APRIL 2021
with Kentucky Explorer
Top 9 Locations for Viewing Spring Wildflowers
BRANCHING OUT Stay i n a Ca n o py C re w T r e e h ou s e
Owensboro Bourbon and Brews Refuge for Women Matthew Sleeth Cultivates Awareness
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ON THE COVER The Observatory treehouse in Red River Gorge.
in this issue
22
Django Kroner, pictured, and his Canopy Crew team construct amazing treehouses that visitors to Red River Gorge can rent for a scenic stay in the treetops.
featured
APRIL 2021 16 Blossom Parade Kentucky soon will be awash in wildflowers, and here are a few locations to enjoy these bountiful blooms 22 Treehouse 2.0 Canopy Crew offers a one-of-a-kind experience in the Kentucky wilderness 30 The Theology of a Tree Hugger Matthew Sleeth uses scripture and science to sound the environmental alarm
34 Wet Your Whistle in Owensboro A re-branded historical distillery and new breweries amp up the city’s adult beverage scene 38 A Healing Journey Refuge for Women and Survivor Made help sex trafficking victims reclaim their lives
D E PA R T M E N T S 2 Kentucky Kwiz 3 Readers Write 4 Mag on the Move 10 Across Kentucky 11 Music 12 Cooking 45 Kentucky Explorer 56 Off the Shelf 58 Past Tense/ Present Tense 60 Field Notes 62 Gardening 64 Vested Interest
k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 1
kentucky kwiz Test your knowledge of our beloved Commonwealth. To find out how you fared, see the bottom of Vested Interest. 1. For nine years in the 1970s, Faith Lyles hosted Omelet, a WHAS-TV show featuring celebrities ranging from a young John Mellencamp to Foster Brooks, with which legendary broadcaster? A. Milton Metz
Ascent at Roebling’s Bridge in Covington is home to how many luxury condominiums? B. 77 C. 124
B. Cawood Ledford C. Van Vance 2. Known as “The Lovable Lush,” Foster Brooks appeared on this popular 1970s police drama in four episodes as four different characters—one sober, two drunks and one stoned. A. Dragnet
6. Flowing more than 300 miles northwest from Magoffin County, this river passes to the southwest of Blue Licks Battlefield State Resort Park before emptying into the Ohio River near Covington. A. Big Sandy River B. Licking River C. Little Miami River
B. Adam-12 C. The Mod Squad 3. Horse Cave was founded in 1858, changed its name in 1869, and reclaimed its original moniker in 1879. What was the short-lived name? A. Hidden River Cave B. Hartsville C. Caverna 4. Glagow-born Denny Doyle played in the legendary 1975 World Series between the Cincinnati Reds and the Boston Red Sox that featured five future Hall of Fame players— Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan, Tony Perez, Carlton Fisk and Carl Yastrzemski. What feat can Doyle claim that the Hall of Famers cannot? A. Doyle refused to take off from third because he thought third base coach Don Zimmer was yelling, “no, no, no” when he was actually saying, “go, go, go.” B. Doyle was the only player on either team, including Series Most Valuable Player Pete Rose, who got a hit in all seven games. C. Traditionally a second baseman, Doyle threw three one-hitters in his seven-year baseball career. 5. Winner of the 2008 CNBC Americas Property Award for Best High-Rise Development, the blue-and-white 2 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY APRI L 2 0 2 1
Celebrating the best of our Commonwealth
A. 35
7. Ted Berry of Mason County became the first African-American mayor of Cincinnati. During high school, he once entered and won an essay contest under a pseudonym, after his first submission was rejected by an all-white panel. His fake name was what? A. Mason Q. Dixon
© 2021, Vested Interest Publications Volume Twenty-Four, Issue 3, April 2021 Stephen M. Vest Publisher + Editor-in-Chief
Editorial Patricia Ranft Associate Editor Rebecca Redding Creative Director Deborah Kohl Kremer Assistant Editor Ted Sloan Contributing Editor Cait A. Smith Copy Editor
Senior Kentributors Jackie Hollenkamp Bentley, Bill Ellis, Steve Flairty, Gary Garth, Janine Washle, Jesse Hendrix-Inman, Kristy Robinson Horine, Kim Kobersmith, Abby Laub, Walt Reichert, Joel Sams, Ken Snyder, Tracey Teo, Gary P. West
Business and Circulation Barbara Kay Vest Business Manager Jocelyn Roper Circulation Specialist
B. Proctor O. Gamble C. Thomas Playfair
Advertising Lindsey Collins Account Executive and Coordinator
8. No one knows why Pewee Valley, which is situated on a ridge, has “valley” in its name. As for the Pewee, historians agree it is in honor of: A. The eastern wood pewee bird B. The western wood pewee bird C. Harold “Pee Wee” Reese, also known as “The Little Colonel” 9. Which western Kentucky town was NOT named in honor of an early steamboat pioneer? A. Fulton (Fulton County) B. Rumsey (McLean County) C. Robards (Henderson County) 10. Paducah-born romance author Molly Harper’s novels feature what? A. Witches and warlocks B. Werewolves and vampires C. Liberals and conservatives
For advertising information, call 888.329.0053 or 502.227.0053 KENTUCKY MONTHLY (ISSN 1542-0507) is published 10 times per year (monthly with combined December/ January and June/July issues) for $20 per year by Vested Interest Publications, Inc., 100 Consumer Lane, Frankfort, KY 40601. Periodicals Postage Paid at Frankfort, KY and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to KENTUCKY MONTHLY, P.O. Box 559, Frankfort, KY 40602-0559. Vested Interest Publications: Stephen M. Vest, president; Patricia Ranft, vice president; Barbara Kay Vest, secretary/treasurer. Board of directors: James W. Adams Jr., Dr. Gene Burch, Gregory N. Carnes, Barbara and Pete Chiericozzi, Kellee Dicks, Maj. Jack E. Dixon, Bruce and Peggy Dungan, Mary and Michael Embry, Frank Martin, Thomas L. Hall, Judy M. Harris, Greg and Carrie Hawkins, Jan and John Higginbotham, Bill Noel, Walter B. Norris, Kasia Pater, Dr. Mary Jo Ratliff, Barry A. Royalty, Randy and Rebecca Sandell, Marie Shake, Kendall Carr Shelton and Ted M. Sloan. Kentucky Monthly invites queries but accepts no responsibility for unsolicited material; submissions will not be returned.
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More to Explore...
Counties mentioned in this issue...
Readers Write COVID Police Gets Comeuppance
but are we worse than any other state?
I was reading the December/January edition while the ham cooked and the cake baked. I enjoyed Steve Vest’s “Extra Vested” reply to the COVID police (page 48).
As for the future, sometimes I feel like I am standing near a volcano listening to its rumbling, seeing some lava, and expecting it to erupt.
I, too, have some plumb grasses who seem to worry about everyone else and feel the need to squeal on others in the playground when the are not conforming. Seeing a lot of that in today’s world! Kudos to Steve’s wife! Glad to hear that she hit “Reply to All.” Thanks for the laugh! Lynn Wegman, Louisville
All Doom and Gloom? Bill Ellis’ December/ January article was interesting (page 44), but I wonder if he emphasized the “bad” at the expense of the “good.” Not to minimize Kentucky’s bad,
David Terry, Lexington • • •
Bill Ellis’ December/ January article was clear, readable, substantive, to the point and honest. It reminded me of Dr. Thomas D. Clark’s book, Agrarian Kentucky. I was impressed with his honesty with the subject. I felt that here was a person who loved the state enough to tell the truth about it, warts and all. The column was timely. I will not go into it point by point, but he did a good job. I hope that he will get it published in other media. People need to read it. Charles Midkiff, Nicholasville
• • •
If one wasn’t already depressed enough, reading the gloom and doom piece by Bill Ellis ought to send them into the depths. I know it is fashionable these days to compare America to Germany under Adolf Hitler, so it was really great that he managed to get that little comparison in there with the rest of his picture of Kentucky as a dreadful place to live.
The Kentucky Gift Guide Kentucky Monthly is thrilled to partner with Kentucky Proud, bringing to your attention some of the finest handcrafted gifts and treats our Commonwealth has to offer.
Mike Tillman, Burlington
Letting Go I really enjoyed Gary Garth’s column on remodeling in the February issue (page 63). For those of us who have attained a certain age and found ourselves wistfully clinging to the flotsam and jetsam of our lives a little too long before allowing it to slip downstream, I thought he got it just right. Ron O’Brien, Amburgey
We Love to Hear from You! Kentucky Monthly welcomes letters from all readers. Email us your comments at editor@kentuckymonthly.com, send a letter through our website at kentuckymonthly.com, or message us on Facebook. Letters may be edited for clarification and brevity.
Drink Local This handy guide to sipping in the Bluegrass State spotlights local breweries, wineries and, of course, distilleries. Discover unique ways to drink in Kentucky, creative cocktail recipes and more.
v Find more at kentuckymonthly.com. Use your phone to scan this QR code and visit our website.
C O N N E C T.
UNITING KENTUCKIANS EVERYWHERE. k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 3
travel
MAG ON THE MOVE
These photos pre-date the COVID-19 outbreak, social distancing and mask mandates. Kentucky Monthly supports all safe travel measures.
Take a copy of the magazine with you and get snapping! Send your high-resolution photos (usually 1 MB or higher) to editor@kentuckymonthly.com or visit kentuckymonthly.com to submit your photo.
Andrea and Joey Kesler NOVA SCOTIA (above) The East Bernstadt couple is shown at Peggy’s Cove in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, one of many locations they visited while on a cruise to the Northeast.
Pete and Barbara Chiericozzi HONG KONG (left) Kentucky Monthly board members and residents of Salvisa (Mercer County), the Chiericozzis are pictured while on a visit to Hong Kong.
4 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY APRI L 2 0 2 1
The Horn Family NORTH CAROLINA The Horns, who reside in Lexington, toured the awe-inspiring Biltmore in Asheville. From left, Matthew, Eve, Josiah, Kaila, Jedidiah and Judah.
We’ve missed you!
OPENING APRIL 1
Patio open overlooking the
Ohio River
ADHERING TO CDC + KY STATE GUIDELINES FOR SAFE DINING EXPERIENCE
Live at the Hive ENTERTAINMENT
John and Kathy Stansberry CALIFORNIA
101 W. Riverside Drive Augusta, KY 41002 beehiveaugustatavern.com 606.756.2137
The Corbin couple traveled to California, attending the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena and visiting other attractions. They are pictured in Santa Monica at the terminus of famous Route 66.
k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 5
travel Al and Mary S. Templeton RUSSIA Al and Mary of Washington, D.C. (formerly from Princeton and Madisonville, respectively) traveled to Russia and Finland. They are pictured in Moscow in Red Square.
Mike and Becky Fields ARIZONA The Benton couple, who traveled through most of Arizona, are pictured in scenic Sedona. 6 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY APRI L 2 0 2 1
Dr. M. Wayne and Annetta Ebelhar INDIA The Ebelhars—who live in Leland, Mississippi, and Cadiz, Kentucky— journeyed to Amritsar in the Indian state of Punjab for a wedding. They are pictured in front of the Golden Temple in Amritsar.
k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 7
travel
Marshall Countians RHINE RIVER CRUISE This group of friends traveled from Switzerland to The Netherlands on a river cuise. Seated, from left, Sissy Wommack and Phyllis Goheen Fantozzi; standing, from left, Nancy Goheen Irwin, Martha Cunningham Lewis, Jerry Wommack, Jonda Greenfield Istas, Donna Marshall Perry and Bill Perry.
Girl Trip EASTERN CARIBBEAN CRUISE These friends from Farmington (Graves County) enjoyed a Caribbean cruise. Pictured in Grand Turk are, from left, Dina Newsome, Jillian Newsome, Pam Smith, Tayler Newsome, Gina Colley, Jan Mayes, Kayla Baker and Ruthie Wilferd. Other ports of call were Amber Cove, Dominican Republic; St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Monica and Jerry Nauert BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS The Crestwood couple took a relaxing cruise to the Caribbean and are pictured on the island of Tortola, the largest of the British Virgin Islands.
8 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY APRI L 2 0 2 1
THE WORLD'S MOST
AWARD-WINNING DISTILLERY In Kentucky, buffalo carved a pathway followed by early American pioneers. On the spot where the buffalo migration route crossed the Kentucky river, this National Historic Landmark has been making legendary bourbon whiskey for over 200 years. Today, Buffalo Trace crafts the best collection of bourbons and whiskies in the world by honoring tradition and embracing change.
Distilled and bottled by Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, KY. Alcohol by volume varies by product. www.buffalotracedistillery.com. 1-800-654-8471. Please Drink Responsibly.
k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 9
across kentucky
BIRTHDAYS 8 Barbara Kingsolver (1955), Kentucky Writers Hall of Fame inductee who grew up in Carlisle 8 Kenny Bishop (1966), Dove Award-winning gospel singer from Richmond
COMING SOON Kentucky’s Dant family hasn’t forgotten their family’s spirited heritage. In opening the Log Still Distillery in Gethsemane, J.W. “Wally” Dant is reviving the bourbon skillfully produced by his great-great-great-grandfather, Joseph Washington Dant, who distilled his first batch in 1836. “For us to be able to bring back at least a good industry and, hopefully, tourist dollars that would help support more industry out here, I think that’s the blessing that, hopefully, we leave behind,” president and distiller Wally Dant said in a video on social media. The distillery is a true family enterprise, with Wally’s cousins, Lynne Dant, serving as chief operating officer and distiller, and Charles Dant, the vice president of operations of the 300-acre campus. The distillery—which will boast a tasting room, visitors center and event space in addition to its bourbon-making facility—is set to open any day. Visit logstilldistillery.com or follow the distillery on Facebook for the latest updates.
Welcome, Spring After what felt like a lonnnng winter, spring at last has arrived and with it, planting season for many gardeners. Yew Dell Botanical Gardens in Crestwood hosts its annual Spring Plant Sale on April 24, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., offering an abundance of perennials, trees, shrubs and annuals. In addition to shopping, visitors can get free advice from the gardens’ horticultural staff. To ensure social distancing, there will be time-specific tickets and attendance will be capped at 150 visitors per time slot. Can’t make it in person? Yew Dell offers online sales and curbside pickup. Visit yewdellgardens.org to purchase tickets in advance of the sale or shop online.
Inspired Innovations at Rubicon Joining the ranks of Honeywell and Microsoft, Lexington-based Rubicon is, according to FastCompany, one of the “most innovative companies of 2021.” Founder and CEO Nate Morris of Louisville created a network of more than 7,000 vendors and haulers to improve waste management through data analytics. Rubicon has created platforms that include an iPhone app to provide drivers with hands-free route management, while another product, SmartCity, is used by 55 cities nationally to manage more than 1,100 municipal vehicles.
