September 2021 | Kentucky Monthly Magazine

THE BOURBON ISSUE SEPTEMBER 2021

with Kentucky Explorer

BOURBON FESTIVAL for mature audiences only

BOURBON I N M OT I O N BOURBON G E TAWAY PERFORMING ARTS PREVIEW

Display until 10/12/2021

www.kentuckymonthly.com

O N T H E C OV E R Photo courtesy of O.H. Ingram’s River Aged Whiskey

in this issue

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SEPTEMBER D E PA R T M E N T S 2 Kentucky Kwiz 3 Readers Write 4 Mag on the Move 8 Across Kentucky 10 Cooking 45 Kentucky Explorer 56 Off the Shelf 58 Past Tense/ Present Tense 60 Gardening 62 Field Notes 63 Calendar 64 Vested Interest

16 Aged on the Water Ingram’s whiskey goes with the flow, and Jefferson’s Ocean travels the world on a ship’s deck 20 Bourbon Bliss in Bardstown Home to 11 bourbon distilleries, the charming Nelson County town has plenty to offer lovers of Kentucky’s native spirit 28 Back to Basics The Kentucky Bourbon Festival sharpens its focus in its 31st year

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32 Biking, Bourbon and Bluegrass The Bourbon Country Burn offers cyclists world-class riding and Kentucky’s signature drink 36 Back on Stage Ten shows you won’t want to miss this performing arts season

38 Mountain Maestro Various teachers and mentors made Scott Bersaglia’s musical career possible, and now it’s his turn to give back

k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 1

kentucky kwiz Test your knowledge of our beloved Commonwealth. To find out how you fared, see the bottom of Vested Interest.

Mammoth Cave 1. When was Mammoth Cave discovered?

A. 1700s B. 1600s C. 1800s 2. In its early days, Mammoth Cave was mined for what?

A. Coal B. Saltpeter C. Silver 3. Who was the most popular early guide and explorer of the cave?

A. Stephen Bishop B. Franklin Gorin C. Fleming Gatewood 4. Medical researchers provided small cabins in the cave to help patients with which disease?

A. Asthma B. Tuberculosis C. Cancer 5. In which year was Mammoth Cave declared a national park?

A. 1989 B. 1967 C. 1941 6. Name the underground river inside Mammoth Cave.

A. Black B. Dark C. Echo

7. What is unusual about some animals living deep inside the cave system?

A. They are eyeless B. They have dark coloring C. They are abnormally large

© 2021, Vested Interest Publications Volume Twenty-Four, Issue 7, September 2021 Stephen M. Vest Publisher + Editor-in-Chief

Editorial Patricia Ranft Associate Editor

8. Creatures that survive in deep, lightless cave environs are called what?

A. Creatures of darkness B. Troglobites C. Undergrounders 9. One popular feature of the Mammoth Cave system is the ____________.

A. Empty Pit B. Dropoff Pit C. Bottomless Pit

Rebecca Redding Creative Director Deborah Kohl Kremer Assistant Editor Ted Sloan Contributing Editor Cait A. Smith Copy Editor Kaitlyn Miracle Editorial Intern Rebecca Sams Graphic Design Intern

Senior Kentributors Jackie Hollenkamp Bentley, Bill Ellis, Steve Flairty, Gary Garth, Janine Washle, Kristy Robinson Horine, Kim Kobersmith, Abby Laub, Walt Reichert, Joel Sams, Ken Snyder, Tracey Teo, Gary P. West

Business and Circulation Barbara Kay Vest Business Manager Jocelyn Roper Circulation Specialist

10. Legend claims the cave system was discovered by a hunter pursuing what animal?

A. Bear B. Cougar C. Elk 11. Mammoth Cave is considered the world’s _____________ cave system.

A. Youngest B. Longest C. Oldest 12. How many miles of Mammoth Cave have been explored?

A. 100 B. 200 C. 400

Kentucky Kwiz courtesy of Karen M. Leet, author of Sarah’s Courage, a Kentucky historical novel, and co-author of Civil War, Lexington, Kentucky, historical nonfiction, both from The History Press.

2 KE NT U C K Y M O NT H LY SEPTEMBER 2 0 2 1

Celebrating the best of our Commonwealth

Advertising Lindsey Collins Account Executive and Coordinator For advertising information, call 888.329.0053 or 502.227.0053 KENTUCKY MONTHLY (ISSN 1542-0507) is published 10 times per year (monthly with combined December/ January and June/July issues) for $20 per year by Vested Interest Publications, Inc., 100 Consumer Lane, Frankfort, KY 40601. Periodicals Postage Paid at Frankfort, KY and at additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to KENTUCKY MONTHLY, P.O. Box 559, Frankfort, KY 40602-0559.

Vested Interest Publications: Stephen M. Vest, president; Patricia Ranft, vice president; Barbara Kay Vest, secretary/treasurer. Board of directors: James W. Adams Jr., Dr. Gene Burch, Gregory N. Carnes, Barbara and Pete Chiericozzi, Kellee Dicks, Maj. Jack E. Dixon, Bruce and Peggy Dungan, Mary and Michael Embry, Thomas L. Hall, Judy M. Harris, Greg and Carrie Hawkins, Jan and John Higginbotham, Frank Martin, Bill Noel, 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 Hoppy Reader Thank you for the feature article “Hoptown’s Hoppy Place” in your recent Drink Local supplement (mailed with the May issue). I would not have known about the Hopkinsville Brewing Company’s effort there without it.

When I read the story, I immediately made arrangements to get to Hoptown (I currently live in Louisville) and get some Atkins Milk Stout. Atkins Dairy provided home delivery of dairy products for 40 years in Hopkinsville and was an institution there.

The HBC has created a welcoming and pleasant environment and an excellent brew selection.

George Atkins, Louisville

Varied Viewpoints I was glad to see that I’m not the only one who didn’t like Hillbilly Elegy, which

perpetuates stereotypes (June/July issue, page 56). I was also glad to see the comments in the same issue from Loyal Jones and Ricky Skaggs, both of whom embody the best of Appalachia. Interviews with these stellar Kentuckians offered me valuable insights for my recent book, In Search of Appalachia. I like to say that I’ve presented the other side of the coin from what J.D. Vance did; the people I met were more like The Waltons than The Beverly Hillbillies, more Sgt. York than Pvt. Gomer Pyle.

I have a few theories, but I still wonder how millions of people who value family, honesty, loyalty, faith, independence, character and country, for whom people are more important than things, ever became pariahs in their own land.

Aren’t those traits that all Americans should aspire to?

Nancy B. Diggs, Ph.D., Dayton, Ohio

• • •

I grew up in West Liberty in Morgan County in the 1950s and moved to Cincinnati as a 14-year-old but visited my mother in Morgan County many times until her passing in 1999. I still go back to the Sorghum Festival most years in September.

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.

I loved the book Hillbilly Elegy, and I loved the movie. I was raised in Grassy Creek, born in a farmhouse on a tobacco farm. We had no electricity in my first seven years and didn’t have indoor plumbing until I was 10.

The references about Appalachia in Hillbilly Elegy in no way bothered me.

And no one in my family had drug issues.

I graduated from the University of Cincinnati and had a good 35-year career with Ashland Oil.

Drink Local This handy guide to sipping in the Bluegrass State spotlights local breweries, wineries and, of course, distilleries. Discover unique ways to drink in Kentucky, creative cocktail recipes and more.

Richard S. Gose, Southport, (North Carolina) and Ludlow, Kentucky

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.

UNITING KENTUCKIANS EVERYWHERE.

v Find more at kentuckymonthly.com.

Use your phone to scan this QR code and visit our website.

C O N N E C T.

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.

Collins-Vice Family JAPAN (above) Three generations of the Collins family visited Kyoto, Japan, together.

The trip included a stop at the Fushimi Inari Taisha, a mountainside shrine to Inari, the Shinto god of rice.

The site dates to 711 A.D. and is surrounded by thousands of traditional torii gates.

Going Dutch HOLLAND (left) The Mahans and Voegelis from Fulton enjoyed windmills in Holland while on a pre-pandemic cruise. From left, Alice Voegeli, Brenda Mahan, Bob Mahan and Dan Voegeli

4 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY SEPTEMBER 2 0 2 1

TOGETHER

Fighting Cancer in Eastern Kentucky Leonard Lawson Cancer Center

Learn about our advanced capabilities.

Visit pikevillehospital.org or call (606) 430-2212.

Experience the character and charm of historic Hermitage Farm Discover our farm-to-table dining and bourbon tastings at Barn8, stay with friends or family in our Main House, plan a tour of our horse operation, or enjoy an evening walk through our immersive art experience.

Relax and unwind on the farm.

Reservations: Barn8Restaurant.com

HermitageFarm.com

502.398.9289 k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 5

travel

Kentucky Favorites!

We can p and pu rint bli your bo sh ok, too!

Magoffin Co. Authors Howard and Lykins create legacies for posterity with their written words about small town, rural KY.

or 859.520.3757 Order today! or www.reformationpublishers.com

october Court Day Festival oct. 15-18th

Downtown Mt. Sterling

S H O P P I N G , F O O D + E N T E R TA I N M E N T

Marketing Kentucky GEORGIA A group of tourism industry professionals from throughout Kentucky gathered at Oliver’s Corner Bistro in downtown Macon, Ga., on June 15 for dinner while in town to attend the Southeast Tourism Society’s Marketing College program. Those in the photo include: 1st row (from left) Kendall Clinton (Lawrenceburg-Anderson County Tourism); Brooke Jung (Visit Hopkinsville); Abby Dixon (Henderson Tourist Commission); Samantha Johnson (Prestonsburg Tourism); Samantha Brady (Visit Bardstown); 2nd row Frank Crabtree (Burnside Tourism); Michelle Perry (McCreary County Tourist Commission); Katie Shea (Lake Cumberland Tourism-Somerset-Pulaski County CVB); Farrah Dobbs (Kentucky Wildlands);

I-64 EXIT 110

MTSTERLINGTOURISM.COM

3rd row (standing) David Jones (Richmond Tourism); Chris Robinson (London Tourist Commission); MacLean Lessenberry (Glasgow-Barren County Tourism); Emily Roberts (Kentucky Tourism); Tina Dalece Wood (Glasgow-Barren County Tourism); Amanda Gee (Kentucky Tourism); Sam Lacy (Visit Bardstown); Bailey Gilkerson (Georgetown/Scott County Tourism); Krysta Winstead (Elizabethtown Tourism & Convention Bureau); Kayla Speis (Visit Murray); and Ashton Bailey (Shelbyky Tourism Commission and Visitors Bureau).

Horticulture Meets Humor

shopkentuckymonthly.com 888-329-0053

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Get ready for gardening season with this down-home collection of practical advice and personal anecdotes from Kentucky Monthly’s gardening columnist, Walt Reichert. Organized by the seasons, each chapter offers color photography and straightforward tips for everything from combating critters to pairing plants.

The Bluegrass State’s green thumbs have proliferated, thanks to Walt’s encouraging and down-to-earth morsels of gardening wisdom.

Horticulture meets humor in gardening columnist Walt Reichert’s collection. o o o o o

To order: kentuckymonthly.com 1-888-329-0053

6 KE NT U C K Y M O NT HLY SEPTEMBER 2 0 2 1

1/9/15 10:40 AM

Angela and Corey Siddall KENYA Angela and Corey Siddall, of Newport visted the enviromentally friendly Lake Naivasha Sopa Lodge on the southern shore of Lake Naivasha, 55 miles outside Nairobi Kenya.

Happy birthday!

PORTUGAL An Ashland trio celebrated Mom’s 80th birthday at Lisbon, Portugal’s 16th-century Tower of Belem. The trip included stops in Portugal, Scotland, and Ireland. From left, Lillian Faye Burton (the birthday girl), Jane Allyson Christine Jenkins (granddaughter) and Allyson Faye Burton Brake (daughter).

Social distancing isn’t a problem when your backyard is this pretty...

Regina Wilkins AUSTRIA Regina Wilkins of Maysville visited Austria’s Gottweig Abbey, a 15th-century monastery, with her October 2019 copy of the magazine.

Discover

G A L L AT I N C O U N T Y Hartig Park and Wildlife Reserve has 500 acres of horse trails, hiking trails, kayaking and primitive camping.

k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 7

across kentucky B I R T H D AY S 1 Boyd Holbrook (1981), actor/ fashion model from Prestonsburg 1 Angaleena Loletta McCoy Presley (1976), singer/songwriter from Martin County 7 Kaitlynne Postel (1986), Lexington native and Miss Kentucky 2007 12 Josh Hopkins (1970), Lexingtonborn film and television actor

Elegant Sipping Stitzel-Weller Distillery in Louisville has opened the Garden & Gun Club, a destination cocktail bar inspired by Garden & Gun magazine. Located on the second floor of the distillery, the club offers a variety of food and drink options.

“There is no better place for this club—with its distinctively Southern atmosphere that mixes old with new—than on the grounds of this historically significant distillery that also welcomes a new generation to the art of bourbon making,” said Steve Rust, president of Stitzel-Weller’s parent company, Diageo.

The club partners with Blade and Bow Whiskey, allowing guests to experience a Southern-inspired dining and cocktail menu in the lounge of a historic Kentucky distillery. Guests can purchase the Blade and Bow 22-YearOld tasting experience, which includes a handcrafted glass from Terrane Glass Co., a signature wool tartan bag, a Blade and Bow enamel pin, and a tasting notes guide.

In addition to offering a special Blade and Bow cocktail menu, the club stocks a full bar that includes a variety of spirits, wine and beer.

For more information, visit stitzelwellerdistillery.com/garden-and-gun-club.

NEW DISTILLERY NEWS Jackson Purchase Distillery in Hickman has announced an upgrade to its facility, creating 30 new jobs in Fulton County. In March, the company acquired an unused distillery, which will be further developed and expanded in a project slated to be completed by April 2022.

“We are excited about the opportunity to start producing Kentucky bourbon in Fulton County,” said Lloyd R. Jones, president and CEO of Jackson Purchase Distillery. “We have been most fortunate to acquire the distillery and begin upgrading the facility. Support from the distillery industry and Commonwealth of Kentucky has been extremely helpful.”

The distillery will produce in excess of 25,000 barrels annually, seeking to reflect the style of bourbon and rye produced in Kentucky.

In Jessamine County, distiller E.J. Curley & Co. plans to establish a facility with a more than $5 million investment. The investment includes the construction of a 22,500-square-foot facility at the site of the original E.J. Curley & Co. Distillery at Camp Nelson, which will employ 52 people.

“We are delighted to be the lone distillery in Jessamine County,” E.J. Curley President Matthew Parker said. “The history of Camp Nelson and Boone’s Knoll is a shining star for the Commonwealth, and it thrills us to revive production of America’s spirit at the original location of E.J. Curley & Co.” The distillery will produce traditional bourbon and plans to include a firstof-its-kind Kentucky-blended international spirit. A soft launch, the “E.J. Curley & Co. Revival Tour,” where guests may buy spirits and tour historic nature trails, is planned for later this year.

8 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY SEPTEMBER 2 0 2 1

12 Will Chase (1970), Broadway actor/singer from Frankfort 17 Richard Taylor (1941), Kentucky Poet Laureate (1999-2001) 20 Jude Devereaux (1947), Fairdale-born romance author of more than two dozen bestsellers 21 Jerry Bruckheimer (1945), television/film producer, who, along with his wife, Linda, has preserved properties in Bloomfield (Nelson County) 22 Stephen Buttleman (1964), official bugler at Churchill Downs and Keeneland 22 Ashley Eckstein (1981), actress/ voice actor and fashion designer from Louisville 23 Les McCann (1935), Lexington-born soul jazz piano player and vocalist 23 George C. Wolfe (1954), Tony Award-winning theater and film director from Frankfort, best known for Bring in ’da Noise, Bring in ’da Funk 25 Hal Sparks (1969), comedian/ actor from Franklin County, best known for hosting E!’s Talk Soup 25 bell hooks (1952), poet/writer from Hopkinsville, member of the Kentucky Writers Hall of Fame 30 Lisa Thornhill (1966), Hardinsburg-born actress best known for the television series Veronica Mars

Proud to call Kentucky home.

