with Kentucky Explorer
Brigadier General
Charles Young
Nonprofit Arts Organizations
The Untimely Demise of Charles Runner
Man’s Best Friend
Lexington’s Headley
Whitney Museum of Art presents Dogs & Cats: An Exhibition
The Kentucky Rifle
The holidays have arrived at Kentucky’s largest National Historic Landmark. Enjoy the season with festive events, delicious food, peaceful nights and gifts for everyone on the nice list.
Jamie Wyeth ’s “Kleberg Study - White Wash” from the Headley-Whitney Museum’s D ogs & Cats: An Exhibition
40 A Second Life A former Green Book accommodation, Paducah’s Hotel Metropolitan has been restored as a museum and cultural center to preserve its important place in America’s past
46 An Untimely Loss The death of a Kentucky sailor in an accident at sea haunted a Bath County family for decades
Test your knowledge of our beloved Commonwealth. To find out how you fared, see page 9.
1. Kentucky’s general election is Tuesday, Nov. 5. How many votes does the Commonwealth have in the Electoral College?
A. 6
B. 7
C. 8
2. Actress Kathy Bates, the star of CBS’ new series Matlock, “like the old TV show,” got her first big break on which Kentucky stage?
A. Danville’s Pioneer Playhouse
B. Actors Theatre of Louisville
C. Little Colonel Playhouse in Pewee Valley
3. How many of the seven Kentucky Supreme Court seats are up for election on Tuesday, Nov. 5?
A. 1
B. 3
C. 5
4. Which member of the “Rat Pack” was once a blackjack dealer at the Beverly Hills Supper Club in Southgate?
A. Sammy Davis Jr.
B. Dean Martin
C. Joey Bishop
5. How many candidates qualified for the presidential ballot in Kentucky, which will hold its elections on Tuesday, Nov. 5?
A. 2
B. 4
C. 6
6. Foster Brooks, known as “The Lovable Lush,” gained fame for his reporting on which historic event?
A. The 1937 crash of the Hindenburg
B. The assassination of President John F. Kennedy
C. The 1937 flood
7. The last time a Democrat won Kentucky’s general election for president—which is on Tuesday, Nov. 5—who was the nominee?
A. Bill Clinton
B. Jimmy Carter
C. Lyndon B. Johnson
8. Kathy Bates starred in ’night, Mother, winner of the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, when it was on Broadway. It was written by which Kentucky playwright?
A. Marsha Norman
B. Beverle Graves Myers
C. Jen Tullock
9. Henry Clay unsuccessfully ran for president how many times?
A. 2
B. 3
B. 4
10. True or False: Pioneer Daniel Boone was born on Nov. 2 and Oct. 22, 1734?
11. Kentucky’s general election is when?
A. Tuesday, Nov. 5
B. Tuesday, Nov. 5
B. Tuesday, Nov. 5
© 2024, VESTED INTEREST PUBLICATIONS
VOLUME TWENTY-SEVEN, ISSUE 9, NOVEMBER 2024
Stephen M. Vest Publisher + Editor-in-Chief
Hal Moss Associate Publisher + Business Editor
EDITORIAL
Patricia Ranft Associate Editor
Rebecca Redding Creative Director
Deborah Kohl Kremer Assistant Editor
Ted Sloan Contributing Editor Cait A. Smith Copy Editor
SENIOR KENTRIBUTORS
Jackie Hollenkamp Bentley, Jack Brammer, Bill Ellis, Steve Flairty, Gary Garth, Jessie Hendrix-Inman, Mick Jeffries, Kim Kobersmith, Brigitte Prather, Walt Reichert, Tracey Teo, Janine Washle and Gary P. West
BUSINESS AND CIRCULATION
Barbara Kay Vest Business Manager
ADVERTISING
Lindsey Collins Senior Account Executive and Coordinator
Kelley Burchell Account Executive
Laura Ray Account Executive
Teresa Revlett Account Executive For advertising information, call 888.329.0053 or 502.227.0053
KENTUCKY MONTHLY (ISSN 1542-0507) is published 10 times per year (monthly with combined December/ January and June/July issues) for $25 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, Judy M. Harris, Greg and Carrie Hawkins, Jan and John Higginbotham, Frank Martin, Bill Noel, Walter B. Norris, Kasia Pater, Dr. Mary Jo Ratliff, 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.
KENTUCKYMONTHLY.COM
Readers Write
Where You Belong
In response to Bill Ellis’ September column (page 58), I lean toward the “Looavul” pronunciation.
Born in 1936 on 45th Street near Shawnee Park and Fountain Ferry, I later lived on Shawnee Terrace and Shawnee Drive.
I was married to Nancy for 63 years and raised four kids in Independence, and I’m still there.
Roots are a wonderful thing.
Dave Chadwick, Independence
I loved Bill Ellis’ thoughts on “Sense of Place” in the September issue. I reckon that qualifies me as an American also.
Sandra Keeney, Lancaster, born in Cincinnati but reared in Casey County.
Notable Names
Regarding Bill Ellis’
October column (page 88), I was publicity director of the ABA Kentucky Colonels pro basketball team in Louisville from 1973-1976, when Ellie and John Y. Brown Jr. owned the team. I was with the Colonels for a wild and wonderful five years. I was 23-26 years old back then.
As you might imagine, I had some amazing experiences with famous people: Elizabeth Taylor, Adolph Rupp, Jimmy the Greek, Muhammad Ali, Alex Groza, Ralph Beard, all the active Colonels, Hubie Brown, Julius “Dr. J” Erving, Wes Unseld, Van Vance and, after the Colonels folded, I worked for 28 years as a Thoroughbred bloodstock agent. There, I had interactions with Albert
Finney, briefly with Alex Trebek, the Wertheimer family of the Chanel business empire, Len Riggio, Tracy Farmer and others.
I’m now 75 and have been married 46 years to Lexington artist Cissy (Bunton), daughter of the longtime owner of the Louisville seed and garden business Bunton Seeds Company.
I am retired now, and I enjoy reading your magazine.
John Young Hamilton, Lexington
CorreCtion:
The email address for the Central Kentucky Bonsai Society that appeared in the September issue of Kentucky Monthly (page 61) should have been centralkybonsai@gmail.
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.
The Kentucky Gift Guide
Kentucky Monthly’s annual gift guide highlights some of the finest handcrafted gifts and treats our Commonwealth has to offer.
Drink Local
This handy guide to sipping in the Bluegrass State spotlights local breweries, wineries and, of course,
Discover unique ways to drink in Kentucky, creative cocktail recipes and more.
travel
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!
greece
maine
This Louisville group traveled to Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor in Maine. Pictured are John and Deena Turner, Abraham and Judy Deany, Steve and Becky Clemerson, and Butch and Brenda Sadler
MAG ON THE MOVE
Ann and Hank Triplett of Louisville enjoyed a relaxing afternoon aboard the Celebrity Infinity at Nafplio, Greece, on the Argolic Gulf.
Richmond residents Phil and Debbie Ingber visited the Rock of Cashel, County Tipperary, Ireland while on a 16-day trip to the Emerald Isle.
ireland
czech republic
Bob and Denise Lee of Louisville, with friends Gerald and Diane Miller and Bill and Linda Hayes, are pictured at the medieval astronomical clock attached to the Old Town Hall in Prague.
u.s. virgin islands
Tim and Martha Carver of Greenville vacationed in St. Thomas and St. John in the United States Virgin Islands.
las vegas
Alice Busch, center, of the Clarkson (Grayson County) area, traveled with her son and daughter-in-law, David and Chris Busch of Bowling Green, to their daughter’s wedding in Las Vegas. Pictured in the background is the Luxor Hotel, which houses a King Tut exhibit.
Bonny and George Kees of Cold Spring enjoyed a trip to the Riviera Maya, México.
mexico
Cindy and Danny Turcea of Danville and Barb and Bob
of Louisville enjoyed a 10-day trip to Paris and Bayeaux, France.
brazil
Lexington resident Amelia Wisner finds that, like Kentucky, Manitoulin Island, Ontario, Canada, possesses scenic waterfalls.
peru
Schissler
The Cochran family in Peru: Pictured on a boat in the Amazon jungle are Isabel (left, of Lexington), Kiernan (right, who lives in Peru), Stan (Frankfort), Lisa (Frankfort) and guide Alonzo.
Doug and Jan Kottke of Louisville and Fort Myers, Florida, arrived in Rio de Janeiro following a South Atlantic crossing from Lisbon, Portugal. Their marriage began in Rio 55 years before.
dominican republic
Mike and Amy LeVan of Nicholasville celebrated their 30th anniversary at Zoetry Aqua Resort in Punta Cana with Kentucky Monthly.
england
Lexington residents Judy and Rich Fifield and Kitty and Merrill Richardson visited Liverpool, England, and checked out The Cavern Club, where The Beatles got their start in 1961.
Eric and Terri Johnson of Taylor Mill enjoyed Kentucky Monthly by the fire on a beautiful morning while camping at Kincaid Lake State Park in Falmouth (Pendleton County).
latin america
Tom and Judy Dixon of Owensboro cruised with Tennessee friends Debby and Jim Smith to ports in Mexico, Colombia, Panama and Costa Rica. They are pictured in Panama.
falmouth
mississippi
Fred and Lucille Troutman of Frankfort attended the graduation ceremony of their grandson, First Sergeant Myles Taylor, from the Master Leader Course Class 005-24 at Camp Shelby in Mississippi.
submit your photo
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.
KWIZ ANSWERS
1. C. Each state’s electoral votes are determined a number equal to the state’s number of members in the House of Representatives plus its two senators; 2. B. Bates starred in Crimes of the Heart at Actors Theatre in 1979; 3. A. The seat for District 5 is the only one up for election. The current occupant of the seat, Justice Laurance B. VanMeter of Lexington, is not seeking reelection; 4. B. Martin was born Dino Paul Crocetti and was known as “The King of Cool”; 5. C. In addition to Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump, others on the ballot are Jill Stein (Kentucky Party), Shiva Ayyadurai (Independent), Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (Independent) and Chase Oliver (Libertarian); 6. C. During the Ohio River flood of 1937, Brooks was the staff announcer for WHAS-AM radio in Louisville; 7. A. Bill Clinton won Kentucky in 1992 and 1996; 8. A. The Louisvilleborn Norman also is an author and screenwriter; 9. B. He ran in 1824, 1832 and 1844; 10. True. With the adoption of the Gregorian calendar in 1752, Boone, who previously celebrated his birthday in October, could celebrate again in November; 11. Tuesday, Nov. 5.
Celebrating Dogs and Cats
On Sunday, Nov. 10, from 2-4 p.m., Kentucky Monthly’s Stephen M. Vest will discuss his new book, George Graham Vest: The Life and Times of Dog’s Best Friend, as part of the Headley-Whitney Museum’s Dogs & Cats: An Exhibition.
A Transylvania Law School graduate, G.G. Vest is credited with coining the phrase “Dog is man’s best friend” during an 1870 Missouri court case.
The exhibit features more than 120 mixed-media works by 30 artists, including paintings, sculptures, photographs, dog collars, and a 10-foot topiary of George Headley’s dachshund, Ernie
Jamie Wyeth, best known for his presidential portraits, has loaned 25 paintings from his Dog Days of Summer exhibit.
Another gallery features 26 Ellen Skidmore illustrations from her new book, How Dogs Make Me Feel. Other artists include Andre Pater, the late Henry Faulkner, Jaime Corum, Rodney Hatfield, Suzy Smith and Kelly Brewer
“The subject of dogs and cats was interesting to explore not only because they have been depicted in art for centuries, but also because of our deep connection with our pets and how we memorialize them through art as treasured members of our lives and families,” said curator Christina Bell For more information, go to headley-whitney.org.
Ideals and Shortcomings
Not many organizations will admit to a past of systemic racism, exclusion and distortion. However, in Dr. Daniel Gifford’s new book, Benefactors of Posterity: The Founding Era of the Filson Historical Society 1884-1899, the Louisville organization willingly faces its late 19th century legacy.
“The time and talent embodied in this book are a significant gift from Dan to the Filson,” said Dr. Patrick Lewis, director of collections and research and incoming president and CEO of the Filson. “Knowing our institutional past lets us move ahead with confidence.”
Written during the Filson’s 140th anniversary, Gifford’s book explores Louisville and Kentucky history, including “surprises” about Enid Yandell’s Daniel Boone statue, the Southern Exposition, the aftermath of the Civil War, Louisville’s public parks, the 1890 tornado and even the Ku Klux Klan.
“The research led me to very real, very human stories about ideals and shortcomings; noble instincts and blinding prejudices all rolled together inside people that are brought to life 140 years later,” Gifford said.
More information can be found at filsonhistorical.org.
Award-Winning Traveller
Kentucky native and Grammy winner Chris Stapleton can add yet another accolade to his list of awards, this time in the world of whiskey and spirits. Traveller Whiskey, created by Stapleton and Buffalo Trace Distillery Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley, has garnered 15 spirit awards since its January 2024 release. That makes it the “Most Awarded Super Premium Whiskey Release of 2024.”
Among the 15 awards are the Luxury Masters 2024 Master medal, Best in Class Gold at the 2024 Whiskies of the World competition, Double Platinum medal from the 2024 ASCOT Awards, and Double Gold from the 2024 TAG Global Spirits Award.
Andrew Duncan, the distillery’s global brand director, said the goal was to create a whiskey to please a wide range of palates.
“That uniquely approachable liquid and its rapid acceptance by drinkers has earned Traveller coverage on major U.S. cultural platforms including the Today show and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” Duncan said. “Traveller proves that whiskey can be for everyone, which is exactly what Harlen and Chris set out to create.”
Traveller Whiskey can be found at most retailers, bars and restaurants nationwide. To learn more, visit travellerwhiskey.com
TUNE-IN & STREAM KET Monday-Sunday, beginning Nov. 14 • 8:30/7:30am
This heartwarming PBS KIDS series follows a raccoon on the autism spectrum as he explores the world, collects treasures and makes new friends. Trusted. Valued. Essential. Your support helps provide programming that informs, engages and entertains throughout the year. Make a contribution and access the great benefits that come with KET membership.
Terri Tackett
Question: What role does Stockton Mortgage play in the home-buying process?
Answer: Getting pre-qualified is often the most stressful part of buying a home. When possible, I meet face to face with clients to be sure I have all the necessary information and answer any questions they may have. Once you are pre-qualified, you know what to expect—how much your monthly payment will be, the process of [finding out] what money you will need when, and, ultimately, the home price you want to purchase. This takes away a lot of the anxiety and gives our homebuyers the confidence to move forward and end up with a new home.
Q. What types of loans are available?
A. There are a multitude of loans— some offering as little as $0 down and some offering down-payment assistance of up to a $10,000 second mortgage that can be used for a down payment and/or closing costs. An FHA loan with a 3.5 percent downpayment based on the sales price is popular with first-time homebuyers. VA 100 percent financing is available to those who qualify and have the required military service. The Rural Housing Service offers 100 percent financing. It is income capped, and the property has to be in an RHS-eligible area. Conventional financing offers from a minimum of 3 percent of the sales price down. There are many what we call non-conforming loans to meet
Mortgage Loan Originator at Stockton Mortgage
particular needs. Each of these products enables Stockton to find the best product for our clients.
