Chronicle - Spring '12

www.history.ky.gov

S P RI N G 2 0 1 2

Letter Predates Kentucky Statehood

History EDUCATION INNOVATION IN THE 21ST CENTURY KJHS 50TH ANNIVERSARY CONFERENCE RECAP

Share Your Love for Kentucky History

Support the

P.O. Box 6856 Frankfort, KY 40602

Your gift to the KHS Foundation Annual Fund is an investment in future Kentucky history lovers like you! Without it, KHS’s education programs, on-site activities and outreach would not be possible. Make your tax-deductible gift today by mail, by phone or online at www.history.ky.gov (click Give).

Gifts to the KHS Foundation are tax-deductible to the extent allowed under IRS regulations.

Host your next event at KHS! Centrally located between Lexington and Louisville, KHS is the perfect location for meetings, workshops, receptions and family reunions.

Spaces include:

The Kentucky Historical Society is an agency of the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet.

Contents SPRING 2012

F E AT U R E A RT I C L E S

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KJHS & Kentucky History Day H a p p y 5 0 t h a n n i v e r s a ry !

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KHS Education Team

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Six Degrees of Separation

H I S TO RY E D U C AT I O N I N N OVAT I O N I N T H E 2 1 S T C E N T U RY

A l e x a n d e r d . o r r l e t t e r p r e dat e s k e n t u c k y

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N E W D O N AT I O N S A N D AC QU I S I T I O N S

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k e n t u c k y, t h e m i s s i s s i p p i t r a d e a n d t h e p o l i t i c a l e c o n o m y o f t h e e a r ly r e p u b l i c

TO T H E K E N T U C K Y H I S TO R I C A L S O C I E T Y C O L L E C T I O N S

a n i n t e rv i e w w i t h k h s r e s e a r c h f e l l ow s u s a n g au n t s t e a r n s

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L E T T E R F R O M T H E E X E C U T I V E D I R E C TO R IN THE WORKS...

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F O L L OW I N G U P. . .

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K H S C A L E N DA R O F E V E N T S

Cover: Letter from Alexander D. Orr to Col. John Fitzgerald, sent before Kentucky became a state. www.history.ky.gov

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SPRING 2012

Executive Director Kentucky Historical Society Kent Whitworth Assistant Director Kentucky Historical Society Scott Alvey Director of Communications Lisa Summers Cleveland Editor Lisa Summers Cleveland Assistant Editor Chelsea Compton Contributors Cheri Daniels, Louise Jones, Darrell Meadows, Sally Warfield Creative Director Charley Pallos Design Amy Crittenden Photography Creative Services Charley Pallos Circulation Manager Leslie Miller

2011 KHS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE BOARD President, Sheila Mason Burton, Frankfort First Vice President, J. McCauley Brown, Louisville Second Vice President, John Kleber, Ph.D., Louisville Third Vice President, Brian Mefford, Bowling Green Constance Alexander, Murray; Bill Bartleman, Paducah; Dawn Browning, Maysville; Marion Forcht, Corbin; Mike Hammons, Park Hills; Derrick Hord, Lexington; David Lee, Ph.D., Bowling Green; Gerry Montgomery, Paducah; Patti Mullins, Corbin; Nancy O’Malley, Paris; Wayne Onkst, Erlanger; Laurie Risch, California; Renee Shaw, Lexington; Nancy Smith, Paris; Sue Speed, Louisville; Louis Stout, Lexington; Hon. Tommy Turner, Magnolia; Sharon Withers, Lexington 2011 KHS FOUNDATION BOARD President, John R. Hall, Lexington First Vice-President, Ann Rosenstein Giles, Lexington Second Vice-President, Buckner Woodford IV, Paris Secretary, Kent Whitworth, Frankfort Treasurer, Dennis Dorton, Paintsville Bruce Cotton, Lexington; James T. Crain Jr., Louisville; Robert M. “Mike” Duncan, Inez; Thomas P. Dupree, Sr., Lexington; John S. Greenebaum, Louisville; Frank Hamilton, Georgetown; Jamie Hargrove, Louisville; Raymond R. Hornback, Ed.D., Lexington; Elizabeth Lloyd Jones, Midway; James C. Klotter, Ph.D., Lexington; Nancy Lampton, Louisville; Hon. Crit Luallen, Frankfort; Robert E. Rich, Covington; Gerald L. Smith, Ph.D., Lexington; Charles Stewart, Frankfort; Bosworth M. Todd, Louisville DIRECTORS EMERITUS Jo M. Ferguson, Louisville; Margaret Patterson, Frankfort; Warren W. Rosenthal, Lexington; James Shepherd, Georgetown; John P. Stewart, M.D., Frankfort; William Sturgill, Lexington Sheila Mason Burton, Frankfort, Ex-officio J. David Smith, Lexington, Pro-Bono Counsel

Spring 2012. The Chronicle is published by the Kentucky Historical Society (KHS), Frankfort, Ky. Printing fees are covered by the KHS Foundation. The Chronicle is a periodical for KHS members and friends that builds awareness of the mission of the Society as it engages people in the exploration of the diverse heritage of the commonwealth. The Chronicle reports how the comprehensive and innovative services, interpretive programs and stewardship of the Society are providing connections to the past, perspective on the present and inspiration for the future. If you are interested in making a bequest to the Society’s work, use our full legal address: Kentucky Historical Society Foundation, 100 West Broadway, Frankfort, KY 40601. Send all address changes to: The Chronicle, Kentucky Historical Society, 100 West Broadway, Frankfort, KY 40601. Website: www.history.ky.gov.

E-mail: KHSmembership@ky.gov.

The Kentucky Historical Society is an agency of the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet.

DIRECTOR’SLETTER

all fo r “t he cau s e ! ”

“Museums are not private amenities, but public utilities.”

These were among the inspiring words from Ford W. Bell, president of the American Association of Museums (AAM), as he addressed some 4,000 museum professional from across the United States and 67 foreign countries at the AAM Annual Meeting in Minneapolis in May. He went on to talk about the core educational role that museums (including historical organizations) play in society. These statements resonate with me and I believe with all of us who love Kentucky history.

