Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
as a bed-and-breakfast. Relaxing on its veranda, visitors can dream of the past as they
watch the river glide by just yards away.
Rosiclare, yet another rustic river town, lies a few miles to the southwest. A century
ago, if you wanted to cross Main Street, you would have had to wait for a passing wagon
laden with either coal or fluorspar. Today fluorspar, a mineral chiefly used in glassmaking,
is still mined in Rosiclare, though many of the region's mines have been closed down.
7.
Illinois Iron Furnace
In a wooded valley northwest of Elizabethtown stands the Illinois Iron Furnace, a massive
smelter originally built about 1838 and restored in 1967. It produced pig iron, which was
shipped out for further refinement and, according to local legend, was used in cannons and
ironclads during the Civil War. Today the grounds around the historic furnace attract pic-
nickers, who can walk beside the scenic Big Creek.
8.
Golconda
Handsome19th-centuryarchitecturethroughoutGolcondatestifiestothetown'sglorydays
when its commerce on the Ohio River brought vast riches. Although trade has long since
peaked, fishermen still find plenty of rewards here as they cast off the docks at the local
marina for bass, bluegills, sunfish, and catfish.
Recalling a sad chapter from the past, a historical marker just outside town indicates
the route of the so-called Trail of Tears. Thousands of Cherokees, escorted by the army,
crossed the river here in the fall and winter of 1838-39 on their way to reservation lands in
Oklahoma. The hardships encountered on the 1,200-mile journey—lack of food and brutal
cold—proved unbearable for many, and some 4,000 Cherokee people perished.
9.
Smithland Locks and Dam
Pioneers and the Ohio River had at least one thing in common: both were traveling west.
But even then it was obvious that the waterway needed to be tamed, and today the Smith-
land Locks are just one link in a system of 20 locks and dams that slow the river into a
series of steplike pools. A visitor center tells about the locks, which you can observe as
huge barges pass through, and it traces the history of the Ohio River and the impact it has
had on the surrounding states of Illinois and Kentucky.
Search WWH ::
Custom Search