December/January 2019

DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019

AN OLD KENTUCKY CHRISTMAS PLUS

Festive Events Kirk Alliman’s Historic Sites Resurrecting Tennessee Williams Daniel Boone, Part III

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In This Issue 22

16

Featured Fare

Departments 2 Kentucky Kwiz 4 Mag on the Move 6 Across Kentucky 10 Oddities at the Museum Conrad-Caldwell House 12 Cooking 42 Off the Shelf 44 Field Notes 46 Calendar

8 Irish Eyes Are Always Smiling

To celebrate our 20th anniversary, Kentucky Monthly visits Ireland, finding Kentucky connections on the Emerald Isle

16 An Old Kentucky Christmas

A Burlington church’s four-day event gives visitors a slow-paced, intimate holiday experience

22 Pedaling Through the Past

Kirk Alliman mounts his trusty bicycle in search of Kentucky’s most notable historic sites

28 Man of the Wilderness: Daniel Boone

The final installment of a three-part series on the iconic frontiersman

34 Holiday Happenings

Voices 3 Readers Write 40 Past Tense/ Present Tense 56 Vested Interest

Kentucky offers a month full of events to celebrate the season

36 A Nightingale Sings

A longtime Louisville actor and critic brings his favorite playwright to life in a one-man show

38 First Lady of Lexington

Mary Todd Lincoln flouted convention as a politically active woman in the 19th Century

ON THE COVER

Frankfort’s historic Hoge House, by Gene Burch

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KENTUCKY

Kwiz

Test your knowledge of our beloved Commonwealth. To find out how you fared, see the bottom of Vested Interest or take the Kwiz online at kentuckymonthly.com.

attempting to intercept an object tracked by air towers in Ohio, Fort Knox and Madisonville, giving us which now familiar acronym?

1. When I Dream of Jeannie premiered in 1965, Jeannie’s bottle was a decanter of which Kentucky brand’s famous bourbon?

7. The first Mr. Kentucky Football honoree to attend college in Kentucky was:

A. Early Times

B. Frank Jacobs

B. Jim Beam

C. Jeff Brohm

C. Old Forrester

A. LOL B. UFO C. SOS

A. Billy Jack Haskins

2. In addition to his duties as governor, Matt Bevin is president of his family’s company, Bevin Brothers Manufacturing in East Hampton, Connecticut, which is America’s sole remaining creator of what product?

8. Willie Kavanaugh Hocker of Madison County, a 50-year-old schoolteacher and member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, is one of only two women to design an approved state flag. Hocker’s design for which state was adopted in 1912?

A. Bells

A. New Mexico

B. Broomsticks

B. Arizona

C. Typewriters

C. Arkansas

3. Kentucky (or Kentucke) County, Virginia, existed from Dec. 31, 1776 until June 30, 1780. The county seat was Oldtown, which today we know as what?

9. An All-American at the University of Kentucky, this Hopkins County basketball player was credited with being “the NBA’s first sixth man.”

A. Danville

B. Frank Ramsey

B. Stanford

C. Dan Issel

C. Harrodsburg 4. Harrodsburg’s namesake, Col. James Harrod, disappeared in 1792 never to be seen again. While many theories have circulated about what happened to Harrod, some suggest it had something to do with which kind of mine once discovered by Jonathan Swift?

A. Louie Dampier

10. Maybe it’s just the Kwiz writer, but he finds it ironic that this 1920s Kentucky football player passed away in Lighthouse Point, Florida?

A. Shipwreck Kelly B. Tangerine Tucker C. Gator Jenkins

A. Coal B. Copper

5. If roasted, the seeds of the Kentucky coffeetree can be substituted for coffee beans, as discovered by the Fox, Winnebago and Pawnee tribes. If not roasted, however, the seeds and pods are what?

Editorial PATRICIA RANFT, Associate Editor DEBORAH KOHL KREMER, Assistant Editor MADELYNN COLDIRON and TED SLOAN, Contributing Editors JESSICA PATTON, Art Director CAIT A. SMITH, Copy Editor Senior Kentributors JACKIE HOLLENKAMP BENTLEY, ANNETTE CABLE, BILL ELLIS, STEVE FLAIRTY, GARY GARTH, RACHAEL GUADAGNI, JESSE HENDRIX-INMAN, KRISTY ROBINSON HORINE, ABBY LAUB, LINDSEY McCLAVE, WALT REICHERT, GARY P. WEST

Business and Circulation BARBARA KAY VEST, Business Manager JOCELYN ROPER, Circulation Specialist

Advertising JULIE MOORE, Senior Account Executive LARA FANNIN, Account Executive MIKE LACEY, Account Executive JOHN LASWELL, 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 $20 per year by Vested Interest Publications, Inc., 100 Consumer Lane, Frankfort, KY 40601. Periodicals Postage Paid at Frankfort, KY and at additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to KENTUCKY MONTHLY, P.O. Box 559, Frankfort, KY 40602-0559. Vested Interest Publications: Stephen M. Vest, president; Patricia Ranft, vice president; Barbara Kay Vest, secretary/treasurer. Board of directors: James W. Adams Jr., Dr. Gene Burch, Kim Butterweck, Gregory N. Carnes, Barbara and Pete Chiericozzi, Kellee Dicks, Maj. Jack E. Dixon, Bruce and Peggy Dungan, Mary and Michael Embry, Wayne Gaunce, Frank Martin, Lori Hahn, Thomas L. Hall, Judy M. Harris, Greg and Carrie Hawkins, Jan and John Higginbotham, Dr. A. Bennett Jenson, Walter B. Norris, Kasia Pater, Dr. Mary Jo Ratliff, Barry A. Royalty, Randy and Rebecca Sandell, Kelli Schreiber, Christopher E. and Marie Shake, Kendall Carr Shelton, Ted M. Sloan and Marjorie D. Vest.

www.kentuckymonthly.com (888) 329-0053 P.O. Box 559 100 Consumer Lane Frankfort, KY 40601

B. Bitter C. Odiferous

K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY

STEPHEN M. VEST, Publisher & Editor-in-Chief

Kentucky Monthly is printed and distributed by Publishers Press, Lebanon Junction, Ky.

