Airdrie Epilogue-12/3/14.
As I write this epilogue, or ending
of this section of the web site, I wonder if it is still only a matter of time until
Mother Nature takes Airdrie back to the ground and the groundhogs, squirrels, and
other varmints, once again, have this section of the state to themselves. Maybe so,
maybe not. A few years back, when I first spoke of Airdrie, I talked of it as a
treasure that would some day be gone. In my earlier years of visiting this place
of stone, bricks, rocks and mortar, it was just there like so many other places,
and if it was not there, later on in my life, it would not matter. On a few of my
last visits to Airdrie, I kept thinking that this area was so important to Muhlenberg
County, Ohio County, other counties, and the state of Kentucky that it would be a
big mistake to allow all to just revert back to where it came from. Kentucky Coal
Mining was first tried in this area. The smelting of iron ore to make iron was one
of the first places in this state as well as the United States to have been been
tried here. Songs have been written about Airdrie and a large population of this
country are direct descendants of the two hundred or so workers that emigrated here
from Scotland to build and operate the Airdire Works. Thirty or so years ago, I would
liked to have seen some work started on the preservation of Airdire and all that I
talked to wanted the same. Everyone wanted to restore this magnificiant, man made,
iron ore foundry, but no one made much beyond that first move to get'r'done. Personally,
I just could not fathom groups, organizations and such with enough influence or money
to even attempt to try to restore this old relic of the past. So sad.
Then, along came Jeff. You have perhaps heard the old song about a woman being in
distress and then "Along Came Jones". This woman was tied to the railroad tracks
and along came Jones, and he freed her! She was about to be sawed in half and along
came Jones and he freed her! You have to go back many years to have heard that song.
Let us face it; they just don't make songs like that anymore. I enjoyed the song,
but once in a Blue Moon, someone will come along that can and will make changes. In
this case and the case in particular of Airdrie, Jeff Drake may be the answer. Jeff
is from Muhlenberg County and is hard headed enough to not take no for an answer and
is in the long process of trying to establish some form of a group or organization
that will make Airdrie a place to visit. He has a very good web site about Airdrie
if anyone is interested. Just looking at, what could possible be, the steam engine
at Airdrie will make this trip to his website worthwhile. Just click on the following
link.
Hope you enjoy your visit.
Thanks for looking this site over.
See you.....
jerry
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