Q. Explain your role working with real estate agents, underwriters and closing agents during the process.
A. In today’s market, a pre-approval letter from a local lender is imperative. Once we give you the green light, the real estate agent will work with you to find a house that best fits your requirements and is in your approved price range. The underwriters review the credit report, the income/asset documents, and the appraisal, and assure the loan fits all the product guidelines. Short break for a happy dance—then off to the title company for the closing day and time. Stockton’s closing department works with the closing agent to be sure the numbers are correct and all parties are ready to move forward.
Q. Interest rates have been slowly dropping in 2024. Have you seen a bump in mortgage applications over the last 3-6 months?
A. The market has improved due to more acceptable interest rates. The prices of homes are still escalating, which causes higher payments due to increased homeowner’s insurance and property taxes, making affordability a concern for first-time homebuyers. The higher sales prices give buyers who are moving “up” more money to work with in buying a new home and possibly paying off high-interest credit cards to offset the higher housing cost.
Q. What programs are available for first-time homebuyers? What
financial tips and suggestions do you have for making a first-home offer?
A. We offer a number of first-time homebuyers programs. The most commonly used are loans through Kentucky Housing Corporation. They offer reduced interest rates and the down-payment assistance program. In preparing to buy a home, it is important that you meet with a qualified local lender. Don’t change your employment status, apply for credit, or make any major purchase that could negatively impact your approval. Checking with your loan officer is always a good idea.
Q. What is a good debt-to-income ratio for first-time homebuyers?
A. The debt-to-income ratio varies among products, but, in general, a first-time homebuyer can go to a 50 percent ratio of all debts plus the new house payment but often needs compensating factors to qualify for that high of a debt ratio. Forty-five percent is more desirable, and student loans that are deferred or not in repayment still must be calculated into the debt.
Q. Is there a general rule of thumb when homeowners should consider refinancing?
A. The reasons [to refinance] include debt consolidation, home improvement and improving your cash resources in case of an emergency. Rate or term reduction used to be the main factor in the decision to refinance, but now there are many other factors to consider.
For each issue, we pose questions to a prominent Kentucky business leader and publish them along with the responses. Got Business News to Share? Please contact Business Editor Hal Moss at hal@kentuckymonthly.com with press releases or business news.
Simply Delicious
Cynthiana native Elizabeth Cromwell Kremer, who worked in food service prior to raising a family, returned to the business for which she had a passion after her children left the nest. In 1967, she launched an eatery at the newly restored Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill near Harrodsburg that evolved into the Trustees’ Table restaurant visitors know and love today.
Kremer’s story is told in Simplicity and Excellence: Elizabeth Kremer from Beaten Biscuits to Shaker Lemon Pie, released in May by the University Press of Kentucky. Intertwined with the events of Kremer’s life are classic recipes for Shaker Village dishes that represent the simplicity and elegance of Kentucky cuisine.
Scaggs, Deirdre A. and Evalina Kremer Settle. Simplicity and Excellence: Elizabeth Kremer from Beaten Biscuits to Shaker Lemon Pie. pp. 52-53, 149-150, 174, 176, 183184, 203, 206, 207. © 2024 The University Press of Kentucky. Used by permission.
Images courtesy of the University of Kentucky Libraries Special Collections Research Center.
Author Deirdre A. Scaggs
Corn sticks prepared in their special cast-iron pan.
Angel Food Cake from Scratch
Eggs should be as fresh as possible; whites should be cold when separated from the yolks but at room temperature when beaten. Do not grease the cake container, a tube pan, and make sure all utensils are free from all oil and grease. For easy removal, a piece of waxed paper may be cut to fit the bottom of the tube pan. Use a thin knife to run around the sides of the baked cake to loosen it from the sides of the pan.
1 cup cake flour
1½ cups confectioners sugar, sifted
1½ cups egg whites
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1½ teaspoons cream of tartar
1 cup granulated sugar
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Sift together flour and confectioners sugar three times.
3. With a wire whisk, beat egg whites until frothy. Add salt, vanilla and cream of tartar; beat until stiff and glossy but not dry. Add granulated sugar one tablespoon at a time. Using a motion of down-up-over, fold and blend well.
4. Gently distribute the cake batter evenly in an ungreased tube pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until golden brown.
5. Before removing the cake, place the pan over a bottle or large funnel on a counter. This will allow currents of air to pass under and over as the cake cools and dries.
6. Cake may be iced, sprinkled with powdered sugar, or served with a sugared fruit and topped with unsweetened cream. Garnish with a sprig of mint leaves.
Elizabeth Kremer walks through Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill.
Diners enjoy a meal in what was then the Trustee’s Office Dining Room.
Corn Sticks
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
3 teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons oil
1 egg
½ cup flour
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cornmeal
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Beat all ingredients together until well mixed.
2. Heat greased cast-iron corn stick pans until hot enough to sizzle in contact with water. Fill irons halfway.
3. Bake for 10 minutes or until brown.
Biscuits
1 cup flour
½ teaspoon salt
1½ teaspoons baking powder
3 tablespoons shortening
9 tablespoons milk
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Sift dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Cut shortening into flour.
3. Make a well in the center of the flour and pour milk into the well. Stir until the dough cleans the bowl.
4. Knead for ½ minute. Pat out the dough on a floured surface to about ½ inch or to desired thickness. Cut with a small biscuit cutter.
5. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. The cooked biscuits, once cooled, can be stored in a tin or frozen for later use.
Shakertown Fried Chicken
Iron skillets or very heavy-bottomed pans are best.
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon paprika
2 cups flour
High-quality shortening
Whole chicken, cut into quarters
1. Blend seasonings into flour in a paper bag. Then place chicken pieces, one at a time, in the bag and roll gently to fully coat the chicken.
2. Place enough shortening in the skillet to be about ¼ inch deep when melted. Chicken should be cooked over very low heat and turned only once to be sure not to lose crust.
3. Cooking time is about 30 minutes—15 minutes per side. Drain on a paper towel before serving.
Fudge Pie
2 squares chocolate (2 ounces)
½ cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, separated
½ cup flour, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Melt chocolate in a double boiler and let cool.
3. Beat butter until soft and blend in sugar, creaming well. Beat in egg yolks.
4. Next, blend in melted chocolate and add flour and vanilla. Stir well. Egg whites should be beaten until stiff and folded into chocolate mixture.
5. Pour into a greased 8-inch pie pan and bake for 30 minutes. Serve pie topped with vanilla ice cream.
A myriad of attractions abound in French Lick West Baden located in Orange County, Indiana.
From adrenaline pumping outdoor activities to world class spas to year round events, discover opportunities to create memories that will last a lifetime. What moments will you create?
“ We want all students to know that at Cumberlands there is a clear and affordable path to a college degree. That’s the Cumberlands Commitment.”
-President Larry L. Cockrum
THAT’S
CUMBERLANDS COMMITMENT
In 1887, a few men representing 18 churches came together and committed to do something once and for all to help fix the “brain drain” in their struggling Appalachian area. By the end of the following year, they had successfully pooled their ideas and resources and founded a two-year college called the Williamsburg Institute.
The first four graduates became a doctor, an attorney, an educator, and a minister, spending the rest of their lives meeting the needs of people in their communities physically, legally, educationally, and spiritually.
Today, that small college is known as University of the Cumberlands – one of the largest private universities in Kentucky. Since its beginning, Cumberlands has poured into students so students can pour into their families and communities.
The heart of the university rests on its original founding purpose: to provide a first-class education at rates within the means of the region’s young people. In other words, offering promising students of all backgrounds a well-rounded academic experience enriched with Christian values so they have what it takes to strive for excellence, lead with kindness, and give through service.
That’s what we do. That’s the Cumberlands Commitment. And, that is why we are embarking on the most ambitious project in the school’s history – a campaign to raise $200 million to support new student scholarships. The Cumberlands Commitment Scholarship Campaign seeks to ensure that the university’s on-campus undergraduate students are able to graduate from college with little to no debt.
The Cumberlands Commitment Scholarship Campaign seeks to raise $100 million from donors to increase scholarship opportunities. The university is matching every donation received, dollar for dollar, bringing the total amount of investment in new student scholarships to $200 million.
First four graduates from The Williamsburg Institute.
Graduates from the Class of 2023.
The Bluegrass State boasts a wealth of nonprofit organizations that celebrate musical, theatrical, literary and visual arts
COMMONWEALTH CULTURE
BY DEBORAH KOHL KREMER
Nonprofit organizations come in all shapes and sizes, with the common goal of providing a benefit to the public without the focus on earnings. Kentucky is full of various arts organizations with this same target in mind— exposing audiences to art, culture, talent and music—and with support from donors, grants, and the sale of products or services.
Here are a few organizations throughout the state that present the arts in different ways to reach a wide selection of audiences.
With a mission of making classical music attractive, accessible and affordable to everyone in Northern Kentucky, the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra has been doing just that since 1992. Its typical performances include free threeconcert summer series at Covington’s Devou Park and Fort Thomas’ Tower Park, free education/outreach concerts, and an affordably priced subscription series that includes five performances, which add up to about 25,000 guests each year.
The KSO hires 200 freelance musicians each season; other expenses include guest artist fees, music purchases, rental and licensing, hall and truck rental, insurance, workers comp and salaries for two full-time and four part-time staff members.
“Like many nonprofit organizations, we sell sponsorships and write grants to offset funding not raised via ticket sales,” said J.R. Cassidy, KSO executive director and founder. “The KSO’s goal each year is to break even. Sometimes, we make more; occasionally we’ll come up a little short.”
kyso.org • 859.431.6216
With a focus on bringing people together to inspire meaningful connections, the KMAC Contemporary Art Museum on Museum Row in downtown Louisville accomplishes that goal through art.
“Many people are reluctant to walk into an art museum, especially a contemporary art museum,” said Michelle Staggs, executive director. “But we want to be the place where people can explore and discuss art. It is OK if they like it or not. Our goal is to start conversations and get people thinking.”
The museum, which was founded by former Kentucky First Lady Phyllis George Brown in 1981, started out as the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft. Originally intended to showcase folk art from the Bluegrass State, the museum has evolved over the years into a contemporary art museum. Last year, it welcomed more than 16,000 visitors to its solo shows, multi-artist exhibits and museum events, which featured the works of more than 40 artists.
Funding is raised primarily through donations, but Staggs said the museum has seen a growth in revenue through transactions, whether those are purchases from the gift shop or tickets bought for an event. Its largest annual event is KMAC Couture, where artists’ creations are designed to be worn and not hung on a wall. This lively and visually impactful evening draws more than 1,000 people to watch art literally walk the runway. Another highly anticipated event is the KMAC Triennial. Held every three years, the Triennial features art depicting contemporary issues such as climate change and the environment, and all participating artists must have ties to Kentucky. The next KMAC Triennial exhibit is set to open in May 2025.
Now in its 67th year, the Yeiser Art Center (also known as YAC) is a cultural organization in the heart of Paducah. It hosts gallery exhibits, artist lectures and visual arts-based programming for adults and children. It also has 300 pieces in its permanent collection. The YAC is located inside the historic Market House Building, and visitors can’t miss the entrance because a large bright red yak sculpture stands just outside.
According to gallery administrator Alyssa Rickards, the YAC typically welcomes 12,000-15,000 visitors a year. It is supported by a small endowment and relies heavily on grants, sponsors, donations and memberships.
“Part of our mission is to provide availability to art for our community,” she said. “So, we never charge an admission fee to our gallery.”
The Lower Town Arts and Music Festival is the largest fundraising event that the Yeiser Art Center hosts each year. This weekend-long event each May brings thousands of people to Paducah to enjoy music, food and art in the streets of the artsy, historical neighborhood known as Lower Town.
200 Broadway, Paducah
270.442.2453 • theyeiser.org
The Grand Theatre opened as a vaudeville house in Frankfort In 1911. By the 1940s, it had been transformed into a movie theater, and by the 1960s, it was shuttered.
The next few decades saw the building become an office, a retail store and an auction house. It wasn’t until 2005 that the once-grand theater got back on track to becoming the Grand Theatre.
It was then that Bill Cull, owner and president, purchased the building and gained financial support for renovations by issuing bonds. As the money began to trickle in, the overhaul of the 410-seat landmark got underway, and in 2009, the doors reopened.
Today, the Grand hosts about 100 events per year and welcomes more than 18,000 guests from all 120 Kentucky counties and 23 states. The theater receives some support from arts organizations, but generally, every penny brought in goes back into running the theater.
“We are a nonprofit, but we are entrepreneurial,” Cull said. “Of course, we support the arts, but we work to do economic development, trying to build our community and bring in tourism.”
Those efforts have paid off, as the guests of the Grand tend to have dinner or an after-show cocktail in town and possibly stay at a Frankfort hotel.
The Grand is small compared to other venues, but Cull said that can be appealing to patrons coming to see films, musicians and entertainers.
“Because of the intimate nature of the theater, you can see the act [up close],” he said. “Plus, I love when people tell us they drove from out of state, past large cities, to come to the Grand.”
YEISER ART CENTER
THE GRAND THEATRE
Shape Shifter by Chakaia Booker (top)
GRAPHOLOGYHENGE by Peyton Scott Russell (below)
Raffael by Boaz Vaadia (above, photo by Visit Frankfort)
ARTS OF SOUTHERN KENTUCKY
In 2020, Bowling Green’s Southern Kentucky Performing Arts Center, lovingly known as the SKyPAC, merged with Orchestra Kentucky to create the Arts of Southern Kentucky. This nonprofit became the umbrella organization for the productions performed by the orchestra; BG OnStage, a youth theater company; Ramsey Theater Company, a professional acting company; and the Dr. Robert and Pat Goodwin Art Gallery.
Performances include Broadway musicals, nationally known comedians, musical guests, local actors and extras, and wellknown and not-so-well-known directors, producers, writers and stagehands.
This wide variety of shows and performances enabled the Arts of Southern Kentucky to welcome more than 77,000 people to the facility between July 2023 and June 2024.
“Donations, sponsorships and grants make up about 40 percent of our income,” said Jeffrey Reed, president and CEO of Arts of Southern Kentucky. “On a $5.7 million budget, that’s a significant amount that we must raise each fiscal year.”
The organization received an $8.5 million appropriation from the Commonwealth of Kentucky to build a two-story addition to the current venue. The finished product is about two years out, and the space will create a set workshop, rehearsal areas, storage and administrative offices allowing for more educational programs and additional onstage productions.
601 College Street, Bowling Green 270.904.1880 • theskypac.com
In 1913, the Pine Mountain Settlement School was created to educate the children of the remote, mountainous area of Harlan County. Through the years, it served thousands of students as a boarding school and day school. Today, the campus, which covers 800 acres and has 26 historic buildings, is registered as a National Historic Landmark. The school has a mission to “enrich lives and foster community by offering experiential education focused on environmental literacy, sustainable agriculture and Appalachia’s diverse people, art and culture.”
