🐐🐐🐐🐐2016 April 12, Tuesday, Touring the Belle Chevre Goat Cheese Factory in Elkmont, Alabama

We took highway 64 to Lexington, a beautiful drive up and downhills.
We stopped at Preston's Restaurant for lunch. Hubby was told to arrive before 11:00AM.
We both ordered off the lunch menu.
I ordered white beans, turnip greens, meatloaf, cornbread, onion, and tea.
Hubby ordered white beans, turnip greens, pulled pork, cornbread, and sweet tea.
I gave my meatloaf to hubby. I ate only vegetables.
We both ordered a glass of tea to go

Preston's Restaurant

We continued traveling 14 miles on highway 64.
We turned right on Highway 89 for 2.3 miles.
We turned left on county road 52 for 1.76 miles
We turned left on AL207 for 1.76 miles
We turned slight right on hwy AL99 for 7.63 miles
We turned left on Salem Minor Hill Road hwy 21 for .87 miles
We took the first right on Easter Ferry Rd hwy 104 for 4.97 miles
We turned left to Morris Rd hwy 49 for .06 miles
Stopping at 18849 Upper Fort Hampton Rd. 

I took several pictures of the winding hilly roads as we traveled to Elkmont.
We saw several planted fields and lots of cows and horses. 
We stopped to take pictures of a couple of historic markers.

Sim Corder/Harrison Mil

Sim Corder/Harrison Mil

Sim Corder/Harrison Mill

Simeon Corder is said to have contracted with George Hamilton to build the mill and operate it for him in 1909. The contract was sealed with no more than a handshake. After Corder's death in 1923, his widow sold the mill to Aubrey Todd, who sold it to George Harrison in 1927. Harrison's descendants have owned it since that time. The waterwheel was sold and moved to Anderson, Al. in 1939 where it remained until 1996. After many years of deterioration and after major repairs it was returned to its original position. With a new millrace, the mill was returned to its original appearance. This mill is but one of many that once existed along the waterways of the county, but is the only one restored to its historic appearance thanks to the dedication of its owners.

Sims Settlement 

Sims Settlement

 Sims Settlement 

In the fall of 1806, a group of settlers led by William and James Sims traveled from east Tennessee on flatboats down the Tennessee River and up the Elk River to this area. They landed near Buck Island and spread out into the surrounding countryside, seeking home sites in what they thought was "government" land that would soon be for sale to settlers. The area they settled, covering several square miles, from Elk River to New Garden became known as "Sims Settlement."

The Federal Government had settled the Cherokee claim to the area north of the Tennessee River in 1805, but the Chickasaw Nation maintained a claim to it until 1816. The settlement by the Sims party and others that continued to come to the area was illegal, and they became squatters or "intruders" on Indian land.

The growing number of white settlers entering the area alarmed the Chickasaws who threatened war if the U.S. Federal Government did not remove them. To avoid bloodshed and to placate the Chickasaws, the government sent troops into this area to remove the settlers. This first removal was in April and May of 1809. Most of the settlers returned as soon as the soldiers left, and so the problem continued. (Continued on another side)

In response, the government sent an ultimatum dated August 4, 1810, to the settlers that if they had not left all land west of the Chickasaw boundary by December 15, they would be removed by force. This boundary was surveyed in the fall of 1807, starting at Hobbs Island in Madison County and running diagonally to a point near Maury County in Tennessee. This boundary was the source of all the settlers’ problems because they were on the wrong side of it. Faced with the grave threat issued by the military, the settlers took the only action within their means.

On September 5, 1810, some 450 of them gathered at Sims Settlement and signed a lengthy letter or petition addressed to President James Madison and Congress. In it, they stated the honesty of their intentions, the strength of their character, and made passionate pleas that they are allowed to stay. Even though they described the terrible condition they would be placed in, especially that of the widows and orphans among them, their entire pleading fell on deaf ears, however. The soldiers who were now stationed at the newly established Fort Hampton set about removing the settlers and burning the cabins and rail fences. This continued until 1817, and in 1818, land in Limestone County was finally offered for sale by the government.

canola fields 

We saw canola fields covered with yellow blooms so we stopped to take several pictures.


We finally reached the Belle Chevre Goat Factory. The guided tour started at 1:00PM. While everyone was registering for the walk, my hubby and I walked outside. I took several pictures of the three goats that were housed outside. 

I tried to get a picture of the free ranged chicken but he was camera shy.

When the tour began, we were told the history of the building, and the history of the three goats and then lead into a room to watch a five-minute video.

Our next stop was the making of the cheese. It was one very large room where four women were working.

We saw how they rolled the cheese, cut the cheese, and mixed the cheese. 

We were given a sample of the cheese from the cheese roll.

Everyone was guided back to the front office where we all lined up to sample the different cheeses.

Making the cheese

Chevre Cheese that we took home. 

We each were given a sample of the goat cheese on a popsicle stick. We sampled coffee, honey, cinnamon, fig, original, and one sample of blackberry, jalapeño jelly atop the cheese on a cracker.

We selected the original and cinnamon goat cheese to take home. 
We thanked our tour guide for the tour and the samples.
I took a few pictures of the surrounding area and we took I-65 to Athens and hwy 72 home.