10 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY APRI L 2 0 2 1
9 Kyle Macy (1957), basketball star for the University of Kentucky, coach/ commentator 10 Laura Bell Bundy (1981), Broadway actress/singer from Lexington 14 Loretta Lynn (1935), country music legend known as the Coal Miner’s Daughter 15 Chris Stapleton (1978), multi Grammy-award-winning singer/songwriter from Johnson County 15 Sam Bush (1952), Bowling Green mandolin player, originator of the Newgrass style of music 17 William Mapother (1965), Louisville-born actor and cousin of actor Tom Cruise 19 Ashley Judd (1968), actress best known for her love of University of Kentucky basketball 24 Al Cross (1954), political columnist, director of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues 24 Carly Pearce (1990), country music singer/ songwriter from Taylor Mill 24 Rebecca Lynn Howard (1979), country music singer/ songwriter from Salyersville 28 Bill Goodman (1946), executive director, Kentucky Humanities Council, former host of KET’s Bill Goodman Tonight
music
Making Life Better
D
Boone Pittman is a man who is content with his life and knows himself well. He knows he has no interest in a big-time career in music and knows that making music makes his life better. Pittman’s day job is with an energy consulting firm, but he’s also worship pastor at Revolution Church in Jefferson County. “I oversee the music component of the worship,” he said. The role isn’t like that of a traditional music minister, he said. He often plays guitar and sings, and the church’s band occasionally joins in. “We have a full band with all the instruments you would expect in a contemporary service.” During the height of the COVID-19 quarantine, the singer/songwriter played online concerts, often focusing on a single artist—as varied as John Prine to Dwight Yoakam to Bruce Springsteen. Sometimes, Pittman played themes such as patriotic songs for the Fourth of July and love songs on Valentines Day. He still does the COVID-19 concerts but not as frequently. “Initially, I think folks just needed that connection and a way to experience live music, but over time, the interest dwindled, and I just got busy,” he explained. Part of getting busy meant recording a new album— Emerge, to be released April 30. An outdoor release party is scheduled on May 8 on the green of his hometown of Lawrenceburg. Everyone is welcome, and Pittman hopes to schedule more release parties throughout the state. “I wrote the bulk of these songs throughout the turmoil that was 2020, and many of the songs reflect that,” he said. Some are serious, but others have a humorous bent. Duane Lundy, who has worked with artists such as Ringo Starr and Sturgill Simpson, produced the album with the Lexington Recording Company. Pittman really enjoys playing live. “I play most anyplace that is willing to allow original music,” he said. For a while, he had some qualms about a minister playing music in bars but said he made peace with his convictions. “The way I see it, if our music can bring any kind of positive light to someone’s life, then who am I to dictate when and where that needs to happen?” Pittman has no regrets on not devoting his whole life to being a singer/songwriter. “I’d be in debt if I were in music full time,” he said. “I started this so late in life because I had kids,” a decision he has never regretted. And it was thanks to one of those kids, his son Dylan, that he got interested in spending more of his free time working on his own music. “My son graduated and went to the University of Kentucky, and I realized I had some things I needed to finish,” he said. He’d written music off and on throughout his life and was ready to get back to writing. Although born in Dayton, Ohio, Pittman feels that Kentucky has had a strong influence on him and his music. The move when he was 10 from Dayton to Furnace Mountain in Powell County was not easy. “I had culture shock. I learned to play guitar and grow tobacco,” he said.
BY LAURA YOUNKIN
Pittman came to love his new rural home. He sang, his cousin played banjo, and his father played guitar. “We played music so often. It was as mountain as you can imagine,” he said. “You sit on a back porch [and play music] and a band will show up.”
That rich regional influence is in his music, with songs like “Furnace Mountain” about iron production in Powell and Estill counties. “Bluegrass American Dream” talks about generations of tobacco farming and hoping for a better life. Pittman didn’t start playing guitar until he was 14. “Dad played guitar. He pushed too hard,” he said. But as a freshman in the Beta Club in high school, he found out about a statewide conference that included a talent competition. Pittman said, “If you wanted to compete, you got to stay at the Galt House in Louisville. That was a big deal to a kid in Powell County. And all the girls were going.” It was a temptation he could not resist. He volunteered to sing and play guitar in the show, but there was one problem: He didn’t know how to play guitar. “I went home that night and told my dad what I did, and he told me I was outside my mind if I thought I could learn how to play guitar in six weeks, let alone be able to compete.” His father taught him “Jimmie Brown, the Newsboy,” the easiest Bluegrass piece he knew. “Then the trip got canceled for a reason I can’t even remember. I was hooked from there,” Pittman said. Pittman is happy to be where he is in life and has no interest in the current commercial country music scene. “They treat a musician like an athlete. They put them out to pasture when they hit a certain age,” he said. Just in his early 50s, Pittman feels he still has a lot more to sing about before he’s ready to be put out to pasture. For more on D Boone Pittman’s album, concerts and release parties, visit dboonepitttman.com or facebook.com/dbpittman. k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 11
cooking
CULINARY
COTTAGE
Think no one’s meatloaf recipe can stand up to your mama’s finest? Then perhaps you haven’t tried the meatloaf at Erlanger’s Colonial Cottage. Now you can prepare the restaurant’s time-honored dish yourself using the same recipe.
Recipes provided by Matt Grimes of Colonial Cottage in Erlanger. Photos by Tim Smith.
Since 1933, when Clara Rich opened Colonial Cottage with the vision of serving home-cooked dishes at reasonable prices, the restaurant has offered comfort food faves. Over the years, it has treated thousands of customers—including Elvis Presley and George Clooney—to its delectable dishes. Here, owner Matt Grimes shares the secrets to some the Cottage’s most popular offerings.
Colonial Cottage 3140 Dixie Highway Erlanger 859.341.4498 thecottagenky.com
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Meatloaf SERVES 8 3 eggs 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning 1½ teaspoons garlic powder ½ teaspoon nutmeg 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 2½ pounds ground beef ¾ cup diced onions
Stuffed Bell Peppers SERVES 6
¼ cup diced green peppers 1 cup oatmeal
½ cup uncooked rice
Ketchup, to taste
2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 medium onion, chopped
1. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, nutmeg and Worcestershire sauce. 2. Add ground beef, onions, peppers and oatmeal. Mix thoroughly by hand. 3. Place mixture in a baking pan and pat down. Cover and store overnight. 5. The next day, place mixture in a loaf pan or form into a loaf in a baking pan. Rub the top generously with ketchup. 6. Cover with foil and bake at 425 degrees for 1½ hours or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
NOTE: It is recommended to prepare one day in advance and refrigerate overnight before cooking.
1 celery stalk, chopped 2 tablespoons tomato paste 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 pounds ground beef 6 large bell peppers, tops and cores removed Bell pepper diced equal to the amount of the onion and celery (the tops can be used for this) 1 tablespoon vegetable base 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 14.5-ounce can tomato sauce 1½ teaspoons Italian seasoning 1½ teaspoons ground basil 1 cup water 2 tablespoons softened margarine Ketchup, to taste 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small saucepan, prepare rice according to package instructions. 2. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Cook onion and celery until soft. Stir in tomato paste and garlic and cook until fragrant, about one minute more. 3. Add ground beef and diced peppers, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon. Cook beef until no longer pink. Drain fat. 4. Return beef mixture to skillet. Stir in cooked rice, vegetable base, Worcestershire sauce and tomato sauce. Add Italian seasoning, basil and water (more water may be necessary if rice is still thickening). Stir and simmer about five minutes. 5. Place peppers cut side up in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and and brush liberally with margarine. Spoon beef mixture into each pepper and top with ketchup, then cover baking dish with foil. 6. Bake until peppers are tender, about 35 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 minutes more to get brown highlights on the peppers. k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 13
cooking NOTE: Recipe original to Colonial Cottage.
Goetta Dressing SERVES 12 10 ounces goetta 1 cup chopped white onions 1 cup chopped celery ½ teaspoon white pepper 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning 1 teaspoon granulated garlic ½ stick butter or margarine ½ teaspoon sage 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning 2 cups water
Salmon Croquettes SERVES 6 2 14.75-ounce cans salmon 1 cup cracker meal
1 tablespoon turkey base (optional)
½ teaspoon white pepper
4 ounces breadcrumbs
½ teaspoon salt
1. In a large skillet over medium heat, crumble and brown goetta. Remove from skillet to cool, but do not drain. 2. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl, adding water last. Mix thoroughly. Include turkey base if you are not using mixture to stuff a turkey. Otherwise, spoon mixture into the cavity of a prepared fresh turkey and bake at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes per pound of turkey, until the internal temperature reads 180 degrees. 3. If baking dressing in a pan, bake for about one hour at 375 degrees (bake until any soupiness is gone—shallower pans will decrease cooking time). 4. For a 15½-pound turkey, bake turkey covered with aluminum foil at 375 degrees for three hours. Remove foil and bake for an additional hour uncovered. Internal temperature of turkey should be 180 degrees. Leftovers can be reheated in a microwave, adding a few drops of water. Reheat covered.
14 K E NT U C K Y M O NTHLY APRI L 2 0 2 1
2 eggs ¼ cup minced white onion Vegetable oil for frying
1. Drain salmon and remove bones. 2. Mix all ingredients by hand in a large bowl, reserving about 2 tablespoons of the cracker meal for later use. 3. Form mixture into six balls and sprinkle remaining cracker meal over the balls so they don’t stick to each other. 4. Deep fry to a golden brown or flatten to 1-inch thickness and skillet fry until the patty is golden brown on both sides and warm throughout.
Cornbread Muffins YIELDS 12 MUFFINS ½ cup butter ¾ cup sugar
Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie Recipe makes two pies—you’ll want two so that you can share one!
¼ cup Karo syrup
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup white corn syrup
1½ teaspoons salt
6 eggs
1½ cups flour
½ cup margarine
¾ cup cornmeal
1 tablespoon vanilla
1½ teaspoons baking powder
2 ounces your favorite Kentucky bourbon
½ cup buttermilk
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
Cooking spray
2 cups pecans
1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix together thoroughly. 2. Spray cups in a 12-muffin pan with cooking spray. Fill each muffin cup three-fourths full. 3. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Rotate pan 90 degrees and cook another 15 minutes to ensure muffins heat evenly.
2 unbaked 9-inch pie shells 1. In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly combine sugar, corn syrup, eggs, margarine, vanilla, bourbon and chocolate chips. 2. Pour 1 cup pecans in each pie shell. Pour even amounts of mixture into each pie shell. 3. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until firm.
k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 15
B Y K I M KO B E R S M I T H
Blossom Parade Kentucky soon will be awash in wildflowers, and here are a few locations to enjoy these bountiful blooms
explore Kentucky
t
Use your phone to scan the qr code and get exploring.
STATE PARKS
PARKS.KY.GOV
t STATE NATURE PRESERVES
EEC.KY.GOV
16 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY APRI L 2 0 2 1
S
pring has long been my favorite season. There is nothing like the surge of renewal, the rush of growth and life, to make my winter torpor fade away. When I moved to Kentucky a decade ago, I found another reason to love spring: wildflowers. There is something about the blooms in this diverse temperate forest—the ephemeral nature, the Easter-egg-hunt appeal—that makes them irresistible. Fortunately for us wildflower lovers, Kentucky is a great state for eastern woodlands ephemerals. A parade of blooms marches across the state from March 15 to May 15, usually hitting peak viewing in early to mid-April. Early revealers include harbinger of spring and Virginia bluebells, then spring beauty and Dutchman’s breeches. Then along comes an array of trilliums, Jack-in-the-pulpit, lady’s slipper and yellow trout lily. The one challenging part of flower hunting is that it is, truly, a hunt. An internet search reveals only some out-of-date links and obscure mentions on webpages. This floral obsession is more often discussed in botanical circles, or among like-minded friends, who happily share their latest sightings. To share an under-celebrated aspect of the Commonwealth, here is a list of some of the best spots to view the fragile, elusive beauties this season, gleaned from experts at land management agencies across the state. Hopefully, even the experienced flower seeker will find a new spot to explore on this list. These natural lands include a recreation area, which allows hunting and off-highway vehicle use, and state nature preserves, which allow limited recreation in order to preserve the natural environment. Know the guidelines before you visit, and keep all of these special places for those who come after you by taking only pictures, killing only time, and leaving only footprints. There might not be a site here near you, and favorite special spring beauty spots are often close by and lesser known. To find your own, search the state park and state nature preserve listings, many of which have their own seasonal displays.
WESTERN REGION
LAND BETWEEN THE L A K E S N AT I O N A L R E C R E AT I O N A R E A
J O H N JA M E S AU D U B O N S TAT E PA R K
N E A R CA D I Z
NEAR HENDERSON While John James Audubon is known for birds, the 6 miles of trails on 1,200 acres of hilly, loamy cove forest will not disappoint wildflower enthusiasts. The entrance drive is flanked by fields of blue-eyed Marys and dwarf larkspur, and the short 0.3-mile King Benson Trail harbors Virginia bluebells. For submersion in a range of woodland species in a state nature preserve, hike the more rugged 3-mile Wilderness Lake and Backcountry Trail loops. AMENITIES: Cottages, campground (closed for 2021) TIP: The Museum, built by the
Civilian Conservation Corps and opened in 1938, houses one of the world’s largest collections of Audubon’s original artwork and artifacts.
B R I GA D O O N S TAT E N AT U R E P R E S E RV E N E A R G L A S G OW Nurtured by spring-fed creeks year-round, this 184-acre preserve harbors several rare species. It is a remnant of oldgrowth forest—the beech and poplar trees are believed to be more than 100 years old. The 1-mile moderately strenuous foot trail traverses ridge tops to ravine and has Virginia bluebells and wood poppy wildflowers. TIP: This preserve is recognized as part of the Old-Growth Forest Network.
This family-friendly recreation area offers one of the largest blocks of undeveloped forest in the eastern United States. More than 500 miles of trails crisscross its 170,000 acres. On a pleasant spring afternoon, view flowers on the 2.2-mile trail around Hematite Lake and eat a lunch at the picnic area. The Central Hardwoods Scenic Trail is another good option for hiking or biking. The 11 miles of smooth surfaces and gentle grades cross the entire Land Between the Lakes. AMENITIES: Campgrounds,
nature centers TIP: Check out the extensive environmental education programs at the Woodlands Nature Station, Golden Pond Planetarium, Homeplace 1850s Working Farm and Living History Museum, and the Elk & Bison Prairie.
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CENTRAL REGION
DA L E H O L LOW L A K E S TAT E R E S O R T PA R K N E A R BU R K E S V I L L E This 3,400-acre park kisses Tennessee and has mineralrich soil from the karst topography—a landscape that results from water dissolving the natural limestone, gypsum or dolomite. This type of land is characterized by caves, sinkholes and underground streams. In under a mile of walking, visitors can access the park’s premier wildflower location on the Cindy Cave Trail. The 3.6-mile Eagle Point Trail also has a wildflower display and ends at one of the best overlooks in the state. Lucky hikers will spy shooting stars of the floral variety on the 15 miles of trails. AMENITIES: Lodge,
campground, restaurant TIP: Dale Hollow is a pristine
lake known for its clear water and undeveloped shoreline.
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K E N T U C K Y R I V E R PA L I S A D E S P R E S E RV E S NEAR NICHOLASVILLE Tom Dorman State Nature Preserve near Lancaster Nature Conservancy’s Sally Brown & Crutcher Nature Preserve and Dupree Nature Preserve, both near Lancaster In the Bluegrass area of the state, the Kentucky River has cut a deep gorge into the underlying bedrock. Called the Palisades, it exposes 450-million-yearold Ordovician limestone. The rich limestone soil nurtures this region’s largest concentration of rare plant species, with poetic names such as mountain lover. More than 5,000 acres of this corridor are protected, and three nature preserves provide public access. Tom Dorman, a state nature preserve, has 4 miles of trail on its 1,000 acres. The Nature Conservancy has two preserves. Sally Brown & Crutcher, at 750 acres, has 5 miles of trails, and Dupree has 3 miles of trails on 300 acres. All are ideal for viewing flowers. TIP: Spring hikers can glimpse 220-foot cliffs with the oldest exposed rock layers in the state through the emerging leaves.
SOUTHERN REGION
Selected Spring
W I L D F LO W E R E V E N T S Wildflower Week 2021 by the Kentucky Native Plant Society, usually at Natural Bridge State Resort Park, will be held virtually April 10-17. The talks and tours will highlight natural areas across the state and include a weeklong state BotanyBlitz on iNaturalist. Find the Facebook event or visit knps. org/wildflowerweek-2021 for more information. A Guided Wildflower Walk on April 17 will start at Cumberland Gap National Historical Park’s Wilderness Road Campground. The Wildflower Extravaganza on April 10 at John James Audubon State Park will include guided hikes.