A. Toxic

2

© 2018, Vested Interest Publications Volume Twenty One, Issue 10, December 2018 / January 2019

Kentucky Monthly invites queries but accepts no responsibility for unsolicited material; submissions will not be returned.

C. Silver

6. On Jan. 7, 1948, Capt. Thomas F. Mantell of the Kentucky Air National Guard crashed near Franklin after

Celebrating the best of our Commonwealth

Kentucky coffeetree pod with seeds

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VOICES ADDITIONAL APHORISMS

I really enjoyed Bill Ellis’ article “Let’s Don’t and Say We Did” (September issue, page 40). I wanted to share a saying from my greatgrandmother, Erma Phelps. She used to always say, “I’ll Swany!”

I feel like the saying had many meanings. It mostly seemed to mean, “I don’t believe it” or the same as “I’ll declare” when she used it. She said it with emotion, and it was used often.

I have never heard anyone to ever use this phrase except her. She’s been gone for many years and still to this day I haven’t met any other “I’ll Swany” users. She was a treasure as this saying is to me.

Kate Prince, Princeton Great column in Kentucky Monthly by Bill Ellis. Here are some of my favorites, although I do want to tell you that the first time I heard, “Let’s don’t and say we did” came from an unnamed Shelby County coed who said that to me one night after I invited her to take a tour of my car’s back seat.

I can remember my grandmother, Barry Fields Connor, who had the privilege of attending Science Hill Academy, telling me many times, “tempus fugit,” which is Latin for “time flies.”

My mother had several, including: Anything that was in clear sight of everyone but me earned the insult: “If it was a snake, it would’ve bitten you!”

A jar lid that could not be removed easily was on “tighter than Dick’s hat band.” Someone who did not have her respect was “the littlest end of nothing.”

There are probably a lot more I’m not thinking of, but this is a start.

James W. Miller, via email Who can take credit for the saying, “A word to the wise is sufficient?” My high school history teacher said this to the class frequently!

John Bishop, via email Enjoyed Bill Ellis’ September article about sayings and the like.

Growing up on a farm, we had a number of sayings with which you may not be familiar. “He was ridden

hard and put away wet” compared a horse to someone who had experienced a hard life. “He’s got no more sense than God gave a goose.”

Considering the large increase in Canada geese, this saying might be considered as being untrue today.

“He’s as stubborn as a hog on ice” was one that came from farm people who had tried to rescue pigs on ice.

Another one was: “Why don’t you go outside and blow the stink off?”

Still another: “It’s about five miles as the crow files.” I always wondered about that one, because who wants to fly with a dirty old crow?

There are other sayings that were regularly spoken around the farm. I’m sure many are too “colorful” to print in your enjoyable magazine.

Bob Tubesing, Crittenden I truly enjoyed “Let’s Don’t and Say We Did” in the September Kentucky Monthly. Just a good reflection on Kentucky slang!

The Henderson library ordered [Bill Ellis’ book on] Irvin S. Cobb upon request. It’s sort of amazing that my western Kentucky schooling included nothing written by Cobb, the best I can recall. Perhaps because of the racist stuff, the wordiness/length of his short stories or even his critics (H.L. Mencken) kept him out of public school books.

Then again, maybe these excuses have no merit.

Some might even say, “That dog won’t hunt.”

Bill Loney, Henderson As usual, I enjoyed Bill Ellis’ recent article. I always come away with some new wit and wisdom, along with better insight. I especially enjoyed his reference to T.K. Strong. T.K. Was my Sunday school teacher at the Baptist Church in Jackson during my adolescent years. He was a great person, citizen and role model. My older brother also worked for him for several years at his grocery store.

Readers Write Thanks for stirring up some fond memories of my youth, growing up in Jackson. I still have good friends and strong connections from those years, even though I haven’t lived there in nearly 50 years.

Another old saying in the same vein as T.K.’s that I always remember hearing: “If a frog had wings, it wouldn’t be bumping its rump on the ground.”

Larry Chaney, via email I truly enjoy reading my Kentucky Monthly magazine and, of course, Bill Ellis’ well-written pieces.

In regard to sayings, my mom always told us, “A lesson learned the hard way is not soon forgotten.” How true, and very wise advice.

Millicent Osman, South Shore THOUGHTFUL INSIGHTS

I always read the last page of Kentucky Monthly first. As I sat down with my October copy and flipped to the last page, I was delighted with Steve Vest’s piece “Rural Revelations” (page 56).

I teach at a career technology center that serves 30 partner school districts around the Miami Valley. Mr. Vest’s experiences reflect what I often hear my students say. Some of my students have never been to the “big city” of Dayton [Ohio], and some of my students have never been to a farm.

And, of course, he is right that “preconceptions and prejudices are not limited to race and religion.” By being in our unique school district, our students learn so much more than just their career tech skill set.

As an aside, my mom taught in the one-room schoolhouse at Blue Heron coal camp after completing teacher training at Cumberland College. She was 18-20 when she worked there. She was always proud of that experience.

Thanks for your thoughtful insight into human nature.

Cindy Booth, via email

Counties featured in this issue n

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.

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MAG

ON THE

MOVE

Even when you’re far away, you can take the spirit of your Kentucky home with you.

And when you do, we want to see it!

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.

Angela and Jess Correll

Ethiopia The Stanford couple attended a coffee ceremony in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The Ledford Sisters California

Sally and Richard Smothermon Greece

Polly Hawkins of Mt. Sterling and Sally Watkins of Leitchfield took in the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California.

The Frankfort couple traveled to Greece and Turkey, including a cruise to several of the Greek islands such as Patmos, pictured here.

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Leslie Rogers Miller and Holly Stone Blair Washington, D.C. Louisville resident and Kentucky State DAR Regent Miller and Massachusetts DAR State Regent Blair, formerly of Madisonville, visited the DAR Headquarters.

Marcella Downing and Chelsey Robinson Alabama Downing of Louisville and her granddaughter Robinson of Lafayette, Louisiana enjoyed Thanksgiving last year at Orange Beach, Alabama.

Brooks Ahrens England Ahrens, a Mount Olivet native, fractured her leg while visiting friends in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England.

Glema Layne and Judy Layne-Wood Bahamas Lifelong Kentuckian Layne and Virgina resident Layne-Wood traveled to Nassau, Bahamas to view beautiful clear skies and even clearer water.