Students of all ages participate in workshops, retreats and overnight fieldtrips with topics such as storytelling, ecology, geology and folk dancing. In an average year, the settlement school welcomes close to 6,000 people to the grounds.
Executive Director Jason Brashear explained that art is influenced by the environment and agriculture and is the perfect tie-in to the institution’s educational pursuits. “Plus, we have a pottery studio, woodshop, weaving studio, blacksmith shop and a commercial kitchen,” he said. “This is a neat place to get an all-encompassing experience.”
Pine Mountain Settlement School is funded by an endowment and program fees, as well as grants and philanthropy, but Brashear said that funding is an everyday challenge.
“Infrastructure is the hardest part,” he said. “Most buildings date back before 1925—and all are before 1940—so we must find ways to keep them updated, heated and cooled, while still preserving our history.”
36 Highway 510, Bledsoe 606.558.3571 • pinemountainsettlementschool.com
PINE MOUNTAIN SETTLEMENT SCHOOL
WHI S KEY WEDN E SDAYS$5
Kentucky high school sophomores: our post-secondary, residential program provides two-years of university courses at no cost to you; giving you the opportunity of a lifetime to change the world.
WWW.MOREHEADSTATE.EDU/CRAFT-ACADEMY MSU is an affirmative action, equal opportunity, educational institution.
Court Appointed Special Advocates are community-based volunteers appointed by judges to provide best-interest advocacy for children involved in child abuse, neglect, and dependency cases. CASA volunteers makes recommendations in court regarding services, placement, visitation, reunification, and permanency for the children on their case. Become a CASA volunteer today.
www.kentuckycasanetwork.org
Art and Accuracy
The
Kentucky rifle is revered by enthusiasts and legendary for its role in American history
BY RON SOODALTER
IMAGES COURTESY OF MEL HANKLA
As most firearms enthusiasts no doubt will attest, there are arguably three types of firearms from America’s past that have achieved legendary status: the Winchester rifle, the Colt revolver and the Kentucky rifle. Of these, the last has the longest pedigree by far. A sleek, elegant weapon that combined art and accuracy, it put food on the table in peacetime and performed yeoman service in time of war. And while the Colt and the Winchester were produced by the thousands in factories, the muzzle-loading Kentucky rifle was made one at a time to suit its owner. It was crafted by men who combined the consummate expertise of the gunsmith with the deftness and skill of a fine artisan.
In a time when hitting a target—two-legged or otherwise—at any distance beyond 60 yards with a shortbarreled smoothbore musket was at best a matter of chance, the long, full-stocked Kentucky rifle was remarkably accurate up to and exceeding 200 yards. Whereas the typical military musket fired a heavy lead ball as large as .75 caliber and often lost direction, the Kentucky rifle generally fired a much smaller ball, allowing for not only greater accuracy but also more ammunition per pound of lead in a time when lead often was not readily available.
What accounted for the weapon’s accuracy was its rifled barrel. Rifling—the term referring to the helical grooves running the inside length of a barrel, causing a projectile to spin unerringly toward its target—had been
pioneered in Europe sometime in the 16th century. It was a precise process, demanding a tremendous amount of time and skill.
The weapon brought a heretofore unknown ballistic accuracy to the frontier. Writes historian Dallas Bogan: “The Kentucky Rifle was considered to be a necessity by frontiersmen, and practically every frontier family owned one. Rifle shooting was a way of life on the great American frontier, and nearly every settlement had a shooting match on weekends and holidays. The rifle was thus used for recreation, as well as for protection and hunting.”
It is commonly acknowledged that the Kentucky rifle was, in fact, first made in Pennsylvania in the early 18th
century forges of immigrant German and Swiss gunsmiths. Its popularity quickly spread. While the standard military firearm used on both sides during the American Revolution was the heavy, inaccurate musket, a large number of Patriots carried their own long rifles. In the hands of sharpshooters and snipers, they were especially effective in targeting enemy officers. As Nancy McClure of Cody, Wyoming’s Buffalo Bill Center of the West writes, “[M]any British soldiers fell because of the mistaken assumption that they were out of range of the revolutionaries’ guns.”
How, then, did the rifle become associated by name with Kentucky? According to the Buffalo Bill History Center, the weapon “just happened to be ideally suited for use in the dense forests of Kentucky, and its virtues were
Left: During the 1940s and ’50s, Joe Kindig of York, Pennsylvania, who gathered the largest collection of Kentucky Rifles ever assembled, is pictured with his more than 500 masterpieces; right: the spiral rifling within the barrel is clearly visible in the muzzle of the Kentucky Rifle.
extolled in that state—both in use and in song—earlier than elsewhere. One might say with at least a fair degree of accuracy that these guns were adopted and brought to maturity in Kentucky.”
According to a popular legend, it wasn’t until the 1820s that the rifle would take on its new parent name, and it supposedly was due to a song. “The Hunters of Kentucky,” a tremendously popular ditty written in the early 1800s to commemorate Andrew Jackson’s victory at the Battle of New Orleans, contains this verse:
“Jackson he was wide awake, and wasn’t scared at trifles, For well he knew what aim we take with our Kentucky rifles.”
So popular was the song that Jackson used it as the official song of his two presidential campaigns. Kentucky claimed the name, and the weapon henceforth was known as the Kentucky rifle.
As with many widely credited legends, this origin story—while seductive—is purely apocryphal. In fact, as Kentucky rifle collector and lifelong authority Dr. Mel Hankla points out, a gunsmith in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, was specifically advertising Kentucky rifles as early as 1796, and by 1803, the name could be commonly found in newspapers as far north as Boston.
In addition to their skill at the forge, fabricators of the Kentucky rifle had to be versed in wood crafting. Stocks were made of hardwood, and although cherry sometimes was used, many—if not most—of these rifles sported stocks carved from curly or “tiger striped” maple. It was
commonly available, durable and beautiful when finished. To bring out the dramatic contrast in the wood, the maker would coat the stock with a nitric acid solution, bring an iron bar to a red heat in the forge, and pass the bar low over the stock, bringing out the alternating light and dark stripes in the grain with each pass. (Modern-day gunsmiths still use nitric acid but in combination with an electric heat gun rather an iron bar.)
The finer Kentucky rifles boasted engraved patch boxes and delicately wrought birds, animals and religious symbols inlaid in silver, nickel, ivory and brass, all combining the skill and artistry of the maker with the specifications of the customer. The Kentucky rifle was conceivably the most personalized firearm America has ever produced.
The first Kentucky rifles featured a flintlock ignition system, in which a flint would strike a spark, igniting the powder and propelling the ball forward and out of the barrel. The system was developed at the turn of the 16th century (some say by Leonardo da Vinci), long before the first colonists settled along the Eastern Seaboard. Sometime around the early 1820s, a new, faster and more efficient method of loading and firing was introduced, with a system involving a percussion cap instead of the flint-and-powder mechanism. By the 1830s, many gunsmiths had adapted the older Kentucky rifles to the new system by replacing the flint assembly.
The percussion system was here to stay, mechanizing firearms throughout the Civil War and into the early settlement of the West. However, as Hankla points out, those who had grown up with the Kentucky flintlock were—and are—loath to make the change. “There is a
dependability to the flintlock,” he states, “that is lacking in the cap-and-ball rifles. Should the rifleman lose his tin of caps, or should they become damp, he is effectively left without a weapon.”
• • •
Owners often honored the timeless tradition of assigning names to their Kentucky rifles. Naming one’s weapon is a custom going back to the time of handwrought swords and axes. Of the 13 reasons listed by the National Rifle Association describing why owners name their firearms, the first—and arguably the most logical— is simply, “[T]hey love their guns.”
Famous figures in our country’s history gave their
Left: A historical broadsheet with the lyrics of “The Hunters of Kentucky”; above: Joe Kindig.
Kentucky rifles names that eventually found their way into America’s folklore. As those of a certain age will recall from Walt Disney’s Davy Crockett: King of the Wild Frontier, Crockett named his rifle “Old Betsy.” In fact, David Crockett (he preferred to be called “David”) had more than one “Betsy.” According to Western historian and author Jim Cornelius, Old Betsy was Crockett’s favorite, while “Pretty Betsy” was a gift from Whig Party officials upon his 1833 re-election to Congress. While one “Betsy” purportedly was lost at the Battle of the Alamo, another rifle alleged to have belonged to Crockett is on display at the East Tennessee History Center in Knoxville.
Daniel Boone also named his rifle. “Tick Licker,” as the
Top: This rifle is signed in script “C. Humble” for Conrad Humble of Martin’s Station in Bourbon County. The flintlock rifle has a sliding wood patch box and a raised, carved and engraved sideplate with a single trigger. Dimensions: Buttplate height – 4¾ inches, width – 1¾ inches, lockplate length – 6 inches, trigger pull – 13½ inches, patchbox length – 5¼ inches, and barrel length – 451/8 inches; above: a view of the relief carving behind the cheekpiece of the Conrad Humble rifle.
story goes, was so accurate that it could shoot a tick off a deer’s back. According to Cornelius, the larger-than-life frontiersman Simon Kenton called his Kentucky rifle “Jacob” in honor of the man who gave him the weapon.
• • •
Today, skilled gunsmiths recreate the Kentucky rifle using the same basic techniques as those of the 18th and early 19th centuries. Although the tools might be of modern manufacture, the process is nearly the same and is as time-consuming. The rifles’ popularity is undiminished; one maker recently spent 400 hours recreating one of Crockett’s long rifles for a relative, only
to find himself beset with orders for nine more.
The historic Kentucky rifle was not without its drawbacks. As with all flintlock firearms, a misfire— called at the time a “flash in the pan”—was not uncommon. The rifle often would foul with powder after five or six rounds, requiring immediate cleaning. Nonetheless, for range, accuracy and beauty, the Kentucky rifle had no equal on the American frontier. In the words of National Park Service Supervisor of Interpretation C.P. Russell: “Light in weight, graceful in line, economical in consumption of powder and lead, fatally precise, and distinctly American, it was for 100 years the great arbitrator that settled all differences throughout the American wilderness.” Q
James Baker Hall Foundation
The James Baker Hall Foundation was established in 2023 with a mission to honor the remarkable literary and artistic legacy of the Kentucky-born writer and poet. As the director of the creative writing program at the University of Kentucky for 30 years, Hall served as a dedicated mentor to a younger generation of Kentucky artists.
A Lexington native, Hall, a working artist, stayed close to his Kentucky roots all his life and served as a dedicated mentor to a younger generation of artists. It was his wish that we would continue to support Kentucky’s art and artists, to “tell that story” as Hall the Poet Laureate said in 2003.
The Foundation also was established to honor the heritage of great Kentucky writers such as Robert Penn Warren, Crystal Wilkinson, Gurney Norman, Frank X Walker and Silas House. We intend to promote the continuation of this heritage for future generations.
At its core, the James Baker Hall Foundation is dedicated to celebrating and uplifting Kentucky’s creative community. One of its primary initiatives is the James Baker Hall Book Award in Poetry, which provides a $3,000 prize and a publishing contract with Accents Publishing.
The Foundation also funds outreach programs, such asthe Ironwood Writers Studio and the Write to Recover initiative, which empowers individuals overcoming addiction through creative writing.
As a young organization with big aspirations, the James Baker Hall Foundation relies on the generosity of donors and community supporters to continue its work. By raising funds and expanding its network, the Foundation hopes to make a lasting impact on Kentucky’s cultural landscape.
To learn more about the Foundation’s mission and initiatives or to make a donation, visit the official website at jamesbakerhallfoundation.org.
Your support helps ensure future expansion of Kentucky’s rich artistic legacy!
LEARN MORE
jamesbakerhallfoundation.org
The mission of the James Baker Hall Foundation is to celebrate the legacy of our great artistic heritage by providing direct support to Kentucky’s literary and visual creatives.
James Baker Hall (1935-2009), known for his work as a writer, was a Poet Laureate of Kentucky and the author of many essential works of Southern literature. A prolific art photographer, he lectured widely on the medium. He was a contributing editor for Aperture; his own work published in more than half a dozen collections of photographs. He was a member of the famed Lexington Camera Club and a trusted colleague of photographers Minor White, Richard Benson, and Ralph Eugene Meatyard. His photographs are part of public and private art holdings, including the permanent collections of University of Kentucky Art Museum in Lexington, KY, and 21c Museum in Louisville, KY. The James Baker Hall Archive of Photographs and Films, housed in Central Kentucky, remains active and vital.
‘A Triumph Over Tragedy’
Kentucky-born Charles Young was a role model for generations of Black military officers
BY JACK BRAMMER
On a still, crisp September morning that poets dream about, former Mason County JudgeExecutive James L. “Buddy”
Gallenstein sat in a rural cabin about 2 miles east of Mays Lick at 6319 Helena Road that once belonged to an enslaved family and marveled at the life born there in 1864.
“I tell you: He was something else,” said Gallenstein, a most affable fellow who got his fair share of criticism for spearheading an effort by the county government in 2012 to buy the cabin and 38-acre farm with a large red-brick house for $220,000 and spending about $50,000 to repair the cabin.
“Can you imagine being born a slave in this place and wind up becoming one of the nation’s highest-ranking Black military officials who served all over the world?”
Gallenstein continued. “He overcame so much in his life.”
Gallenstein was speaking of Charles Young, whose well-deserved fame finally is spreading.
Among Young’s numerous accomplishments, he was the third Black graduate of the United States Military Academy, the first Black person to be superintendent of a U.S. national park, the first Black military attaché, the first Black to achieve the rank of colonel in the U.S. Army, and the highest-ranking Black officer in the Regular Army until his death in 1922.
Many Americans believe Young would have been the first Black brigadier general in the U.S. Armed Forces had it not been for the political and social climate of the times.
A 1925 study by the U.S. Army War College falsely found that Black people lacked the intelligence, ambition
and courage to serve in prominent positions within the U.S. military and should not be promoted over white officers or soldiers.
It was not until 1940 that Benjamin O. Davis Sr. became the first Black brigadier general in the U.S. Army. His son, Benjamin O. Davis Jr., followed in his footsteps and became the first Black brigadier general in the U.S. Air Force in 1960. The Davises and other Black generals who followed them, such as Colin Powell, acknowledged the trailblazing career of the man born into slavery in Kentucky.
History Took Its Time in Recognizing Young
At a ceremony at West Point on April 29, 2022, for the posthumous promotion of Young to brigadier general, Under Secretary of the Army Gabe Camarillo said Young “was a soldier, an intellectual, a civil rights pioneer and a man who loved his family deeply.”
At Young’s funeral at Arlington National Cemetery, writer, historian and civil rights advocate W.E.B. Dubois said Young’s entire life was “a triumph over tragedy.”
Within the last two years, more significant attention has been granted to Young. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine have designated 85 miles of roadway in each of their states as part of the Brigadier General Charles Young Memorial Historical Corridor.