Memory Makers

Creating a Culture of Caring

Visitors to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail now have a new lodging option as Rob Samuels, representing the eighth generation of his family in the whiskey business, repurchased and renovated the family’s Bardstown estate.

The house will be available for overnight accommodations beginning this month. There are three suites (sleeps up to eight) and comfortable, thoughtfully appointed sitting areas, including a spacious back porch and patio.

Bill Samuels Jr. will host an evening of storytelling and cocktails for groups donating to the Margie Samuels Endowed Scholarship for the Women of Color Entrepreneurial Program at Bellarmine University (subject to availability).

The house was built around 1820 by John Samuels, son of Robert Samuels, who served in the Continental Army and was the first of eight generations in the family who have been whiskey makers in America.

Family heirlooms throughout the house include some 50 bottles of whiskey spanning 150 years of distilling; part of Margie Samuels’ collection of English pewter that inspired her to name the current family brand, Maker’s Mark; the deep fryer she used to to create the bottle’s iconic red-wax tendrils; and the pistol surrendered in the front yard of The Samuels House by the notorious Frank James, who was in the last armed group fighting at the end of the Civil War. Booking for The Samuels House is available at thesamuelshouse.com.

We’re excited to welcome students to our Versailles, KY campus this fall!

HONORING A KENTUCKY PIONEER

Specialties Offered:

Lodging at the Wilderness Road Guest Houses in Stanford offers visitors charming accommodations in historic dwellings. Among the six houses available, four—the Logan Cottage, Boone House, Shelby Cottage and Whitley Cottage— are named for historical figures who were key in the settlement of Kentucky.

Enter the Jack Hart House, the latest in the lineup. The building is undergoing extensive renovations that, like those of the other guest houses, preserve as much as possible of the historical integrity of the structure.

Hart, who moved to Kentucky in 1774, was a bodyguard and slave of Nathaniel Hart. A member of Daniel Boone’s Wilderness Road exploration team, Jack Hart possibly was the first African American to reach the area of Kentucky south of the Kentucky River.

• Certified Nurse-Midwife • Family Nurse Practitioner • Women’s Health Care Nurse Practitioner • Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

Frontier.edu/KyMonthly k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 9

cooking

SPIRITED FLAVOR Find Bourbon Barrel Foods products at its Louisville retail stores, in specialty shops across Kentucky, and online at bourbonbarrelfoods.com.

10 K E NT U C K Y M O NTHLY SEPTEMBER 2 0 2 1

Chicken and Smoked Pepper Dumplings S E RV E S 6 - 8 For the stew: 1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil 4 carrots, diced 3 celery stalks, diced 1 large onion, diced 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves or 2 teaspoons dried thyme 2 garlic cloves, chopped 2½- to 3-pound chicken, cut into parts, including the backbone (You can ask your butcher to do this) 2 bay leaves 1 tablespoon Bourbon Smoked Salt 2 teaspoons Bourbon Smoked Pepper 10 cups water 1 cup frozen peas For the dumplings: 2½ cups all-purpose flour, divided 2 cups liquid from cooking chicken and vegetables ½ teaspoon Bourbon Smoked Salt Like the bourbon used to enhance its seasonings and sauces, Bourbon Barrel Foods products have a quintessential Kentucky flavor. Founded by president and CEO Matt Jamie in 2006, the Louisvillebased company brews and bottles Bluegrass Soy Sauce, the only microbrewed soy sauce produced in the United States, and produces a wide selection of bourbon-infused food products.

These recipes, supplied by Bourbon Barrel Foods, contain a flavorful dash of bourbon goodness and were published originally in Jamie’s cookbook Eat Your Bourbon, released in 2017.

1201 Story Avenue, No. 175 Louisville, 502.333.6103 2710 Frankfort Avenue Louisville, 502.618.0939

1 tablespoon Bourbon Smoked Pepper 1 tablespoon baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda 6 tablespoons butter, melted ¾ cup buttermilk 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped, plus extra for garnish 1. Heat oil in a 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven or pot on high heat. Add the carrots, celery, onion, thyme and garlic to the pot, stirring until vegetables begin to soften, about 5-7 minutes.

2. Add the chicken, along with the bay leaves, smoked salt, smoked pepper and water. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 1 hour. Discard the bay leaves and transfer chicken to a plate; let cool. Pull meat off the bones, shredding the chicken. Set aside.

3. Whisk together ½ cup flour, 2 cups of the cooking liquid and ¼ teaspoon each of smoked salt and smoked pepper. While whisking, slowly pour this mixture into the pot. Whisk until fully incorporated. Return the chicken to the pot. Simmer until the broth is slightly thickened, about 10-15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

4. While the soup is simmering, make the dumplings. In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 cups of flour, baking powder, baking soda and ¼ teaspoon each of smoked salt and smoked pepper. Add the melted butter, buttermilk and parsley. Stir with a large spoon to form dough.

5. With the broth at a slow simmer, drop a tablespoonful of dough at a time into the liquid. Once all the dough is in the soup, cover and simmer gently until dumplings are firm, about 12-15 minutes.

6. Add the peas for the last 2 minutes of cooking. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.

For more recipes with Bourbon Barrel Foods products, visit bourbonbarrelfoods.com. k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 11

cooking

Ken Jamie is the father of Matt, the founder and owner of Bourbon Barrel Foods. Ken has been with the company since the beginning and still comes to work once or twice a week.

Ken’s Favorite Bolognese Sauce MAKES 4 QUARTS 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil ¼ pound country bacon, cubed 1 pound mild pork sausage 2 medium onions 4 celery stalks, finely chopped 2 medium carrots, finely chopped 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 2 tablespoons Bourbon Smoked Paprika 2 teaspoons Bourbon Barrel Smoked Sea Salt 1 teaspoon Bourbon Barrel Smoked Pepper 1 cup bourbon 28 ounces canned crushed tomatoes 1 cup whole milk 1 cup water ¼ cup parsley, chopped 12 K E NT U C K Y M O NTHLY SEPTEMBER 2 0 2 1

1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and sausage and cook, stirring and breaking up sausage lumps until they are no longer pink.

2. Add the onions, celery, carrots and garlic, stirring occasionally until softened. Add smoked paprika, smoked salt and smoked pepper and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the bourbon and deglaze, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Cook for 5 minutes to reduce bourbon by half.

3. Stir in tomatoes, milk, water and parsley. Gently simmer, covered, until sauce is thickened, about 1-1¼ hours.

Season to taste with smoked salt and smoked pepper and remove from heat.

4. Serve with fresh pappardelle, tagliatelle or spaghetti pasta. Also great over grits and braised meat.

Note: Sauce may be made up to two days ahead. Cool completely before refrigerating in an airtight container.

Sauce may be kept in the refrigerator for one week or frozen for up to one month.

Cinnamon Rolls MAKES 15 CINNAMON ROLLS

For the dough: ¾ cup lukewarm water 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast ½ cup Bourbon Vanilla Sugar ¼ cup buttermilk, room temperature 1 egg 1/3 cup vegetable oil ½ teaspoon Bourbon Smoked Salt 4½ cups all-purpose flour

For the filling: 1¼ cups light brown sugar 2½ tablespoons cinnamon 2 tablespoons cornstarch ½ cup unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing the pan

For the frosting: 2 ounces cream cheese, softened ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened 1 teaspoon Bourbon Barrel Aged Madagascar Vanilla Extract 1 teaspoon lemon juice 1¼ cups powdered sugar

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the lukewarm water, yeast and 1 tablespoon of the vanilla sugar. Stir to combine and set aside.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk, egg and oil. Once the yeast is frothy, add the buttermilk mixture to the yeast, along with the remaining sugar and the smoked salt, and stir to combine.

3. Using the dough hook attachment, pour in 2 cups of the flour and combine on low speed until the flour is incorporated. Add the remaining flour, a cup at a time, until the dough pulls away from the bowl. It should be slightly sticky. If dough is too wet, add another ¼-½ cup flour. Transfer dough to an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm place to rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

4. For the filling, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon and cornstarch in a small bowl.

5. Butter an 11- by 15-inch baking dish,

line with parchment paper and then butter the parchment.

6. Once dough has risen, flour a large work surface. Punch down the dough and transfer to floured surface. Roll out the dough into a large rectangle, roughly 20 by 30 inches wide. Spread ½ cup unsalted, softened butter over the dough, leaving the edge farthest away from you unbuttered. Evenly sprinkle the filling mixture over the butter.

7. Starting with the edge closest to you, gently roll up the dough into a tight log. Slightly pinch the unbuttered edge into the log to seal. Trim off uneven ends. Score the log every 2 inches with a knife; then, using those marks, cut into rolls. Place rolls into the buttered dish and cover with

plastic wrap. Leave to rise again for another hour or until doubled in size.

8. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 15-17 minutes or until tops start to brown. Do not over bake.

9. While rolls are baking, prepare the frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together butter and cream cheese. Add vanilla and lemon juice.

Beat to combine. Add powdered sugar and mix on low speed just until incorporated. Slowly increase speed to high and beat for 5 minutes until frosting turns white.

10. After removing the rolls from the oven, spread half the frosting over the rolls. Cool rolls for 15 minutes.

Spread remaining frosting. Serve warm.

k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 13

cooking

Boulevardier 1 SERVING

1½ ounces Kentucky bourbon 1 ounce Campari 1 ounce sweet vermouth 1 dash bitters Ice Orange slice, for garnish Maraschino cherry, for garnish

Parmesan Crusted Chicken Breasts

1. In a cocktail shaker, add all the ingredients except the orange and cherry. Add ice and stir well to combine.

2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Garnish with orange slice and maraschino cherry.

S E RV E S 4 4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts 20 saltine crackers ½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese 2 teaspoons Bourbon Smoked Sea Salt 1 teaspoon Bourbon Smoked Pepper 1 teaspoon Bourbon Smoked Paprika 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1/8 teaspoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 egg, lightly beaten 2 tablespoons milk (whole milk preferred) 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted Bourbon Smoked Sea Salt, for finishing

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1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a baking rack with baking spray or grease lightly with oil and place into an appropriately sized baking pan; set aside. Pat dry chicken breasts and set aside.

2. Add saltine crackers to a large plastic bag and, with a rolling pin, beat them into smaller pieces, and then roll them to make fine crumbs. To the crackers, add Parmesan cheese, smoked salt, smoked pepper, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, oregano and garlic powder. Shake the bag well to combine all the ingredients.

3. In a small, shallow bowl, whisk together the egg and milk. Dredge the chicken breasts in the egg and milk mixture, and then place them in the bag with

the saltines and seasonings. Add two at a time to avoid over-crowding.

Shake well to coat.

4. Place chicken breasts on prepared baking rack. Drizzle evenly with melted butter. Place in preheated oven and cook for 30-40 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer.

5. Remove from the oven and sprinkle lightly with more Bourbon Smoked Sea Salt. Let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

THE WORLD'S MOST

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Distilled and bottled by Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, KY. Alcohol by volume varies by product. www.buffalotracedistillery.com.

1-800-654-8471. Please Drink Responsibly.

For more information, visit ingramwhiskey.com.

16 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY SEPTEMBER 2021

AGED

ON

THE

WATER

Ingram’s whiskey goes with the flow, raised and lowered by the tide; Jefferson’s Ocean travels the world on a ship’s deck

BY STEPHEN M. VEST

I

n Mark Twain’s imagination, Huckleberry Finn and Jim passed through “the confluence” in a fog, missing the turn that led to Cairo, Illinois, and possible freedom. Instead, they headed south, past the Ballard County location where Hank Ingram, some 160 years later, ages his O.H. Ingram River Aged Whiskey.

“We’re located near where these two mighty rivers—the Ohio and Mississippi—come together, and the river is at the center of what we do and who we are,” Ingram said. He has bet his future on the unpredictable elements of nature to shape his product into something worthwhile. “The river brings its own elements to this enterprise.”

Ingram knows something of the river. His family has been in the barge business for five generations, and his floating rickhouse is housed in one of his family’s barges. What makes his whiskey—and eventually bourbon—unique is that it is constantly agitated by the Mighty Mississippi. The river level rises from 14.4 feet in the winter to more than 40 feet in the spring—this happens again and again and again.

“The whiskey inside our barrels is constantly churning, exposing more liquid to the surface of the barrel, where it extracts more flavor from the wood,” Ingram explained.

The dramatic swing in temperature is vital. During the day, the heat inside the rickhouse can easily reach 120 degrees. At night, it can drop into the 40s. The heat causes the wood to expand, and overnight, it contracts, squeezing flavor out of the wood and into the barrel. Couple that with the humidity, which Ingram believes cuts down on evaporation and builds a consistency some might compare to molasses.

“Our whiskey barrels are exposed to the constant rise and fall of the river. When coupled with the river’s climate of humidity and its temperature swings, our whiskey literally never stops working,” Ingram said. “We call it barrel-aged and river raised.”

Based in Nashville, the Ingram entrepreneurial dynasty began with the Empire Lumber Company founded by Hank’s third great-greatgrandfather, Orrin Henry Ingram. In 1946, Hank’s great-grandfather started the Ingram Barge Company, which

morphed into a distribution company, which, at one point, handled Kentucky Monthly magazine and other periodicals and books across the South.

Hank’s corporate identity, Brown Water Spirits, brings together five generations of the family business into one enterprise—an idea he came up with while earning his master of business administration degree at Vanderbilt University in Nashville.

Hank, a fan of fine whiskey, is not a distiller. He leaves that part of the business to Owensboro’s Green River Distilling. The aging and distribution network, which stretches across Kentucky and Tennessee, is where he focuses his efforts.

“Our success is built on an affinity for the river and river traffic,” said Ingram. His next target market is Louisiana—where barges strike a romanticized reaction similar to trains in the Midwest.

People have harnessed the immense power of the Mississippi as it flows down to the Gulf of Mexico for centuries. “The river is the lifeblood of its people and how many provide for their families,” Ingram said. “Simply put, it’s a way of life here.” Q k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 17

ON

BOARD

BARRELS

>>

>>

BY

DEBORAH

KOHL

KREMER

J

efferson’s Ocean bourbon, produced at Kentucky Artisan Distillery in Crestwood, has traveled the world before it ends up in your on-the-rocks glass. Instead of aging gracefully in one of the giant rickhouses that can be seen dotting Kentucky’s landscape, these barrels are strapped in for an ocean voyage that few people ever experience.

Of the 21 varieties of spirits the Jefferson’s brand offers, founder and chief strategist Trey Zoeller said that 19 are produced using methods not employed in the usual bourbonmaking process.

“What is typically done with bourbon is you distill it, age it, cut it to proof, and bottle it. Somewhere in the maturation process, I manipulate it or massage it one way or another to 18 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY SEPTEMBER 2021

create different types of flavors,” he said. “I always say that BaskinRobbins has 31 flavors for a reason.”

For example, there are versions of Jefferson’s that are finished in rum or cognac casks or even wine barrels.

“For the wine barrel finish, we take Cabernet Sauvignon barrels that have just dumped their wine from Napa or Bordeaux, and we fill them up with bourbon that has aged in rickhouses,” Zoeller said. “Then, we put them in shipping containers, which I call ‘hot boxes’ because when it is 95 degrees outside, it is 125 degrees in those. That heat will sweat the wine into the bourbon for the next nine to 15 months.”