M A M M OT H CAV E N AT I O N A L PA R K N E A R PA R K C I T Y Not all the wonders at Mammoth Cave are underground. While Great Smoky Mountains National Park is celebrated for its approximately 1,500 flowering species on more than 500,000 acres, Mammoth Cave National Park supports more than 1,300 species in only one-tenth of that acreage. The karst topography holds a wide diversity of habitats and wildflowers. Cedar Sink Trail, a 1-mile loop with 295 stairs into and out of the sinkhole, is ideal for flower peepers. Any of the 80 miles of trails away from the park’s visitors center will yield views of blooms and the experience of relative solitude. AMENITIES: Visitors center, lodge, cabins, campground,
The Mother’s Day Plant Sale at Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area includes native flowers to start or add to your own wild garden. Mammoth Cave National Park often hosts Wildflower Walks, but at press time the status for those walks was uncertain for 2021. Check its website for updates.
restaurant TIP: While there, take a guided tour of the well-named
Mammoth Cave, which is more than twice as extensive as any other known cave system in the world.
Note: Be sure to check COVID restrictions or cancellations before finalizing plans.
k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 19
EASTERN REGION
C U M B E R L A N D GA P N AT I O N A L H I S TO R I CA L PA R K
J E N N Y W I L E Y S TAT E R E S O R T PA R K N E A R P R E S TO N S BU R G
NEAR MIDDLESBORO There is serious wilderness along the 85 miles of trail in this 24,000acre park. The bog, pine and mountain laurel balds habitats host more than 900 plant species, including large white trillium, flame azalea and pink lady’s slipper. A 2-mile trail behind the visitors center provides easy wildflower access, or ask at the center for a wildflower guide to the intersecting nature trails near the campground. AMENITIES: Campground, visitors
center TIP: Hike through the Gap,
thoroughfare to the West for wildlife, American Indians, and more than 200,000 settlers.
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CROOKED CREEK S TAT E N AT U R E P R E S E RV E N E A R M AYS V I L L E This 728-acre pocket of extremely rare calcareous shale glades contains prairie and forest habitats. The 1.35-mile trail, opened in 2017, is not well traveled. Visitors will see little bluestem and rare blooms such as starry false Solomon’s seal and scarlet Indian paintbrush. TIP: Return in the summer to see the prairie festooned with summer favorite slender blazing stars.
Named for a heroic pioneer woman, this park sits in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. More than 30 miles of trails crisscross the steep hills. The sandstone geography offers a unique flower experience, including the rare golden star lily, found in only seven spots in the state. Find the lily on the Sassafras Trail, a ¾-mile loop. Moss Ridge Trail loop, at 1.3 miles long, is another good hike through a plethora of wildflowers. AMENITIES: Lodge, cabins,
campground, boat-in campground, restaurant, nature center TIP: Spring visitors also can spot warblers at this migratory bird hot spot.
A taste
worth the
wait Images by Mike Wilkinson, Josh Lillpop, Robert A. Myers, John Graves and Harold Kelly
I D T H E B LO O M S To identify flowers and plants while exploring Kentucky’s parks and nature preserves, there are several apps available for smart phones— Blossom – Plant Identification and PlantSnap, just to name a couple. Or you could use the old-school method and take a along a wildflower guide book. Check out A Guide to the Wildflowers and Ferns of Kentucky by Mary E. Wharton and Roger W. Barbour, or Wildflowers and Ferns of Kentucky by Thomas G. Barnes and S. Wilson Francis. Both are handy, compact, comprehensive guides.
Visit our distillery to tour & taste www.wildernesstrailky.com
Danville, KY Wilderness Trail encourages you to sip responsibly k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 21
Treehouse 2.0 Canopy Canopy Crew Crew offers offers a a one-of-a-kind one-of-a-kind experience experience in in the the Kentucky Kentucky wilderness wilderness
22 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY APRI L 2021
By J o e l Sa m s p h oto : t r av i s h o w e k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 23
>>
24 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY APRI L 2021
p h oto : g e n m e n sa h
W
hen Mike Deime booked a cliff-mounted rental in the Red River Gorge, he wasn’t sure what to expect. Hanging from the side of a sandstone face, Cliff Dweller required the ascent of 177 steps from the ground to the bedroom, 45 steps to the kitchen, and 11 more to reach the roof deck for a panoramic view of the Gorge. But when Deime woke up to a “winter wonderland” on Feb. 1, it was worth every step. “I felt like a little kid all over again—an adult staying up in a treehouse,” Deime said. “It’s an incredible concept … I’ve been all over, and there’s nothing like this in Kentucky. It’s one of the top five coolest things to do.” Cliff Dweller is one of eight treehouse rentals offered by Canopy Crew, a rental and tree service company based in the Red River Gorge and Cincinnati. For owner Django Kroner, the treehouses are like childhood daydreams brought to life. Using bird’s-eye views, sustainable
building methods, and thoughtful amenities, the treehouses bring guests closer to nature and, Kroner hopes, a renewed sense of adventure. “All the things you imagine as a kid you slowly forget when you become an adult,” Kroner said. “Part of the goal is to make people rekindle some of those exciting things in their imaginations that have been asleep for a long time.” The 30-year-old Kroner has been deeply invested in the outdoors—and the Red River Gorge in particular—for most of his adult life. He moved to the Gorge at 19 with the goal of rock climbing as much as possible. “I had just graduated from NOLS [the National Outdoor Leadership School] and had a fresh sense of confidence in the wilderness and was thirsty for more experiences,” Kroner said. “Rock climbing was a way I knew how to have the most amount of fun outside.” To finance his life outdoors, Kroner took a job with a
Opposite page, West Virginia resident Michelle Vest during her treetop stay in Turtle Dome; above, evening falls on the Cliff Dweller. k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 25
Learn more about Canopy Crew
a n d b o o k a r e n t a l a t t h e c a n o p yc r e w . c o m .
p h otos : fo r e st w o o d wa r d
family friend, Aaron Dourson, who hired him to build cabins for the Dourson family’s cabin rental service, Red River Gorgeous. For his first six months in the Gorge, Kroner lived in a tent. Soon, though, he wanted a living space that offered more protection while still preserving a direct connection with nature. Kroner found his solution by building a treehouse—a simple platform 45 feet off the ground. Kroner lived in his treehouse, experiencing all types of weather conditions, for three years. For the first year, the treehouse was just a platform. The next year, he added a roof but no walls that would create a barrier to the outdoors. “There are those little moments, like when you’re cooking or just waking up or changing clothes, and you go, ‘Oh, yeah, I’m in a giant plant,’ ” Kroner said. “It’s like the tree is cradling you. It is supporting you. It is 26 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY APRI L 2021
holding you up. You are its guest. There’s something about that that’s really charming to me. You have this relationship with this massive plant. It’s a Jack and the Beanstalk feeling.” ggg
Red River Gorgeous now manages the treehouses created by Canopy Crew, and Dourson said guests have responded positively to the unique experience. “People really appreciate the creativity that [Kroner] puts into the construction as well as the experience of being off the ground,” Dourson said. “Being in the tree top and swaying with the tree is a totally fresh perspective that people really enjoy.” Kroner had no plans to start a business when he first
moved to the Gorge or even when he built his first treehouse. Instead, the idea grew little by little as his relationship with the outdoors matured. As he gradually checked off his list of climbing goals, Kroner began to feel restless. “That got the gears turning about what’s next and ultimately led to me coming up with the concept for Canopy Crew,” he said. Canopy Crew was never about the bottom line—the idea was sparked by Kroner’s desire to build. Just as construction funded his rock-climbing passion, starting a company was a means to an end. “I had a bunch of ideas of treehouses I wanted to build, and it made sense to get other people to pay for them,” Kroner said. In addition to drawing on his carpentry background, Kroner completed internships with arborists in
Cincinnati, his hometown, and started a tree service. Today, the business incorporates both elements—the Cincinnati-based tree service salvages wood that is repurposed for interior elements of the treehouses in the Red River Gorge. Since the company’s founding in 2013, Kroner has assembled a team of builders who can accomplish increasingly sophisticated projects—Cliff Dweller being the most recent example of innovative construction. Kroner is careful to ensure that his structures don’t damage the trees. The key, he said, is to be sensitive with design and execution from the very beginning. “Trees are vascular beings,” he said. “The vascular tissue is in the cambium layer just under the bark. It’s kind of similar to your arm. If you tied a rope around your arm, it would be dead in a couple of days. A tree is the same way. If you constrict around the tree or wrap it, k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 27
Canopy Crew owner Django Kroner at the Sylvan Float treehouse
it will cut off the vascular flow and kill the tree. But you can insert a bolt and access the structural integrity of the heartwood, which is essentially dead wood, and limit your impact on the cambium layer. The tree will actually seal off the tissue around that hole you’ve made.” Kroner’s construction process makes as few penetrations as possible, using heavy-duty bolts that support the weight of the structure. The result is a safe, non-destructive way to interact with life in the tree canopy. “It’s been proven, for 30 years and thousands of 28 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY APRI L 2021
treehouses, that it works,” Kroner said, referring to the broader treehouse building industry. “We do use dynamic attachments. The brackets that attach to those bolts allow the tree to sway in the wind and allow the tree to grow and get wider.” ggg
Kroner’s attention to detail pays off for guests seeking
p h oto : j o h n w e s e ly
a one-of-a-kind stay at the Gorge. Michelle Vest, visiting from West Virginia, was looking for something other than a typical cabin-in-the-woods getaway. After a stay in Turtle Dome, she’s a believer in treetop lodging. “It was a truly unique experience and like nothing I had ever stayed in before,” Vest said. “The dome itself brings nature to you even while inside, with an open view of the trees. I loved waking up and being able to see out of the dome because it gave the feeling of sleeping under the stars.” Vest, who runs a Hurricane, West Virginia-based boutique called Contagious, has one piece of advice: pack lightly. “Don’t pack like me and bring everything you own … or you won’t enjoy the journey to the top. But just remember that the view from the top is always worth the climb,” she said. ️ A sense of wonder and connection to nature are exactly what Kroner hopes to achieve through his treehouses—and what he, too, experiences in the canopy. “I like getting to know a tree,” Kroner said. “Learning how the light looks when it’s filtered through the leaves at different times of the year. How each limb moves differently in the wind. Its different personalities—what is it like up there in a storm or the fall or the winter? There’s an intimacy you get only by spending a ton of time in a place … It’s the level of connectedness with the forest around you.” Q
p h oto : z ac k h i l l
k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 29
THE THEOLOGY of a
TREE HUGGER Matthew Sleeth uses scripture and science to sound the environmental alarm By Jackie Hollenkamp Bentley
W
hen Matthew Sleeth offered to plant trees around the property of the church that he and his family had just joined, the pastor told him he had a “theology of a tree hugger.” As it was a conservative church, Sleeth knew it wasn’t a compliment. But having grown up around Maine’s vast forests—even becoming a carpenter—Sleeth knew the importance of trees in a community. “But this was a church that believes that every word is inspired in scripture,” Sleeth said. “So, I went and read through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation to find out whether my pastor was right and I was wrong. What I found in scripture was very different from that thinking.” That investigation sparked a passion in Sleeth to help protect the Earth. He and his wife, Nancy, who now live in Lexington, formed Blessed Earth, an organization with a mission of “inspiring faithful stewardship of all creation” through speaking engagements and education. His research has also resulted in several books, the latest being Reforesting Faith: What Trees Teach Us About the Nature of God and His Love for Us. The 2019 publication has garnered positive reviews from across the political spectrum—from the Sierra Club to faculty at Southern Baptist theological seminaries. Sleeth said the book has “gotten around” the politics and that caring for the Earth is much more important than one political party. “We don’t know what parties are going to be [around] 30 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY APRI L 2021
100 years from now,” Sleeth said. “But we know that our children’s children are going to need clean air and clean water and things available to enjoy and inspire them, just as we do.” ggg
Sleeth’s journey to becoming a voice of environmentalism began roughly 20 years ago. That Matthew Sleeth was an atheist, an emergency room physician at a Maine hospital and chief of the hospital medical staff. He and his family lived comfortably off the coast of Maine. Then a series of tragedies struck the family, and Sleeth underwent a sea change. After reading a Bible he found laying on a table in the hospital waiting room, he began to change his life. The Sleeths joined a local church, sold their house, and considerably downsized their lives. They moved to Kentucky in 2006 to be near their son and daughter, who were attending Asbury University in Wilmore. Sleeth said they thought it would be a temporary move, but Kentucky worked its charm. “I think I could live anywhere in the United States and be happy. There are good people everywhere, and we just happened to find a lot of them here,” Sleeth said. “This is home now.” The Matthew Sleeth of today—an evangelical Christian who unashamedly shares his faith, lives a simple life, and
A list of Sleeth’s publications can be found on his webpage, matthewsleethmd.com, and blessedearth.org.
works diligently to save the environment—has been recognized by Newsweek and Christianity Today as one of the country’s most influential Christian leaders. He’s been asked to speak at conferences hosted by Fortune 500 companies and business schools as well as hundreds of churches, including a monthly guest series at the Washington National Cathedral. He said his wife stopped counting the number of speaking engagements at about 1,000. Blessed Earth’s website, blessedearth.org, notes he’s spoken to more than 2,500 groups in 45 countries and all 50 states in the U.S. “It’s taken me from one side of the planet to the other,” Sleeth said, “although 98 percent of what I do is within the borders of the United States, counting Hawaii.” While he brings his faith into the creation care discussion, he wants to impress upon everyone, regardless of religion, how important the environment is to humanity. “I’m very, very honored to be asked again and again into nontraditional places to speak. You have to be respectful that there’s other people with other beliefs,” Sleeth said. “Many people who are not believers think that they are very clear on what the church is against, and they don’t really know what Scripture is for. So I am a bit of a novelty, and I make no apologies for my belief.” Although his message is heavily steeped in religion, Sleeth said he can back it up with science. Reforesting Faith
cites several Scripture passages that, when written, unknowingly pointed to its scientific source, including a Genesis “sun-plant-animal-oxygen” connection in which the bronchial tree of the human lung is “indistinguishable from the shape of a bare oak tree.” ggg
Tom Kimmerer, Ph.D., a Lexington-based forest scientist and author of Venerable Trees: History, Biology, and Conservation in the Bluegrass, said he read Sleeth’s book from a biology and forestry perspective, and that Sleeth was accurate in his science. “He pegged that. He got it right, and it’s really impressive,” Kimmerer said. “He’s a physician, so he has that scientific training and background and acumen that he can understand the science.” Kimmerer and Sleeth became acquainted after the Sleeths moved to Lexington. Their mutual drive to protect the environment, particularly trees, grew into a friendship and a sharing of knowledge, both secular and religious. “He’s not only familiar with the Bible more than anybody else I know, but he’s familiar with basically every version and interpretation of the Bible,” Kimmerer said. “What’s great about Matthew is that he’s not only a man of deep faith, but he’s a man of deep knowledge and understanding.” Q
PUBLISH YOUR BOOK 859-520-3757
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TACKLING A HEARTBREAKING EPIDEMIC Matthew Sleeth has made a name for himself in conservation circles, evoking biblical knowledge to back up the science of why humans need to do more to protect the earth’s “A pleasing blend of environment. artistry and informative Now, he has used that biblical/ text that will be hard for scientific local bird enthusiasts connection and casual, armchair birders to resist, to produce a especially at the new book to Available at reasonable price.” help kentuckypress.com —Brainard Palmer-Ball Jr., churches Birding magazine tackle a devastating epidemic: suicide. Hope Always: How to Be a Force for Life in a Culture of Horticulture Suicide is Meets Humorscheduled Get ready for gardening season with this for release down-home collection of practical advice and personal anecdotes from 2021. in May Kentucky Monthly’s gardening columnist, “This is a project about how the Walt Reichert. Organized by the seasons, each chapter offers color photography church should be involved in helping and straightforward tips for everything from combating critters to pairing plants. to prevent suicide and just loving The Bluegrass State’s green thumbs have proliferated, thanks to Walt’speople who are going through mental encouraging and down-to-earth morsels illness, depression,” Sleeth said from of gardening wisdom. shopkentuckymonthly.com his Lexington home. “Under that Horticulture 888-329-0053 meets humor in faithful stewardship of all creation … gardening columnist Walt Reichert’s collection. the very worst thing you can do to o o o o o creation is destroy it. When folks To order: kentuckymonthly.com commit suicide, they’re destroying 1-888-329-0053 part of God’s creation, and it causes unbelievable pain. They are in unbelievable pain.” In the book, Sleeth included research and “scientifically grounded” data about suicide as well Monthly as “biblically-based wisdom” on how to prevent it. STUNNING Angela He said the goal of this book is to Y R E N ll E re C or S C “get the church back in the conversation” and to provide resources, including church policies, program ideas, and a “practical toolkit” to help a loved one suffering from depression or considering suicide. Then you’ll love Kentucky The book is available for pre-order Monthly Magazine. Visit through Sleeth’s website, matthewsleethmd.com. kentuckymonthly.com or WW_fullpg.indd 51
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if you go... Green River Distilling Co.
