HAERR TRIPPIN'

Andrew Jackson's HERMITAGE

Our final friend connect (we think) is with our dear friend, Cyndy, who we knew from Tahoe. She relocated to Franklin, Tennessee, several years ago and we were eager to experience the wonderful life she created there. Wow!

In keeping with our quest to learn more about our country during America's 250th, Cyndy took us to Andrew Jackson's Hermitage. She suggested that we experience one of the nation's most authentically preserved presidential homes in an unforgettable way... By taking the VIP tour. "This 90-minute walking tour covers approximately half a mile from start to finish, offering an elevated, in-depth look at the home of America's 7th president—designed for those who want more than the standard visit." Our tour allowed us the convenience of having the same guide (awesome Tom) with us throughout, which created a much more engaging experience with plenty of opportunities for us to ask questions, dive deeper into the stories of The Hermitage, and take lots of photos.

I have to admit that I knew nothing of Andrew Jackson, the seventh President of the United States, before my time here. Through our over two hour long tour, we learned so much about "The People's President" who emerged from humble beginnings to become a military hero and a key figure in shaping 19th-century America. Known for his populist appeal, he left a complex legacy, with achievements including the Battle of New Orleans and the establishment of the modern Democratic Party. There is far too much to include here, so I recommend a further explore of this complex, and interesting, man.

Family was deeply important to Andrew Jackson. Being orphaned as a teenager impacted his relationships. Andrew Jackson met Rachel Donelson Robards (who was still married to someone else at the time) at her mother’s boarding house in 1788. Upon marrying, Jackson found himself amongst a large, close-knit family of brothers, sisters, in-laws, nieces and nephews. Many of them provided integral support to Jackson throughout his life.

Though they had no biological children, they adopted one of Rachel’s nephews (a twin) shortly after birth, in 1808, and raised him as their own. Named Andrew Jackson, Jr., he grew up at The Hermitage but remained close to his biological family. Oh the stories we heard!

His home, The Hermitage, was Andrew Jackson's home from 1804 until his death in 1845.

The original Hermitage Mansion was a brick, Federal-style house completed in 1821 by skilled carpenters and masons from the local area. The enslaved manufactured the bricks onsite. During Jackson’s presidency in 1831, the mansion underwent a major renovation. Flanking one-story wings, a two-story front portico with 10 Doric columns, a small rear portico, and copper gutters were added.

The Dufour wallpaper is adapted from "Les aventures de Télémaque, fils d'Ulysse" (English: The adventures of Telemachus, son of Ulysses) by Francois Fenelon in 1699. The novel takes place within the context of Homer's The Odyssey. Fancy!

The east wing housed a library and a farm office. A large dining room and pantry comprised the west wing. A detached kitchen and a smokehouse were also added behind the 13-room, 8,000-square foot mansion. The remodeling gave the house a Classical form.

President Andrew Jackson died, in this room, of heart failure, dropsy (edema), and chronic tuberculosis on June 8, 1845, at the age of 78.

In 1831, Jackson hired architect David Morrison to remodel The Hermitage Mansion and build a tomb for both Rachel and him. The Greek architectural style reflected the design selected for the mansion.

Work began on this limestone tomb with its frame and copper roof in late 1831 and was finished in the summer of 1832. During its construction, Jackson’s letters home constantly called for information on the progress of the tomb’s construction. In September 1832, Jackson set a small area to the south where other family members are buried in an adjoining plot.

Interestingly, Alfred Jackson's grave is located in the Andrew Jackson Family Cemetery, too. Alfred (c. 1812–1901) was born into slavery at The Hermitage. He spent his entire life on the property, working as a servant, wagoner, and later as a tenant farmer and one of the very first tour guides/caretakers for the Ladies’ Hermitage Association.

Having lived at the estate longer than anyone else on record, he requested to be buried near the Jackson family plot. His headstone famously reads "Uncle Alfred, Faithful Servant of Andrew Jackson"—reflecting late 19th-century naming conventions.

This was Alfred's original 1843 eastern red cedar log cabin and where our tour ended.

And this is where our day ended. The three of us dined, discussed the day, and then Steve departed. For the next two nights, he'll be on his own while Cyndy and I have long overdue 'girl time'. What fun.

posted under | 0 Comments

Conflict & Cast Iron!

Our day was yet a rather diverse one... the Civil War followed by cookware.

Our first stop was to learn about Chattanooga's involvement in the Civil War and the "Battle Above The Clouds". To get that lesson, we visited Point Park, a ten-acre memorial park that overlooks the Lookout Mountain Battlefield and the city of Chattanooga. It is home to several historic tablets, monuments, Confederate artillery positions, and scenic overlooks.

We knew nothing about this battle. The Battle of Lookout Mountain (fought on November 24, 1863) was significant because it broke the Confederate siege of Chattanooga (which had threatened trapped Union troops with starvation), drove back the Confederate left flank, and opened the gateway into the Deep South for Union forces. The victory helped protect the crucial Cracker Line and assured Union control over the Tennessee River and regional railroads.