Virginia and Henry Cardwell

St. Thomas The couple, formerly of Frankfort and now living Punta Gorda, Florida, visited the U.S. Virgin Islands while on a cruise.

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B I R T H DAYS DECEMBER 7 Martha Layne Collins (1936), governor of Kentucky from 1983-87 7 Jennifer Leann Carpenter (1979), Louisville-born actress best known for Dexter (2006-13) 18 Josh Dallas (1978), Louisville-born actor Josh Dallas best known as Prince Charming in the ABC series Once Upon a Time 22 Diane Sawyer (1945), Glasgowborn journalist/television show host 23 Adrian Belew (1949), Covington guitarist and singer best known for his time with King Crimson 25 Gary Sandy (1945), Cynthiana actor best known for WKRP in Cincinnati 28 John Y. Brown Jr. (1933), governor of Kentucky from 1979-83 29 Heather Renee French Henry (1974), Miss America 2000 and veterans advocate from Maysville

JANUARY 4 Patty Loveless (1957), singer and member of the Grand Ole Opry from Elkhorn City 7 Rand Paul (1963), Patty Loveless Bowling Green politician who has been Kentucky’s junior U.S. Senator since 2011 8 Crystal Gayle (1951), Grammy Award-winning singer from Paintsville 9 Matt Bevin (1967), governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky 11 Naomi Judd (1946), country music star from Ashland, mother of actress Ashley Judd and Wynonna 14 Greg Fischer (1958), Louisville mayor and businessman 16 John Carpenter (1948), film producer and director from Bowling Green 20 John Michael Montgomery (1965), country music singer Greg Fischer from Nicholasville 22 Terry Meiners (1957), longtime radio personality on Louisville WHAS 840 AM 6

BRIEFS

Across Kentucky

CONNECTING WITH NATURE

T

he largest privately owned forest dedicated to education and conservation in the eastern United States, Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest in Clermont has purchased an additional 494 acres, extending its northern boundary to the Bullitt County community of Cedar Grove and increasing its total protected land to 16,137 acres. Of the newly acquired land, 454 acres are forest—including some mature forest containing more large trees than anywhere else in the Bernheim region— and the remaining 40 acres constitute an open field, including upper sections of Cedar Creek flowing into the Salt River.

Land acquisitions such as this are vital to establishing an invaluable wildlife corridor, connecting wild habitats and populations that otherwise would be separated by human structures and activities. A $1.4 million project, this land will Bernheim’s Restoring Nature’s Classroom program greatly benefit rare and threatened flora and fauna, including the Indiana and Northern long-eared bats.

“Not only does this beautiful, diverse land provide critical habitat for endangered plants and wildlife, it also benefits the people of this region, providing clean air, clean water and natural spaces to enjoy,” said Bernheim Executive Director Dr. Mark Wourms.

Furthering their mission to educate and connect people with nature, Bernheim is bringing outdoor education to fourth graders at Jefferson County Public Schools’ Hazelwood Elementary for the 2018-2019 school year. The pilot program, Restoring Nature’s Classroom, involves field trips to Bernheim as well as classroom visits by Bernheim educators and is expected to increase the students’ self-esteem; leadership, social and problem-solving skills; test scores in science, social studies, language arts and math; and motivation to learn.

Said Drew Foley, chair of Restoring Nature’s Classroom under the Greater Louisville Sierra Club, “When we educate one child about planet Earth, we educate and protect the world.”

Bernheim was established by bourbon maker Isaac Wolfe Bernheim in 1929 as a gift to the people of Kentucky. For more information or to plan your visit, go to bernheim.org.

— Cait A. Smith

CULINARY KENTUCKY

W

estern Kentucky Chef Sara Bradley, creator and owner of Paducah’s acclaimed farm-to-table restaurant, Freight House, will appear as one of 15 diverse and talented contestants from across the country in the upcoming 16th season of the Bravo reality cooking show, Top Chef, premiering Dec. 6. This season, dubbed Top Chef Kentucky, will include scenes of Louisville, Lexington and Lake Cumberland before culminating in a competitive finale in Macau.

Bradley opened her restaurant in 2015 after training under awardwinning chefs at New York’s Dovetail and Chicago’s Blackbird.

Freight House dishes are aimed at defining the flavor of the “new South”—traditional southern tastes with modern flair.

The restaurants’ freshest ingredients include meats, eggs, dairy and seasonal produce locally sourced from farms in Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois.

Kentucky blue snapper, or Asian carp, is Bradley’s signature dish. Serving an invasive fish that is decimating the native species of Kenucky’s waters is done in the Freight House spirit of, “Food is more than just eating.” It can be an ethical act, and all food has a story.

Sara Bradley — Cait A. Smith

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A TASTE OF BRAZIL When it comes to unique food and drinks, Brazil may not be your first thought, but then again, Rio de Janerio is 4,960 miles from central Kentucky.

However, The Still at AMBRAbev (American-Brazilian Beverage) is an easy drive for many Kentuckians.

Located on the U.S. 127 Bypass in Danville, The Still features a broad Brazilian-themed menu and Brazil’s national spirit, cachaça, a rum-like spirit made from sugarcane. It’s used in the national cocktail, the Caipirnha or Brazilian Margarita, to create a citrusy drink like none other.

Bringing Brazil to Danville was the idea of Zachary Baeker, who was introduced the local dining scene by his Brazilian brother-in-law, while attending his sister’s wedding.

Partnering with his father, Dr. Thomas Baeker, founder of Commonwealth Cancer Centers, and a childhood friend, Brian Snead, Zachary began by importing Espirito Cachaça and BOTECO Vodka before construction began on the 10,000-square-foot distillery and warehouse adjacent to The Still. The restaurant was designed

by Lori Finke, an interior designer from Lexington. She conjured up a sky full of kites to adorn the ceiling airspace and incorporated dynamic lighting into the backdrop of the handcrafted bar space, which is covered from floor to ceiling with bottles of spirits.

“We didn’t set out to start a restaurant,” Zachary said, “but what better way to introduce people to something new than in a setting like this?”

