MUSHY'S MOOCHINGS: THE NORTH BOUNDARY GREENWAY

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

THE NORTH BOUNDARY GREENWAY

Ms. Mushy and I took another little 3-mile stroll along a portion of the North Boundary Greenway today as we often do. The weather in East Tennessee was once again beautiful and in the 70’s, a wave of high pressure leading a change coming by the weekend.

This area was once part of the Gallaher-Stone Plantation, way back before the Government took it from the Wheat Community farmers in 1942 to build a bomb to end some little World War. Remnants of stone steps, house corner stones, and flower gardens can be found along the Greenway. Often a buck, following a couple of does will peep out of the pine thickets along the way and watch you as you approach, then dart across the road, white “flagged” tail waving goodbye.

You can also find well-groomed old family cemeteries that the Government still maintains. These cemeteries have very old headstones ornately marked with names and dates, while slave graves are noted only by a single large stone indicating which end the head was laid – no name, no date, just a stone to proclaim the hard work they provided their owners.

Today we walked a bicycle path into an old rock quarry area where limestone was once blasted out to build roads, concrete pads, footers, and compressor stands for the huge K-25 Plant near Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The plant is being torn down today by Bechtel Jacobs Company, a subcontractor to the Department of Energy, and buried nearby. The K-25 site, along with Y-12 and X-10, was once a bustling worksite with over 12,000 men and women (my dad included) working on the world’s greatest secret – so secret they didn’t even know what they were building. Only General Groves and a select few knew the full mission.

At some point, workmen hit an underground stream and the quarry flooded, probably covering equipment that couldn’t be removed in time. The water today is beautiful, reflecting the blue sky above and the green cedar trees that line the quarry’s edge. Only a few scraps of iron and a pile of concrete fence footers remain to bare witness to the work that went on there.

Since most people never get back in this area, I thought you might like to see a couple of pictures. I hope they brighten your day as they did ours.

16 comments:

BRUNO said...

I always wondered what happened to those old govt. sites like the one at Oak Ridge. I always thought them to just be fenced off, and grown over. Kinda interesting info, here!

Yep, you'll need long pants for this weekend. I'm gettin' it earlier, about Thursday night! Would you like a little early snow and/or ice? I'll see what I can do!

Anonymous said...

Thank you for sharing... Great pictures! I don't get to see that kind of scenery at all in my neck of the woods!

I'm jealous, but so glad that you and Mrs. Mushy could revel in it! :)

FHB said...

Purdy. That pond/lake reminds me of the flooded quarry in "Breaking Away". You sure have cool woods to escape to. Jealous.

FHB said...

... and the old plantation cemetery is cool. Lots of history there. Hope it continues to be preserved. It' would be cool to check into the DNA from those slaves and find their living descendants. Interesting.

fuzzbert_1999@yahoo.com said...

Let me say here too, that ol' Mushy will be off line for a few days beginning Wednesday...this is my last post until I return from - KEY WEST!

Can't wait!

If you have time...help me out over at 25peeps...if not, it don't matter anyway.

Lana said...

Sounds like a walk I would enjoy.

Jose said...

A far cry from the concrete jungles that I have lived in. Being a city boy all my life I haven't gotten many chances to see nature as you see it. Thanks for sharing it, I love the pictures. By the way I'm having camera issues that's why my photo blog is a little neglected.

Voted for ya on 25peeps. Can you believe we are still there?

Jose said...

A far cry from the concrete jungles that I have lived in. Being a city boy all my life I haven't gotten many chances to see nature as you see it. Thanks for sharing it, I love the pictures. By the way I'm having camera issues that's why my photo blog is a little neglected.

Voted for ya on 25peeps. Can you believe we are still there?

BRUNO said...

Burn one of them cigars for me while you're hidin' away in Key West! Should still be nice and cold when you get back!

Becky said...

Those quarry pictures are stunning! I have to admit that I had no idea the a-bomb was built in Tennessee.

Alex said...

Back the truck up, there, chief. Weather can be either beautiful or in the 70s, not both! Honestly! There's only so much clothing one can take off.

I just don't operate over 70 degrees. If I'm on a beach somewhere, with a tropical drink and nothing to do, then that's fine. But having to actually get up and move around in that heat? No thank you.

Michele said...

Lovely pics!! Have a good time in Key West,,,I'm jealous!

Joubert said...

That is stunning. I like your weather reports too.

Les Becker said...

Man, but that looks like Sault Ste. Marie! No wonder you're so cool! You're the Other Me!

Thanks for the link, Mushy!

Dana said...

Beautiful pictures! Thanks for sharing!

phlegmfatale said...

Wow- what a fascinating place you live in - so steeped in history. Lovely photos, too.