DECEMBER 2021 JANUARY 2022
with Kentucky Explorer
C h r i st m a s
at Wakefield-Scearce Galleries
and more: KENNY'S FARMHOUSE CHEESE, PLEASE A MEMORABLE GIFT FROM A KENTUCKY LEGEND HORROR FOR THE HOLIDAYS KENTUCKY FRONTIERSMAN SIMON KENTON, PART 2 OF A 3-PART SERIES
Where can you lose yourself and find your soul?
PRINCESS FALLS
Welcome to The Kentucky Wildlands, a vast unspoiled region filled with jaw-dropping natural wonders, one-of-a-kind outdoor recreational adventures and cultural experiences unlike anywhere you’ve ever seen. Visit exploreKYwildlands.com for your guide to new adventure and fun.
O N T H E C OV E R Christmas at Wakefield-Scearce Galleries. Photo by Rebecca Redding.
in this issue
14
D E C E M B E R / JA N UA RY D E PA R T M E N T S 2 Kentucky Kwiz 3 Readers Write 4 Mag on the Move 9 Across Kentucky 10 Cooking 45 Kentucky Explorer 56 Off the Shelf 58 Past Tense/ Present Tense 60 Field Notes 62 Calendar 64 Guested Interest
14 A WakefieldScearce Christmas Longtime Shelbyville antiques gallery celebrates the season with impeccable style 24 Cheese Makes Us Smile A Kentucky farm family turned to technology and tourism to overcome tough times in the dairy industry
10
36 Heavyweight Gift Louisville’s most famous citizen delighted a 6-year-old boy—and then delighted him again decades later 40 Silent Fright Owensboro filmmakers have released a new holiday movie, and … let’s just say it’s not your Hallmark Christmas flick
30 Wilderness Odyssey: The Saga of Simon Kenton The frontiersman finds the legendary Canelands, but trouble finds him in part two of a three-part series 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 Guested Interest.
1. In its original interpretation, a “Kentucky Colonel” was: A. An older gentleman with an honored reputation B. A former officer in the American Revolution
6. The Kentucky State Penitentiary at Eddyville is known by what moniker? A. “Baby Alcatraz” B. “The Castle on the Cumberland” C. “Shawshank West”
C.The son of a general 2. Appointed by Virginia Gov. Patrick Henry of “give me liberty or give me death” fame, the first “official” Kentucky Colonel was: A. Daniel Boone B. John Bowman C. Simon Kenton 3. Following the American Revolution, a military colonel was entitled to at least how many acres in Kentucky? A. 1,000 B. 2,000 C. 6,667 4. Col. John Bowman’s grandnephew, John Bryan Bowman, established which well-known Kentucky institution? A. The Kentucky Colonels of the American Basketball Association B. Wigwam Village in Horse Cave and Cave City C. The University of Kentucky 5. Clarence Glover of Caverna High School played in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four and was drafted No. 1 in the 1971 NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics but is best known for what? A. Being a member of the first allBlack starting lineup for a Kentucky school other than a historically Black college or university (HBCU) B. Dribbling and shooting with both hands C. Having a triple-double (18 points, 18 rebounds and 18 assists) against the University of Kentucky Wildcats in the NCAA Tournament.
7. “Jumping Joe” Fulks’ No. 26 hangs in the rafters at Murray State University, which he left two years early because: A. He’d been drafted by the Providence Steam Rollers B. To stop his hometown of Birmingham, Kentucky, from being submerged under Kentucky Lake C. To serve in the United States Marines during World War II 8. Marshall County native Chrishell Stause, 40, is best known as a real estate broker on the Netfix reality show Selling Sunset, but she appeared on which two soap operas? A. Days of Our Lives and The Young and The Restless B. Guiding Light and Search for Tomorrow C. The Secret Storm and All My Children
Celebrating the best of our Commonwealth
© 2021, Vested Interest Publications Volume Twenty-Four, Issue 10, December 2021/January 2022 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, Kim Kobersmith, Walt Reichert, Joel Sams, Tracey Teo and Gary P. West
Business and Circulation Barbara Kay Vest Business Manager Jocelyn Roper Circulation Specialist
Advertising Lindsey Collins Senior Account Executive and Coordinator Kelley Burchell Account Executive Teresa Revlett Account Executive For advertising information, call 888.329.0053 or 502.227.0053
KENTUCKY MONTHLY (ISSN 1542-0507) is published 10
9. Football Broadcaster Cris Collinsworth’s father, Abe, was a member of which legendary University of Kentucky basketball team? A. “Rupp’s Runts” B. “The Fiddlin’ Five” C. “The Super Kittens”
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, Thomas L. Hall, Judy M. Harris, Greg and
10. Bardstown’s Marie Mattingly Meloney was “one of the leading women journalists of the United States” for her career, which began at 16 with which publication? A. The Washington Post B. The Saturday Evening Post C. The Kentucky Magazine
2 KE NT U C K Y M O NT H LY D ECEMBER 2 0 2 1 / J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 2
Carrie Hawkins, Jan and John Higginbotham, Frank Martin, Bill Noel, Michelle Jenson McDonnell, Walter B. Norris, Kasia Pater, Dr. Mary Jo Ratliff, Barry A. Royalty, Randy and Rebecca Sandell, 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 Education Is Key I absolutely loved Bill Ellis’ October column (page 74). The point is clearly made that if we don’t discuss true history, we do a disservice to an undereducated populace who are doomed to repeat bad history. It is about education! It is about problem solving; it is about critical thinking; and it is about good civic understanding. Aaron Thompson, Lexington • • •
I sure enjoy Bill Ellis’ writings and comments. I worked in education for 47 years and coached at Louisville’s Male High School in 1956, the first year of integration in Kentucky. I could tell you about some exciting times during that era. I’m a fourth-generation veteran. My greatgrandfather was a captain on the Union side of the
Civil War. My father was a first sergeant in the cavalry in France during World War I. My brother and four brothers-in-law served in World War II, and I was a battery commander in Korea in 1953-54. My great-grandfather, Capt. Bill Strong, was a legendary figure in Breathitt County lore. Mr. Charles Hayes wrote many articles about him in Kentucky Explorer. I’m 91 years old and am able to live independently. My 11-year-old miniature Dachshund, Samson, walks me about four times a day. My wife of 64½ years passed five years ago. We had a blissful and exciting life together. Guy Strong, Winchester
How Many Days? I am not an authority on the subject, but I believe that Stephen Vest, assuming he celebrated his 60th birthday, may be more than 21,900 days old (“Days in a Life,” October issue,
page 80). I wonder if he took into account that years include 365.25 days (almost, but not exactly) to account for leap years. It appears that Stephen multiplied 60 by 365 to come up with 21,900. I am not sure exactly how to calculate leap years, but they are not necessarily every four years. There’s something about not being a leap year if the date is divisible by 100 but not 400—or some such rule. One of your readers who is a mathematician could figure it easily, but my rough estimate is that Stephen turned 21,915 days old on his 60th birthday.
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.
Larry Dean, Louisville
Drink Local
Correction
This handy guide to sipping in the
The article about Wigwam Village in the October 2021 issue (page 56) incorrectly stated the date that Mammoth Cave became it national park. It achieved that status on July 1, 1941.
Bluegrass State spotlights local breweries, wineries and, of course, distilleries. Discover unique ways to drink in Kentucky, creative cocktail recipes and more.
Eric Elder, Park City
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.
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
Even when you’re far away, you can take the spirit of your Kentucky home with you. And when you do, we want to see it!
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.
Charley and Kim Sither SOUTH KOREA (left) The Lexington couple enjoyed a three-week tour of South Korea.
Derby City Duos HAWAII (below) Russell and Michele Davis and Kit and Denise Sullivan, all from Louisville, are pictured in Lahaina, Maui, on a stop while traveling on a cruise.
4 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY D ECEMBER 2 0 2 1 / J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 2
k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 5
Kentucky Favorites!
Magoffin Co. Authors Howard and Lykins create legacies for posterity with their written words about small town, rural KY.
travel
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or 859.520.3757 Order today! or www.reformationpublishers.com
Villa Hills Gang Visits Texas Hill Country TEXAS Joining Jackie and Denny Hirt for their 45th wedding anniversary were Sue and Dave Hill, Debbie and Tim Holt, Shelly and Chris Maxwell, and Karen and Jim Wigger. That’s Jackie holding the magazine. All hail from northern Kentucky.
Holiday Sale! ONLY AT KENTUCKYPRESS.COM UNTIL JANUARY 31, 2022! 50-75% OFF SELECT TITLES 20% OFF + FREE SHIPPING* WITH CODE FROSTY (*Refer to our website for details)
Fall Break Fun GATLINBURG, TENNESSEE The Laake family from Bellevue—Brian, Russ and Stephanie—celebrated Fall Break with a trip to Gatlinburg. and, of course, took Kentucky Monthly, their favorite magazine. Even the bears were happy to see it! @KENTUCKYPRESS
6 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY D ECEMBER 2 0 2 1 / J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 2
Experience the Unexpected
W
hen you visit Stanford, Kentucky, you expect a small-town atmosphere, but you might not expect world-class amenities such as an upscale dining experience or a farm-to-table meal at the Bluebird. You would be surprised to stay in a historic guest house from the 1900s at the Stanford Inn or spend the day relaxing at Esther’s Wellhouse, a boutique spa. You don’t expect to shop for gifts made by artists from around the state, or to find natural, sustainably made bath products at Kentucky Soaps & Such. Yet our town offers all of this and more. Come visit us in Stanford and experience the unexpected.
STANFORD, KY · HOSPITALITY SINCE 1775
wildernessroad.com
kentucky monthly’s annual writers’ showcase
PENNED
attention, writers... We are seeking submissions for the literary section in our February 2022 issue. Entries will be accepted in the following categories: Poetry, Fiction and Creative Nonfiction.
Submission Deadline DECEMBER 10
SUBMIT AT KENTUCKYMONTHLY.COM
k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 7
travel
Simmie Morris UTAH (left) Morris, who lives in Manchester, visited Kolob Canyons in Zion National Park. Collectors may notice he is holding a limited-edition Donovan Blackburn cover, which was available only in eastern Kentucky.
The Shulers EUROPE (right) The Albany couple visited Europe in September 2019, spending several days in Normandy, Paris, Munich and Rome. June Shuler is pictured with Luca and Via of Rosy Ristorante in Rome. Dave Shuler snapped the photo.
KENTUCKY GATEWAY MUSEUM CENTER 215 Sutton Street Maysville, Kentucky 41056 606-564-5865 www.kygmc.org Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 10am-4pm The Old Pogue Experience located in the limestone building on the corner of sutton & west 2nd Streets kygmc campus
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K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY D ECEMBER 2 0 2 1 / J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 2
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GALLERY PERSON
MEMBERS
2 Mac King (1959), Hopkinsvilleborn magician with a residence at Harrah’s Las Vegas 3 Katie George (1974), Miss Kentucky USA 2015 from Louisville, who now works as a sideline reporter for national sporting events 7 Martha Layne Collins (1936), governor of Kentucky from 1983-87 7 Jennifer Leann Carpenter (1979), Louisville-born actress best known for Dexter (2006-13) 11 Don Dampier (1936), Carlisle-born author 18 Josh Dallas (1978), Louisvilleborn actor known as Prince Charming in Once Upon a Time and Ben Stone in Manifest 22 Diane Sawyer (1945), Glasgow-born journalist and television show host 25 Gary Sandy (1945), Cynthiana actor best known as Travis on WKRP in Cincinnati 28 John Y. Brown Jr. (1933), governor of Kentucky from 1979-83 30 Trish Suhr (1974), Middlesboroborn comedian best known as the “Yard Sale Diva” on more than 300 episodes of Style Network’s Clean House 30 Chris Mack (1969), University of Louisville basketball coach JANUARY BIRTHDAYS 2 Bryson Tiller (1993), singer/rapper from Louisville, whose 2017 album True to Self debuted at No. 1 on Billboard 4 Patty Loveless (1957), member of the Grand Ole Opry from Elkhorn City 7 Rand Paul (1963), United States Senator from Bowling Green 8 Crystal Gayle (1951), Grammy Award-winning singer from Paintsville 11 Naomi Judd (1946), Ashlandborn country music star, mother of Wynonna and Ashley Judd 14 Emayatzy Corinealdi (1980), Fort Knox-born actress best known for 2012’s Middle of Nowhere 16 John Carpenter (1948), Bowling Green film producer and director 20 John Michael Montgomery (1965), country music singer from Nicholasville 25 Angie Gregory (1975), Paducah-born actress/writer
across kentucky
Tree Initiative In 2020, Bulleit Frontier Whiskey partnered with American Forests, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting and restoring healthy forest ecosystems. The goal of the partnership is to plant one million trees over the next five years. As part of that mission, on a windy November day, Bulleit and American Forests joined with local volunteers to plant around 30 trees in downtown Louisville on East Witherspoon Drive, across the street from Slugger Field. “American Forests worked with our local planting partner, Tree Louisville, to select an area that is low in tree canopy, with a goal of making it more even across the city,” said Sarah Schmid, senior manager of corporate giving for American Forests. “Our goal is to bring tree equity to Louisville.” According to Schmid, planting trees produces a multitude of benefits such as reducing carbon dioxide levels, improving air quality, preserving soil, and supporting wildlife. “Downtown Louisville has a goal of 40 percent canopy coverage, and right now, we are at nine percent,” said Bobby Burk, Bulleit national brand ambassador. “Hopefully, this is just phase one, and we can do it multiple times.” Photo courtesy of Bulleit Frontier Whiskey
DECEMBER BIRTHDAYS
New University President Named Dr. Joseph “Joe” Hopkins, dean of the School of Arts at Samford University, has been named the 12th president in the 115 years of Campbellsville University effective Feb. 1. Following a national search, Hopkins was recommended to the Board of Trustees by the Presidential Search Committee chaired by Dr. Larry Noe, who has served on the board since 1994 and as chair from 1999 to 2001. “Dr. Hopkins is a vibrant educator who brings a wealth of experience and energy to the presidency,” Noe said. “He understands the mission of Christian higher education and will lead Campbellsville University to a new level of service.” Hopkins has enjoyed a distinguished career as a scholar-performer and leader in arts administration, including appointments by international festivals and the Fulbright Program. k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 9
cooking
In with the new...