The menu features a wide array of items, from snacks to dinner plates, many locally sourced. Among the options are the Gaucho Burger from Marksbury Farm, the Empanada Plate with black beans and rice, and the Prime Beef Baguette with Batatas Fritas (fries). Be sure to save room for the desserts, which are constantly changing and made fresh daily.

Culinary Director Mary Robin Spoonamore—founder of nationally recognized Jane Barleycorn’s Restaurant and Bar—and Executive Chef Cody Sadler have assembled a symphony of tastes from across Latin America, Spain, Portugal and beyond. Whether small plates in tapas-style variety or entrées, each presentation aims at telling a story of origin, history and excitement.

Described as “a cocktail inspired Latin extravaganza unlike anything else on Kentucky’s distillery circuit,” The Still is open Thursdays through Sundays from 4 p.m. to closing and also features draught beer, wine and spirits.

— Stephen M. Vest D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 8 / J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 9 • K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY

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E

ighty-nine Kentuckians from 10 states and the District of Columbia came together to celebrate Kentucky Monthly’s 20th anniversary and to look for Kentucky in Ireland. From Brown-Forman’s Slane Distillery in County Meath to the Pearse Lyons Distillery in Dublin to the 1690 Battle of the Boyne site, we found it.

Kentucky can be found in Ireland’s music, Thoroughbred racing and breeding, food and, well, spirits. Many of our ancestors came from Scotland or Ireland or both. We are they, and they are us.

The group ranged in age from 28 to 83 and represented 19 Kentucky counties—Anderson, Bullitt, Caldwell, Daviess, Fayette, Franklin, Hardin, Henderson, Hopkins, Jefferson, Jessamine, Lincoln, Montgomery, McLean, Oldham, Shelby, Warren, Webster and Woodford.

Together, we explored Dublin (and yes, enjoyed a pint at Guinness, “Slancha!”) and then traveled southwest, stopping at the Irish National Stud and Japanese Gardens. We eventually made our way to Killarney with its mountain vistas, beautiful lakes and authentic sheep farms. Most of group enjoyed the authenticity of the smaller and the breathtaking views from the Cliffs of Moher, which, upon seeing, one traveler said, “This tops the Grand Tetons on my list.”

Left, St. Mary’s Cathedral in Killarney, County Kerry; above, the Cliffs of Moher on Ireland’s rugged west coast.

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Top, the entire Kentucky Monthly contingent enjoys a visit to Pearse Lyons Distillery in Dublin. Middle, from left, star hurdler Hurricane Fly gets some loving from visitors to the Irish National Stud in County Kildare; Tammy Campbell, a native of Louisville, and Holly Huffman Roberts of Simpsonville toast to good health at Dublin’s Guinness Storehouse; a charming outbuilding on the property of the Cahernane House near Killarney, County Kerry. Far left, a Celtic cross rises majestically from its base at Holy Trinity Abbey Church in Adare, County Limerick; above left, concert venue Slane Castle in County Meath; left, Kissane Sheep Farm in County Kerry; above, the intricately designed windows of Dublin’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

DDEECCEEM MBBEERR 22001188 // JJAANNUUAARRYY 22001199 •• KKEEN NTTUUC CKKYY M MO ON NTTHHLY LY

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CULTURE

Oddities

ODDITIES at the

MUSEUM Conrad-Caldwell House

If You Go: Conrad-Caldwell House Museum 1402 St. James Court Louisville, (502) 636-5023 conrad-caldwell.org Tours available Wednesday – Sunday

O

ld Louisville, the neighborhood made up of more than 400 Victorian homes that date back to around the 1870s, is truly a national treasure. Within the blocks of one stunning archeological masterpiece after another is the magnificent Conrad-Caldwell House on St. James Court.

The home, which took three years to build, was completed in 1895. It is a massive stone structure of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture, complete with gargoyles, archways, stone carvings, and amazing towers and turrets.

Originally owned by Theophile Conrad—owner of Conrad, Fabel and Mooney Tannery—the house was estimated to have cost at least $35,000 to build, which equals $10 million to $20 million in today’s dollars. Conrad passed away in 1905, and in 1908, his wife, Mary Conrad, sold the house to William and Elaine Caldwell.

Caldwell, who started a company now known as Caldwell Tank Company, was one of Louisville’s wealthiest residents by the time he bought the house. Before moving in, William and Elaine decided to redecorate, which involved lavish trips to Europe for ideas and furnishings.

The home, quite modern for the time, was built with electricity and plumbing as well as stained-glass windows, carved arched doorways, parquet flooring and seven types of hardwood.

And that brings us to this month’s oddity: the gorgeous library fireplace mantel.

“Although it looks like carved stone, the mantel is of an Italian Renaissance style and made of plaster and wood,” said Kate Meador, executive director of the ConradCaldwell House. “Mrs. Caldwell’s trip to Europe inspired her to implement more classical elements in her redesigning of the house. The intricate carvings of birds, flowers and lions on the mantel create a distinct and beautiful centerpiece for the room.”

Meador explains that Elaine brought a book back from her travels called In English Homes, published in 1907. The book is still in the home.

“There is a photo of a similar mantel, and on the same page is a chandelier that was recreated for the home,” she said. “The family hired Bittners Interior Design to do this—a Louisville company that is still here today.”

The Conrad-Caldwell House is now a museum. The Caldwell family owned the house for 35 years, and then it served as a boarding house and retirement home for widows until 1987, when it was purchased by the St. James Court Historic Foundation. Luckily, during the 40 years in between, the owners did not make many changes, and the house remained pretty much as it was in those early years.

Since the foundation took ownership, it has been preserved and exhibits its early 1900s grandeur.

Touring the home, which originally was referred to as Conrad’s Castle, takes visitors through the furnished rooms with glimpses of family life such as the dining room table set for company, complete with candelabras, fine china and cutlery for each course. The home also has fainting couches, a claw-foot bathtub and an example of one of the first chairs that could recline, a precursor to today’s recliner.

The windows on the third floor allow visitors a close-up view of the carved gargoyles in the eaves of the house. The space originally had been a billiards room but today also has an outstanding collection of artifacts from the Southern Exposition, which took place for 100 days a year, from 1883 to 1887. The Exposition was held on the land that now makes up this section of Old Louisville. Similar to a World’s Fair but designed to showcase Louisville’s manufacturing, agricultural and arts capabilities, the Exposition drew more than 700,000 visitors.

