May Day and Caching in Crossville 5/1/2008

Well here it is May 1st already and we are on our way out to do some caching. Not many historical caches today but we did have a good time finding what we did. We started with a cache right down the road from the campgrounds on a antique sign. Next was 4 caches hidden "Florida Style" all located in the woods. Now what is "Florida Style" you ask? Well we asked the same thing and after finding the 4 caches we now know. It is a 35mm film canister hidden in in a camo colored drawstring bag and these 4 caches were all located in the woods hanging on tree branches. Then it was on to another 35mm film cannister hidden on a guardrail.
Next was the only historical site we visited today and that was The Homestead Tower located on the outskirts of Crossville. The Homestead community was started during the early and middle thirties as part of a homesteading project. The purpose of this homesteading project was to provide the people of Cumberland County and surrounding areas with employment, and to provide a total of 256 families a low cost means of purchasing homes. The Homesteads Tower stands in the center of the Homestead Community as the most visual landmark of this area. It is constructed of native Crab Orchard Stone and became known as the "Showplace of the New Deal". It was built in 1937-38 and housed the administrative offices, as well as a water tank that held 50,000 gallons of water that was used to serve the whole Homestead Community. The tower is 85 feet tall and has a winding staircase of 97 steps that winds up into the tower and brings you a breathtaking view of the Homesteads from a lookout room at the top of the tower. In July, 1934, Eleanor Roosevelt visited the Cumberland Homesteads. She viewed many of the homes, both finished and unfinished and the splendid crops that were now evident everywhere. She urged the Homesteaders to keep faith in their undertaking, and praised highly what had already been accomplished. Lovely tower made out of the local stone but more on that later.
Next was another cache hanging in a tree near The Bear Trace Golf Course. Situated in the heart of Tennessee's scenic Cumberland Plateau, The Bear Trace at Cumberland Mountain was named "Top Ten Courses in Tennessee" by Golf Digest in 2001. Cumberland Mountain was also named "1998's Best New Golf Course in Tennessee," by local and regional golfers that was followed in 1999 by Golf Magazine's "One of the Top Ten You Can Play" in North America. Today, The Bear Trace at Cumberland Mountain is one of the most sought-after sites among the Jack Nicklaus designed Bear Trace courses in Tennessee. The 6,900-yard (gold tees), par 72 layout features a design that capitalizes on elevation changes as well as natural features, such as flowing brooks and clustered, mature pines. The signature 7th hole, a 393-yard, par 4, incorporates another of the region's natural resources, layered flagstone, along the front of the green. Tees Yardage Rating Slope
GOLD 6900 73.1 135
BLUE 6405 71.4 130
WHITE 5895 68.9 128
RED 5066 69.9 128
It was a lovely course and as you can see had hills galore as it was built in the mountains. The clubhouse was not what we expected but was very lovely and different.
Next cache was in a local cemetery, then a cache by a street sign, then a unique hide near a limestone quarry and the last cache was along the start of a small creek with a great story, true or not. Daddy's Creek stretches app. 47 miles and crosses the road 13 time, with 13 bridges of course, as it winds through Cumberland County. The story goes back in the early settlement of Tennessee 2 travelers were crossing the mountain in the vicinity of this stream and another one. They evidently were husband and wife, as they were quarreling violently and treating each other with that disrespect characteristic of long continued marriage. As they reached the bank of the first mentioned stream, both dismounted. As the horses were watering, the husband, whose patience seemed to be worn out, seized his loving partner tenderly by the nap of the neck and administrated to her a sound cuffing. He then named the stream Daddy's Creek in honer of this event. They then continued the journey, still slinging adjectives and invisible skillets and broomsticks at each other. The second stream was reached, where they again dismounted so the horses could drink. While standing on the bank of the stream, the old lady picked up a large tree limb and dealt her loyal consort a rattling blow to the head that stretched him out. She then administered a few kicks and cuffs upon his recumbent person, and triumphantly named the stream Mammy’s Creek. If they were traveling west I'll bet i can guess what they were arguing about. Mammy's Creek is East of Daddy's Creek by several miles!!!!! Cute!!!
OK now about Crab Orchard Stone which is native to this area and seen on almost every building in the area. It is also sold at almost every business along Rt 70 and that includes restaurants and gas stations. One of the first things you might notice when visiting Crossville, is the stone that is used in many of the buildings and homes in the area. This beautiful, multicolored sandstone is found only on the Cumberland Plateau and is most widely referred to as "Crab Orchard Stone". Over the past 70 years, both national and international demand for this rugged, beautiful sandstone has created a multi-million dollar industry for Cumberland County. The outstanding characteristics of Crab Orchard Stone are its hardness and colorful appearance. Basic sandstone, consists of quartz grains bound by silica, iron oxide, calcium carbonate, or a combination of the three. Crab Orchard Stone has an unusually high quantity of silica which creates a much harder, weather resistant variety of sandstone. Crab Orchard Stone also has distinct colorings not found in other sandstone. Shadings of tan, buff, blue-gray and pink are found in this stone. These colors are created by the minerals, iron, titanium and magnesium. The yellow and brown swirls and ripples are caused by natural iron stains and weathering. Crab Orchard Stone was first used by early settlers as fire brick in fireplaces. It was also found in use in Indian burial mounds. It was first used commercially in 1903. Carles H. Young started the Cumberland Stone Company in Crab Orchard. In 1905, the stone was used in constructing the Cumberland County Courthouse. For 20 years the stone business grew, however they were mostly mining for the softer sandstone. The harder stone was considered scrap and thrown away. In the mid 1920Õs the stone company made an effort to market the scrap stone. A Nashville architect named Henry Hibbs, needed stone for a Gothic-style chapel he designed for Scarritt College (now part of Vanderbilt University). He used the beautiful stone in building the chapel. In 1926, Scarritt College bought 20 acres near Crab Orchard and began shipping stone to Nashville for other buildings being constructed on campus. This was the first large scale success for using Crab Orchard Stone commercially. n 1991, Crab Orchard Stone was used for renovations at the vice presidential residence in Washington D.C. Other notable places where this stone has been used include: The parking lots at Rockefeller Center in New York; Detroit's United Auto Workers headquarters; Atlanta's Cathedral of St. Philip; Washington's Internal Revenue Service Building; the Church of Heavenly Rest in New York; the Nintendo office building in Honolulu; and the courts and walks around President Franklin Roosevelt's pool in Hyde Park, and Elvis Presley's pool at Graceland. Former Tennessee Governor Ned McWherter is using it in his new home in Paris, Tennessee. It really is a very very lovely stone and looks great on the outside of a home.
After finishing our last cache we drove down into Crossville so Mom could stop at the Outlet Stores to look around. We were there about an hour, then drove back to the coach and had lunch. After lunch Mom did our cache logs and I showered and I am doing the blog now and she is watching TV. Well it's almost time for dinner so we say until we see you all again tomorrow we love you and miss you all.


Picture List:1,2-Now you know why they call it Bean Pot Campground, 3,4,5,6,7-Homestead Tower, 8-Old Buckboard, 9,10,11-The Bear Trace Golf Course.