In Kentucky, the corridor runs from Camp Nelson National Cemetery in Jessamine County to Lexington to the Simon Kenton Bridge over the Ohio River about 12
miles from Mays Lick.
In Ohio, the corridor winds from Wilberforce—where Young was a distinguished professor at Wilberforce College and is home to the Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument—to the Ohio River town of Ripley, where he went to school.
Some historians and veterans’ organizations are asking President Joe Biden to place the Mason County cabin into the National Park system before he leaves office in January.
Who Was Charles Young?
Young was born to enslaved parents Gabriel and Arminta Young in the cabin near Mays Lick on March 12, 1864, the third year of the four-year Civil War.
It was on the Willett farm and was built in 1790 as a small farmhouse. The large farmhouse on the property burned down in 1909, and a red-brick structure replaced it.
After Charles’ birth, his father escaped enslavement, and in February 1865, he joined the 5th Regiment, U.S. Colored
Heavy Artillery in Ohio. Later that year after the war ended, he took his wife and son down the Ohio River from Maysville to Ripley, Ohio, to live.
Young Charles thrived there. A precocious youngster, he attended school in Ripley and was mentored by the likes of John Rankin and John Parker, abolitionists and conductors of the Underground Railroad to assist enslaved people escaping to freedom in the North.
At 17, Charles graduated with academic honors from his integrated high school class in 1881. After high school, he taught at the African-American elementary school. Charles’ father saw an ad in a local newspaper and encouraged him in 1883 to take the entrance exam to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in New York.
Though Charles tallied the second-best score among those tested, he did not gain entry until the following year.
On June 10, 1884, Charles became the ninth African American to attend West Point. He was not welcomed by fellow cadets and faculty. He often faced racial insults and social isolation. But Charles persevered and became the third Black cadet to graduate from West Point.
Three months after graduation, Young joined the 9th U.S. Cavalry in Nebraska and Utah, one of the four all-
SAFE DRIVERS SEE CLEARLY.
Effective January 1, 2025, a new Kentucky law requires vision screening for anyone renewing a driver’s license. In 2025, if you’ve seen a vision specialist or Transportation Cabinet credentialed medical provider in the last 12 months, simply bring in a completed vision form to any Driver Licensing Regional Office when you renew OR get free vision screening at the time of renewal. Renew early in person, online or by mail (up to 6 months before your expiration date). For more details, visit drive.ky.gov/visionscreening.
KENTUCKY GATEWAY MUSEUM CENTER
Maysville... Where Bourbon Began its Journey Maysville... Where Bourbon Began its Journey
The Bourbon History Galleries at The Old Pogue Experience outlines Maysville's development of bourbon from the late 1700s to mid-1800s; the heyday of three prominent distilleries (Pogue, Limestone, Poyntz); the dark days of Prohibition; the post-prohibition era; and the renaissance of Old Pogue today.
Disclaimer: Must be 21 years of age with a valid ID to participate in bourbon tastings.
The Old Pogue Experience located in the limestone building on the corner of sutton & west 2nd Streets kygmc campus
From KET Kentucky Studies
Black regiments known as the Buffalo Soldiers established by Congress to help rebuild the country after the Civil War and to patrol the remote Western frontier.
Between 1889 and 1907, Young was promoted to captain, taught military science at Wilberforce University, commanded a troop of the Ninth Cavalry in the Philippine Islands during the Philippine Insurrection, became the first Black superintendent of Sequoia and General Grant (now Kings Canyon) national parks, and became the first military attaché to Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
In February 1904, Young married Ada Mills Young in Oakland, California. They had two children—Charles Noel Young and Marie Aurelia Young—who became educators.
From 1912 to 1915, Young served as military attaché to Liberia, where he was promoted to major. He developed the Liberian Frontier Force, built roads and was wounded during a rescue mission.
From 1916 to 1917, Young was reassigned to the 10th U.S. Cavalry and served in Mexico.
He was told in 1917 that he had to retire. To prove his fitness for duty, Young rode and walked nearly 500 miles from Wilberforce to Washington, D.C., but he was not recalled to active duty until days before World War I ended.
He was recalled to active duty in 1919 as a military attaché in Liberia. While on an intelligence mission in the African country, he became critically ill with a kidney infection and died on Jan. 8, 1922. He was 57. He had faced adversity and discrimination in his long career but remained steadfast to do the jobs before him.
Young was buried in Lagos, Nigeria, with military honors provided by British troops. Family members and the U.S. Army insisted that his remains be returned to America, but British law required the body to stay in the ground a year because of health issues.
On June 1, 1923, Young became the fourth person honored with a funeral inside the Arlington Memorial Amphitheater, near where the solemn Changing of the Guard occurs. Although burials at Arlington National
Cemetery were racially segregated at the time, Young’s rank as a colonel allowed him to be buried in Section 3, which had been reserved for white military officers. Young’s wife, Ada, died in 1953 and was buried beside him.
Remembering Charles Young
While Young was living a remarkable life, the cabin in which he was born deteriorated. It had stood vacant for years.
In 2009, the late Jerry Gore of Maysville, a Black historian and educator, approached Gallenstein about the dilapidated structure.
Gallenstein convinced the county government, with support from the Kentucky Heritage Council, the Kentucky African American Heritage Commission, and the Black international Omega Psi Phi fraternity, to preserve Young’s birthplace.
Also instrumental in supporting Young’s legacy is the Charles Young Foundation. Its founder, Renotta Young—a descendant of Charles’—said her group was involved in getting Young promoted to brigadier general and has been working on “all aspects of Charles Young,” including entering the cabin into the National Park System and making the nearby house a museum.
Another major supporter of the Young legacy is Charles Blatcher III, chairman of the National Coalition of Black Veteran Organizations. “We are delighted that the memorial corridor has been nearly completed, and we are working hard to see involvement by the National Park System with the cabin,” Blatcher said.
Louisville author Brian G. Shellum has written five books about the life of Charles Young. “He was a true renaissance man who always had to walk the color line,” Shellum said. “He had the right temperament to do that. Besides his great military career, he was an accomplished musician and spoke six languages.
“He was not a big man—about 5-foot-8 and 163 pounds—but every Black officer since his days has stood on his shoulders.” Q ket.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/ ky-history-2/colonel-charles-youngsocial-studies-arts-toolkit/
BEREA COLLEGE IS
BRAVE. BOLD. BOUNDLESS.
Since 1855, Berea College has made a high-quality, debt-free education a reality.
BEREA COLLEGE IS
the state’s highest-ranked institution.
Only Kentucky institution among 54 nationwide with a 5-star rating from Money magazine :::: #1 for educational access (New York Times, Sept. 7, 2023) :::: #1 among National Liberal Arts Colleges for lowest student debt (U.S. News & World Report, 2024) :::: #1 Liberal Arts College (Washington Monthly, 2024)
BEREA COLLEGE IS
invested in students of high potential and limited resources.
Free tuition :::: No-loan package for funded housing and meals :::: Free medical and dental clinic :::: Free laptop :::: Paid internships :::: Professional clothing funds ::::
Subsidized study abroad :::: Gift of $500 upon graduation to begin post-college life.
photo by Anna Joines
BY TAD MYRE
BY GLENN HALL
A Second Life
A former Green Book accommodation, Paducah’s Hotel Metropolitan has been restored as a museum and cultural center to preserve its important place in America’s past
Those traversing the Western Kentucky Parkway to Paducah will find the drive worth the investment. Even ignoring the lush scenery along the way, the ultimate destination is a splendid one, with museums (including its famous quilt museum), historical sites and markers, lovingly preserved Southern architecture, the famous Port of Paducah floodwall murals, great eats and drinks, shopping, entertainment and fine lodging all coalescing in a distinct, invigorating river culture, where Kentucky comes to its tapered point, and four rivers converge. If you’re paying close attention or are maybe drawn by blithe spirits from the Jazz Age, there you also will find the Hotel Metropolitan.
When Tina Turner sang, “People on the river are happy to give,” she may have been thinking of towns such as
Paducah, and she may even have been thinking of her stay at the Hotel Metropolitan, one of the so-called “Green Book” hotels of the past. While the book’s cover indeed was green, its name came from its author, Victor Hugo Green, a resourceful Harlem postman. When Black people traveled, especially in the South, they typically could not stay, eat or gas up where the white folks did and often sought to be under a safe roof by sundown (in “sundown towns,” of course, there were no safe roofs to get under).
The most obvious solution to this was the simplest: Don’t travel in the South. But that wasn’t an option for many, including Black entertainers on tour whose livelihoods depended on their willingness to brave the dangers of the road. That’s where the Green Book, or more properly the Negro Motorist Green Book (issued from 1936 to 1967), came in handy.
PHOTOS
Opposite page: Betty Dobson was instrumental in saving the hotel from the wrecking ball and now gives lively tours of the restored building.
While the Green Book’s benefits were not confined to travelers on the so-called “chitlin circuit,” the publication served as a guidebook for Black entertainers traveling from town to town in the Jim Crow South, welcomed and even cheered in one arena while banished in most others. This was true in Paducah, and it is why the Hotel Metropolitan came to be and lasted as long as it did.
In its heyday, guests of the hotel included luminaries such as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Ray Charles, Ella Fitzgerald, Thurgood Marshall, Billie Holiday, Count Basie, B.B. King, Ike and Tina Turner, Sam Cooke, Cab Calloway, Jesse Owens and Moms Mabley, plus Negro League baseball stars such as Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson and star players from the Harlem Globetrotters. With stories of King bending guitar strings on the front porch and of Ellington tickling the ivories inside, the hotel may have been the most musical venue in the region’s history.
While the blessings of desegregation are apparent, there were some unintended victims. Integration of Major League Baseball signaled the demise of the legendary Negro Leagues and drained the life out of most Green Book establishments. As the latter lost their purpose, demolition or deterioration awaited those that weren’t quickly repurposed. Some establishments disappeared from our physical landscape, depriving us of visible evidence of the rich world memorialized in Mr. Green’s famous travel guide. In a 2019 piece, Louisville Courier-Journal columnist Joe Gerth bemoaned the demise of Louisville’s Green Book establishments, noting—while paraphrasing Louisville civil rights leader Raoul Cunningham—that “something should be done to preserve Green Book hotels or at least to remember their importance.”
Enter Betty Dobson and the Hotel Metropolitan.
Originally gifted to the then-new Upper Town Heritage Foundation by Paducah native and Basketball Hall of Famer Clarence “Big House” Gaines, the hotel has defied long odds by surviving all these years waiting for help to arrive. The foundation, co-founded and led by Dobson, has played a critical role in keeping the “open” sign on the front door and the hotel out of the wrecking ball’s path. If there’s a roof leak, Dobson will find funding to plug it. If there’s a potential donor, she’ll bring them some apple butter and serve them a slice of her delicious chess pie, always with a warm smile. She was there in 1996, before Gaines’ donation, when the building was condemned by the city and set for demolition three years later. According to the city inspector, the structure had a rotted deck, a roof that sagged about a foot, and severe interior damage due, in part, to roof leaks. He concluded that, while the building was not unsalvageable, its survival “will be costly and take time.” He was right on both counts.
The first step was a side-step—avoiding demolition. That took a vocal segment of the community focused on preserving Paducah’s African-American heritage in the face of a Paducah initiative to rid neighborhoods of dilapidated eyesores. Dobson and the Foundation did their part, as did sympathetic preservationists such as the late Bill Black Jr. They were able to hold back the tide long
enough for supporters to form the foundation (courtesy of incorporator Anne Gwinn) and give it a shot at charitable fundraising. Those efforts proved spectacularly successful and included a large Save America’s Treasures federal grant and federal transportation enhancement funding that financed a phased overhaul of the structure that enabled it to become the museum it is today.
That was two decades ago. In the meantime, Dobson has kept the hotel afloat and in the public eye. She’s held civic events there, including lectures, open houses, fundraisers and other activities. She’s brought publicity by enlisting the support of former Negro League ballplayers who once were guests there and of Black performers, including a performance by Abby Burke at the Carson Center saluting the hotel and a plug from Cab Calloway’s grandson. She’s also made the hotel the centerpiece of Paducah’s annual August 8 celebrations.
Dobson continues to perform her unforgettable onewoman show. While the museum is not regularly open to walk-ins, tours can be quickly arranged, and those are where Dobson shines the brightest. In front of visitors’ eyes, she incarnates the persona of Miss Maggie Steed, the original owner of the Hotel Metropolitan, and, as Miss Maggie, she tells the story of how a Black woman— through flattery, artful persuasion, steely determination
and a little bit of trickery—acquired the real estate and then finagled construction of a hotel all by herself way back in 1908.
Dobson’s sometimes sassy performance and vivid storytelling inspire awe, laughter and a few tears. Close observers will discern that the traits that served Miss Maggie so admirably more than a century ago are not at all dissimilar from those employed by Ms. Dobson in her long and graceful fight against the odds to preserve the hotel. So maybe, that’s not all acting. After Dobson’s performance, inspired guests gladly open their wallets and checkbooks to help the cause.
• • •
Getting from there (condemnation and planned demolition) to here for the Hotel Metropolitan has required a tireless refusal to let pessimism or bad luck reign, a “take-it-one-day-at-a-time” attitude in hopes that
one of those days will be the one. Now that day has come. On Aug. 14, it was announced that the Mellon Foundation approved $1.34 million in grant funding for the benefit of the hotel, supplemented by an additional funding commitment from the city of Paducah of $250,000 per year for three years under a co-stewardship arrangement. The Mellon grant took much work and foresight and was secured by Dobson and Paducah Mayor George Bray, with assistance from Paducah native Brent Leggs, executive director of the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, and boosted by a letter of recommendation from faithful donor The Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels.
Dobson and Bray made the winning presentation in New York City in November 2023 and waited patiently to hear back. Support from the City of Paducah, including the mayor’s physical presence in New York City and its financial commitment, were no doubt gamechangers.
The combined grant funding will be transformational. Dobson is a miracle worker who was long overdue for a miracle of her own, and now it’s arrived. As Betty says, “It’s a burden lifted off my shoulders.” The grant monies will pay for improvements to the main structure and to the Purple Room, an outbuilding that was used for performances and community gatherings. They will fund additional programming and personnel, helping to take some of the load off the hotel’s longtime champion and keeper of the flame, and will assure that it will survive beyond her. In the words of Bray, “This grant and the partnership with the city of Paducah set the foundation for a bright future for the Hotel Metropolitan and a boost in tourism for our community.”
Now it’s up to the foundation, the city, the community
and all of us to make the hotel the destination it deserves to be. Painful memories may cause some to shy away, but reminders of our Jim Crow past also underscore the progress that has been made and that must be preserved and expanded. The hotel’s history attests to the fact that Paducah was a vibrant hub that hosted virtually every star from the Jazz Age, the best Negro League ballplayers and more. There was much joy on Paducah’s southside while the hotel was in business, and that joy has opened unlimited possibilities, much like what is taking place with Negro League baseball. That joy should be celebrated and not buried or forgotten.