Pomegranate Champagne Tiramisu Courtesy of Chef Jackie Joseph, JJBakes & Co., Louisville P H OTO S C O U R T E S Y O F J J BA K E S & C O.
SERVES 6 1 cup pomegranate juice 1 cup champagne 3 tablespoons orange liqueur 8 ounces mascarpone cheese 2 cups heavy whipping cream ½ cup powdered sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 30-35 ladyfinger cookies (store bought) Orange zest and pomegranate seeds (optional) 1. In a shallow bowl, combine pomegranate juice, champagne and orange liqueur. Set aside. 2. In a large bowl, lightly stir the mascarpone cheese to loosen the consistency a bit. 3. Pour the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whip on medium speed until medium peaks form. Lightly fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone until fully incorporated. 4. Cut each ladyfinger in half. Scoop or pipe a small amount of the mascarpone mixture into the bottom of each of six rocks glasses. New Year’s Eve marks the end of the traditional holiday season. We asked chefs across the Commonwealth to provide a menu to celebrate the coming of the new year with a sumptuous dinner, and they graciously obliged by offering recipes for Pickled Beets as a tangy appetizer; a hearty and satisfying entrée of Beef Tenderloin with New Riff Bourbon Butter Mushroom Sauce; Braised Greens and Cornbread, which are thought to bring good luck; and Pomegranate Champagne Tiramisu for a fabulous finish. Of course, our contributors didn’t forget the libations, providing recipes for these creative cocktails: the Night Owl Espresso Martini and The Pink Lady. Enjoy!
10 K E NT U C K Y M O NTHLY D ECEMBER 2 0 2 1 / J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 2
5. Dip the halved ladyfingers into the pomegranate and champagne mixture. Layer the cookie on top of the mascarpone until there is a complete layer of dipped ladyfingers. 6. Continue the process of layering the mascarpone and ladyfingers until the glasses are full. Top each portion with orange zest and pomegranate seeds.
Pickled Beets
ring in the new year
Courtesy of Chef Sara Bradley, Freight House, Paducah P H OTO C O U R T E S Y O F T H E FREIGHT HOUSE
SERVES 5 Symbolic for the Jewish New Year, beets can be served during Rosh Hashanah with the hope that enemies and negativity leave before the new year begins. While Rosh Hashanah doesn’t fall on Dec. 31, Chef Bradley’s pickled beets are an ideal complement to any meal or celebration. 5 whole beets 5-6 whole garlic cloves 1 whole lemon 1 whole orange 3-4 stems flowering thyme ¼ cup olive oil ½ cup red wine vinegar 1 cup water Salt 1. Slice the tops and bottoms off the beets and arrange them in a shallow pan. Add whole garlic cloves to the pan. 2. Slice the lemon and the orange in
half, then squeeze the juice over the beets. Add lemon and orange halves to the pan. 3. Pull thyme from stems and sprinkle it over beets. Add the stems to the pan. Season generously with salt. 4. Coat the beets with olive oil and red wine vinegar and add water. The liquid should be about one-third of the way up the pan. 5. Double wrap the pan with aluminum foil, covering tightly. Place the pan in the oven at 350 degrees. Cook for 6090 minutes or until tender. Use a cake tester or an opened paper clip to test the tenderness of the beets. 6. Once the beets are cooked, peel off the skin. Use gloves or an old towel to keep from dyeing your hands pink. 7. Strain the juice from the pan into a dish deep enough to cover the beets, catching all the leftover thyme and lemon seeds from the pan—use only the liquid. Taste to see if more seasoning is needed. 8. Slice the beets to desired size, then add to the liquid, making sure they are all submerged. Let cool, then cover and refrigerate. They will last for several weeks. 9. Serve with whipped feta, blackberries and tarragon.
Night Owl Espresso Martini Courtesy of Kentucky Owl Bourbon, Bardstown P H OTO C O U R T E S Y O F K E N T U C K Y O W L BOURBON
SERVES 1 A perfect pick-me-up for those who have trouble staying awake until the ball drops. 1½ ounces The Wiseman Bourbon 1 ounce espresso ¾ ounce coffee liqueur 2 dashes chocolate bitters Espresso beans, for garnish Combine all ingredients except the espresso beans in a shaker with ice. Shake well and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with espresso beans.
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cooking fragrant and beginning to turn translucent. 2. Add 1 cup of chicken stock and all remaining ingredients and simmer, covered, for 2 hours. 3. Stir and check liquid level regularly. If greens begin to dry out, add more chicken stock.
In the South, eating greens and cornbread for a New Year’s celebration is believed to ensure prosperity in the year ahead. Collard, mustard and turnip greens are used in this recipe, but any in-season greens can represent the green money hoped for in the new year. While the greens represent paper money, the golden color of cornbread is symbolic of gold or coins. Plus, the two pair perfectly!
4. Season with salt and a generous amount of freshly cracked pepper. Serve with cornbread.
Barn8’s Braised Greens Recipes courtesy Executive Chef Alison Settle, Barn8 Farm Restaurant & Bourbon Bar, Goshen P H OTO S C O U R T E S Y O F BA R N 8 FA R M R E S TAU R A N T & B O U R B O N BA R
SERVES 6 2 bunches collard greens 2 bunches mustard greens 2 bunches turnip greens ½ cup diced Broadbent bacon or other thick-cut bacon
Chef Settle’s Cornbread SERVES 4-6 3½ cups cornmeal 2½ teaspoons salt ½ tablespoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 3 large eggs
The Pink Lady
1 yellow onion, diced
3¾ cups buttermilk
Courtesy of Adam Mason, general manager of LouVino, Louisville
6 cloves garlic, minced
10 tablespoons butter, melted
P H OTO C O U R T E S Y O F LO U V I N O
2 cups chicken stock
6 pats butter
SERVES 1
1 smoked ham hock
1. Place 8 individual 6-inch cast iron pans in oven and preheat oven to 425 degrees.
The Pink Lady combines subtle fruit flavors, vibrant color and celebratory bubbles for a festive cocktail.
5 ounces apple cider vinegar 5 ounces red wine vinegar 3 ounces brown sugar 3 ounces Kentucky sorghum 1 splash Crystal Hot Sauce or other Louisiana-style hot sauce 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes 1 splash soy sauce Salt and pepper to taste
2. Combine all ingredients, except the butter, using a mixer with the paddle attachment. After ingredients are incorporated, slowly stream in the butter. Mix thoroughly until combined. 3. Add a pat of butter to each pan, then add 8 ounces of batter to each. Bake for 10 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. If opting to cook one large serving, a longer cooking time will be necessary.
1. Wash and stem greens thoroughly. Crisp the bacon in a pan over medium heat. Once fat has rendered, add onions and garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes, until 12 K E NT U C K Y M O NTHLY D ECEMBER 2 0 2 1 / J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 2
1 ounce gin ½ ounce lemon juice ½ ounce ginger syrup Small scoop of whole berry raspberry powder Prosecco Combine gin, lemon juice, ginger syrup and raspberry powder in a shaker with ice. Shake well and strain into a champagne coupe or flute. Top with prosecco.
TIP: Bring the meat to room temperature before cooking. Start in a very hot oven and immediately reduce the heat. There will be carryover cooking, so take it out before it’s reached the desired doneness. Always let it rest before carving. This allows the juices to settle back into the meat.
Beef Tenderloin with New Riff Bourbon Butter Mushroom Sauce Recipes courtesy of Amy Tobin, New Riff Distilling, Newport P H OTO S C O U R T E S Y O F GAG E DA I L E Y OF NEW RIFF DISTILLING
SERVES 6 One 4-pound beef tenderloin, trimmed Olive oil Salt and pepper 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Rub the tenderloin with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. 2. Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over high heat. Add beef and sear until brown on all sides, about 5 minutes total.
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
3. Transfer beef to a rimmed baking sheet. Rub all over with Dijon mustard. Place in oven and immediately reduce heat to 350 degrees. For perfectly medium-rare tenderloin, roast until a thermometer inserted into center of beef registers 120-125 degrees, about 35 minutes.
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4. Transfer beef to a cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with New Riff Bourbon Butter Mushroom Sauce (recipe follows).
1. Heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, just until butter is melted and mixture is bubbling, about 2 minutes.
Make ahead: Tenderloin can be seared ahead of time. Refrigerate it after searing and, just before roasting, bring it back to room temperature before proceeding as directed.
New Riff Bourbon Butter Mushroom Sauce 3 tablespoons butter 1 tablespoon olive oil 1½ pounds assorted mushrooms, thinly sliced 1 shallot, finely chopped
³ cup New Riff Kentucky Straight
1/
Bourbon Whiskey
1 tablespoon crème fraîche 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
2. Add the mushrooms and cook, without stirring, until the mushrooms are browned on the bottom, about 2 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. 3. Add the shallot, garlic and thyme, lower the heat to medium, and cook until the shallots are tender, about 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the bourbon. Return pan to heat and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, then cook for 2-3 minutes longer. 4. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in crème fraîche. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
2 garlic cloves, minced k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 13
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a Wakefield-Scearce
Christmas Longtime Shelbyville antiques dealer celebrates the season with impeccable style
P H OTO S B Y R E B E C CA R E D D I N G T E X T B Y PAT R I C I A R A N F T
A
visit to Wakefield-Scearce Galleries is a visual treat anytime, especially during the Yuletide season. This time of year, visitors find the numerous rooms that comprise the Shelbyville establishment festively decked out for Christmas. All of the 30 spaces are furnished and decorated as rooms in a home—living rooms, studies and dining rooms. But they are more than stunning spaces over which to “oooh” and “aaah.” “Everything is for sale—the mantel décor, all the wreaths. Everything that I make is for sale,” said Wakefield-Scearce’s Christmas Coordinator and Floral Designer Lisa Curry, who conceives and creates each wreath, swag, garland and centerpiece and decorates the trees. The antique furniture and furnishings—lamps, paintings, china, silver and crystal—are available for sale year-round. Located downtown, the original eight-room structure was built in the late 1700s. In 1825, Julia Tevis established Science Hill School, a girls’ boarding school, in the building. Founder Tevis was intent on giving the girls a wellrounded education that included much more than the etiquette that was so important for young ladies of the time. “She wanted the name of the school to reflect that science and math were in the curriculum,” Curry said of Tevis’ decision to call it Science Hill. The building was expanded over its years as a boarding school to accommodate increased attendance. Science Hill remained a school until the Great Depression forced its closing in 1939. Following business incarnations that included a boarding house, a large portion of the building became Wakefield-Scearce Galleries in 1947, when Mark Wakefield and Mark Scearce opened an establishment specializing in British antiques. Today, it houses one of the largest collections in the United States of antique English furniture, silver and home décor.
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C H A I R S F O R E V E R YO N E The style and seasonal décor of each room has a distinctive theme, including Christmas in Kentucky, Star of Bethlehem, and Christmas Around the World. These festively decked out chairs reflect those themes.
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T R E E S GA L O R E Wakefield-Scearce’s Christmas extravaganza includes 30 decorated trees, each one different from the next.
H A N D C R A F T E D During the summer months, Curry designs and creates wreaths, swags and garlands. Customers can purchase these stunning ready-made items or buy undecorated wreaths and garlands, along with picks and ribbon, to created their own custom designs. k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 19
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T H E P I È C E D E R É S I S TA N C E Curry and her team begin decorating for the Christmas season the last week of September, culminating the first week of November with “The Big Tree,” a majestic 20-footer that commands the main gallery. Assembling and decorating this impressive tree is no small feat. “Each branch has to be lit with its own string of lights and put into the tree,” Curry said. The festive décor remains in place until the second week of January.
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IF YOU G O: Wakefield-Scearce Galleries 525 Washington Street Shelbyville 502.633.4382 wakefieldscearce.com Open 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday
22 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY D ECEMBER 2021/ JANUARY 20 2 2
k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 23
T
he winding country roads of Barren County take drivers past peaceful farmland and charming homes, where residents sit on their porches and wave hello to passing cars. The welcoming feel and scenic pastures project a sense of calm to everyone— even the cattle grazing there. The 100 or so milk cows at Mattingly Farms in Austin have got it pretty good. They live pleasant lives hanging out in a state-of-the-art, wellventilated barn, where they dine on a diet of fermented alfalfa hay whenever they are hungry. Every day, they are turned out to the fields and soak up the sunshine while eating all the grass they want. Then, these pampered girls, most the color of Oreo cookies, are milked whenever they want. These
Mattingly cows call the shots. At this farm, the ages-old habit of milking at sunrise and sunset doesn’t exist. Instead, the cows get milked when they feel it is time. The Mattingly family wasn’t always knee deep, so to speak, in cattle. Kenny Sr. was a salesman by trade, but he had a bit of previous experience in raising calves. In 1976, he took a leap of faith, bought a 200acre farm in Austin, and moved the family from Indianapolis. “The passion for farming was brewing in him since high school,” said 64-year-old Kenny Mattingly Jr. “We just followed his lead.” The original farm had about 40 cows, and Kenny Jr., fresh out of high school, was ready to move to Kentucky for a new adventure. “It was a crash course in milking cows,”
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he said, “but I found out that I liked to work outdoors and with animals. It is very therapeutic.” •
•
•
As the years passed, the farm was producing milk, but—like many other farms—it sometimes struggled. The farming crisis in the 1990s led the Mattingly family to look beyond what they were doing. In 1998, Kenny Jr. visited cheese-making operations in Europe and saw the possibilities of what could be done back in Kentucky. The family also wanted to make the milk produced at the farm better, and to that end, they closed the herd— meaning that all the cows in the herd are born on the farm and grow up there. Then, the Mattinglys began using artificial insemination to ensure genetic quality. Finally, they became more confident and secure about the
B Y D E B O R A H KO H L K R E M E R
Q
Cheese Makes Us Smile A Kentucky farm family turned to technology and tourism to overcome tough times in the dairy industry
IF YOU GO:
Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheese 2033 Thomerson Park Road Austin, Kentucky 270.434.4124 KENNYSCHEESE.COM Open Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. P H OTO S B Y AU S T I N A N T H O N Y
k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 25
s h o p n ow .
