| Entry to Columbus Belmont Park. |
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| Cannons are fakes created by John S. Adams |
Much of the early work on the Park was done by
the Conservation Corps of Depression times. Today, the park is maintained by the State of Kentucky.
Picnic areas,
a playground, museum, concession stand and scenic overlook grace the park. The campground was recently voted one of
the finest in the nation.
| John Ross, center, in prison-ish uniform |
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| Jim Host, formerly of Host Communications, was Commissioner of Parks. |
Of Rubbish, Insect Reproductive Behaviors, Urushiol Oil, & Falling In Love
by John Kelly Ross, Jr.
In 1968 working maintenance meant we boys picked up the Columbus Park garbage
first thing each morning. We hitched a two wheel cart to an old Ford tractor and made the rounds of the
camp & picnic grounds.
One boy drove the tractor and two rode in the cart. We two riders would
jump out, empty a trash can into the cart (a messy job since we did not use plastic trash bags to line the cans),
put the trash can back on the ground, then climb into the cart to ride to the next one. I would guess we would empty thirty
or forty full garbage cans on a morning after a big weekend. Each time the cart filled up we took it to
a bulldozed spot in the woods near the park museum, soak the dumped garbage in diesel oil, and burn it.
After marinating
in humid heat from Friday morning to Monday morning the discarded weekend food remains were rather fragrant & teaming
with happy little fly babies. We didn't really mind all that much. We were teenage
boys after all.
I remember one Monday especially. The mosquitoes were a plague that year. A few
days before I had been stung by a wasp on the back of one hand. And I had discovered that summer I was
allergic to the urushiol oil in a certain very common plant in the park.
There I was riding
in that two wheeled cart on a hot & humid morning, dressed in my sweat soaked gray cotton Eddyville
State Prison uniform, standing ankle deep in maggot infested stinking garbage, covered in mosquito bites & poison ivy
rash, and forced to work mostly one handed because my wasp stung swollen hand hurt so much. That was the morning I first realized
that I loved my job at the park. And that I was truly captivated by its beauty & history.
So I swore
to myself then I would someday learn everything I could about the history of Columbus & the park. Yes, it's true what they say.
Love is blind!
| Ole Man River |
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| Bluff views |
The River was the life and then the death of Old Columbus
The fort was bypassed by Grant. It became
redundant by the capture of Forts Henry and Donaldson and was abandoned by the Confederates. The Union moved in to replace
them- renaming it Fort Halleck after Grant's commander.
The old city of Columbus was flooded to the point
it had to be abandoned in the late 20's. Herbert Hoover, as head of the Red Cross, visited the site. Arrangements for
the move up the hill were not made by the government - but by the Red Cross.
| No worries. The cannons are not functional. |
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| The large picnic shelter is great for groups. |
| Looking South |
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| Looking North |
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| Bluff views |
| Concession stand and rest rooms |
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