"Historic Places at the Crossroads"

6th Annual Preservation Week 2004 Photo-Essay Competition

Second Place: Tyler Ellis Knight

Title: History on Highway 68

When people drive west on Highway 68 in Trigg County, just minutes from historic downtown Cadiz, they drive past an important part of my family's history. The places I chose to photograph are on the farm previously owned by my great-great grandfather, Richard Ellis. Both structures were built in the 1930's and still remain in my family. At one time, the stables housed animals and farm equipment. The barn was and is still used for tobacco. Farming has been, and continues to be very important to residents of Cadiz and throughout the state. These buildings are reminders of Kentucky's past.

My family has worked very hard to keep the tobacco barn and stables standing. When Highway 68 became a four lane in front of these structures, my family was afraid we might have to tear them down. This would have destroyed a major part of our family history. Buildings like this are very important because there are fewer and fewer remaining throughout the state. Once they are gone, nobody in the future will know what these unique structures looked like or possibly what they even are. It would make me very sad to think that children in the future would not be able to see these wonderful buildings. They may not be able to play in the stables like I have or watch tobacco being housed like I have but they can at least see with their eyes the worn pieces of wood that contain memories beyond image.

It is easy to keep a dish or some other treasure from generation to generation. It is easy to keep photos in photo album to show children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. It is harder to keep a large thing such as a barn. While dishes and photos are nice, not everyone can see them and enjoy them. Dishes can get broken and photos get dusty. I hope that I can always see and touch my family memories. If structures like the ones I photographed are preserved, people all over can drive down the roads of Kentucky and see history as it remains. Today I can go to the farm of my great-great grandfather and experience history up close and personal. That is a part of history that I never want to see change.

This essay and photograph(s) are the property of Preservation Kentucky, Inc. and Kentucky Heritage Council and that any use of the photo or essay must be approved by PK and KHC.