All of the Jefferson’s expressions— as Zoeller refers to the varieties— begin aging in rickhouses. Currently,

about half of the brand’s 80,000 barrels are aging a quarter-mile from the Oldham County distillery. The barrels are rolled into the wooden barn-like structures and experience years of hot, humid summers and freezing cold winters, as well as those in-between times when Kentucky seems to experience several seasons all in one day.

But it is the Jefferson’s Ocean label that earns its sea legs riding the waves.

The idea for an aged-at-sea bourbon came about in 2012. Zoeller landed some space for a few barrels on a friend’s ship and put a twist on the familiar aging process. It wasn’t just any ship, but an at-sea laboratory for OCEARCH, an organization focused on collecting scientific data

> For more information on Jefferson’s Ocean, visit jeffersonsbourbon.com.

from the ocean. OCEARCH collaborates with scientists and research organizations studying marine life, traveling all over the globe in pursuit of answers. But the organization made room on deck for some barrels of Jefferson’s.

The barrels that contain what will become Jefferson’s Ocean are aged for six to eight years in the rickhouses and then carefully placed into shipping containers that set sail in Savannah, Georgia. Zoeller explained that most voyages follow the same route—traveling through the Panama Canal, around New Zealand and Australia, then to China and Japan and back through the canal before sailing to Europe. In all, the ship hits more than 25 ports on five continents, crossing the equator at least twice.

“Depending on the time of year we take off, whether it is July or January, we can have very different temperature swings,” Zoeller said. “If the voyage is turbulent, then everything is amplified.”

He explained that the sloshing around of the bourbon in the barrel allows it to get more contact with the wood, giving it more color and flavor.

The wood also acts as a filter, taking away the astringency of the alcohol.

Crossing the equator brings extreme heat that caramelizes the sugars, resulting in a strong caramel flavor. Another factor in ocean aging is the salty air, which permeates the barrel and gives the bourbon a briny flavor. The more turbulent the voyage, the more bourbon is lost to evaporation, which condenses the liquid and makes it saltier.

“People say it tastes like salted caramel popcorn,” Zoeller said.

Not everyone is immediately sold on the idea of bourbon aging at sea.

“When people first hear about this process, they think it is just a marketing gimmick,” he said. “But then they taste it and realize the ocean really changes the complexity of the bourbon and gives it great flavors.” Q

L ove at first taste wildernesstrailky.com Danville, KY Wilderness Trail Distillery encourages you to sip responsibly

k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 19

A

Bourbon Bliss in Bardstown Home to 11 bourbon distilleries, the charming Nelson County town has plenty to offer lovers of Kentucky’s native spirit

fter a year and a half of quarantining and social distancing, it’s time to raise your “spirits” at the 30th annual Kentucky Bourbon Festival in historic Bardstown, a celebration of the state’s bourbon-making heritage held Sept. 16-19. Learn to pair bourbon with regional cuisine, bid on rare bottles at the Master Distillers’ Auction, or sip your favorite bourbon while listening to a fast-pickin’ bluegrass band. (For more on the Bourbon Festival, see page 26.)

Distillery tours and tasting room visits are part of the fun, but if you can’t make it to the festival, no worries. You can go distillery hopping any time of the year, and now, there’s even more to see.

Dant Crossing and Log Still Distillery A vintage train teeming with bourbon-loving passengers rattles through the undulating hills of Nelson County, passing harvest-ready cornfields, cattle grazing in pastures, and horses peeking through fences. In the bar car, some sip Monk’s Road bourbon from elegant snifters, savoring smooth vanilla nuances between slow drags on fine cigars, while others relish the peppery bite of Monk’s Road rye whiskey. There’s a burgeoning sense of camaraderie in the group, united in their passion for “America’s native spirit.”

20 K E NT U C K Y M O NTHLY SEPTEMBER 2 0 2 1

By Tracey Teo

The Kitchen & Bar at Bardstown Bourbon Company For more on visiting Bardstown and Nelson County, contact Bardstown-Nelson County Tourist & Convention Commission, 1 Court Square, Bardstown, 502.348.4877, visitbardstown.com. For information on the Kentucky Bourbon Festival, visit kybourbonfestival.com.

k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 21

Lux Row Distillers

That’s what John Wallace “Wally” Dant III envisions for the next phase of Dant Crossing in New Haven, the new 350-acre, bourbon-themed recreation and entertainment complex with Log Still Distillery at its heart.

Think of it as the Disneyland of bourbon. A collaboration with the nearby Kentucky Railway Museum will help facilitate a 45-minute excursion through the pastoral setting where seven generations of Dants have distilled bourbon.

Dant, a savvy businessman and former Nashville healthcare CEO, is reviving the family’s bourbon legacy that began in 1836, when an ancestor distilled whiskey in a hollowed-out poplar log. The new distillery will sit on the site of the old operation that closed decades ago.

When it’s completed next year, the $30 million complex will have a 22,000-square-foot events center, a farm-to-table restaurant called 47 and Poplar (47 is the old distillery number) and, of course, a craft distillery that can produce 15,000 22 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY SEPTEMBER 2 0 2 1

barrels of bourbon annually.

Monk’s Road bourbon is named for the road that leads to the distillery from the Abbey of Gethsemani, the monastery that was home to the Trappist monk and prolific writer Thomas Merton.

Within walking distance of the tasting room is The Homestead at Dant Crossing, a five-bedroom bedand-breakfast in a restored lakefront farmhouse that has been in the Dant family for generations.

City-dwelling guests can relish the simplicity and charm of the countryside, dangling their hooks from a nearby pier hoping to get a nibble. Others may want to set off on a pleasant walking trail that circles the 12-acre lake. The Log Still water tower looms in the distance.

The view hasn’t changed much since Dant’s childhood, when he made regular trips from his Indiana home to visit his grandparents.

After dark, guests who started out as strangers become friends around a fire pit, while their children catch

fireflies.

Dant often is asked what inspired him to pursue his dream of Dant Crossing, and the answer is simple— the pull of family.

“With Log Still Distillery and our Monk’s Road spirits, I get to honor my forefathers’ legacy, work alongside my cousins, and build something to pass along to our children,” Dant said. “The destination we’re creating at Dant Crossing is so other families can come and make lasting memories together. At the end of the day, honoring the past, present and future generations is the reason for all of this.”

Heaven Hill Distillery Many bourbon enthusiasts base themselves at the Homestead at Dant Crossing and branch out from there to visit other area distilleries.

Start with Heaven Hill, which includes Evan Williams and Elijah Craig bourbons in its extensive portfolio, and check out the Heaven

Hill Bourbon Experience, the impressive new visitors center formerly called the Bourbon Heritage Center. Following a $19 million expansion, the 30,000-square-foot space features three tasting rooms, a rooftop bar, and even more bourbonthemed fun.

Heaven Hill knows that today’s savvy bourbon consumer has a thirst for knowledge, and the new visitors center enlightens.

General Manager Jeff Crowe says the space “offers new educational opportunities not only about Kentucky’s native spirit, but about the history and culture behind it. It caters to the whiskey novice as well as connoisseurs.”

The new, hour-long You Do Bourbon experience, which takes place in a classroom setting, takes a deep dive into everything from mash bills (grain recipes used to produce bourbon) to quality control.

If you’ve ever dreamed of bottling your own bourbon, now is your chance. Visitors bottle and take home

one of four spirits: a unique proof of Elijah Craig, Larceny Kentucky Straight Bourbon, a special barrelproof version of Bernheim wheat whiskey available only at Heaven Hill, or the coveted Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience commemorative edition.

In the You Do Bourbon tasting room, a diverse group of bourbon enthusiasts from all over the country finds it difficult to choose just one of these quality liquors to stock in their home bars. They confer with one another as they sip and sniff, weighing the pros and cons of each.

A bourbon host leads them into the lab, where they learn how mash bills that contain varying amounts of corn, malted barley and rye give each bourbon a distinctive flavor profile.

Bourbons crafted to let malted barley shine have a rich, nutty flavor that seems to grow more complex from first to final sip. Rye-forward bourbon shimmers with vibrant spicy heat that makes it a welcome fireside companion on a blustery winter day. But all bourbon is made

from at least 51 percent corn, the most important grain.

It’s not just the ratio of grains that determines how the bourbon will sit on the palate. The aging process and the char level on the new oak barrel in which the bourbon is aged also shape the flavor.

After a little bourbon education and time to carefully consider their choice, everyone pulls the lever and fills their bottles. They label it, write the proof, and sign it with a flourish, just like Bardstown’s legendary master distillers do.

Some say they will imbibe as soon as they return home, while others plan to save their bourbon for a special occasion. What they all agree on is that You Do Bourbon is a distinctive experience that has made them feel a little bit smarter about the spirit they treasure.

More to See and Sip With 11 distilleries in Bardstown, it would take weeks to experience all the bourbon tours and tastings, but

k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 23

Bardstown Bourbon Company

here are a couple you’ll want to add to your itinerary.

It’s worth visiting Maker’s Mark, a granddaddy of the bourbon industry and a National Historic Landmark, just to roam the vast, bucolic grounds.

You’ll learn about bourbon’s not-sosecret ingredient, limestone water, and have a chance to dip your own bottle into Maker’s Mark’s signature red wax for a one-of-a-kind souvenir.

Unlike historic Maker’s Mark, Lux

24 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY SEPTEMBER 2 0 2 1

Row Distillers has been around for only three years, but it’s already making a splash on the Bardstown bourbon scene. The Lux Row tour showcases mash bubbling in vats and informs visitors about how Kentucky’s four seasons contribute to world-class bourbon, but the best part is the tasting.

If there’s anything that comes close to being as soul-soothing as bourbon, it’s chocolate. Why not enjoy them

together? Chocolate brings out the unique nuances of Rebel Yell, Ezra Brooks and David Nicholson Reserve.

Whatever your bourbon of choice, you’ll find rivers of it in Bardstown.

Most visitors return home with not only a collection of souvenir bourbon glasses, but a deeper appreciation for the unique culture and character of this corner of the Commonwealth. Q

IF YOU GO

VISIT DANT CROSSING 225 Dee Head Road, New Haven 502.917.0200 dantcrossing.com HEAVEN HILL DISTILLERY 1311 Gilkey Run Road, Bardstown 502.337.1000 heavenhilldistillery.com ‘ YO U D O B O U R B O N ’ TO U R $40, does not include the price of the personalized bottle.

KY RAILWAY MUSEUM 136 South Main Street, New Haven 1.800.272.0152 kyrail.org

The Homestead at Dant Crossing

MAKERS MARK DISTILLERY 3350 Burks Spring Road, Loretto 270.865.2099 makersmark.com

502.348.3404 talbotttavern.com SCOUT & SCHOLAR BREWING CO.

DINE

112 West Flaget Avenue, Bardstown

THE KITCHEN & BAR AT BARDSTOWN BOURBON COMPANY

502.268.1234 scoutandscholar.com

1500 Parkway Drive, Bardstown

LUX ROW DISTILLERS

502.233.4769 bardstownbourbon.com

502.337.7420 luxrowdistillers.com

LO CAT E D I N T H E

P R O D U C T I O N TO U R A N D TA S T I N G $ 1 3

E S TA B L I S H M E N T S E R V E S

26 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY SEPTEMBER 2 0 2 1

107 West Stephen Foster Avenue, Bardstown

TO U R $ 2 0

$5 ADMISSION

1 Lux Row, Bardstown

OLD TALBOTT TAVERN

BA R D S TO W N B O U R B O N C O M PA N Y D I S T I L L E R Y, T H I S S O U T H E R N C O M F O R T F O O D.

THE FIRST CRAFT BREWERY I N BA R D S TO W N A L S O I S A R E S TAU R A N T T H AT S E R V E S

S TAY THE HOMESTEAD AT DANT CROSSING 121 Dee Head Road, New Haven 502.917.0200 dantcrossing.com/rentals BOURBON MANOR BED & BREAKFAST 714 North 3rd Street, Bardstown 502.350.1010 bourbonmanor.com

A M E R I CA N FA R E I N A CA S UA L S E T T I N G.

JAILER’S INN BED & BREAKFAST 111 West Stephen Foster Avenue, Bardstown 502.348.5551 jailersinn.com

SPONSORED

Get the first taste of Monk’s Road products at a state-of-the-art Tasting Room centrally located on the Dant Crossing campus.

The historic water tower was painstakingly preserved and now acts as a beacon for visiting bourbon lovers.

Get the first taste from

Log Still Distillery

O

n the winding roads through the rolling hills of Kentucky, you’ll pass rows of rickhouses filled floor-to-ceiling with barrels of Kentucky gold. But the ultimate destination isn’t until you get within arm’s length of a short glass of the spirits themselves. For that, you’ll need to travel to Monk’s Road. The long-awaited, labor –of love from Log Still Distillery. Here, hard work, dedication to family, and respect for the craft are producing premium bourbon and gin products worthy of the Dant family name. A name synonymous with spirits dating back to 1836 when the first Dant distiller hollowed out a log to fashion the first still. And Kentucky bourbon has been flowing through the family veins ever since.

Monk’s Road Fifth District Series is a tip of the hat to the historic tax district of Central Kentucky, deeply steeped in bourbon lore. It’s a rotating series of spirits honoring a rich tradition that was nearly lost with pre-Prohibition distilleries. Monk’s Road Fifth District is a 6-year-old single barrel bourbon that blends notes of corn, rye, and malted barley for a product that revives the spirit of the storied Cold Spring Distillery. It’s bold and brash right out of the gate with a twinge of clove, nutmeg,

Monk’s Road bourbon and gins are the first in a long line of premium spirits to flow from Log Still Distillery.

and allspice. It follows and finishes with hints of coconut, apple, vanilla, and caramel.

If your taste is for gin, Monk’s Road will take you there, too. Monk’s Road Dry Gin is an essential gin with a delicate balance of complementary botanicals. It delivers a sweet and tangy lemon peel twinge with a complex earthiness and spice, plus a final hint of juniper. For a more unique experience, there’s Monk’s Road Barrel Finished Gin. Here, Log Still takes advantage of their wheated-bourbon barrels for a smooth and subtle waft of smoke. Rich in oaky aroma, with vanilla and warm mulling spices and an overall satiny texture polished by the distinct barrel aging.

Premium bourbon and gin spirits are just part of the journey. A new kind of Kentucky bourbon country destination awaits at Dant Crossing, a one-of-a-kind, bourbon lover’s destination. Perfect for weddings, corporate events, or just unforgettable day trips. The campus offers a world-class Tasting Room, outdoor amphitheater, scenic lake, and three upscale lodging choices. Additional amenities, including a train depot and farm-to-table restaurant, are coming soon. It’s a visit that lingers long after you leave.

For more information on where to find Monk’s Road products, visit MonksRoad.com.

BY J AC K I E H O LLE N K A M P B E NTLEY

BACK

TO

BASICS

THE KENTUCKY BOURBON F EST I VA L S H A R P E N S I TS FOCUS IN ITS 31ST YE AR

28 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY SEPTEMBER 2021

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE KENTUCKY BOURBON FESTIVAL, CHECK OUT ITS WEBSITE AT KYBOURBONFESTIVAL.COM.

I M A G ES CO U RT ESY OF THE KENTUCKY B O U R B O N F E ST I VA L

JIM CANTRELL

S

ince 1991, bourbon enthusiasts from around the world have descended upon Bardstown— otherwise known as the Bourbon Capital of the World— for the annual Kentucky Bourbon Festival.

With the event moving into its fourth decade, those attending the sold-out 2021 festival Sept. 17-19 will notice a big change.

According to Randy Prasse, the fesival president, gone are the county fair-type attractions and events that had little to do with Kentucky’s favorite spirit.

“It’s about the bourbon and those who make it,” he said. “There’re so many other things that we revised and, necessarily, had to eliminate from the festival because it didn’t focus on the bourbon. The bouncy houses, the funnel cakes, the overall quality of the food, the car show—a lot of those things that were nice to have, nice local feeling—but they don’t move the needle the way we needed it to move.”

