Hi to all who read this. I hope you had a good week. Times sure flies; it seems only yesterday I turned in last week's history.
Construction of Buildings and a Brief Sketch of the Area
In the 1930 rocks were raked and piled around the Pilot Knob area to build the rock building which stood on top of Pilot Knob. George Goodman was head of the carpenters. Arthur Bullen and son J.C. were the rock layers. The National Youth Administration (NYA) helped with the building of the picnic pavilion on top of the knob.
At this time you could drive all around the building. There were benches all around you could sit on and look out over the river. Many a romance budded there, and some later led to marriage. On the top floor dances were help, and you could gave across the river. There was also dancing in the bottom, along with lots of picnics.
When David B. and Nolan Pafford were caretakers, they had wonderful flower beds around the area. Yes, a very romantic setting for young lovers. I know! Nolan set out a snowball bush somewhere on top, and when it started to bloom someone would always pull them, so Nolan never did get to enjoy the snowball bush.
There was a hothouse, which he tended, by the house he resided in that provided lots of beautiful flowers for the park area. For several years on the left between shelter one and shelter two was a pool fixed for goldfish. People started stealing them, so this was discontinued.
In 1939 the picnic pavilion at the bottom of the hill from the knob and first caretaker's house were built. The NYA built the green house in 1941. There was also a log cabin where the Interpretive Center Parking lot is now located. It was first used as an office for the NYA. It later held Indian relics and some of the remains of the battle.
Ruth (Warrick) Dowdy and Bertha Rae (Wilson) Chaney were NYA timekeepers. Wylie Sykes was the Executive Administrator. Some of the NYA men were John Thomas Johnson, Bill Smith, Wylie Lewis, George Arnold, Wendell Stepp, S.B. Stepp, Howard Stepp, George Hatley, Johnny Lewis, Troy Phifer, and Arch Smith. These men were paid 10¢ per hour.
On April 7, 1944, the school children from all eight grades at Cherry Grove School, and teacher Hazel Cherry Utley, carried their lunches and had a picnic for the last day of school. Standing on the back porch of the cabin, Linnie Bee Brewer Farrar, Helen Berkley, and Clara Nell Melton Morisette received their 8th grade diplomas.
At both picnic pavilions the Meltons and Paffords had several picnics.
The one-room cabin near shelter one was built out of logs taken from a residence in Eva. It was believed to be the house where General Forrest spent the night following the battle of Johnsonville.
Thought for the Week:
To multiply your joys, count your blessings.
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