3746 Winter Garden Road, Orlando, Florida 32805
Two or three times I have seen photos in I.M.A. showing rail
fences. As works of art, and as illustrations of the subject, I
thought I could dig up some negatives of mine that would do better.
Here they are.
They picture not only the fence, but a very historical era and
Mississippi, to Nashville, Tennessee. In early days it was a foot
trail. Then widened for horses and wagons, and now is a National
Parkway, though the northern part was not open to auto traffic in
1963, when these photos were taken.
Since these rail fences were erected under supervision of the
National Park Service who are meticulous in their care of detail, I
think any debate as to these fences can be dispensed with. I think
one observation may be permitted, however: The fences are newly
installed, and are probably incomplete. The complete fence, as I
recall, were exactly like the pictured fence here, except that each
rail junction had shorter rails anchored in the ground on one end
and leaning against the ends of the main line rails. Despairing of
describing exactly how this was, I have drawn lines at one of the
corners, illustrating how the classic old ‘stake and rider’
idea worked, how it prevented animals from pushing over a
fence.
Doubtless the National Park people now have the fence completed
as shown by my lines. It might be worth a trip there to find
out.
The other photo shows the famous old Mt. Locust Inn (the
original, not a reproduction) of the 1870’s and ’80’s,
before which the old time stage coaches once stopped with a
flourish.
And now, cheerio! See you at Mt. Locust!