With this grant funding, the Hotel Metropolitan’s second life as a museum is now secure, and—whether via the Western Kentucky Parkway, another route or just across town or down the street—it should be a destination for all.
Thank you, Betty. Q
*The author dedicates this article to his wife, Nancie Myre, whom we lost in July.
IF YOU GO:
Hotel Metropolitan
724 Oscar Cross Avenue, Paducah 270.443.7918
dobs@bellsouth.net
Tours are available by appointment on Friday and Saturday.
An Untimely Loss
The death of a Kentucky sailor in an accident at sea haunted a Bath County family for decades
BY BRAD JONES
On Aug. 16, 1983, Lillie Mynhier Runner took out a single sheet of notebook paper and penned a final letter. Having outlived her husband and four of her six children, three of whom had died before age 24, she was alone in a small white house on the edge of a country road near Salt Lick in Bath County. The ailing nonagenarian’s letter began as a declaration of her solitude and physical sufferings. “My children and Papa is [ sic ] gone,” she wrote, “I am all alone, and I am sick.”
Her letter continued with Lillie’s memories of January 1944, the waters of the North Atlantic, and her son, a sailor on the U.S.S. St. Augustine. “I am thinking of Charles,” she wrote. She mourned what he went through the night his ship sank, with thoughts of him floating in icy water.
Late on the evening of Jan. 6, 1944, the St. Augustine led a convoy en route to Cuba. Based in New York Harbor, the
vessel was a 272-foot patrol gunboat with a crew of 145 sailors. Armed with 3-inch guns, the St. Augustine often was tasked with escorting tankers from the Northeast to Caribbean ports, a mission that was part of a broader strategy to protect the eastern coastline of the United States during World War II.
The convoy included a Tydol Gas tanker, two Coast Guard cutters, the U.S.S. Argo and the U.S.S Thetis, all led by the St. Augustine. The sea that night was especially onerous. Sailing in blackout conditions, the convoy negotiated 20-foot waves and 40-mile-per-hour winds. The air was a wintry 33 degrees and the water temperature just 38.
At approximately 10:20 p.m., 70 miles off the coast of New Jersey, the St. Augustine’s radar located an unidentified vessel sailing seaward from the mouth of Delaware Bay. Leaving the convoy, the St. Augustine desperately tried to communicate with the approaching vessel. It didn’t respond. On came the unidentified ship toward the convoy.
A happy Charles Runner at home on furlough in July 1943.
Left, Charles poses with his mother, Lillie Runner, while on furlough; below, activity aboard the U.S.S. St. Augustine
Onboard the St. Augustine, Fireman 1st Class Charles William Runner slept. A 19-year-old Kentuckian assigned to the patrol gunboat since October 1942, Charles was liked by all his shipmates, a friend and fellow sailor later recalled.
According to survivors, Charles was on duty the evening of Jan. 6 and, afterward, went below deck and turned in for the night. While he and much of the ship’s crew were asleep, a voice burst through the loudspeaker instructing the sailors with the haunting words: “Stand by for collision!”
• • •
Charles was born to Bee and Lillie Runner in Bath County on Sept. 9, 1924. The Runner family was poor and lived in a whitewashed house at the end of a dirt road. Bee, whom the children called Papa, was a farmer who raised a few cows, pigs and chickens. High above the house was a steep ridge that was rutted by cow paths. On top of the ridge, Bee and his family raised
tobacco in a small rock-littered field, and they grew corn in the valley below.
Lillie and Bee raised six children—Vivian, Johnny, Joe, Charles, Geraldine and Tim, and a grandchild, Bud, who came to live with them after his mother, Vivian, died in 1937.
Growing up, Charles enjoyed the trappings of a rural childhood. Hunting, fishing and pitching in with chores on the farm, he was seemingly always on the go and possessed a passion for service. In 1941, he joined the Civilian Conservation Corps, a New Deal program that employed young men during the Great Depression. Then came Pearl Harbor, and in late December 1941, Joe left for the Army. A minor at the time, Charles could only watch and wait until his 18th birthday.
In August 1942, Bee signed for Charles a few weeks before his birthday. Charles enlisted as an apprentice seaman in the Naval Reserve and immediately left for basic training at Great Lakes Naval Base in Waukegan, Illinois. After five weeks of basic training, he received orders to report to the U.S.S. St. Augustine
During this time, life was hard for the Runner family back in Salt Lick. Bee and Lillie provided for their family with earnings from meager tobacco and corn crops, occasionally selling a cow and butchering a pig. Lillie sold cream from a dairy cow, and Bee took work where he could, often at Kautz, a local dairy farm. It was not enough, and by mid-1943, Bee left Salt Lick for work in Detroit.
Joe and Charles soon sent home a portion of their pay, generously proposing that Lillie use the money as needed. Lillie wanted new living room furniture, and both sons were more than willing to buy it for their mother. Geraldine, just 15 years old in 1943, wanted a locket and a pair of white majorette boots. Charles graciously purchased a locket and, while docked in New York, he searched unsuccessfully for the boots at Staten Island stores, eventually sending money home. Geraldine purchased the boots, loved both gifts, and often doted on Charles.
In early 1943, Charles began writing Betty Highley, a friend of Geraldine’s. Their letters grew more frequent, and soon, they were engaged. While Charles was on furlough in July, the two posed for several photographs. Faded blackand-white pictures show a happy couple in the yard of the Runner home, in the shadows of Carrington Rock, and swimming in the shallow waters of the Licking River.
That year, Charles was promoted to seaman 1st class followed by a promotion to fireman 1st class that became official on Jan. 1, 1944. With each letter, his optimism remained steadfast, and he implored his mother not to worry about him. “I’ll be fine,” he wrote, and closed each letter with salutations such as, “Keep your chin up!” and “From your sailor on the seas!”
At the beginning of 1944, all would change.
•
Just before midnight on Jan. 6, 1944, near Cape May, New Jersey, the St. Augustine sped toward the Camas Meadows, a massive tanker. The commands of neither ship knew the identity of the other and, with German U-boats known to patrol the East Coast of the U.S., suspicion
greatly influenced their actions. The St. Augustine, compelled by a mission to protect the convoy, attempted to stop what appeared a legitimate threat by flashing lights and desperately trying to communicate with the unknown vessel. Yet, on came the tanker.
According to lookouts on the Camas Meadows, when the St. Augustine was about 200 yards away, she appeared to swing slightly to starboard and then turned hard to
port on a heading across the bow of the Camas Meadows. A report from the Naval Armed Guard attached to the Camas Meadows details what happened next. The bow of the Camas Meadows struck the patrol craft amidships near her funnel and penetrated to a depth of about three-fourths of her beam, almost cutting the craft in half.
As the Camas Meadows reversed engines and pulled away, sailors aboard the St. Augustine scrambled upward from the ship’s interior and were greeted on the deck by icy winds and the spray of waves striking the wounded ship. Then, they heard the captain’s voice. What he said undoubtedly shook the men who, moments before, had been asleep in their warm bunks.
According to a survivor, the captain called out, “Boys, she’s going down. Get over the side as quick as you can. May God bless you.”
Near midnight, Charles Runner and more than 100 of his fellow St. Augustine sailors leapt from the wounded ship into the North Atlantic waters.
Witnesses aboard the Argo watched from afar as the St. Augustine’s bow rose up, then slipped backward. The ship sank in just five minutes.
In the chaos that ensued after the collision, only two rafts were freed before the ship went down. Robert Lee, a friend of Charles’, soon found one of them. When he later encountered the second raft, he learned that Charles was not on it, “but how I wish he was,” Lee later wrote.
The Argo and the Thetis soon arrived and began to rescue survivors. Other ships also were dispatched to assist. The rescue was greatly challenged by winds and large waves that pushed survivors about. Charles was among them, floating helplessly in the icy waters.
On Jan. 10, a message from the Bureau of Naval Personnel arrived at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Bee Runner of Star Route in Salt Lick. Written in bold print, the letter began, “The Navy Department deeply regrets to inform you of the death of your son, Charles William Runner… as a result of collision at sea while in performance of his duty and in the service of his country.”
In the days after Charles’ death, a flurry of Western
Union telegrams arrived at the Runner home. One such message, sent from the Philadelphia Naval Hospital, confirmed that Charles’ remains would leave Philadelphia by train and arrive in Salt Lick on the C. & O. Railway on Jan. 17, just 11 days after the St. Augustine sank and a year and five months after Charles enlisted.
After the funeral, Charles was buried in the Jones Cemetery, less than a mile from the family home. In a photo, a devastated Lillie stood next to her son’s still-fresh grave, a large American flag nearby.
Among the letters of condolences that arrived at the Runner home was one from Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox, who offered his sympathies. Letters from the offices of Congressman Joe B. Bates and Sen. A.B. “Happy” Chandler, both of the Kentucky delegation, extended their sympathy and gentle reminders of Charles’ tremendous sacrifice for the nation, as did a signed letter from President Franklin D. Roosevelt, which noted that Charles now “stands on the unbroken line of patriots who have dared to die that freedom may live.”
World War II ended the following year. Joe came home in November 1945. Time went on. And yet, Charles’ family never got over the untimely death of their beloved brother and son.
Lillie Runner went on to survive Bee and all but two sons, Johnny and Joe. Nearing death in 1983, she wrote of her life and the loss of her children and specifically of Charles. Nearly 40 years later, the immeasurable pain she still felt was evident in the closing sentence of that letter: “It breaks my heart when I think of it, recalling how Charles died without family nearby.”
Lillie passed away 12 days after writing the letter.
• • •
The last two letters Lillie mailed to Charles were postmarked Jan. 7, 1944. They were stamped “Unclaimed,” a large red X made through the St. Augustine’s Fleet Post Office New York address. Those letters were returned to the Salt Lick address. Today, 80 years later, neither letter has been opened. Q
Lillie at Charles’ still-fresh grave following his funeral.
Louisville’s Bowman Field,1944
In 1922, a United States Air Force Reserve unit was established at Bowman Field. With the threat of war looming in 1940, Bowman Field was put under the direction of the U. S. Air Force. Barracks to house Air Force personnel were built, and in March 1941, Bowman Field Air Base was activated and remained active until 1946. Photo courtesy of the University of Louisville Photographic Archives.
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: $25
The Importance of Pigs
By Mark Mattmiller, Cynthiana
In the mid- to late 1700s, people began to drift into Kentucky to settle. The route was rough, and the journey was tough. They came on horseback, and they walked. Of course, the first settlers brought little with them. They hunted and foraged in the woods, and, as soon as a place was cleared, they planted a garden for food. A horse, a mule and sometimes a calf or cow made the journey with them. A few carried pigs on their journey to Kentucky, and before long, pigs became a dominant feature in the settlers’ dietary and cultural identity.
It can be argued that pigs were more important to the early Kentuckians than any other animal.
Pigs first were introduced to America from Europe in the 1500s. There may have been some wild pigs in the forests of Kentucky when the settlers came, but if there were, their numbers would have been insignificant.
day. They headed out (and up) to forage and feed in the woods, then came home in the evening to eat whatever leftovers were available, and then slept in the pigpen.
Probably, the most significant benefit of the pigs to the settlers’ lives is that pork lends itself perfectly to curing and preserving. The hogs were butchered and cured for long-term preservation. There were no freezers or refrigerators, so as the availability of game to hunt started to wane, the preserved pork was invaluable.
One pork curing technique is to rub it vigorously with salt. Some old-timers used salt and nothing else, but for most, brown sugar, pepper and other seasonings were added.
Families had secret recipes as to what exactly to add and how long to wait between the first “rubbing” and subsequent applications. After the salt was rubbed in, the hams were hung in a critter-proof smokehouse for at least one year. Until recently, home cured “country ham” was a big deal all over rural Kentucky. It was the first choice of meat in many homes and was considered to be a requirement for the winter holidays.
Without a doubt, pigs were well suited for life in the hills and forests. The diet of wild pigs is classified as “omnivorous,” which means that they can and will eat almost any organic substance available. As a result, wild pigs can quickly establish themselves due to their ability to adapt to almost any food source. Vegetation dominates a pig’s diet, but animal prey also is common. The hogs primarily feed themselves by “rooting” or turning over the topsoil in search of roots, tubers and invertebrates. They use an incredible sense of smell to locate food. In addition to rooting, pigs will graze, scavenge and hunt.
A huge benefit of hogs for families living in the remote mountains was that pigs could be turned out during the
Hogs were raised on most every small farm, and another benefit of having hogs is that a sow had litters of six to eight piglets. Hog killing day usually came in the latter part of November, and everybody pitched in. It was then that the sausage was made, the lard rendered, and the hams and bacon cured. The process took all day. Neighbors almost always came to help, and the social significance became important to life in the country.
Most everybody in our part of the country grew up eating lots of country ham, but over the years, the farmcured varieties became harder and harder to find. A shift in farm-life practices meant the numbers of farmers raising hogs diminished to practically zero. Commercially prepared hams are available today, but not one single old-timer would say they are equal to the “real” country hams of yesteryear.
In memory of Donna Jean Hayes,
An Anecdote and a Poem
By K. David Wheeler, Mount Dora, Florida
First, the anecdote: Elusion
After his Civil War mission to capture Rebel Bill Smith, Capt. George William Green was confined in a Louisa hospital for more than a year. He recovered first from pneumonia and later from consumption, but his hemorrhoids caused severe lifetime problems.
I obtained Green’s and Ord. Sgt. John Ramey Wheeler’s records from the National Archives. Both ancestors were discharged from the Union Army due to injuries on horseback—Green as a pursuer, Wheeler as a messenger. They lived across the Big Sandy River from each other— Wheeler in Kentucky,Green in what is now West Virginia.
Several decades after the war, Green’s granddaughter, Effie, married Wheeler’s grandson, Dr. John M. Wheeler They are my grandparents.
Elusion
Rebel Bill Smith’s Kentucky raids left swaths of destruction, buildings burned, crops destroyed, banks closed tight, stores emptied in the night, cattle hidden in the wood, anything left was gone for good.
Brave in battle, promoted private to captain. George William Green, “We need you again. The mission,”
ordered Union Colonel Dill, “is catch Rebel Bill.”
Smoke in the distance, only chimneys stood sentinel. At Hood’s Fork, by Blaine Creek, up Skaggs Hollow, Captain Green would follow.
Around the next bend, Rebel Bill fled, always ahead.
Cold pounding sleet, five days in a wet saddle, unceasingly rubbed skin, three hemorrhoid fistulas. No rebels were caught.
Captain Green relinquished command, never to ride astride again.
And another anecdote: Skedaddle
Confederate Gen. John Hunt Morgan’s raiders rushed Cynthiana on June 11, 1864. Union troops were forced to withdraw. The Rebels burned the town. The next day, Union troops counterattacked. Morgan and his cavalry scattered.
Union Gen. James Garfield, who later became President, sent a dispatch to the 68th Kentucky Regiment commanding it to report Morgan’s route and order of retreat. Morgan and his troops were chased into Tennessee.
