3/4/2010
This was taken at My House looking East at Roxy-Ann. I had Planned to go on
a few Hiking, Picture taking Trips this week. It was Raining Pretty intensely for
Two days. So I Spent that time doing a little extra Job-Hunting. I took this Picture
Wednesday when the Clouds lifted. We have Snow agine in the Mountains.
These two Pictures are taken in The Church Parking lot very Early on Thurday Morning.
Way before the Service Started. I Got up there to Early. And I was Curious to see How My
Camara did in the Dark.
After the Service. I Noticed it was Not Raining. Oh it was still very Cold.
And the Clouds has sort of whent away. I thought to My Self sitting there in
The coffee Shop after the Service. "I just got to go do something." I just simply did
NOT want to go home and Be Board once agine. So I Thought Ok. "Lets go drive up Forrest
Creek Road." There is Wonderfull Mountain Up there to Climb. Mt Isabelle. I had not been up there
for I dont know how Many Years. And My Mother Had Grown up at the End of Forrest-Creek-Road.
That is Where Shell & Grandma Hale lived all those Years. So I drove up there instead of going
Home. I soon discovered that driving up on Mt Isabelle would NOT be happening for me today. In
These Next 5 Pictures I have driven about 3 to 4 Miles up Forrest-Creek Road. My Car is now Parked
at the Turn off Road that will take us up to Mt Isabelle. It just so happens that the Little House
on the corner there was the "Johnny Black" House. We saw His Grave in Log-Town-Cemetery sometime ago.
If we keep driving up Forrest Creek Road we will come to the Area of Shell and Grandma Hale's old Cabin.
We will do that shortly. Here You can see what the Weather is like. Bad. Mt Isabelle is Hidden in the
Fog there. There was just no Way I was going to Drive my Little Non-Four-W-h-e-e-l-D-r-i-v-e-Car up that
Road. It would be about 2-Miles to the Trail Head. And it is Steep. That will Keep for another good-Weather Day.
Now I have driven Past Johnny Black's House about a Half a Mile. Mabe little less.
In this first Picture we are at a big Turn around in the Road. The Yellow sign ahead
Reads."End County Road/NO TURNAROUND. That Sign needs to be Heeded. If You do drive
up the Road past this sign. Soon You will be comming back down the road in
Reverse. There is indeed no place to TurnAround. Anyway in the Next picture I have Turned
around and Parked. Lets get out and walk up the Road now. You can see spots of Snow around now.
Walking the Road Now. It becomes very Narrow. Basicly this has become someones
Driveway now. Just ahead We will see two diffrent Old openings in the Fence
going to I dont know where.? But I do remember them from when I was a little Boy.
These 2 Pictures are just looking at the Snow covered Mt Side.
Well this is as far as You can drive up Forrest-Creek Road.There was never a Gate
here Originally. I Remember it as being a Split-Rail-Fence surounding this Little
Pasture. (Cow Pasture) The House You see in the distance was Not there back before 1965.
Shell & Grandma's little Cabin was back farther (out of Veiw from here.) And down to
the Left more. There is a Creek that is Running off to the Left going down into
Johnny Black's Propertie. I Remember there was some sort of Road going off from
this spot to the Left. That is Not really Visible now. In the Last two Pictures.
We are looking off in that Direction. Now Turning off to the Right We will see the
Original Way the Road continued on from Here. Going around the Pasture and leading off
into the area behind where You now see the New-House.
It was Still very Early in the A.m. When I left the Forrest-Creek Area. There simply was
nothing left for me to do up there. Bad Weather. So I Reluctantly Left and began
driving Home. Feeling kind of Bad because I didnt get to go Hiking like I had
Planned. Comming back down Jacksonville Hill. I thought Wait a minute Dan.
Lets stop off in Jacksonville and do some Picture taking there. I had wanted to get some
Picutres of The Cave down in Jackson-Creek. The Place Where Kelly & I had Panned
for Gold back in 1986. So I stoped along the Hwy there just comming in to J'ville
And began taking Pictures. Clouds Had began to Move back in now. So It is kind of
Dark looking. These First Two Pictures are taken Parked where Kelly & I had parked
to go down to the Creek to Pan for Gold. Across the Hwy here You can see the big
Area that Had been Mined a 100 years ago or so. There is Acctually Two areas like
that. Side by side. One Big. One little.