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cows’ feed when they began to grow most of it themselves. “Our cows get grass, sunshine and exercise,” Kenny said, “but never any hormones.” This good nutrition and improved care led to longer lives and a larger milk output. Kenny said that the national average lifespan of a cow is 3½ years. The cows at the Mattingly Farm live about 6 years. Not only did the Mattinglys realize the milk was getting better, they also found that really good milk makes really good cheese. In 1998, they made their first cheese, Gouda, and that year made 4,000 pounds. As the cheese grew in popularity, the Mattinglys discovered they needed to increase their milk production. “At that time, the model for growing a dairy farming business was to milk more cows with cheaper labor,” Kenny said. Around 2015, Kenny investigated a relatively new technique of robotic milking to increase milk production. The investment in this technology cost more than $200,000 and seemed to be a long-off dream. At that same time, a storm tore through the area and took out the farm’s barn. One cow was killed, but the Mattinglys realized the damage could have been much worse. With the help of neighbors, they were able to make do, and, as they finalized plans for rebuilding, they invested in robotic milking. •
•
•
Today, Mattingly Farms has two robotic milkers. The process is efficient and straightforward: When the cow feels she needs to be milked, she enters a one-way gated area where she is fed nutrients she wants and needs. While she is eating, a camera from underneath her senses and locates the full teats, which are then washed and the suction cups attached to begin milking. Once the process is completed, the cups come off automatically and are cleaned at the same time the teats are sprayed with disinfectant. The gate near the cow’s head opens, and she leaves the area just as the back gate opens to let in the next girl in line. “The milkers paid for themselves,” Kenny said. “The cow produces up to
k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 27
Owners Kenny and Beverly Mattingly
25 percent more milk, and labor costs went way down.” Another advantage to robotic milking is that the milker runs around the clock. Studies indicate that, when cows are able to decide when to be milked, their stress levels go down, thus enabling them to produce more milk. THE CHEESE
The Mattinglys now produce around 100,000 pounds of cheese per year. They make about 27 varieties, with white cheddar being the most popular. Beverly Mattingly, Kenny’s wife of 30 years and co-owner of the business, credits the success of the cheesemaking operation to so many restaurants across the country buying it in large blocks. “A lot of restaurants mention that they serve Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheese right on their menu,” she said. “Of course, we love that.”
In addition to common, but equally delicious, varieties like Colby and Monterey Jack, the farm makes eight signature cheeses. These are named for family members and include Kenny’s favorite, the St. Jerome—named for Kenny Jerome Mattingly Sr., who passed away in 2009. The Kentucky Rose honors Kenny’s mother, Rose. A cheese called Norwood pays tribute to a longtime employee, Dick Norwood, who worked as an administrator in the early days of the business. “Back then, Kenny was making all the cheese himself and was the only one who knew how to make each one,” Beverly said. “Dick got all the recipes out of Kenny’s head and onto paper, so others could make it, too.” The cheese is sold across the country through distributors as well as through Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheese online and the store on the farm property. A FARM VISIT
Agritourism and the increase in consumers’ interest in where their food comes from have prompted people from all over the world to visit the farm. The Mattinglys responded by making the entire farm welcoming as
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well as educational. In the back of the cheese shop, visitors can watch the art of cheesemaking through windows. The raw milk is brought in through a pipe from a holding tank in the barn just a few yards away. Across the hall from the kitchen are more windows through which visitors view the cheese being cut and prepared for waxing, aging or shipping. Outside, precious calves with wide eyes and long lashes spend their first few weeks on a pasture dotted with small white plastic igloo-like structures. Although these huts are fenced off for the babies’ protection, visitors can peek inside and say hello. An enormous open-air barn next door has windows alongside the robotic milkers, so visitors can watch the milking process from start to finish. An enclosed balcony on the second floor offers a view of the cows relaxing in the barn. The length of the open-air barn is open for visitors to watch the girls socialize, chew their cud, swish away flies with their tails, eat their dinner, and line up for their turn to be milked. For visitors who really want a taste of farm living, the Mattinglys offer two apartments on the second floor of the barn for overnight stays. Available through Airbnb, the lodging includes up-close visits with the cows as well as a refrigerator stocked with samples of the cheeses made at the farm. Q
SMALL DOLLARS, BIG IMPACT 45% of grantees demonstrate the grant helped them leverage additional funds and support from public and private organizations.
design efforts catalyzed city-led fundraising for the project, with $100,000 coming from Capital Improvement 2021“Our AARP COMMUNITY CHALLENGE GRANT RECIPIENTS Project Funds.” – Utah grantee
81% of grantees demonstrate the grant helped to overcome policy barriers or advance change. “The City has updated the master plan map to incorporate the new route (where the Complete Streets demonstration was held). It was unanimously approved by City Council.” – New York grantee
Creating vibrant public places. 100% of grantees demonstrate the grant led to greater awareness, engagement, and new relationships. “More than 500 people have visited our project to learn more after the initial installation.” – Oregon grantee
Delivering access to mobility options.
PAST PROJECTS FUNDED
Answering a call for more livable communities. The Community Challenge grant program is part of AARP’s nationwide Livable Communities initiative, which supports the efforts of cities, towns, neighborhoods and rural areas to become great places to live for people of all ages. Projects are funded in these categories:
Jumpstarting long-term progress.
PUBLIC PLACES that improve open spaces, parks and access to other amenities
Kentucky is worth it.
TRANSPORTATION and mobility options that increase connectivity, walkability, bikeability, and access HOUSING support that increases the availability of accessible and affordable choices
Focus on DIVERSITY and INCLUSION while improving the built and social environment of a community. CORONAVIRUS recovery support with an emphasis on economic development, improvements to public spaces and transportation services CIVIC ENGAGEMENT projects that bring residents and local leaders together to address challenges
OTHER investments in projects that address additional community priorities
WEB aarp.org/CommunityChallenge
EMAIL CommunityChallenge@aarp.org
FACEBOOK AARP Livable Communities
TWITTER @aarplivable
k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 29
In part two of a three-part series, the frontiersman finds the legendary Canelands, but trouble finds him
Wilderness Odyssey: T H E S AG A O F S I M O N K E N TO N B Y R O N S O O D A LT E R
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Painting of Simon Kenton with Daniel Boone by Steve White
R E C A P O F PA R T O N E :
In the early days on the Kentucky frontier, few if any frontiersmen exceeded Simon Kenton in stature or reputation. Described as a “giant of a man” at a muscular 6 feet, 3 inches, he became known as the “savior” of the early settlers and the bane of the region’s hostile tribes. His experiences rivaled—and, in some instances, outstripped—those of his more widely acknowledged friend, Daniel Boone. As a teenager, Kenton, believing he had killed a man in a fight, fled his native Virginia for the wilds of Kentucky, assuming the surname Butler. Over the next few years, he attained a widespread reputation as an able hunter and fighter of American Indians, using his skills to provide for, guide and protect newcomers. And when the region’s native tribes rose in response to the influx of settlers, the governor of Virginia—which included Kentucky at the time—called upon Kenton to
serve as scout for the militia. Acting as guide for the 400-man militia party under Col. Angus McDonald, Kenton was instrumental in the destruction of several hostile Shawnee villages during the brief Anglo/Indian conflict known as Lord Dunmore’s War. At the conclusion of hostilities in October 1774, the defeated Shawnee agreed to give up their claims to the lands south and east of the Ohio River and to refrain from further harassing white travelers. For the moment, at least, it was a victory for Anglo expansion into the region constituting presentday West Virginia, southwestern Pennsylvania and Kentucky. The peace would prove shortlived. Kenton later recalled, “[I]n 1776, the Indians became very harsh on us.” By the time relations between Great Britain and her North American colonies led to open war, certain disaffected Shawnee bands joined forces with the Cherokee under Chief
Dragging Canoe and renewed their hostilities against the white interlopers. The region—of which Kentucky comprised a large part— was far from pacified. FINDING THE CANELANDS
Kenton left the military and went again in search of Kentucky’s elusive, legendary Canelands. This time, after nearly a year spent paddling hundreds of miles on the Ohio River and with the help of a French trader who knew the region well, he was successful. The Canelands proved as rich in game and arable soil as Kenton’s late partner, Jacob Yeager, had described four years earlier. For the first time, Kenton claimed land of his own on Limestone Creek, taking “planting possession” of an idyllic spring-fed site at the edge of the canebrake by making “tomahawk improvements”— notching the letter “K” into the surrounding trees. The country was a hunter’s delight, teeming with k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 31
buffalo, deer, bears, and birds of every description. It also was ideal land for farming. Kenton built a cabin, cleared an acre, and planted corn, just as the various regional tribes had done for generations. According to biographer and descendant Edna Kenton, he “raised the first crop of corn ever cultivated by white men north of the Kentucky River” on land that one day would become Mason County. For the next several years, Kenton used this spot as his home base, from which he staged countless raids during the coming Indian Wars. Aware of the land investment possibilities, Kenton soon extended his holdings. However, as he had discovered early in his Virginia boyhood, his interest never lay in farming. He was young and footloose in a newly opened section of the country that begged for exploration. By the time Kenton discovered the Canelands in the spring of 1775, he was far from the only white man in the region. Surveyors and agents representing ambitious land speculators were honeycombing Kentucky, seeking to stake it out for development. One such enterprise, calling itself the Transylvania Company, hired as its agent no less a personage than Daniel Boone, whose assignment was to range throughout Kentucky and negotiate with the Indians for the sale of their lands. In an apparent violation of existing laws severely restricting individual ownership of uninhabited frontier land, the company’s principal, North Carolina Judge Richard Henderson, signed a treaty with the Cherokee in which he bought some 20 million acres in exchange for around $10,000 worth of trade goods. Soon, settlers and investors were purchasing land from the large companies or simply staking their own claims. Forted communities— “stations,” such as Boone’s Boonesborough—began to spring up. Kenton spent several months visiting the settlements, acquainting himself with the new settlers. Once again, Kenton assumed his unofficial role as welcomer, hunter, protector and guide. Limestone Creek, on which he had established his permanent camp, became known
as the best landing spot for the dozens of parties now traveling downriver, and Kenton was there to greet them. Biographer Kenton points out that it is incalculable “what it meant in those days to land on a strange shore and find there a tall … smiling young man who walked like an Indian and looked and dressed like one, who spoke confidently of trails and distances … who knew exactly how to lead the newcomers to Harrodsburg, Boonesborough, McClellan’s, Huston’s, and Hinkston’s forts, who knew all the men at all these stations, and who could give offhand all the facts of their numbers and achievements to date.” In his 1812 History of Kentucky, Humphrey Marshall wrote, “Thus, [Kenton] became acquainted with the first settlers in the country; to whom he was everywhere serviceable; and with whom he everywhere partook of danger.” At times, this involved bitter fighting with the Indians, who knew him as “Bahdler,” and feared and respected him as a fierce adversary. SAVING A FRIEND
Kenton and Boone became close friends, and, for a time, Kenton used Boonesborough as a base of operations, serving as hunter and chief scout for the settlement. He provided food for the inhabitants and warned of impending Indian raids. In the spring of 1777, around 100 Shawnee under Chief Black Fish laid siege to the fort, placing a strain on its food and fuel supplies. Kenton and Boone sent two men outside the palisades to find food and firewood. They had progressed only as far as the tree line when a small party of Shawnee warriors emerged from the woods, scalping knives in hand, killing one and seriously wounding the other. Kenton, Boone and a party of 10 settlers immediately left the fort in a rescue attempt. It was a trap. A large group of warriors immediately left the trees and attacked the rescue party, cutting them off from the fort. Almost at once, seven men were wounded. Boone went down with a bulletshattered ankle as a warrior approached him with an upraised tomahawk. Seeing his friend helpless on the ground, Kenton shot the
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Indian, scooped Boone up in his arms, and ran back through the gates of the fort. According to some accounts, while returning to the fort with his injured friend slung over his shoulder, Kenton was confronted by two Shawnee warriors. Unable to draw his knife or tomahawk and with no other means of defense, he simply threw Boone at them, knocking both down and rendering one of the two unconscious. Hands now free, he brought his tomahawk down on the other’s head, retrieved his friend, and carried him to safety. The siege lasted another four weeks, with the settlers’ crops unattended in the field and the Shawnee killing off their cattle and stealing their horses. During this time, Kenton repeatedly left the fort to hunt for food, each time at great risk of losing his life. Word of Kenton’s dramatic rescue rapidly swept throughout the frontier, and soon those few who might not have been acquainted with it before now knew the name “Kenton Butler.” He was, however, just as well known among his Shawnee enemies, and, in a short time, he would suffer terribly at their hands. A “GUEST” OF THE SHAWNEE
In the fall of 1778, Kenton and two others set out to retrieve some horses that the Shawnee had stolen. Recapturing the animals, they made it back as far as Eagle Creek, a tributary of the Ohio River. As they looked for a suitable crossing, a war party of mounted Shawnee under Bo-Nah attacked, killing and scalping one man and seizing Kenton. The third managed to escape into the woods. Kenton’s tenure as a prisoner of the Shawnee would tax his endurance to the limit. At first, the Indians were unaware that they had captured their greatest foe. The next morning, another war party arrived and recognized the captive. What followed was the stuff of nightmares. First, Kenton was tied to the back of an unbroken horse, a halter joining his neck to the horse’s neck and rump. The animal was then whipped, whereupon it galloped through the trees and bushes trying to dislodge its burden. Wrote biographer Kenton, “[T]he ragged bushes tore its rider’s
Kenton running the gauntlet; painting by Steve White