“Shanks” was the nickname of the tall, long-legged John Ramey Wheeler, orderly sergeant of Company B of the Kentucky 68th Regiment. He was from Blaine (Lawrence County) and is my great-great-grandfather.
Skedaddle
Swords slashing, rifles cracking, Morgan’s Raiders torched Cynthiana. Next day, Yankee counterattack, Rebels on the run.
Horses neighing, gear clanging, the Rebel flight in disarray, miles away Kentucky 68th pickets heard the din that day.
Sergeant “Shanks” Wheeler, tall and thin, oldest of them all, papa, leader to his men, kept ’em smiling with his banter, up until this canter.
Spurring into thickets, Mulberry branches lashed his eyes.
Darting through woods, Red Oak limbs bashed his face. Shanks dismounted then stumbled to report.
“Sir, Rebs on Flemingsburg Road. We can intercept.”
Old Shanks, vision forever blurred, won his last race.
Send memories to Deborah Kohl Kremer at deb@kentuckymonthly.com or
559, Frankfort, KY 40602.
“I Remember”
Send your memory in today!
The Chores of Thanksgiving Eve
By Carol Engle, Scott County
Even as a young girl in the 1950s, I knew we had so much to do to get ready for Thanksgiving. Three days before, Granny picked out our oldest rooster. She knew all her chickens. She caught him and put him in a pen that was off the ground. The rooster was treated like a king. He was fed the best corn and lots of it. The bottom of the pen was chicken wire, so his droppings fell to the ground. Granny believed in giving a chicken three days of pampering before they become dinner. She said we feed him good to wash out all the bugs and worms he’s eaten his whole life. She said in three days, his gizzard would be clean.
Then came the fun part. We filled up the big iron kettle that hung on a chain in the yard and built a fire under it to have hot water to scald the feathers off the rooster. Granny wrung his neck, chopped off his head, hung him on the clothesline, and drained the blood into a bucket. The blood went to the hogs. Just about everything went to the hogs. They ate anything.
Granny sent me to the barn to get some white and
Farm Life in the 1940s
By Bob Lykins, Danville
Each time I read an article in the “I Remember” section of Kentucky Monthly, I start thinking about how far back I can remember. My earliest thoughts go back to 1942, when I was 4 ½ years old.
Our family lived in an old log house without electricity or running water on a farm just outside Springfield on the gravel Lincoln Park Road. The lane to the farm is now known as Holderman Lane. The farm was owned by Mr. Sam Thompson, and our nearest neighbors were the Tom Clarkson family. They had two small girls near my age and one boy younger than me.
I can still picture my father cutting wood for our kitchen cookstove and large stone fireplace. He used a oneman crosscut saw, and I helped carry the wood into the house.
By
Our Readers
sweet potatoes. Candied yams with marshmallows were my favorite. She had to hide the marshmallows to keep me from sneaking some of them.
I also had to get the canned stuff that she needed for the meal. We kept the jars under straw to keep them from freezing. The quart jars were heavy. I got green beans, blackberries, tomatoes and a bunch of onions.
Granny told me when it was time to scald the rooster and pluck the feathers. I hated this job. It is the smell I hated. Granny had me put some Vicks salve under my nose. That helped the smell a little. After all the feathers had been plucked, she sent me into the kitchen to get a big kettle and salt. While I fetched the kettle and salt, she removed all the innards. She kept the heart, liver and gizzard. The rest of the innards went to the hogs.
Granny put the rooster in the water and cleaned him real good, then put him in a bucket of water from the spring, where he soaked until the morning. After we finished that task, I went into the kitchen to double-check the canned goods. My mouth started watering just thinking about the best meal ever that she was going to fix. My granny was the best cook in the world.
My father and mother were tenant farmers and raised chickens, hogs, sheep, cows and calves, and worked two large draft horses and two mules. My parents raised hay, corn and tobacco. The spring of ’42 was the first and last time I watched my father use a pond scoop to clean out a small pond near the barn. I also remember bringing baby lambs into the house to warm them up and feed them bottled milk for a few days while trying to get their mothers to take them. It was always fascinating to watch a crew shear the sheep with hand-cranked equipment.
Later in the year, I watched as the draft horses pulled the old mowing machine across the field while cutting the hay. After a few days of curing, the hay would be put in windrows with a dump rake. Then a bull rake would be used to pick up the hay and take it to the barn, where it was pitched up onto the loft or to a spot to build a haystack.
I spent a lot of time with my father that summer. My
brother Ben, now deceased, was about 2 ½ years old and spent more time with our mother during the summer while she was expecting our younger brother Jerry, also now deceased. I went barefoot a lot and think back on how it felt to stub a toe, step on a nail, or walk on gravel, sand and briars in the tobacco patch or pastures. I’m sure my mother kept me outside as much as possible while she took care of the house, Ben, her chickens, the garden, the canning, and prepared for the arrival of Jerry in September.
Over the years, I visited the Thompson farm and the old
Wash Day in Rural Kentucky
By Eloise C. Layman, Mankato, Minnesota
In the 1940s and early ’50s, most families used a wringer washer, and the one to have was a Maytag.
Mrs. Stewart’s Bluing was added to the rinse to intensify the whiteness in clothing. Wrinkle-free fabric had not yet been invented, so ironing was necessary. Starch was added to the last rinse water to give body to the fabric. Homemakers made the starch from a product called Argo Laundry Starch.
Another product, Satina, was added to the hot starch to help the iron glide over the clothes. There was even a song on the radio about Satina. It went:
Gliding over ruffles and pleats with ease, when you use Satina in your starch, ironing is a breeze.
Sunday Afternoons at Grandma’s
By Catherine Essex, Bloomfield
My maternal grandparents were Collie and Elizabeth Carter Kennedy. Some of my earliest memories are of visiting my grandparents on their farm in the Edlen Hill area of LaRue County in the 1940s.
They lived in a small log cabin with three rooms and a loft upstairs, which is where all seven of their children were born. My mother was their oldest child. On Sundays after church, my parents took the family to visit our grandparents. There were always family members and neighbors to visit on the farm.
The older people sat on the front porch talking about their week. Cane bottom chairs soon were brought from the living room to the front porch. The family depended on the garden, and the farm animals depended on the crops for food in the winter, so the weather and the crops were always a hot topic. The porch was full of people, and some spilled over into the grass and under the shade trees in the yard.
The pace of winter slowed things down a bit. Grandpa
log house. My last visit was sad, as the house had collapsed into a pile of decaying wood with a large double fireplace still standing wide and several feet tall. But I still have fond memories of the farm and the old log house.
My parents kept up with things happening in the world by way of an old battery-operated radio. Occasionally, we went to Reed’s Grocery in Springfield for staples, but most of our food came from the farm. I was oblivious to what was happening in the world but really enjoyed my early years on the farm with our growing family.
Laundry was sprinked with water before it was ironed. The hot steam helped to smooth out the wrinkles.
Freshly washed clothing was hung on outdoor lines to dry. The fragrance of the fresh air was wonderful.
Some families made their own lye soap for soiled work clothes.
Monday usually was wash day, and the ironing was done on Tuesday. With automatic washers and dryers of today, ironing is a thing of the past. Clothing is folded and put away. Wash day is from the past and part of a homemaker’s history.
sat in the corner of the living room enjoying the fire while rocking back and forth in his chair. The women of the house talked about the grandchildren and the latest news, while the kids sat there and listened to their conversations. The men huddled together, talked and laughed as the cousins looked on and listened. When we became rowdy, my grandpa said, “You kids need to go in the other room and play.”
The room and the yard were full of cousins. Some brought toys and games, and others went outside to play. The coal stove put out the warmth of a furnace because the room was small.
Grandma sat near the stove in a circle with her sisters while they all chewed tobacco. One of my earliest memories was that Grandma could spit tobacco juice all the way across the room and hit her spit can. Her sisters joined her to chew, spit and talk. The spit can soon become full, and one of the grandchildren was called on to go dump it out the back door and return it to Grandma as she and her sisters enjoyed their visit together. It appears the old saying “It is better to be seen than heard” must have been confirmed in my grandparents’ house.
Newport Barracks:
A Hub of Military Activity for 90 Years
By Pamela Ciafardini Casebolt, Alexandria
While serving on the Campbell County Historical and Genealogical Society (CCH&GS) Board as vice president in charge of veterans records, I became interested in Newport Barracks, a military installation, in Newport.
The society has a collection of information on Newport Barracks, including original research material and a book
executions. Flogging was abolished in 1813 but resumed in 1833.
The initial plans were for the Barracks to hold 600 men and their equipment with provisions to last 40-50 days. Plans included an arsenal, a barracks and a gunpowder magazine. These buildings were built with permanent material, but the rest were not. By 1845, improvements to the inferior buildings were made, and a hospital, officer quarters and stockade were added.
titled Newport Barracks: Kentucky’s Forgotten Military Installation written by Col. Joseph L. Donnelly, MD, PhD, published in 1999 with the Kenton County Historical Society in cooperation with the Campbell County Historical and Genealogical Society. Jim Reis, author of Pieces of the Past (Vol. 1-4), also wrote several articles.
The Barracks has a rich history in Newport. It was built in 1804 by Gen. James Taylor Jr. Born on April 19, 1769, Taylor was the founder of Newport on land between the Ohio and Licking rivers. The first fort in the area was Fort Washington, located in Losantiville (later named Cincinnati) on property near Third and Broadway. Since the threat of raids by the Miami tribes no longer existed, thanks to the Treaty of Greenville that Chief Little Turtle of the Miami signed on Aug. 3, 1795, Fort Washington was demolished. It was then determined the Newport Barracks would be built on the site and used as a supply and recruiting depot for Ohio and Kentucky. The mission of the Barracks was to fortify the Louisiana Territory and the North. Additional responsibilities were to catch deserters, hold trials, punish those convicted by flogging or hard labor (three months with ball and chain), and conduct
Although the Barracks’ main function later was as a recruiting station for the Union during the Civil War, the Barracks also served as a rendezvous point for soldiers to supply them with arms, ammunition and clothing before they went to various war fronts. It also held Confederate prisoners and Union deserters.
In addition to their normal duties, the soldiers kept busy making flat-bottom boats to aid in their travel. Due to an abundance of saltpeter in Kentucky, gunpowder was manufactured at the Barracks.
During the existence of Newport Barracks, troubles found a way to add to the misery of its officers and soldiers. The size of the Barracks was never big enough to house everyone. Throughout the 1800s, it was plagued by major floods and diseases such as cholera, measles, smallpox and typhoid fever.
On the positive side, the climatic data collection performed there from 1825-1892, along with data from an additional 97 Army posts across the nation, led the way for the current National Weather Service observing program.
Several famous people visited the Barracks during its existence. Meriwether Lewis visited in 1803 on his way to St. Louis to meet William Clark for their exploration of the Louisiana Purchase and beyond. In the spring of 1811, then-Capt. Zachary Taylor rested a few days at Newport Barracks before returning to Louisville, where he assembled a company from the 7th Rifle Regiments and moved on to the Indiana Territory. Robert E. Lee was then Bvt. Colonel of the 2nd Cavalry. He served as a juror on the
The Kentucky House of Representatives has 100 members and is led by the Speaker of the House.
An early drawling of Newport Barracks at the confluence of the Ohio River on the left and Licking River across the bottom.
April 28, 1858, court-martial of Bvt. Maj. Gen. David E. Twiggs, who was tried for insubordination and held at the Barracks.
Many citizens and visitors contributed to the war effort while the Barracks was in operation. Maj. Gen. Sidney Sherman became one of Newport’s pioneer industrialists. One of his businesses was a sheet-lead works in Covington, where he molded bullets for the military. Sherman was the first maker of sheet metal west of the Alleghenies. He received an officer’s commission in the Kentucky militia around 1835. He recruited 52 volunteers from the area and drilled them at Newport Barracks. He and his Newport Rifles, as they were called, headed to Texas to fight for Texas’ independence from Mexico. Sherman left on the steamboat Augusta on Dec. 31, 1835, taking along two cannons nicknamed the Twin Sisters purchased with contributions from both sides of the river. The cannons were donated to the Texas Army.
Another contribution came from a group of women in Northern Kentucky who created and sewed a banner titled “Liberty or Death” for the Newport Rifles. The banner was presented to Sherman by his new bride, Catherine Isabel Cox Sherman, before the Newport Rifles left for Texas. It was the only flag carried into battle at San Jacinto. Before the assault, the Newport Rifles were mustered into the Texas Army’s 2nd Regiment led by Sherman and joined Gen. Sam Houston’s forces. On April 21, 1836, they attacked the enemy’s camp in the middle of the afternoon. Gen. Antonio López de Santa Anna escaped by disguising himself as a private but was later found by James Austin Sylvester, a Newport rifleman. Sylvester then marched Santa Anna at bayonet point to the wounded Houston, thus making Texas an independent nation. Sherman is credited with originating the battle cry “Remember the Alamo.”
On Aug. 5, 1836, the flag was returned to Mrs. Sidney Sherman with a thank-you from the secretary of war. The family kept it for many years before returning it to the State of Texas in 1933. Today, the original banner hangs under glass behind the speaker’s chair in the Texas State House Chamber in the Capitol building.
In March 1846, during the Mexican-American War (1846-1848), Capt. Samuel Hamilton Walker arrived at the Newport Barracks with 120 mounted riflemen hoping to enlist 180 more recruits. He commented on the overcrowded conditions of the Barracks, as there were 400 men in a facility that was built to hold 150. That same year, Walker collaborated with firearms inventor Samuel Colt to build the 1847 Colt Walker pistol. At the time, it was the largest, most powerful black powder repeating handgun ever made.
By 1894, the Barracks was doomed, virtually abandoned after the end of the Civil War, plagued with diseases, and devasted by floods. It was determined to build a new fort on higher ground. Kentucky Congressman Albert Seaton Berry fought to save Newport Barracks, but by 1895, it was abandoned forever. He lobbied to have the property of Newport Barracks transferred back to the city for a park. The transfer took place on Jan. 1, 1895. By October 1898, the buildings were torn down and the remaining equipment was sold for $1,500.
Fort Thomas was established on a site selected by Gen. Philip H. Sheridan on the northeastern corner of Campbell County. The property housed a limestone water tower, officer housing, barracks, non-commissioned officer quarters, a mess hall, and an armory building. The buildings were constructed from 1888 to 1894. They were used as a replacement center, induction center, and military hospital before closing in 1946. These buildings still stand today. Currently, the citizens of Fort Thomas and Campbell County enjoy the property as a park and event center. The officer housing is being renovated as private residences, and a museum was added within the park.
Newport Barracks Historical Marker #599
The text reads:
An early army post, built in 1804, at junction of Licking and Ohio Rivers. In War of 1812 used as a military prison. Kentucky troops assembled here for the Canadian invasion, 1813. Used for training volunteers during Mexican-American War, Headquarters of Southern District, US Army, until Civil War, then Union recruiting depot. Granted to city by US Congress, 1894.
