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Stop by
the Visitors’ Center
For Kentucky State Map
This tour was developed
as a joint venture between the
Eagle Resource Conservation and Development Council,
Inc. & the
Carrollton/Carroll County Visitors’ Center.
Photograph by Joellen
Tumbrink
Special thanks to Theoda
Franklin of the Eagle RC&D
for his endless knowledge and devotion to the proper
practices of conservation.
Get ready for a drive
in the country
that should last approximately 2 hours. We suggest
that you drive slower than the speed limit – to ensure
that you “take-in” all that the back-roads of Kentucky
have to offer.
This tour will expose you
to beautiful scenery, agriculture in various stages,
important conservation efforts and interesting
historical facts and places. This is mostly a “driving”
tour. However, certain points of interest encourage
tourists to stop by – they will be denoted by an
asterisk (*).
Start your motors –
and “trip your odometers to Zero (0).
We have the points of
interest marked
on the tour by mileage readings.
BEGIN -
We begin at the front entrance of *General Butler State
Resort Park. (
US 227
). Additional information is
available on Park amenities & history.
Our local *Riverview
Farmers Market sets-up every Saturday from 9am-Noon
between Memorial Day & into October at
Hometown Pizza Parking lot at 2353 US 227. Riverview
Farmers Market is proud that all produce is grown on
their farms. No item is allowed to be “shipped” in from
other parts of the United States. They can also be
found on Wednesdays in front of the County Courthouse downtown. This
Farmers Market was the first chosen by the State of
Kentucky to enter a partnership agreement with Kentucky
State Parks to provide local produce.
[0.0] From the Front Entrance – TURN LEFT
onto
Highway 227 towards Carrollton.
[0.6]
As you travel along the over-pass across the small dam
separating the lakes on either side of Highway 227 – to
your right you will notice a section of *Camp Kysoc.
This was the first Easter Seals camp built in the United
States. Other programs are offered besides the camps
geared specifically for children with physical
disabilities.
[1.9] TURN RIGHT at the intersection of
Highway 227 and US Highway 42.
YOU
ARE TRAVELING EAST PARALLEL TO THE OHIO RIVER ON YOUR
LEFT.
[2.1]
Highland House
Bed & Breakfast was originally built by Ralph M.
Barker in 1923. As was typical in the 1920s, the house
is a combination of architectural styles. The
Mediterranean Revival influence of the stucco façade and
glazed clay tile roof are combined with the Federal
entryway with Palladian window and fanlight.
Tudor-style diamond shaped windows and the subtle use of
half-hidden fluted columns in the façade are suggest
Greek revival. Arts & Crafts style are present in the
groups of 3 and 4 exterior windows and the exposed
beams, oak picture frame floors and cast concrete mantel
in the living room. Call for a reservation.
[2.1]
The Barker Barns
were originally used as prize swine and Holstein cattle barns. The barns were purchased by the company now known as
Arkema, Inc. from Barker heirs. The interior of the
barns are truly beautiful with brick floors and exposed
beams. Arkema offers the Barker Barns for certain
community activities.
Holstein cattle
were predominately developed in what is now the
Netherlands. The original stock was the black animals
and white animals of the Batavians and Friesians,
migrant European tribes who settled in the Rhine Delta
region about 2,000 years ago. For many years, Holsteins were bred to make best use of grass. The intermingling of these
animals evolved into an efficient, high-producing
black-and-white dairy cow. A healthy
Holstein calf weighs 90
pounds or more at birth. A mature Holstein cow weighs about 1500 pounds and stand 58 inches tall at the
shoulder. The normal productive life of a
Holstein is six years.
[2.6]
*The Masterson House
on your LEFT is suggested to have been built in the late
1790s and was home to Richard and Sarah Masterson. It
is believed to be the first two-story brick structure
between Cincinnati and Louisville, and
holds claim to be the oldest two-story brick structure
still standing between Cairo, Illinois and Pittsburgh.
Slave labor was used to construct the house out of
native bricks burned on the site. The Masterson’s were
farmers & politicians.
