All About Pocket Knives

Just returned from a vacation in Kentucky. Found these stone fences near the town of Lebanon which are similar to a style used in Ireland. Note the top row of stones are placed vertically. I learned that sheep will not jump over a fence they cannot see through.

I don't know enough about Kentucky geology, but can we assume all those stones were gathered during the clearing of that pasture land?

And if so, how long have those stone fences been there?

I'm thinking about copying your photo, then cropping out a pic that is just all stone and using it for a PC background.

Charlie Noyes

In the early 1900's, my grandmother and other women carried such stones in their aprons in order to help construct a two story school building at Moody's Cross Roads, Alabama.

That school was torn down in the 1980's.

Charlie Noyes

RobesonsRme.com wrote:I don't know enough about Kentucky geology, but can we assume all those stones were gathered during the clearing of that pasture land?

And if so, how long have those stone fences been there?

I'm thinking about copying your photo, then cropping out a pic that is just all stone and using it for a PC background.

Charlie Noyes

Most of these stone walls, especially in the Bluegrass region, Paris, Lexington, etc., have been attributed to the slaves kept in the area, so, early to mid 19th century.

And if so, how long have those stone fences been there?

I can't contribute much to the knowledge about these fences. These did not seem to be common in Marion county and surroundings. However the photos show fences on a property associated with the Shakers. Would the shakers have used slaves?
Here is another photo you may find easier to use.

Those stone fences dot the country side throughout Tennessee and Kentucky. I believe it is shale or slate. You can see it in the cuts along I-75 and I-64. I have seen people stopping to gather it in their pickups. Don't know if the slaves made them but that stone is very plentiful in those areas.

Limestone

some flower pics i took last year

a view

Lovely photos.

a few more

Beautiful flowers, roofsc.

The painted horse is at Camp Hors'n Around, a facility my sister runs in Ky for kids with disabilities. She began this kind of work years ago with Paul Newman when he started the Hole In The Wall Gang in Conn. She also set up a camp for him in Ireland which is still operating. Before his passing Mr. Newman donated the money for the large pavillion behind the horse.

Beautiful pictures Paul! I really admire your roses.
Phil, the wildflowers (weeds, as Jerry calls them ) are in bloom here in Texas also. Here's some pictures I took yesterday, all here on the ranch. Yours look to be mostly woodland varieties, ours are prairie types. They're beautiful regardless, gifts from the Maker!

Ken

Some of my flowers, arowned our house in Australia... Ken

More from my home in Australia.. Ken

This is were we [the BIG BOSS and me] like to go, ever October... Ken
http://www.floriadeaustralia.com/

Anyone like to see Australia's birds? ... Ken.

koldgold, Beautiful flowers! My wife recognized and identified several of them, I could only pick out a rose, the Bird of Paradise, the Bottlebrush that grow around here. Wow all them tulips look like a picture from Holland . The pelicans I know but the other birds we don't have in The Florida Panhandle.
Treefarmer

treefarmer wrote: the other birds we don't have in The Florida Panhandle.
Treefarmer

Cause why would they go somewhere it rains all the time. Besides the trip would make their little wings tired and they would fall in the ocean and drown.

I looked 'em up for ya.

The top one is a Rainbow Lorikeet
Second down is a Sulphur crested cockatoo
Third down you already know (8 different living species of pelicans)
Fourth down fledglings, no clue
Fifth down, another pelican
Sixth & seventh down -- kookaburra
Eighth down -- most likely a Australian Magpie

Quick Steel wrote:

And if so, how long have those stone fences been there?

I can't contribute much to the knowledge about these fences. These did not seem to be common in Marion county and surroundings. However the photos show fences on a property associated with the Shakers. Would the shakers have used slaves?
Here is another photo you may find easier to use.

These limestone fences used to be very common in central Kentucky where I live. They were the prevalent means of fencing prior to the invention of barbed wire. I have read that many years ago, each land owner was obligated to help maintain the roads and was required to provide a certain amount of labor each year toward that task. At some point, once portable rock crushers were invented, a land owner could donate rock fence to be crushed and used in maintaining the roadbed in lieu of actually performing labor on the roadway. With the onset of barbed wire fences, which were much more easily constructed and maintained, the rock fences became disposable and most were eventually crushed into gravel and used on the roads. Only a small fragment of the original rock fences remain in the Bluegrass.

I've also read that negro slaves provided much of the labor for gathering and transporting the limestone rock that was used in these fences, but most of the actual rock laying work was done by stone masons who had immigrated to America from Ireland. That explains the similarity of design.

Ken those photos you posted are amazing ! Such beauty !

Here's a shot of last nights sunset taken from where I live.

Beautiful.

Red sky at night. Sailors delight.

I think those stone fences were most likely constructed of stones removed from the fields which they surround. Field could not be plowed until the surface stones were removed.

Regardless of who built them, slave or free, it had to have been back-breaking, labor intensive and time consuming.

Rural Ireland is covered with that kind kind of fencing. Never been there, but I've watched The Quiet Man about a dozen times.

Charlie Noyes

RobesonsRme.com wrote:I think those stone fences were most likely constructed of stones removed from the fields which they surround. Field could not be plowed until the surface stones were removed.

Regardless of who built them, slave or free, it had to have been back-breaking, labor intensive and time consuming.

Rural Ireland is covered with that kind kind of fencing. Never been there, but I've watched The Quiet Man about a dozen times.

Charlie Noyes

.........Charlie, I never get tired of watching that one!!!.............. .....................