Brew Bridge
Mile Wide Beer Co.
10 Distillery Road Owensboro, 270.691.9001 greenriverdistilling.com
800 West 2nd Street Owensboro, 270.215.7742 owensborobrewbridge.com
119 East 2nd Street Owensboro, 270.478.4520 milewidebeer.com
Wet Your Whistle in
Owensboro A re-branded historical distillery and new breweries amp up the city’s adult beverage scene
By Tracey Teo
34 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY APRI L 2021
Photos courtesy of Green River Distilling Co.
A
t the newly renamed Green River Distilling Co. in Owensboro, one of the largest independent distilleries in the world, a semitrailer unloads 1,000 bushels of corn that crash into the receiving pit like the mother of all hailstorms. From there, a fully automated grain-handling system sends the grain to a storage bin. Then it moves on to a hammer mill, where it will be ground, weighed and sent to the stillhouse, where the bourbon-making process begins. Corn is the lifeblood of bourbon. That’s one of the first things visitors learn on a guided tour of this historic distillery that shows how Kentucky’s famous spirit goes from grain to barrel. Legally, bourbon must be at least 51 percent corn; the other grains are rye and malted barley. More than 20 farmers from the Kentucky Corn Growers Association provide the 750,000 bushels of corn required for Green River to produce 90,000 barrels of bourbon annually. The distillery has a portfolio of brands, but Jacob Call, a third-generation master distiller from Bardstown, the Bourbon Capital of the World, is especially excited about the revival of the Green River brand. Last year, Green River Distilling Co., previously O.Z. Tyler, returned to its original name. Founded in 1885, the old Green River Distillery was considered one of the finest in the country before it burned in 1918. Now, the legendary bourbon brand is returning to its birthplace. “It was a heavily advertised brand pre-Prohibition,” Call said of Green River. “We got the original trademark back. It’s rare to get that original name and brand back to its original location.” The 19th-century mash bill (grain recipe) is long gone, but Call created one that produces a high-rye “smooth, easy-to-drink, approachable bourbon” that he’s confident will be a winner with discerning bourbon enthusiasts. It will be available later this year. The visitors center has a timeline that traces the distillery’s complex history from 1885 to the present and features two new educational “salons.” The Green River
salon focuses on the history of the brand and houses vintage ads and memorabilia with the dubious advertising slogan “The Whiskey Without a Headache.” Following the repeal of Prohibition in 1933, that catchphrase became “The Whiskey Without Regrets,” which appears on the outside wall of the distillery today. The Kentucky Corn Growers Association salon outlines the organization’s collaboration with the distillery on another new product, Yellow Banks Straight Bourbon Whiskey, which uses Owensboro’s original name. In the stillhouse, an inquisitive bourbon novice stares into a massive fermenter of pungent, bubbling mash and asks the guide how long it must boil before being distilled. She learns the mash isn’t boiling. Those bubbles are the result of carbon dioxide that’s produced as the yeast converts sugar into alcohol. Bottles zip through a bottling line as they are filled and labeled. Then, it’s off to one of the warehouses, where the bourbon ages in new charred white oak barrels stacked floor to ceiling. White dog, the unaged distillate that goes into the barrel, is sort of like a headstrong teenager that goes to college for four years. It may be unpleasant going in, but after four years of maturing (some bourbons age for shorter or longer periods), it’s not only more palatable but also refined and downright pleasant. The best part of any bourbon distillery tour is the tasting. Bourbon lovers sample the new Yellow Banks as well as Quarter Horse rye whiskey and Bradshaw Bourbon, former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw’s signature brand. Tasters also are given a choice between Ladder 9, which has rich cinnamon notes, and the honeyflavored Humblebee. Nothing gives Call more pride than knowing visitors enjoy his products. “It’s been somewhat humbling and an honor to get to take this historic distillery and bring it back to life,” Call said. “It’s had numerous master distillers over the years, and it happens to be my turn.” k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 35
36 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY APRI L 2021
Photos courtesy of Green River Distilling Co.
Tapping into a Burgeoning Beer Scene
Ohio River Namesake Brew
The secret’s out, and there’s no shame in it: Some Kentuckians prefer beer to bourbon. There was a time when Owensboro’s craft beer enthusiasts had few choices. They could travel to a larger city to get their foamy fix, find a local place that served craft beer made elsewhere (not the freshest), or settle for mass-produced canned suds. With the opening of two new breweries, Brew Bridge and Mile Wide Beer Co., a burgeoning beer scene is on the horizon. When Brew Bridge opened last July, it was the first brewery in Owensboro in more than a century. Brew Bridge quenched an unrelenting thirst for quality local beer, but it also provided a space for beer lovers to hang out and discuss lofty, cerebral matters, such as which pale ale pairs best with the house-made beer cheese and warm pretzels, and the proper season to drink a chocolate raspberry stout. Max Garvin, who co-owns the brew pub with David Haynes, pointed out that folks generally don’t have these interactions while picking up a six-pack at the grocery store. “Picking up a six-pack is like buying a frozen dinner rather than getting a home-cooked meal,” Garvin said. “At the brewery, you get a personalized experience to help find which style of beer best suits you. You can sample and talk with people who share similar interests.” Not to mention, at the grocery store, you can’t wash down a half-pound hangover burger with the brew of your choice, and there’s no trivia night. Thirty-two beers are on tap at Brew Bridge, with 10 brewed in house by master brewer Will Gomez. You might catch him at work through a window in the brew house. Garvin said the Rose Blonde, brewed with hibiscus flowers, is a hit with those craving something light and crisp. Harvest Moon, a Belgian-style unfiltered ale spiced with coriander and orange, also has a strong fan base. New beers are released weekly. The brewery can seat about 250, but the regulars head out back to a large, inviting patio, a lifesaver—literally— when COVID-19 pandemic was at its peak. Heated tents for private groups offered much-needed relief from the winter blues, which were bluer than ever during the pandemic Now, spring is here, the pandemic is abating, and, according to Garvin, business has been trending up every week. “The future is very bright,” Garvin said, “and we are looking forward to getting back to some kind of normalcy.”
At Owensboro’s Mile Wide Beer Co. Brewery & Taproom, glasses clink and laughter echoes around a twolevel historic building in the heart of The District, the section of downtown that allows people to carry open alcoholic beverages outside the establishment where they were purchased. To-go cup, please! The mood is cheery but chill. Everybody from millennials to baby boomers socializes over craft beers as diverse as the crowd itself. Some sip the ever-popular Brabble—a light, easy-to-drink blonde ale—while others venture to the dark side with the barrelaged McPoyle, a full-bodied milk stout the color of Coca-Cola that’ll put hair on your chest. There’s no coat of arms above the door, but it feels like a British pub got lost and wandered into western Kentucky. That’s the idea, according to Scott Shreffler, co-founder and part owner. “We want our taprooms to be like European public houses, where the local community gathers to hang out with friends, celebrate birthdays [and] anniversaries, and hold meetings, all while sharing a pint or two of beer,” Shreffler said The taproom is a new little brother to the Louisville brewery by the same name that opened in 2016. And like a little brother, it’s trying to live up to its full potential so as to not be overshadowed by an older sibling. It’s getting there. Currently, all 24 beers on tap at the Owensboro location are brewed in Louisville, but plans are in the works to start brewing on site soon. Unlike the Louisville location, there’s no restaurant, but pop-up restaurants come around on Wednesdays, and food trucks will be close by this summer. Mile Wide is big on experimentation, and it has a loyal following of beer geeks eager for the next off-the-wall brew. Word on the street is that a maple bacon doughnut imperial stout will be released this month. “We typically release at least one new beer a week, which keeps things fresh and exciting for our customers and our Mile Wide Club members [$50 a year], who get early access to new beers and member-only exclusives,” said taproom manager Cory Greene. Can’t decide between beer and bourbon? Have them both. It’s called a boilermaker. Q Photos ourtesy of Brew Bridge and Mile Wide Beer Co.
k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 37
Shop for Survivor Made items at survivormade.org. For more information on Refuge for Women, visit refugeforwomen.org.
38 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY APRI L 2021
TEXT & PHOTOS BY
Abby Laub
A Healing Journey Refuge for Women and Survivor Made help sex trafficking victims reclaim their lives
L
ast year, Refuge for Women helped nearly 300 women across the United States escape sex trafficking. Refuge began 11 years ago in a farmhouse in Garrard County, Kentucky, with a few residents rebuilding their lives after leaving the sex industry. Today, the Lexington-based nationwide network has 84 staff members and multiple housing locations, including Kentucky’s first and only safe house. Most recently, Refuge for Women, a faith-based nonprofit organization, developed a creative means to employ the residents called Survivor Made. “Survivor Made is literally a game changer for us,” said Refuge for Women’s founder and president Ked Frank. The products include candles, leather goods, jewelry and gift baskets. “It allows people to support us through buying products. It has
stirred up so much energy, and I love that the women are learning job skills. They’re learning the dignity of creating a great product they’re making. It’s a way to support themselves, and they are getting paid a fair wage. It’s been such a positive thing for us as far as a way for people to give and support.” Frank’s enthusiasm hasn’t wavered since he left his previous employment about 11 years ago, joking that he doesn’t think about going on vacations because he is so passionate about what he does every day. A big piece of what he does is education and combating the misconceptions about sex trafficking. “A lot of people think the victims come from overseas and third-world nations,” Frank said. “They are surprised that there is so much trafficking that goes on here. They think of the movie Taken, where someone get pulled into a van and
chained to a bed. The majority of sex workers—porn, strip clubs, prostitutes—meet the criteria for trafficking because anyone who sells sex is considered a trafficking victim. It is the relationships they get into. They end up being pimped, and they don’t realize it at first. It is a forced coercion.” Often, the victims are minors, and sadly, the cycle usually starts at home. “Kentucky leads the nation in child abuse,” said Frank, whose wife, Michelle, joined he Refuge for Women team full time in March as the Kentucky executive director. “So if you play that forward, when kids are victimized and neglected and in drug-infested environments, their childhood is stolen from them. “You see the cycle. They’ve been victimized from ages 5 to 10, and then they’re falling apart as teenagers. Then they’re single
k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 39
Refuge for Women Kentucky Executive Director Michelle Frank with her husband, Ked Frank, the nonprofit’s founder and president.
moms, vulnerable and desperate, and they get into these illegal activities, but it started as a child. They’ve been groomed for these activities because their childhood was stolen from them.” Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron pointed to the state’s opioid and drug abuse crisis as a massive contributor to human trafficking. He said that the COVID-19 pandemic has removed key contact points from the lives of victims, and he fears it will increase the problem of trafficking. “What happens in some instances, in far more times than we care to admit, is you’ll see folks who will barter family members in exchange for drugs,” Cameron said, adding that some of Kentucky’s large high40 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY APRI L 2021
profile events are known as trafficking attraction points. Frank noted that, in 11 years, he’s never seen a woman choose this path for her life. “This idea of ‘she chose this,’ the reality is that is very misleading,” Frank explained. “They have been groomed to not have a voice and are at the disposal of others. They don’t have a choice at 21.” A KEY PIECE OF RECOVERY Once women are in the Refuge program, they stay for up to two years and receive intense professional treatment—physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. Many are addicted to drugs and recovering from debilitating trauma.
The next step is occupational training. A number of the women have no formal education and need marketable job skills to prevent a return to the sex industry. Survivor Made teaches them job skills while they earn a living making in-demand products. Nicole Webb is the Refuge for Women chief operations officer and director of Survivor Made. She partners with the survivors on a daily basis. “Working alongside the courageous women in this program has changed me for the better,” she said. “Their work ethic, creativity and motivation will take Survivor Made to the next level. That’s a given. But when you think about the obstacles they have overcome just to get to this place, to have a chance to work and earn an honest living, is nothing short of a miracle.” The products are now being made at other Refuge sites around the country. Every piece is high quality and hand crafted by a resident of the Refuge program. “I dare to say many of us would not have the guts to face the kind of fear they face every day and say, ‘Get out of my way; I am taking my life back!’ ” Webb said. “We provide the opportunity with some training and encouragement. The rest is all them.” Sex trafficking is a $10 billion industry in the United States, affecting tens of thousands, primarily women and children. Through Survivor Made, Refuge for Women hopes to continue to make a dent in those numbers. One survivor said, “Having the chance to be a part of the Survivor Made experience is so much more than I could have ever dreamed. I went there that first day thinking that I was going to just learn how to make candles with the Refuge staff, and I left there feeling valued [and] respected, and given the opportunity to help make a real difference in the lives of trafficked women.”
Creating a Culture of Excitement
Survivor Made items for sale include gift baskets primarly made up of products handcrafted by trafficking survivors.
She shared that she is eager to help other women making the same journey that she did. “As a survivor myself, I’ve often worried about the negative impact my background will have on my future—if I will forever be labeled, if I would always be treated differently—and wondering if I would ever be able to even get a job because of it,” she continued. “Our first day working together on Survivor Made, as a loving and supportive team, not only taught me valuable skills about the actual candle-making side of the business but also about its mission: to be able to then teach these skills to other women who have come here for a fresh start and to help them on their healing journey to gain marketable skills and financial independence. This will be utterly life changing for so many needy women, myself included, and will provide us with options that ultimately give us a second chance.” Refuge continues to grow. The biggest news in Kentucky is a $4 million construction project that begins this fall on the Garrard County property, including new apartments and a community center. It will allow Refuge to serve 40 women at a time. The nonprofit currently serves 26 at a time in Kentucky. It also will house the Survivor Made operations facility. “They can stay on the farm and be employed full time,” Frank explained. “They don’t even have to leave the property if they don’t want to.”
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The women in the Survivor Made program learn marketable job skills by creating highquality leather goods, including purses and journals, as well as candles. Proceeds go directly to women trying to permanently escape the sex industry.