Currently owned by the
Port William Historical Society, The Masterson House is
available for tours on Saturday afternoons or by
appointment through the Visitors’ Center. The grounds
are home to the bi-annual Heritage Saturdays
(September 15th). Note the Heritage Kitchen Garden
planted with heirloom products. Harvested seeds are
sold at Heritage Saturdays!
See
Masterson House Brochure in Visitors Center
[3.1]
Local Folklore
places an Indian Burial Mound in the hills over
to your right. Native Americans who lived in the Ohio
River Valley were Hopewell,
Shawnee, Miami,
Omaha and Erie among others
traveling through. This is private property.
[3.5]
Rebel Landing
was built by Benjamin Craig, Sr. several yards from his
original house. The original home was destroyed, yet
bricks from this early structure, built the existing
gatehouse. Note that the front of the house faced the
Ohio River. Ben Craig was one of the founding fathers
of our area. They were farmers as well as import
futurists. Crops were sent down the Ohio River to the south and north to
Cincinnati. Rebel Landing was also rumored to be apart
of the Underground Railroad. It is a private residence.
[4.1] Growers Tobacco Warehouse
has been recently
purchased by the Philip Morris Tobacco Company. As
tobacco buy-outs have forced most farmers away from the
crop, it is important to realize that it once placed
Carroll County as the third largest Burley Market in the
world.
[4.8] TURN RIGHT onto
Four Mile
Road (Note there is not a road sign)
[4.9]
Wild Turkey
are numerous in this area. You will especially notice
them in morning hours or cooler temperatures throughout
the day – strutting though the fields. They are proud
and striking to look at – but do not get terribly close!
[5.9] Four Mile Creek Outdoor
Environmental Classroom.
Owned by Dow Corning, developed and dedicated in 1998 by
the Eagle Resource Conservation & Development Council,
Inc. This was a community effort with our local school
system involved as well. Twenty-seven educational
features or learning projects lend themselves to
workshops to assist in teaching environmental
educational skills. Projects such as Project Learning
Tree, Project Wet & Project Wild are explored and then
taken back to classrooms.
Note
the Katipo Trees. The Classroom includes a Bird Blind,
Bird Sanctuary, Butterfly Garden, Outdoor Stage, Shelter
House, and Hiking Trails among others.
[5.95]
Four Mile Creek
[7.5]
TURN LEFT onto Highway 36.
On both sides
of the road you will notice beef cattle, Black Angus and
Hereford. The farm on your left with the small silo is
actually a beef cattle farm. Normally, silos are
located on Dairy Farms.
Short
“Jump” Trip.
You are going to turn right onto Boone Road. The tour
will take you 1.2 miles – you will then turn around in
the driveway of the Waste Storage Barn – then turn
around and return along the 1.2 miles on Boone Road -
back to Highway 36. At this point you will turn right
and continue along to the east as you were before the
“Jump” Trip.
[8.2]
TURN RIGHT onto Boone Road
[8.4]
Lindsey Dairy Farm.
Holstein Only. Note Silos.
[8.5]
No-till corn is planted. Seeds are tossed as
opposed to conventional crops that are planted in sod.
This practice saves on labor and maintains erosion.
[9.0] Beef cattle
again on both sides of
the road. Charolais on the left and Hereford on the
right.
[9.4] Waste Storage Shed.
This process recycles cattle waste back into fields.
Note the second building where the waste is transported
back to the fields for fertilizer.
Turn
right into Mr. Raisor’s driveway [9.4], back out
returning the way you came on Boone Road.
At the
intersection of Highway 36 [10.6], turn right, and you
are back on the original route!
[11.0] TURN LEFT onto Highway 1112
(Bucks Run
Road)
[12.5] Hay
grown in pastures on both sides of the road is typical.
Hay is cut and stored for feed during the winter
months. Cattle graze the pastures during summer months.
[13.3] *Ghent Forestry Lumber Mill.
This local lumber mill on the left specializes in exotic
woods. Stop by and the owner will be glad to tour you
through the process.
Land
on the left-hand side of the road for miles was once
home to the Amish and Mennonites Sects.
[14.9] Gabion Baskets
are used to retain the soil from erosion. They use #2
crushed stone, metal fencing material. You will
commonly note these around river/creek banks or small
hillsides needing support.
[15.1] TURN RIGHT onto Highway 47
[15.2]
Wetland Cell.