— Deborah Kohl Kremer

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FOOD

Cooking

COZY COMFORTS 12

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I

n the nippy days of a Kentucky winter, nothing warms the heart and nourishes the soul like good comfort food. Barbara Napier, innkeeper of Snug Hollow Farm Bed & Breakfast near Irvine and author of the Hot Food & Warm Memories cookbook, is fully aware of this concept and has provided these recipes for the chilly weeks ahead.

Barbara Napier

Holiday Eggnog Our eggnog goes well with Kentucky bourbon, and we serve extra nutmeg on the side. This is a special holiday treat for our guests as they warm by the fire. This recipe was given to me by my son’s elementary school principal. The eggs are uncooked, so use your own discretion.

2 dozen eggs 2 cups sugar 1 teaspoon nutmeg 2 teaspoons vanilla 1 quart whipping cream 2 cups milk 1. The day before serving, separate the eggs. Mix yolks with sugar, nutmeg and vanilla. Stir well or shake thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

2. Before serving, beat egg whites until stiff and whip whipping cream. Mix yolks with milk, and fold in beaten whites and whipped cream. Avoid too much stirring. Carefully ladle into your favorite pitcher.

Photos by Jesse Hendrix-Inman. Recipes provided by Barbara Napier of Snug Hollow Farm Bed & Breakfast, and prepared at Sullivan University by Ann Currie.

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FOOD

Cooking

Kentuscan Bean Soup This is a brothy and fragrant soup, a Snug Hollow original. You may serve it as an entrée with cheese grits or as a soup course. ½ stick butter 3 tablespoons chopped fresh garlic 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary 1 tablespoon rubbed sage ½ teaspoon black pepper 2 tablespoons Tamari sauce 2-3 tablespoons nutritional yeast 2 small cans great northern beans, rinsed well, or 3 cups cooked beans (pintos may be used instead) 2 cups water 1. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.

Add garlic, rosemary, sage and pepper. Cook slowly for a few minutes.

2. Add Tamari sauce and nutritional yeast, and stir until mixed. Add water and beans. Bring to a slow boil, simmer about 10 minutes, and remove from heat.

3. Season to taste, and warm before serving.

Snug Hollow Rosemary Braided Bread Rosemary Mixture ½ cup olive oil 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary 1 tablespoon chopped or rubbed sage

Serve with a fresh rosemary, sage and olive oil mixture drizzled over the hot loaf. This bread is our signature dish.

1 cup whole wheat flour 1½ cups warm water 3 tablespoons active dry yeast 1 teaspoon honey ½ teaspoon lemon juice (optional) 1/3 cup olive oil 3½ cups or more hard white bread flour 1 tablespoon salt 1 egg 14

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1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In large bowl, combine whole wheat flour, warm water, yeast, honey, lemon juice, olive oil and salt. Stir well, and let rest for about five minutes.

2. Add white flour a little at a time, stirring to mix well, until you have a very soft dough. Turn out on a floured board to knead.

3. Add small amounts of flour, and knead for approximately 6 minutes or until you have a soft, pliable dough. Pour a little olive oil in your hands, and continue kneading until dough “pops up” when punched. Let rest for about five minutes.

4. Divide dough into three balls. With your hands, roll each section into a long rope (about 12 inches) for one large loaf. Braid strands loosely into a loaf. Pinch and tuck ends. Transfer to a baking sheet, and brush with beaten egg. Let rise for five minutes in a warm place.

5. Bake approximately 15 minutes or until light golden brown. Drizzle rosemary mixture over loaf before serving.

Bowtie Pasta with Lemon Cream Sauce & Snap Peas 12 ounces dry bowtie pasta 2 cups snap peas 7 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest 6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 2 tablespoons chopped fresh garlic 1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs, such as thyme, basil or oregano 3 cups heavy whipping cream ½ teaspoon sea salt ½ teaspoon pepper 1½ cups fresh chopped tomatoes ½ cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese 1. Cook pasta according to package directions, and drain. Lightly steam snap peas, and set aside.

2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter.

Add lemon zest, juice, garlic and fresh herbs. Stir together, and cook for one minute.

3. Add cream, and bring mixture to a slow boil. Cook until thick, then turn off heat. Stir in salt and pepper.

Add pasta and snap peas, stirring lightly.

4. Transfer to plate, and top with chopped tomatoes and a generous sprinkling of cheese.

2. Using floured hands, lightly press into bottom and sides of 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Bake about 15 minutes in preheated 375-degree oven until it begins to brown.

Chocolate Tart I found this recipe at the Arbor House Inn in Madison, Wisconsin while visiting friends. On our side of the mountain at Snug Hollow, it has become a guest favorite.

Crust 1¼ cups all-purpose flour ¼ cup powdered sugar ¼ teaspoon salt 7 tablespoons chilled butter 3 tablespoons cold water 1. To prepare the crust, combine flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Cut in chilled butter using the pulse button. Add cold water, and blend to make dry dough. Add a little more water one teaspoon at a time, if needed.

Filling 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons bittersweet or semisweet chocolate morsels 6 tablespoons butter 2 large eggs ¼ cup sugar 2 tablespoons light corn syrup 1 tablespoon espresso powder (finely ground coffee beans) 1 pinch salt ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans Ice cream or freshly whipped cream 1. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate and butter. Set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, beat eggs well. Add sugar, corn syrup, espresso powder and salt to eggs, and whisk together. Stir in butter, chocolate mixture and chopped nuts. Stir one final time, and pour into partially baked piecrust.

3. Bake for 15 minutes at 375 degrees or until center is set. Let tart cool, and remove from pan. Serve warm with ice cream or a dollop of freshly whipped cream.

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An Old Kentucky Christmas

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A Burlington church’s four-day event gives visitors a slow-paced, intimate holiday experience

By Kristy Robinson Horine

T

he smell of Grandma’s freshly baked cookies fills the air and mingles with the laughter of children, the embrace of adults and the jingle of bells. The calendar might say 2018, but the first weekend of December in Burlington looks, feels and smells like the 1800s.