The success immediately set the stage for the next day's victory at the Battle of Missionary Ridge, forced Braxton Bragg's army to retreat into Georgia, and laid the groundwork for William Tecumseh Sherman's Atlanta Campaign.

As we meandered in history, we admired the largest monument in Point Park, the New York Peace Memorial. It was erected by the state of New York as a tribute to peace and reconciliation between Union and Confederate veterans after the war.

For the rest of the Civil War, Lookout Mountain was a tourist destination for Union soldiers and civilians, and a photographer even established a studio to capture portraits of soldiers on the point.

"The battle of Lookout Mountain

is one of the romances of the war.

There was no such battle and no action

even worthy to be called

the battle on Lookout Mountain.

It is all poetry."

-Ulysses S. Grant

A quick detour found us at the Lodge Museum of Cast Iron located in its hometown!

How could we miss this, "The Lodge Museum of Cast Iron is a celebration of American-made cast iron and a can’t-miss destination for folks who love cooking, history, food culture, and very large skillets. Located in South Pittsburg, Tennessee, it’s an interactive experience the whole family will enjoy."

"The Museum takes visitors through the history of American cooking, using cast iron as an entry point. Learn how this incredible cookware is made, what it means to food culture, and what the future holds for those who love to cook authentically."

Lodge Cast Iron was founded by Joseph Lodge in 1896 and is the oldest continuous manufacturer of cast-iron cookware in the United States. Humble beginnings to last success. What a story!

I loved this "lemons to lemonade" story. The Great Depression of the 1930s was difficult for the entire United States, and Lodge Manufacturing was no exception. Sales dwindled as demand for cookware dried up. Determined to keep the paychecks coming, Lodge adapted what was originally planned as a new office into the "Dog House" where novelty items like door stops and garden gnomes were painted. These items boosted sales enough to make it through hard times and today are sought-after collectibles. I want one!

I love this pan. As foundry technology advanced in the 1980s, it became possible to lower the minimum production requirements, opening a world of branding and commemorative possibilities. Wow.

Truthfully, I was there for The World’s Largest Cast Iron Skillet. Lodge believes in the wisdom of “go big or go home.” The museum is home to a very special skillet—the world’s largest, in fact—measuring over 18 across (12 feet in diameter), 2.5 feet deep, and weighing 14,360 pounds. That’s big enough to fry about 650 eggs! Oh man, I was in heaven.

What a perfect conclusion to our day of sightseeing. Tonight begins a four day stay to visit with our (now) Franklin friend, Cyndy.

posted under | 0 Comments

Ancient Mounds & An Earworm

What a diverse couple of days!

On our path north, Steve discovered Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park and knew we had to stop. Imagine a place that has seen the human history of our continent from almost the very beginning -- a place that has had continuous human habitation for 17,000 years. Imagine a place with sites that tell the story of our country and an ecosystem found nowhere else in the world.

It is also Georgia’s first National Park and Preserve. What a wonderful place in which to explore history and nature.

The major occupation was ca. 950–1150 CE during the Early Mississippian-culture phase. The people of this sophisticated, stratified culture built the complex, massive earthworks that expressed their religious and political system.

Its chief remains are major earthworks built before 1000 CE by the South Appalachian Mississippian culture (a regional variation of the Mississippian culture.) These include the Great Temple and other ceremonial mounds, a burial mound, and defensive trenches. They represented highly skilled engineering techniques and soil knowledge, and the organization of many laborers.

We hiked to the top of the Great Temple Mound Complex, where the chief and second-chief would have lived during the Mississippian Period. It offered us a beautiful view of the surrounding area.

The mounds were built by carrying earth by hand in bags, taking thousands of workers. Think about that when looking at the Great Temple, behind me, at 55 ft tall.

What an experience to view the ancient past when we entered the Earth Lodge, a reconstructed council chamber of the Mississippian culture. The clay floor inside is the original floor, making it over 1,000 years old. Wow.

For our next destination, we headed to the Chattanooga Choo Choo Complex, a historic 24-acre entertainment, dining, and hotel destination built around the former Terminal Station in downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee.

How gorgeous is the Terminal Station (1906–1909)!? Designed by architect Donn Barber in the Beaux-Arts style, the Station was built by the Southern Railway.

Its signature 82-to-85-foot freestanding brick dome was an architectural marvel. Wow!

During the Golden Age of Rail (1910s–1940s), the station served nearly 50 passenger trains a day and hosted U.S. Presidents like Woodrow Wilson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Here comes the earworm (an earworm [scientifically known as Involuntary Musical Imagery] is a catchy piece of music, melody, or jingle that gets stuck in your head and repeats continuously, even after the song has stopped playing. Glenn Miller and His Orchestra released the smash hit "Chattanooga Choo Choo" in 1941. It was derived from a real-life 1880 wood-burning steam locomotive route between Cincinnati and Chattanooga, immortalizing the terminal worldwide.

As passenger rail travel faded across America, traffic dropped sharply. The final passenger train departed on August 11, 1970, and Southern Railway vacated the building. Restaurants filled it as well as a very cool hotel that utilized the vintage pullman cars as hotel rooms.