Land Between The Lakes (LBL) is a 170,000 acre stretch of land between Kentucky Lake and Barkley Lake in western Kentucky and Tennessee. This area used to be known as the Land Between The Rivers (Tennessee and Cumberland), and there is a book by that name, with many pictures of the structures that existed there in years gone by, and people who used to live there. [Logs at right were by road 216; May '82.]

It is not my intent here to get into the history of LBL, but to show pictures of what still existed in 1979 and the early '80s--those structures that I found while exploring the various roads through the region. I already knew about the furnace remnants, but found other structures in various places, and made pictures. For whatever value it might have, I was making a photo record of what I found. It was interesting to me to find those remnants and make pictures, and I thought it might interest others.

In those few years, some structures were burned, by arson I suppose. I think the main house at the 1850's Homeplace was burned by an arsonist. A couple years ago, a friend of mine who lives near LBL, said the government had removed the rest of the buildings out there, or most of them. We went to the site of a log house near Fenton, and it was gone. I have pictures of that one. The last time I saw it, it was in fairly decent condition. There was another one by Bards Lake. It's probably gone too. Haven't been there in many years. In 1979 I bought a Jeep and started exploring roads in LBL, and making pictures. During the next few years I made new pictures of a couple of buildings, which were gradually disintigrating. There might still be some remnants of log structures out there somewhere, but they are probably mostly gone.

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Carmack

Northern end of LBL. 1979

I made a bunch of photos of this log house, with breezeway ("dogtrot"), in 1979--some in winter, some in summer.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

xxxxxxxx

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

These are a few structures that I think were in the northern half, but I don't know where. I didn't note the locations to every place.

Feb. 1979

Feb. 1979

Feb. 1979. Gone by 1983.

Feb. 1979

I'm not sure if this one was in the northern half, or southern.

This log house was on road 229, near Bards Lake. Photo taken in 1979 or 1980. I think it was 1980.

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Pictures made Feb. 1979. This house was near highway 68/80, on the left side if facing east. This highway crosses through LBL about half way down. About year 2000, maybe a little before, I went out there and it was gone.

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

In the southern half of LBL, I found several structures alongside the Nevilsville Road, and some by a road that branched off of it--204. The Nevilsville Road starts near Golden Pond and goes a few miles to where that community used to be. My map of the area isn't available now, and I don't know the road number.

One building of interest was this one. I'm not sure what it was. It may have may have been a big house, or something else. Somebody who sees this might know and tell me.

These pictures were made at different times, and show different stages of deterioration.

Feb. 1979

Feb. 1980

March 1984

Here's one from a different angle.

Feb. 1979

Down the road from that place, was a large old barn, as it looked in Feb. 1979. I have a picture made in 1980, from a different angle, but the barn was not much different.

This color picture was made in March 1984.

I think it was down the road from the barn where I found these buildings. Seems like the one on the right was fairly intact. Don't have a good shot of it.

Seems like it was not much further where I found this big house. This photo made in Feb. 1979. Another time I drove out there, some of the remaining boards had been stripped. By May of 1982, the house had been burned.

Another building alongside the Nevilsville Road was this church, on the left, going south. It too, was burned, by May 1982.

I'm not sure about the location of this structure, but it could have been in the southern half.

Road 204 branched off to the left of Nevilsville Road (facing south). I found several log structures by or near that road. This one was by the road.

Probably 1979.

This is another view of that structure.

I'm not sure if this was by 204, or Nevilsville Rd.

Feb. 1979

This was a homestead by road 204.

Feb. 1979

This is another house on road 204. Picture made in Nov. 1979. This too was burned down. This place was somewhat interesting, and I made a few slide pictures, but they turned out somewhat dark.

This house had stone pillars underneath for support. That was probably typical of many houses in LBL, and elsewhere.

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Last, but not least, were the iron furnaces. A whole web page could be made on them. Shown at right is a model of "Center Furnace." The model is in the education center. The remains of the real one, shown at left, are near the education center.. This place is the northern half of LBL.

Larger image of the model: click here.

The photo at right, shows what remains of the "Great Western Furnace", at the former site of Model, Tennessee, in the southern half of LBL. This structure is next to the main north/south road that runs down through LBL. Picture is facing south.

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

End

| Back |

| Back |