October 12 and 13th

We are staying in a state park (Rock Creek State Park) near Memphis. We stopped at the "Shilo Battlefield" on our way here, we got another National Park stamp to validate our park book collection. We did laundry and cleaned house so we are free tomorrow to sight see.
Saturday, We went to see the "Woodruff-Fontaine House" in old Memphis.(picture) Over the years this house was used for many things, the amazing thing is the beautiful architecture and stained glass windows over the front door and stairway wasn't destroyed when the the homeless and vandals finally took it over. (they had boards were over them) The historical society took it over in 1961 and it is now completely restored with all the furnishings of the period and it is 3 full stories of rooms and furniture as it was in its prime. The whole neighborhood has these kind of homes with people living in them and the one next door is as big and setting there empty.(picture brick home)
From here we went to the "Slave Haven Underground Railway," a home that was used by the under ground railway for hiding slaves. A secret cellar and trap doors reveal the escape route of runaway slaves. It was interesting to hear how they hid them and the secret knowledge they used to find these homes at such a desperate time in their lives, like homemade quilts on the porch with a star on it. The had displays of auction bills listing the amount of slaves and the age and sex of them that they would be selling on the auction block.
We rode the trolley next and got a good view of the city. It sure is an old city with a lot of trash all over. Sunday we stayed home and did jobs that needed done, we did the casino that night.