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07-28-08, 07:18 PM
After some of our members returned from a sabbatical in Colorado, the Ozark Roadies gathered together on Saturday to do the "Savoy" ride. It's one of our staple rides. Generally, there's not much traffic, and the scenery is pretty nice.
The ride starts in the middle of the Greater Savoy Arkansas Metroplex as seen below.
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z90/gearloose_2007/IMG_0029.jpg.
We park in the graveled area in front of the community center and get ourselves and our bikes ready to go. Saturday's parking lot preparation included lotsa water and sunscreen.
About 200 or 300 hundred yards down the road, we cross Clear Creek. To the left up the creek a little way is this dam. It's always interested me.
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z90/gearloose_2007/IMG_0032.jpg
Here's a closer view. It's as peaceful a place as you'd ever want to visit.
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z90/gearloose_2007/IMG_0030.jpg
I've noticed what appears to be an old mill race to the left side of the dam and the creek.
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z90/gearloose_2007/IMG_0031.jpg
After Saturday's ride, I ventured down to that area and found a local out watering and weeding her flower bed. "Excuse ma'am was there ever a mill here?"
Yes there was. It was a grist mill built in the late 1800's and operated until 1960. There was a 100-year flood in 1960, and the whole area was under about 4 feet of water. A month later, the mill burned. There was no water wheel. It was powered by a turbine. The mill provided power for the school house up the street, which is the community center, now.
The property has been in her family for quite a number of years. She's been a life-long resident of the area and attended school in the building in the first pic.
Actually, I took a number of these pics after the Saturday ride. I'm happy that I waited until after the ride as I would not have learned about the history of the area had I just stopped quickly and shot. I had always wondered if the community center had been a church. That it was a school house makes sense, now.
About a mile or so down the road, we cross the Illinois River.
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z90/gearloose_2007/IMG_0033.jpg
Clear Creek is a tributary of the Illinois. Usually, the clarity of the water in the river is a little better than it appears in the pic. The river is a couple of feet deep right in this area.
I like the various wild flowers. These were growing to the side of the bridge several feet below the deck.
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z90/gearloose_2007/IMG_0034.jpg
The actual color of the flowers is reflected by those in the left of the pic. I'm not much of a photographer and need to pay more attention to lighting.
I'm running out of space, and there's still a few miles left to go. See below.
The ride starts in the middle of the Greater Savoy Arkansas Metroplex as seen below.
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z90/gearloose_2007/IMG_0029.jpg.
We park in the graveled area in front of the community center and get ourselves and our bikes ready to go. Saturday's parking lot preparation included lotsa water and sunscreen.
About 200 or 300 hundred yards down the road, we cross Clear Creek. To the left up the creek a little way is this dam. It's always interested me.
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z90/gearloose_2007/IMG_0032.jpg
Here's a closer view. It's as peaceful a place as you'd ever want to visit.
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z90/gearloose_2007/IMG_0030.jpg
I've noticed what appears to be an old mill race to the left side of the dam and the creek.
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z90/gearloose_2007/IMG_0031.jpg
After Saturday's ride, I ventured down to that area and found a local out watering and weeding her flower bed. "Excuse ma'am was there ever a mill here?"
Yes there was. It was a grist mill built in the late 1800's and operated until 1960. There was a 100-year flood in 1960, and the whole area was under about 4 feet of water. A month later, the mill burned. There was no water wheel. It was powered by a turbine. The mill provided power for the school house up the street, which is the community center, now.
The property has been in her family for quite a number of years. She's been a life-long resident of the area and attended school in the building in the first pic.
Actually, I took a number of these pics after the Saturday ride. I'm happy that I waited until after the ride as I would not have learned about the history of the area had I just stopped quickly and shot. I had always wondered if the community center had been a church. That it was a school house makes sense, now.
About a mile or so down the road, we cross the Illinois River.
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z90/gearloose_2007/IMG_0033.jpg
Clear Creek is a tributary of the Illinois. Usually, the clarity of the water in the river is a little better than it appears in the pic. The river is a couple of feet deep right in this area.
I like the various wild flowers. These were growing to the side of the bridge several feet below the deck.
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z90/gearloose_2007/IMG_0034.jpg
The actual color of the flowers is reflected by those in the left of the pic. I'm not much of a photographer and need to pay more attention to lighting.
I'm running out of space, and there's still a few miles left to go. See below.