Personal Ramblings about the Red River Gorge

The following is a response to my previous entry regarding John Snell's RRG book from my friend Lon who I know through the Camera Club of Cincinnati. I found his comments to be an interesting part of the history of the Gorge and well-worth posting here. I also recommend checking out the new Small Flash Lighting specialty web-store that he has recently started. Lon is well-versed in the ways of lighting and getting all your gear to work together; he helps me out all the time! -RRD

Personal Ramblings about the Red River Gorge
by Lon

I am a native of Kentucky, and have lived in Kentucky for over half a century. I grew up in Eastern Kentucky, in the tri-state area of KY-WV-OH, in Boyd County to be precise. My college years, and a few more after graduation were spent in Lexington, Kentucky (BSME University of Kentucky - 1976). And, have been in Northern Kentucky since 1981.

While in Lexington in the early to late 1970’s I began going to the Red River Gorge as an inexpensive diversion from school. It was only a couple of hours away from Lexington and was a very convenient and wonderful place to visit with friends, to camp and hike on the weekends. I also made trips there via motorcycle to camp with friends from Boyd County when I returned home in the summers. For me, passing through the Nada Tunnel signaled being in the gorge and away from just about everything else.

My first overt political activity was in an effort to “Save the Gorge”. In the mid 1970’s there was a highly organized and moneyed effort by land developers to dam the Red River for recreational use, mostly for pleasure boating. This effort was masked, as common for the time, as a necessary flood control project. This project would have obliterated the Red River Gorge’s splendid beauty.

The damming of the Red River was supported by most of the significant KY politicians and it looked very much like a done deal. Key to accomplishing the damming the Red River was federal flood control money. And, key to that was support was Kentucky’s most influential politician of the day, US Senator Wendell Ford (a former KY governor).

A groundswell of grassroots opposition to damming the Red River emerged, with significant energy coming from students at the University of Kentucky, and other regional universities.

I marched in a very boisterous “Save the Gorge” rally, with thousands of others at the Kentucky State Capitol Building in Frankfort.

A close friend even produced a benefit 45 RPM record for sale to support the “Save the Gorge” effort.

Soon after the significant rally in Frankfort, Wendell Ford pulled his support for damming the Red River, and that killed the project. Pleasure boaters were forced to use one of the many other large flood control lakes in the region.

My friend’s record never actually had to be sold due the project being killed. But, I have one of the few copies of that recording. It is one of only three 45 RPM records in my collection (other two - Atomic Rooster, and the hilarious “Billy Graham Speaks to Teenagers).

I have not been to the gorge in several years, and have never actually photographed there. On a few occasions I have tried to rustle up a couple of other Camera Club of Cincinnati members to for a one or two day photo field trip. But, the hectic nature of modern life has always stymied these impromptu excursions.

I am also the proud owner of all of the close-out stock (about 60 copies) of “The Unforeseen Wilderness: Kentucky's Red River Gorge” by Wendell Barry (with photographs by Ralph Eugene Meatyard). When I discovered the book was on the remainder rack at Dalton’s I called the central warehouse and purchased all the outstanding copies in the United Stated (they collect dust in a box in a closet at home).

Despite the fact that Meatyard is one my personal favorite photographers, the photographs in “Unforeseen Wilderness” disappoint due the very marginal reproduction quality in the book.

Enjoy! Lon (of FlashZebra.Com)