The remains of this limestone slab furnace are all that is left of The Great Western Iron Works. Great Western opened in 1855 and in a 34-week period produced 1,350 tons of iron. The production of high-quality iron required twenty bushels of charcoal, 800 pounds of ore, and 80 pounds of limestone.
We set out for an exciting exploration of an area we had not had many opportunities to investigate: Camden, Tenn. We had heard that there was a wonderful place to view Kentucky Lake at an overlook called Pilot Knob. Obviously, this was right up our alley. What we didn’t know was that the Tennessee River Folklife Center was located nearby.
It’s always interesting to see local historical photos of Kentucky Lake before its creation. These are no exception. Some of these are from the Kentucky Dam Visitor’s Center while others have unknown origins.
Murray, Kentucky is one of the fastest-growing cities in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. With a US Census Bureau population estimate of 19,348 (2018), the city has experienced fast growth throughout it’s 175-year history.