We are committed to the mission of the Kentucky Historical Society (KHS) which is to provide connections to the past, perspective on the present and inspiration for the future.

It was the strategic planning process a few years back that rekindled our collective understanding that fundamentally, the Kentucky Historical Society is an educational institution.

This issue of the Chronicle features the work of our education team at KHS. In fact, as I write this letter several of my colleagues on the education team are preparing to accompany more than 60 Kentucky middle and high school students to Washington, D.C. to compete in National History Day! Who knows, maybe the next Chronicle will introduce you to another national champion from the Bluegrass state. What so excites me about the History Day program is its emphasis on research, interpretation and presentation. Students select their own topic based on a broad historical theme and then they roll up their sleeves and go to work. It is a thrill to see them fall in love with a topic, all the while developing critical thinking, problem solving and communications skills that will serve them well for a lifetime, whether they pursue a career in history or not. KHS is working diligently to meet the needs of students and educators alike.

AAM President Ford Bell at this year’s Boone Day celebration.

I opened with a quote from AAM President, Ford W. Bell, because we had the privilege to bring him to Kentucky to speak at Boone Day. Dr. Bell is a gifted leader and a passionate advocate for our cause! Because you love Kentucky history, I hope you share my enthusiasm for the important history education work taking place through KHS and our sister organizations. In fact, the Kentucky Historical Society is a “public utility”that is making a difference in the lives of students, educators, researchers and communities!

Executive Director

This issue also highlights a recent archival acquisition into the KHS collections. This extremely early Kentucky letter and postal cover is historically significant on multiple levels and the story behind how it came to KHS illustrates the important role that all of us can play in building our collections. I want to express my personal thanks to both Tracy Farmer and Warren Rosenthal for their efforts. Collections truly are the fuel that powers everything that we do.

www.history.ky.gov

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IN THE WORKS... “ m y b r ot h e r , m y e n e m y ” e x p l o r e s h ow t h e c i v i l wa r c h a n g e d k e n t u c k y f o r e v e r The War Between the States pitted brother against brother.

Nowhere was this division more apparent than in the border state of Kentucky — where family lines were often the battle lines.

“Civil War: My Brother, My Enemy,” which will be at the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History through Dec. 8, examines how Kentucky’s distinctive physical and political positioning led to deep and lasting divisions among families and friends. Unlike many other Civil War studies that tend to focus on the battlefield chronology, “My Brother, My Enemy” delves into the heart-wrenching and personal stories of the nationwide conflict that forever severed once close-knit relationships here in Kentucky.

“My Brother, My Enemy” is an original exhibit produced by the Frazier History Museum in Louisville. Historical items include a casket wagon once used by Cave Hill Cemetery to reinter soldiers, an exceptionally rare enlisted soldier’s uniform, slave documents and plantation horns, as well as a number of dresses, flags, surgical tools, horse tack, letters, photos and other personal objects, including the historically significant Mary Todd Lincoln collection.

Keeneland Changing Exhibits Gallery June 2 – Dec. 8 Created by

Sponsored by

Media sponsors www.state-journal.com • AdVantage

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The Mary Todd Lincoln collection includes a baby garment sewn by Lincoln for her son, Robert, as well as commitment papers from the Illinois institution where the widow of America’s 16th president was involuntarily committed.

Framed in the greater context of Lincoln’s life, these historic papers provide a chilling insight not only into one of the lowest points of the First Lady’s life, but into the lives of all women at the time.

“My Brother, My Enemy” was designed with students in mind. The exhibit includes a number of interactive features, including elements created to work with smart phones, iPad stations that allow visitors to engage with the exhibit via custom apps and other hands-on activities.

“My Brother, My Enemy” is made possible thanks to a federal grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. It is also sponsored by Brown-Forman and Forcht Bank, with media sponsors WKYT-TV, WLAP-AM and The State Journal.

IN THE WORKS... n e w k h s o n l i n e r e s o u r c e s s e t to d e b u t b y 2 0 1 3 When people walk into a museum or a library, they almost always expect information to flow in one direction, from the institution to the visitor. Whether it’s the text in a book or the labels accompanying an exhibit, rarely do people get the opportunity to turn the learning experience into a conversation. But thanks to the increased use of social media, that experience is changing in museums across the country.

Shelley Bernstein, chief technology officer at the Brooklyn Museum, said in a 2011 interview with The New York Times, that “it’s less about technology and more about what the visitor can bring to the equation. In the end, we want people to feel ownership of this museum. We ask them to tell us what they think. They can give us a bad review; when we make a mistake they can come to our rescue. We want to engage with our community.”

smart phones and take tours around certain themes, such as the Civil War or the War of 1812, and then comment or upload photos on the connected website.

Also coming soon is an online learning portal that connects state educators with solid history curriculum and resources, giving them an online forum to discuss and develop 21st century skills through history education.Yet another project now in development is called “Pass the Word,” a site that will connect users with Kentucky’s rich oral history collections.

“KHS staff is making great strides to make this organization’s resources available online,” said Cleveland. “We want all Kentuckians to have that access.”

The Kentucky Historical Society (KHS) is taking a similar path. Since the development of KHS’s social media resources in 2011, KHS has committed to engaging its constituency in new and innovative ways.

“We want Kentuckians to take ownership of their history,” said Lisa Cleveland, KHS communications director. “Whether it’s on-site with our exhibitions, on the road with our historical markers or HistoryMobile or online through Facebook and Twitter, we want Kentuckians to know that our doors are open for them to experience history in whatever way they choose.”

This philosophy is part of the impetus behind the creation of an entirely new website for KHS. The site is expected to be online in 2013 and will fully integrate the organization’s social media, various interactive applications and even its publications.

One of those interactive elements now in development is a state historical marker application that connects KHS’s network of historical markers to the end users’ cellular network.

Citizens will be able to find KHS historic markers on their

www.history.ky.gov

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IN THE WORKS...

