Abandoned ‘Ghost Ship’ in KY Reportedly Once Appeared in a Madonna Video

You want random? I'll give you random, Kentucky style. How about a giant fork on the side of the road in Simpson County? How about a dog (Little Miss Dynamite) buried under a shopping center in Scottsville?

Abandoned Ghost Ship in Kentucky

In Kentucky, we like it random, and we like it weird (to a certain extent..."good weird," if you will), and we are proud of it. As far as I'm concerned, though, it might not get more random than what I learned about an eerie old abandoned vessel somewhat hidden away in Boone County. It's the U.S.S. Sachem and is usually referred to as a "ghost ship," even if it began life as a yacht.

Thomas Edison and the U.S.S. Sachem

The Sachem has quite a history, too. Built in 1901, the 175-foot-long vessel "graduated" from yacht status into becoming a Navy ship when the U.S. Government began renting smaller craft, like yachts, because they were more versatile and could outmaneuver German U-Boats.

The Sachem's place in history is also secured due to its utilization by Thomas Edison as a floating laboratory. By 1917, the U.S.S. Sachem was all Edison's.

Abandoned Ship Used in Madonna Video

But the history lesson isn't over. We now fast-forward to the late 20th century and a global icon's music video in which you can see the U.S.S. Sachem. That has to be one of the most random things I've ever heard. Madonna's connection to Kentucky is a creepy old ship.

However, before you start thinking the Queen of Pop came to the Commonwealth, think again. The Sachem was moored in New York City and is featured fleetingly at the beginning of the "Papa Don't Preach" video.

The ship is reportedly in the background near the beginning of the video and not the focal point of the shot, and maybe the only reason we know it's there is that the ship's owner confirmed its use in the video. And that, my friends, is a roundabout connection between Madonna and Kentucky, except, of course, for the times she's performed here.

The U.S.S. Sachem is anchored in Taylor Creek, an Ohio River tributary near Petersburg KY.