View from the Licking River, looking north to the Ohio River. Newport Barracks is on the right.
Leaders for Women’s equaLity: The Daughters of Cassius Clay
By Maury Searcy, Camby, Indiana
Kentucky women actively participated in the struggle for women’s voting rights during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Clay family, including the daughters of Cassius Marcellus Clay of White Hall in Madison County, worked for female suffrage and other gender issues. Mary Barr Clay convinced Susan B. Anthony to speak in Richmond in 1879. In 1881, Mary’s sister, Laura, convinced Anthony to help lead the suffrage movement. Mary became the president of the National American Woman Suffrage Association when it met in Louisville.
Mary gave a brief but memorable speech to the U.S. House Judiciary Committee on March 8, 1884. She called for an end to the social and political subjugation of women. While Providence bestowed women with the same inalienable rights and freedom as men, the denial of the right to vote and to serve on juries transfigured females into domestic servants without citizenship. Any protection afforded them served as a seal to their subjugation.
Mary stated: “We are told that men protect us … Gentlemen, if your protectors were women and they took all your property and your children and paid you half as much for your work—though as well or better done than your own—would you think much of the chivalry that permitted you to sit in street cars and picked up their pocket handkerchief?”
It seemed clear that all of society needed the counsel and reasoning skills of women to maintain a stable community, as well as their protection against abuse, injustice in the courts of law, impoverishment and political slavery. The subjugation of women also undermined societal structures for men.
A lesser-known Clay sister spoke out for their voting rights. Sarah Lewis “Sallie” Clay, who married James Bennett on June 2, 1869, established and served as the first president of the Madison County Equal Rights Association. She commenced this after hearing Anthony speak in Richmond in 1879. After the 1916 call for a national amendment granting female suffrage, the Clay
sisters left the National American Woman Suffrage Association. Bennett concurred with her sisters by leaving the national association to form the states’ rights-oriented Kentucky Equal Rights Association. This latter organization opposed a national amendment granting female voting rights in favor of one on the state level that secured Kentucky’s power to govern itself with a minimum of federal oversight.
Despite this parting of ways, Bennett published a circular regarding Anthony in the Feb. 21, 1917, issue of the Climax-Madisonian, a Madison County newspaper. The letter called for support of a resolution to petition the United States Congress urging passage of legislation protecting their voting privileges from state interference. The 14th Amendment represented the nucleus of her thesis with its declaration: “No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States,” which did not exclude women.
Nevertheless, in the 1875 Minor v. Happersett case, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the word “male” was not omitted, so legislation depriving females of suffrage was not inherently illegal.
The court maintained that since the Constitution does not afford the right of suffrage to any specific group, laws denying the vote to women did not violate the 14th Amendment. Likewise, in the 1873 Slaughter-House Cases, the Supreme Court decided that only rights that owed its existence to the federal government via its Constitution, laws or “character” were protected against any encroachment. Thus, the federal judiciary seemed to look askance at women’s full citizenship.
Yet to Bennett, who was well versed in constitutional law, the issue was not so clear cut. The first part of the Minor case affirmed the rights of all citizens to vote. The 17th Amendment, which provided for the direct election of U.S. Senate members, said nothing that prohibited females’ right to vote in congressional elections. Bennett took this to mean the 14th Amendment did, in fact, annul the word
Carrie Nation, the hatchet-carrying temperance advocate, was born in Garrard County on Nov. 25, 1846 (d. 1911).
The Clay family home, White Hall, was built in 1799.
male. Thus, the National American Woman Suffrage Association petition to the U.S. Congress for legislation protecting both genders’ suffrage was legally sound. Furthermore, the 1884 Ex parte Yarbrough decision decreed that voting rights in congressional elections did owe their existence to the federal government. Ergo, women did have the inalienable right of suffrage. Despite these efforts at legal interpretation, it took the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1920 to guarantee female suffrage.
Bennett was devout in her religious convictions. She utilized Biblical stories in her call for a better womanly life. Yet paralleling the mindset of most whites in the South, her solemnity for social change and Christian charity did not include justice toward African Americans. Dr. Melanie Beals Goan from the University of Kentucky Department of
Politics took the stage:
History wrote that Bennett became aligned with the racist views of most Southern whites from the Jim Crow Era.
From 1875-1900, according to Lowell Harrison and James Klotter in their 1997 A New History of Kentucky, there were 166 lynchings in our Commonwealth with two-thirds of the victims Black. The iconic Kentucky historian Dr. George C. Wright, in his 1996 book Racial Violence in Kentucky 1865-1940, put a much higher number of lynchings in Kentucky from 1875-1940.
Thus, it appears that even great heroes and heroines, such as Bennett, in all their creativity and courage, may fall into the web of society’s dark side within a given historical setting. Despite any disappointments the modern student may encounter, Bennett was an intellectual and social icon in Kentucky history.
The Laying of the Courthouse Cornerstone in Grant County
On April 30, 1938, a large crowd gathered at the Grant County Courthouse to witness the laying of the cornerstone of their public building. According to a report from the May 6, 1938, Grant County News, prominent Grant Countians and state politicians attended. As much as county officials attempted to keep politics out of the event, the audience was happy to hear an address from Gov. A.B. “Happy” Chandler, who made subtle jabs at his political opponent and future United States vice president Sen. Alben Barkley. Unfortunately, Barkley and Congressman Brent Spence were not able to attend, even though they were on the program to speak.
The stone was laid by Judge Ernest Chipman and Judge C.A. Pettit, who were the first county judges to serve in the new courthouse. The following are from Grant
County News articles printed prior to the event:
“Appropriate ceremonies for laying of the cornerstone of Grant County’s Court House will be held Saturday of next week, April 30th. Masonic Orders of Williamstown and Grant County had charge of the ceremonies and had secured a speaker of a non-political nature. However, there was a hitch in the arrangements, and Governor Chandler’s campaign manager made arrangements of his own, and invited the Governor, who is scheduled to make an address. This does not appeal to the anti-Chandler people, whose names are legion in this county, and more or less friction has been forthcoming. The Masonic Orders have withdrawn, so it is said, and the Chandler administration will have charge, which may be a good thing for Chandler, and again it may not.”
Fifteen Kentucky lieutenant governors have gone on to hold the office of governor.
Historical photo of the courthouse, left (used with permission from the Grant County Historical Society), and the courthouse today.
I Dream of Jeannie’s Kentucky Connection
right, a promotional photo for the series.
Kentucky has a connection to the 1960s television show I Dream of Jeannie. The series, which ran on NBC from 1965-1970, was a comedy starring Barbara Eden as a beautiful 2,000-year-old genie, known as Jeannie. The premise was that astronaut Tony Nelson, played by Larry Hagman, found her bottle and released her, thus becoming her “master.”
The bottle used in the show had ties it to the Bluegrass State. Gene Nelson, the show’s director, came across a 1964 Christmas edition bourbon decanter sold by Jim Beam in a liquor store. Nelson saw the bottle and knew it would be perfect as Jeannie’s genie bottle.
Originally, the Jim Beam bottle was dark green, which looked fine on black-and-white televisions. During the second season of the series, I Dream of Jeannie was shot in color, and the bottles used on set were painted in shades of pink and purple.
The original Jim Beam bottle in the 1960s liquor store would have cost about $5.99. One of the bottles used in the show sold at auction in 2017 for $34,375.
Kentucky’s First Fort
Captain William Twitty, sometimes spelled Twetty, was an early American pioneer and explorer. Born around 1734, Twitty was part of Daniel Boone’s expedition to open the Kentucky territory for settlement. The expedition was crucial in establishing the Wilderness Road, a key route for westward expansion.
In March 1775, Boone’s party set up camp at Taylor’s Fork of Silver Creek in what is now Madison County. The group thought they were in safe territory and failed to post
guards. During the night of March 24, 1775, a party of Native Americans began shooting into the camp. Twitty was shot through the knees. Despite his severe injuries, Twitty did not die immediately but was almost a victim of scalping. He was protected by his bulldog, which was then tomahawked to death. Twitty’s enslaved man, Sam, who was also part of the expedition, was killed instantly during the attack.
Boone’s party knew that Twitty could not be moved, so
Left, this stone marks the location of the fort in what is now Madison County; right, the historical marker for the fort.
Above, a 1965 magazine ad featuring Jim Beam’s Christmas decanter;
they constructed a small log structure to protect him from the elements and to serve as protection from another attack. Twitty passed away a few days later, and the company buried Twitty and Sam near the structure that became known as Twitty’s Fort. The name stuck, and the location appeared on early surveys and court documents. It also was a landmark used in directions.
Boone and the surviving members continued their journey a few days after the attack. Another member of the party, Felix Walker, was severely injured but was carried between two horses. The group followed Otter Creek to the Kentucky River, and there, began construction of a permanent fort on April 1, 1775. This eventually became the town and fort of Boonesborough.
The Twitty marker is located near the intersection of Golden Leaf Boulevard and Cady Drive in Richmond.
WANTED — Paying cash for large diamonds; collections of vintage wrist and pocket watches; gold and silver coins; sterling flatware and serving pieces; gold and silver jewelry; collections of arts and crafts and pottery; antique advertising signs; antique walking canes; pocket knives; collections of antique guns and swords; military collections; early hand-crafted crocks and jugs; musical instruments; call Clarence, buyer for more than 35 years; 606.531.0467. (F-D) Reach 120,000 readers a classified ad in Kentucky Explorer! Classified ads are only $50 per issue (up to 25 words). Contact Deborah Kohl Kremer at deb@kentuckymonthly.com or call 888.329.0053.
Death of a Congressman
In 1890, former U.S. Congressman William Preston Taulbee of Morgan County was shot by a reporter on the steps of the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol. This 90-page book delves into the life of the congressman, the dispute that led to the shooting, and the trial of the reporter.
Capitol Murder or Capital Mayhem is well-researched and footnoted. It includes copies of newspaper articles from the time, as well as line drawings and photos to help the reader understand what transpired. The book includes a helpful index.
Author, researcher and writer Caroline R. Miller of Augusta is a retired teacher. Her other books include Grapevine Dispatch: The Voice of Antislavery Messages, eight volumes of compilations of slave records, and five volumes of World War II letters. Miller is a distant relative of Taulbee’s.
By Deborah Kohl Kremer
Unusual Authenticity
While growing up in Carlisle, Gatewood Galbraith was beset by health problems, including chronic asthma and anxiety. He was picked on by other children. Later, he had trouble navigating high school. He went to college and law school but then had difficulty passing his bar exam. Galbraith ran for state offices nine times but never won and always was underfunded. As a campaigner, he was branded the “marijuana candidate,” though he tried hard to expand his platform.
In Matthew Strandmark’s biography, Gatewood: Kentucky’s Uncommon Man, he portrays the complexity of a man who acted both recklessly and humanely and who, even among his rivals, garnered respect for his uncommon authenticity. Galbraith spent money he didn’t have, and when he had some, he often gave it away to the vulnerable. An intelligent individual, he embraced his heart over his mind.
This profile leaves room for the view that Galbraith was, in some respects, ahead of society in the debate over marijuana use and personal freedoms.
By Steve Flairty
Gatewood: Kentucky’s Uncommon Man, by Matthew Stradmark, University Press of Kentucky, $30 (P)
An Early Settlers’ Lifeline
Kentucky’s Green River spans 384 miles, starting in Lincoln County and eventually merging with the Ohio River near Henderson. It provided a lifeline for early settlers, and then, with the addition of locks and dams in the 1830s, the river could accommodate paddle wheel riverboats that could transport passengers and freight into previously unreachable areas. This 120-page book includes hundreds of black-and-white photos that collectively tell the story of the importance the Green River had on Kentucky’s development. The historical images show scenes along the river, the boats and steamers that plied the waters, people who made their living off the river, and those who lived in the Green River Valley. This well-researched and wellwritten book by Richard and Pam Hines of Edmonton incorporates glimpses of the 15 Kentucky counties with ties to the river.
By Deborah Kohl Kremer
Kentucky’s Green River, by Richard Hines and Pam Hines, Arcadia Publishing, $23.99 (P)
Capitol Murder or Capital Mayhem, by Caroline R. Miller, Little Miami Publishing, $12.95 (P)
Modern-Day Parables
William McCann Jr. of Winchester has a passion for teaching the Bible in a way that connects with modern readers. The author, who shows his natural creativity by writing poetry, plays and books, presents this chapbook that relates Bible stories as if the narratives were happening today.
God Hires Gardeners: Modern Works of Flash Fiction Based on Bible Stories is a satirical collection of parables that might appeal to those young at heart, yet show enough promise that mature readers can benefit— and possibly in a powerful way.
The title comes from the first of 21 stories, a scene where Adam and Eve are shown bickering over a “tired” God’s directives to them. Another story is “The Good Samaritan,” where an oftendisdained person rescues a person in distress alongside the Mountain Parkway. “Daniel in the Lion’s Den” deals with a fourth grader who may be kicked out of school for bad behavior.
McCann’s book is clever and creative and, for many, it might be quite refreshing.
By Steve Flairty
The Monaco of the U.S.
An influx of soldiers coming through Louisville between 1860 and 1864 transformed the river town into a gambling hub. In this book, Bryan Bush ventures past the well-known cards and dice games and the expected horse racing of Kentucky to explain the games that were played. This book includes rare photos, newspaper ads and memorabilia showing the signs of the times.
It was during this time that Louisville became known as The Monaco of the United States, attracting famous gamblers. Bush devotes chapters to gambling barons such as Edward Hughes, who amassed a fortune gambling and then used the money to support charities. Emile Bourlier was another famed gambler who was president of the Louisville Jockey Club and Churchill Downs.
Bush, of Louisville, is a historian with extensive knowledge of the Civil War. He has written numerous books, including Louisville’s Southern Exposition, 18831887: The City of Progress and Favorite Sons of Civil War Kentucky
By Deborah Kohl Kremer
Riverside Travelogue
If your taste in Kentucky travels takes you along the state’s northern border, Randall P. Royka’s Ohio River Road Trip: Tracing the Country’s Western Movement might be a helpful resource. In an easy, conversational tone, Royka presents his book as “part history, part travelogue” and details a car trip he took with his wife, Kathleen, from Pittsburgh to Fort Defiance State Park in Illinois.
Royka, who lives in Saratoga, New York, includes the words of 19th-century travel writer Ernest Duvergier de Hauranne and shares passages from the Frenchman’s writings to enrich a deeper historical understanding of the itinerary.
The author shares his likes and dislikes of the location stopovers (including the quality of their lattes), calling Maysville his favorite river town, yet wonders if Paducah is on the right path for its historic downtown to “successfully reinvent itself due to its obvious competition with the neighboring touristfriendly sprawl.”
By Steve Flairty
by Bryan S.
God Hires Gardeners: Modern Works of Flash Fiction Based on Bible Stories, by William H. McCann Jr., Finishing Line Press, $17.99 (P)
Louisville Gambling Barons,
Bush, The History Press, $23.99 (P)
Ohio River Road Trip: Tracing the Country’s Western Movement, by Randall P. Royka, FriesenPress $21.99 (P)
BY BILL ELLIS
There’s an Election Goin’ On!