K H S a n d K D E to h o s t L i t e r ac y L e a d e r s Ac a d e m y The Kentucky Historical Society (KHS) and Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) have received a grant from the Midwest Regional Center for Teaching with Primary Sources. The grant will fund a Literacy Leaders Academy for history and social studies teachers June 19-21 at the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History in downtown Frankfort.

This was a competitive opportunity where teachers submitted an application, commited to the academy for a year and agreed to teach what they learned to colleagues back in their districts.

A total of 24 teachers participated. Travel, two nights of lodging and all meals (except for dinner on the 20th) for the three-day event were provided or reimbursed. Teachers also

received education materials at no charge. The Literacy Leaders Academy sessions included information on how to use the Library of Congress website to locate primary sources, an introduction to the National History Day program and a mock project design, tips to build visual literacy skills, a social studies literacy lesson workshop and more.

The Literacy Leaders Academy will continue with two webinar sessions in the fall, a webinar session in early spring 2013 and another in-person, one-day session in Frankfort in the spring.

For more about this program, contact Tim Talbott at tim.talbott@ky.gov or 502-564-1792, ext. 4428.

n e w k h s h i s to ry m o b i l e e x h i b i t to d e b u t at s tat e fa i r The Kentucky Historical Society (KHS) HistoryMobile will soon be sporting a new look and a fresh new exhibit. “Torn Within and Threatened Without: Kentuckians and the Civil War Era” will make its debut in August at the Kentucky State Fair.

Following the fair, it will begin its trek throughout Kentucky, highlighting the difficult decisions that Kentuckians were forced to make during the Civil War. The exhibit is designed in a graphic novel format and features six life-size characters as well as authentic artifacts that will travel with the mobile exhibit.

“The thread that runs through it is slavery,” said Trevor Jones, director of KHS museum collections and exhibitions.

“We’re looking at how people made decisions that impacted Kentucky.”

The implications of compromise, cooperation and conflict will be addressed, as will aspects of Westward expansion, proslavery and anti-slavery factions and economic scarcity.Visitors to the exhibit will be asked to answer questions such as “How would you deal with the problem of slavery?” and “Would you work to free the slaves?”

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“Torn Within and Threatened Without” is designed primarily with students in mind, but it also has elements that will appeal to adults. Artifacts include bullets and cartridges, belt buckles and ledger books as well as Confederate buttons. The exhibit also has interactive elements such as touch screens and a video overview of Kentucky’s role in the Civil War. The KHS HistoryMobile program is supported by the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels, the Pilot Corporation and the KHS Foundation. This exhibit is made possible through a reimbursement program from the United States Department of Transportation and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.

IT’S A IN THE WORKS...

B e c o m e a K H S M e m b e r a n d J o i n t h e “ M ag i c a l H i s to ry To u r ” This September, Kentucky Historical Society (KHS) members are invited to board a chartered bus and take a step back in time to mid-19th century Kentucky, when emancipationist Cassius Clay struggled for equal rights and the city of Richmond came under siege.

This “magical history tour” is the first of what KHS Membership Coordinator Leslie Miller hopes will be a series of members-only trips, an added benefit for KHS supporters who show their love for Kentucky history annually through membership. Currently, members receive subscriptions to KHS publications, discounts to KHS events and special offers from the University Press of Kentucky and Kentucky State Parks, just to name a few.

Jo

For $119, members will be taken on a chartered tour of Madison County, with stops at White Hall State Historic Site, the Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea and the Battle of Richmond Visitors Center and Battlefield Park. In between sites, KHS staff historians will provide context for the locations, the people behind them and the role they all played in Kentucky and Civil War history. Continental breakfast at the Old State Capitol and a three-course lunch at Historic Boone Tavern at Berea College are included.

Reservations and payments are required by Friday, Aug. 24 to Julia Curry at 502-564-1792, ext. 4414.

www.history.ky.gov

Special Thanks:

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KJHS & Kentucky History Day HAPPY 50TH ANNIVERSARY!

More than 600 students converged on the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History on April 27-28 for the Kentucky Junior Historical Society Conference. Students participated in impromptu composition contests, a history bowl and chapter challenges.

They also visited the KHS HistoryMobile.

On Saturday, April 28, more than 400 students (4th-12th grades) participated in the state History Day contest. Junior and senior division students (6th-12th grades) competed for the opportunity to attend the national contest at the University of Maryland in June.

This year, 70 students advanced to the national level. An even bigger turnout is expected next year, so the 2013 KJHS conference will be held at the University of Louisville.

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www.history.ky.gov

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Education history education innovation in the 21st century

The Kentucky Historical Society (KHS) is a multifaceted history organization, dedicated to the promotion of historical understanding and history education in the commonwealth.

To achieve this ambitious mission, KHS programs and activities are developed, implemented and managed by a number of functional divisions with many activities requiring cooperative planning, expertise and coordination of staff from across the organization.This is the third in a series of profiles highlighting the programs and activities currently underway within KHS’s seven functional teams.

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a

sk the casual visitor to the Kentucky Historical Society (KHS) history campus what staff on the education team does, and they’re likely to respond “teach our kids about history.” But the role of a KHS educator has evolved into much more than that in the 21st century, and the KHS education team is staying ahead of the curve.

The team’s main goal is to improve the level and quality of overall education throughout the commonwealth, but this extends beyond your average history lesson—throughout the state and the nation, teachers are moving from a contentbased approach to a skills-based approach. According to KHS Director of Education Jody Blankenship, “we know from educational research that people will use and retain skills they develop rather than just learning and regurgitating

information. We are here to help people – not just K-12 students – learn how to use history to strengthen their communities. Knowledge of history is fundamental in decision-making at all levels, from a high school student writing a research paper to local community leaders and state government officials, even higher up to Congress. After studying history and how society has changed, you’re able to make better decisions.”

JODY BLANKENSHIP

CHERYL CASKEY

MIKE DEETSCH

WARREN GREER

greg hardison

ann johnson

leslie mcwhorter

derrick ranostaj

becky riddle

stuart sanders

tim talbott

This national movement calls for a development of 21st century skills that encourage thinking over memorization and centers around the four “Cs:” critical thinking, communication, collaboration and creativity. It calls on students to identify a problem and create effective solutions, which relates directly to the study of history: historians will debate and communicate through written and oral means, often working together to back up their research. These are skills that transfer to any and every field.