It wasn’t an arbitrary decision.

The festival board of directors conducted a survey of distillers and bourbon enthusiasts following the 2019 festival, and the results were conclusive.

“The distilleries said they want new consumers, bourbon enthusiasts—not just people who are looking for something to do,” Prasse said. “The consumers said they want direct interaction with the distilleries. They wanted sampling capability.

They wanted educational pieces. They wanted to have experiences they can’t get anywhere else. You throw it all in a big barrel, so to speak, and this is what came out of that.”

What came out of that is an exclusive 21-and-over three-day event that brings distillers face to face with their customers and those wanting to learn more about bourbon.

“Every year, the Kentucky Bourbon Festival brings together distilleries within our region to celebrate the spirit of Bardstown and camaraderie,” said Conor O’Driscoll, Heaven Hill Distillery master distiller. “We are looking forward to a week of spotlighting those in our community who bring bourbon to life, as well as providing new experiences for visitors and fans to get to know us better.”

ggg

While there’s nothing positive about the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a silver lining to it, according to Prasse. The 2020 festival had to pivot to a virtual event where master distillers, local chefs, enthusiasts, experts and others conducted online sessions that included history lessons, food pairings, and interviews with master distillers and industry legends.

Those virtual sessions drew more than 1,500 viewers from around the world, and the tally continues to grow.

“It lives on. You can go to the

k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 29

R A N DY P R AS S E

[festival’s] YouTube channel right now” and see last year’s sessions, Prasse said. “People are still going to it and talking about how they watched it back in October, and that they’re going back and getting a refresher course. I believe if we could really dig deep into the ticket buyers this year, there are probably first-time attendees coming in 2021 who first discovered us through the virtual [festival] last year.

And we’ll add to it. We’re going to continue to record.”

What they heard from participants also reinforced the survey’s results.

“Their parting comments typically were, ‘We like what you’re doing.

Why wasn’t this done 10 years ago, 15 years ago?’ It’s about the distilleries now,” said Steve Coomes, the festival’s programming coordinator.

“It’s about the whiskey and the people who make it. Those are the people who our visitors want to see and, luckily, they’ll get chances [this year] to interact with those guys.”

Coomes has organized more than a dozen seminars that cover a wide range of all things bourbon, including the chance to learn more

30 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY SEPTEMBER 2021

about the craft of blending with master distillers from Barrell Craft Spirits and Four Roses Bourbon, to discover how to “nose and taste bourbon like a professional,” and to sample the “real Kentucky combo meal” of bourbon and country ham.

“Some of it will just be talks that people can listen to,” Prasse said.

“Other pieces will be more of the advanced premium opportunities that will actually allow people into a smaller classroom environment where they can sample and do pairings.” ggg

Each evening of the festival will feature special dinners—the Beam Family Barbeque on Friday, the Rabbit Hole Dinner Experience on Saturday, and Blanton’s Bourbon and Burgoo on Sunday.

Nearly two dozen distilleries will be on hand at the Great Lawn at Spalding Hall, where attendees can sample favorite and hard-to-find bourbons. Two marketplaces will feature vendors selling Kentucky and bourbon-specific items, food trucks will offer a variety of options, and musicians will perform throughout the festival.

“It’s a cool thing to get to do,” Prasse said. “Be among your peers.

Be among people who drink responsibly. Be among people who are enthusiastic about the product or maybe want to learn about the product, and be among the people who make it.”

While the idea of changing the festival to a 21-and-over event may not sit well with some folks, Coomes said most of the responses have been positive, and that an adult-only event was a big selling point, so much so that all 9,000 tickets, including the $400 VIP package, sold out within days.

“We’re creating an experience where people don’t have to stand in line all day. It’s not about how many people we can cram in the VW; it’s more about the experience and how many people can we give a really wonderful experience to,” Prasse said. “We’re more of a boutique event. We’re never aspiring to break records or try to outdo attendance records from year to year. It’s less about that and a lot more about the experience the distilleries and consumers can have.” Q

k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 31

Biking...Bourbon

& Bluegrass

By Deborah Kohl Kremer 32 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY SEPTEMBER 2021

The Bourbon Country Burn offers cyclists world-class riding and Kentucky’s signature drink

I

f three days of cycling through the rolling hills of Kentucky—pedaling past horses grazing in idyllic pastures, with stops along the way at various distilleries—sounds appealing to you, you’re a prime candidate to participate in the Bourbon Country Burn.

Now in its fourth year, The Burn will hit Kentucky’s scenic byways Sept.

24-26. The event’s base, called Bourbon Base Camp, is at the Kentucky Horse Park campground. Each day, riders will head out from the site, whether they are going 20 miles or 100. Upon their return each evening, participants will be treated to live music, food, bourbon tastings and the camaraderie of fellow cyclers.

The weekend was created by friends and experienced riders Austin Render and Mollie Hanrahan, who have ridden their bicycles all over the world. The two came up with the concept while biking in another country and asked themselves: Why don’t we bring an event like this to Kentucky?

“We set out from the beginning to create something that was wholly Kentucky and something that was more than just a bike ride that ended when riders crossed the finish line,” Render said. “It is really the experiential nature of the event that sets us apart from other bike events out there.”

The experience involves three days of cycling, camping and learning about bourbon at many levels. There are options for preferences of cycling distances and accommodations. In addition to routes of different lengths, the sleep situations range from a simple tent, to glamping, to RV rental, to a shuttle bus that delivers participants to a local hotel. The choices continue each evening when distillery representatives offer samples at the base camp.

“We invite distilleries that are on the route, and those who are just a bit too far to pedal to, into our bourbon base camp evening festivities,” Development Manager Phil Kollin said. “We try to have a nice mix of small craft distilleries along with those that have been around for 120 years.”

He explained that the registration includes a punch card for every evening of base camp, allowing each cyclist four samples of spirits per night. “People have to make some tough choices each night,” he said. ggg

Kentucky Artisan Distillery has participated in Bourbon Country Burn the last few years with a booth at base camp, as its Crestwood location is too far off the bike route for Burners to visit. KAD personnel offer samples of the distillery’s brands—Jefferson’s Bourbon, Whiskey Row and Billy Goat Strut

k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 33

North American Whiskey.

KAD Visitor Center Supervisor Liz Ratliff said that the event is a great experience for people who are interested in bourbon but might be from out of state and are not familiar with the distillery’s brands. “The riders really want to talk about the product, not just shoot it and leave,” she said. “It is a great way to talk to a large number of people in a short period of time.”

When the riders converge at base camp after being on the road all day, they find a festive atmosphere. “Our goal is to hit all those senses. You have great food, you have the smell of the bourbon, and you get to listen to great music,” Hanrahan said. “It is just a nice sensory experience that we like to give people at the end of the day. Then they just wake up and do it all again.”

The ride itself is just that—a ride, not a race. It is not timed, other than that cyclists can begin between 7 and 9 a.m., and they can decide which route they will take each morning or 34 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY SEPTEMBER 2021

even while they’re pedaling along.

Breakfast is available at onsite food trucks, but the riders are encouraged to have lunch in the communities they ride through. “Our riders will be passing through towns like Midway, Versailles and Frankfort. So many restaurants offer combo lunch options,” Hanrahan said. “It is quick but also delicious. It doesn’t take them long to stop and eat.”

The 400 miles of roads that make up the routes are not closed to cars,

but Render explained that Bourbon Country Burn works with local law enforcement to help out with potential traffic situations.

“We also place signage along the route alerting drivers to the presence of bikes on the road,” he said. “We humanize the bikes on the road with signs that say, ‘Humans on Bikes,’ just to try to make people think differently. We created this, and it is a trend that is catching on at other bike events, too.”

For more information and to sign up on the 2021 waitlist, visit bourboncountryburn.com.

The organizers of The Burn stress that safety is the most important aspect of the weekend. “People tend to think that the event is about getting people drunk and putting them on a bike,” Render said. “We are absolutely not a booze cruise.

Our No. 1 rule is there is no drinking on the course.”

Drinking and tastings are saved for the evening back at base camp.

Render pointed out, “You can, in fact, get a DUI on a bike in Kentucky.”

A fun and helpful feature of the event is its Bottle Sherpa Service.

The distilleries along the routes offer riders discounts, limited-release bourbons, and, sometimes, autographed bottles. The Burn has staff at each location to bag and tag each purchase and take it back to base camp. ggg

The Burn has seen exponential growth in its few years, starting with just 220 riders in 2017, with this year’s participants capped at 1,500. It has welcomed riders from ages 21 to 82 and from every state, Canada and several European countries. Render explained that the demographic is

generally age 40 and up, but this year, the organizers are seeing more younger participants, which they link to the popularity of bourbon.

Event officials do not specify what type of bicycle can be used.

“There’s a ride for everyone,” Kollin said. “All bikes are welcome— electric, tandem, whatever you want.

We say, if you can pedal it, you can ride in The Burn.”

This year’s Burn is sold out, but if you got shut out, you can get on a waitlist or take advantage of numerous opportunities to volunteer.

The Burn has an exchange program in which volunteers can work a few hours in exchange for a day of riding or admission to the end-of-day festivities, which allows people to “earn the burn,” as they say.

“We travel across the country to cycling events to promote The Burn,” Render said. “In the beginning, it was kind of a hard sell, but we lead with bourbon. It is the first word in our name, and it is a hook. It piques people’s interest.

“We have ridden all over the world, and we can honestly say that Kentucky has world-class riding. It’s a two-for-one: You get incredible bourbon, and the riding is spectacular.” Q

YEAR–ROUND NATURE ADVENTURES

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7 AM TO SUNSET, 7 DAYS A WEEK $10 PER CAR SUGGESTED DONATION 502-955-8512 bernheim.org k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 35

T E N S H OW S TO CAT C H T H I S P E R F O R M I N G A R T S S E A S O N

BACK ON STAGE

Do you hear that? It’s the sound of dancers’ feet hitting the floor. It’s the melody of a tune sung from the stage. It’s the laughter and applause from the audience in seats that have been empty since early 2020. The 2021-2022 performing arts season is back to entertain Kentuckians across the Commonwealth. Here are just a few of the shows you won’t want to miss.

BY JACKIE HOLLENKAMP BENTLEY S E P T. 1 1

L The Awesome ’80s: Orchestra Kentucky SKyPAC, Bowling Green 270.904.1880 orchestrakentucky.com Let Orchestra Kentucky take you back to the days when clothes were flashed with neon hues, hair was big, and MTV aired music videos. The Awesome ’80s will kick off the orchestra’s Retro Series season with songs from Prince, Tears for Fears, George Michael, the B-52s and more.

O C T. 9

L Jane Lynch & Kate Flannery: Two Lost Souls Norton Center for the Arts, Danville 877.HIT.SHOW nortoncenter.com Jane Lynch (of Glee, Best in Show and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel fame) and Kate Flannery (from The Office) team up for what’s described as an “uproarious comedy cabaret act.” The Tony Guerrero Quartet will join Jane and Kate onstage to bring the audience pop-rock favorites, rapid-fire repartee, and plenty of laughs. This female version of the Rat Pack is recommended for those 12 and up.

their high-energy performances, and they’re bringing their acrobatic feats to Kentucky this fall. Tumbling, contortion, human pyramids, balancing and other specialties are set to music and include motivational elements. Be ready: The performers like to bring the audience in with their Flamingo Limbo Bar Dance, Congo Snake Dance and Skip Rope Jump.

N O V. 1 1 - 1 4

L Louisville Ballet’s Swan Lake The Brown Theatre, Louisville 502.583.2623 louisvilleballet.org The Louisville Ballet opens its 70th anniversary season with the timeless classic Swan Lake.

With music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and choreography

by Robert Curran, this production will transport audiences to a futuristic world with updated sets and costumes that are said to “challenge concepts of light and dark, uniformity, and the meanings we attach to both.”

DEC. 3-11

L Dashing Through the Snow Village Players of Fort Thomas, Fort Thomas 859.240.7897

O C T. 1 2

L Jabali African Acrobats RiverPark Center, Owensboro 270.687.ARTS riverparkcenter.org The Jabali African Acrobats are known throughout the world for

villageplayers.org Bring the entire family to northern Kentucky to get into a humorous holiday spirit with Dashing Through the Snow. Set at the Snowflake Inn in Tinsel, Texas, this comedic play follows the antics of eccentric guests arriving just days before Christmas. Family feuds and

36 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY SEPTEMBER 2 0 2 1

hilarious plots and subplots add to the fun.

JAN. 6

L Ashley McBryde, This Town Talks Tour

800.928.4545 lctonstage.org J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved book comes to life on stage next spring with Lexington Children’s Theatre’s production of The Hobbit.

Enjoyed by children and grownups alike, the tale of Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf and 12 dwarves will take audiences on a “wild adventure filled with all the magic, danger, and mystery of Middle Earth.”

MARCH 31

Brown Theatre, Louisville

L Judy Collins

502.584.7777

The Grand Theatre, Frankfort

kentuckyperformingarts.org

502.352.7469

Country music star Ashley McBryde brings her vocal talents to the stage following this year’s release of “Never Will,” which garnered Grammy Award nominations as well as nods from the ACM and CMT awards. McBryde broke onto the music scene in 2018 and is now described as country music’s “ordained and highly capable standard bearer.”

Fellow country singer Priscilla Block is the Louisville show’s special guest.

grandtheatrefrankfort.org

F E B. 1 0 - 2 0

L Unpacking Mother Market House Theatre, Paducah 502.444.6828 markethousetheatre.org Head to the western part of the state to see the world premiere of Karen Schaeffer’s awardwinning script Unpacking Mother.

The story follows three sisters as they return home following their mother’s death. Explore how they unearth family secrets as they unpack boxes from their childhood and “exorcise the demons that shaped their adult lives.”

MARCH 13-26

L The Hobbit Lexington Children’s Theatre, Lexington

The Grammy Award-winning singer of “Send in the Clowns” and “Both Sides Now” will take the stage at Frankfort’s Grand Theatre. In addition to those classics, Collins is expected to perform other selections from her 40-plus albums, including songs from her 2019 Billboard Top Bluegrass Album, Winter Stories.

APRIL 23

L The MCC Singers with Very Special Guests Shaun Johnson’s Big Band Experience & Tonic Sol-Fa Glema Mahr Center for the Arts, Madisonville 270.821.ARTS glemacenter.org The Glema Mahr Center for the Arts hosts a night full of singing and big-band music next spring.

Madisonville’s own MCC Singers will entertain the audience along with Shaun Johnson’s Big Band Experience, which brings music “with an inventive edge” to the stage, followed up by what’s been called the “most in-demand vocal group in the Midwest,” the a cappella quartet Tonic Sol-Fa.

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VARIOUS TEACHERS AND MENTORS MADE SCOTT BERSAGLIA’S MUSICAL CAREER POSSIBLE, AND NOW IT’S HIS TURN TO GIVE BACK

T

he stage of Pikeville High School’s 1,000-seat auditorium was bare, and the seats were empty when I met Scott Bersaglia there in July. But even with no audience, Bersaglia filled the room when he conducted a few bars of silent music for an imaginary band.

His eyes snapped; his hands confidently traced the shape of a hymn tune. I had the somewhat uncomfortable sense that he could hear imaginary music more clearly than I could hear actual sounds.

Bersaglia’s skill as a conductor flows from lifelong discipline, worldclass training, and broad experience.

But when the Pikeville Independent

38 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY SEPTEMBER 2021

Schools band director looks back at his musical journey, his own achievements aren’t the focus.

Instead, he sees a long line of teachers, mentors and encouragers who made his journey possible.

That’s one reason why, after completing his doctorate at the University of Texas at Austin and earning a coveted spot as assistant director of bands at the University of Michigan, the Hazard native decided to invest in Kentucky students.