legs and feet; the tree limbs raked and scourged his face and body.” If Kenton lost his balance and fell off the horse, the halter would strangle him. Finally, the horse slowed and stopped. Kenton then was taken to Bo-Nah’s village, where he was stripped and made to run a gauntlet. This was a standard form of torture for prisoners. The entire village turned out, forming two long lines—at the head, the women and children, then the warriors. Everyone held a stick or club, and the victim was forced to run the length of the line as blows repeatedly were rained on his naked body. If he fell, the beatings and kicking simply continued. At the end of the line stood the council house. If the prisoner succeeded in making it there, he was temporarily untouchable while the elders decided his fate. In some instances, he would be adopted into the tribe, as Boone himself had been the year before. He might be made a tribal slave, or—since the Revolutionary War was raging and a
number of tribes had allied with Great Britain against the hated colonials—he might be sold or traded to the British. In some instances, death would be prescribed—and a horrific death it would be. Taking terrible punishment as he ran the quarter-mile-long gauntlet, Kenton nearly reached the council house when a terrific blow across the back of his legs tripped him. He fell and was beaten senseless. When he regained consciousness, he was made to run the gauntlet a second time. Traditionally, this was unheard of. Prisoners were made to run the gauntlet only once. After Kenton survived his second gauntlet, Bo-Nah took him to several other Shawnee villages to show off his famous captive. Given time to recover between each ordeal, Kenton was made to run the gauntlet at each village Bo-Nah visited. Mac-A-Cheek, one of the largest of the Shawnee villages, was located in present-day Logan County, Ohio. Kenton was taken there to run yet
another gauntlet. Assuming that he would not long survive the Shawnees’ treatment, he determined to make his escape during this run. As he raced between the rows of villagers, he ran directly at an old woman, bowling her over and dashing into the surrounding woods. A fast runner, he had left the surprised villagers well behind when he practically ran into a war party led by Chief Blue Jacket. The chief, who had been riding to the village to view the famous prisoner, rode Kenton down, bringing the round pipe end of his iron tomahawk down on the fugitive’s head. The blow drove a hole into Kenton’s skull, rendering him senseless. Writes his biographer, “Kenton bore this indentation, as large as a dollar, to his last day.” Incredibly, he survived, but did not regain consciousness for days. When he had recovered sufficiently, he was taken to Wapatomica, the home of Black Hoof, principal chief of the Shawnee, and the site of several intertribal councils. There, it was k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 33
determined that Kenton would run his final gauntlet, after which he would suffer death by being burned at the stake. “It was … decided,” writes Edna Kenton, “to make the ritual a national rather than a local affair,” and Indians from far-flung villages poured into Wapatomica to watch Bahdler die. As was the custom, Kenton was painted black and referred to as “Cutahota,” meaning “the condemned.” Escape was out of the question, and it seemed as though his future held only a terrible end. Kenton later commented, “When the sentence of death was pronounced on me, with eternity apparently just before me, I felt like it was cutting me off mighty short.” After running his final gauntlet, Kenton was tied to the stake and the fuel lighted, when a sudden cloudburst drenched the proceedings. The execution was postponed until the next day. It was at this time that Simon Girty entered the village as a member of a Shawnee war party. The two Simons had established a strong friendship years earlier, becoming blood brothers and swearing lifetime loyalty to one another. Since that time, Girty, who had been taken by the Shawnee as a small child and raised among them before returning to Anglo society, had chosen to side with his adopted tribe and their British allies during the Revolution. As a result, he became the most hated man in the colonies, vilified as the “White Savage” and hunted as an enemy to his people. His bond of friendship with Kenton remained firm. When he recognized the face-blackened Butler, Kenton later recalled, “O, he was mighty glad to see me; he flung his arms around me and cried like a child.” Girty spoke to the tribal elders and
begged a favor: the life of his friend. After some debate, the tribe voted overwhelmingly to give Kenton his freedom. As Edna Kenton writes, now
forced to run a gauntlet—his ninth— and to be staked out naked on the ground at night, his broken arm and shoulder a constant agony. When the party reached Sandusky, preparations for Kenton’s death again were made. And again, fate intervened. Chief Logan, who had befriended Kenton years before, sent a runner to the British fort at Detroit with an urgent plea. DETROIT AND FREEDOM
On the day scheduled for Kenton’s death, a white man suddenly appeared, dressed in the redand-gold finery of a Painting by Steve White British officer. He that he no longer faced imminent was, in fact, not a member of the death, Kenton was treated as an British ranks but a trader and honored guest. “[T]he warriors interpreter named Pierre Drouillard— gathered about him, each heartily and the man responsible for doling out shaking his hand, each calling him British presents to their Indian allies. ‘Brother,’ each expressing admiration This was the man to whom Logan had of his bravery, his running, his leaping, sent his message. In a lengthy speech, his cunning, his pride of spirit.” he convinced the natives to release Further, “Kenton was adopted by an Kenton into his custody, to be taken to old [woman] to replace a slain son.” the British fort at Detroit as a prisoner Girty outfitted his friend and took of war. There, he would be made to him on a tour of the surrounding reveal the current state of the rebels’ country. Over the next three weeks, affairs in Kentucky. Kenton, Drouillard Kenton recovered his strength only to promised, would then be returned to discover that a recently defeated war the Shawnee for execution of sentence. party had entered the village. In exchange, the Indians could claim Brooding over a loss of warriors and $100 worth of whiskey, tobacco or any furious that a hated enemy had been other item of their choosing. The reprieved, they demanded a reversal Shawnee elders reluctantly loaned of sentence. This time, Girty could do Drouillard their captive. nothing, and his friend was again In Detroit, Kenton received longsentenced to die at the stake. neglected medical attention, requiring It was decided that Kenton should his arm to be rebroken and set. He be executed in Sandusky, 50 miles was allowed to roam the town at will, distant, so that members of several provided he report to the commander other tribes could attend. On the every Sunday and not attempt to way, a warrior struck Kenton with his escape. Kenton remained in Detroit war club with sufficient force to until the spring of 1779, several break his upper arm. Farther along months after his initial capture. the journey, another brave swung his During this time, he was permitted to ax into Kenton’s collarbone, attend council meetings in which fracturing it as well. various tribal allies would submit Despite his injuries, he was again
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Patriot scalps for bounty. The commander, Kenton recalled, encouraged the practice, at one point taking a warrior’s tomahawk in hand and “pretending to whet it, said, you have dulled it and now it is sharp, go and dull it again.” During the months of his captivity in Detroit, Kenton was carefully planning his escape. George Rogers Clark, Kenton’s friend and leader of the Kentucky militia, would benefit immeasurably from the intelligence Kenton was gathering regarding British strength and plans. But first, Kenton would have to make his way back to Kentucky. Kenton struck up a friendship with a sympathetic Detroit merchant, who helped him procure a rifle, powder, shot, moccasins, and a store of dried deer and buffalo meat, which Kenton cached in a hollow tree outside the town. In early June, he sneaked out of Detroit along with two fellow prisoners. His friend had advised him to travel west for a considerable distance before turning south toward Kentucky; to travel due south from Detroit was to invite capture by Indians on any trail he took. In July 1779, after traveling for a harrowing 30 days through 400 miles of trackless wilderness, the three arrived safely at the Falls of the Ohio. They were wise to have taken the western route; although his former captors—aware that he had escaped—were on the lookout for him on every westbound trail out of Detroit, Kenton later recalled, “We didn’t see an Injun on all our journey to the Ohio.” Kenton immediately transmitted the intelligence he had gathered to Clark. Then, after a long absence, he returned to his own camp on Limestone Creek. By this time, Kentucky was boasting several new settlements and was rife with surveyors and land grabbers. In response to the influx of Anglos, the Indians were renewing their attacks. That winter, Kenton built a blockhouse at the mouth of the creek as a shelter for the settlers and newcomers. A number of the new arrivals hailed from Fauquier County, Virginia, Kenton’s old home—and some of them recognized him, despite his assumed name. At some point, he inquired after his family, and—tactfully—that of William Leachman, the man he had felled and presumably killed in hand-to-hand fighting several years earlier. He was stunned to learn that Leachman was alive and had, in fact, been accused of murdering him! Kenton had simply vanished after the fight, and it was widely assumed that Leachman had slain him and hidden the body. Relieved to learn that he was not a murderer, he again became—and for the rest of his life would remain—Simon Kenton. Q
W W W. B U Y P E D D L E RS M A L L . C O M
C O M I N G I N PA R T T H R E E :
Kenton continues to guide for Gen. George Rogers Clark throughout the war and to scout for Gen. “Mad Anthony” Wayne during the Northwest Indian War of 1794. He acquires thousands of acres in Kentucky and Ohio, only to lose it to scoundrels and thieves. He serves as a brigadier general of militia in the War of 1812, and, on more than one occasion, he finds himself imprisoned for debt by the same people whose lives he had once protected. Plus, he finds time to marry twice and to sire a prodigious family.
k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 35
Heavyweight
Gift B Y G A R Y P. W E ST
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LO UI S VI L L E ’ S M O ST FA M O U S C I T I ZE N DE L IGH TED A 6-Y E AR-O L D BOY —AN D TH E N DE L I G H T E D H I M AGA I N D E CA D E S L ATE R
k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 37
S
aphed boxing Billy Pfund with the autogr ing of Antiques tap le isvil Lou the at gloves Roadshow.
everal years after a 6-year-old boy in Louisville received a special Christmas gift in 1963, that gift began to take on a life of its own, especially since it was connected to the late Muhammad Ali, who at the time was known by the name he was given at birth—Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. Billy Pfund was surprised that holiday with a pair of boxing gloves from his aunt and uncle. But that wasn’t all. One of the gloves had been autographed by the young boxer. “My uncle Cliff worked in the hat department at Levy Brothers department store in downtown Louisville,” Pfund said. “This was
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before the boxer became Muhammad Ali and before he became the champ.” Levy Brothers was an upscale department store at Third and Market from 1892 until 1980. The building now houses The Old Spaghetti Factory. As Clay’s professional boxing career began to evolve following his 1960 Olympic gold medal performance in Rome, he began to upgrade his wardrobe. “Hats, especially Dobbs Hats, were popular for men back then,” Pfund said. “Cassius would come in the store with his dad, and my uncle struck up a friendship with him. He asked him, if he brought some boxing gloves to the store, would he sign them the next time he came in?” Clay agreed. • • •
The boxer, who became known as “The Louisville Lip,” was true to his
“ H e wa s a b i g d e a l . E v e ry k i d i n Lo u i svi l l e k n e w w h o h e wa s . . . ” word. The next time he visited the store, he took one of the gloves and signed it—plus a little bit more. “To Billy from Cassius Clay, the next heavyweight champion of the world, 1963,” he wrote. Pfund’s mom and dad sweetened the boxing gloves Christmas gift that year with a Joe Palooka stand-up punching bag. It was an ideal gift for Pfund, an only child, since it was an activity he could do by himself while burning off energy at the same time. “With two pairs [of gloves], some of us in the neighborhood would box in the basement or backyard,” Pfund said. “And for the next several years, I continued to spar with the autographed gloves.” Even though he was young, Pfund was well aware of the future “greatest of all time.” “He was a big deal. Every kid in Louisville knew who he was,” he said. “It was a few years later that I realized what I had in my possession.” • • •
In March 1964, soon after he had defeated Sonny Liston, Cassius Clay changed his name to Muhammad Ali. Never again would Louisville’s greatest celebrity sign the name Cassius Clay. For years, the boxing gloves hung in Pfund’s room—always there, a keepsake from his childhood. By now, they had become a part of his family. For the most part, the boxing gloves were out of sight, out of mind, but as Pfund grew older and got married, the gloves stayed with him. “They became a conversation piece,” he said. “Whenever anyone came to our house, they wanted to see them.” With the gloves, however, something was missing. It was the name Muhammad Ali. In the early 1980s, Ali’s public appearances began to decline, particularly after he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Getting
another autograph from the famous athlete would be difficult, if not impossible. Pfund and his wife, Laura, found out that Ali was going to be honored at the Louisville Gardens. “It was the mid-’90s, and we took the gloves, just hoping we could get him to sign them,” Pfund recalled. “By chance, we sat near Ali’s brother, Rahman. I showed him the gloves and told him the story.” Pfund made it a point to let Rahman Ali know he was not there to make money from the autograph but to add to what he already had. Rahman took the Pfunds to where his brother was sitting and quickly introduced them, while Billy showed him the boxing gloves he had had since 1963. The illness had taken its toll on the champ. Now shaky and walking with a shuffle, he graciously signed the other boxing glove, “Muhammad Ali.” Billy’s Christmas gift from decades ago was now complete. The boxing gloves are not for sale, but it is understandable to wonder what they might be worth. “My dad several years ago took the gloves to the Antiques Roadshow that came to Louisville one time,” Pfund said of the traveling public television show on which experts assess the value of antiques. “I was out of town at the time, so he wanted to do it.” The Sportcraft junior-size, redand-tan, lace-up gloves were one of the items selected to be televised in the April 2008 episode. “I don’t remember the exact value they placed on the gloves, but I think it was several thousand dollars,” Pfund said. “But I do know one thing for certain: They are not for sale.” Over his career, the boxer made a habit of predicting his future matches, even to the exact round in which he would win. Signing the glove back in 1963 as the “next heavyweight champion,” he did not disappoint. Q
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Owensboro filmmakers have released a new holiday movie, and … let’s just say it’s not your Hallmark Christmas flick
Silent Fright Silent Fright
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h, the holidays, with their cold, winter days, festive parties, and shows and movies that give you that warm, fuzzy feeling. Then there’s 13 Slays Till X-Mas, an anthology of 13 horror stories promising to terrify and/or gross the dickens out of you. Tales in the one-hour, 46-minute collection include “It’s a Wonderful Death,” “Don’t Kill Santa on Christmas,” “Santa Claws,” “Jingle Bellz” and more, featuring just about everything the horror genre can put on the big screen. Owensboro filmmaker P.J. Starks came up with the movie’s concept in 2017 but shelved it to focus on other projects with Blood Moon Pictures, a production company he co-owns with fellow Owensboro native Eric Huskisson. “Eric and I were hard at work trying to get financing for the final installment of the Volumes of Blood trilogy titled Devil’s Knight,” Starks said.