Village shops are lit with the warm glow of lanterns and decked in handmade wreaths and pictures from yesteryear. A woman strolls through the sawduststrewn walkway, sporting a bonnet and carrying a basket on her arm. A gentleman tips his hat in passing and heads toward a horse-drawn carriage.

A herd of cherry-cheeked children spills out of a doorway. Their breath makes little clouds in the cold air, their fingers curled around long pretzels they dipped in chocolate and rolled in sprinkles. The traces of icing from Grandma’s cookies are still at the corners of their lips as they crunch their new treats and then head toward the schoolhouse. There, they dip quills in ink and sign their names to letters spreading the tidings of Christmas cheer.

The herd splits. One half gallops toward another village shop, where they will dip candles into warmed wax. The other half lopes toward the Woodworks, where a pile of shavings collects under a handcrafted, foot-operated spring pole lathe. A white-bearded man guides a child’s hand as together they grip a chisel, touch it to the spinning wood, and coax a spindle into existence.

From a distance, parents look on, nod their heads in approval, and plan the next stop at the General Store, where they will wrap their hands around cups of steaming hot chocolate.

This is an Old Kentucky Christmas, OKC for short.

It is the gift of a four-day celebration in a replica of a pioneer village that helps folks slow down and experience the simplicity of a holiday free from the commercialized fray.

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Above, the village features shops and a welcome center; right, Gary Webster gives youngsters an opportunity to try their hand at woodworking; far right, An Old Kentucky Christmas’ newest addition, Paul the Polar Bear.

The Village That Raised the Village In 2011, former Senior Pastor Greg Marksberry met with his leadership team at the First Church of Christ to share his vision of a gift to the community—a throwback to Christmases past, where all people were welcome to experience a different period in American history. The gift was intended to be absolutely free to the public and absolutely free from the trappings of modern hustle and bustle.

“We’d been doing a candlelight service for decades as a gift from the staff to our church,” explains Brian Heckber, outreach pastor for First Church. “Eventually, we added hot chocolate and a petting zoo. Then we said, ‘Let’s do something bigger.’ ” What started as an inward focus on the congregation turned into an outward focus on the community. The transition has paid off in terms of deepened relationships.

Brent Adams, an independent representative for various companies in his regular day job, serves as a volunteer on the Village Leadership Team and has seen a difference in his life and in his community as church members intentionally focus on others.

“So many people don’t know church anymore. The church is just a building, and we are to be the hands and feet of Jesus Christ as we serve others,” Adams says.

“When someone comes onto our village campus and they see the smiles of people who are warm and friendly and really taking care of knowing they are OK and sharing Christmas, that’s the start of a relationship.

“This is not ‘throw up a bouncy house.’ There is a lot of love and care put into this event, and we take great pride in being able to serve our community. It’s not commercialized.

It’s not about us selling you something or preaching to you.

This event is all about reaching our community. We are just trying to say there is love all around, and this is a part of our love to our community. That’s who we are. That’s who we are supposed to be.”

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The growth and focus of the event mirrors the history of the church itself. Fourteen people gathered in a Florence firehouse basement in June 1964. They sat on folding metal chairs and carried a belief that people needed hope—hope in Jesus, hope through faith, and hope manifested by the love they lived. The budding congregation built its first worship center just three years later.

Now, First Church of Christ in Burlington is home to thousands of members and offers multiple services on multiple campuses. Outreach Magazine, an evangelical Christian publication, listed First Church as one of the top 100 fastest growing churches in America in 2017.

Yet, for First Church members, the OKC event held every December is about more than increasing numbers.

According to Heckber, Adams and others, First Church is simply continuing to fulfill one of the great commandments of Jesus: love one another. It’s just doing it pioneer style.

A People Prepared One Saturday in early October, part of the village team assembled on the Camp Ernst Road campus. They dug and poured foundation footers for each village shop and began assembling floors, walls and roofs “We have it down to a science,” Adams says of the event preparations now. “We have baggies labeled with all the bolts. We have all the panels labeled, so we aren’t guessing where everything goes. We have learned over the years.”

In a period of about six hours, the village is raised and ready for a team of decorators to come and make the bones of the shops festive and welcoming.

Over the next several weeks, volunteers fill a variety of roles. Alissa Lancaster, a member of First Church since 2014, serves as the OKC ministry leader. It is her job to make sure the event runs smoothly. She coordinates 400600 volunteers to fill 1,400 different roles in and around campus during the four-day event.

“It does take a village to raise a village,” Lancaster says.

“This is not only an opportunity to get to know our community; it’s also an opportunity to get to know our church family better. OKC gives the entire church body a chance to work side by side, doing life together.”

With the cooperative effort, OKC demonstrates a glimpse of pioneer life while also helping families create new Christmas traditions and memories.

“For so many families, this is what they do at Christmas.

I know one woman who says it is the only time she can get everyone together for a family picture,” Lancaster says.

When Christmas Comes Alive OKC begins on Thursday, Dec. 6, and runs through Sunday evening, Dec. 9. To make the event communityinclusive, OKC opens during the day on Friday for local elementary school children.

Heckber typically plans his Friday for a 7:30 a.m. start.

He turns on all the lights, stokes the fires, and begins to melt the wax for the Wicks and Wax shop. Around 9 a.m., the first school buses arrive with their loads of children.

The field trip coordinator takes over at this point, separating and shepherding groups to different places in the village.

By 2 p.m., the buses have retrieved their tired charges to take them back to their respective schools. Heckber and the crew have about a two-hour break; then they begin the process all over again for the evening crowds.

On Saturday, organizers reserve the morning hours from 9 a.m. to noon for a less-crowded campus to facilitate families with special-needs children.

“We are just trying to create a better experience for people. The more crowd that is here, the less ideal it is for special-needs families,” Heckber explains. “We have enough room that people can spread out.”

There also is enough room to facilitate space for Boone County Schools to present its Christmas programs on campus. Lancaster keeps track of which schools perform when and maintains an updated list for the community on the website at anoldkentuckychristmas.com under the Concerts tab. The arrangement is a festive win-win.

“Before, [the schools] were spending days and days setting it up, and the students could only invite two people to the concert,” Heckber says. “Now they can invite whomever they want.”

