History – Land Between the Lakes

30 Jun 2023

The 2023 Geocache Challenge is still going…will you take the challenge?

If you’ve never done a Geocache and would like a fun reason to hike outside on the Land Between the Lakes, here’s your chance to do that and earn a really cool, solid bronze, challenge coin! There are only 25 of these limited coins left as only 200 were minted! The rules are simple: find the six geocache locations, take out one metal tree tag from each, return the six metal tree tags from each box at one time to the Golden Pond Visitor’s Center on the Land Between the Lakes (where Highway 68/80 and the Trace meet). In exchange,…

09 Nov 2018

By LBL_Admin

Soldiers From Fort Campbell Assist in Clean-up at Cleo Griffin House

Heritage, History, VolunteerCleanup, Fort Campbell, heritage, Home Site, Kentucky, land between the lakes, soldiers, tennessee, veterans, volunteer

Soldiers from Alpha Company, 39th Brigade Engineer Battalion came out to the Land Between the Lakes for a very special mission. They helped the Heritage program begin a project to safeguard and preserve the house formerly occupied by Cleo Sanford Griffin. Griffin was a veteran of World War II and, according to locals, may have suffered from PTSD. He was in the Battle of Monte Cassino which began in January 1944 and didn’t end until May of that year. Allied casualties were in excess of 55,000. So it would be understandable if Griffin did, indeed, suffer PTSD as a result.…

03 Apr 2018

By LBL_Admin

Dusk till Dawn

Elk & Bison Prairie, Environmental Education, Heritage, History, Homeplace, Nature Station, Recreation, Sustainable Recreation, Trails, Uncategorized, Wildlife1850 Homeplace 1850s Working Farm, elk and bison prairie, Kentucky and Tennessee, Land Between The Lake, LBL, mountain biking, National Guard, Nature Station

I looked east and spotted the orange glow piercing through the oaks still leafless from the long winter nights. I turned right from the trailhead and regained my footing as I reached a muddy path. I slipped and contorted in many ways as I tried to maintain my footing. My mind kept racing, “warm thoughts, warm thoughts,” but it did nothing to stop my now uncontrollable shivering. Only a madman could be up in these conditions for my specific agenda. I stumbled in the half-morn light crashing heavily on a twig. The crack pierced the cold morning air and a…

20 Dec 2017

By LBL_Admin

Reel Back in Time

Fishing, History, Homeplacebaitcasting, fish, Fishing, fishing reels, Friends of Land Between The Lakes, Homeplace 1850s Working Farm, Kentucky, Kentucky Lake, Lake Barkley, land between the lakes, LBL, recreation, reels, rivers, tennessee, water sports

Sometimes forgotten is the history of the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers and how they influenced not only the economic welfare of the area but the development of recreation activities including sport fishing. This Homeplace 1850s apprentice is an avid sportsman and has added his passion and knowledge of sport fishing to the Homeplace 1850s historical research and program files. Before the impoundment of the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers, fishing was just as popular and leisurely of a pastime as it is today. Anglers all across the country, especially in the Between the Rivers area, indulged in the challenge of fooling…

05 Apr 2016

By LBL_Admin

Challenge On! Land Between The Lakes Heritage Geocache 2016

Customer Service, Geocaching, History, Recreationgeocache, geocaching, GPS, heritage, history, Kentucky, land between the lakes, tennessee

Geocachers! Accept the challenge to find the five heritage geocaches at Land Between The Lakes. The first 100 people to do so will earn a limited edition gold coin. New to geocaching? Find out more at www.geocaching.com. This challenge provides a geocache adventure where you learn area history and visit heritage sites along the way. Some boast spectacular views! In each geocache box, you should find a sign-in sheet, date logbook and 100 aluminum metal tree tags. We have stamped each tag with numbering specific to that cache location. Collect one tree tag per geocacher from each of the five…