GAINING INFLUENTIAL SUPPORT It is all a miracle to Frank, who called the early years “a grind.” “I wouldn’t want to go back to those early days, trying to get that fly wheel to turn, but it does feel like momentum is picking up … People are finding more ways to connect and get involved.” One of those is Cameron, who visited the Refuge property recently and also has helped the state get into the ring to fight the human trafficking problem with the launch of the Your Eyes Save Lives campaign. In January 2021, the Office of Trafficking and Abuse Prevention and 42 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY APRI L 2021
Prosecution in the state attorney general’s office launched the statewide human trafficking awareness and training campaign to combat the problem by raising awareness of the signs of human trafficking and empowering citizens, law enforcement, and community leaders to report suspected trafficking. “We all have a vital role to play in eradicating this scourge, and this campaign provides the tools necessary to see the signs of human trafficking and make the call to report it,” Cameron said. “Last year, 136 cases of human trafficking from Kentucky were reported to the National Human Trafficking Hotline,
and the Commonwealth’s Cabinet for Health and Family Services reported 206 incidences of human trafficking against a minor. “Human trafficking is happening in our communities, but it is often unreported or underreported because of lack of awareness, misidentification, and stigma. Our hope is that the Your Eyes Save Lives campaign will change that.” Cameron said that teaching people how to accurately identify a trafficking victim is a critical first step in rescuing someone who is being exploited for labor or sex, which is the aim of Your Eyes Save Lives.
“It is about making sure people recognize that their awareness can truly be the difference for a small child or a woman or anyone who is being exploited for labor,” he said. “It emphasizes understanding what those signs are; it could be clothing that is out of step with the season, or someone appears hungry, or their appearance is off. Don’t be afraid to reach out and call the National Human Trafficking Hotline.” He touted the work of Refuge and Survivor Made in helping women reclaim their lives and said that Frank helped him unveil the Your Eyes Save Lives campaign. “It is so important teaching those life skills and giving women the ability to take care of themselves to break that cycle of dependency that can oftentimes lead back into a world of human trafficking,” Cameron said. “So many victims of this have the challenge of trying to come back on the other side. And knowing they have skills to help them move past this time can’t be overstated how important a program like Survivor Made is in terms of breaking the cycle.”
gifts and talents God has given them? Much of that has been so buried.” Frank noted that keeping children safe is the number one ticket to protecting people from sex trafficking. And the other side of the ticket is that men need to stop the demand. He also stressed that legalizing prostitution would only make the problem worse.
The best way to help, Frank said, is to “pray, educate, support and give … It can be overwhelming for people, and educating yourself is a great way to start,” he said. “Also, buying Survivor Made products to help women and certainly continuing to pray for the ones who are working with the survivors all help.” Q
Learn to recognize the signs of sex trafficking at iamonwatch.org. If you notice suspicious activity related to human or sex trafficking, please call the National Human Trafficking Hotline, 1.888.373.7888.
WORKING THROUGH THE SETBACKS Though the program has seen great success—70 percent of women who graduate from Refuge don’t return to the sex industry—the work is not easy. “It’s messy, and there are setbacks,” Frank said. “Some women do choose to go back, and that’s hard to see. You celebrate the women who are choosing life, today, who are in homes. They are people who have just been through so much trauma and so much hurt and pain. They don’t want to do what they’re doing. We are walking that journey out with them of recovering from that pain and letting go of addiction and being able to really start rebuilding some dignity and self-worth.” He said that getting them out of harm’s way is the first priority, which is why opening Kentucky’s first safe house was so exciting. Survivor Made is the final piece. “They have to start figuring out what they could do if they could do anything,” Frank said. “What are the
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44 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY APRI L 2021
A section for Kentuckians everywhere … inside Kentucky Monthly.
The 1901 Kentucky Derby was the 27th running of the Kentucky Derby. The race took place on April 29, 1901.
K ENTUCKY XPLORER E All About Kentucky
Volume 36, Number 3 – April 2021
The 1901 Kentucky Derby was the 27th running of the now-famed race. It took place on April 29, 1901.
Your Letters -- page 46 Ary, Kentucky -- page 50 Fess Parker’s Visit to Kentucky -- page 51
“I Remember” By Our Readers
and More!
Featuring Things Old & New About Kentucky
46
THE KENTUCKY EXPLORER
Kentucky Explorer a magazine published for Kentuckians everywhere Charles Hayes Jr. g Founder Stephen M. Vest g Publisher Deborah Kohl Kremer g Editor Rebecca Redding g Typographist One-Year Subscription to Kentucky Monthly: $20
In our Commonwealth, April brings the promise of spring. The daylight lasts a little longer, and the temperatures head north on the thermometer. Drive by local pastures and you are sure to see mama horses with their new foals. Take a hike at a state park and you will be graced with spring blooms poking out of the cold, and probably muddy, ground. And chances are good that we are all looking forward to one of our favorite spring “holidays,” the Kentucky Derby, coming on the first Saturday in May. The crazy COVID year we’ve had makes us realize that things can change, and we need to be flexible. So, horse races and summer festivals might happen as scheduled, or they might get canceled or postponed. But one thing we can count on: Spring will still come, and our grass will still be tinged in blue, just as always. What are your memories of springtime in Kentucky? We love to share your stories and photos! Send them to me at deb@ kentuckymonthly.com or mail items to Kentucky Monthly, Attn: Deb Kremer, P.O. Box 559, Frankfort, KY 40602-0559. — DEB ORAH KOHL KREMER
In memory of Donna Jean Hayes, 1948-2019 As of 2021, Kentucky Explorer will appear inside every issue of Kentucky Monthly magazine. Subscriptions can be purchased online at shopkentuckymonthly.com or by calling 1.888.329.0053.
FOUNDED 1986, ISSUE 335, VOLUME 36, NO. 3
Letters to Kentucky Explorer Dear Editor: I wanted to thank you for keeping the spirit of Kentucky Explorer alive as a supplement to Kentucky Monthly. What a pleasant surprise to find Vol. 36, No. 1, February 2021 in your magazine. I know you cannot give us the entire magazine, but I was disappointed in that nothing was said about the picture on the cover. You see, I have a collection of cylinders and also the player (with the same size horn) that is in the picture and would have liked to have known more about the people and place that were depicted in the photo. Keep up the good work. Myrna Neff, Cave City myrnaneff007@gmail.com Editor’s Note: Thanks for the kind words, Myrna! Unfortunately, we do not have any more information on that photo. We thought it was interesting, even though we were not able to identify the people, the location or the year. ggg
Dear Editor: Kentucky Monthly magazine tends to focus on current events, foods, recreation, arts, entertainment, education and a host of many interests to Kentucky’s readers. This is a wonderful format. The format of Kentucky Explorer, however, was more dedicated to the heritage and lifestyles of Kentucky’s mountain folks, featuring stories of their past trials and hard work to make a better future for their children. Vocations were coal mining, logging and the farming of tobacco and livestock, while using antiquated tools and equipment. They also featured articles of interest such as Mammoth Cave, river travel, railroads, the introduction of TVA electricity to rural areas and others. I understand that Kentucky Monthly plans to include some features from Kentucky Explorer in its magazine. The articles I am submitting are generally in the “I Remember” section. These articles are not quite the sophistication I see in Kentucky Monthly but are sometimes humorous, and many folks relate to them. Jerry Abner, Germantown, Ohio Jerrya54@aol.com
Churchill Downs Racetrack was formally placed on the register of National Historic Landmarks in 1986.
APRIL 2021
Wondering Woods
Dear Editor: I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Kentucky Explorer will be continuing on through Kentucky Monthly magazine. Great news and what a creative idea! I have been wondering if anyone out there has pictures, memories or stories from Mr. Herby Moore’s “Wondering Woods, Ky,” which was a little, oldtimey, turn-of-the-century town that he created in the Mammoth Cave area back in the early 1970s or so. (He also had the Kentucky Wax Museum). On top of this, Mr. Moore is an incredible artist/painter living in Cynthiana, with some of his most recent work on his Facebook page. He is indeed a genuine and rare Kentucky treasure! Thank you in advance for any information! J. Walker, Lexington Editor’s Note: If you have memories of Wondering Woods, please share them with Kentucky Explorer. ggg
Dear Editor: Thanks for sending the Kentucky [Monthly] magazine. I sure miss Kentucky Explorer—the stories, genealogy, etc. I found out in one of the last issues that I may be related to President Barack Obama through his mother’s side. We both have great-grandparents with the name Childress. His is James Childress, and mine is Mary, and both are from Kentucky, so I might be related in some way, as they were born in the 1840s. Mary is my great-great-great grandmother (x3). Also, my mother was a Davis (Jefferson Davis?). Roselyn Reeder, Spring Valley, Ohio P.S. I also have Cherokee, Irish, English and maybe Jewish blood. I have some great blood in me. Thank God! I’m blessed.
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ggg Dear Editor: As sad as the news has been about the closing of the Kentucky Explorer magazine, something good is coming out of it as to contacting you folks. I have been a reader and amateur story telling contributor (emphasis on “amateur”) to the Explorer since 1994 and had the pleasure of meeting Charles Hayes at the Explorer office around 2005. Though Kentucky Monthly appears to be cut from somewhat of a different cloth, my sincere congratulations and appreciation for you bringing the Explorer under your wing. I am looking forward to receiving the Monthly and will follow how you incorporate the stories from “us” old folks! Never was an Explorer published that didn’t contain pictures and stories that pushed memory buttons for me and many of my extended family. The February edition of the Monthly hit a special memory. On page 50, leading into the Explorer section, was a quote by A.B. “Happy” Chandler! I had an uncle in Winchester who was a campaign worker for Chandler’s run for governor back in the 1950s, I believe. My Uncle Nick was involved in Clark County baseball and was a true disciple of Happy’s in the 1940s, when Major League Baseball was finally integrated. FYI, in the last edition of the Explorer, there was a story about Earle Combs as a member of the New York Yankees and from Owsley County. A.B. “Happy Chandler My grandfather, Palmer Scott, drove Earle to the train station in Lexington or Louisville when he was called up to the Yankees in the early 1920s. As to the Happy Chandler quote about “going home,” I was born in Erlanger (Kenton County); went to Lloyd High School, where my mother taught; played knothole baseball and loved the “Redlegs.” My world came crashing down when my family moved to St. Louis, but it was close enough to home that we visited two to three times a year, returning with a case or two of the Ale-8-One soft drink in the trunk of the car. I trust you know Ale-8 is distributed from Winchester? Enough reminiscing. Thank you so much for continuing the legacy of Charles Hayes and his Kentucky Explorer. I imagine there will be a day when I pester Ms. Kremer. I doubt I have anything to contribute, as Charles and the Explorer used all my stories and memories over the past 25 years. I imagine anything I would send at this point would be a quick delete, but I just may give it a try, as I do have quite a few old Kentucky family pictures.
Jerry S. Ward, Yakima, Washington
Kentucky has 12.7 million acres of commercial forest land—50 percent of the state’s land area.
4 THE 48 THEKENTUCKY KENTUCKYEXPLORER EXPLORER Send memories to Deborah Kohl Kremer at deb@kentuckymonthly.com or mail to Kentucky Monthly, Attn: Deb Kremer, P.O. Box 559, Frankfort, KY 40602.
“I Remember”
By Our Readers
Send your memory in today! Rocky Ford Covered Bridge The Rocky Ford Covered Bridge over Tygart Creek at Lynn (later changed to Load), Kentucky, was a landmark, so if anyone needed directions, they would be told to go to the covered bridge to help them find their way. After you crossed that bridge, traveling the road going north was known as going down Tygart Creek (before it was known as Route No. 7). Also, before crossing the bridge, traveling the road going south was known as going up Tygart Creek. We Johnsons walked this road nearly every Sunday to the Load Church. It was about a 5-mile walk. What a sight it must have been to see Mom and five or six children on their way to or from church. And sometimes it would be rainy. The Rocky Ford Covered Bridge was a place where young children in the area would hang out, as it was 10 miles to the town of Greenup. These young kids would talk, sing, play the banjo or guitar, listen to the music on a car radio and perhaps dance to the music. No doubt a jar of moonshine got passed around. This bridge was crossed going to Lick Run Grade School, which still stands on Lick Run Road. One time, when the Tygart Creek was at flood stage and we school children were crossing the creek, my nephew, who had his schoolbooks tied together so they’d be easier to carry, tossed his books into the flooded creek. He looked at me and laughed. I doubt if he got corrected for his actions. He was always doing some-such thing. He once got into his grandpa’s chewing tobacco and ate some, which made him ill. His grandma said he turned green. At the west edge of Rocky Ford
Covered Bridge was the Dunn’s Country Store and Mill, where corn was ground into cornmeal. There was no charge for doing this because some cornmeal was used as payment for the service. The bridge was just wide enough for one car or a horse and wagon to use at a time. There were never any road signs to say where you were, so you needed to ask for directions. Back in the early 1940s, this beautiful covered bridge was torn down, and an ugly cement bridge built farther south on the then-dirt road. The road later was black topped, as was Big White Oak Road, where we Johnsons lived until 1943. Each spring and fall, a huge road
grader came to smooth out the potholes in the roads. We kids loved walking on the smooth road, until it rained and the potholes were back again. One time, the road grader got parked in Dad’s barn lot for the weekend. My brother, Jim, climbed on it, and he somehow started the engine, which scared him badly. His brother climbed up and shut the engine off. The area on Big White Oak Road where our 100-acre farm was is now called Johnson Hill. It doesn’t look the same as when I lived there. Such a shame. Lois Wilcox Piqua, Ohio
First Paid Fire Department
On Sept. 1, 1898, Bowling Green’s first paid fire department came into existence. Photo courtesy of Library Special Collections, WKU
“During Derby Week, Louisville is the capital of the world,” wrote John Steinbeck in 1956.
APRIL 2021
49
Theodore Roosevelt’s Presidential Train Trip Through the Bluegrass State, 1905 Submitted by Jerry Abner Germantown, Ohio
Editor’s Note: It is hard to imagine the logistics of a United States president traveling by train in the era prior to cell phones or even walkie-talkies. Even the Secret Service did not come into play until 1906. In the following letter, the roadmaster of the L&N Railroad sends out security instructions for President Theodore Roosevelt’s 1905 train trip from Cincinnati to Louisville. Louisville & Nashville Office of the Roadmaster La Grange, Ky. March 31, 1905 All Foremen: President Roosevelt will pass over this division on the morning of Tuesday, April 4th, leaving Cincinnati (Little Miami Station) on 3rd #3 at 5:30 a.m. A pilot engine will run as 2nd #3 20 minutes ahead of the President’s train. The movement of these two trains is shown on the attached timetable. It is desired that this train pass over the division without delay and without accident and special precautions will be taken to guard the track to insure this. On the afternoon of April 3rd you will personally inspect every maintrack switch on your section and see that it is in perfect order. On the morning of April 4th you will go over your entire section on a hand car at least one hour ahead of the pilot engine and see that everything is safe. On the morning of April 4th you will place a reliable man at each maintrack switch heading out north (that is, switches with points to the north) to see that they are not tampered with or left open. The switch watchman will stand on the
opposite side of the track from the switch stand. Where there are two switches very near together, one watchman will answer. Foremen Elston, Harm and Carl Webster will place a reliable watchman at each tunnel on their sections one hour before the pilot engine is due. These watchmen will patrol the tunnels till the Presidential train passes. The regular watchman at tunnel #1 should be provided with a timetable of these two trains. After providing watchmen for the switches and tunnels, place one man at each milepost with instructions to walk track south, beginning immediately after the pilot engine has passed him. After reaching the next milepost south, he should return to the post from which he started continuing to patrol the mile until the Presidential train has passed. All hand and push cars must be clear of the maintrack 1 hour before the pilot engine is due and no work on the maintrack, other than emergency work, must be engaged in. As soon as the Presidential train has passed, collect your men and carry on your work in the usual way. Where it is necessary for any of your men to be put to work ahead of the usual hour, make the time doubly good to them some day when they wish to get off a little early. The watchmen should be provided with red flags and torpedoes and I am sending a few extra ones in case you have not enough. Charge time to “Special Watchmen.” Please endeavor to carry out these instructions to the letter. Acknowledge receipt.