For the past several years, about 1,000 school children, including homeschooling groups, have experienced the OKC on Fridays. The entire weekend, though, will see upwards of 4,000-6,000 guests. Two years ago, when the temperatures reached an unseasonable 72 degrees the first weekend of December, 12,000 people came through, some in flip-flops.

Last year, with much colder temperatures, the evening was graced with snowfall, a perfect backdrop for OKC’s newest addition, Paul the Polar Bear.

“I had wanted for years to have a children’s book published about the event so that teachers could read it to the kids before they came to Old Kentucky Christmas,” Heckber says.

His wish came true with a story authored by Pat Lucas and illustrated by Joe Ruiz. The premise of the book, An Old Kentucky Christmas: Paul the Polar Bear, is that Paul is in charge of OKC, but a pesky squirrel tries to thwart his plans at every turn.

“Inside our building, we have Paul the Polar Bear telling the story, and then outside in each of the village shops, we have hidden a squirrel,” Heckber says.

There is more hidden in each of the shops than just the image of a squirrel.

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The Things They Carry One of Gary Webster’s favorite Christmas memories is the year he received a pegboard, complete with a hammer and little pegs he could make into a design.

“That kind of fit into my ambition, what was to come,” he says.

Webster grew up in Owenton on a farm with his siblings, parents and grandparents. He remembers using scrap pieces of his father’s lumber and a few spare nails to experiment with woodworking. He graduated from Owen County High School in 1968, worked for about a year in Cincinnati, then joined the Army. As the Vietnam War came to a close, Webster left military service and returned to work in Cincinnati at the Coca-Cola plant, a job he would continue until his 2016 retirement.

In between Army life and retirement, he learned dimensional woodworking, using a table saw and making shelves and “lots of clocks.” About 15 years ago, Webster attended a woodturning demonstration that sparked a new passion.

“I take a perfectly round tree, turn it into a square, and then make it round again,” Webster says and then chuckles.

In 2010, Webster made a foot-powered pole lathe. When Heckber asked Webster if he would be interested in running the lathe in the OKC village Woodworks shop, Webster knew what his answer would be.

“I work with complete strangers in extreme conditions,” he says of his volunteer time in the shop. “I do it because I can. I’ve been gifted, and I’ve been blessed. In return, I try to share these blessings any way I can. They see a part of history, and they see a group of people who are loving and willing to reach out to them. People who care about them.”

Mary Ann Judge, a fellow First Church member since 2000, also wants to bring love to people who come to OKC. She just prefers the behind-the-scenes kind of service.

“I’ve been doing cookies seriously for OKC for about three years,” she says.

She defines “seriously” as about 100 cookies. One hundred jumped to 500.

“Last year, Brian asked me for 5,000, and I said, ‘Sure,’ ” she says.

Judge bought extra pans and an extra rack for her oven. She goes through 30 pounds of sugar, two large cans of Crisco, lots of flour and extracts here and there. She uses a simple recipe for drop cookie that keeps well. The cookie has a bit of a lemon flavor and a perfect crisp. With a full-time job, Judge reserves her evenings about two weeks in advance of the event each year for baking.

“I can make maybe 180 in an hour, including baking time. I’ll bake them, and then a friend comes and counts them. We wrap them good and put them in a great plastic box tote with a tight lid,” she says.

For Judge, this type of service is fitting for the Christmas experiences she carries in her memories.

“I had a great aunt who baked a lot, and she would teach me things,” Judge recalls. “Before my kids grew up, I used to make about 20 to 25 different types of cookies, and I would give everybody a big plate of cookies for Christmas. I loved doing that.”

For all of the OKC volunteers, that’s what the weekend is about. As for the future, well, Lancaster has decided to trust God on that one.

“It’s going to go where God leads us to take it,” she says.

“Our goal isn’t to be so big that we can’t connect. Our goal is to serve and to love and to show His love for others.” Q

If You Go: An Old Kentucky Christmas 6080 Camp Ernst Road, Burlington (859) 586-4673 anoldkentuckychristmas.com 20

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Top, the littlest visitors are often the biggest fans, especially when treats are involved; middle, traditional caroling provides a festive ambiance for the event; bottom, a friendly donkey is among the critters at the petting zoo.

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Pedaling

Through the Past

Kirk Alliman mounts his trusty bicycle in search of Kentucky’s most notable historic sites

W

hen a friend, knowing that I’m a history buff, suggested that I develop a list of Kentucky’s 10 most notable historic sites and ride my bicycle to visit them, I was more than ready to pack my saddlebag and begin pedaling. Narrowing a list of possible sites to 10 was no easy task. Dozens of places in Kentucky have histories that have impacted our state and nation in exceptional and significant ways.

At this point, I hope readers will take a minute to develop their own lists and then see how their 10 sites compare to the ones I settled on.

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CUMBERLAND GAP There’s no better place to start than at the beginning, and there’s nothing more directly associated with the beginning of Kentucky’s settlement and eventual statehood than the Cumberland Gap. My bike ride began at the Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, a mile south of Middlesboro on the borders of Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia. The park and its 2,440-foot-high Pinnacle Overlook provide magnificent views of the seemingly endless wilderness that was 18th-century travelers’ first sight of Kentucky.

Why Selected as a Most Notable Historic Site? The Cumberland Gap is a natural 800-foot “notch” in the Appalachian Mountain range. From 1775 to 1810, 300,000

Irish, Scottish, German and English immigrants journeyed hundreds of miles from the East Coast. They could enter Kentucky only because they were able to pass through the Cumberland Gap. From here, they traveled northward over the Wilderness Road to carve out their homesteads and begin new lives as farmers, builders, craftsmen, shopkeepers, entrepreneurs and distillers.

This huge migration was the beginning of the Commonwealth. Kentucky became a state in 1792. By 1810, an amazing 10 percent of the nation’s entire population had passed through the Cumberland Gap. It’s safe to say that our Commonwealth would look vastly different today had the Cumberland Gap not made it possible for our ancestors to settle Kentucky.

Interesting Tidbit: More than half the population of central Kentucky can trace their family trees back to 18th-century European immigrants who passed through the Cumberland Gap to establish their homes in America.