The traditional approach to history education at KHS has been to bring in school groups and lead them through exhibitions and historic buildings like the Old State Capitol and the State Arsenal. Students and teachers typically passively sat or walked, listened and sometimes asked questions. Now, the tour experience is inquiry-based, with visual clues and artifacts that lead participants to make their own conclusions and create a dialogue between each other and museum educators.

In the past, KHS’s greatest student visitation numbers came from 4th grade students on class field trips. But in an era of continued state and local budget cuts, increasing gas prices, bus fees and changes in formal testing standards, the audience has evolved. While the number of visiting school groups is declining at KHS, the organization is reaching a wider age range of students through campus visits and participation in programs such as Camp ArtyFact and the Kentucky Junior Historical Society.

An abundance of resources are available for classroom teachers both through pre- and post-visit materials and in programs that can substitute for an on-site visit to KHS. “People will look locally first for educational resources and programs, so we need to create a system where they continue to learn [outside of the KHS history campus] and those lessons are reinforced.

We do this through the Kentucky Junior Historical Society, museum outreach, KHS HistoryMobile and Museums-toGo,” said Blankenship.

The education team also understands the need to build relationships with students from the top down, by partnering with colleges, other government agencies, libraries, etc., to offer professional development for educators. Last year, with a grant from the National Endowment for Humanities, KHS www.history.ky.gov

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presented the Picturing America Conference, where teachers began on-site at the Center for Kentucky History for two days in the summer for training. They developed individual lesson plans for the fall and then met again in January to discuss their successes and challenges. Soon, those lesson plans will be available online as tools and inspiration for other educators.

Another development opportunity for teachers is the Kentucky History Education Conference, held annually in July. This year, an additional day has been added for a field study bus tour to historic sites related to the struggle for emancipation in Kentucky, such as White Hall State Historic Site and Camp Nelson Civil War Heritage Park.

KHS is educating not only students and teachers, but also community members and leaders through its community services programs. Upon request, KHS field services staff will schedule a site visit to a local historical society or museum for consultation on such topics as board governance, mission definition, interpretation or collections management. Other community services include the Circuit Rider, an e-newsletter for museum professionals in the region; the Kentucky History Awards, an annual ceremony recognizing the best contributions in the field from individuals and organizations across the state; and historical markers, commemorating the people and places that have shaped Kentucky’s communities.

The Cemetery Preservation program is one such service that may not be at the top of a community’s priorities, but is an important part of preserving state and local history.

Cemeteries are vital in historical and genealogical research, but unfortunately many have been abandoned and become overgrown. KHS staff travels the state year-round to speak at workshops about the proper cleaning and repair of gravesites.

Recently, even more of these programs have been made

possible throughout eastern Kentucky with a grant from the Steele-Reese Foundation. The Kentucky Cemeteries Database, listing cemetery names and locations by county, is updated quarterly and is accessible through the KHS website.

The KHS education team is also in the process of extending its services into the digital world. At least two new online tools will be available in the next year, including a Civil War eTextbook and Kentucky Historical Marker Program app.

The eTextbook will be a vessel for K-12 teachers and students to access historically significant content and objects relevant the Kentucky’s role in the Civil War, as well as provide an interactive environment with other teachers and students who are studying the same material. It will also be integrated with the KHS website and social media for greater sharing capabilities. The Kentucky Historical Markers Program app is designed for anyone with access to a smartphone or tablet.

It will house not only the text and locations of the state’s over 2,100 historical markers, but also supply themed tours, link to related artifacts and oral histories, provide directions from a user’s location to particular markers and give users the opportunity to share comments and information through social media outlets.

Education is changing throughout the nation, as students are required to develop new skills that will help them compete in a global economy. The education team at KHS is striving to stay ahead of the curve and provide students with the skills they need to compete in the 21st century. The Education Team at KHS works inside and outside the classroom with students, genealogists and the public and, as Blankenship says, is “moving history from a leisure activity to a tool for bettering your life and community.”

E D U C AT I O N ON L IN E & O N the r oad The Kentucky Historical Marker Program is perhaps the most visible “on the road” community service that the KHS education team provides. It commemorates historical sites, events and personalities on markers along the state’s roadways. The markers are on-the-spot history lessons that add drama and interest to the countryside for Kentuckians as well as tourists.

Each year, dozens of applications are submitted by local organizations and individuals who are passionate about recognizing the personalities, places and events that have shaped their community. Applications are thoroughly vetted by an advisory committee of historians from across the state and up to 30 are selected each calendar year for production and installation.

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The text and location of every marker—over 2,100 of them—are currently available in an online database at www.history.ky.gov/markers. Not only is this information available on the website, but a historical marker application for tablets and smartphones is slated for release in July 2012.

“Explore Kentucky” will showcase the markers on GPS-enabled maps next to related audio and items from the KHS collections. Markers will be searchable by keyword but also grouped into tours—for example, Civil War enthusiasts will have every marker related to the war between the states at their fingertips no matter where they are in the commonwealth.

The Kentucky Historical Marker Program is administered by KHS in cooperation with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. For more information, contact Becky Riddle, program coordinator, at 502-564-1792, ext. 4474 or becky.riddle@ky.gov.

N E W A N D N E W LY D I S C OV E R E D D O N AT I O N S A N D AC QU I S I T I O N S TO T H E K E N T U C K Y H I S TO R I C A L S O C I E T Y C O L L E C T I O N S

Ration Tokens, 1941-1945 During World War II, rationing limited how much a family could buy of items like sugar and meat. These items were scarce because so much was sent overseas for the war effort.

Ration tokens like these were used to make change for people using ration coupons.

These one-cent tokens came from the Stegner Grocery store in Ft. Thomas, Ky. Donated by Sylvia Stevens 2011.21.

Survival Biscuit Can, 1962 This can of biscuits was found with its original seal intact in the New Capitol Annex in Frankfort, Ky. Containers like this one were placed in government buildings throughout the United States during the 1960s to be used in the event of a nuclear attack.