This wetland cell was developed for the Thompson Diary
Farm. The Diary Farm has closed and the Wetland Cell is
no longer utilized, thus the state of disarray.
However, we thought that it was a noteworthy project to
mention. This project demonstrates water quality sound
and safe disposal recycling method of storing and
managing animal waste through the environment by diary
livestock owners. The waste storage facility is used
with components of a diversion ditch and wetland cell.
The animal waste storage facility holds and retains the
solids for a three-month period and at the time the
solids will be recycled onto cropland as fertilizer.
The liquids from the animal waste is cycled through the
wetland cell where high nitrogen uptake plants such as
cattails and fratmities uses up the nitrogen, phosphorus
and potassium before the water is filtered back across a
sod filter strip of reed canary grass, fescue, switch
grass and bulrush before entering the creek.
To
the Right is McCool’s Creek. The
steep terrain is considered to be Class 4-6 – better for
cattle than crops.
[17.1] VEER RIGHT onto Ghent-Eagle Road.
[17.2] The large Red
and White Oak Trees
seen along the road in
this stretch of land was at one time prevalent. The
trees were “logged”. People tended not to “log” along
the creek beds – lucky for us – these still exist as
testament to a magnificent landscape gone by.
[18.0] Beautiful
Sycamore Trees
are the center of attention at this point. Sycamore
Trees have what are called “wet-feet” they love to grow
along stream-beds and in traditionally wet areas.
[18.2] Modern High
Tensile Cattle Fencing
is on the left. This is replacing the once used “barbed
wire” fence.
[18.3] Traditionally used
“Barbed-wire” fencing
is on the right.
[19.0] Angus Cattle
Farm.
[19.3]
TURN LEFT onto Dividing Ridge Road.
[19.4] TURN RIGHT and you are back onto
Ghent-Eagle Road. We call this a “dog-leg turn”.
[19.6] Highway Marker on
the left honors the Historic Grass Hills Farm.
Private.
[20.0] Liberty Hills
Angus Cattle Farm.
Master Cattleman Program participant from the University
of Kentucky. The Master Cattleman Program is a highly esteemed program with high
standards and guidelines that must be met before
selection.
[20.1] *Mulberry
Meadows Angus Cattle Production Farm.
Master Cattleman Program participant from the University
of Kentucky. This farm has the potential to handle up to 1,000 head. The farm
will set up a tour for guests featuring: cattle
handling, hay in storage, automatic watering system,
rotation grazing, indoor “calving-ring”, genetics and
forage. Phase I Tobacco Money has been used for this
cattle venture. Mulberry Meadows in conjunction with
the Three Rivers Farm offers Cattle Management
Services. Info at Visitors’ Center.
Angus
is typically black polled (no-horns) cattle. George
Grant transported the first Black Angus to the United
States from Scotland in 1873 (Victoria, Kansas). Twelve hundred cattle
alone were imported, mostly to the Midwest, in a period if explosive growth between 1878 and 1883.
Hugh
Watson of Angus County, Scotland is considered the
founder of the breed as he developed the first most
systematic and successful breeding process. Mr.
Watson’s favorite bull was Old Jock, who was awarded the
number “1” in the Herd Book at the time it was founded.
The bull was bred in 1842 and was used very heavily in
the herd from 1843 until 1852; he was awarded the
sweepstakes award at the Highland Show at Perth in 1852
at age 11. His famous cow, Old Granny was calved in
1824 and was killed by lightning when past 35 years of
age. She is reported to have produced 29 calves of
which 11 were registered in the Herd Book. A large
percentage of Aberdeen-Angus cattle can be traced either
to Old Granny or Old Jock.
[21.3] Typical Tobacco
Barn of the
area. The high ceilings and vented sides allowed for
storage and airing of the pounds of tobacco.
[22.5] TURN LEFT onto, yes once again,
Highway 36!
You are driving parallel
to what was originally the L&N Railroad line.
(Louisville-Nashville). The line is now owned by
CSX. There was also a small C&W Line (Carrollton-Worthville)
[24.4] Indian Creek
[25.4] Roberts Shrimp
Farm is on
your left. Other ventures tried throughout Carroll
County have been Catfish Farms. Contact Eagle RC&D.