The timetable of the presidential train
Yours truly, H.C. Griswold, Roadmaster
Failures are infinitely more instructive than successes. George Clooney
6 THE 50 THEKENTUCKY KENTUCKYEXPLORER EXPLORER
The Community Known as Ary How did the small Perry County town get its name? By Michael Dale Coleman
My mother, Janice V. Combs, was born in Ary, Kentucky, to Eulanda Fugate (daughter of Surilda Francis and Henry Booker Fugate) and Blaxton Combs (son of Sylvania Grigsby and Wesley Combs). Janice moved north to Detroit, Michigan, in the early 1950s, following her sister Edna Mae. Janice literally married the boy next door, Thomas M. Coleman. They then moved to the suburbs and started their family. Growing up, I would travel with my family each summer to Ary, in Perry County, to visit my grandparents. As I aged, I became interested in genealogy and started asking more and more questions. One of them was: “Where did the name Ary come from?” I asked around, and no one could tell me. I had a breakthrough
at the Bobby Davis Museum in Hazard, which had an article from the Hazard Herald by Bailey Richards about the name Ary. Richards stated that the area was named after a man, Ary Holliday. I tracked down the grave of Ary Holliday and discovered that he was in fact a she, and her name was spelled Arra, though I am sure it was pronounced Ary. She was the wife of John Holliday. But this did not explain why her name was associated with the town. While doing research, I found the notes of Robert M. Rennick’s book, Kentucky Place Names, in the online archives at Morehead State University. This was a collection of notecards that had typed shorthand notes on them. Ary was listed, and there were plenty of notes, including one that indicated Rennick had not found the origin of its name. The notes did refer to a post office being proposed in 1905 by the name of Dory. I tracked down a copy of the book, hoping to find additional information, but instead found that Ary did not make the edits and had not been included. I started looking at old maps of Kentucky to find the oldest listing of Ary. The oldest map I have found so far is a postal route map from 1906. This spurred me to research how post offices were established. At that time, there was an application process, and I was able to find the Above left, Laura Combs Fugate (seated), with Edna Mae Combs, her niece, at Ary’s general store around 1940. At the far right is the door to the post office. Reprinted with permission of the author. Left, the Ary Post Office today. Over time, the general store closed, and the post office expanded as it no longer delivered mail to houses but installed post office boxes for everyone. Photo courtesy of stampconnections.com.
application for the Ary Post Office. I also discovered that, at that time, post offices were not necessarily named after their locations. There was a place on the application for the proposed name, which was generally submitted by the proposed postmaster, and no explanation was required or requested. In 1905, the U.S. Post Office Department sent an application to establish a post office for Dory, Kentucky. The application had “Dory” written in as the proposed name, but this was crossed out and “Ary” was written in next to it. The complication was that there was already a post office called Dory in Chestnut, Kentucky (Clay County). I decided to investigate the family of the proposed postmaster on the application. His name was Killus L. Combs. I could not find a connection through this family to the name Ary or Arra, so I began looking into his wife’s family. Her name was Fannie Holliday, and her parents were John and Arra Holliday. Arra had passed away in 1901, a few years prior to the naming of the post office. It is my conclusion that Killus Combs chose the name of his beloved mother-in-law for the new post office, and over time, the name of Dory faded away as the Ary post office became the center of life in this (Perry County) community. I have looked on many maps for a reference to Dory and have had no luck. I have found the area labeled on maps as Balls Fork, as there was a Balls Fork Post Office application filed in 1879, which presumably closed within a few years. I would welcome any additional information, comments and/or corrections to this story of Ary (Dory), Kentucky. I can be reached by email at 3862272@gmail.com. Michael Dale Coleman Lincoln Park, Michigan
The Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption in Covington has 82 stained-glass windows.
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Fess Parker, right, portrayed Daniel Boone in the television series about the frontiersman.
Hollywood’s Version of Daniel Boone Actor Fess Parker paid homage to the man he played on television By Ted Franklin Belue
The 1960s remain a Daniel Boone cultural watershed, leading to renewed interest in the woodsman’s life in Kentucky, where 200 years before, America’s original hunter-hero had stepped onto history’s page. This neoBoone enthusiasm came in irregular torrents of waves and in the most peculiar of ways. Hollywood was Boone’s biggest boon, thanks to a 6-foot5-inch Texan named Fess Elisha Parker Jr., who had starred in such notable films as 1957’s Old Yeller (and less notable ones, like Them!, a 1954 science fiction thriller featuring
humongous radioactive ants threatening to overrun civilization). Parker attained celebrity staus on ABC in the Walt Disney miniseries Davy Crockett. Even Davy’s theme was epic, needing 20 stanzas to sum up its subject’s mettle. Verse one will do: Born on a mountain top in Tennessee greenest state in the land of the free, raised in the woods so he knew ev’ry tree, kilt him a b’ar when he was only three. Davy, Davy Crockett, king of the wild frontier!
Thomas Edison introduced the world to incandescent light at the 1883 Southern Exposition in Louisville.
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THE KENTUCKY EXPLORER
Hollywood’s Version of Daniel Boone (continued) The “Ballad of Davy Crockett” sold more than 10 million records, ensuring Parker’s voice—naturally, he recorded his own song, as did many artists—was on the radio and his handsome face on prime-time television. Davy-mania swept the land. Trappers reaped a bonanza getting a coonskin cap on every little Boomer’s head. Disney franchised Davy Crockett lunch buckets, toy guns, thermoses, powder horns, fringed jackets, bubblegum, TV trays, drinking glasses, trading cards, comic books, wagons, watches, spoons, guitars, lamps, belt buckles, pocketknives, aprons, moccasins and … one gets the idea. Such canonizing of a dead folk hero had never been seen before—or since. The hubbub— succinctly put, a $300 million hubbub in 1954 bucks!— stunned Parker and grubstaked Uncle Walt’s Disneyland. It was not the first time Crockett usurped Boone’s heroic mantle. The real Ring-tailed Roarer was an Indian fighter, bodacious yarn spinner, and bear-killing Congressman who once railed at his Tennessee constituents who’d ousted him, “You may all go to hell, and I will go to Texas!” and did, dying at the Alamo (March 6, 1836). The flamboyant Tennessean went out like a Spartan in the midst of his enemies. The reserved Kentuckian went out like a senior citizen at a rest home after overindulging on sweet potatoes (Sept. 26, 1820). Little wonder the Gentleman from the Cane’s (Crockett) meteoric persona eclipsed Sheltowee’s (Boone) quiet stoicism.
Hasbro Johnny Reb cannon beside our black-and-white Motorola, praying its tin-foiled rabbit ears would pick up Boonesborough’s signal and that my grandma wouldn’t switch the channel to The Lawrence Welk Show. Armed and accoutered, eyes skinned for a sign, I was ready. The clock chimed. Distant, soaring horns sounded: Dum-dum-dum-deedoe-dum. Then, Daniel Boone was a man. Yes a big man! With an eye like an eagle And as tall as a mountain was he!
Sheltowee’s rifle—an antique Indian trade gun fitted with a 45/70 Springfield ignition system—shot true and on cue. Rebecca (Patricia Blair), coiffed and cosmetically perfect, stood by her woodsman. Israel (Darby Hinton) never faced his fate at Blue Licks. Jemima (Veronica Cartwright), flush with beauty, vanished by the second season. Mingo (Ed Ames), a Harvard grad and Dan’l’s Cherokee companion, spoke better English than anyone I knew, popped a whip with stinging accuracy, and sang like Luciano Pavarotti. Warbonneted Anglos in face-paint hi-yah’d around totem poles. The Red Coats were suitably snobby. Kentucky resembled California and Utah (with powerlines, contrails and an occasional interstate). Boonesborough life could be a bit of a historical stretch. Daniel and Rebecca went vacationing during the Revolution. Jay Silverheels (The Lone Ranger’s Tonto), a real Mohawk, portrayed George Rogers Clark, a real Indian fighter. Virginia Governor Patrick Henry, blustering like King George III, • • • shuttled through the cane in a fancy coach. L.A. Rams defensive tackle Rosey Grier fought Choctaws during the But in 1964, Boone was reborn. Parker had proposed NFL’s offseason. rekindling sputtering Crockett’s flame (and his career) with Tender in years, I was rather puzzled. I loved Fess, a his own backwoods serial. When the Lord of Cinderella’s handsome oak of a man who towered over settlers like an Castle (and copyright holder to Davy’s merchandise) got NBA center while keeping Kentucky safe and offering sage wind of the Half-Horse/Half-Alligator’s rising phoenix, he wisdom. But was this the man I’d read about? Dan’l rarely threatened to sue. “Disney didn’t want any further Davy rode a horse and always seemed to be stalking the same bear. Crockett films—especially from me,” Parker recalled. So, Oh, well. At least his flinter never went off half-cocked. obligingly, the star changed his show’s title, thwarting Daniel Boone’s inaccuracies left historians aghast, but the litigation by two words: Daniel Boone. show fared well, offering an hour of Dan’l shot sharp, donned a family entertainment. “We had a lot coonskin, and talked like Davy. of fine actors,” said Parker. “I Parker owned up to the similarities wanted to have a good show.” between the two—“Well, if you The soft-spoken Texan, a decent listened to them in the dark, they man by any measure, prided himself weren’t any different”—and, like his on his bringing women, American fuming ex-boss, branded his own Indians and African Americans to the vast mercantile of plastic Boone trade screen in meaningful roles. “I think it goods and faux fur caps. will stand up next to the westerns, I was born the first year of the which we were not, but we were Davy hullaballoo and missed it. lumped in that category.” Seeing Dan’l, though, was a different Dan’l lacked The Duke’s swag and story. The night of Sept. 24, 1964, I Clint Eastwood’s steely terseness, solemnly donned my fringed jacket but he was compassionate, defended and coonskin cap, grabbed my Indians from murderous mobs, hunting bag made from Mom’s old helped folks in need, willingly purse fitted with a cow horn, and, Popular merchandise inspired by the 1960s TV turned the other cheek instead of Tick Licker (rifle) in hand, hauled my series included this lunch box.
The country is making a big mistake not teaching kids to cook and raise a garden and build fires. Loretta Lynn 52 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY NOV EMBER 2 0 2 0
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Parker as Boone
Chester Harding’s portrait of Daniel Boone
resorting to violence, and treated Rebecca respectfully and as his equal—this as the civil rights movement was beginning. (That the real 5-foot, 4-inch Boone dealt in chattel was not addressed.)
Hambleton Tapp, sided with Coleman. While straining credulity “to the breaking point,” the show created interest, inspiring Kentuckians to study their historic roots. Clark gave no quarter: “Anybody influenced by that shouldn’t be fooling with history.” For future Daniel Boone episodes, Clark proposed having Katherine the Great tour Kentucky—“that would have made for an exciting visit”—or Moses leading the Hebrews to the Promised Land. “Moses was an explorer. Let him compare notes with Daniel Boone.” In March 1966, after H.R. 113 passed Kentucky’s House of Representatives denouncing the show as “an inexcusable farce” and “insult to the intelligence,” Parker responded with kindness but firmness, reminding detractors he did inject authentic tidbits into his persona. “We did a lot of episodes that involved Boone’s life. Fighting with the British against the Indians—Indian wars,” he said. In true Dan’l fashion, Parker gently chided the stuffed shirts, sure “that if Boone were alive today, he would be as astonished as I that an august body of men … has tuned into a passel of television critics.” The controversy faded.
• • •
As Dan’l fever swept o’er the Bluegrass, Kentuckians greeted this new interest in their hero with mixed feelings. Capitalizing on the publicity, the Commonwealth dedicated Fort Boonesborough State Park in Madison County. The fort—touted as “an exact replica of the original” but built of creosoted pine telephone poles from Alabama, with Plexiglas windows, air-conditioned cabins, vending machines and sidewalks—became the state’s star resort. Like the show, the replica outpost raised the eyebrows of the historically astute. “Why didn’t they use native material?” asked Dr. Thomas D. Clark, Kentucky’s premier historian and author. Boonesborough’s palisades, he mused, resembled “logs turned on a modern lathe and the corners beveled, like how a city fellow thinks a fort ought to look. There’s nothing authentic about it,” he told reporter Tom Watson. He was equally dismissive of NBC’s offering, warning pupils braving his university classes that he’d fail them for having nothing better to do with their time if they asked “about Daniel Boone on television.” Fellow luminary J. Winston Coleman disagreed, saying Boone was “number one with young people.” The show couldn’t “beat down his image. If anything, it helped it.” The editor of The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, Dr.
Dan’l Visits Frankfort Parker’s announcement that he was coming to Frankfort on Sept. 26, 1968, for the 148th anniversary of Boone’s death put folks into a tizzy at the chance of seeing a TV star. Kentuckians prepared a fitting rollout, including spiffing up Daniel and Rebecca’s tomb—“Boone’s Gravesite Ready for Visitors,” The Courier-Journal announced. The Franklin County Homemakers Garden Club, the shrine’s caretakers, had
Five Kentucky governors died while in office.
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THE KENTUCKY EXPLORER
Hollywood’s Version of Daniel Boone (continued) re-sodded and re-planted shrubs and flowers, thwarting souvenir hunters from pickpocketing pebbles, tearing off tree bark, yanking up petunias, and desecrating the holy ground with pop cans, gum wrappers and cigarette butts. The United States Postal Service made plans to honor the “most famous of American pioneers” with his own six-cent stamp. Actually, it was Boone’s second stamp. His first one—a tiny 3-cent purplish reproduction of Boone and three hunters—commemorated Kentucky’s sesquicentennial. (For his birth bicentennial in 1934, the U.S. Mint issued a silver half-dollar with Daniel and Blackfish the Shawnee sharing sides. Boone’s half-dollar was the first U.S. coin to depict “a real-life Native American.”) Patty Peavler, a trustee on the Frankfort Cemetery Company’s Board and volunteer at the Capitol City Museum, was there. A Frankfort native, she has a degree in history
from Kentucky State College. Her family lived near the Old Capitol when Parker arrived. “I was on my way to the grocery store and wanted to stop and see Fess. I knew he was coming. It was a big deal, the first day of issuing the stamp—I still have the stamp,” she told me. Hundreds of fans, spanning both the Davy and Dan’l generations judging from the coonskin caps adorning heads young and old, gathered downtown. Crews hauling television cameras over the railroad tracks dividing West Broadway shouldered their gear up the Capitol’s steps, sidestepping Bill May, president of Brighton Engineering, and Chamber of Commerce leaders. Mayor Frank Sower and Lyle Cobb, community services director and Democratic Party manabout-town were ensconced by the Capitol’s pillars near Old Glory. Ken Hart, WLAP’s general manager (the station’s motto: “We Dig Coal”), was hoping for a radio interview with the star. Parker obliged. A cadre of black powder shooters—flintlocks in hand and in buckskins, calico shirts, butternut frock, and slouch hats— came from as far away as Pennsylvania to add local color. Kentucky’s Corps of Longriflemen, naturally, was represented, and members milled about posing for photos. Ralph “Two Shoots” Marcum, a Corps member, presented Parker with a tomahawk he had forged and exhibited his fancy doublebarreled flintlock. Parker was impressed. A McKee, Kentucky Renaissance man, Marcum later showed up in a Boone episode filmed at Cumberland Falls. • • •
Top, Parker on his 1968 visit to Daniel and Rebecca Boone’s gravesite; above, the star signs autographs on the steps of Kentucky’s Old Capitol.