“After spending an exhausting two and a half years without much progress, we decided to put that project on hold and pull 13 Slays off the shelf. I reached out to a laundry list of local and regional directors I wanted to work with. Once selected, we gave them creative control over their segments with the caveat of following technical guidelines to keep the look of the film cohesive. “We knew this was a film we could get made with little to no capital and would ultimately become a fun, easy throwaway project. We were wrong in several of those respects.” Filming began in February 2020. Then, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. “Three of the 13 sequences had been filmed when the shutdowns happened, and the project went into hiatus,” Starks said. “We, along with all the other filmmakers, wanted to keep our cast and crews as safe as possible. I honestly thought the film
40 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY D ECEMBER 2021/ JANUARY 20 2 2
was done at that point, but none of us gave up.” Huskisson said production resumed once the country began to slowly open back up, but it wasn’t without headaches. “It was a very stressful experience,” he said. “We never knew from one weekend to the next if our shoot would be postponed due to COVID. Not only were we dealing with federal guidelines but state guidelines as well. Even if we were able to film here, one or more of the other nine directors from outside Kentucky couldn’t film because of their state’s protocols. We also had to deal with actors or crew being quarantined due to possible exposure.” Despite the hurdles, shooting wrapped up in October 2020, and the filmmakers had a fully edited film the following month. “Everyone handled the situation with great poise and professionalism
to ensure 13 Slays would hit its deadline,” Huskisson said. “It was pretty amazing to witness!” •
•
•
Jackson native Jeffrey Reddick, a noted writer, producer and actor known for the Final Destination film franchise, portrays a reporter in the “A Christmas to Dismember” segment of 13 Slays. Reddick said working with Starks on the movie was a great experience, albeit atypical due to the pandemic. “But I’ve found that adversity can be turned into an advantage,” Reddick said. “P.J. was able to bring together filmmakers from around the country to contribute to the film. So, that allowed this movie to have a bunch of different voices and artists work on it … I was really impressed with the talented and passionate team P.J. assembled, and I think that passion is reflected in the film.” Starks said the anthology has been well received among critics and
reviewed by “all the major horror sites in a favorable way.” Joseph Perry with gruesomemagazine.com described it as a “super effort that is certain to find itself on heavy rotation each December and whenever the Christmas mood strikes.” A review on themovieelite.com described the film as “a lot of fun
with several enjoyable stories that aren’t afraid to get rather messed up and dark.” Normally, an independently made movie such as this would have runs at several festivals. But COVID-19 axed those plans during 2020. It wasn’t until 2021 that 13 Slays was screened at several conventions, including OMG!con this past Halloween in
k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 41
Top, producers Eric Huskisson, left, and P.J. Starks; above, the making of 13 Slays Till X-Mas.
Owensboro, which is the base of operations for Blood Moon Pictures. •
•
•
Why horror? Starks said it’s the most versatile of all the genres. “It’s the only genre I know that can combine comedy, drama, suspense, romance, action, thriller, musical, adventure and more into a single narrative and still work,” he said. “Plus, it’s universal. What’s scary here is typically scary somewhere else. Not to mention fear is probably the most relatable human emotion and,
therefore, makes the viewing experience more visceral, fun and, in some cases, cathartic.” In addition to the Owensboro screening, 13 Slays Till X-Mas had its first theatrical release on Oct. 23, 2021, at Lexington’s ScareFest Horror & Paranormal Convention. “ScareFest was an absolute blast,” Starks said. “I thought any chances of seeing our film in a theatrical setting were dead due to COVID. Seeing the film in a theater with a nearly sold-out room was nothing
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short of amazing. Hearing the audiences laugh and groan in disgust at certain kills was awesome. It made up for all the headaches.” So, if Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer or It’s a Wonderful Life isn’t your cup of hot cocoa, you can now stream 13 Slays Till X-Mas on Amazon Prime. Blood Moon Pictures also has inked a deal with Comcast for streaming on several other yet-to-be named services. The film is available for purchase on Blu-ray at screamteamreleasing.com. Q
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his holiday season, snuggle up with the timeless stories of May Hollow. Annie lives a jet-setting lifestyle as a flight attendant in New York City. Yet when unexpected losses occur, she has only one place to turn: the family farm in Kentucky. As Annie reunites with family, she faces trials that force her to choose between coming to terms with her deep roots or leaving it all behind to return to the city. With humor, mystery, and a good dose of faith, the May Hollow Trilogy is the perfect gift for any reader on your list! Available at Kentucky Soaps & Such www.kentuckysoapsandsuch.com Also available on Amazon.com in all formats
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 10 – December 2021/January 2022
This photo of one of the first automobiles in Pond Creek, Pike County, was taken in 1920 at the mouth of Rockhouse Holler. The children on the running board are the contributor’s aunts, Gertrude and Maxine Adair, and his father, John Henry Adair. Photo courtesy of Johnny Adair.
Your Letters -- page 46 Tragedy at Camp Nelson -- page 52 Letter Carrier George Moses Morton -- page 54
“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. • Founder Stephen M. Vest • Publisher Deborah Kohl Kremer • Editor Rebecca Redding • Typographist One-Year Subscription to Kentucky Monthly: $20
FOUNDED 1986, ISSUE 335, VOLUME 36, NO. 10
Letters to Kentucky Explorer Letters may be edited for clarification and brevity.
Photos of Allen in Floyd County? With each issue, we bring an assortment of topics from Kentucky’s past to our readers. This month, we have a story on how families grew their own food and truly lived off the land, the plight of recently freed slaves at Camp Nelson during the Civil War, and the memories of a 1940s mail carrier in Powell County. We are honored to share your stories, so please keep sending me your photos and recollections. You can reach me at deb@ kentuckymonthly.com or mail items to Kentucky Monthly, Attn: Deb Kremer, P.O. Box 559, Frankfort, KY 40602-0559. CORRECTION
— D E B O R AH KO H L K RE ME R
The article “Three Forks: An Early Travelers Link to Mammoth Cave” in the October issue of Kentucky Explorer featured a photo that was incorrectly identified as Bell’s Tavern (page 68). The building is the old Mammoth Cave Hotel. This was an editor’s error and not a mistake by the author. — DKK
As a history lover from northern Kentucky, I include Covington’s John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge as one of my favorite Kentucky landmarks. What are some of your favorites?
In memory of Donna Jean Hayes, 1948-2019 Kentucky Explorer appears inside each issue of Kentucky Monthly magazine. Subscriptions can be purchased online at shopkentuckymonthly.com or by calling 1.888.329.0053.
I was wondering if you could help me out. I am looking for photos of the C&O railroad tower in Allen, Kentucky. The railroad called it Beaver Creek Jct. Any photo would be appreciated. Thank you, Rod Clark zigrum@charter.net
Kentucky Love In April of last year, my wife Ruth and I were leaving a small church in Tampa, Florida. On a whim, I asked her, “What would you do if I died before you?” Her answer came without missing a beat. “I would sell the house and move to Kentucky.” With equal speed, I responded, “Well, why do I have to die for that to happen? I want to go, too!” About 10 years prior, our daughter-in-law, who is far more like a daughter than an in-law, moved to Lexington and later to Paris, Kentucky. With her went three of our grandchildren, whom we love dearly. Now, we are blessed with great-grandchildren for whom we would have ended up being little more than faces on a computer screen and anonymous benefactors on gift-giving holidays had we stayed in Tampa. That spring day, I did a Google search on Paris and discovered that I was about to move to a town with around 9,000 people, which was in sharp contrast to Tampa. There was no Golden Corral, Applebee’s, Chili’s or even a Burger King. No Best Buy, Costco, Sam’s Club and, worst of all, no Lowe’s or Home Depot. How was I supposed to survive? Luckily, long-distance first impressions often are incorrect, as they were in this case. Even though Paris lacked superstores and well-known eateries, it had more than enough places to dine and a great family-owned hardware store that could supply any and every need, sold by a pleasant hometown staff. We really do love this town. We feel like round pegs in round holes. These must be the friendliest people in the world. The greeters in Walmart from other cities are rude in comparison to the average person here. If there are three people in line at the post office, it is considered crowded, and when you go to the grocery, you are likely to run into 10 people you know. When walking down Main Street, you feel like you’re in the 1800s. In the summer months,
Frontiersman Christopher Houston Carson, better known as Kit, was born Dec. 24, 1809 in Richmond.
December 2021 / January 2022 47
they block off the streets and have free concerts on the courthouse steps. And Frank’s Donuts—oh, don’t even get me started. So, to make a long story a bit longer, we sold our Tampa house in four days and loaded all of our belongings— including our eight cats—into a 15-foot Budget rental truck. Considering we are 63 years old, that was no small task. We then moved into my grandson’s living room for two weeks. In the meantime, we found an adorable house that could well have been custom made for us for the exact amount for which we sold the one in Tampa. It has a beautiful front porch, and we adopted a hound dog to sleep on it. We also found and joined a wonderful church the first Sunday we were there. All this happened in less than one month. We believe the Lord had a plan in all this. Once the decision was made that Sunday morning coming out of the church, every obstacle against us soon melted away. So here we are, happy and ready to spend our golden years in this town that we adore. Sometimes, things just fall into place. We are home free in our Old Kentucky Home. And we are feeling blessed to be here.
Better Than a Tweet Long before radio, television and social media, people got a small dose of comedy from their newspapers. This column ran in the Hopkinsville publication the Semi-Weekly South Kentuckian on Dec. 3, 1886.
Phil Gladden Paris
In Search Of … I am searching for past issues of Kentucky Explorer for my 89-year-old dad, particularly issues prior to 2017. He doesn’t get out much and spends a lot of time reading. I would be so grateful and elated to give him some older issues as a Christmas gift so he can continue to enjoy reading Kentucky Explorer. Stephanie Garris 145 Renwood Place Springboro, Ohio 45066 616.460.7258, stephbarkergarris@yahoo.com
Intriguing Facebook Group If you are on Facebook, you might want to check out “My Kentucky, photos of our past,” which is like a historical Kentucky photo album, posting old photos every day. All eras and parts of Kentucky are included in this highly recommended group.
Please send letters to Editor Deborah Kohl Kremer at deb@kentuckymonthly.com or mail to Deb Kremer, Kentucky Monthly, PO Box 559, Frankfort, KY 40602.
Jenny Wiley State Resort Park was founded as Dewey Lake State Park on Jan. 1, 1954.
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! Quilt-Top Memories How many of you have ever seen a funeral-arrangement quilt-top? In the late 1940s, it was a popular practice in the Appalachian foothills to save the wide ribbons from funeral flower arrangements. When enough were collected, you could make a quilt. Back then, the ribbons on funeral flower arrangements were made from strips of satin fabric—not synthetic as mostly what we see today. The photo shows my mom, Maxine Patrick, who lived most of her life in Magoffin County. She is now 101 years old and lives with me in Ohio. She still works on quilt squares.
Norma is the author of Life Goes Better with Chocolate Gravy: Mountain Memories—Mischief and Misery, a collection of stories about growing up in eastern Kentucky. Please contact her if you are interested in purchasing a copy: Norma Patrick Seto, 872 Bay Harbor Drive, Maineville, OH 45039, comax@fuse.net.