A P R O M I SE K E P T Bersaglia’s musical journey began with a promise. When he was in the eighth grade, his dad, Nick Bersaglia,

offered to buy him a new marimba if he learned to play with four mallets.

The elder Bersaglia is a man of his word, his son said, and Scott never questioned that his dad would follow through. Soon, he began taking private percussion lessons during the summers, and he told his teacher about the marimba that could be his.

“He was like, ‘Dude, we have to get four mallets in your hands,’ ” Bersaglia said. “So, he taught me how to hold the grip, and taught me the beginning four-mallet piece that everybody learns. I played it for Dad, and he held to his promise, just like he has with everything he’s done for us.”

For Christmas during his junior

year, Bersaglia’s parents gave him a letter confirming the marimba’s purchase. From that moment on, musical excellence became his consuming passion—so much so that his siblings complained. “I practiced all the time, to the point that my brother and sister were like, ‘Mom, can you get him to stop?’ And Dad said, ‘Everybody has to endure this until he’s gone,’ ” Bersaglia said.

A sequence of experiences confirmed Bersaglia’s desire to study music further. After attending the Governor’s School for the Arts and the Kentucky Music Educators Association All-State Band, his trajectory was set.

“It’s all I did. I loved it,” he said.

“It was easy for me to make the decision. It all hit at the same time— All-State when I was a junior and getting the marimba the following February after I came back from AllState.”

From his parents’ generosity, Bersaglia learned a lesson that was bigger than music—honoring commitments. “It’s really important with teaching, too, if you think about it,” he said. “That’s the only way you can build trust or talk about truth—if you model it. You can’t be a flake. It’s not an option. And if you are, it makes everything you teach deteriorate. It just doesn’t work.”

FR OM M OREHEA D TO AUS TIN After graduating from Hazard High

School, Bersaglia attended Morehead State University. His goal was to study percussion with Dr. Frank Oddis, but he also found other mentors who expanded his understanding of music.

Two Morehead professors, Dr. Richard Miles and Dr. Greg Detweiler, took on Bersaglia as a private conducting student, introducing him to the art form that would become a new passion. Yet another teacher, the late Dr. Christopher Gallaher, gave Bersaglia private lessons in conducting.

“These four private teachers all had different strengths, but they all required a certain level [of excellence], and they weren’t going to come down,” Bersaglia said. “Either you rose above it, or you had to pick up a smaller weight. Having that intensive study that was one-on-one as an undergraduate really got me thinking more about the whole of music rather than just percussion or conducting or theory, but how all of those worked together.”

During college, Bersaglia continued to practice the disciplined pursuit of his craft. He had received small scholarships to Morehead but not enough to cover his tuition, and his parents graciously covered the rest.

Doing his best, he believed, was the way to honor their generosity.

“The way I could repay them was to be a good steward of time and talents the Lord had given me,” Bersaglia said. “That just set me on a

trajectory that put me in that habit.

Whether they were going to pay for it or not later on in life, that had already been solidified and instilled within me—to keep pursuing excellence.”

After graduating, Bersaglia taught in public schools for two years.

During that time, he kept hearing from friends who had played in the National Intercollegiate Band and sat under Dr. Jerry Junkin, UT’s renowned conductor of bands.

“They all came back to Morehead saying, ‘I’ve never had an experience like this in my life,’ ” Bersaglia said.

Around the same time, he read a book chapter on conducting authored

by Junkin. The conductor’s philosophy of music and musicianship captivated Bersaglia. “He was no-nonsense—‘I just want it to sound beautiful,’ ” Bersaglia said. “For Junkin, the way to rehearse is fix whatever doesn’t sound beautiful. And I think that’s the most honest way to go about music. Make it good, make it true, make it beautiful.”

Soon after, Bersaglia attended a conducting symposium that Junkin was directing. The format is common at music schools around the country.

Attendees prepare a pre-selected repertoire and, during the symposium, they conduct live musicians at the host university and have their work critiqued by conductors. Bersaglia’s performance drew the organizers’ attention, and he was encouraged to apply. When

k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 39

Letter from Bersaglia’s parents

the acceptance call finally came, he couldn’t believe his ears. “I’m going to turn 23 in May, and here I am, after two years of public-school teaching, going to study with Jerry Junkin,” Bersagalia said. “I thought, ‘This is not happening.’ ” In the second year of study for his master’s degree at UT, Bersaglia was invited to stay to complete his doctorate. Under the teaching of Junkin, musicologist Kay Knittel, conductor Michael Haithcock and others, Bersaglia’s conducting skills flourished, and his understanding of music deepened. “It’s still kind of hard to believe that I was able to have that experience,” Bersaglia said.

BACK TO THE M OUNTAINS When I met Bersaglia for an interview at Pikeville High School, a handful of half-deflated balloons decorated his desk—leftovers from a surprise birthday party students had thrown for him before the end of the school year, and he’d kept them well into the summer. He joked that he couldn’t dispose of the balloons with school still in session, but I suspected he also was a bit sentimental.

As a teacher, Bersaglia is known for holding his students to high standards. But students say he’s also approachable and always willing to listen. “He’s definitely the best teacher I’ve ever had,” said Brady Runyon, a 2019 PHS graduate who’s now studying sport management at Eastern Kentucky University. “That’s in both

40 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY SEPTEMBER 2021

life lessons and being a band director.

He’s a personable guy. You can come in and just talk any time of day, and he wouldn’t mind to listen and go over experiences he’s had, too.”

Runyon played percussion in Pikeville bands from sixth through 12th grade under Bersaglia’s direction. Even though he’s not studying music in college, he said he learned lessons he’ll carry with him.

A two-sport athlete (football and baseball), he said Bersaglia helped him learn time management. Musicwise, Bersaglia’s emphasis on excellent musicianship helped create ensembles that constantly improved.

“Teaching you how to properly use your instrument to get the best sound possible was a big thing with him,” Runyon said. “It made us appreciate it even more. Not to toot my own horn, but we sounded better than most schools in the state.”

Before coming to Pikeville, Bersaglia worked at the University of Michigan, Campbellsville University and The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. After the birth of their second daughter, he and his wife, Jennifer, decided it was time to move closer to home. Along with wanting to be closer to family, though, was a longstanding desire to invest in eastern Kentucky.

“Something I really enjoy is seeing students from here, who have just as much talent, blossom,” Bersaglia said.

“It’s not that our talent level is less; it’s that our exposure is less. Part of

me always had a sense of, ‘I wonder if there’s some way to invest more?’ ” In addition to directing the school bands, Bersaglia teaches percussion at the Mountain Arts Center in Prestonsburg, where Jennifer— another Morehead grad and an accomplished musician—directs a piano and vocal studio. They also collaborate in Sacred Winds, a ministry group that Scott founded during college to bring instrumental music to churches in eastern Kentucky. Together, the Bersaglias love interacting with the region’s incredible talent while offering a hard-earned outside perspective.

“One thing I think is really exciting is that we grew up here and understand the culture, but the Lord allowed us to leave and get really skilled and get beat up by world-class musicians,” Bersaglia said. “We can take all that knowledge and translate it into effective means of training. It’s not ability; it’s exposure.”

Whether in Morehead, Austin or Pikeville, the same musical philosophy applies: make it good, make it true, make it beautiful.

“It boils down to that,” he said. “If you focus on those things, you don’t have to keep up with the Joneses— the band down the street. You just teach the beauty of music because of what it is. That takes a lot longer on the front end—we’re talking years.

But once it starts to happen, the solid foundation will yield much more.” Q

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.

WEBSITE: wku.edu/academy / EMAIL: academy@wku.edu / PHONE: 270-745-6565

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k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 41

PHOTO BIENNIAL RETURNS

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Bulleit Proof The Founder’s First Hand Account of How a Legend Was Built.

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

42 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY SEPTEMBER 2021

he Photo Biennial, a premier photographic festival, will occur in Louisville, central Kentucky and southern Indiana from Sept. 9 through Nov. 14.

Embracing local, national, and international photography, the 12th Biennial offers workshops, competitions, public discussions, and exhibitions at more than 40 different venues celebrating artistic excellence in the medium. The Photo Biennial is a cooperative effort among regional museums, galleries, universities, and other public venues.

This festival enables viewers to learn about photography from historical and traditional images to present-day contemporary work and from the global to the local, opening up meaningful dialogue and helping to bridge understanding in our diverse world.

Continuing its evolution to educate and entertain the public with the richness and variety of photography as a documentary and artistic medium, the Biennial is offered at no charge. Here are some highlighted shows and a list of participating venues.

The Biennial is honored to have Texas photographer Keith Carter (above) as special guest and keynote speaker.

Dubbed both a ‘transcendent realist” and “a poet of the ordinary,” Carter has exhibited his work in more than 100 shows in 13 countries, and he has 14 published monographs, including Keith Carter: 50 Years (2018). Carter will speak at the Speed Art Museum on Sept. 24.

Also at the Speed is “Unforeseen Wilderness.” In 1971, Wendell Berry wrote The Unforeseen Wilderness, a plea for preserving Kentucky’s Red River Gorge. The book was illustrated with evocative and mysterious photographs of the Gorge taken by Lexington artist Ralph Eugene Meatyard. One of three complete sets of exhibition prints will be on display through Feb. 13, 2022. This marriage of three Kentucky icons—Berry, Meatyard, and the Gorge— will highlight the festival.

To honor the 20th Anniversary of 9/11, the Louisville Free Public Library Main Branch will exhibit new york: the Sept. 11 photographs, a crowdsourced collection of photos gathered in the weeks following the attack. What began as a single photo hung in a SoHo storefront became a sprawling collection of 5,000 professional and amateur images, one of the most extensive photographic archives in world history devoted to a single event.

For locations, exhibit details, and a constantly updating calendar of events, visit www.louisvillephotobiennial.com.

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KENTUCKY OLD STATE CAPITOL

44 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY SEPTEMBER 2021

A section for Kentuckians everywhere … inside Kentucky Monthly.

The 1901 Kentucky Derby was the 27th running of the Kentucky Derby. The race took place on April 29, 1901.

K ENTUCKY XPLORER E All About Kentucky

Volume 36, Number 7 – September 2021

Shiloh Store, 15 miles east of Murray, around 1911. Notes from the back of photo: from right to left, Joe Holland (with arms around post), Charlie Smith (Autry Smith’s father, leaning against post), Cull Phillips or Holland Roberts (with hands on his hips), Dr. Jones with hand on dog “Rock,” Kelsey Holland, partner in store with dog “Wheeler,” John Holland, age about 3, children Ellen and Terrell Roberts with Clem Roberts standing behind them—partner in the store and brother-in-law. Photo and information courtesy of John Holland, Hopkinsville.

Your Letters -- page 46 Union Col. John Mason Brown -- page 50 Willard: Northeast Kentucky Lost Railroad Town -- page 52

“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. 7

Letters to Kentucky Explorer Letters may be edited for clarification and brevity.

Appreciation for Genealogy Info September, my favorite month, brings the optimism of a new school year, along with the promise of cooler temperatures coming our way.

I went to elementary school in the 1970s, and now, as an adult, I enjoy looking at lunchboxes from that era.

Now referred to as “vintage,” those metal boxes with the matching thermos take me right back to the smelly school cafeteria, and sometimes, I even remember the type of lunchbox fellow classmates carried. The cool kids had the latest TV shows such as Welcome Back Kotter, Charlie’s Angels or Land of the Lost. Mine had a Dawn doll, similar to a Barbie, on it. As I got older, I was mortified at how childish it was, so I moved on to a brown paper lunch bag.

Another school memory is of the smell of a new box of crayons, which puts me right back into my gray plaid grade-school uniform.

My mom would buy a new box of Crayolas for me each year, but I never got the box with the built-in sharpener. I guess we had to leave those at the store for the cool kids.

What are your memories from elementary school? Send me your photos and recollections. I would love to share them with our readers. 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.

— DEB ORAH KOHL KREMER 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.

Thank you for the “Looking for Help with a Family Tree” that you published (Letters, June/July 2021 issue, page 44).

I have received several letters from people who sent information on my father, Moses Elkins, instead of on Old Moses Elkins—his grandfather and my great-grandfather.

I want to thank one lady who just signed her name, Amy Harpring, who sent a long printout on my father.

I appreciate your magazine. It has a lot of interesting information about Kentucky, the state that I consider home. I was born in Ohio, and when the Depression hit, my parents both lost their jobs at Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, so they moved back to Owsley County, where I started school when I was 6 years old.

Genevieve Elkins Long Booneville (Owsley County)

Proud Kentuckian I received Kentucky Explorer and really enjoyed it. I am looking forward to your magazine, as I have a friend who recommended it to me.

I was born in Wolf Coal in Breathitt County in 1933, so I am very proud to be from Kentucky.

Wilma (Deaton) Mangels Charlestown, Indiana

“Boo” Lives On I was amused at the letter in the June/July issue from “Arthur Radley” of Maycomb, Alabama. Those familiar with To Kill a Mockingbird, including myself, are happy to know that “Mr. Arthur” is alive and well.

I’d like to ask him to say “Hey” to Scout and Jem. Grady Wright Lexington

Helton Quest Would you see if you can find out anything about Oskar Helton, born in Knox County? I think he had daughter, Alta Mae Helton.

Thelma Fuson Siler (Whitley County) Editor’s Note: If you have any information, please send to Deb at Kentucky Explorer, and it will be forwarded to Thelma.

September, from the Latin word septem, means “seven.” It was the seventh month of the early Roman calendar.

September 2021 47

Magazine Kudos I’m so glad Kentucky Explorer combined with Kentucky Monthly—great magazines.

I’m 96 and don’t have all that new stuff: dot com, Facebook, etc.

I’m kin to the Shackelfords, who owned Mammoth Cave when all the farmers had to sell to the government around 1929.

Keep up the good work. When I receive the magazine, I turn to the last page by Stephen M. Vest and read it twice.

Margie Edmonds Kinslow Glasgow

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.

Oliver Perry and Margaret Shackelford, 1907

Georgetown’s Stately Ward Hall The 12,000-square-foot Ward Hall in Georgetown is a stunning example of mid-19th century classical architecture.

Directed by the Ward Hall Preservation Foundation, restoration of the impressive structure continues today.

A historical marker for the home and grounds was erected in 1983. The inscription reads: “Junius R. Ward had this mansion (75 ft. by 75 ft.) built circa 1855. Striking features are its coquina (coral and fossils) foundation, 40-foot columns, and stone window and door frames. A frequent guest was his niece—noted southern belle Sallie Ward. After the Civil War devastated his fortune, Ward sold estate in 1867. Listed on National Register of Historic Places.

“Built as summer home, Greek Revival house in Corinthian motif has two roofs. Bottom is slate; top, once copper, had a huge copper tank for water. Deep rubbed walnut woodwork, variety of Greek trim on cornices, and an elliptical staircase are part of mansion’s lavish detail. Among past owners was Col. Milton Hamilton, who offered house to legislature for state capitol.”

Located at 100 Canewood Boulevard, Ward Hall is open to the public for tours. For more information on the estate and to donate to its preservation, visit wardhall.net.

The first enamel bathtub was made in Louisville in 1856.

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” Send your memory in today!

The Crossed Swords Among the most treasured items in my humble apartment are two crossed Civil War swords in a rustic wooden holder. The date 1865 is clearly etched on the back of one.

There is a mystery about the swords that will never be solved. The mystery starts with my brother, Sgt. Denver Bruce Isaac, who was killed in World War II, a few months before his 20th birthday.

Bruce was stationed in England. He was a gunner on a B-17. His plane was shot down over Merseburg, Germany, killing all aboard.

When my grieving parents received Bruce’s personal effects from England, they were surprised and puzzled to find the swords nestled in his clothing.

How he acquired authentic Civil War swords in England will never be known, but they will always be one of my dearest treasures and also a sad reminder of one whose young life was so cruelly cut short.

