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Francis Vigo Statue – Vincennes, Indiana

December 20, 2022 0 Comments

Francis Vigo Statue - Vincennes, Indiana

Originally born in Italy, and a solider for the French in New Orleans, Francis Vigo (born Giuseppe Maria Francesco Vigo) became a fur trader first in St. Louis and then in Vincennes, Indiana.  It was in Indiana, that Vigo became an informant for George Rogers Clark, an American General during the Revolutionary War.  It was through his efforts that George Rogers Clark knew the British had occupied Vincennes, and prompted him to take the city back from the British in 1779.  Vigo was also a significant funder of the war effort at the time, and  is credited with helping found Vincennes University, which at that time was known as Jefferson Academy.

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M60-A1 Main Battle Tank – Fort Knox, Kentucky

December 20, 2022 0 Comments

M60-A1 Main Battle Tank - Fort Knox, Kentucky

The M60-A1 Main Battle Tank, seen on the Dixie Highway between West Point, and Fort Knox, Kentucky.  The M60 was developed from the M48 Patton beginning in 1959. The original design included an 105mm main gun. Over 15,000 were produced, with their largest deployment during the 1991 Gulf War. The US officially retired the M60 after Desert Storm, and the last in service were used by the National Guard in 1997. However a number of other countries still use the tank, with the largest being Egypt, with over 1,000 in operation. Other US tanks can be found on display at the George S. Patton Museum on the Fort Knox military base.

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York Statue, Lewis and Clark, Louisville, Kentucky

December 14, 2022 0 Comments

York Statue, Lewis and Clark, Louisville, Kentucky

A statue of York, the slave and body servant of William Clark, who accompanied Lewis and Clark on the Corps of Discovery expedition to the Pacific Ocean.  While he remained a slave throughout the expedition and after it was over, York played at times an equal to the white men he accompanied on the journey, including having a vote on key decisions the group made, such as where to make camp for the winter.  He was also entrusted with a firearm, something a slave back in Kentucky would not  be allowed access to. He also proved valuable as a scout and hunter for the group.

After the expedition Clark did not free York immediately from captivity as some other slave owners might have done. But eventually during a visit from Washington Irving, the author of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”, William Clark agreed to free York. Not much is known of York after that, other than he started up a business as a wagoner. 

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