Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Shiloh Centennial Trail - Civil War

In 1960 Ken Humphreys of Troop 343 in Memphis, Tennessee pioneered a hiking instituation that exists to this day.  He along with the Scouts and Leaders of his troop created a number of Boy Scout Hiking Trails that encompassed the Shiloh National Military Park.  Today the site is mecca for Scouting hikers from all over the Southeast and Midwest.  It is the best marked battlefield of the Civil War and with its easy terrain it is a good but not overwhelming hike.

In 1962 Scouts that hiked Military Trail #1 were entitled to purchase a special Centennial Trail Patch (pictured above).  This was a classic that started a trend for each successive Anniversary of the Battle or for other events such as the Bicentennial or National Park Service Centennial.  Mr. Humphreys based his design on the Shiloh Military Park Museum Patch.  It was the same shape and had the distinctive Confederate battle Flag on it.  The Museum patch was twill and Mr. Humphreys wanted something special for his hikers.  So a very nice deeply Swiss Embroidered Patch was made.  To this day it is the standard hiking patch by which others are compared.  Only his friend Gus Geiger's Blue Beaver Trail on Lookout Mountain was more distinctive.  But this one set the tone and is highly desired by Trail Patch and Shiloh Collectors.   

6 comments:

  1. My father hiked that trail in 1962 with his Whitehaven (Memphis), TN troop and received the same 100th anniversary patch. In 1987 I hiked it in conjunction with the Boy Scouts and earned a almost identical patch for the 125th anniversary. This coming Spring (2012), I'm going to hike it again with my father and my own Boy Scout son and we'll all earn 150th anniversary patches.

    Aaron McEwen
    Mississippi

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    1. Carl Westberg Troop 248, Whitehaven, TN - hiked this trail in '62

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  2. My name is DANIEL M GUTHRIE from troop 343 in Memphis,TN. My Dad William Guthrie or just Bill and our family work with Ken on setting up the trail. We were at the park all the time we were not in school walking making some of the first maps.
    It was a family thing we did it all together. It was fun but a lot of work. I am glad to see it is still going and a lot of Boy Scouts and other have enjoyed it over all these years. I am now 72. Capt Daniel M Guthrie "BUTCH" I was called when i was 11 years old

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    1. I hiked this trail in 1962 with several members of Troop 13 from Huntsville, AL. We received a Shiloh Trail medal for our uniforms

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  4. Troop 17, New Iberia, LA., hiked Shiloh summer 1962, & got that wonderful, now old, patch.
    We hoofed it thru Vicksburg Battlefield as well. Thank you Scoutmaster Diefenbach, RIP. Jerry Louviere, MD

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