Betty Isaac Smith, Frankfort

Family Farm: A Field of Dreams Inspired by personal memories of my grandparents, Lawrence and Zorado Skees, from their Glendale farm in the 1950s.

As a young boy visiting Kentucky in the 1950s, I approach the house of my Papaw, and I am anxious and excited, knowing I will soon be a witness to adventure. I hear a symphony of sounds, including cows, chickens, guineas and an occasional barking dog chasing an animal in a distant field or woods. Over these sounds, if possible, I can hear the quietness of the farm without city sounds (no television or hurried traffic), just a peaceful ambiance.

I smell the cook stove burning wood or the heating stove burning coal. Entering the house, I become immediately aware of the damp musty smell that one experiences in

The Skees homestead in Glendale, Hardin County

By Our Readers

most homes that were built before the turn of the 19th century. It is easy to remember the aroma of my Papaw’s sweet-smelling pipe smoke.

I remember looking through the window of the front room. Looking from inside out, I see the opaque blue/green glass in the window. A glass that was rippled, uneven and pocked with bubbled imperfections common in glass made in the early years. The reflection within the house is mixed with a blue/green reflection of color. The hue of color changes as the sun passes from east to west over the house.

The reminiscent recurring sound of the screen door, slamming against its frame, draws you to an awakening within the house.

The house is more than merely a house; it is the home of a typical Kentucky family farm.

Louis Girten, Clarksville, Indiana kymemories50@yahoo.com

The Humble, Edible Dandelion This plant begins to show up in early springtime in lawns and along the roadsides after its winter sleep and blooms all summer. For most, it isn’t worth anything. To some people, it is perfect and can provide a full meal. Yes, a full meal.

My father loved dandelions cooked with bacon or ham and couldn’t seem to get enough. He’d sit himself down at the dining table and with fork in hand waiting for Mom to bring him his favorite springtime meal. Second best was a dandelion salad made with chopped boiled eggs and poured over with hot bacon grease.

Dandelion blossoms can be fried and taste like mushrooms. The root of the plant makes a healthy tea— every part of this plant is healthy. Something else that can be made from the blossoms is wine. Since there were many children in my family, dandelions didn’t stand a chance in our yard, so we went across Big White Oak Creek to Uncle Columbus and Aunt Ada’s with a huge basket to be filled with this plant.

Dandelions could and have saved many lives of the poor families in our area in Kentucky. The kids loved best picking a tiny handful of these blossoms and with a huge smile on their faces handing the bright yellow blossoms to their waiting mothers to place in an empty Vick’s VapoRub jar used as a vase.

So, now that the weather is warming up, go take a nice walk and look for your next meal growing in the yard and enjoy. Remember, too, that this plant could save your life someday.

Lois Wilcox, Piqua, Ohio

In 2013, Ale-8-One was designated as the original Kentucky soft drink by the Kentucky General Assembly.

September 2021 49

Surprise at the Cemetery A favorite parking place of couples attending Park City High School in the 1960s was the Park City Cemetery.

One full moon Saturday night, as usual, couples were parked in the local cemetery. One could see their shadows because the moon was so bright.

The girl looked down through the tombstones, and she saw something she thought was moving. Paying close attention, she saw what appeared to be a man trying to climb out of a grave. But as soon as he tried, he was yanked back into the grave by the Devil.

After watching this incident a few short seconds, the girl pointed out the strange happening to her boyfriend. It took her boyfriend but a brief time to realize it was time for them to be leaving their favorite parking place.

They immediately drove to Tom’s Garage in downtown Park City. The garage was a local hangout in the evenings.

As usual, there were several people there, including the town marshal.

The couple rushed inside, and the girl proceeded to tell the group in an excited manner that there was a man in the graveyard trying to get out of a grave, but the Devil was yanking him back in. She went on to say it was an awful scene.

The town marshal asked, “Have you two been drinking?” Both assured the group they had not been drinking. So, the marshal decided to take a look for himself.

He drove to the cemetery and proceeded to the area of concern, where he could see something moving. He parked the car near the movement, and as he neared the grave, he immediately realized what was happening.

Once at the gravesite, the marshal asked Blue John what he was doing digging a grave at that time of night.

“What better time to dig a grave than at night?” Blue John said. “It is cool, and there is no one here to bother me.”

Needless to say, the couple found a different parking place.

Blue John was a well-respected Black man of the

community. He was so black that his skin appeared blue.

He stood about 6 feet, 4 inches tall, probably never weighed more than 120 pounds, and a wore size 16 shoe.

He always carried a grass sack over his right shoulder and never owned a car, so he always walked.

Blue John always had a big smile and was a happy-golucky individual. He was as honest as a day is long.

When local children misbehaved, parents sometimes threatened the child, “If you don’t behave, I’ll have Blue John come get you and place you in his grass sack.”

No child wanted that.

It’s so sad how this threat resulted in children being afraid of this nice person.

Many years later, Blue John had walked about 2 miles to visit with one of his friends. When he prepared to leave their home, it started to rain heavily. Blue John had on his usual dark clothes. As he was crossing 31-W Highway, he was struck by a car and killed.

What a terrible way for this fine citizen of the community to lose his life.

Ronnie Doyle, Park City

Patriotic Civil War Envelope Addressed to Mr. John Hollinshead, Lewisport, Hancock Co., Ky., this envelope bears a 3-cent stamp and is postmarked in Lebanon, Ky., April 4.

The printing of of Civil War envelopes began as early as the mid-1850s, when North-South divisions began to take shape, but ended prior to the war’s conclusion because most believed that it was too indulgent and expensive to continue their production during wartime

— American Antiquarian Society Photo courtesy of Library of Congress

The official Kentucky State Fruit is the blackberry or “bramble berry.”

6 THE 50 THEKENTUCKY KENTUCKYEXPLORER EXPLORER

Union Col. John Mason Brown Frankfort native served his country and loved his home state of Kentucky

By Bryan Bush

mountains of eastern Kentucky. ohn Mason Brown was In February 1863, born in Frankfort in Confederate Col. Roy Cluke Liberty Hall on April 26, crossed the Cumberland 1837. His grandfather was River with 750 men below John Brown, a leading Somerset and captured lawyer, a U.S. Congressman, Union supplies. He then and, when Kentucky moved toward Richmond. became a state, one of the The 10th Kentucky Cavalry, state’s first two senators. along with other Union His father was Mason troops, was sent to intercept Brown, a circuit judge in Cluke’s forces. Brown fought Kentucky who served as Cluke at Stoner’s Creek and secretary of state. near Mount Sterling. In June John Mason Brown was 1863, the 10th Kentucky was educated in the Frankfort placed in the Fourth schools, but when he was 9 Division of the 23rd Army years old, he was involved Corps under the command in a serious accident in a of Gen. Julius White. mill that injured his right On July 8, 1863, Brown lower limb, confining him led an expedition into to his bed. While Virginia from Pikeville. He recuperating from his detached the 2nd Battalion Col. John Mason Brown, 1837-1890 injury, Brown read books of the 10th Kentucky and and had home schooling. the 1st Ohio Squadron When Brown was 17, celebrated educator B.B. Sayre through the Pound Gap and attacked the Confederates at prepared him for the junior class of Yale University.

Gladesville, inflicting 150 casualties. Brown was involved Brown entered Yale in 1854 and graduated in 1856. He had in engagements at Elk Creek, Tennessee; Triplett’s Bridge advanced with his studies to the point where he (Fleming County), Lancaster, Richmond and Mount graduated two years early.

Sterling in Kentucky; and Gladesville, Virginia. In After graduating from Yale, Brown studied law under southwest Virginia, Brown captured the famous breechThomas N. Lindsay of Frankfort from 1856-1858. In 1859, loading cannon that belonged to Confederate Gen. at the age of 21, he acquired his license as a lawyer and Humphrey Marshall, which was sent to the arsenal in began his practice in St. Louis, Missouri. His health Frankfort. He was promoted to inspector general for the turned for the worst, and he decided to move to the state of Kentucky. In December 1863, he was promoted to Northwest, where American Indians and buffalo roamed colonel of the 45th Kentucky Mounted Infantry. The 45th the plains. While among the natives, Brown listened to Kentucky was recruited in eastern Kentucky by Capt. their stories. He lived in wigwams, hunted with them, L.M. Clark, but the War Department put Brown in studied their habits, and learned their language. He command. mastered their language and could hold conversations During the winter of 1863-1864, the 45th Kentucky with the natives. He kept a journal of his encounters with aided in covering the Virginia front from Louisa to the the indigenous tribes and observed and gathered Cumberland Gap and kept the Confederate soldiers information about Native American culture. concentrated in Abington, Virginia, in check. From When Brown returned from his life with the American January to April 1864, Brown was under the command of Indians, he had no time to practice law. The Civil War Gen. George Stoneman. He also was under the command was erupting across the American landscape. In 1862, he of Maj. Gen. John Schofield until the close of the war. In joined the Union Army, and the War Department early 1864, he was in command of the Second Brigade of promoted him to major of the 10th Kentucky Union the 5th Division of the 23rd Corps. Brown’s command, Cavalry. He was only 24. As soon as the 10th Kentucky along with other Union troops, made a campaign into was mustered into service, they were ordered to duty in eastern Tennessee and northern Georgia. the mountains of eastern Kentucky. During the fall and In June 1864, Confederate Gen. John Hunt Morgan winter of 1862-1863, the 10th Kentucky remained in the entered Kentucky with a large force through Pound Gap.

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Carr Creek State Park in Knott County has the longest sand beach in the State Park System, measuring 480 feet.

September 2021 51

Roosevelt, who used them to Brown, with his brigade, and write his book The Winning of the other Union troops, was in Pike West. During Brown’s final days, County and advanced toward he worked on a book called The Virginia. Morgan passed by Political Beginnings of Kentucky, Brown’s force and made his way which discussed the separation into the fertile regions of of Kentucky from Virginia, the Kentucky. Brown and the other formation of the state of Federal troops followed Morgan, Kentucky, and the adoption of and, in 30 hours, they made a the new state constitution. march of 90 miles. On June 9, Brown hoped for a they dashed into Morgan’s camp Louisville park system. His near Mount Sterling. A fierce final act was to secure funds to fight took place between purchase land for a system of Morgan and Brown. The parks and boulevards in the Confederates troops were, at city. He also wanted a music first, repulsed, but the Union hall, a museum and a library. troops renewed the fight. Three As a member of the days later, the Federal cavalry Commercial Club, he led the attacked Morgan at Cynthiana. effort to build a Polytechnic Brown and the other Federal Institute and Auditorium to troops defeated Morgan, and the Mary Preston Brown, 1841-1898 mark Kentucky’s centennial.

Confederate cavalry retreated On Jan. 29, 1890, Brown from Kentucky. became critically ill from pneumonia and was in his bed in When the Civil War ended, Brown returned to his home at 1045 South Fourth Street, Louisville. The Kentucky and resumed the practice of law. In 1869, he entire family was around his bedside. His wife remained at married Mary Preston, the daughter of Confederate Gen. William Preston of Lexington. He moved to Lexington and her husband’s side. His law partners also were there. He had other visitors who stopped by his home to check on became the junior partner of the distinguished lawyer his condition, including Col. J. Stoddard Johnston, Col. Madison C. Johnson.

Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr. and Gen. Fayette Hewitt. At 10 In 1873, Brown moved to Louisville and entered into a p.m. that night, Brown passed away at his home. partnership with William Barrett. In 1882, he became the When Maj. Gen. Schofield learned of Brown’s death, he law partner of George Davie, and in 1885, Judge Alexander sent a telegram to Capt. Thomas Speed on Feb. 10, 1890, P. Humphrey joined his partnership to establish the law from Washington, D.C. He wrote: “It affords me much firm of Brown, Humphrey, and Davie. pleasure to refer to the valuable services connected with Outside of law, Brown pursued other branches of the Union armies, of Col John Mason Brown, 45th knowledge, such as mathematics, mechanism, music, Kentucky Mounted Infantry. They were marked by archaeology and geology. He studied Greek and Latin. He elevated judgement, coolness, and bravery; are attested by also knew Italian, Spanish and French. In addition to the American Indian languages that he had picked up in his the official archives and from the date in 1862, when he youth, he learned aboriginal tongues and studied the entered the service as Major of the Tenth Cavalry, prehistoric picture writings. His research enabled him to extended West Virginia, Tennessee and his own native decipher the mysterious carvings on the ruins at Copan State. Through his death a great loss has fallen to his State and the cities of the Yucatan. and to the country as well.”

Brown loved history and studied Kentucky pioneer Upon hearing of Brown’s death, President Benjamin history, including Kentucky’s origins. In 1886, he published Harrison expressed his deepest regret at the loss of one of an article on Native American medicine in The Atlantic his best friends and advisers, “whom he entertained the Monthly. He wrote an article in 1867 titled “Traditions of kindest and most considerate feelings.” the Blackfeet Indians” for The Galaxy magazine. In 1882, he Brown’s funeral was held at Calvary Church in gave an oration at the centennial celebration of the Battle Louisville, and he was buried at Cave Hill Cemetery in the of Blue Licks, and his paper on the “Old Court and the Preston plot, Section D, Lot 51, Grave 3. His active and New” was read before the Kentucky Bar Association. He honorary pallbearers included not only former Union gave an address in 1886 at the Frankfort Centennial. In soldiers but also Confederate officers, including 1887, he wrote an article for Harper’s Weekly on Kentucky Confederate Gen. Basil Duke, Col. J. Stoddard Johnston pioneers. He amassed a large collection of manuscripts and Confederate Gen. Alpheus Baker. Some of his other that dealt with the political history of Kentucky, including pallbearers were Col. Mrriwether Lewis Clark Jr., R.T. documents written in Spanish by Don Gardoqui, Minister Durrett, John Atherton, Thomas Speed, John Marshall, of Spain to the United States at the close of the 1700s, Alex P. Humphrey, D.W. Lindsey, John W. Barr, E.D. Layer which related to the opening of the Mississippi River. and J.B. McFerran.

Brown studied Spanish in order to read the documents. He later loaned his translated documents to Theodore “You’ve got to like your work.” Colonel Harland Sanders, founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken

52

THE KENTUCKY EXPLORER

Eastern Kentucky Railway engine No. 4 stops at the Willard water tank before moving toward Hitchins and Grayson in this photo taken around 1910.

WILLARD:

Northeast Kentucky’s Lost Railroad Town

By Terry Baldridge

American Civil War, several Boston investors purchased upwards of 25,000 acres of land in northeastern Kentucky. f you were to drive along Route 1 near where Carter The land stretched along the Little Sandy River valley from County meets Lawrence County, chances are you passed near the town of Greenup to the Greenup Furnace area or what once was a little town that Hunnewell. Located within this existed in the latter 1870s through purchase aside from the Greenup the 1910s. However, if you were to Furnace (renamed Hunnewell slow down or, better yet, stop, you Furnace after one of the Bostonian could find the Eastern Kentucky investors) was the Argillite Mill, Railway historical highway marker.

Pennsylvania Furnace, and a great There, between Simpson Lane and quantity of wood, iron ore and coal Thompson Lane, are several of the reserves. After the name of the original homes of the old railway company changed a couple of times, mining town that once flourished. it was named the Eastern Kentucky The old general store and boarding Railway. At first, the railway ran house still stand near the entrance from the Ohio River at Riverton of Dry Ridge Road. Other structures along today’s Route 1 and Route 207 are silent reminders of Willard, a to Argillite. town of several hundred hardEventually, the railway’s route working souls. extended through the Kentucky The historical marker along Route 1 in Willard.

What railroad ran through that villages of Hunnewell, Grayson and The Eastern Kentucky Railway has markers in place, and what happened to it?

Hitchins, reaching Willard around Greenup, Argillite, Hunnewell, Grayson, When planning and discussions 1874.