Donated by Amy Carpenter 2011.5.

Jim Beam Locomotive Decanter, 1979 This train shaped liquor bottle is from the James B. Beam Distilling Co. of Clermont, Ky. For years it and other bottles were displayed in the office of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board. The Control Board tests one bottle of every new type of liquor sold in Pennsylvania. Over the years, staff kept some of the more interesting bottles.

Donated by Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board 2011.112.

Reproduction Confederate Note, date unknown Frankfort legend says that in the 1970s a stack of Confederate money was found inside a wall at the State Arsenal, now home to the Kentucky Military History Museum.

This story was confirmed last year. This note was donated by the son of an eyewitness.

However, the note is a reproduction!

Donated by Marty Pinkston 2011.86.

9/11 Commemorative American Flag, 2001 This flag flew over the United States Capitol on Sept. 18, 2001 in remembrance of Edward Earhart. Former Kentucky Governor and Congressman Ernie Fletcher requested this honor for Earhart, a naval officer from Rowan County who was the only native Kentuckian killed in the Sept. 11 terrorist attack at the Pentagon.

Donated by Charlotte Earhart 2011.74.

www.history.ky.gov

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D O N AT I O N S A N D AC QU I S I T I O N s , C o N T.

Art Deco Ruby Ring, 1915 Art Deco rings reflect the transition into the modern industrial age and are characterized by their geometric designs, symmetry and intricate wirework. This 14-karat white gold ring with synthetic rubies was owned by Theresa Helen Tellman Miller of Louisville, Ky. Donated by Donna Moser Peak 2011.79.

Mary Brewer Genealogy Collection Genealogy research relating to the Monroe, Mason, Bowles, Coley, Brewer and Briscoe families.

Donated by Mary Brewer, KHS Collections, 2011.139.

“Way Up North in Louisville: African-American Migration in the Urban South, 1930-1970�

By Luther Adams. This work explores the forces that led blacks to move to urban centers in the South following World War II. KHS Collections, 976.902 J45ad.

Frankfort, Ky. Photographs These photographs include an image of prisoners in the Frankfort, Ky. penitentiary with a church group, ca. 1900, and a photograph of the Old State Capitol following the shooting of Gov. Goebel, ca. Feb 1900.

Donated by Andrew Albatys, KHS Collections, FF1.207.

Stegner Family Grocery Papers Items from a family-run grocery store in Ft. Thomas, Ky. which includes items dated from 1885-1969 such as account books, inventories, photographs, advertisements, deeds, business paperwork, clippings and World War II rationing paperwork.

Donated by Sylvia Stevens, KHS Collections, 2011.21.3.

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TH E KH S INTERVIEW SERIES

k e n t u c k y, t h e m i s s i s s i p p i t r a d e , a n d t h e p o l i t i c a l e c o n o m y o f t h e e a r ly r e p u b l i c : A N I N T E RV I E W W I T H K H S F E L L OW S U S A N G AU N T S T E A R N S

A New Map of Part of the United States of North America, 1805. This map highlights the western portions of the United States. It reveals how critical the Mississippi River was as an avenue for transportation and trade during the early national period. KHS Collections.

The KHS Scholarly Research Fellowship program supports cutting-edge research on all aspects of the Kentucky past— including its local, regional, national and even international contexts. In an interview with Darrell Meadows, KHS director for research and interpretation and director of the Civil War Governors Susan Gaunt Stearns of Kentucky, Susan Gaunt Stearns, a KHS research fellow and assistant professor of history at Mary Baldwin College, discussed her investigations into the national and international contexts which shaped Kentucky and the trans-Appalachian west in the first decades of the Republic.

Meadows: Your work attempts to understand the evolving relationship between the federal government and the transAppalachian west in the two decades that preceded the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. What led you to this particular question, and how does your approach to this history differ from that of other historians?

Stearns: In my first year of graduate school, I was assigned to read at least 10 editions of a single newspaper. I chose to read the “Kentucke Gazette,” and I decided to start at the beginning. As I read through the paper, I was struck by how frequently articles mentioned the Mississippi River, which had been closed to American trade by the Spanish, who controlled www.history.ky.gov

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the mouth of the river. Early Kentuckians repeatedly claimed that, without access to the Mississippi River, the region could never prosper. I quickly realized that this was a major issue for the people of the trans-Appalachian west—not just in Kentucky, but in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Tennessee and later, Mississippi. Therefore my work focuses not just on one state or community, but instead on a much broader region and a collective problem that it faced: obtaining access to the Mississippi River, so that the products of western soil could reach the markets of the eastern United States and Europe.

Meadows: Like so much of the new work in early American and early national U.S. history, yours has been influenced by the growing field of “Atlantic” history. What is it about the “Atlantic world” perspective that helps to illuminate the uncertain future that people living in the trans-Appalachian west faced in these decades?

Stearns: Using an Atlantic World perspective helps to demonstrate the fluidity of the loyalty of western settlers. In 1775, when the first settlements began in Kentucky, there was no “America.” When the war ended in 1783, and it became clear that there was a new “American” entity, no one, not even the members of Congress, knew what that would mean.

So the settlers of the trans-Appalachian west, thousands of miles away from debates surrounding the formation of the United States, had no intrinsic loyalty to the new government.

In fact, westerners’ interests were more closely tied to those of Spain than to those of America: after all, Spain controlled the Mississippi River. If westerners could not trade down the Mississippi, they would never be able to find markets for the goods they produced. Without markets, westerners could not earn the cash they needed to buy land or to pay taxes.

Westerners were extremely vocal about their desire to become part of the growing marketplace of the Atlantic world; they were not yet certain, however, about being part of the new government taking shape in the East.

Meadows: Many people may be surprised to learn that the trans-Appalachian region’s history, in the period you are studying, was in many ways an international history. Who were the key international players in this history, and what were some of the more important international dynamics at play, in your view, that shaped the trans-Appalachian west?

