Nature Is Reclaiming This One Abandoned Kentucky Spot And It's Actually Amazing
By Jenn Shockley|Published March 23, 2016
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Jenn Shockley
Author
I am somewhat a cliche'. I grew up running around barefoot on a farm in Kentucky.
I love writing, art, sunshine, all animals and my incredibly patient husband, who tolerates my "crazy animal lady" side.
An abandoned Kentucky spot in urban areas will often get refurbished or demolished before nature reclaims it. Still, we do have some old creepy things floating about you might be surprised by. One of which is the Celt, though she is known by other names.
The tale of the Celt is both exciting and sad. She began her journey as a state of the art luxury yacht, via the commission of J Rogers Maxwell. He was a rich railroad executive back in 1902 and they sat sail from Delaware. He was an avid yachter, enjoying racing and other activities. The Celt had her glory days of winning races and lavish parties, only to be sold in 1917.
Her next owner, Manton Metcalf, didn’t get to enjoy exciting parties and elegant clothing; instead, she was commissioned by the US Navy. Upon deeming her the USS Phenakite for use in the military, she became a coastal yacht. Her lavish military career consisted of being loaned out to the renowned Thomas Edison for his experiments.
Later, her title changed to the USS Sachem from 1917 to 1919. The once glorious Celt was fitted with machine guns and depth charges to help stop torpedoes and sink U boats. At the end of the war she was returned to her owner and promptly sold to Jake Marin, who converted the military vessel to a fishing boat in 1932. The military wasn’t done with her yet though… and by 1942, they reacquired and converted her back to the USS Phenakite in July of that year. The military deemed her ready for disposal in November of 1945.
Rejected, she was renamed Sachem in December 1945 by her previous owner, Martin, and struck from the Naval registry. By 1946, this poor vessel was again sold and renamed. This time the Circle Line became a tour boat. Her new name was Sightseer, and later, the Circle Line V. The once lavish Celt remained a tour boat until 1983.
Instead, she was found abandoned near Lawrenceburg Indiana and Petersburg Kentucky on a little off shoot of the Ohio River. Her metal and wooden corpse half floats and half rests on the floor of the river. Plant life along the river banks has turned to making her part of their environment.
This is what is left of her today.
This abandoned Kentucky spot is home to the renowned ghost ship of the Ohio River. Her once lavish life has all but faded from memory, leaving her to become a part of nature. Like many, she fell from grace during the wars of our ancestors. If not the Celt, what abandoned Kentucky spot do you find interesting?
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