Hitchins, Willard and Webbville—more than any other small railroad in Kentucky. were completed near the end of the The town of Willard in Carter

I

Bibb lettuce, originally called limestone lettuce, was first cultivated by John Bibb in Frankfort in the 1800s.

52 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY NOV EMBER 2 0 2 0

September 2021 53

County was pretty much a typical Appalachian mining town. Homes were constructed for rent by workers and their families. There was a small rail depot, a general store and a post office that provided overnight boarding upstairs. There was a schoolhouse, which also served as a

church and community meeting place, and a small railway shop and forge. Willard had its own scrip, as did most area mines and furnaces of the time. The only place to spend the scrip was at the company store.

One of the more interesting stories regarding the

Though an interesting concept, the experimental gas-powered open coal cart proved unsuitable for the new railway,.

Two women pose with M1 and M2, or, as they were better known, the “Blue Goose.” These passenger cars received that moniker because of their robin egg blue hue, which has been superimposed on this photo for illustrative purposes.

Established in 1811, Bath County was named for the medicinal springs located within the county.

54

THE KENTUCKY EXPLORER

The railbus 215, which was given the nickname Queen in honor of a Mrs. Queen who rode it often. Queen would be the last rail vehicle that ran between Grayson and Webbville before those tracks were abandoned in early 1933.

Belva Green used this “five hundred mile ticket” to travel on the Eastern Kentucky Railway from her home in Webbville to Grayson Graded School in 1909.

railway in Willard took place in 1905, when six men tried to rob the company bank. They failed when discovered by locals. Somehow, the would-be thieves made their way to the track and stole the railway engine to escape the local justice system. Eventually, the men got off the train at Johns Run and fled.

By the early 1900s, the lumber supply was exhausted, the big iron furnaces had blown out for good, and the quality of the coal didn’t quite measure up to what was required at the time. As a result, the Eastern Kentucky Railway struggled for the next 25 years. By the time the railway ceased operation, it had abandoned the track between Greenup and Grayson.

A ticket for usage between Webbville and Willard from the 1880s.

It likely was used by a mine worker to travel to and from the Willard mines.

The citizens of Carter County decided to create a new railway company called East Kentucky Southern Railway, which would run between Grayson and Webbville. This railway would be used primarily for transporting students to the Grayson Graded School. Since the engines had been sold off for scrap by the Eastern Kentucky Railway, what would be used to transport the children?

Several locals came up with a motorized cart that looked more like a small coal cart with a gas engine. This did not work out, as it was loud and was open to the elements. The next versions of public transportation proved to be the most used.

The first, called Blue Goose, consisted of two closed

Kentucky has had four constitutions, adopted in 1792, 1799, 1850 and 1891. The fourth remains in use.

September 2021

Several Willard mining homes, such as these near the Eastern Kentucky Railway historical marker, remain standing today.

passenger cars with a gasoline engine and a few seats in the first car, the M1, and all passenger seats in the second car, M2, which was attached by a hitch. The name came from the color of the cars, which was a robin egg blue. The Blue Goose ran for nearly two years.

A bus with rail capabilities eventually was purchased and brought to Grayson to accommodate more passengers and replace the Blue Goose. The number of the bus was 215, but it was given the nickname Queen.

Named for a Mrs. Queen, a regular passenger, the railbus Queen ran with the old M2 of the Blue Goose being pulled behind to be used for baggage and passenger overflow.

In just a year and a half, this railway would go under, thus ending the last link to the past and links with other communities such as Greenup, Argillite, Hunnewell, Grayson, Hitchins, Willard and Webbville.

Take some time and check out the local history in your area. Who knows? That little stop down the road may have an interesting history similar to the one discovered in Willard.

About the Author Terry L. Baldridge of Argillite (Greenup County) is a professional historical photographer and freelance writer. He is the author of several books, including Eastern Kentucky Railway, part of the Images of Rail series released by Arcadia Publishing.

55

The mining and railway community of Willard in the mid-1880s. Note the similarity in construction of the houses in the foreground.

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

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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 SELF-PUBLISHING: On-Demand Book Printing, Softcover, Hardcover, and Spiral Binding, Side-Sewing for Children’s Books, Kindle Books, Typesetting, Editing, Graphic Design, Amazon Listing, Bible-Rebinding, etc. Contact Reformation Publishers, Inc., DBA 24-Hour Books, DBA Williams Printing Co., 14 S. Queen Street, Mt. Sterling, KY 40353, Email: rpublisher@aol.com, 1.800.765.2464, Telephone 859.520.3757, Fax 859.520.3357, Text 606.359.2064, www.reformationpublishers.com.

“If you have to eat crow, eat it while it’s hot.” Alben Barkley, Kentucky politician and 35th vice president

off the shelf

(P)-Paperback (C)-Clothbound (H)-Hardback

Not So Simple

True to Life

A Less Tolerant Era

It was a long, circuitous path toward final passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920, which gave America’s women the right to vote.

It took years of work amidst intense resistance to the effort, and the leaders of the movement were far from being united. It was true in the United States, and it was true in Kentucky.

Historian Melanie Beals Goan breaks new ground in chronicling the people and events, particularly in Kentucky, that eventually made women’s voting rights a reality. A Simple Justice: Kentucky Women Fight for the Vote portrays, according to one reviewer, “a world where religious conviction, regional discord, reform movements, racism, and many other forces shaped and reshaped Kentucky’s citizen-activists.”

Those involved—including such colorful characters as Laura Clay (daughter of abolitionist Cassius M. Clay), Josephine Henry and Madeline McDowell Breckinridge— made it an adventurous ride. Goan leaves no doubt that Kentucky played a significant role in bringing our nation closer to the point where it always should have been— equality of gender.

Goan specializes in women’s history as an associate professor at the University of Kentucky. This is her third book.

The third installment of a trilogy, Pop: An Illustrated Novel by Robert Gipe is both a hopeful and bleak look at modern-day Appalachia as seen through the eyes of 16-year-old Nicolette, the daughter of Dawn Jewell. Dawn, the agoraphobic narrator of the first book and co-narrator of the second in Gipe’s trilogy, spends her days absorbed in the goings-on of the internet and is convinced the world is ending. Nicolette, who feels she is left to fend for herself in life, is an aspiring chef gaining attention in the local community. Her success is interrupted when Nicolette is assaulted by her police officer cousin. The response to the assault sets off a butterfly effect of dangerous events.

Canard County may be fictional, but the deep knowledge of Appalachian culture portrayed in this trilogy only can come from a native. The themes and events portrayed in the books feel as though they could be happening in real life and, most likely, have played out in one form or another.

As Gipe, who lives and works in Harlan County, expresses in the novels, outsiders generally have something to say about the Appalachian experience, and it almost always is oversimplified.

Gipe’s trilogy, which includes Trampoline and Weedeater, is well worth reading.

A Massachusetts bank robbery in September 1970, in which a police officer was killed, resulted in the arrest of three men. Two female suspects, Katherine Power and Susan Saxe, escaped and eventually hid away in a Lexington, Kentucky, lesbian collective in 1974. The FBI left no stone unturned—and employed some lawfully objectionable tactics—in tracking down the pair for their part in the killing.

A half-dozen individuals—five lesbian women and one gay man— were interviewed by the FBI for information on Power and Saxe.

They ended up in jail for not fully cooperating, attracting national attention. The uncompliant individuals garnered a name, the “Lexington Six.” In The Lexington Six: Lesbian and Gay Resistance in 1970s America, author Josephine Donovan draws on court hearings, newspaper accounts, FBI files released under the Freedom of Information Act, and a host of interviews with participants to create a 272-page accounting of a time in America that was much less accepting of different sexual preferences.

By Steve Flairty A Simple Justice: Kentucky Women Fight for the Vote, By Melanie Beals Goan, The University Press of Kentucky, $32.95 (H)

56 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY SEPTEMBER 2 0 2 1

By Kaitlyn Miracle Pop: An Illustrated Novel, By Robert Gipe, Ohio University Press, $28.95 (H)

By Steve Flairty The Lexington Six: Lesbian and Gay Resistance in 1970s America,

By Josephine Donovan, University of Massachusetts Press, $24.95 (P)

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Unknown to many, a significant number of slaves of America’s Colonists in Revolutionary times were offered their freedom to join forces with the British to turn back the American rebellion. For the slaves who ran away to accept the enticing offer, the decision often turned out to be a kind of “fool’s gold.” The Redcoats were not prepared for the large numbers who took them up on their offer—there was not always enough food, and sanitation was poor. Many slaves were recaptured and treated badly.

Clearly, the British initiative sought military advantage rather than showing concern for humans in bondage.

Sharon B. Fields, a retired teacher and minister as well as a part-time library clerk at the ParisBourbon County Library, has authored a beautifully illustrated 25-page children’s book for grades four through six titled Where Are You, Brother Daniel? The story is told from the perspective of a small boy from a slave family in the era who hears his father talk about “freedom”— something the child doesn’t understand. The boy wonders where his father’s brother has gone, which is, sadly, to join the Redcoats, where the consequences are likely disastrous.

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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

One-of-a-Kind Kentuckians

N

ow well into my 81st year, I think I have enough mileage behind me to recall some of the most important people in my life. My parents, grandparents, wife Charlotte, children Bill and Eva, their spouses, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and kith and kin were, and have been, a blessing to me.

There are lots of famous Kentuckians, including politicians, movie stars, athletes and other giants in our history. This article is about true one-of-a-kind Kentuckians, some famous and some you may never have heard of.

The first person you may have known personally, or at least by reputation.

Dr. Thomas D. Clark was a historian who wrote many books about our Commonwealth’s history, the South and agriculture. I missed having a class with Tom at the University of Kentucky but met him when he came to Eastern Kentucky University in the mid-1970s as a visiting professor.

I walked into his office one day, and we immediately hit it off. He became an instant mentor to a young historian who was seeking to find his niche. “Do your research, then sit down and write,” Tom advised. He suggested people to study—Patrick Henry Callahan and Robert Worth Bingham, for instance. Tom wrote a book about the Kentucky River and then magnanimously suggested I do the same. In my last visit with him in a nursing home, he said a history of education in Kentucky should be written and suggested my name to Steve Wrinn, then publisher of the University Press of Kentucky. I dedicated the book, which was published after Tom’s death, “to Thomas D. Clark, whose keen vision, wise counsel, and clear voice are missed by all Kentuckians.”

• • •

Since beginning the “Past Tense, Present Tense” column in November 2001, and earlier in my academic career, I have written about other one-of-a-kind Kentuckians, including Harry Caudill, Jesse Stuart, Paul Sawyier, E.Y. Mullins, Francis Preston Blair Sr., Henry Clay, A.B. Chandler, Daniel Boone, Josiah Henson, Janice Holt Giles, Lilley Cornett, John Sherman Cooper, Robert Penn Warren, Jennie Jeffers Ashby, Lilley Cornett, Elizabeth Madox Roberts, Louie B. Nunn, Rosemary Clooney, Carl D. Perkins, Sue Mundy, Hollis Summers, James M. Bond, Aggie Sale, Husband E. Kimmel, Henry H. Denhardt, John Herchenroeder, Ted Poston, Irvin S. Cobb, Harriette Simpson Arnow, Floyd Collins, George Chinn, Constantine Rafinesque, William Goebel, Alice Lloyd, 58 K E NT U C K Y M O NTHLY SEPTEMBER 2021

Irene Dunne, John Thomas Scopes, John Marshall Harlan, Jarrett Mynear and Walter Tevis, among others.

Except to a few contrarians, the greatest Kentuckian of all time, Abraham Lincoln, stands head and shoulders above everyone. You may have noticed that all of these folks are deceased.

It was a pleasure to get to know transplanted Kentuckian Al Smith way back in the 1970s. He died on March 19 of this year. I count him as a one-of-a-kind personality. “Fotched on,” as eastern Kentuckians say, he had a distinct personality, always cheerful, insightful, exploring. He liked to talk, but he wanted to hear others’ opinions. Like any good newsperson, he wanted to know people personally, what made them tick. Though many people might have found him intrusive, he just wanted to know what they knew.

He fought alcoholism to a standstill. Most people knew Al was a Democrat at heart. Maybe that’s why we hit it off so well.

Quite literally, Al never met a stranger. He became better known in Kentucky after becoming the first host of KET’s Comment on Kentucky, which he hosted for more than three decades. Al was founding chair of the Kentucky Oral History Commission, chaired the Shakertown Roundtable, and helped form the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues at the University of Kentucky.

After retiring from television, Al authored two memoirs, Wordsmith and Kentucky Cured. Both books are about the things Al loved about people and politics— gossipy might be a good description, with his inimitable way of characterizing politicians. He had a newsperson’s instincts for drawing out information he found relevant.

Al’s interests included about everything. He was indefatigable. Appointed by President Jimmy Carter to co-chair the Appalachian Regional Commission, Al worked tirelessly to get money for projects that would help his adopted state.

During spring break at EKU in March years ago, my wife and I made a trip to Washington, D.C., to get a respite from work and kids while I did research at the Library of Congress. Early one Sunday morning, while wandering near the Capitol, killing time before our flight back to Lexington, who should appear but Al Smith. He greeted us like long-lost family and proceeded to take us to lunch and ask questions about EKU and my opinions about higher education in Kentucky.

Without a doubt, Al Smith was one of a kind.

•

•

•

About everyone in Kentucky knew of Al Smith. Far

fewer would have known Duanne Puckett. Her life story is one that can inspire us all. She survived a horrific automobile crash on Feb. 25, 1967, while a teenager in Shelbyville. Though paralyzed and in a wheelchair for the remainder of her life, she did not slow down until a brain bleed placed her near death.

In the April issue of Shelby Life, several writers reminisced about the life and work of Duanne, known as “Doodie.” Leading off his column of April 2021, Owner/ Editor Gary L. Walls declared, “We lost our Duanne on February 21, 2021 … This edition has been exceedingly difficult to produce, as we continue to mourn our dear friend.”

Susan A. Nally wrote a sensitive column, “She Walks in Beauty,” based on Lord Byron’s familiar poem of the same name. “I am faithful that today you walk, run and leap on new legs in unimaginable beauty,” Nally wrote. She recalled Duanne as “a great, humble citizen of Shelby County, our eternal hero and friend,” who never let selfpity slow her down.

Duanne often repeated the same inspirational story: “Sure, my life changed completely, and it was never the same for anybody. I didn’t get to do anything I thought I wanted to. It just didn’t work out that way. But I just took a different path. I just went left instead of right. And now that I’m in a motorized wheelchair, I can go 7 miles an hour.” The last she would have said with big grin and a twinkle in her eye.

Lexington Herald-Leader Frankfort bureau chief Jack Brammer delivered a heartfelt eulogy at her funeral that was printed in full in Shelby Life. After some recovery, Duanne worked as a kindergarten helper. In 1971, she became a reporter for the Shelby News, later became an editor with the Sentinal-News, and then worked for the Shelby County School System as a publicist.

Brammer ended his remarks with an upbeat thought: “I believe Christians never see each other for the last time.

So now, it’s time to say farewell for now to my friend.

Duanne, I love you. I have for all these years, now for always, forever and forevermore. I’ll see you later.”

Shelby Life also included an article by Cindi L. McIntosh, “Duanne touched so many lives,” with a cover from a Louisville Courier-Journal and Louisville Times Sunday Magazine, Sept. 29, 1968, featuring Duanne and her father, Jesse, comforting each other.

• • •

I am sure I have left out your favorite one-of-a-kind Kentuckian. I would be interested in your nomination for this venerable club. Send me an email.

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

gardening

by Walt Reichert

Make Up Your Bulb Beds

A

well-designed bed of spring bulbs is the mark of an intelligent gardener. A garden of tulips, daffodils, hyacinths—the most common spring bulbs— requires the gardener to look ahead to spring just when it’s time to wind down into fall. That’s because the bulbs that offer that dazzling spring show must be planted this time of year, preferably between late September and Christmas.