09 Oct 2015

By LBL_Admin

Voices from the Past

#FridayEd, Community, Historybetween the rivers, community, connecting people and place, Constance Alexander, family heritage, former residents, history, home sites, Kentucky, land between the lakes, Murray State, oral history, radio, stories, tennessee, WKMS

As we walked through the woods today in Fox Hollow, we came upon some former home sites. This reminded me that we have a link to original recordings of former residents who lived Between the Rivers, which became Land Between The Lakes. Take a listen to stories and voices from the past. Constance Alexander, along with Murray State University’s WKMS NPR radio station, recorded residents’ stories and pulled them together in a series of audio programs. The Kentucky Historical Society (http://history.ky.gov/) offers the series in their oral history and audio visual materials collection. Check the stories out. Enjoy, Jan Bush Connecting People…

24 Mar 2015

By LBL_Admin

Time Travelers Guide to the Homeplace 1850s Working Farm and Living History Museum

Customer Service, History, Homeplace1850, animals, chickens, children, ducks, etiquette, family, farm, friends, garden, hands-on, heritage breed, history, homeplace, kids, land between the lakes, livestock, living history, mule, museum, oxen, programs, sheep, tennessee, time travel, working

Submitted by Brian Truskey, Communications Department Apprentice and Cindy Earls, Lead Interpreter at the Homeplace 1850s Working Farm and Living History Museum. Head through the doors at the Homeplace 1850s Working Farm and step back in time. Experience what life was like on a middle Tennessee farm in the 1850s. Since many people have never been on a farm, let alone an 1850s farm, we put together this time traveler’s guide to improve your understanding of the mid-1800s. As any experienced time traveler can tell you, the best way to visit the past is to blend in. This guide includes…

05 Nov 2014

By LBL_Admin

Who is Racheal the Rag Doll?

History, Homeplace1850, children, Christmas, doll, farm, girls, homeplace, playing, Rachael the Rag Doll, skills, toys

Have you ever heard the story of Racheal the Rag Doll? Racheal Victoria McManhon is a hand made doll, much like one that would have been given to a young girl in the 1850s. Specifically, Racheal would have belonged to a little girl from a 2nd generation farm family or settlers to the area who's ancestors were Scotch-Irish, probably 4 or 5th generation. Her middle name and blue eyes were both chosen to honor Queen Victoria, who was quite popular at the time. Dolls like Racheal served as more than just toys for children. Although little girls would play with them, taking care of…

07 Oct 2014

By LBL_Admin

Home Cooking with the Homeplace Cookbook

History, Homeplace1850, Civil War, cookbook, Friends of Land Between The Lakes, history, homeplace, receipt book, recipes

Submitted by Brian Truskey, Apprentice at Land Between The Lakes By popular demand, the Homeplace gathered all their recipes saved throughout the years. The staff then... Tested the recipes, Adapted the ingredients to today's language, and Compiled them in to one cookbook of our favorite recipes The Homeplace History and Receipt Book covers the history, folklore and delicious recipes that would be seen on an upper southern farm a decade before the civil war. Many of the recipes have been handed down through the generations. Look for The Homeplace History and Receipt Book in our gift shops and online. All proceeds go…

06 Oct 2014

By LBL_Admin

Celebrating 36 Years of Fun on the Farm

History, Homeplace1850, animals, anniversary, buildings, cooking, demonstration, farm, historic breed, history, homeplace, interpreter, oxen, quilting

Submitted by Brian Truskey, Apprentice at Land Between The Lakes This fall marks the 36th anniversary of the Homeplace. Enjoy some of our most popular programs offered over the past 36 years. Join the celebration from Saturday October 11th through Monday October 13 at the Homeplace. History The Homeplace first opened its doors to the public in 1978, with 1979 being the first year of regular operations. 1979 was also the year that construction began on the Interpretive Center, which was completed and opened in 1980. Since that time, the Homeplace continues to provide cultural interpretation of 1850s, pre-civil war, yeoman…

Category: History