Tag Archives: Fort Knox

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Fort Knox part four.

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Every fort needs a kitchen and while this one probably didn’t contain many time saving appliances, it was large.

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This box was used for dough.

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And this was the table to knead it on.

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That’s a serious amount of bread.

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The enlisted mens quarters seemed to go on forever, but ironically construction of the fort was never completed and only 20 to 54 troops were garrisoned here during the Civil War. When 575 troops were stationed here during the Spanish-American War, they bunked outside the fort in tents.

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The powder magazine was found behind an extremely thick door and was heavily guarded.

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I’m hoping there was a no smoking sign posted as well.

One last walk around outside, past the D Battery cannon mounts.

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And we were done.

So that was Fort Knox. Impressive, well cared for and a big tourist draw.

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My. Husband. Took. Pictures.

That’s a triple A review in my world.

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Fort Knox part three, and the possibility of a ghost blanket.

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These strange discs were lined up on the parade ground so the husband had to investigate.

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Having had my fill of stairs that day, I let him.

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Turns out they were storage vaults for ammunition.

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Alongside of that wall was a room with a broken water line that fed from a 27,000 gallon cistern…

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And next to that…

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A room with a giant rock. Because who doesn’t love that?

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The officer’s quarters were far from luxurious. Geesh, look at that lumpy mattress.

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But as cold and damp as Maine can be, at least they had a fireplace.

Now let’s take a strange turn here shall we?

Please note the mock up of a Revolutionary War officer seated on the right and the blanket draped over his chair. I wanted a better look at him and took this untouched photo from his other side.

Notice anything strange?

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*cue the Twilight Zone music*

You. Can. See. Through. The. Blanket.

What the Hell!

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Fort Knox part two.

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If you’re a history nerd like me, you’ll love exploring this fort.

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And even if you’re not, like my husband? It’s still a pretty cool place.

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Did my knee enjoy the spiral stone staircases? It did not, but I lived to tell the tale.

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Is it wrong the first thing I thought when I reached the top was… how do they get the lawn mowers up here?

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The views are lovely..

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And there’s the bridge we visited earlier in the day.

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And if you’re looking for proof this was an amazing place? There’s my husband taking pictures.

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My husband never takes pictures.

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It’s a good thing there was an ambulance because I almost fainted from shock.

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Fort Knox, the Maine version.

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After visiting the Penobscot Narrows bridge observatory, we turned our attention to Maine’s largest historic fort which is literally right next door.

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Fort Knox, named after General Henry Knox, America’s first Secretary of War and Commander of Artillery in the Revolution. He spent his final years just down the road in Thomaston. And yes, that other Fort Knox in Kentucky is named after him as well.

The first thing we saw upon entering the Fort’s grounds?

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Proof!

I’m guessing this was a Halloween decoration as they host a big event here for the holiday. Or rather, I’m hoping.

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The Fort sits on a peninsula jutting out into the Penobscot River and was deemed the perfect defensive spot in 1844. Almost a million dollars was spent on its construction, but it took Congress 25 years to allot those funds and as with most government run projects, it was never actually completed.

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But no matter, it’s still an impressive place.

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More Halloween decorations, which to be honest annoyed the photographer in me.

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Yeah, Stephen King rules. We get it.

A diagram of the fort.

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The minute you enter through the sally port you’re struck by how well designed this was.

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The granite was local and expertly fitted.

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Inside? It’s all about the canons.

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Small cannons.

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And Big Bertha ass cannons.

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You know every single child ignores that sign.

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Room after room of cannons. Two floors and four batteries contain mounts for 135 of those babies but only 74 were ever brought to the site. Not as many as it could hold, but that still requires a lot of balls. In more ways than one.

To be continued..

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