 |
| Tony Sloan, dock operator extraordiaire |
When Bruce Sloan established Grider Hill Dock on the Indian Creek embayment of Lake Cumberland in 1951, no one dreamed that tourism on the lake would grow to today's level. The reservoir had been created for flood control and hydroelectric power, and tourism was an ancillary consideration.
In the newly impounded waters, fishing was great, houseboats basically didn't exist, and a 10-horsepower motor was the biggest. Grider Hill rented more rowboats than anything. The busiest times of year were spring and fall, fishing seasons. Bruce maintained a good relationship with outdoor writers of newspapers in Louisville. Cincinnati and Nashville, and the dock quickly became a popular fishing spot.
Bruce Sloan was a man of great vision, but some folks thought he was was crazy to build the beautiful Indian Creek Lodge (inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright) on land he didn't own. Bruce had been in numerous businesses including coal, timber and automobiles, and was such a great marksman that he did shooting exhibitions for Remington Arms. He was elected sheriff of Clinton County in 1941 and prior to that had been Albany mayor and served three terms in the Kentucky legislature. He was a man who saw so far ahead of his time that at times he saw too far and the world took too long to catch up with him.
After Bruce's untimely death in 1963, the Sloan family dedicated itself to managing and growing the dock. Boats and motors were getting bigger, and houseboats were becoming popular. Ski boats became all the rage. The growing dock took a lot of attention, so Tony Sloan quit teaching school to manage it. A few years later his wife Bettye did the same to help manage the lodge and restaurant. Ned Sloan Sr. and his wife Jimmie also dedicated themselves to the dock, as did the entire Sloan family. Tony and Bettye worked first shift, Ned and Jimmie the second .
The restaurant at the lodge became legendary for its country cooking with its country ham and fried chicken. Most of the cooks were from Seventy Six: ladies such as Ella Ryan, Carmi Simpson, Marie Daniels, and sisters Ruby Davis and Reba Brown. Jimmie's sister Laura Ann Tallent, experienced in the restaurant business, became a key figure in the kitchen. Laura Ann, a tireless worker, came up with the peanut butter pie recipe for which the restaurant became famous. The quality of the dining experience was always high as long as the Sloans owned the dock.
If you lived in Seventy Six, it is very likely that some of of your family members worked at the Grider Hill. Long-term employees included Glenn Brown. Karen Groce, Jim and Joyce Conner and Gran and Polly Hopkins and their daughter Bertha. Tony Sloan said Gran Hopkins had the best hand-eye coordination of any man he ever saw. The "Round Man" excelled at anything he tried and was as dependable as the sun rising in the morning.
Grider Hill Dock remained a family operation for over 50 years, but as years passed the family realized that it was time to sell, and they did so in 2007. It is now operated by Safe Harbor, a company that owns several docks on Lake Cumberland and Dale Hollow. However, Tony Sloan did not leave the dock business.
ln 1970 Tony put together a group to obtain the lease for Conley Bottom Dock on Lake Cumberland in Wayne County. That dock was greatly expanded and thrived as Conley Bottom Resort. Tony maintained controlling interest until he sold out to his partner in 2019.
Tony and his investors purchased a small dock on Dale Hollow Lake in 1993 and under the leadership of Tom and Angela Allen transformed it into Sunset Resort, now the leading dock on Dale HoJlow. It was recently expanded.
Finally, Tony started working on what could be called his greatest legacy, one that has had tremendous positive impact on the local economy: Marina at Rowena.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had originally proposed a dock at the Rowena location in their Lake Cumberland Master Plan of 1949 but nothing had ever been done there. Tony, with the help of his able partner Tom Allen, persistently battled the bureaucracy for years and finally in 2017 Marina at Rowena, on the south side of the main lake, opened to the public.
A full-service marina, it has thrived since its opening and continues to grow, with a 2026 expansion that will more than double its number of private slips. To reach the new part of the resort, you turn on an access road that is fittingly named Tony Sloan Way, for the visionary who proved to be the best dock man in the Southeast. He died on April 1, 2025, but his legacy lives on.
