Monthly Archive: January 2023

Indian Chief Carving – Lincoln Memorial Bridge – Indiana

Indian Chief Carving - Lincoln Memorial Bridge - Indiana

The image of a Native American Indian Chief carved into a concrete pillar, at the head of the Lincoln Memorial Bridge in Vincennes, Indiana. The bridge is part of the George Rogers Clark National Historical Park, and opened in 1933. The statues themselves (there are two), were installed in 1936. George Rogers Clark was an American surveyor, soldier, and military officer, who served during the American Revolutionary War. He is the older brother of William Clark, who is famous for his explorations the the American West, in particular the Pacific Northwest during the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

Lincoln Heritage House – Elizabethtown – Kentucky

Lincoln Heritage House - Elizabethtown - Kentucky

The Lincoln Heritage House is a house (actually two cabins joined together) that was owned and lived in by Thomas Hardin. The naming of the house, comes from the fact that part of its construction can be attributed to Thomas Lincoln, the father of Abraham Lincoln the future president of the United States. Thomas Lincoln owned a 200-acre farm nearby. Located at Freeman Lake in Elizabethtown, Kentucky.

Hidden River Cave Entrance – Horse Cave, Kentucky

Hidden River Cave Entrance - Horse Cave, Kentucky

A view of the entrance to Hidden River Cave (previously known as Horse Cave), in Horse Cave, Kentucky.  Horse Cave, Kentucky has the unusual distinction of a city named after the cave that is literally right off main street in the center of the town. The origin of the Horse Cave name is unclear, but some speculate the cave was initially used by Indians or settlers to shelter and water horses and other animals. For a time the cave became the primary source of water and hydroelectric power for the town. However with time and an increasing population that was dumping its waste nearby, the cave’s water supply became polluted, and the tourism that had been building up around the cave vanished.  This led to a period of time when the cave lay empty and neglected. But ultimately, after the sources of pollution were eliminated the cave recovered. 

Today, the now renamed Hidden River Cave is a thriving tourist attraction along with the other caves (Mammoth Cave being the most well known) in the area. It also hosts the American Cave & Karst Center, a museum and education center about caves operated by the American Cave Conservation Association.