The gardener designing a bed of mixed bulbs also must navigate bloom times so that the flowers are on display at the same time. Then there’s working with myriad color combinations to find just the right blend of colors and shades. Tulips alone come in every color, from snowy white to almost black and every combination in between.

Perhaps more difficult than navigating the above is dealing with what I call the “dead problem.”

Once bulbs finish blooming, the foliage left behind needs to “ripen” or turn yellow and die back before it can be cut back. The ripening foliage feeds the bulbs underground (if you remember your high school biology) through photosynthesis. When the foliage dies back, that’s a sign the bulb has gathered enough strength to return next year.

Unfortunately, while this photosynthesizing and yellowing and dying is going on, your once-beautiful bed of bulbs looks like death on a cracker.

HIDING THE EVIDENCE

The wealthy gardener can deal with the ratty foliage issue simply by digging up the bulbs and replacing them every year. In other words, the bulbs are treated as annuals and are done when the show is over. That might not be a bad strategy for tulips that do not perennialize well—in Kentucky, anyway—but it is a waste of money to tear out most of the other spring bulbs that will be happy to come back next year if you’ll just let them die in place.

So, the intelligent gardener who doesn’t want to spend $100 million replacing bulbs every spring uses strategies to hide the dying foliage of bulbs.

Perhaps the easiest strategy is simply to interplant the 60 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY S EPTEM BER 20 21

bulb bed with summer annuals. Marigolds, begonias, petunias, cosmos, coleus and lantana have fast-growing foliage that will quickly hide the yellowing spring bulbs. If you’re careful planting them, you should not disturb the bulbs. If you do happen to unearth one, just put it back. It will be mad at you, but it will bloom again next year all the same.

Bulbs also work well planted among perennials that are going to die back to the ground in the winter to emerge in mid- to late spring. Daylilies are a good choice of companion for bulbs. The green foliage will emerge just about the time the earliest spring bulbs are dying back and should fully hide the offending plant by late spring or early summer.

Coneflower, phlox and sedum are other good choices to mix among bulb beds. It is probably best to avoid perennials, such as peonies, iris and hostas (also because hostas like shade, and most bulbs prefer full sun). These spread rapidly and need to be divided frequently; you’ll be digging up bulbs as you’re dividing perennials.

Spring bulbs are a great way to get double duty out of a rose bed. Roses, especially hybrid teas and grandifloras, typically are cut back to about 12 inches in late fall, leaving an almost bare bed that would welcome spring-blooming bulbs. As the bulbs’ foliage is dying, the roses are coming on strong and will hide or at least draw the eye away from the yellowing plants. Bulbs planted among roses also do not interfere with the good air flow that’s needed to keep down rose diseases such as black spot; the foliage of bulbs has withered away before black spot starts to spread.

Finally, consider planting bulbs among the low-lying ornamental grasses such as blue fescues, pink muhly grass and little bluestem. The foliage of these grasses can be left in place all winter to provide interest but can be cut back in spring just when the bulbs are starting to do their thing.

Readers may contact Walt Reichert at editor@ kentuckymonthly.com

Experience

WHY DON’T MY TULIPS COME BACK EVERY YEAR?

Tulips look best in beds of dozens, even hundreds. But at a buck a bulb or more, a bed of tulips isn’t a cheap date.

It would be nice if the gardener who has spent $4,000 on a tulip bed (yes, kids, that’s an exaggeration) could get multiple years of beautiful show out of that investment. But in Kentucky, as well as in most of the South, tulips just don’t like to perennialize. The second year, many of the tulips won’t bloom at all, some blooms will be noticeably smaller, and some flowers may actually change color while they take their winter nap.

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One culprit is our winters. Kentucky’s winters are typically mild, and tulips seem to sleep better if the ground stays cold for several months. Then there’s the soil. Tulips do best lying underground in sandy soil that drains perfectly. Those of us who garden with heavy clays—and that is most of us—don’t have good bulb abodes.

The best strategies for dealing with these shortcomings is first to choose varieties that are described as perennializing well. Second, plant the bulbs in full sun in places that have good drainage; tulips planted in low spots often rot underground and at best will bloom just one year. Finally, amend the soil in tulip beds with compost or other organic matter to improve drainage. That’s not an overnight solution but over time makes a better bed for your bulbs.

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National Woman’s Party march for woman’s suffrage, Washington, D.C. February 14, 1917 Photograph, gift of Alice Paul Centennial Foundation, National Museum of American History

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106 N 2nd Ave., La Grange, KY 40031 • 502-222-0826 info@oldhamkyhistory.com • www.oldhamkyhistory.com

k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 61

field notes

by Gary Garth

Staying Safe

W

orking on second-hand information with the aid of a hand-drawn map, I had walked/climbed/ crawled along a rough-hewn trail for a couple of miles through a timbered, rocky chunk of eastern Kentucky in search of one of the state’s few brook trout streams. There is no evidence that brook trout are native to Kentucky, but the state’s handful of brook trout creeks have not been stocked in decades. The fish are wild and self-populating. I was determined to catch one. I also was foolishly unprepared.

The humid late-summer afternoon was scorching hot.

Traveling alone with scant supplies, I had told no one where I was going other than that I was going fishing.

I finally reached the valley floor, where the trail crossed the creek. It was hardly more than a rivulet, but it flowed clear as vodka and was delightfully cool. I followed it downstream around a couple of bends to where it pulsed against a stone the size of an automobile before swirling into an aqua-tinted pool. The first trout, vividly colored and barely big enough to hold, hit a black midge drifted as a dropper under a Dave’s Hopper. The second was equally magnifically colored but nearly twice as long and had risen to the hopper. Stream-bred wild fish.

I was unaware of how far I had followed the creek but suddenly was alarmingly aware of the deepening shadows as the sun dipped below the lip of the ridge. Lateafternoon sunlight is a precious commodity in a narrow, timbered, leafy, swelteringly hot vale. I made a few more casts, then turned upstream toward the trail.

The climb out was twisty, steep and slow-going, made even more challenging by the deepening darkness and my rising anxiety to reach the trail head while I could still see the trail. I could have benefited from a flashlight or a headlamp if I had had the foresight to bring one.

I slipped and bruised a knee on a step that had been carved into the trail to help negotiate a steep, narrow turn between two boulders. But then I remembered this spot and knew the trailhead was no more than 200 or so yards away. The ridge line was faintly visible in the fading light.

I emerged from the slit through the rocks, turned left, and walked about 50 or 60 yards along a fairly level, curvy path, my mood lifting with each step, when the trail suddenly ended at a small rock avalanche. I looked around. Nothing seemed familiar.

A series of dumb, careless and arrogant errors had brought me there.

I was in no immediate danger, of course. But panic is an emotion you never really plan on. One way to control it is by not repeating dumb, careless and arrogant errors. I had long ago emptied the one water bottle I had grabbed just before leaving the truck and was suddenly, unreasonably, almost painfully thirsty. Then, I thought of something one of my childhood mentors, Sam Hickman,

62 K E NT U C K Y M O NTHLY SEPTEMBER 2 0 2 1

an excellent woodsman who moved through the woods and through life with both an audacious fearlessness and measured caution, had once advised: “It’s important to stay safe. Remember that.”

Stay safe. I sat down for a moment and tried not to think of anything. Then, I retraced the 50 or 60 steps I had just taken. The trail opened before me. I turned left. The trail lurched steeply through some pines and then suddenly emerged onto the road.

• • •

My work has allowed me to visit some delightfully wild and remote places, often while traveling alone. My brook trout trail experience, many years past, has not been repeated, largely because I’ve learned to stay safe. But I was reminded of it recently while getting my hair cut.

My barber and I were chatting aimlessly when the topic turned to current events: Covid. Delta variant. School-age kids facing another year of masks. Conspiracy theories.

Fauci. CDC. Fear. Anger. Who do you trust? What do you believe?

She paused. Our reflections met in the mirror. Her scissors stopped. “You’re vaccinated, aren’t you?” she asked. “I know [your wife] is. She told me.”

“Yes, I am.”

The snipping continued.

“Which one did you get?”

“Johnson & Johnson.”

“Did it make you sick?

“It did not. No side effects at all.”

The snipping stopped.

“I heard it made some people really sick. They rushed it through. You don’t know what’s in it.”

We’d had a version of this conversation at my last trimming. I always encourage friends and colleagues to get a COVID vaccination because it’s the safe thing to do.

“It didn’t make me sick, but I know it did some people,” I continued. “And yeah, it was probably rushed a little. But it’s safe. I think it is. It helps people stay safe.

It’s important to stay safe.” I shared my story of long ago.

She nodded. I knew what sliver of influence I might have enjoyed was waning.

The snipping returned. I stopped her. Our gaze again met in the mirror.

“Did you decide to get vaccinated?” I was pretty sure I knew the answer.

She only smiled slightly and resumed her work. The conversation shifted. Kids. School. Vacations. Work.

She finished her work. I made my next appointment and paid the bill.

“I got my first shot,” she said unexpectedly. “I was a little nervous. But … want everyone around me to be safe.”

Readers may contact Gary Garth at editor@ kentuckymonthly.com

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.

SEPTEMBER 2021 MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

The Springhouse Music Series, Castle & Key Distillery, Frankfort, 502.395.9070

<<< 8

Troubadour Concerts at the Castle,

12

Frankfort Public Art Tour, Frankfort/Franklin County Tourist Commission, Frankfort, 502.352.7082

19

Burlington Antique Show Boone County Fairgrounds, Burlington, 513.922.6847

21

13

Woodsongs Presents Carsie Blanton, Lyric Theatre, Lexington, 859.252.8888

20

2

Blippi: The Musical, BB&T Arena, Highland Heights, 859.442.2652

9

Lexington Comic and Toy Con, Lexington

Kentucky Castle, Versailles, also Sept. 30, 859.256.0322

Convention Center, Lexington, through Sept. 12, 859.233.1221

14

15

16

Corbin Arena, Corbin, 606.258.2020

Yellow Creek Park, Owensboro, through Sept. 18, 270.926.7891

The Price is Right Live,

ROMP Fest,

Bruce Hornsby and the Noisemakers,

22

Lexington Opera House, Lexington, 859.233.4567

<<<

1

THURSDAY

Kentucky Bourbon Festival, various locations in Bardstown, through Sept. 19, 502.275.8384

23

Louder Than Life Festival, Kentucky Exposition Center, Louisville, through Sept. 26

29

Jake Hoot Live,

FRIDAY

4

Park, Paducah, through Sept. 4, 270.558.5818

Beaver Dam Amphitheater, Beaver Dam, 270.298.0036

10

11

Touchdowns & Tunes Tailgate Party, Central

Holley LS Fest, Beech Bend Raceway, Bowling Green, through Sept. 12, 270.781.7634

17

Poage Landing Days, downtown Ashland, through Sept. 19, 606.922.3173

Anderson County Burgoo Festival, Lawrenceburg Green, through Sept. 25, 502.598.9748

30

Mountain Arts Center, Prestonsburg, 606.886.2623

SATURDAY

3

<<<

SUNDAY

Steve Earle and the Dukes,

The Big Four Bridge Arts Festival, The Big Four Bridge, Louisville, through Sept. 12, 502.435.7602

18

Woof Festival, Laurel Bend, Falmouth, 931.302.1009

25

Arts and Craft Guild Art Show, Henry County Fairgrounds, New Castle, 502.845.4560

24

a guide to Kentucky’s most interesting events For a more extensive listing of events, visit kentuckymonthly.com. k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 63

vested interest

Speaking Frankly

“I

’m onto you, my friend,” said Frank, my imaginative neighbor to the east. “I saw what you did. 6-3-60-25-31.”

“What’s that?”

“I’m onto you, 84-84-84.”

You see, Frank has convinced himself that I’m a secret agent and have been, for years, hiding secret messages in my columns in Kentucky Monthly. The numbers he quoted above are from last month’s column about my granddaughter and our imagined robbery of a Piggly Wiggly.

“I haven’t figured out what it means yet, but I’m pretty sure it’s either a secret bank account or coordinates to a top-secret location,” Frank said. “I’m fairly certain your agent number is 84.”

You may remember that Maxwell Smart of the TV series Get Smart was Agent 86. According to The Urban Dictionary, 86 is something that should be nixed or eliminated. In case you’re interested, 84 means “all is well.”

Frank’s obsession is every bit as intriguing as the sales representative for another publication telling folks all over western Kentucky that I was, using air quotes, “connected—if you know what I mean,” alluding that I was a part of the Mafia—Cornbread or otherwise—and the magazine was a money-laundering operation for my associates in Sicily or Santa Rosa de Lima.

Back to Frank: “You mentioned Hopkinsville, Russellville and Franklin in your August column about Izzy and the Piggly Wiggly, and since they’re not in alphabetical order, something is up in Hopkinsville.”

“Why Hopkinsville, Frank?”

“Well, everyone knows that our first documented encounter with little green men was in Kelly, which STEPHEN M. VEST is near Hopkinsville. Does Aug. 21, Publisher + Editor-in-Chief 1955, mean anything to you?”

“No, Frank. I wasn’t even born.”

“Well, that’s when a flying saucer landed on the Sutton farm and terrorized the family and their company from Pennsylvania. There’s a book about it, and it was in all the papers—not just the Kentucky New Era in Hopkinsville, but the Madisonville Messenger and even The Leaf Chronicle in Clarksville, Tennessee.”

“Frank, really?”

“Yeah, buddy. I’ve been looking into you. I read your book. Your father, Harold—if that’s his real name— worked at WrightPatterson Air Force Base,” Frank said.

“Everyone knows that’s where they kept the alien from Roswell, New Mexico.

He lived in an aircontrolled room down the hall from your dad, and your dad was still there when they faked the moon landing in 1969. And then abruptly y’all packed up and moved away, right?”

“The following summer,” I said.

“Interesting,” Frank said.

“And your Facebook page,” he continued. “Did you realize you are friends with LEE Pennington, Barbara HARVEY and Laura OSWALD? Don’t you find that odd?”

“Why is that odd? I’m also friends with JACK Kennedy and RUBY Gobber.”

“Who are also connected to the assassination of, ‘dramatic pause’ [yes, he said, ‘dramatic pause’], Jack Kennedy.”

“Really, Frank? I was 2 when President Kennedy was shot.”

“There is something going on here. In your school yearbook, I found that you went to school with a John Smith, an obvious alias. In your church directory, you’re on the same page as Joe Smith. Don’t you find that odd?”

“No stranger than my kindergarten teacher being named White, my third-grade teacher being named Gray, my fourth-grade teacher and my next-door neighbor being named Brown.”

“Oh, don’t go trying to drag me into this,” Frank said.

Kwiz Answers: 1. A. The extent of this amazing underground world still draws explorers and tourists today. 2. B. Saltpeter was extensively mined for its value in making gunpowder. 3. A. African American Stephen Bishop explored, charted and guided visitors through the underground wonders.

4. B. Dr. John Croghan hoped living in an underground community might help cure TB patients, but the experiment failed, and the cabins were abandoned. 5. C. Some 2 million visitors enjoy roaming above and below ground with a range of tours. 6. C. This river resulted in Mammoth being classified as a “wet” cave and is home to a selection of unusual animal life. 7. A. Deep below the surface exist species of animals adapted to underground life, not needing eyes or being colorless. 8. B. While some creatures that live at higher levels of the cave come and go, others— called troglobites—can survive only at the deepest levels. 9. C. The Bottomless Pit was first explored by intrepid guide Stephen Bishop. 10. A. Though this story is only legend, evidence indicates that native people explored the cave system in early times. 11. B. New areas of this incredible cave system continue to be explored, charted and studied. 12. C. With 400 miles explored already, another possible 600 miles of underground area remain uncharted.

64 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY SEPTEMBER 2021