On this week’s show, your host, Justin Mog, floats up river to a special place on the banks of the Ohio River with Jessica Whitehead & David Wicks, two Board members of Payne Hollow on the Ohio (https://www.paynehollowontheohio.org/), a new non-profit organization whose mission is to sustainably preserve the structures and land at Payne Hollow in Trimble County, Kentucky, as a means to protect and promote the legacy of Harlan and Anna Hubbard.
On October 14th, they announced that the organization met its Phase I fundraising goal and officially closed on the property. With gratitude to all of its Founding Partners, Payne Hollow on the Ohio is now ready to begin its next phase of fundraising and mission-driven work. The organization is seeking donors from the community who will be able to support the vital and ongoing preservation and restoration of the structures, land, and artifacts at Payne Hollow.
Harlan Hubbard (1900-1988) was considered by many to be a modern-day Thoreau. Hubbard is widely beloved for his writing and art, but he and his wife, Anna Hubbard, captivated the public imagination when, after years of living on a shantyboat, they settled down in Payne’s Hollow–later shortened by Harlan to “Payne Hollow” along the banks of the Ohio River. There they built a charming, bespoke homestead where they lived for thirty-five years. The Hubbards spent their days living sustainably–foraging, fishing, gardening, chopping wood, as well as writing, artmaking, and playing music. They were unique in twentieth-century life, choosing a life of quiet solitude, foregoing electricity and running water, shunning modern tools and amenities, all to live “on the fringe of society.”
When the Hubbards died in the 1980s, Paul Hassfurder, a friend and fellow artist, inherited and maintained the property. Now that responsibility has passed to Payne Hollow on the Ohio, an organization which seeks to honor the Hollow’s former owners by tirelessly bringing the land and structures back to their former glory.
To learn more about Payne Hollow on the Ohio’s goals, work, team, and future, or to make a donation to our ongoing projects, visit https://www.paynehollowontheohio.org or follow them on Facebook and Instagram @paynehollowontheohio. Donations and gifts of any amount will help Payne Hollow on the Ohio meet its Phase II fundraising goals. They can be made through the website or via check.
Due to the severe topography, habitat concerns, historical landmarks, and management, access to Payne Hollow on the Ohio is by permission only. Guided tours and events on the property will be announced in the coming months, and property access will be limited to those events.
See also: The Ohio River Way (hosting a summit on Nov. 15th): http://theohioriverway.org
UofL's Hubbard archives: https://library.louisville.edu/archives/hubbard
Afloat on the Ohio: https://www.afloatontheohio.com/
As always, our feature is followed by your community action calendar for the week, so get your calendars out and get ready to take action for sustainability NOW!
Sustainability Now! is hosted by Dr. Justin Mog and airs on Forward Radio, 106.5fm, WFMP-LP Louisville, every Monday at 6pm and repeats Tuesdays at 12am and 10am. Find us at http://forwardradio.org
The music in this podcast is courtesy of the local band Appalatin and is used by permission. Explore their delightful music at http://appalatin.com