Kentucky geography and borders with other states

[slowlane3]

The geographic term for such places is an Oxbow Lake, and there are many of them along the course of the Mississippi River in the Southern states. There is actually a part of IOWA called Carter Lake thats totally inside the large city of Omaha, Nebraska.

For something even stranger, on Wikipedia, google the towns of Point Roberts, WA....Northwest Angle, MN,... and Estcourt Station, ME.

[hogsrus]

It is rumored that the New Madrid Earthquakes of 1811/1812 separated that little piece of Kentucky when the Mississippi river flowed "backwards" for a period of time. Reelfoot Lake(in Tennessee)was formed at the same time. Reelfoot lake is a swamp for the most part with some deeper spots, complete with Cyprus trees and all.

[kygman]

Originally Posted by marino760

It's actually almost surrounded by the Mississippi River, not the Ohio. Here's pic of what it looks like. I found some info on it from Wikipedia. It's called the Kentucky bend or New Madrid bend. There's some interesting history including TN disputing that it belongs to KY.

I know it's surrounded by the Mississippi, but I was talking about the river moving the silt like the Ohio did.

If you're a Civil War buff, you should check out Columbus Belmont State Park, a Civil War Battlefield overlooking the Mississippi River. The Confederates tried stretching a huge chain across the river to stop the Union supply boats so they could fire on them. But the chain was too heavy for anything to hold it off the bottom of the river. The huge anchor and a good section of chain was uncovered off the banks and is one of the main sights of the park.

https://parks.ky.gov/columbus/parks/...ont-state-park

https://parks.ky.gov/sites/default/f...ktbrochure.pdf

[marino760]

Originally Posted by kygman

I know it's surrounded by the Mississippi, but I was talking about the river moving the silt like the Ohio did.

If you're a Civil War buff, you should check out Columbus Belmont State Park, a Civil War Battlefield overlooking the Mississippi River. The Confederates tried stretching a huge chain across the river to stop the Union supply boats so they could fire on them. But the chain was too heavy for anything to hold it off the bottom of the river. The huge anchor and a good section of chain was uncovered off the banks and is one of the main sights of the park.

https://parks.ky.gov/columbus/parks/...ont-state-park

https://parks.ky.gov/sites/default/f...ktbrochure.pdf

Thanks for the links. There's certainly some great history in this state. I never realized KY was a county of Virginia at the time of the American Revolution or just afterwards.
The Blue Licks Battlefield state park is about 30 miles from where I live and claims to be the place where the last battle/skirmish of the American Revolution took place. Daniel Boone's son lost his life there at this battle.

[kygman]

Did you know Alben Barkley, Harry Truman's Vice President, was born here in Graves County? He lived in Paducah.
Also, with tensions building up before the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln didn't receive a single vote in Mayfield.

[censusdata]

The KY / TN border was incorrectly surveyed giving TN tons of land at KY's expense. If you took the southernmost border of far SW KY all the way across that would be close to accurate.

The New Madrid bend enclave is because KY claims all last east of the river and in that are that includes the westermost possible part of the river north of the TN border.

[censusdata]

Originally Posted by marino760

Thanks for the links. There's certainly some great history in this state. I never realized KY was a county of Virginia at the time of the American Revolution or just afterwards.
The Blue Licks Battlefield state park is about 30 miles from where I live and claims to be the place where the last battle/skirmish of the American Revolution took place. Daniel Boone's son lost his life there at this battle.

The earliest Euro settlements in KY were in Central KY due to SE KY being so rugged. I had ancestors at Ruddles Mill (near Paris KY) pre statehood whose fort was attacked by a British / Shawnee army for being an illegal settlement west of the mountains.