These Next 5 Pictures are taken there still park along the Hwy. I Really didnt feel
like walking down the Bank to the Creek. So I just Shot from the Parked Car.
You can see the Horse-Trail up on the Bank. And You can see the Big Cement Block from
A 100 years ago. How I would like to see what this area Looked like back then.?
The Last two Pictures are of the Cave down at the Creek.
In 1986 I took a Picture of My Girl Freind Kelly Panning for Gold right in
this very spot. With the Cave behind Her.Click Here to
see that Picture.
Now I have driven down the Road to Jacksonville. A Very short distance.
Here I'am sitting in a Very Small And I think a VIP Parking area for The
Britt that is just across the little road. Just beyond the White Fence is Where
The Peter Britt Home once stood. We will look at that Area shortly. We allso see
what the Britt Theater looks like from Behind.
In these Next two Pictures We are about to enter the Britt Gardens. A
Beautifull Peacfull Place to visit.
As You walk in throught the Gate way. You are Walking right up to where The
Britt Home once stood. It Burned down in 1960. I Remember The Foundation for the
House was allways there everysence I could remember. I think what You see now is
NOT the Original Foundation Stones.? I dont Know? It might be the same stones.? but
rebuilt.? I didnt pay to Much attention to it over the Years. What You see is
Supposed to Represent the House-foundation.
Now this big Cement Fish-Bowl I call it Has allways been up here. It must be original
from the time of Peter Britt. I Remember It used to be somewhat down the Hill. But was
Brought back up to this area. A New Base is seen here undernieth the Bowl.
Standing in what would be the Front of the House. We Can see the Tree planted by
Peter Britt the Day of His Son's Birth.
Here we see the Foundation and a nice lawn that Has been planted inside of it.
Somehow I just dont think the foundation seen here is Big enough for the Home in
the Pictures I have seen. It must have changed a little bit sence the House burned
down.
Here we are looking to the West of the Britt House. And agine The Tree Peter planted.
This is the Garden area. And all the way down to the Hwy. Allso this is where the Beginnings
the Horse Trails can be found.
If You could look through those Trees. You would see My Car Parked over there.
And this is a plaque Mounted on the side of the Foundation.
This is as Big/Total of a Full shot of the Britt-House-Foundation That I was able
to get. Its close enough. I'am not sure just how the House set on this spot.
I would Guess that I'am standing on the Back, Right hand side of the house
if You are looking at it from the Front. Make sense? I dont know.?
The Town of Jacksonville is just on the other side of the Trees down
the Hill. In The Next Picture we see The House from
Peter Britt Dot OrgSo If I was
Taking My last Picture back in The day the House was there. I should
be behind the House.? Not Visible. I Guess.? Interesting. I Guess.?
I have began to walk up the Steps to the Main Building. The First thing We
See is What I think was the Original Out-House. It has allways been there.
There is Nothing inside. We Broke into it many Years ago. If it was the
Out-House. I think that Location was Probably to close to the Main House.
Probably It was simply Moved there sometime in the late 1900's The Building just
beyond the Out-House is a Ticket type Building. Added in the 70's
Continuing up the Walk way. We now come to the Big-Out-Door-Theater..
Construction started on the The Theater and all the Out Building around
1975. My Self. My Little Brother, and another Freind at that time named
Andy. we used to come up here late in the evenings and Check out all the stuff
going on. The workers were gone by then. There was No Security. No Fence.
Nothing like would be the Norm today. We got into a lot of Stuff. Climbed
all over the Scaffolding. That was not to Bad. But then We got the Idea to
Start Stealing from the work site. That was Bad. We didnt steal alot.
Just some Lumber. Nails. tools. Things like that. We began Packing this
stuff up in the woods to the West. between the Reservoir And the Horse
Tails. It was a Nice Dence Forrest area. Plenty of Privacy. We had Planed to
Build a Fort up there. You know a Place to hang out. Smoke ciggaretts.