Norma Patrick Seto Maineville, Ohio comax@fuse.net
Tee Pee Truck Stop in Williamstown Anyone passing through Williamstown in the days before I-75 may remember the Tee Pee Truck Stop and Hilltop Restaurant. The Tee Pee was famous for its metal construction. Built by Roy Henry in 1930, it served as an office to pay for your fuel after filling up. Truck drivers and motorists would pull off U.S. Route 25 to refresh, fuel up, and check out the Tee Pee that “catches your eye” driving along the highway. In the 1940s, it was Texaco Gas, and in the 1950s, it was Standard Oil. The castle-like building next to the Tee Pee was built in
1930 by Nelva and Orris Edmondson Sr., and it originally was Edmondson’s Hardware. In 1953, it became Edmondson’s Furniture & Hardware before its time as the Hilltop Restaurant. Later, the building was leased to Lewis and Beulah Sparrow, who ran the restaurant until 1965. When I-75 came through, business dropped, and the restaurant/truck stop closed. People will have memories of stepping inside the front door into the main room, where they would have seen a counter with stools, a cash register and knotty pine walls throughout the large dining area. Pinball machines were along the back wall for entertainment. The kitchen was behind the front counter with a rear entrance and stairs leading up to the second floor, which was the Sparrows’ residence. There also was a pear tree on the north rear side of the truck stop that provided fruit for patrons and visitors. It sounds like a neat place to stop and rest, if you ask me. Of course, Grant County is like that. The metal teepee is still there, and the two-story building next to it now is used for storage by Vera and Orris Edwin Edmondson Jr., who run nearby Edmondson’s Furniture. Jerry Martin Corinth
If you would only recognize that life is hard, things would be so much easier for you. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis
December 2021/January 2022 49
Memories of a Kentucky Christmas By David Caudill Daytona Beach, Florida
W
ith winter coming, one’s thoughts turn to chilly weather, sparkling snow and, of course, Christmas. What a wonderful season! When I think of Christmas, with its example of giving, my thoughts turn to one year when our family was given the opportunity to display the holiday’s spirit and teach our children a valuable lesson. It happened three days before Christmas 1978. My wife, Pauline, and I taught school at the time in southwestern Ohio, and Pauline’s mother and father were retired teachers who spent winters in Okeechobee, Florida. We had a son, 14, and a daughter, 9. Pauline had fallen down the stairs of our house a few years earlier and had been forced to take time off. She was substitute teaching by then, and times were hard for us. We planned to spend Christmas break with Pauline’s parents that year, where we could enjoy the warm weather of southern Florida at a price we could afford. Our plans were to drive to Richmond, Kentucky, after I finished teaching that day to spend the night with Pauline’s cousin. Then, we could get an early start for Okeechobee the next morning. All went as planned until we reached the first rest area on I-75 near Florence, in northern Kentucky. We stopped for a short break, but my wife seemed to take an extraordinarily long time in the restroom. The rest area was crowded, so I attributed the delay to that. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Pauline finally arrived and said, “Honey, I found a purse in the restroom. It took so long because I immediately asked everyone there if it belong to them, but no one claimed it. I even waited to see if the owner would realize she left it, but she didn’t. I don’t know what to do because there was no attendant on duty.” Because I also was working part time in the medical field, I immediately thought along those lines. I asked her to check the purse to see if it contained any time-sensitive medicines such as insulin or nitroglycerin. It did not. There was a billfold in it, so I had Pauline check its contents for a driver’s license, money and credit cards. There were all three but less than $100 in cash. I suggested we mail the purse to its owner when we got to Florida, so we left the area and headed to Richmond. The farther I drove, the more I mulled over my original plan. I realized that if I had lost my wallet with credit cards in it, I would be worried sick. By the time we reached Richmond, I told Pauline, “Why don’t you check the billfold for telephone numbers, and I’ll call. Perhaps some relatives will be home, and we can let them know we
have it, and they can call the woman.” Pauline checked and said, with surprise, “Honey, there’re $500 hidden in one of the folds!” That definitely meant that we had to get in touch with the purse’s owner somehow. The children talked about what we could do in Florida if the money was ours. We explained why it wasn’t ours, and they agreed. As soon as I got to the house in Richmond, I began calling. According to the driver’s license, the woman lived in Whitten, Illinois. The first call connected me with a Chinese restaurant. The second number was not in service. But the third number put me in touch with a friend who told me she was expecting a call from the friend that evening. I gave her my phone number and waited for the call. It didn’t come until 11 p.m. The woman’s husband told me they had gone back to the rest area and, not finding the purse, had contacted the Kentucky State Police. Finally, they had decided that the purse was lost forever and had traveled to Knoxville. He was so surprised to discover that there were still honest people in the world. I told him we were heading in that direction the next morning, and we agreed to meet on the Knoxville Bypass at a McDonald’s. We met at 9 the next morning, returned the purse, and visited over coffee. They were a nice older couple. The husband worked as an editor for the National Enquirer, and they were on their way to South Carolina to see their daughter. She was having a tough time and the money was for her. We exchanged addresses and, after a bit, they asked what they owed us. I thought for only a second or two and said to the husband that if wanted to give me $5, that would cover the cost of the phone calls. He gave Pauline a folded bill, which she put away. After some further chitchat, we said our goodbyes because we had a long drive to Okeechobee, and they had a long drive to South Carolina. We discussed what we had down as we traveled down I-75. The children were as pleased with the outcome as were we. All had that feeling of euphoria you get when you help someone in trouble. Pauline got the $5 out of her purse to put in her billfold. When she unfolded it, she discovered it was a $100 bill. We were shocked! We could barely afford the trip to Florida, and the act of kindness we displayed resulted in a similar act of kindness. That meant so much to us. It does pay to be honest. So, when the frost is on the pumpkins and thoughts turn to Christmas, I always think of the uncanny chain of events that had my family from Ohio meet a couple from Illinois in Knoxville, Tennessee, to exchange a purse lost in Kentucky that held money for a girl in South Carolina. The results were a good vacation for both families and a lesson to good children. We exchanged Christmas cards for years with that couple but eventually lost touch. However, every Christmas, we think of our own family Christmas story along I-75 in Kentucky.
Fort Knox has more than $6 billion worth of gold, the largest amount stored anywhere in the world.
6 THE 50 THEKENTUCKY KENTUCKYEXPLORER EXPLORER The following is an excerpt from the book Wallins Creek: An American Town Nestled in Southeast Kentucky by Benjamin Jones, with Roger Burke. Wallins Creek is located in Harlan County.
Growing Our Own Food By Benjamin Jones Vandalia, Ohio
M
other had a garden, like every other Wallins Creeker, that was bigger than most, and she grew every kind of vegetable you can imagine. She did a lot of canning. Everything from tomatoes and tomato sauce, green beans, and yellow beans, and beets, and small potatoes, and okra and turnips—including apples and apple sauce and cherries and peaches. Of course, we had a root cellar where we stored the bigger potatoes and the onions in bins. Also, carrots would keep in the cellar for a good long time. She also did a bit of onion canning using some of the smaller onions for soups and things of that nature. She also made saurkraut and pickles. Then we had the “pick and eat” vegetables like lettuce and radishes and peppers. Believe it or not, some of these veggies kept right through the winters but never into the spring. We had no freezer but did have a small refrigerator with a small freezing area at the top. Mother also had an electric stove where she did most of her vegetable and fruit canning, but she preferred the
wood cook stove for her regular cooking and baking. I guess what you learn on is what you like to do. We would go into the garden on those hot days and just pull tomatoes off the vine and eat them right there. We would pull a carrot out of the ground if we got a little hungry in between meals. We also would eat the radishes, turnips, and beets right out of the ground. We did not grow a lot of turnips and beets, but Mother always had them out there. She put away several jars of pickled beets and would include a couple of boiled eggs in each jar. They were a real treat. Mother was big on basic foods that were tasty. She seemed to concentrate on foods that give you the nutrition and the protein you need to sustain a healthy life and your growth. She was good at that. She understood about healthy foods. She knew exactly what she needed to plant. The fruit trees we had in the orchard were important to her. The apple, cherry and peach trees were primarily for canning and baking pies and cobblers. The pears were strictly for eating right off the tree. Aside from canning the apples, mother would make us these incredible candy apples. Mother loved to bake. Her hickory nut and walnut cakes were so good. My older brothers used to gather the nuts. Of course, that came down to me after Jim moved north. We had just the four of us: Betty Grace, and me, and Joyce Ann, and Johnny. It was expected of me to get the nuts and things like that because I was the oldest boy at home at the time. We raised one pig a year, which I was responsible for feeding. I took my cart and two of those old five-gallon metal tar buckets around to some of the neighbors and gathered “slop” for the pig. The pig never got
In Kentucky, the office of lieutenant governor was created in 1799.
December 2021/January 2022 51
Left, Rockcastle United Baptist Church; right, Pastor Donald Fannin, center, with Junior Pastor Vadis Gauze, left, and Assistant Pastor Jeffry Endicott at the pulpit of the church.
Inez Church Celebrates 200 Years Rockcastle United Baptist Church on Main Street in Inez celebrated 200 years in 2021. The building was constructed in 1821, and although updated and remodeled through the years, it still retains portions of the original building. The church is in Martin County, but when it was built, the location was part of Floyd County and then Lawrence County. Martin County, with the county seat of Inez, was established in 1870. “Our longevity is credited to the fact that we have always preached the same doctrine all these years,”
to be noticeably big but provided enough ham and bacon and ribs and things like side meat to make the types of foods that my mother would create for us. Having to grow most of our own food and figure out ways to store it and keep it to the point where it fed us throughout the winter was a big challenge. Even with that, we still had to supplement the foods with stuff like milk, cheese, flour, corn and the like. Those were great times. Doing the type of chores and activities that helped provide the food because we obviously did not have very much money. What money we did have went to other things. One day, my dad came home with an old broken-down horse named Hank along with a plow. I think he won them in a poker game. Of course, we had no place to put a horse and certainly could not afford to feed one. But he ended up putting it in a small garage building that sat down by the road. I do not know how that horse managed to stay in there. Well, he really did not. He was a very stubborn horse and was always getting loose and running around.
said Pastor Donald Fannin, who has served in that role for 30 years. “And that preaching is that Jesus Christ is the only way to Heaven.” Currently, the church has 25 members, but at various times in its history, it has had more than 180. The members gather one weekend per month for service but once a year, they host an event called Union and Communion, where they welcome members of other churches to worship with them. “Our church is the oldest in Martin County and the oldest in the Zion Association of United Baptists,” Fannin said. “I would guess it is in the top 10 of oldest churches in the state of Kentucky.”
I remember Dad trying to plow the garden, but it dragged him and the plow through the garden and up through the orchard. I do not think that horse had ever been hooked up to a plow. Mother told him to get rid of it and the plow by trading it for a pig or two. We did not know exactly what happened to that horse, but we did get another pig. I would not trade those days for anything.
This is just a sample of the memories that appear in Benjamin Jones’ book, which chronicles his family story and gives glimpses of life in a small Kentucky mountain town during the 1950s. Published independently and retailing for $16.95, the softcover book is available on amazon.com.
Established in 1860, Boyd County was named for Linn Boyd, U.S. Congressman and lieutenant governor.
52
THE KENTUCKY EXPLORER
Camp Nelson, 1864. Photo courtesy of University of Kentucky’s Special Collections Research Center.
Tragedy at Camp Nelson By Dr. Marshall Myers Richmond
S
omething happened at Camp Nelson in Jessamine County, the training ground of most “colored” soldiers in 1864. The incident cast a stain on the entire Union effort in the Civil War. On Jan. 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation that freed all the slaves in the Confederacy but exempted all the slaves in the border states of Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri and West Virginia. Slaves in those states were not freed. While issued as a “war measure” to deprive the South of the slaves’ labor on bridges and other military installations, Lincoln perhaps naively thought that his generosity by not freeing the slaves in the Border States would lure the Southern states into the Union. Of course, it didn’t. In April 1864, Lincoln made the decision to allow all men meeting age and health standards from the border states to be freed from slavery as long as they joined the colored troops of the Union Army. Most men who were slaves jumped at the chance at first, but then, they started thinking. Those thoughts dictated what they later would
do. Those men who wanted to join the colored troops in Kentucky went for their training to Camp Nelson, a facility near Nicholasville. Kentucky provided more colored troops than any other state exept Louisiana, which already was under federal authority. The exemption of men from the border states gaining their freedom did not extend to women and children, who remained with their owners as slaves. Such an arrangement didn’t sit well with the men when they thought about it, and it didn’t sit well, especially, with the women and children. Men thought the situation gave slave owners permission to abuse and take advantage of the women. Women thought the same. Incidents of cruelty toward women who stayed with their owners did arise while the men were off at Camp Nelson. Some of the enslaved women and children were beaten, starved and expelled, with nowhere to go. Many women and children then fled to Camp Nelson and occupied areas near there, hoping to put up shacks and temporary structures and to make enough money to survive by taking in laundry and baking pies and cakes. It was a meager existence, certainly, but they were free from cruel masters and close to their men. At the time, Camp Nelson was under the charge of Brig.
Kentucky’s Official State Fossil is the brachiopod, shells of marine animals of the Paleozoic Era. 52 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY NOV EMBER 2 0 2 0
December 2021/January 2022 53
Camp Nelson, 1864. Photo courtesy of University of Kentucky’s Special Collections Research Center.
Gen. Speed S. Fry, a white man and Boyle County native. He didn’t waste time making sure that the camp would be run his way. First, Fry identified all the Black women and children he could and returned them to their rightful masters, assuming the masters wanted them. Shortly thereafter, on July 6, 1864, he telegraphed a commanding officer, asking for an order to rid the camp of women and children “unfit for the service [who] will be delivered to their masters.” In his book Camp Nelson, Kentucky: A Civil War History, Richard Sears writes that Fry received a telegram with the order the following day. Military authorities later claimed that the order was “bogus” and not to be obeyed. The existence of such an order, then, was in question—a question that never was definitively answered. But Fry thought he had gotten orders. So, he asked his soldiers to harass the women and children on or near the camp. Part of the problem lay with the Union Army itself, which hadn’t developed a clear plan that indicated how the Army was to deal with these “refugees.” The harassment of the women and children by Fry’s soldiers began in the summer and continued into the fall, with some of the soldiers threatening to tear down the temporary buildings the women and children lived in. Finally, Fry had had enough. On Nov. 26, 1864—an unusually cold and snowy day—Fry’s men under his orders began expelling nearly 400 women and children from Camp Nelson and the surrounding area. Some of them went to a mission house on the route, some went to
barns, some went to mule sheds, some languished along the way, and some wandered aimlessly through the woods. All were destitute, with nowhere to go. When Capt. Theron E. Hall of Camp Nelson heard about this incident, he protested vigorously to Fry—so much so that Fry slapped the captain with an insubordination charge along with a court-martial. Once Gen. Stephen Burbridge, the commanding officer of the state of Kentucky, heard of Fry’s actions, he ordered Fry to “not [to] exclude any more Negro women and children from Camp Nelson.” To make the “crime” even more humiliating, Burbridge ordered Fry to “give quarters and if necessary erect buildings for them and allow them back all who have been turned out.” The construction of those quarters would be under the direction of Hall, who had the charges against him dismissed. Tragically, more than 100 women and children died because of the expulsion from Camp Nelson. The newspapers called Fry’s orders the works of “deliberate depravity and cool malignity.” They hammered at him, asking about the treatment of the families of colored soldiers. The story of the women and children’s expulsion at Camp Nelson was a national embarrassment, questioning the Army’s policies and treatment of ex-slaves. Camp Nelson Heritage Park, south of Nicholasville, is open Wednesday-Sunday 9 a.m.-5 p.m. For more information, call 859.881.5716 or visit campnelson.org.
