Fort Johnson - Mohawk Valley New York 1700's

Sir William Johnson was instrumental in building alliances between the British and the Indians during the mid -1770's. Specifically the Six Nations, Mohawk and Iroquois Confederacy. William Johnson married Molly Brant, a Christianized Mohawk, which strengthened the ties between Johnson and the native tribes. Molly's brother, Chief Joseph Brant, will lead many bloody raids in the Mohawk Valley during the American Revolution, October 1780. The painting above depicts Fort Johnson as it was and reflects the dozens of Indians and Chiefs that came to the Johnson home with greetings and grievances.

As Fort Johnson is today

An 18th privy fitting for a man of Johnson's station in society

An interior wall - soldiers would have fought an enemy through the openenings

Relics found during an archealogical dig

A painting depicting the fort from a hilltop view, in the lower right

Most of the furniture in the home is original to William Johnson that had been kept in the family

Dining Room

Bedroom

The Grand Hallway where dozens of Indians and Chiefs waited to see Sir Johnson

The portraits of some of those Chiefs. One being Joseph Brant, Molly's half brother, also a Christian

Sir William Johnson died in 1774 and his son John Johnson assumes his fathers position and will lead many of the bloody raids through the Mohawk Valley during the Revolution, including the Great Raid of October 1780

Fort Necessity - French and Indian War 1754-1763

Fort Necessity is a small battle that began the French and Indian War. A young 21 yr old George Washington killed a French diplomat which escalated the war. Washington's men built this small fort (replica because the French burned the original) as they battled the French. Washington was forced to surrender, and hence, lost the battle.
The fort is really small and had to house about 35 men

It is about 15 feet square

Re-enactor

The story began here

A copy of Washington's surrender papers where he admits to killing the French Ambassador

A copy of a land map - the star is where Fort Necessity is

Relics found during an archeaological dig of the site

More relics
General Braddock was Washington's general who was killed during another battle
Washington presided over the funeral and burial
General Braddocks Gravesite

Jack Daniels Distillery - Lynchburg, TN

I visited the Jack Daniels Distillery on a Sunday which means the little town of Lynchburg was pretty much closed. I personally don't like Jack Daniels whiskey, but I can appreciate the art and science that goes into its' making. ALL the JD whiskey in the world is made here at this distillery and Lynchburg happens to be in a dry county, therefore, you can not purchase any of the product. We were only allowed to take pictures of the outside buildings.
The bar served lemonade

It's a dry county so you can only take a picture of the whiskey and it is behind a cabinet

The story of Jack Daniels and its process

It started out a simple process

Below, it gets a little more complicated

The safe that killed him. He kicked it, broke his foot, gangrene set in, he died.

His office where the safe is

Antique fire trucks

The man who started it all

The seven Master Tasters, the current is center

The cool natural spring that supplies all the water

The trees turn black due to the distilling process.

The little town of Lynchburg is still as it was a hundred years ago. A sleepy quaint little town.