A Tribute to the Chickasaw Nation | Wacinton Sculpture | Paducah, Kentucky | Landmark Landing

Wacinton Sculpture, taken by Jennie Moore, 2023

       Greetings friends, welcome to the blog! I am so happy to have you. Today's stop is a beautiful and meaningful carving that stands in Noble Park in Paducah, Kentucky. Walter and I visited Paducah as a weekend getaway, and Wacinton was one of our must-see sites. Visitors are able to walk right up to the carving and view up close, so we did just that. It was a beautiful autumn day which I'll remember fondly. 

    Wacinton was sculpted by artist Peter Wolf Toth in 1985 out of a 56,000 pound red oak tree. It's intended to honor the Chickasaw Nation, who had claim of the land prior to colonization. Wacinton is also a part of the "Trail of the Whispering Giants", a series of 74 works by Toth that span both the United States and Canada. 

    Peter Wolf Toth was born in December of 1947 in Hungary. He later moved to the United States in the Akron, Ohio area. His career began in 1972 when he completed his first sculpture. He is best known today for the Whispering Giants works, on which he has been known to perform maintenance and repairs throughout the years. 

Wacinton Sculpture, taken by Jennie Moore, 2023

    The Chickasaw people descend from the Mississippian Culture, with their nations being scattered along the Mississippi River in the Southeast United States. They once were mound builders, and a part of the Muskogean language family. Their first documented contact with Europeans was with Hernando de Soto in 1540. The Chickasaws later were faced with removal, forced to walk the Trail of Tears to the newly designated territory in Oklahoma, where the nation is still based in today. 

    Wacinton is a solemn reminder of the areas past, and creates a place where one can pay their respects to the Chickasaw people who once called this land home. It is an interesting stop for those interested in art and history. The work of Peter "Wolf" Toth speaks volumes about the stories of native people, stories we all should familiarize ourselves with. Thank you for joining me, and I hope to see you at my next stop. 

 

I.C.R.R. No. 1518 Steam Locomotive - Paducah, Kentucky | Landmark Landing

 

I.C.R.R. No. 1518, taken by Jennie Moore

    Hello everyone, welcome to the blog! I've got something cool to show you. My partner Walter and I are both interested in mechanics, and we love learning its evolution throughout history. He is mainly interested in automobiles, but can appreciate it all. Me, I'm a train enjoyer. I love cars too, but something about the massive machines fascinated me from the time I was a toddler. I know I'm not helping with the stereotype that all railfans are neurodivergent, but hey, you have to admit, trains are sick. This will be hopefully the first of many trains that will be featured on the blog!

    Walter and I paid a visit to this giant when on a weekend getaway to Paducah for my birthday last autumn. Belonging to the Illinois Central Railroad (I.C.R.R.), engine no. 1518 is a 2-8-2 Mikado Engine, built by Lime Locomotive Works in 1923. As you can see in the photo above, the locomotive is also accompanied by a mail car, and a signature red caboose. Being there during the holiday season, allowed us to see the train covered in Christmas lights! I wasn't able to get a nighttime photo, but it was beautiful. 

I.C.R.R. No. 1518, taken by Jennie Moore

    This train sits near the river, just feet from the floodwall. We were able to make a full walk around the train, and take in its features. The area is clean and well maintained, the train is very clearly cared for. As I stood in its presence, I could almost hear the families giving their farewells to loved ones departing on the train. The thuds of suitcases being loaded into storage, while mail that needs carried across the state by morning is loaded on by the crate. I wonder how many young people embarked on this train to fight for our safety in WWII, and those who never returned. Maybe this train played a part in a love story, reuniting a pair of soulmates who had long been apart. Thousands of people have rode the steam power of no. 1518, all of whom lived separate lives.

    Now, she rests. Dormant, but loved by the community and used to educate the young minds who weren't here to see 1518 in her full glory. Engines like 1518 were among the first of their kind. Humans had never seen such powerful, fast moving machines before. In this era, rail service was prospering across the U.S., being singlehandedly responsible growth across the map, even creating new towns all together. Paducah was no exception, and they honor that past by having 1518 proudly on display in the heart of the city's historic district.

Info sign at rear of train, taken by Jennie Moore

    There is also a railroad museum in Paducah, not far from the train display. I haven't been myself yet, but it is on my to do list! If you are visiting the museum, you might enjoy visiting the train display as well, as the train is public and completely free to view up close. As Walter and I chatted about the display, we realized that we were viewing the train exactly 100 years after it was first built. From 1923 to 2023, no. 1518 still serves Paducah's people, just in a different way these days. Thank you all for reading, I hope you will tune in again at my next stop!

Patti’s 1880s Settlement | Landmark Landing

     

     At the time I’m writing this post, my mother and I are traveling. We’re making our way through western Kentucky, bound for Tennessee. Our appetites were growing, and she had made a suggestion of where we should stop to eat. She recalled a place she had eaten once before, called Patti’s 1880s Settlement. Just from the name, of course I was interested. 

     This restaurant is completely 1880s themed, even down to the clothing of the employees. The entrance features a fair sized gift shop, full of decor, knickknacks, and souvenirs. We were seated after a short wait, (and after I had purchased a magnet for my already overcrowded refrigerator door) and greeted by the kindest staff. 

     Imagine my surprise when the waitress brought to the table a terracotta flower pot with fresh homemade bread flowing out of it. She placed a small cup on the table, filled with their specialty, strawberry butter. I’ll admit I was skeptical, but now I insist that you all try it. The sweet and savory combination is to die for. Both my mother and I both ordered seafood, and we both agree it was fabulous. 

     If you are ever near Grand Rivers, Kentucky, I highly recommend stopping by Patti’s 1880s Settlement. Not only a great eatery, but it is surrounded by a quaint, charming village. If you ever visit, let me know what you think!