It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan. Eleanor Roosevelt
54
THE KENTUCKY EXPLORER
George Moses Morton: A horseback letter carrier in Powell County By Phillip D. Rogers Peachtree City, Georgia philliprogers304@yahoo.com
T
oday, boxy red, white and blue mail-delivery trucks roll down our streets, filling our mailboxes with letters, magazines, ads and, of course, bills. More than 80 years ago in Powell County, my maternal grandfather George Moses Morton started to carry the mail around the late 1930s to early ’40s.
Top, George Morton, right, hands off his last batch of mail to Bowen Postmaster Elwood Kalar, December 1969; above, Morton passes mail to a fellow letter carrier along his route near Patsey.
Powell County was made famous by Natural Bridge State Park, the Red River Gorge, and the Nada Tunnel—all within Daniel Boone National Forest. In my opinion, this area of east-central Kentucky ranks as one of the most beautiful spots in the Commonwealth. As you can imagine, times were tough back in my grandfather’s day. The country was coming out of the Great Depression and about to enter World War II on two fronts globally. George—“Papaw”—was a resourceful and hard-working man, qualities he needed. He married my grandmother, Fannie Daniel Morton (Mamaw), in 1924, and in 1928, they welcomed my mother, Juanita Morton Rogers, into the family. Papaw had to find creative ways to support his young family. Schooling had been so very important and valued by my grandparents that each repeated eighth grade three times because there was no opportunity of attending a high school in the early 1920s in rural Powell County. Papaw started to carry mail on horseback and did so in all kinds of weather. He had two horses, so he could alternate riding them and not have to ride one for two days in a row. I was told by my mother that he did this for three years. He had a Star Route, which meant that he had to bid for the job every year. He picked up his daily pack of mail from the post office in Bowen and took it to the little general store at the fork of Ky. Rte. 15 and South Fork Road (Ky. Rte. 1639). My grandmother helped him quickly sort the mail in readiness for his trek up South Fork Road and all the way to tiny post offices in Patsey and Pilot, two small towns in Estill County. It was a 14-mile route. At some point in his letter-carrying career, Papaw also took a mail sack and met up with another letter carrier to pass it along to him. Papaw carried things other than the mail while on horseback. One time, he had a container of battery acid in his sack to be delivered to a family on his route. Papaw strapped the container to his belt and off he rode. Little did he know that the container had a tiny leak that spread onto his pants leg. Before he arrived back home, the acid had eaten through his pants until there was little to nothing left of them. Mamaw had to run to the house, which was in the back of the general store they owned, to get Papaw a blanket to cover himself. I remember Mamaw telling that story for many years and laughing so hard. Luckily, neither Papaw nor the horse was seriously harmed. After those first years on horseback, Papaw purchased vehicles such as Chevy pickup trucks, International Scouts and Ford Broncos for the route to make his job a bit easier. Many of those were four-wheel-drive vehicles to navigate miles of unpaved roads. With more room in these vehicles than he had on horseback, Papaw delivered grocery items
At capacity, Lake Cumberland is vast enough to cover the entire state of Kentucky with 3 inches of water.
December 2021/January 2022 55
from the store to the 110 or so families along his route. As a child in the 1960s, I visited my grandparents in the summers. I grew up in Ashland, several miles away. I loved to go with Papaw to deliver the mail on those visits. On the route, we usually packed our lunch, which consisted of a couple of cans of Vienna sausages, a few crackers, two cold Ale-8-Ones and a Hostess cake— usually a Hostess Snoball. He always let me pick what cake I wanted from the snack cake rack in the store. I sat in the passenger seat with the wooden box of mail between us. The mail already had been sorted and placed in careful order to be delivered. Papaw would stop at the appropriate mailbox and hand me the mail to put into the box. I felt so important! Those times with my papaw still remain some of my favorite memories with him. I recall one time Papaw handed me the mail to deposit in the next mailbox. I noticed that one of those envelopes was covered front and back with bright red lipstick kisses. Obviously, it was some sort of love letter. Being about 8 to 10 years old, I asked, “Papaw, what is this?” while pointing to the many kisses on the front of the letter. Papaw responded pretty quickly with something like “Just put it in the box, Phillip!” I remember Papaw being a rather shy man and had many chuckles over that incident as I later came to understand what the lipstick kiss-covered envelope meant. At the end of the route, we traveled the 2 miles from the general store to Bowen to turn in the collected mail to Elwood Kalar, the Bowen postmaster. I loved seeing Mr. Kalar. Not only was Mr. Kalar a wonderful man, but he also was the preacher of the church where my grandparents were members. Mr. Kalar always made any child in that Bowen area feel like a million dollars while slipping us a quarter or whatever coins he had in his pocket at the time. Great memories, for sure! Papaw retired from carrying the mail in 1969 on Christmas Eve Day, which was the end of his contract. I am fortunate to have had my grandparents in my life, and I was their only grandchild.
The post office in Bowen.
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. CAUDILL BOOK FOR SALE: The Caudills: An Etymological, Ethnological, and Genealogical Study, by award-winning historian Lochlainn Seabrook (a Kentucky Caudill descendant).Visit our webstore: www.SeaRavenPress.com
Morton in front of his store in the early 1940s.
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General Butler State Park in Carrollton is named for William O. Butler, a soldier of the War of 1812 and the Mexican-American War.
off the shelf
(P)-Paperback (C)-Clothbound (H)-Hardback
Acknowledgment and Acceptance Family Foibles
Doing It Right
We’ve all returned from extensive vacations looking forward to being home and, ironically, to a kind of relaxing refreshment. But for John and Sally Ross, the time of unwinding at their Lexington residence doesn’t happen. After an unforgettable vacation with challenges in Budapest, Sally dutifully decides to stay in New York to care for the couple’s daughter, who is ill with cancer. John returns home to unexpected stayover guests—his brother-in-law and his brother-in-law’s wife. Those visitors, a difficult mother-in-law, and a son dealing with substance abuse create a boiling pot of stress for the Rosses. Adding to the challenges, something fishy and potentially unlawful is happening down the street, and the whole neighborhood is on watch. It’s for all the world to see in Frankfort resident Michael Embry’s latest installment in the John Ross Boomer Lit series, Make Room for Family. Embry, who spent more than 30 years in the news media—including seven years as editor of Kentucky Monthly—has settled into a second career as a fiction writer, publishing 10 novels and currently working on another.
Terry Forcht’s business successes started early while growing up in Louisville. In junior high school, he delivered newspapers, hunted night crawlers to sell, and sold pencils and chewing gum to classmates. A little later, he delivered prescription medications on his bike. It was great training for what United States Sen. Mitch McConnell, who wrote the foreword in this book, refers to as a life that “contains many lessons, and not only for those who wish to succeed in business.” Gary P. West and Eddie Woodruff have teamed to write his biography, Start Right. End Right. The Terry Forcht Story. In an easy-to-read style, the two show how early hard work and creativity propelled Forcht to grow the huge, profitable Forcht Group of Kentucky, a business with holdings in banking, radio stations, nursing homes, and credit and insurance agencies across the state and beyond. The reach of the company includes 93 businesses employing more than 2,100 people. Interspersed throughout the book are helpful words of advice from Forcht, “Terry’s Tips for Entrepreneurs,” and black-andwhite photos of Forcht and those around him.
By Steve Flairty Make Room for Family, by Michael Embry, Wings ePress, $17.95 (P)
By Steve Flairty Start Right. End Right. The Terry Forcht Story, by Gary P. West and Eddie Woodruff, Acclaim Press, $24.95 (H)
56 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY D ECEMBER 2 0 2 1 / J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 2
A children’s book with wonderfully colorful illustrations, Tully and Me: A Story About Differences, Understanding and Friendship was inspired by people on the autism spectrum. The story is about a turtle named Tully, who would hide in his shell when situations get difficult or scary. The book shows how Tully can enjoy things such as singing and other animals, but that joy is derived in a different way from how others experience joy. An example easy for all to understand is that Tully likes pinwheels but is afraid of a lawnmower. The narrator demonstrates to Tully how lawnmowers have wheels like a pinwheel. Tully enjoys counting, so the narrator shows how to distract Tully from something scary by counting. This book can inspire people of all ages and backgrounds. Author Keeley A. Shaw of Louisville is an artist, illustrator and writer. She has worked with people on the autism spectrum, and that experience inspired her to create this book to help explain differences and coping skills. Shaw holds a master’s degree in special education and a bachelor’s in interdisciplinary early childhood education. By Deborah Kohl Kremer Tully and Me, A Story About Differences, Understanding and Friendship, written and illustrated by Keeley A. Shaw, selfpublished, $17.99 (H)
11 Consecutive Appearances on Jay
6 Straight Years Advancing to the National
Mathews’ List of Top Performing Schools with Elite Students
Science Bowl Competition in Washington, D.C. 174 National Merit Finalists
We come from all across Kentucky to The Gatton Academy on the campus of Western Kentucky University. As juniors and seniors in high school, we enroll in WKU courses, conduct research with WKU professors, and study abroad. While we are challenged academically, we thrive in a supportive environment designed just for us and make lifelong friends. Best yet, our tuition, meals, housing, and fees are all paid for by the Commonwealth of Kentucky. You, too, can have a future filled with infinite possibilities.
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CLASS OF 2024 ADMISSIONS DEADLINE February 1, 2022 k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 57
past tense/present tense by Bill Ellis
Ralphie, Jean Shepherd and Me
A
Like Ralphie, I got roughed up a other animals, though they knew to t some point on Christmas few times by a bully several years stay out of the way of us Eve, I will perform a ritual older, who lived nearby. Ralphie rambunctious Snow Hill kids.* that provides solace for me finally goes somewhat berserk and I never got hurt badly—a scrape or each year. Sitting alone before my pummels Scut Farkus. I never hit my two, perhaps. At least I never died of DVD player, I will watch the movie tormentor, but my bully once backed blood (or soap) poisoning. version of Jean Shepherd’s novella A me up to a neighbor’s house and I had a stream to play in, Mulberry Christmas Story. You may ask why I am threw a punch at my face. I ducked, Branch. It was never deep enough to alone. That’s because my family has and he hit the house, hurting his risk drowning, but an occasional refused to ever again watch the leech attached itself to one movie. of my toes. My mother, To me, the movie is who ordinarily did not quite close to what I recall smoke, would light up one about Christmas, ca. 1950, of my father’s cigarettes—I living on Snow Hill just think it was a Lucky Strike outside Shelbyville. in those pre-filter days— Shepherd set his book and and force the bloodsucker movie sometime earlier, in to abandon me with the lit midwestern Indiana, but end. I caught crawdads, it has the feel of postchased sunfish into the World War II America. shallows, and generally His mom and “Old Man” had the run of the place. I are a bit like mine, knew better than to wade although I never had a in the deeper places in little brother. Clear Creek. Everything in the And boy, did I have movie is overplayed, Ralphie’s family home from the film version of A Christmas Story is daydreams. exaggerated to the point located in a southern Cleveland neighborhood. Ralphie dreamed of that I can understand why getting a Red Ryder BB my family and probably hand while allowing me to escape Gun for Christmas and defending his many of you readers might find the temporarily as he cursed his bruised family against culprits. I did not get a film rather farcical, a one-timer at hand. On another occasion, one of my BB gun for Christmas or any other best. time when I was a small kid. When I We lived in a small frame house on older Campbell cousins saved me. was around 12, I was playing one hot the corner of Ky. Rte. 55, down the summer day with an older kid who hill from Snow Hill Florist. It was a • • • had a BB gun. We were in a busy road in pre-interstate days. neighbor’s yard, and he and some Originally bought with just “three Kids who never grew up like other boys and girls were shooting at rooms and a path,” by the time of my Ralphie and me, with old junk cars birds. I was given the gun and story and Ralphie’s, we had indoor and alleyways to explore, don’t know promptly shot a robin off a tree plumbing, and I had my own what they have missed. Across the branch. Though still an avid bedroom with WWII model airplanes road from where I lived, behind my fisherman, I have never hunted birds. hanging from the ceiling. Ellis grandparents’ home, was a You might recall the scene in A We had an old coal furnace in the genuine old-fashioned junkyard. It basement like Ralphie and his folks was great fun to play among the old Christmas Story when Ralphie’s family had. It was capricious, either putting rusty autos, robbing banks like Jesse returns from the Christmas parade. out too much heat or, when we James, whom my friends and I had On the way home, their old car blows thought it was “dampered,” suddenly seen in the latest Saturday movie at out a tire. For the first time, Ralphie’s going cold. I hated it. I also had the the old Burley Theatre. We hid in the mother encourages him to help his job of fishing out and disposing of old rusting hulks during innumerable father. The father, referred to by wayward moles that wandered into hide-and-seek episodes. There were Shepherd, as narrator, as the “Old the sump pump. weeds galore, probably snakes and Man,” places the lug nuts into the 58 K E NT U C K Y M O NTHLY D EMEMBER 2021/ JANUARY 2 0 2 2
hubcap. Ever anxious to help, Ralphie upsets the hubcap, and the lug nuts fall into the snow. He utters the infamous “F-word.” When his mother finds out about this, she is quite upset and forces Ralphie to place a bar of soap—the Lifebuoy brand, as I recall—in his mouth. I experienced a similar incident. I was born in Danville and lived with my parents in a little frame rental house just across from Centre College. My father—“Pop” to me—worked at the old Kentucky Utilities gas plant. When I was about 4, according to my mother, while playing in the basement of the house, one of my little wooden autos fell over. “Well, I’ll be a sommabeech,” I said. She said her first impulse was to rush down the steps and spank me. Instead, she got tickled and started laughing. I got away with my first curse words. I am sure my 6 foot, 1 inch father got a good talking to that night from my 5 foot, 1 inch mother. I don’t remember the incident, but my mother got a kick out of telling the tale years later. When I was a kid, I used to be embarrassed by that story, but now I relish telling it to my grandchildren. If I live long enough, I will tell it to my great-grandchildren as they come of age.
