Crockett, Shiloh, and Reelfoot

Sunset precluded us from visiting the Crockett Museum yesterday here at David Crockett State Park. We stopped in on our way out of the park this morning and enjoyed the outdoor sections since we were too early to go indoors. A few birds, like this hawk, were interested in checking out the human visitors from their outdoor aviaries.

Housed in a replica gristmill, the museum front porch was lined with signs illustrating Davy Crockett's biography.

We learned that, as a Senator, Crockett severed ties with President Jackson and the rest of the Tennessee delegation over the proposal to remove Indians from their ancestral lands. Had he won that debate, the suffering of Native Americans along the Trail of Tears might have been averted.

Getting on the road, our first stop was in Savannah at the Tennessee River Museum. The small museum had an interesting assortment of historical items related to the history of the area and the role played by the Tennessee River. An old trail map on the wall was of interest to us because it showed a point near our home marked as Eno (the river that passes through our neighborhood) rather than Durham. We crossed the Tennessee here and continued west.

A short detour allowed us to visit the Shiloh National Military Park. A solemn place, the Battlefield commemorates the soldiers in a major civil war battle.

Stone markers, cannons, and signs showing where troops were located and battles fought illustrate the 1862 battlefield. Much like Gettysburg, it is a place for quiet reflection. We found family names of friends in several places along the driving tour.
Here's a link to more about the battle of Shiloh. NPS Shiloh History

Contained within the park is the Shiloh Indian Mounds National Historic Landmark.

We were the only vehicle in the Indian Mounds parking lot.

There was a town here as recently as 800 years ago, but all that remains now are a few of the ceremonial mounds. Click on the link for more history: NPS Shiloh Mounds

We climbed a set of stairs to the top of the highest mound for a beautiful view of the Tennessee River.

After lunch in Shiloh, we continued on to Jackson Tennessee where we found a small, free railroad museum with a streamlined dining car and a couple of cabooses.

The cars were open to visit and we were able to see the galley side of a dining car. These weren't lightweight cars, there is stainless steel everywhere.

The dining room looked sparse compared to the kitchen.

The 1907 Depot contained lots of local railroad memorabilia and a working HO model railroad that featured several trains running simultaneously. For more on the museum follow this link: Jackson RR Museum.

We missed it, but there is another museum in town at the home of Casey Jones, the legendary railroad engineer. Maybe next time.

Across the street stood the restored Neely House. Originally a railroad hotel, it was built in 1912 and was known as the Murphy Hotel for over 50 years. A tornado severely damaged the building in 2003, but it has been restored and still has many of the original doors and fixtures.

Beth found us a waterfront campsite at Reelfoot Lake State Park for the night.

One of the things that drew us here was how the lake came to be. It was formed by a series of earthquakes in 1811 and 1812 that tilted the earth, forming a dam and a depression that still hold some of the water cut off from the Mississippi river.

Two kayakers were camping in tents behind us and politely asked if they could come ashore at our site. It was no problem for us. We were concerned that they were going to get hurt when the emerged from the kayaks in bare feet and tried to pull the boats through the marsh grass and over big rocks. They had apparently been fishing with beverages long enough that they were feeling no pain.

We never know who we will meet along the way. A couple pulled up on this beautifully restored 1947 International Harvester tractor. They had been to a tractor show and drove it over from their campsite to see the sunset.

The lake supports all kinds of water birds. Several Great Blue Herons and even a juvenile Bald Eagle came through during the evening.

These Cypress trees were just outside our window providing interesting contrast to the colors of the setting sun.