Thunderous applause welcomed Daniel’s lanky Hollywood alter-ego to the Bluegrass State as he ascended the speaker’s platform in full TV Dan’l garb minus his bushy, ring-tailed cap (which pleased the womenfolk as the raccoon’s bandit face detracted from his chiseled features). “They introduced him, and he gave a rousing talk,” recalled Ms. Peavler. “He was handsome and tall.” After a sort of Make Kentucky Great Again stem-winder, Parker signed autographs on the Old Capitol’s lawn. As cameras snapped, Parker, towering like Apollo over the buckskinners, shouldered the revered “Daniel Boone rifle”— based on “DB” gouged on the rifle’s butt’s front and on the reverse, “BOoNs best FREN.” Fifteen notches cut in the stock marked Dan’l’s grim tally—this from a modest ex-Quaker who shot only in self-defense. To celebrate Parker’s arrival, curators had taken the absurdly embellished long rifle from its display. Upon scrutiny of it by expert John Bivins, he refused to believe that “Boone would have so wretchedly defaced the stock of a rifle in such a manner. To be as succinct as possible,” he concluded, “I believe that it is generally understood among students of the American long rifle who are familiar with this particular weapon that the piece is exceedingly unlikely to have enjoyed actual ownership by Daniel Boone. That is certainly my opinion … It could not have been made earlier than the year of Boone’s death.” Clearly, Bivins did not think much of BOoNs best FREN. No matter. One need only look at the picture capturing the moment to sense that the fake Boone gun seems transformed into the real thing. The frontier entourage motored up the hill
The youngest person to become vice president was John C. Breckinridge at 36; the oldest was Alben W. Barkley at 71.
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Above, Parker with Kentucky’s Corps of Longriflemen; left, with WLAP’s general manager, Ken Hart.
to Frankfort’s garden cemetery to pay their respects to Daniel and Rebecca; Parker’s pose with BOoNs best FREN in the monument’s shadow, the Kentucky River winding away 300 feet below, is pop culture at its most iconic. • • •
During his barnstorming Dark and Bloody Ground tour, Parker proposed building his theme park, Frontier Land, and, endorsed Daniel Boone Fried Chicken—seasoned with Dan’l’s own secret blend of herbs and spices—to compete with Kentucky Fried Chicken. Ex-governor, ex-senator and ex-national baseball commissioner A.B. “Happy” Chandler became DBFC’s good-ole-boy version of KFC’s Col. Harland Sanders. Parker made endorsement appearances and invested in the fast-food chain, as did DBFC board member and fellow fried chicken fan Sammy Davis Jr.—a duly appointed Kentucky Colonel. Col. Sammy Davis’ efforts notwithstanding, DBFC soon lost $2 million and went bankrupt. Fowl language ensued, darn tootin’. Parker didn’t break stride. He’d scouted out a 1,500-acre tract in, fittingly, Boone County, to break ground for his Frontier World—“a $100 million amusement park” featuring thrill rides, showboat musicals and “key periods of American history. Visitors would enter the Mayflower, roam through Colonial life, the frontier, the Old West and the Industrial Revolution.” Parker couldn’t raise the $13.5 million down payment due to King’s Island Park being built in southern Ohio. Soon, his proposed financiers, who had backed
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Disneyland, were energetically despoiling Central Florida to pave the way for Walt Disney World. So it was then that Uncle Walt Disney not only reigned victorious in the theme park wars but also in the Boone vs. Crockett TV dustup: Though NBC’s Dan’l lasted six years and ran 165 episodes, ABC’s Davy was the greater pop culture phenomenon and moneymaker. Parker went on to become a savvy Santa Barbara real estate investor and award-winning vintner and hotelier who never got above his raising. Loved, literally, by countless millions, he received fan mail from all over the world, and he always replied with a personal note. He died in 2010 at 85, the same age as the real Daniel Boone when he passed. Fess’ bronze marker is simple and honest, and, like his wine bottles, emblazoned with a coonskin cap. And though, in the end, Kentucky was about as lucrative for him as it was for Boone, and as Tennessee was for Crockett, folks still talk about that September day when Dan’l and Davy paid a visit to Daniel and Rebecca’s grave. In the Bluegrass State, as in the Volunteer State, there will always be a place in the sun for Fess Parker. Ted Franklin Belue Murray, Kentucky tbelue@murraystate.edu Reach 120,000 readers with classified advertising available in Kentucky Explorer. Classified ads $50 per issue (up to 25 words). Contact Deborah Kohl Kremer at deb@kentuckymonthly.com
CLASSIFIED ADS WANTED: Collector buying antique radios, working or not. Also, tubes and radio-related parts. I will come to you with cash and pick up from attics, barns or whatever. Call (859) 396-6095. WANTED: Want to buy Kentucky license plates, 1960 and older. Contact: Ray Mauer, 3193 High Ridge Drive, Taylor Mill, KY 41015; 859.363.8880 or rmlm@fuse.net. WANTED TO BUY: All types of antiques and collectables. Top prices for gold, silver and costume jewelry. Scrap gold. Gold and silver coins. Wrist and pocket watches. Collections. Early post cards and fountain pens. Civil War swords and other military items. Vintage toys. Pocket knives. Lighters. Old eye glasses. Pottery and stoneware. All types of railroad items. Advertising signs. Handmade quilts. Marbles. Jars. Much much more. Complete and partial estates. Call Clarence, buyer for more than 30 years, at (606) 531-0467. WANTED: Your memories, stories and old photos! Please submit your content to Kentucky Monthly, Attn: Deborah Kohl Kremer, P.O. Box 559, Frankfort, KY 40601 or email to deb@kentuckymonthly.com.
Cynthiana is the home of the company that makes Post-It Notes.
off the shelf
(P)-Paperback (C)-Clothbound (H)-Hardback
Quest for Understanding
True to Life
What does the daughter of a fortune-telling mother do with her life when her mother is murdered? Pretty simple. She goes looking to unlock the mysteries surrounding her mother’s life, to find a father she never knew, and, consequently, to discover the essence of her own existence. That means lots of traveling to small towns in search of the right perspectives and right people; it also means a lot of grueling mental processing. Miracelle Loving’s arrival in the small town of Radiant and a museum of oddities kickstarts her quest forward on a twisting, rocky path with many rabbit holes. She is wanting radiance, and author Karen Salyer McElmurray is her own kind of brilliant in telling the story with depth, passion and lyricism not often sustained by other writers. In a setting colored by tarot cards, voices from the grave, cigarette smoke, and a spirit-filled worship service, Miracelle attempts to carve out her own niche— hopefully one she can mercifully digest. McElmurray’s works have been well-noted. She won an Association of Writers & Writing Programs Award for creative nonfiction for her book Surrendered Child: A Birth Mother’s Journey.
This book takes the reader deep inside the Virginia coal mines of the 1930s. It is the story of a teenage boy, Preston Patterson, who takes a job in the mines to help out his family during the Great Depression. It is a selfless act but one that many his age had to do to survive, especially during the ’30s. Preston endures the terrible working conditions in the dark, cold mine. He risks his life and witnesses others lose theirs, just to put food on his family’s table. The author draws from remembrances of his father, who lived the life of a young coal miner and recorded his experiences. Although Journey to the Light reads like fiction, the situations—which are dire—are true. This is author Alfred Patrick’s fifth book. Patrick taught at both the high school and college levels and is retired from Eastern Kentucky University, where he was a professor, department chair, and dean of the College of Business. He resides in Richmond.
By Steve Flairty Wanting Radiance, By Karen Salyer McElmurray, South Limestone Books (an imprint of the University Press of Kentucky), $24.95 (H) 56 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY APRI L 2 0 2 1
By Deborah Kohl Kremer Journey to the Light, By Alfred Patrick, Hoot Books Publishing, 10.99 (P)
Spirit-Induced Short Stories A Louisville-based writing group called the Derby Rotten Scoundrels has gotten the spirit(s) with an anthology of 18 crime stories titled Mystery with a Splash of Bourbon. Interwoven in the collection are articles covering the history of bourbon, distillery profiles, product informational pieces, and recipes using bourbon. The book’s writers are mostly current or former residents of Kentucky. Some have penned best sellers; this is the first published work for others. Story examples are “Proof Is in the Killing,” “Take the Fall,” “Backdoor Bourbon” and “The Long and Short of It.” The collection’s editors, Susan Bell and Elaine Munsch, serve respectively as secretary and program chair of the group. A chapter of the worldwide Sisters in Crime writing organization, the Derby Rotten Scoundrels bills itself as a “nonprofit, eclectic group of writers of varying backgrounds, experience, and interests who get together to share our writing … to support women writers of all genres, but particularly in the crime-writing genre.” Previously, the chapter published Derby Rotten Scoundrels (2004) and Low Down and Derby (2006). By Steve Flairty Mystery with a Splash of Bourbon, Edited by Susan Bell and Elaine Munsch, Mystery and Horror, LLC, $16.95 (P)
BOOKENDS Katie Sullivan Hughbanks, whose work has been featured in Kentucky Monthly’s Penned Literary Contest, has released Blackbird Songs, a collection of poetry. An English instructor at Louisville’s Assumption High School, Hughbanks focuses on themes of individuality, spirituality, survival and optimism in her poetry. • • •
Formative Years
Trailblazing Rider
The man who eventually would become the 16th president of the United States spent his early adult years in New Salem, Illinois. From 1831 to 1837, when Abraham Lincoln was 22 to 28 years old, he lived on the rugged frontier, where he took odd jobs, fell in love, and suffered the heartbreak of his life. It was during these years that he gained experiences that influenced his entire life. The story of Lincoln’s life has been told numerous times, but Young Lincoln of New Salem: Abraham Lincoln’s Spritual Journey During His Time at New Salem and Beyond focuses on those formative years. The author combines three years of research and fact-checking with dialog and conversations to make it all relatable. Lincoln was a man who regularly read the Bible and was devoted to God, and in this story, readers see that these habits did not just begin when he moved into the White House. Author Sam Rawlins has been fascinated with Lincoln from a young age. After he retired, Rawlins combined his childhood hobby of writing with his knowledge of Lincoln. This is his second book.
Mark Shrager’s biography of a female jockey, Diane Crump: A HorseRacing Pioneer’s Life in the Saddle, is a study of one person overcoming obstacles of rejection and physical injuries. One need not have horseracing knowledge to fully embrace this book. Diane Crump was a pioneer in the horse industry. She was the first female jockey to ride at a recognized United States track (Hialeah Park in Florida), the first to win a stakes race, and the first to ride in the Kentucky Derby (1970). With those credentials, one might think that she set herself on a path of continued success in her chosen field of endeavor. That would be only partially true. She won 228 races, but being a woman was a challenge to her full acceptance into the riding world, and like other women, she was appraised on different criteria— often physical appearance. Media accounts were replete with adjectives such as “pretty,” along with assigning stereotyped behavioral descriptions such as having a “typically feminine reaction.” Crump handled the pressure with classy aplomb. Relying largely on Crump’s own words, Shrager presents a profile of the jockey that gives the reader an inspirational ride.
By Deborah Kohl Kremer Young Lincoln of New Salem: Abraham Lincoln’s Spritual Journey During His Time at New Salem and Beyond, By Sam Rawlins, Yorkshire Publishing, $26.99 (H)
By Steve Flairty Diane Crump: A Horse-Racing Pioneer’s Life in the Saddle, By Mark Shrager, Lyons Press, $27.95 (H)
In recent years, former University of Kentucky student and baseball player Lamar Herrin has focused on writing. His short stories have appeared in high-profile periodicals, and he’s authored seven novels. His latest novel, Fishing the Jumps, is an ongoing conversation between two middle-aged men who fish and sip Jim Beam while sharing memories of events past. Most of the action (or verbal activity) takes place around their sporting trips while “fishing the jumps,” a time when fish are in a wild, frenzied state of mind— and a metaphor for chaps sharing old times and letting go of emotional masks. Published by the University Press of Kentucky, Fishing the Jumps retails for $24.95. • • •
The Woodford County Historical Society in Versailles has published an account of the county’s heritage, complete with photos largely from the organization’s collection. The book shares how prominent citizens “met in 1788 to create a new county government before Kentucky was a state and the area was still part of Virginia.” Photos such as one of a once-thriving tollhouse, exemplary of a time in the county when most all the roads required payment to navigate, are compelling. Included are plenty of nostalgic scenes of life in the county during a simpler time. Part of Arcadia Publishing’s Images of America series, Woodford County retails for $23.99.
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past tense/present tense by Bill Ellis
Days That Will “Live in Infamy” Dec. 7, 1941, and Sept. 11, 2001
M
ost adult Kentucky Monthly readers vividly recall the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001. Far fewer are alive who recall the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. Because the United States is abundant in territory, population, wealth and energy resources, we have often believed that we are invulnerable. After all, within a relatively few years, we had achieved independence from England and expanded the country to California, Texas, the Hawaiian Islands and beyond. Reunited after the Civil War, the United States of America industrialized in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to become a world power. Had this country not led the Allies in winning or at least ending World War I and, in the words of President Woodrow Wilson, making the “world safe for democracy?” Moreover, we are protected by two wide oceans. That belief—some thought it arrogance—perhaps led to the surprise of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. As a teenager, I read Walter Lord’s Day of Infamy: The Bombing of Pearl Harbor, published in 1957. This book and others inspired me to go into teaching and specialize in history. ggg
Now comes a book by Mayfield’s Berry Craig, Kentuckians and Pearl Harbor: Stories From the Day of Infamy. Craig dedicated the book to his father and father-in-law, both of whom served in the war against the Japanese, as did my father. All seemed peaceful until just before 8 a.m. on that infamous morning. Then all hell broke loose on a beautiful Sunday. Many of our readers know the basic outline of the story: Japanese naval forces coming in from the North Pacific launched aircraft that devastated Battleship Row in Pearl Harbor as well as other installations, particularly air bases. Why was this attack so successful? Was it the fault of Henderson’s Adm. Husband E. Kimmel? Thankfully, the aircraft carriers that soon would take the offensive against the Japanese were at sea. Lt. Gen. Walter Campbell Short ordered land-based aircraft to be lined up together to thwart possible sabotage by the thousands of Japanese Americans living on the island. As it turned out, they were completely loyal to the U.S. Most experts and the general reading public today agree that neither Kimmel nor Short was to blame for their shortsightedness. Instead, it should be remembered that the assault was well-planned and -executed by the Japanese fleet and naval aircraft. It could have been even more disastrous for the U.S. if the second wave of Japanese airplanes had targeted oil supplies and repair facilities. Was the attack the fault of President Franklin D. Roosevelt? Conspiracy theorists think FDR waited for a 58 K E NT U C K Y M O NTHLY APRI L 2 0 2 1
pretense to drag the full weight of the U.S. armed forces and nation into a worldwide war. Craig has a special purpose. He writes, “This book does not tell the Pearl Harbor story from the perspectives of admirals, generals or politicians … This book aims to break new ground by telling the untold, forgotten, or little-known stories of ordinary Kentuckians, military and civilian, on the most extraordinary day in their lives.” That task is admirably fulfilled. Using interviews conducted by himself and others, newspaper accounts, memoirs and military records, Berry highlights Kentuckians at war. One interviewee recalled that he, like many others, joined the armed forces because “the Navy paid $21 a month” during the Great Depression. The author has done a masterful job of putting together a book that follows the contours of that momentous and horrendous day while emphasizing the roles of Kentuckians scattered among the battleships, cruisers, destroyers, smaller vessels and land bases. Not all the personnel were combatants. Chaplain Howell Forgy aboard the heavy cruiser New Orleans “encouraged the crew to ‘praise the Lord and pass the ammunition.’ ” A New Jersey Presbyterian transplanted to Murray, before joining the U.S. Navy, Forgy had shepherded a church into a new building. After Forgy saw service aboard the New Orleans through several sea battles and its near sinking, “the Navy officially recognized him as the source” for the phrase that was turned to a popular patriotic song by Frank Loesser, “Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition.” ggg
The experiences of all the Kentucky sailors and soldiers varied from heart-rending accounts of death, heroism and even one Marshall Countian throwing a baseball bat at a swooping Japanese aircraft. Another Kentuckian at first thought the sounds were that of a movie being made. After he saw tracer bullets, he said that he and his fellow servicemen “knew, then, it was war—the real thing.” His helmet fell off as he was running to get his equipment. “I stopped to pick it up. The man just in front of me fell dead, his back riddled with bullets. If I hadn’t stopped to pick up my helmet, I would have been that man, for he was in the spot I would have been [in] had I kept running.” This was the opening battle against tyranny, fascism and militarism. Yet Jim Crow Laws rigidly segregated much of America. The author points out that AfricanAmerican servicemen from Kentucky, though segregated, reacted like other sailors and soldiers. As explained by State Historian James Klotter and Lowell Harrison in A New History of Kentucky, wartime German prisoners of war in Kentucky were sometimes escorted to restaurants by Black
soldiers who would not be permitted inside because of our state’s Jim Crow Laws. Craig has pulled together the history of one of the most momentous days in world history while highlighting these Kentuckians. This is more than a military history. It is a story of tragedy, heroism and ultimate victory, not just the defeat of another nation, but a victory of the human spirit. I urge you to read this book. It is military history in the most humanist format. It is the story of individuals caught in terrible circumstances and surviving to make the world a better place. The sunken battleship Arizona became a national shrine. When you take a trip by tourist boat to the site, the crowd about soon grows quiet because you are approaching the grave of hundreds of American sailors. You notice oil still seeping from the massive battleship. It is a moving experience and an honor to toss a lei of flowers onto the water. Berry Craig and his wife, Melinda, like thousands of other Americans and tourists from other nations, have the same reaction. “We were unashamedly moved to tears,” Craig wrote, as I was when I visited in 2002. ggg
Will there be other days such as Dec. 7, 1941 and 9/11? Quite probably. The COVID-19 pandemic was, in effect, a “surprise” attack, initially mishandled by federal officials and health authorities, the result of which was that, on many days, more Americans died from the virus than at Pearl Harbor on that fateful day or on 9/11. By Jan. 1, 2021, more American veterans had died from COVID-19 related illnesses than from combat in Iraq and Afghanistan to that date. World War II and the attacks on 9/11 united Democrats, Republicans and others in an effort to pull through those terrible ordeals. I submitted this article in early January as 350,000 Americans had died from COVID-19. As of press time for this magazine, that number had increased to more than 526,000. Are we united in the struggle against the pandemic?