Stearns: In 1786, John Jay, the Secretary of State, negotiated a treaty between the U.S. and Spain that would have given up American claims to access to the Mississippi for a period of at least 25 years. When news reached the west, westerners were livid. Spain hoped to benefit from the situation. Spanish officials realized that the ties between the United States and the western settlers were tenuous at best; this was why, in

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James Wilkinson (1757-1825), John Wesley Jarvis (ca. 17801840). Wilkinson promised to work to bring about a seperation of Kentucky from the U.S. and even became a citizen of Spain, with the aim of regaining access to trade on the Mississippi River.

Courtesy of the Filson Historical Society.

1784, Spain had closed the Mississippi to American trade: they wanted to lure westerners away from the American government and create a buffer state between the United States and Spanish holdings in Mexico. In New York City, Don Diego de Gardoqui, Spain’s representative in the U.S., met with western congressmen John Brown and with James White. Gen. James Wilkinson journeyed down the Mississippi to meet with Spanish officials in New Orleans. Wilkinson promised to work to bring about a separation of Kentucky from the U.S., and went so far as to become a Spanish citizen. Other prominent westerners, including Harry Innes of Kentucky and John Sevier of Tennessee were also both contacted by the Spanish. Meanwhile, the British and the French were also watching the situation with a great deal of interest.

Meadows: As a research fellow working at KHS, you examined some 30 distinct manuscript collections. What were some of these rare materials that helped you to understand the region’s local, national, and international contexts?

Stearns: The letters of Samuel Hopkins from 1801 and 1802 paint a vivid picture of how, during a brief period from 1798 to 1802, when the Mississippi River was open to American trade, the trade and commerce of Kentucky flourished.

Hopkins described how once the Mississippi was open, Kentuckians took full advantage and were able to finally make their lands turn a profit: 70 horses & mules loaded with money from Orleans, Natchez &c have arrived in Kentucky & Tenassee this year tis Certain there is much more cash in Circulation of late. I find the progress of Commerce more varied than I had calculated, its State now is as mature as I supposed it would have been in Ten Years from the time I came here 3 years ago.

One can easily understand why westerners were furious when Spain again shut off American access to the Mississippi in 1802 and the horses and mules loaded with money no longer hiked back into Kentucky. The money supply contracted dramatically, devastating the economy of the early American west.

Stearns: In the late 1790s and 1800s, Kentucky became the largest producer of hemp in the nation. That hemp was turned to rope, which was sent down the Ohio to the Mississippi and to the Natchez district, which the U.S. had taken possession of in 1797. In Natchez, these ropes were used to secure bales of Mississippi cotton, which was shipped down the Mississippi to New Orleans and then eastward to coastal cities like Philadelphia, Boston and New York. From there, Mississippi cotton fed the mills of Lowell, Massachusetts and of Manchester, England. When Jefferson placed an embargo on trade with Britain, there was no longer any market for Kentucky rope and Mississippi cotton, devastating the economy of the west, which was structured around trade with Europe. Moreover, because everything the west produced had to be shipped along the Gulf coast and the Atlantic seaboard, British threats to American shipping greatly affected the west, despite the region being landlocked. In addition, the fact that Britain continued to trade with Native Americans along the Great Lakes was perceived as particularly threatening by western Americans. The fact that throughout the crisis westerners remained loyal to the government in Washington, rather than allying with Britain, speaks to the U.S. government’s success at nation building. A decade earlier, westerners’ loyalty had been questionable. By gaining access to the Mississippi River through the Louisiana Purchase, the federal government had secured westerners’ loyalty to the union.

Meadows: This year marks the bicentennial of the War of 1812, for which KHS is serving as the administrative arm of the Kentucky 1812 Bicentennial Commission. As a research historian who has now spent many years investigating the history of this region in what many historians refer to as the Age of Revolution, what is essential to understand about the years preceding the War of 1812, that help us to see that event in a new, perhaps more contingent historical light?

www.history.ky.gov

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Six Degrees of Separation alexander d. orr letter predates kentucky statehood

h

ave you ever heard of the theory that everyone is connected to everyone else by no more than six steps?

This “small world phenomenon” comes into play at the oddest times in the work of the Kentucky Historical Society (KHS) Special Collections and Library staff as they care for and manage the evidence of Kentucky’s rich and varied past. Recently, KHS acquired a document that connects the dots between Lexington horseman and philanthropist Tracy Farmer and George Washington, first President of the United States. Serendipity is a wonderful thing!

The story of this complex web of connections begins with a letter which was part of the Kentucky postal history collection of Barry K. Schwartz, New York businessman and thoroughbred race horse owner. Schwartz collected the letter due to its significance as an early piece of Kentucky’s postal history. The letter, with its attached cover or address page, is one of the earliest known pieces of mail originating from Kentucky. To a philatelist these kinds of firsts are a stamp collector’s dream acquisition, and are hard to part with, so when Mr. Schwartz sold off the bulk of his collection at auction in 2009, he separated this item from the rest and held onto it.

The dots began to connect when Schwartz mentioned to another friend in the racing industry that he was the proud owner of this piece of early Kentucky history, and that friend, Tracy Farmer, former KHS Foundation

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board member, recognized the significance of this artifact for Kentucky history. His previous association with KHS led him to discuss this with Warren Rosenthal, emeritus KHS Foundation board member. Once the library staff heard about this amazing piece of history heading home to Kentucky, they could barely contain their excitement as they awaited the arrival of the package from New York.

If you are not familiar with this aspect of stamp collecting,

you may not be aware that long before the invention of the plain white 5”x9” business envelope, postal covers often contained illustrations, interesting stamps and cancellations that made them unique. And prior to 1856, most letters were not mailed in envelopes at all but were wrapped up or folded around themselves and contained hand-written notes with delivery directions.

The cover that staff received this past December is dated December 18, 1787 and was written by Alexander D. Orr in Kentucky County,Va. to Col. John Fitzgerald in Alexandria, Va. It was sent before Kentucky became a state and long before the United States Postal System existed, when getting written communication from one place to another required connecting travelers along the path in intricate ways.

