A look at the greatest maritime disaster in U.S. history, it occurred on April 27, 1865 when the steamship SS Sultana exploded on the Mississippi River and an estimated 1800 passengers died, including 194 from Kentucky; in Paducah, a historical marker honors engineer and Confederate General Lloyd Tilghman; a visit to Louisville’s Mega Cavern, approximately 100 acres of underground fun, including the world’s only fully underground zipline course; and Kentucky Ingrained LLC in McKee features handcrafted furniture from reclaimed Kentucky hardwoods.
The Sultana Disaster
In the days after the Civil War, the steamboat Sultana exploded and sank on the Mississippi River on April 27, 1865, at Memphis, killing 1,800 passengers – almost all of them former prisoners of war returning home from the South. It remains the worst maritime disaster in U.S. history.
The story of the Sultana is largely forgotten, eclipsed by the news a day earlier that President Lincoln’s assassin, John Wilkes Booth, had been found and killed.
Learn more about the Sultana disaster and watch the video.
Louisville Mega Cavern
For year-round outdoor adventure, head indoors to Kentucky’s largest building. Louisville Mega Cavern, a former limestone quarry, offers ziplines, mountain biking and more, all underground.
“Louisville Mega Cavern was originally the Louisville Crushed Stone Company,” says Jennifer Quinlan, Event Coordinator for Louisville Mega Cavern. “The limestone mining business ran until the 1970s, and the space sat empty for several years before the current owners purchased it in the 1980s.”
Continue reading about Louisville Mega Cavern and watch the video.
Kentucky Ingrained, LLC
Craftsman Rick Griebenow’s tables are functional, beautiful, and each is one of a kind. He builds and sells his tables through his Jackson County-based company, Kentucky Ingrained, LLC.
“I really enjoy working with reclaimed wood because of its character, because of the uniqueness,” says Griebenow. “When somebody tears down a barn or brings down a building there’s every species imaginable in that old building. I’ll go through a whole stack of wood and I’ll pick out the pieces that I want. I can almost see the finished product when I see the piece of wood.”
Learn more about Kentucky Ingrained, LLC, and watch the video.
