A place almost forgotten

[marvinsc]

I had heard that some progress has been made recently on the only National Park site in the county. After some early morning thunderstorms passed through I headed out on the bike to have a look. Fort Heiman was almost forgotten to history and without the efforts of a hardy local group of Civil war renactors it would have been. The Civil War era encampment stands on a high bliuff overlooking the West bank of the Tennessee River. It's purpose was to block access to the Ohio River via the Tennessee. It's sister fort on the Cumberland river was Fort Donaldson. After the fall of Fort Donaldson in the Spring of 1862 Fort Heiman was abandoned as it no longer had a tactical purpose. Since there was no battle fought there it was soon forgotten and overgrown.

After the impoundment of the Tennessee by Kentucky Dam to form Kentucky Lake in the 1950's there was a boom of lake front developments and lots at what was once Fort Heiman were sold. Because the area is so remote and the bluff so steep, few houses were ever built there and there it sat for 50 or so years. In the 1990's the previously mentioned group of Civil War reeneactors began a campaign to save it and eventually persuaded the County Magistrates to buy up the empty lots with County funds. A few more parcels were donated and sold to the project and the Federal Government was contacted about taking over the Preservation. Fort Heiman is now officially a part of Fort Donaldson National park but the work is just beginning. The nice sign and split rail fence are currently the only improvements but at least the site has been saved from commercial development.





The next two are at Patterson Point, a public access site a few miles from Fort Heiman.

[cowboyup3371]

Nice pictures. Are there any signs of the fort itself?

[marvinsc]

Civil war Forts weren't like the Frontier forts with timber walls. They generally were earthen trenches called earthworks and artillary pits. The trenches still exist but are overgrown with vegetation. Lots of work to do before Ft. Heiman becomes a tourist attraction. There has been talk of getting a restored Confederate gunship docked there. That would be cool.