The history of elections in Kentucky is indeed fabled. I hate to say it, but elections in Kentucky have not always been without chicanery, out-and-out robbery sometimes, and, worst of all, violence.
There has been murder. Kentucky holds the distinction as the only state to have a governor assassinated. It is still a matter of opinion as to whether or not William Goebel was truly elected governor of the Commonwealth. Nevertheless, he was assassinated on Jan. 30, 1900. (See James C. Klotter’s William Goebel: The Politics of Wrath.)
• • •
With no justice in sight, his grandfather’s family loaded a few belongings on a flatboat and moved to Madison County.
• • •
Personally, I have been a bit suspicious of politicians and elections since I cast my first vote in a state election at the ripe age of 18. (Kentucky allowed 18-year-olds to vote in state elections in 1955, 16 years before the 26th Amendment to the Constitution lowered the voting age to 18 for all elections.)
Some years ago, I interviewed an elderly man about his life on the Kentucky River. He told of a school trustee race in Eastern Kentucky in the early 20th century in which his grandfather was a strong candidate. “A bunch of drunks who didn’t like him just thought they would get rid of him. I think my grandfather was shot six or seven times,” the man related. “My mother said that if they could have got the crowd away, I had an uncle who was there who was dodging the law. [My uncle] was a very mean guy, and he had killed three or four men. Every time he would raise his gun to shoot, one of these women would step in. He would have stopped it right now. These women were just hollering and screaming.”
Right after I had marked my ballot in the polling station at the old Shelby Warehouse on Snow Hill just outside Shelbyville, the polling worker, whose name I have long forgotten, immediately opened my “secret ballot.” With a smile on his face, he said, “I just wanted to see how you voted.”
Wow! Welcome to the real world of politics, Billy Ellis.
It’s sad to say, but Americans probably are divided by the pending presidential election more than ever before. Politics has divided families and embittered old friendships.
Upon the conclusion of the drafting of the United States Constitution, 80-year-old Benjamin Franklin, when asked what had been accomplished, said, “A Republic, if you can keep it.”
Well, we have kept it so far
through a less-than-civil war that claimed more than 600,000 lives and maimed thousands for the rest of their lives. Some years ago (Kentucky Monthly, November 2015), I wrote an article about Kentuckian Milton E. Wallen, a Union soldier from Clinton County. An award-winning history of the Civil War by Drew Gilpin Faust claimed Wallen died, but he survived. Most of his right arm was amputated. Then he was struck with gangrene, probably suffering the use of carbolic acid and more surgery. Can you imagine the pain he must have gone through until his dying day in the panhandle of Texas in 1908? And multiply his life by tens of thousands of veterans of wars of which the U.S. has participated.
• • •
Other than the long-lasting physical effects of malaria, my father. Pfc. William W. Ellis, survived fighting in the Philippines during World War II. He suffered from warrelated nightmares for several years. As a little kid, I recall him calling out in the night, “King, King!” for his lost friend. Mom would sooth him back to sleep.
The U.S. has survived two world wars, the assassination of four presidents, tragic wars in Asia, the Cold War, assassination attempts on two former presidents, and the tragic events of Jan. 6, 2021.
What lies ahead, only the good Lord knows.
• • •
I guess you have noticed that many people have migrated to the U.S. from all over the world in recent years. If you have not done so already, please read Jack Brammer’s article “Land of Opportunity” in the August issue of Kentucky Monthly
Unless you are Native American, your ancestors migrated to the States relatively not too long ago. Why did they migrate from Great Britain, Germany, Norway and other countries? What drew them away from “the old country” to a new beginning?
Have you noticed recently who does what many native-born Americans must consider labor beneath them? Of course you have. It is work done by recent immigrants to the United States.
When thinking about politics, I always try to think of humor. Perhaps you have already heard that “liberals believe that the world is going to hell in a handbasket,” while “conservatives believe that the world has gone to hell in a handbasket.”
At the Phoenix Hotel in Lexington in 1902, lawyer and orator Jim Mulligan perhaps best described politics in Kentucky when praising the state for all its glories. At the at the end of his immortal poem, “In Kentucky,” he intoned, “The landscape is the grandest—And politics—the damnedest in Kentucky.” Maybe he was correct about the United States of America as well.
God bless America! My name is Bill Ellis, and I approve this message.
Readers may contact Bill Ellis at editor@kentuckymonthly.com
Shop Local
SEASON
Open House December 7 Holiday Preview & Craft Market November 9
BY GARY GARTH
Varying Degrees of Intelligence
Acouple of months ago, the Association of Great Lakes Outdoor Writers brought its annual conference to Kentucky Lake and Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park.
By all accounts, between the fishing, the food, the bourbon, and the camaraderie, the Kentucky hosts wowed their visitors, which included an eclectic mix of writers, broadcasters, podcasters, bloggers, social influencers, industry and public relations folks, and a few attendees who eluded specific editorial categorization. These gatherings are as much social events as business dealings, but part of the structured side of the nearly weeklong conference featured a raft of seminars. I attended a couple, including one with the slightly unnerving title: “AI Tools for Outdoor Writers & Editors.”
“AI” is shorthand for artificial intelligence.
As with most technical advancements, I am behind the AI learning curve, although I have no excuse, as AI technology and I arrived around the same time. According to Forbes, the term “artificial intelligence” was coined Aug. 31, 1955, as part of a proposal for an artificial intelligence workshop. (The workshop was held the following year.)
Nearly seven decades later, IBM now defines artificial intelligence as “technology that enables computers and machines to simulate human learning, comprehension, problem solving, decision making, creativity and autonomy.”
Most of us use AI multiple times daily. Siri. Google. Alexa. Facial recognition. Mapping. It’s a long list.
It is also a technology that will continue to change how we live, work and interact.
About 25 people filed into the AGLOW AI seminar. A friendly, sociable bunch, most, including the moderator and me, were on the backside of their working lives. For a few, artificial intelligence remained the stuff of science fiction.
Handouts were issued that listed several commonly used AI chat boxes (ChatGPT, Gemini and Microsoft Copilot, among others) followed by something of a disclaimer for the writers in the room: “Great writing remains a uniquely human craft, but these AI tools can help complement your abilities, boost your creativity and streamline your efficiency.”
The meeting was generally informative but underscored by the opinion that, editorially, AI can be used for assistance with story development and editing but not composing. The crowd was polite, attentive and opinionated.
Curious to learn how the technology would respond, I powered up my laptop, opened a chat box, and entered a simple inquiry: “Late fall backpacking in Kentucky.” In four seconds, I received the following (punctuation, capitalization and bold typeface added by AI software):
Late fall backpacking in Kentucky offers a unique and captivating experience. As the leaves change to vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows, the state’s diverse landscapes—ranging from rolling hills to rugged mountains— transform into a picturesque setting. Here’s what you need to know for an unforgettable trip.
Best Trails for Late Fall Backpacking
1. Red River Gorge: Part of the Daniel Boone National Forest, this area features stunning rock formations, deep gorges, and numerous trails. The Sheltowee Trace Trail runs through the gorge and offers various sections for backpackers. Be sure to check out the breathtaking views from cliffs like Sky Bridge and Princess Arch
2. Cumberland Gap National Historical Park: With its rich history and scenic beauty, Cumberland Gap offers several trails, including the Cumberland Gap Trail and the Hensley Settlement Trail. The fall foliage is spectacular, and you can also explore historical sites along the way.
3. Pine Mountain Trail: This 120-mile trail features stunning views and diverse ecosystems. The trail provides access to various overlooks, where you can enjoy panoramic views of the changing foliage. Look for sections that lead to Chained Rock or Pine Mountain State Resort Park
What to Expect
Weather: Late fall can bring unpredictable weather. Temperatures can range from chilly in the mornings to milder in the afternoons. Be prepared for rain and potential early snow, especially in higher elevations.
Campsites: Many trails have designated campsites, but some may be closed or require permits. Check the regulations and plan your stops ahead of time. Consider bringing a lightweight tent or hammock for your setup.
Packing Tips
1. Layering: Dress in layers to adapt to changing temperatures. A moisturewicking base layer, insulating mid-layer, and waterproof outer layer are essential.
2. Sleep System: A good sleeping bag rated for cooler temperatures,
combined with an insulated sleeping pad, will keep you warm during chilly nights.
3. Cooking Gear: Pack a lightweight stove and easy-to-cook meals. Warm food is a great comfort on cold nights.
4. Navigation Tools: Carry a map and compass or GPS device, as trail markings can be less visible in the fall due to leaf cover.
5. Safety Gear: Bring a first-aid kit, headlamp, and multi-tool. Also, consider carrying a portable charger for your devices.
Enjoying the Experience
Wildlife Watching: Late fall is a great time to spot wildlife preparing for winter. Look for deer, wild turkeys, and various bird species.
Photography: Don’t forget your camera! The vibrant fall colors make for stunning photographs, especially during sunrise and sunset.
Leave No Trace: As always, practice Leave No Trace principles to preserve the natural beauty for future visitors.
Conclusion
Late fall backpacking in Kentucky is a rewarding adventure, combining stunning scenery, solitude and the tranquility of nature. With careful planning and preparation, you can enjoy.
While vague, noncommittal and of little practical use, none of this is untrue or inaccurate.
Artificial intelligence will continue to evolve. It is a useful and powerful tool. We also live in a world sometimes clogged and littered with misinformation. As a reader, you should know where your news, sports, recreation and political information comes from. You deserve no less. Demand and accept no less.
Readers may contact Gary Garth at editor@kentuckymonthly.com
Luster Exhibit
National Corvette Museum, Bowling Green, through Jan. 5, 270.781.7973 Ongoing
Kathia St. Hilaire Exhibit
Speed Art Museum, Louisville, through Feb. 9, 502.634.2700
Marshall Tucker Band Renfro Valley Entertainment Center, Renfro Valley, 1.800.765.7464
Kentucky Book Festival
Joseph-Beth Booksellers, Lexington, 859.257.4317
3 4
Randy Travis: More Life Tour
SKyPAC, Bowling Green, 270.904.1880
ZZ Top – The Elevation Tour
The Carson Center, Paducah, 270.908.2037
17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Mt. Sterling Merchants Christmas Open House downtown, through Nov. 9, 859.498.8732
Kacey Musgraves –Deeper Well World Tour
KFC Yum! Center, Louisville, 502.690.9000
Festival of Faiths Kentucky Center for the Arts, Louisville, through Nov. 16, 502.583.3100
Riders in the Sky Troubadour Concert Series, The Kentucky Theatre, Lexington, 859.231.6997
Sheltowee Art Fair
Center for Rural Development, Somerset, through Nov. 16, 606.219.0759
Chocolate, Wine & Whiskey Festival
Mellwood Art Center, Louisville, 202.870.1163
Bryan Martin in Concert
Mountain Arts Center, Prestonsburg, 606.886.2623 Christmas Island Light Tour
General Burnside Island State Park, Burnside, through Nov. 30, 606.561.4113
Yeiser Art Center, Paducah, through Dec. 8, 270.442.2453
Justin Timberlake in Concert
KFC Yum! Center, Louisville, 502.690.9000
Jazz on Stage: In the Still of the Night
Alhambra Theatre, Hopkinsville, 270.887.4295
Giants in the Sky
The Spotlight Playhouse, Berea, through Nov. 24, 859.756.0011
Lexington Holly Day Market
Alltech Arena at Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington, 859.252.8014 Canadian Brass
EKU Center for the Arts, Richmond, 859.622.7469
Old Fort Harrod State Park, Harrodsburg, through Jan. 6, 1.800.355.9192 Teen Spirit
KFC Yum! Center, Louisville, 502.690.9000
Harrodsburg Christmas Forest
Luster Exhibit, National Corvette Museum
Life Imitates Literature
When I first met author Kim Michele Richardson, who was promoting The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, I thought, “What a lovely person!” and not because, I promise, she reminded me just a little of actress Meg Ryan I was correct, but I had no idea of the extent of her kindness.
With the proceeds from her book sales, which landed her on the New York Times’ and USA Today’s bestseller lists, she’s done as much about literacy as the “book woman” she’s written so much about.
Her latest project is to put a Little Free Library in the courthouse in each of Kentucky’s 120 counties. “I think the biggest thing was many of those who pass through the courthouse doors are suffering hardships already,” she said. “Putting a book in their hands or [the hands of] one of their children could change a life ... That is the power of books.”
So far, Richardson has underwritten libraries in 12 counties—Bracken, Butler, Caldwell, Fayette, Fleming, Grant, Hopkins, Jefferson, Magoffin, Mason, Rockcastle and Shelby.
STEPHEN M. VEST Publisher + Editor-in-Chief
“We started this effort back before the [COVID-19] pandemic, and then came the flood,” said Richardson, who shifted her attention to restocking public libraries, specifically in the 14 Eastern Kentucky counties hit by the devastating floods in July 2022.
Richardson hopes to spread the program beyond Kentucky’s borders, beginning with Indiana and Ohio.
“We’ve led the way in literacy long before other states, producing pioneers who implemented unique projects,” Richardson said. “I’ve received notes from thousands of folks across the United States and abroad [saying] that,
after reading The Book Woman … they were inspired to start bookmobiles or buy books for book deserts.”
Kentucky’s pack horse librarians, who used the power of literacy to overcome bigotry and fear during the Great Depression, were the inspiration for The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. Richardson spent a decade researching the historical Kentucky Pack Horse Library Project. She also was a contributor and researcher for the critically acclaimed PBS television documentary The Pack Horse Librarians of Appalachia
Her latest novel—The Book Woman’s Daughter, an instant New York Times and USA Today bestseller—is a stand-alone sequel to The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. She also has a children’s picture book based on the novel titled Junia: The Book Mule of Troublesome Creek. Richardson lives with her family in Kentucky and founded Shy Rabbit, a writing residency.
Eastern Kentucky, a land steeped in folklore and tradition, is one of the most beautiful places in the world. The people are intelligent, proud, passionate, misunderstood and sometimes persecuted, but you’ll find a constant in their complicated lives and stories: You’ll find dignity. “Because I grew up in poverty, spending my first decade in a rural Kentucky orphanage and going on to endure homelessness as a teen and other sufferings,” Richardson said, “it’s not hard for me to feel pain profoundly and understand the sufferings of others.”
“It’s a fascinating story, one I feel privileged to write—a tale of tribute to my Kentucky sisters,” Richardson said of The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. “These fearless librarians traveled on horseback and mule to provide books to the isolated communities.”
For more information, visit kimmichelerichardson.com
Vest can be contacted at steve@kentuckymonthly.com
One of Southern Living’s Top 20 Friendliest Towns in the South, set your sights on Henderson, where delicious food, vibrant festivals, and the comfort and creativity of our river town retreat feed the soul, all with nature and history as its backdrop. plan your trip at hendersonky.org