Orr, a farmer and politician, was born in Alexandria,Va. in 1761 and moved to Bourbon County, Ky. around 1782, where he also served as one of the early land surveyors. He later became one of Kentucky’s first legislators. Orr was writing to Col. John Fitzgerald concerning land negotiations that Fitzgerald was involved in both north and south of the Ohio River. The letter is anxious in tone, as Orr had not been able to accomplish all that Fitzgerald had tasked him with, and taxes were due on the lands he had been able to acquire for the Virginian.

Col. Fitzgerald was an Alexandria merchant who served as an aide-de-camp under George Washington at the Battle of Princeton. Their connection continued through Washington’s presidency, and may have resulted in Fitzgerald’s appointment as customs collector for Alexandria. In 1785, Fitzgerald and Washington became involved with the Potomac Navigation Company, an enterprise Washington spearheaded to make improvements on the Potomac River to link the east coast to the Northwest Territory. Did this connection explain Fitzgerald’s interest in acquiring land along the Ohio? Was Fitzgerald using his Alexandria connections to contact Orr in Kentucky to facilitate these purchases? There is a significant body of evidence for Orr due to his service in the United States Congress from 1792 to 1797. However, documents pertaining to his early presence in Kentucky and his work as a land surveyor are rare, so this letter is an additional piece to that puzzle.

The letter appears to have been sent to Fitzgerald in the care of William Ellery, Jr. This is an intriguing name, as a contemporary of both Fitzgerald and Orr was William Ellery (1727-1820), of Newport, R.I., signer of the Declaration of Independence. Early covers such as this often bear the marks of the sometimes quite complicated paths letters had to follow to get to their intended recipients. What we do not know is what role Ellery played, nor can we do much more than speculate about whether this Ellery is the “Signer” or whether it was his son, also named William Ellery, Jr. It is fascinating how one letter can open so many avenues of inquiry. From the Battle of Princeton to the shores of the Potomac, to the shores of the Ohio, to the turfways of Kentucky, this is the six degrees of separation of Alexander Dalrymple Orr.

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FOLLOWING UP...

K H S L ov e s k e n t u c k y h i s to ry !

“I love Kentucky History!” That says it all for the Kentucky Historical Society, its members, donors and many others throughout the commonwealth. The phrase has continued to resurface at KHS events, teacher workshops and the recent Kentucky Junior Historical Society Conference. Because KHS loves Kentucky history, staff chose to celebrate it in a variety of ways at Boone Day 2012.

Guests saw first-hand the exciting new ways KHS is serving educators, students, researchers and communities at the Kentucky History Showcase, and were among the first to see “Civil War: My Brother, My Enemy” exhibition, on loan from the Frazier History Museum in Louisville. They were also among the first to experience the dynamic new Old State Capitol tour, “A Capitol Divided.” Donors and families also gathered, as they do annually, to install commemorative bricks honoring loved ones on the Pathway through History.

During a catered dinner of traditional Kentucky fare, special guest Ford W. Bell, president of the American Association of Museums, spoke about the importance of museum advocacy at all levels, from board members to donors, to visitors and volunteers. “If you love a museum, tell someone,” he charged the audience.

Throughout the evening it became clear how this passion for Kentucky history is making a difference in the state we love. supported by

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FOLLOWING UP... s tag i n g vo i c e s p r o g r a m c u l m i n at e s w i t h p r e m i e r e o f o r i g i n a l p l ay at K J HS conference Staging Voices brought 10 teenage girls from across the state together for a period of six months to collect oral histories, study women’s rights issues and create an original play based on their research. The final product, “…By Our Sisters,” premiered during the Kentucky Junior Historical Society’s annual conference on April 28.

The program was funded by a grant from the Kentucky Foundation for Women to advance positive social change through feministled, arts-based activities. The teens participated in theatre games and group discussions, and learned the basics of documenting the past through oral histories. They interviewed six diverse Kentucky women and used a combination of stories and direct quotes to create the script for a theatrical production performed by professional actors as part of KHS’s awardwinning museum theatre program.

“I was instantly drawn to the project because of its connections to history and acting. In my opinion, the study of history is the key to success, and through its reenactment we open doors to the future,” said Montana Daniels.

2012 Staging Voices Committee: Skylar Brown, Bondurant Middle School, Frankfort; Montana Daniels, Wayne County High School, Monticello; Lindsay Diggins, Montessori High School, Lexington; Madeleine Hendrix, Franklin County High School, Frankfort; Emma Hughes, Notre Dame Academy, Fort Mitchell; Sara Hutson, Shelby County High School, Shelbyville; Eva Luckey, Montessori High School, Lexington; Paige Mason, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Lexington; LaRosa Shelton, Louisville Male Traditional High School, Louisville; Loren Weber, homeschool student, Gravel Switch.

Oral History Interviewees: Sheila Mason Burton, Ora Mae Cheaney, Gov. Martha Layne Collins, Betty Jane Gorin Smith, Donna Salyers, Marsha Weinstein. Actors (pictured): Megan Caudill, Triza Cox. To learn more, contact Greg Hardison at greg.hardison@ky.gov.

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FOLLOWING UP...

1 9 4 0 C E N S U S R E C O R D S R E L E A S E D w i t h g reat fan fare April 2, 2012 arrived with a firestorm of activity, and not just for experienced genealogists and family historians. That day, the 1940 Census records were released to the public for the first time. In order to access the newly digitized images, over 22.5 million people visited the National Archives website in the first three hours alone, and #1940census was the number one trend on Twitter for the entire day!

In celebration of this momentous occasion, the April 14th Second Saturday Family History Workshop, hosted by the Kentucky Historical Society (KHS) and the Kentucky Genealogical Society, was devoted to the exploration and access of this new free resource. To top off the event, cake and door prizes were shared with the larger than normal crowd.

As KHS staff explained in the workshop, the census images can only be browsed at the state, county and city, or by

searching via the Enumeration District (ED) Number. In order to help create a name level index, KHS joined the nation-wide effort to recruit, organize and train volunteer indexers. At press time, the KHS indexing group had already indexed over 100,000 names!

