explored the area of the old Shawnee village finding that the trade center had been abandoned and burned to the ground. In the years since Boon's trip settlement has changed the area to a degree. The land has basically been combed over and over again by historians. 

    Resources have been found useful from the area of Pilot Knob.  Millstones played an important role in the lives of early settlers. A millstone quarry can be found along the mountain of Pilot Knob. A branch of the overlook trail leads to this old millstone quarry. Millstones are made from cutting conglomerate sandstones into circular form for use in the grinding of grains to make flour and various meal. Another important resource was timber. In the mid to late 1800's timber was a big industry in the red river valley. Clay City was home to the largest sawmill in the world at that time. Many of the trees from the Pilot Knob area were processed through the mill destroying the virgin woodlands of frontier Kentucky.
    Located on a ridge named Rotten Point just behind Pilot Knob stood an old lookout tower used in searching for smoke from wildfires. All that is left today of the old lookout tower is the concrete foundation. Two huge radio towers stand there today. 
    Although I do not believe these areas tie into the Swift legend one can hardly avoid studying the history of these places while researching the area. The history of this area is beautiful, colorful and fulfilling. I would encourage anyone who loves to hike to visit these enchanting places. Thanks for reading.




*This article was written by Kiowa Scott Muncie. Kiowa is an avid Swift treasure researcher and hunter. He has contributed articles to this blog before and offers a unique perspective to some of the places that we take for granted. Though we have covered Eskippakithiki before in this blog, Kiowa offers a more in-depth and personal conjecture on the subject. 

    

Red River Gorge Past Years

View in 1948 from end of Sky Bridge ridge looking down on Red River  bridge under construction

    Back in the days after WW II my dad landed a job with the US Forest Service after his discharge from his service in the Army. He went to work in the Red River Gorge, though in those days the federal owned and managed land was called the Cumberland National Forest and the Gorge was simply referred to as the Red River country. The day I was born, dad was working on the concrete bridge at the mouth of Swift Creek. The bridge is still standing there today and as it turns out that bridge and I are about the same age it would seem. Anyway, dad went on to be the chief fire control officer in the Red River district and spent his entire working career devoted to caring for and managing the beautiful gorge area.

    As dad spent many hours marking timber for harvest in those days he would discover new arches and more often than not would name them. Clarence Henson named many, many of the arches in the Red River Gorge area. There were no trails in those days and really few visitor hikers beyond the Natural Bridge area.  Actually, the first and only automobile road was only constructed through the gorge in the late thirties. The region was remote wilderness unlike any other.

Lady Rock is located on Whites Branch and is a little known oddity

        Dad also made a lot of photographs nearly all color slide transparencies of many of the unusual rock formations and arches of the area. Over the past few years since my father's passing mom has been passing along some of dad's slides to me.  Recently, I have finally got around to going through some of his slides and have basically discovered a great archive of historical photos from the forties and fifties reflecting on the Red River Gorge country.

Star Gap Arch

     Through time some of the photographs have faded, collected dust or some are just plane rejects due to over exposure or some other cause. 

The original "balanced rock" or Teetering Rock at Natural Bridge State Park 

    Another amazing thing that dad managed to do was photograph some of the arches and rock formations in the area. I recall on some evenings he would take his collection of slides and go to the state park lodge and present a slide presentation of some of these unusual, wild and remote places to the park guests. He would usually, during the summer months, present these programs on the big porch that wrapped around the original Hemlock Lodge, which is gone now destroyed by fire in 1969. As a little boy, I would often accompany dad to these programs and can still see them going on today.  With that background in mind, I would like to share a few of dad's photographs.  Keep in mind these photos were made as color transparencies in the late 1940's up through the 50's.  Also, I have had to convert to digital and some of the dust and scratches are passed along. But this rare glimpse into what the gorge appeared like just a few decades ago is quite remarkable.

The "Narrows" or Whites Branch arch is the only arch that had a road and  auto traffic. Now closed to  vehicles

Splash dam on Swift Creek a short distance below Rock Bridge in RRG

Original Hemlock Lodge at Natural Bridge State Park in mid 50's. Originally built by L &N  railroad in 1927, burned in 1969

Waitress crew at old Hemlock Lodge mid 50's

Powder Mill Arch, late 60's. Largest limestone arch in RRG. Clarence Henson and Dr. Carl Clark in  photo

Sky Bridge from the road when it was still visible

    As I go through the hundreds of slides in my dad's collection I may from time to time post some that have relevance to the site and the Swift legend. The photographs provide us with a snap shot of the Red River Gorge country from an early time  and reveal just how much things have changed in our lifetime.