Party. All that good stuff we were going be doing someday. We built the
Fort sort of. It turned out to be a Huge Pile of Junk. None of Us knew
what we were doing. We Really didnt do anything up there. After about a
Year or so someone discovered it and tore it down. took all the wood.
There is still Parts of it remaining. I could find it if I tryed.
We were stupid. We didnt get Caught. But GOD Knows. HE Knows.
It seems like every Year the Britt make the News about one thing or another.
Sometimes they have Problems with the shows they book. Or Late night Noise in
the Neighbor Hood. And Corprate manager type things keep going
wrong. Or The Trees keep falling down. Here we can see some of the Trees. They
are way old. & Tall. some of them they have had to be removed for saftey Reason.
The last one that fell a few Years ago I came up here and looked at it. It was
Huge. Drove the Branches right in to the Ground like a Spear. Well the Hill side
looks kind of Bare now. Not much they can do about that.
Looking back down the Hill towards where the House would have been.
Here is The Seating. At Least the Current Seating for The Theater. It has Changed
over the Years a few Times. I'am trying to Remember if there was any Kind of
Seating when I first discovered this Place back 40 Years ago.? I dont Know?
I know at some time later there was NO seating at all. Just Grass to sit on.
I think they have tryed a few difftent types of Chairs and now this is what we
have. Also You will see the Permently Mounted Camara Stands. I didnt Notice. But
there Must be Lighting up there as well.?
Here is the Stage. And It is Huge. My Memories are Fading I know. But I do
Remember being up Here each Night Late Summertime Evening with Rod & Andy.
Just going through all the construction stuff. Seeing how this Place was
taking Shape. There is a Whole Downstairs area to it. It was of course
Just big empty rooms back then. There are 6 Huge Metal sliding doors.
I Remember when those were first Put up. They didnt lock. Now I Realize
the Lighting is inside there. I can see some of it Now on this side of the Doors.
The Hill side used to be covered in those Big tall Pine Trees you see just past the
Seating area. Its tobad some of them had to be Removed. I have No Idea what this area
was like back in Peter Britts Day.?
Here I'am looking out over the Valley to the North. Clouds are really rolling
in now. Rain is on the Way agine. But I was so Happy I got a to chance to come
up here and spend some time away from My House.
Looking Back up the Hill now. We See one of the Food & Beverage Stands.
There is another Food & Beverage Building to the Left of this Picture.
Also the Rest-Rooms are to the Right of this Picture down hill a bit
out of Veiw. Originally the Britt Propertie was not as big as it is today.
I Remember The Back Fence as being closer to the Present seating area.
And I think? there was a small run down. Falling apart Food & Beverage
Building where You see the Present one now. And that is where the Fence-Line
used to be at. And You can see a Large Tree that Had to be Topped off.
For Saftey Reasons I'am sure.
I wore My New Hiking Boots today. I thought I would be going up on Mt Isabelle
this Morning. Oh Well.
Now I have walked around to the Back of the Stage. Not a whole lot to see here.
Behind me is a Special little drive way that will bring V-I-P-s into this area so
they can get out of there Vehicles and Quickly be brought into the Theater
Via the Stairs here to the left of the Picture. This is NOT Public Access here.
They have some Pretty big Names Playing here during the Summer Evening Shows.
My Church Used to Hold the Easter-Services here in the 90's.
Here is The Marquee. It will soon have comming Attractions.
There is the ticket office And Beyond the Out-House just to the left.
And Now I have notice something New. The Big Bronze-Statue of Peter Britt with
His Camara. I never noticed that before. Or Mabe that is Made of Copper?
Lets go Check that Out..
As My Picture taking Adventure comes to a End today. The Rain has just started to
Fall as I walk back to My Car parked there over looking the Town. Tomarrow I
will be going to The Rich-Gulch Area Just Up the Hill from here to spend a few
Hours on another Picture-Taking-Adventure...
go to 3/5/2010