Katie and Woodsy Travel to My Old Kentucky Home State Park

                                         

Round Trip Miles: 566

Latitude: 37.807432

Longitude: -85.453929

Woodsy and Katie traveled to Bardstown, Kentucky to visit My Old Kentucky Home State Park. My Old Kentucky Home was built between 1795 and 1818 and was the home of Judge John Rowan. The home remained in the Rowan family for three generations, spanning a period of 120 years before it became a part of the Kentucky State Parks System in 1936. The home had almost all of its original furnishing and they are still in the home today.

Stephen Collins Foster of Pennsylvania, a Rowan family relative, is credited with immortalizing Federal Hill in his hauntingly beautiful song “My Old Kentucky Home Good Night."  Written in 1852, the words and music have touched the hearts of generations of Kentuckians. The song did not become associated with Federal Hill until the Civil War. Soldiers who saw the house and knew the song began to refer to Federal Hill as “My Old Kentucky Home.” Soon other people began referring to the mansion as the house that inspired one of Foster’s most beloved melodies.

 

Hannah and Smokey Visit the Appellate Courthouse

Round Trip Miles: 136.5 miles
Total Miles Traveled: 189.7 miles
Latitude: 38.319509
Longitude: -88.907236

Smokey and Hannah traveled back to Mt. Vernon, Illinois to visit the historic Appellate Courthouse. The Appellate Courthouse was originally built around 1869 in the Greek Revival Style. Aside from the beautiful architecture, the Appellate Courthouse is known as one of the spots where Abraham Lincoln argued many cases, including a tax case where he represented Illinois Central Railroad. To honor Abraham Lincoln's work in the Appellate Courthouse, Mt. Vernon has built a large statue of Lincoln that is located in the front courtyard. Legend has it took three weeks the twin wrought iron stairways on the outside front of the building from St. Louis to Mt. Vernon via ox-cart.

Smokey and Miranda visit the Doughboy Statue

 

Round Trip Miles: 53.2 miles

Total Miles Traveled: 53.2 miles

Latitude: 37.805679

Longitude: -89.027712

 

Smokey and Miranda traveled 53.2 miles from the Wham building at SIUC in Carbondale, IL to the Herrin Doughboy statue in Herrin, IL.

 

 

The Herrin Doughboy Statue at the corner of North Park Avenue in Herrin, IL was created to pay tribute to those who fought and died for our country. The spirit of the American Doughboy Statue, a World War I memorial statue, was dedicated September 6, 1927. Local Veterans groups worked together to create the project. Because of an increase of traffic into the city, the statue was moved in 1956 to a temporary location near Herrin American Legion on East Madison Street. In 1964, it was moved to Herrin City Park and rededicated three years later.

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In 2002, the traveling soldier made his way home -- back to the center of downtown Herrin.

The bronze statue and marble base, which together weighs about 25 tons, depicts a World War 1 infantryman with a rifle in one hand and grenade in the other -- forever memorialized in his war garb and deportment.

The state of Illinois originally had six Doughboy statues. The one at Lincoln Park in Chicago is now gone. In addition to Herrin, the others are in Alton, Soldier Field in Chicago, Columbia and Naperville.

I truly did not know how rare it is to have such a well-known statue so close to home. It was a wonderful experience. I found local men who share the same last name as me. Later, I researched more information regarding the statue and local soldiers who died defending our country.