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• • •
Well, you are probably bored to death by now, reading an old man’s recollections of Christmases long ago, way back in the mid-20th century. A Christmas Story always reminds me of a much simpler world, without all the distractions of modern life. Even more simple was the birth of Jesus Christ, born of Mary and placed in a manger in a stable in Bethlehem. I like the simple things in life. I know you have similar stories. Email them to me, if you care to. “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas, just like the ones I used to know …” * As my father’s business prospered, he bought the old junkyard, tore down an old twostory frame home, and built several homes, including Mom and Pop’s “dream home.” Readers may contact Bill Ellis at editor@ kentuckymonthly.com
k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 59
field notes by Gary Garth
Reindeer “… And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof The prancing and pawing of each little hoof …” — from “A Visit from St. Nicholas”
A
s the “Merry Christmas” versus “Happy Holidays” political nonsense heats up for the yuletide season, I’ve turned my attention to more historic holiday matters. Caribou versus reindeer. There’s really no controversy. They are the same animal. Throughout the upper reaches of North America, these 300- to 400-pound, heavily antlered critters are known as caribou. However, across Northern Europe and Siberia, they carry the more holiday friendly moniker of reindeer. Unfortunately, they are not known by either name in Kentucky because we don’t have any, although I wish we did. However, Kentucky is home to two reindeer relatives—whitetail deer and elk. Reindeer first attained widespread Christmas fame nearly two centuries ago when, on Dec. 23, 1823, the charming poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas” was published in the Troy Sentinel in New York by the famed author Anonymous. It wasn’t until more than two decades later, in 1844, that poet, scholar and pastor Rev. Clement Clarke Moore included the poem—more commonly known by its opening line, “’Twas the night before Christmas”—in a published collection and claimed authorship. Soon afterward, controversy surfaced. The family of poet Henry Livingston Jr., who died in 1828, claimed he had penned the poem. No one knows for sure the identity of the original author, but based on syntax and literary style, the nod sometimes leans toward Livingston. Authorship notwithstanding, “A Visit from St. Nicholas” quickly became and has remained one of the most popular Christmas poems ever penned. My interest in the 51-line poem, which is written in anapestic meter, hinges on the critters—the “eight tiny rein-deer.” They are named Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donder (updated spelling Donner) and Blitzen. Since Dasher is listed first, I’ve always assumed she is the lead reindeer. Moore (or Livingston) employed a generous level of artistic license in both his description of the animals and their mobile abilities. While the Svalbard reindeer, a subspecies found on a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean, average around 150 pounds, most reindeer are in the 300- to 400-pound range. The smallest of the species, the Svalbard are hardly “tiny,” and a team of eight could easily handle a sleigh. Reindeer flying abilities are another matter. Bats are the
only known mammals that can fly. However, Hollywood addressed this thorny question in the 1994 version of the film Miracle on 34th Street. In a courtroom scene, character Kris Kringle (portrayed by Sir Richard Attenborough) is presented with a reindeer and asked to make the animal fly. Sadly, he cannot, then explain the limitations. “He only flies,” the prosecuting attorney is told, “on Christmas Eve.” Regardless of flying ability, reindeer have been widely domesticated, especially across parts of Northern Europe and Siberia, and are sometimes employed as beasts of burden. Towing a sleigh is a chore easily managed. Reindeer also are social animals—traveling, feeding and resting in groups ranging from around a couple of dozen to a couple of hundred. During spring migrations in search of food, they travel hundreds of miles in astoundingly large herds that can swell to 500,000. Some reindeer subspecies’ knees make a clicking sound when they walk. One explanation of this oddity is that it allows the animals to stay together in blizzard conditions. It also might explain “the prancing and pawing of each little hoof.” Reindeer are unique in that, unlike Kentucky’s whitetail deer and elk, both male and female reindeer grow antlers. However, male reindeer typically shed their antlers in November. Females carry their antlers until late spring. The evidence is unmistakable: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donder and Blitzen (translated Thunder and Lighning)—and later addition Rudolph—are all girls. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and yours. • • •
Don’t overindulge on eggnog and miss Kentucky’s excellent late-season hunting. Seasons remain open for several species, including but not limited to: Deer (archery and crossbow through Jan. 17; late muzzleloader Dec. 11-19). n Fall turkey (shotgun Dec. 4-10, crossbow through Dec. 31, archery through Jan. 17). n Black bear (firearm Dec. 11-17). n Doves (Nov. 25-Dec. 5; Dec. 18-Jan. 9). n Ducks/coots/mergansers (Dec. 7-Jan. 31). n Canada geese/white-fronted geese/brant (Nov. 25Feb. 15). n Squirrel (through Feb. 28). n Rabbit and quail, eastern zone (through Jan. 31). n Rabbit and quail, western zone (through Feb. 10). n
For more information on Kentucky’s hunting seasons, dates, bag limits and zones, go to fw.ky.gov.
Readers may contact Gary Garth at editor@kentuckymonthly.com 60 K E NT U C K Y M O NTHLY D ECEMBER 2 0 2 1 / J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 2
Explore the beginning of light in Kentucky and its ability to illuminate both space and ideas.
at the Kentucky Historical Society Nov 11 - Mar 20 history.ky.gov/illuminations
TOGETHER
Fighting Cancer in Eastern Kentucky Leonard Lawson Cancer Center
Learn about our advanced capabilities. Visit pikevillehospital.org or call (606) 430-2212.
k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 61
calendar Due to COVID-19, please visit the event’s website or call the contact number prior to attending to ensure that it is taking place.
DECEMBER 2021 SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
Ongoing Christmas Open House,
Ongoing Wendy’s Twinkle at the Track, NCM
Ongoing Holiday Toy Trains, Behringer-
5
Motorsports Park, Bowling Green, through Jan. 1, 270.777.4509
<<<
Wakefield-Scearce Galleries, through Jan. 14, Shelbyville, 502.738.3448
Jason Isbell in Concert,
Crawford Museum, Covington, through Jan. 8, 859.491.4003
WEDNESDAY
1
2
Oldham County History Center, La Grange, 502.222.0826
Barn Lot Theater, Edmonton, through Dec. 12, 270.432.2276
Playboi Carti Narcissist Tour,
Cool Kentucky: Independent Spirits, Frazier
Acoustic Holiday Show, Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts, Louisville, 502.584.7777
13
David Phelps – It Must Be Christmas, Paramount Arts Center, Ashland, 606.324.0007
26
22
Mannheim Steamroller Christmas,
SATURDAY
3
4
Village Players, Ft. Thomas, through Dec. 11, 859.781.3583
Caldwell House Museum, Old Louisville, through Dec. 5, 502.635.5244
10
11
Paramount Arts Center, Ashland, 606.324.0007
Leeds Center for the Arts, Winchester, 859.744.6437
Dashing Through the Snow, The
Christmas with John Berry: The Silver Anniversary,
Holiday Home Tour, Conrad-
Ben Sollee and Daniel Martin Moore’s Happy Hollerdays,
17
18
Opera House, 859.233.4567
Badgett Playhouse, Grand Rivers, 1.888.362.4223
SKyPAC, Bowling Green, 270.904.1880
23
24
25
Down Home Christmas,
Christmas Spectacular,
Christmas Christmas Eve Day
RiverPark Center, Owensboro, 270.687.2770
<<<
20
FRIDAY
16
David Sedaris Live, Lexington
History Museum, Louisville, 502.552.4200
19
The Christmas Express,
9
7
Owensboro Sports Center, 270.687.8330
12
THURSDAY
29
21
30
Flea Market New Year’s Spectacular, Kentucky Expo Center, Louisville, through Jan. 2, 502.456.2244
31 New Year’s Eve
a guide to Kentucky’s most interesting events 62 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY D ECEMBER 2 0 2 1 / JANUARY 2 0 2 2
JANUARY 2022 SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
1 New Year’s Day
11 5
16
10
<<<
9
12
Momix Live, Norton Center for the Arts, Danville, 859.236.4692
17
23
7
Barn Lot Theater, Edmonton, 270.432.2276
Corbin Arena, 606.258.2020
The Carol Burnett Show,
13
Lonestar in Concert,
Ryan Upchurch in Concert,
19
Broadway’s Cats, Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts, Louisville, through Jan. 23, 502.584.7777
20
Bonnie and Clyde, presented
Irresistible John Williams, presented by the Louisville Orchestra Pops, 502.584.7777
21
22
Peter & the Wolf, presented
by the Footlighters, Stained Glass Theatre, Newport, through Feb. 6, 859.291.7464
26
27
8
15
14
Mountain Arts Center, Prestonsburg, 606.886.2623
<<<
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
6
by the Louisville Orchestra, The Brown Theatre, Louisville, 502.584.7777
28
18
29
30
31
find more at kentuckymonthly.com k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 63
guested interest
B Y M I C H A E L N O LT E M E Y E R
A Kentucky Christmas Carol
I
n an Ancient Age, a Kentucky Gentleman named Col. Ebenezer H. “Scrooge” Taylor works late in his Barterhouse counting money into stacks Ten High, when he is visited by his Old Crow of a partner, Jacob Marley. Dead drunk, Marley warns him of three Kentucky spirits to follow and vanishes without a Buffalo Trace. “Humbug!” cries Scrooge and returns to his counting, leaving his Cabin Still once more. Shortly thereafter, an Old Forester appears and interrupts Scrooge again. “1791, 1792—humbug!” Scrooge says. The stranger, who introduces himself as Very Old Barton, says he’s heading up toward Rock Hill Farms. “That’s way up Longbranch!” Scrooge says. “Almost all the way to Heaven Hill!” “You’re definitely not headed for Heaven Hill,” Very Old Barton replies. “Besides, we’re just gonna cut across Knob Creek by Noah’s Mill.” “Cross the creek how—Rowan?” Scrooge asks. Always a Fighting Cock, he reaches for his Blade & Bow until Very Old Barton aims a Bulleit at his head. “Like it or not, you’re going to see the Tarnished Truth, you Old Tub,” Very Old Barton says. “Who died and made you King of Kentucky?” Scrooge says. Dead leaves Russell and crunch in the cold as they walk. Upon cresting Black Ridge, Scrooge is astonished to see a Red Stag mounted on the wall and many faces he knows from days of yore. “Look, that’s Evan Williams! And Elijah Craig! And Elmer T. Lee! I worked with them in Early Times,” he says. “Oh, and there’s Old MICHAEL NOLTEMEYER Fitzgerald—he could Remus out Guest Columnist good, but he was like an Old Grand-Dad to us all!” The crowd starts to sing a New Riff on an Old Medley. Delighted by the Kentucky Tavern before him, Scrooge implores Very Old Barton to share his Christmas spirits.
“McKenna get some of that?” Scrooge asks. “I need something to help with Blanton the cold.” Very Old Barton pockets his flask and points Scrooge back to the window. “Did you come to this party Stagg or were these holiday parties Michter’s?” In bursts a young woman so beautiful as to be even the Angel’s Envy. She stops to pet a white dog under a sprig of Basil, and young Scrooge leans in for a kiss. Suddenly, the scene before them melts away, and the same beautiful young woman, slightly older, releases Scrooge from their Old Charter before heading off for Yellowstone. Scrooge weeps, lambasting Very Old Barton for reopening old wounds: “Humbug, you old Harper! If this isn’t what you wanted, Wathen?” “Has this mashup given you enough proof of concept?” inquires Very Old Barton. “Or do I need to show you visions of postmortem Larceny?” “You don’t have to keep beating the same Johnny Drum!” Scrooge cries. “I’ve had my eyes closed longer than Rip Van Winkle. And just think how I’ve turned my back on that Weller who lives on my land, Old Ezra with the sick kid. By Jefferson’s, if I could just—” And with a flash of white lightning, Scrooge finds himself back in his own bed on Christmas morning, threefourths of his Four Roses now gone. He celebrates with a Rebel Yell: “I still have Woodford in Reserve!” Determined not to go Unforgiven, Scrooge takes the Weller a holiday feast even better than a Wild Turkey. “I’ve brought you an Eagle Rare,” he says, wondering all the while: Willett be good enough? The Weller invites him in and introduces him all around: “Calumet?” Scrooge and the Weller have a barrel of laughs, telling tales of Booker’s and Baker’s and Cooper’s and Maker’s, and Scrooge becomes like a second Pappy to Tiny Tim Beam, who, just before the curtain falls, offers the classic Kentucky Christmas greeting: “God bless us, EVERY bourbon! A Louisville native, Michael Noltemeyer lives in Los Angeles, where he teaches writing at Loyola Marymount University.
Kwiz Answers: 1. A. While many of the first Kentucky Colonels did hold military titles, most of them simply were considered nice guys; 2. B. Johannes “John” Bowman was “commissioned” to military governor of Kentucky County during the American Revolution; 3. C. 6,667; 4. C. John Bryan Bowman founded the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentucky in 1865, which became the University of Kentucky in 1909; 5. A. Western Kentucky University Coach John Oldham was pressured to not start five black players together, but the Beaver Dam native insisted, “They’re the best five I’ve got”; 6. B. Built in 1884, the granite structure overlooks the Cumberland River in Lyon County; 7. C. Corp. Fulks was inducted posthumously in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1978; 8. A. Stause also appeared on the series Mistresses in 2015; 9. B. Abraham Lincoln Collinsworth was one of the state’s leading scorers in the early 1950s; 10. A. While Mattingly was the founding editor of The Kentucky Magazine, she rose to fame at The Washington Post and The Week. 64 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY D ECEMBER 2021/ JANUARY 2 0 2 2
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