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field notes by Gary Garth
A Family’s Best Friend
O
ur Golden Retriever, Piper, died a couple of months ago. She was two weeks shy of 11, senior citizen age for most dogs and elderly for her size (100-ish pounds) and breed. She wasn’t a hunter, and after she displayed an early disdain for thunder, fireworks and the report from a Remington 870 16-gauge, I surrendered any hope of turning her into a waterfowl or upland field companion. She quickly settled into the role of family pet, wholly devoted and shamelessly spoiled. When Piper arrived, at 10 weeks old and with feet already the size of oranges, our twin daughters had just turned 19 and were launching their Piper with one of her favorite humans. college careers. My wife, Katy, and I became primary tenders of the pup, supervising the rigors of house breaking and surviving the challenges of furniture chewing, sock eating and other annoyances of puppyhood adolescence. Piper was our first Golden, and at times, she could be unrestrained, even when subjected to strict disciplinary actions. She tried my patience. I sought advice from my friend Soc Clay, the master of outdoor photography from South Shore (Greenup County) who has reared four Goldens and has deep experience with, and unabating love and admiration for, the breed. “She’ll start to calm down in a couple of years,” he said with a laugh. It proved to be an optimistic prediction. Our daughter Rebecca lived at home during her undergraduate college work, and she and the dog quickly became inseparable, equally devoted, and remained so. But the dog-daughter bond between our daughter Sarah and Piper proved just as strong and lasting. Early last year, Sarah suffered a fractured ankle and spent nearly 12 60 K E NT U C K Y M O NTHLY APRI L 2 0 2 1
weeks at home during her convalescence, the most amount of time she had continually spent under our roof in a decade. Piper, then approaching double-digit age, her muzzle graying and joints beginning to stiffen from arthritis, slept at Sarah’s bedside, her devotion to her injured human almost cult-like, if that term can be applied to a dog. As the years passed, Katy perhaps developed the tightest bond with Piper. Piper was a constant presence in the kitchen—under the dining table, in the garden. Always near, always close. She developed a cough for which our veterinarian could find no specific cause. We were advised to watch her, which we did. Months passed with little or no apparent change. She regularly bounded to her feet when the door opened, tail thumping, ready for attention. Always a robust eater, she suddenly began displaying scant interest in food. Alarmed, we contacted our vet. The diagnosis was swift. Pancreatitis. Meds were prescribed, along with a special diet. Dr. Sally, typically a beacon of optimism, seemed troubled. He had cared for this dog since she was a puppy. The first time he saw her, he cupped one of her paws, which seemed clownishly huge, with his own meaty hand and predicted: “She’s going to be a big girl.” She proved his prediction accurate. We now stood in the same treatment room as we had a decade before, each of us—dog, dog owner and dog doctor—grayer, heavier, stiffer and slower, as I asked the impossible: for my veterinarian to look into his crystal ball and not tell me what I knew was coming. “It can be serious,” he began, “especially in older dogs.”
We took Piper home. She drank when prompted. The food was ignored. She had always been a difficult dog to pill; my wife and I got the meds down her with effort. Always playful, her energy level waned. Rebecca visited daily. The reunions remained joyous, if subdued. After a week of Piper refusing food, we returned to the vet, who, as always, was greeted with a tail wag. The examination was brief. Options were narrowing. We returned home. Then, inexplicably, Piper rallied. She took some food. Drank heartily. We went for brief walks, played in the backyard. Sarah visited for the weekend. The reunion was, as always, joyous. Our son-in-law Thomas visited. Another joyous reunion. Sarah packed to return to her home and, weeping softly, asked the impossible of me, as I had our vet. “We’re just going to take it a day at a time,” I replied. That night, our dog lying at the foot of our bed, my wife and I listened to her breathing, sometimes deep and regular, more often shallow and rapid. She had trouble lying still. “What should we do?” Katy asked. “We can’t let her suffer.” A couple of days later, we returned to the vet’s office. The last trip to the vet is caring, compassionate and heartbreaking. There is no way around it. We had phoned Sarah, as she had requested. Rebecca sat in the floor with her dog, Katy and I nearby. Dr. Sally walked in, greeted, as always, with a tail wag. He spoke to Piper and gave her a mild sedative, then shaved a soap bar-sized spot on her foreleg and left the room. Her breathing steadied. There were tears. We petted this animal, who had become part of our family in ways none of us could have imagined, and spoke to her. Rebecca, sobbing softly, kissed her head. Dr. Sally returned and injected the drugs, which quietly and quickly stopped her heart. “It’s the hardest best thing to do,” my friend Dave Mull shared in a social media condolence. I’m not sure exactly what dogs are. But they’re not just dogs.
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gardening by Walt Reichert
Tame Those Tomatoes
T
omatoes are by far the most popular vegetable grown in home gardens. Surveys show that nearly 90 percent of gardeners who grow vegetables have at least one tomato plant. It seems the popularity of tomatoes has much more to do with the quality of home-grown vs. store-bought than it does with ease of growing. When I worked in Extension, one of the most common complaints was, “I haven’t grown a good tomato in two years.” Or, “I put out 50 tomato plants and got maybe four tomatoes. What am I doing wrong?” Sometimes, the gardener isn’t doing anything wrong. In some summers, the weather is just against you. Tomatoes resent long spells of cool, wet weather, for example. Rain and cloudy days not only contribute to the spread of disease, they also inhibit pollination and ripening, and mess with flavor. But if you can control the weather, you need to be writing this column. Let’s look at what you can do to control the most common of tomato troubles.
CULTURE Tomatoes are of tropical origin, and they’re going to hate you if you stick their roots in cold, wet soil. Waiting for the soil to warm sufficiently before you plant solves a whole host of problems. In Kentucky, the traditional day to plant is Derby Day, but in some years with cool, wet springs, that is too soon. In far southwestern Kentucky, it might be safe to plant a week or so earlier. Just because tomatoes arrive in garden centers in early April doesn’t mean you need to plant them then. Tomatoes that are too cold often will show a purplish tint to the leaves. Putting black or clear plastic around the plants will warm the soil more quickly. Second is soil. Many gardeners plant tomatoes in the same place every year. That is a sure-fire way to invite diseases. Many tomato diseases are soil-borne and can
persist from one year to the next. Moving your tomatoes around the garden discourages disease buildup. Because peppers, eggplant and potatoes are related, don’t plant tomatoes where those crops grew the previous year. Keeping tomatoes out of the same vicinity for at least two years is a good plan. Now let’s solve the most common tomato troubles. Insects – Insects rarely decimate a tomato patch, but they can certainly cut into production: Cutworms – These pests chop off new transplants at ground level. Foil them by putting a ring of cardboard, such as a toilet paper tube, around the plant. Flea beetles – These chew on foliage, especially of young plants. Dusting the plants with pyrethrum is safe and effective. Hornworms – Later in the summer, hornworms will appear. They chew on foliage and sometimes eat small tomatoes. They’re large and green and scary, but they can’t hurt you. Search for them where you see leaves stripped from the stems. Pick them off unless they are covered with little white eggs. Those are the larvae of a wasp that will eat them from the inside out, and you want to encourage those wasps. Diseases – Tomatoes are prone to a wide variety of diseases. Modern plant breeders have developed varieties that ward off some of the most common diseases of the past, including fusarium, verticillium and tobacco mosaic. But many diseases persist. Ask your county Extension agent for advice on the best varieties for your area. (Note that, while heirloom tomatoes are all the rage, mostly because of their flavor or their striking colors, they typically are more disease-prone than modern hybrids.) Some diseases you will have to battle: Early blight – Probably the most common disease of tomatoes in Kentucky. Bottom leaves develop
Readers may contact Walt Reichert at editor@kentuckymonthly.com
62 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY APRI L 2 0 2 1
bullseye-shaped lesions, turn yellow, and fall off. The plant appears to die from the bottom up. The best defenses are rotation, stripping off the leaves closest to the soil where the disease starts, mulching to reduce mud splashing on the leaves, and spraying with a copper product when transplants are first put out. Septoria – Likely the second-most common disease, it appears as small, reddish spots on the leaves, which eventually consume the entire leaf. The plant will appear to die from the bottom up, similar to early blight. What controls early blight also will control Septoria. Cultural problems, such as blossom end rot and splitting and cracking, can be among the most frustrating of tomato troubles. Blossom end rot – This is annoying because it attacks the first tomatoes, the ones you’ve been awaiting for nine months. It appears as a sunken, dark, rubbery spot on the blossom end of the tomato. It is a result of the plant not being able to get enough calcium, usually because the soil was too cold when the fruit developed. The trick to avoiding blossom end rot is to not plant too soon. Usually, blossom end rot will go away as the summer warms. A bazillion products sit on the shelves offering to cure blossom end rot. They are worthless. Splitting and cracking – Tomatoes split and develop “catfacing” because of uneven moisture. Dry spells followed by heavy rains almost invariably produce split and cracked tomatoes. And many varieties are just prone to splitting and cracking, especially the large beefsteak types and some of the heirlooms with thin skins. Mulching helps even out the moisture supply to the plant. In long dry spells, watering deeply once a week is a good plan. Water at the base of the plant, if possible, because wetting the foliage encourages disease. If you use an overhead sprinkler, shut off the water at least two hours before nightfall so the plants can dry.
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k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 63
vested interest
York Gets His Due
M
ore than 215 years after the fact, York is making news from coast to coast—literally. In February, a large bust of York appeared overnight in Mount Tabor Park in Portland, Oregon, drawing the attention of national media, ranging from The New York Times to FOX News. “This is what we’re calling guerrilla public art,” said Adena Long, director of Portland’s parks bureau. The appearance of the statue was a total surprise. “It was a pleasant surprise. He’s a figure that, in my mind, we need to do a better job of proactively and thoughtfully celebrating. “We’re hopeful the artists will make themselves known so we can have a conversation, but it will stay.” York is no stranger to Kentuckians. A statue of him by Louisville sculptor Ed Hamilton has been keeping watch over Louisville’s riverfront for two decades. It commemorates York’s role in Lewis and Clark’s Expedition to the Pacific in 1803-04, as he earned the nickname “Big Medicine” from Native Americans who had never before seen a Black man. A slave of William Clark, York was treated as an equal on the 8,000-mile adventure from St. Louis to the Pacific Northwest and back again. Kentucky actor and author Hasan Davis first brought York back to the attention of Kentuckians with his Kentucky Humanities Chautauqua program during the bicentennial commemoration of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, which included Sacagawea and a dozen others. Davis’ book, The Journey of York: Unsung Hero of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, was released in 2019. Kentucky Poet Laureate Frank X Walker has written two books of poetry about York—Buffalo Dance: The Journey of York (2004) and When Winter Come: The Ascension of York (2008). The mystery statue is not STEPHEN M. VEST Portland’s first. Another statue of Publisher + Editor-in-Chief York was dedicated on the campus of Lewis and Clark College in 2010. Instead of focusing on his face (since no images of York are known to exist), it features fragments of Clark’s maps scarred on the statue’s back. ggg In our travels far and near, Kay and I are always looking for Kentucky, but on a recent trip to Maine, the
closest we came was Frankfort, which is a short distance north of Prospect. That’s about it. Both cities were established in the 1780s. Ours was founded as “Frank’s Ford” on the Kentucky River in 1786 by James Wilkinson, a senior officer in the American Revolution who went on the be the first governor of Louisiana. Maine’s Frankfort was established three years later and is considered the oldest town on the Penobscot River. Its biggest claim to fame is Dr. H. Richard Hornberger, whose writings inspired the film and television series M*A*S*H. Loyal viewers will remember that the character of Hawkeye Pierce comes from Crabapple Cove, Maine, and Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan is married to Lt. Col. Donald Penobscot, whose name is inspired by Maine’s second-longest river. Trapper John, another key M*A*S*H character, draws his nickname from an incident aboard the Boston & Maine Railway, which crosses the Penobscot in Bangor, earning mention in the Roger Miller hit song “King of the Road.”
Kwiz Answers: 1. A. “Uncle Milty” Metz, an inductee into the University of Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame, was a regular on WHAS television and radio from 1946-2014; 2. B. Adam-12 was created by Jack Webb, who starred in Dragnet; 3. C. Caverna lives on in the name of the small public high school, which is the alma mater of two Major League Baseball players; 4. Doyle went 8-for-30 (.267) in the series but scattered his eight hits over the seven games, with one double and a triple. Only Pete Rose, with 10, had more hits than Doyle, but Rose went hitless in Game 1; 5. B. 77; 6. B. Licking; 7. C. Playfair sent the proper message; 8. A. The little eastern bird. While the Little Colonel Playhouse is in Pewee Valley, it’s named for the Annie Fellows Johnson character made famous by Shirley Temple in the 1935 film by the same name; 9. C. Robards was named in honor of J.D. Robards, owner of the town’s first general store; 10. B. Harper, a former journalist, has penned books such as Nice Girls Don’t Have Fangs and Nice Girls Don’t Bite Their Neighbors. 64 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY APRI L 2021
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