[25.6] Crossing Lick
Creek
Along this stretch of
road you will note the conventional tilled crops of
corn, soybean and tobacco.
Commonly seen wild
animals of the community are coyote, grey and red fox,
squirrel and rabbit. The Black Bear has also been
spotted again recently in the nearby area.
[25.9] Town of
Sanders.
The 1997 Flood brought
the Eagle Creek into the town of Sanders. At this
point, the waters were 8-9 feet deep. Most of the town
was destroyed.
[26.1] TURN RIGHT – this remains Highway 36.
(Had you
turned left – the road would have become Hwy 47).
[26.1} Note Historic
Highway Marker.
Check with the Visitors’
Center or on the website for a complete listing of
Carroll County’s Historic
Highway Markers.
[26.6] Spring
in Carroll County brings fresh blossoms of Wild Redbud
and the various American Dogwoods. (early to
mid-April). Fall foliage can be expected in late
September.
[27.3] The Foot Bridge
to the right
is one of the Eagle RC&D’s projects trying to be
funded. The galvanized structure is falling down &
efforts are being made to save it.
[27.4]
Look to your left and you can just see the remains of an
old cabin. Only the stone hearth remains standing.
[28.0]
To the right you will see a “Fighting Cock Farm”. It is
illegal to fight the animals; however it is legal to
raise them.
When asked about
endangered species in our area, the first place to
begin is with the creek-beds. Flooding causes rock to
fill the creeks. This sediment destroys the environment
conducive for the Pearly Mussel to live. By maintaining
conservation ethics in the creeks, the Pearly Mussel has
the opportunity to continue to strive in our area,
several miles down the watershed in the Ohio River.
Other environmental concerns have caused the Bald Eagle
to be an endangered species in our area.
[30.0]
TURN RIGHT onto Highway 227 North.
[31.2] *Liberty Farm Miniature Horses.
Turning left onto Highway
3215 you will see Mr. James Luster Payne’s Historic Home
and then his wonderful miniature horses. Stop by and
check with Mr. Payne about a tour or even a horse! His
800 acre farm is incredible.
Side-note: Hereford
cattle typically do not have horns.
Another side-note:
Visitors have asked if
you can tell the difference between female and male
cattle by the horns. You cannot tell the difference in
the gender by the horn appearance. The majority of male
cattle – bulls do tend to have horns. However, many
farmers will have them removed or cut off to protect the
cattle from themselves when fighting. Female cattle may
or may not have horns.
Still another side-note:
Most of our sloping land is used to grow crops. Crops
are rotated to keep soil-loss within controllable
levels. Typically the rotation will be corn, soybean,
tobacco with hay.
[34.2] Town of Wheatley
[34.3] *Eagle Valley Camping Resort
to the right.
[34.5] *Fairway Golf Course
to the right.
[37.9] *Scenic Overlook.
The valley of Highway 355.
You
are now driving parallel to Bucks Run Creek.
[40.0] Natural Wetland.
It is important to
maintain natural wetlands due primarily to the animals
that make homes in these wetlands. This one on the
right for example is home to the occasional beaver. The
wetland empties into Eagle Creek, which empties into the
Kentucky River, which empties into the Ohio River.
[41.2] The Kentucky River
runs parallel at this
point. The waters will travel through Lock & Dam Number
One and four miles later will find itself at the Ohio
River in Carrollton.
[45.6] *Interstate Produce and Greenhouse.
[46.8] Carroll County Fairgrounds
are located to the right
at the end of this road. Check with the Visitors’
Center or the website for dates of the June County Fair
or other specialty events throughout the year.
Our local *Riverview
Farmers Market sets-up every Saturday from 9am-Noon
between Memorial Day & into October at
Hometown Pizza Parking lot at 2353 US 227. Riverview
Farmers Market is proud that all produce is grown on
their farms. No item is allowed to be “shipped” in from
other parts of the United States. They can also be
found on Wednesdays in front of the County Courthouse downtown. This
Farmers Market was the first chosen by the State of
Kentucky to enter a partnership agreement with Kentucky
State Parks to provide local produce.
[48.0] General Butler State Resort Park on your left.
Printable PDF File
Driving Tour Area Map
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