Beyond indexing, many KHS staff and visitors continue to browse the 1940 Census images in the hopes of finding family. Some have found family members, neighbors and even Kentucky’s Governor in 1940, Keen Johnson. Everyone is invited to share what they find in the 1940 Census by posting copies of family photos or print-outs of census records and by writing their stories on the bulletin boards in the Martin F. Schmidt Research Library.

For more information about the 1940 Census records, how to use them or how to become a volunteer indexer, contact the KHS library staff at KHSRefDesk@ky.gov or 502-564-1792, ext. 4460.

In memoriam MIKE MULLINS J U N E 2 2 , 1 9 4 8 - F E B R UA RY 1 9 , 2 0 1 2 The Kentucky Historical Society (KHS) Executive Committee honored the late Mike Mullins, executive director of Hindman Settlement School, with a resolution during its board meeting on Friday, April 20.

Mullins was a native of Floyd County and a member of the KHS Executive Committee from November 2009 until his death. He served as executive director of the Hindman Settlement School for 34 years, “guiding the organization into a regional and cultural educational center of national renown,” according to the resolution. Mullins was a trained historian “who took seriously his responsibility for the fulfillment of the Society’s mission to provide connections to the past,

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perspective on the present and inspiration for the future.”

Mullins attended Berea College and received a master’s degree in history from the University of Cincinnati. He was a founding board member of the East Kentucky Leadership Foundation and Leadership East Kentucky. He was named Knott Countian of the Year in 1992 and was inducted into the Knott County Hall of Fame in 2010.

Mullins is survived by his wife, Frieda Smothers Mullins; his mother, Mildred Mullins; a son, Nathan Mullins; two daughters, Brenda Egleston and Cassie Moses; a special “adopted” son, Ronald J. Costanzo; two sisters; two brothers; and five grandchildren.

FOLLOWING UP...

S C H O O L N I G H T S AT T H E M U S E U M : S T U D E N T S H AV E F U N W H I L E S U P P O RT I N G T H E I R P TO This school year, the Kentucky Historical Society (KHS) opened the doors of the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History to the Parent Teacher Organizations (PTOs) of several elementary schools for School Nights at the Museum. Each school’s PTO and students took over the entire museum for one Thursday night to host educational and entertaining activities, with a portion of the proceeds benefitting the school.

Almost 70 Gifted and Talented students of Franklin County came to KHS months in advance to learn how to be museum educators. They later presented several programs, including an explanation of how to use Native American tools, a short performance about the Civil Rights era and a student-led tour of the Frontier era. Parent and teacher volunteers taught students how to play games like cup and ball, Jacob’s ladder and quoits-like old fashioned horse shoes. The PTOs also sold concessions, offerred face painting and showed movies.

Some schools invited their choirs or dance teams to perform in Commonwealth Hall.

Participating schools this year included Elkhorn Elementary, Peaks Mill Elementary, Westridge Elementary, Bridgeport Elementary, Elkhorn Middle and Bondurant Middle School.

To schedule a School Night at the Museum for your school, contact Greg Hardison at 502-564-1792, ext. 4454 or greg.hardison@ky.gov.

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C A L E N DA R OF EVENTS For updated calendar information, visit www.history.ky.gov.

All events held at the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History unless otherwise noted.

AUG UST KENTUCKY STATE FAIR

CIVIL WAR: MY BROTHER, MY ENEMY Keeneland Changing Exhibits Gallery June 2 – Dec. 8

july

S E PT E MB E R

KENTUCKY HISTORY EDUCATION CONFERENCE

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

“Turning Points in History” Thursday, July 12, 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

“Emancipation in Kentucky: A Key Turning Point” Friday, July 13 Annual day-long conference for Kentucky teachers followed by a professional development day and field study bus tour to Berea, White Hall and Camp Nelson Civil War Heritage Park. For information, contact tim.talbott@ky.gov.

FAMILY HISTORY WORKSHOP

“Welcome to the Blogosphere: An Introduction to Genealogy Blogs and How You Can Join the Blogging Community!”

Saturday, July 14, 10:30 a.m.

Speakers Cheri Daniels and Linda McCauley provide an introduction to the wonderful world of genealogy blogs and the helpful community of bloggers that has grown into a dynamic information network.

Reserve your spot for this free workshop before July 13 by calling 502-564-1792, ext. 4460 or by emailing KHSRefDesk@ky.gov.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

“Kentucky’s Bookends to the Civil War: Maj. Robert Anderson of Fort Sumter” Wednesday, July 18, noon Don Rightmyer, editor of Kentucky Ancestors, will talk about Maj. Robert Anderson: Kentucky native, West Point graduate and commander of Fort Sumter in Charleston harbor at the beginning of the Civil War. He will discuss Anderson’s rich Kentucky family history and the path his life took from Jefferson County to the Civil War. Reservations required by July 13. $18 for KHS members, $25 for all other patrons. Contact Julia Curry at 502-564-1792, ext. 4414.

KHS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING Friday, July 20, 1 p.m.

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Kentucky Exposition Center, Louisville Thursday, August 16 – Sunday, August 26 Visit the KHS HistoryMobile’s brand new exhibit, “Torn Within and Threatened Without: Kentuckians and the Civil War Era,” at the state fair!

“The Kentucky Fresh Cookbook” Wednesday, Sept. 19, noon Take a seasonal food journey with native Kentuckian Maggie Green as she guides both the aspiring and experienced cooks through the rich variety of Kentucky ingredients and traditions that make up Kentucky’s favorite culinary dishes. “The Kentucky Fresh Cookbook” demonstrates that any act of cooking done with love and care can transform the simplest ingredients into a memorable meal. Maggie Green is a culinary professional, registered dietitian and owner of The Green Apron Company. A book signing will immediately follow the program. Reservations required by Sept. 14. $18 for KHS members, $25 for all other patrons. Contact Julia Curry at 502-564-1792, ext.

4414.

During the Civil War in Kentucky,

family lines were often the battle lines. at the

Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History Created by

June 2 to Dec. 8

Sponsored by

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100 West Broadway Frankfort, Kentucky 40601 502.564.1792 www.history.ky.gov

SPRING

2012

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kh s o n l ine, on - s i t e & on the road

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