PERRYVILLE CIVIL WAR BATTLEFIELD The journey from the Cumberland Gap to the Boyle County town of Perryville and the Perryville Civil War Battlefield State Historic Site took me through the dense wilderness of the Daniel Boone National Forest and to places such as Baileys Switch, Mount Victory, Woodstock, Dog Walk, Crab Orchard and Stanford. Pedaling 12 miles per hour and with occasional stops, I soaked up the natural beauty and refreshing wonder of Kentucky’s rustic, wooded countryside. It was a long trip, so my bike and I were good and ready to reach the battlefield, located a couple of miles northwest of Perryville.

The 5½-hour Battle of Perryville took place on Oct. 8, 1862. Involved were 22,000 Union and 16,000 Confederate soldiers, with 899 Union and 532 Confederate troops dying during the conflict. Thousands more were wounded.

The Perryville Battlefield Historic Site maintains a digital database of more than 5,800 of the battle’s 7,607 combat casualties.

Why Selected: The Battle of Perryville, the largest and bloodiest Civil War battle fought in Kentucky, was instrumental in determining the Civil War’s outcome. A year before, President Abraham Lincoln had written to his generals: “We must win Kentucky. If Kentucky goes, so will Missouri and Maryland. All will be lost.” After the battle, the Confederate Army retreated to Tennessee, enabling Union forces to retain control of Kentucky and go on to win the war.

Every October, a re-enactment is carried out featuring authentic weaponry, clothing and campsites; and there are demonstrations of infantry, artillery and cavalry. As many as 3,800 re-enactors commemorate the battle on what is widely considered to be one of the best-preserved battlefields of the Civil War. Interesting Tidbit: Two hundred-fifty horses were involved in the Battle of Perryville, mostly used to pull supply wagons and cannons. Horses were targeted and many were killed because both sides realized how essential they were to the war’s logistics.

Left, the Union monument in Perryville; above, Cumberland Gap on the border of Kentucky and Virginia

SHAKER VILLAGE OF PLEASANT HILL Northeast of Harrodsburg is the picturesque Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill. This one-time religious community—a part of the United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearance—was active from 1805 to 1910, claiming at its peak more than 500 members, 5,000 acres of land and 25 miles of stone fences. It was one of 20 Shaker communities in the United States. Following its decline and abandonment, a preservationist effort was begun in 1961. As a result, Shaker Village has become a popular tourist and conference destination with overnight lodging in original Shaker buildings, a first-class dining venue, a conference center and 37 miles of scenic trails for hikers, horseback riders and cyclists.

Why Selected: Shaker Village was the largest and longest-lasting religious communal society in American history. According to Aaron Genton, Shaker Village’s collections manager, the 34 buildings of Shaker Village constitute the largest private collection of 19th-century structures in the country.

Most people know about the Shakers’ unique worship practice, a merging of spirit and body that manifested itself through physical activity, such as dancing and, at its most enthusiastic, vigorous shaking. Genton told me that the Shakers created these motions as spiritual exercises to help them humble themselves before God and to underscore their belief that all members of the community were spiritual equals. This, in turn, gave rise to other Shaker beliefs that were progressive for their time, such as their outspoken advocacy for gender and racial equality.

Interesting Tidbit: Unlike the Mennonites and Amish with whom they are sometimes confused, the Shakers were technologically advanced and were early adopters of new techniques and tools. They practiced selective livestock

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Below, a view of Churchill Downs from the roof; bottom, the final resting place of Col. Harland Sanders at Cave Hill Cemetary

breeding and scientific agriculture, and were the first to create a municipal water system, develop a powered grain elevator, install water pumps in their kitchens, and invent a horse-powered washing machine.

as sour-mash fermentation, to bourbon-making processes.

In 1872, the Pepper family sold the business. Following Prohibition, during which warehouses were emptied and sealed (1920-34), the Brown-Forman Corporation resumed production at the site and, in 1996, created a new distillery as well as a tourism destination.

Interesting Tidbit: According to Katie Farley, Woodford Reserve’s media manager, the distillery “uses the same iron-free, limestone-filtered water that Elijah Pepper drew from Glenn’s Creek in 1812.” Woodford Reserve does not use water directly from the creek, of course, but instead pumps water from five underground springs 95 feet below the surface before they feed into Glenn’s Creek. When I asked if this supply of water will ever run out, Farley replied that “the original Pepper Spring has been ample and healthy for more than 200 years. We do not anticipate it ever running dry.”

OLD OSCAR PEPPER DISTILLERY It’s a challenging but truly awesome 35-mile bike ride from Pleasant Hill to the Old Oscar Pepper Distillery—now Woodford Reserve—located off U.S. 60 between Versailles and I-64. Given that there are more barrels of aging bourbon in storage in Kentucky (7.5 million) than there are residents (4.5 million), a distillery needed to be on my list of historic sites.

Why Selected: There’s a long history of bourbon-making on the Woodford Reserve site that goes back to 1812, when Elijah and Sarah Pepper selected a 350-acre tract alongside Glenn’s Creek and began farming and distilling. The first distillery building that was erected in 1838 as well as the log homestead of the Pepper family still stand.

The distillery grew under three generations of the Pepper family. The expertise of Scotsman James Crow, master distiller under Oscar Pepper from 1833-1855, is credited for bringing revolutionary scientific methods, such

CAVE HILL CEMETERY The next stop was Cave Hill Cemetery, a national cemetery spread over 296 acres of picturesque rolling hills in the middle of Louisville. Cave Hill is known for its exquisite works of monumental art that mark the gravesites of 136,000 Kentuckians.

Following a morning walk through Cave Hill (bicycles are not permitted on the cemetery’s 16 miles of roadways), I readily agreed when Cave Hill President Gwen Mooney described the cemetery as “an outdoor museum, a historical treasure, a scenic retreat and a peaceful final resting place” for the more than 600 who are interred there every year.

Why Selected: Moving from one gravesite to the next at Cave Hill is like taking a stroll through our state’s history.

Visitors are able to view the burial sites of Muhammad Ali, Colonel Harland Sanders, George Rogers Clark, and Mildred and Patty Hill (composers of the song “Happy Birthday”), Civil War soldiers from both sides, and others

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who made lasting contributions to our state’s history and culture. The interment of Ali in 2016 turned Cave Hill into one of Louisville’s most popular tourist sites.

Established in 1848, Cave Hill brought the concept of rural, garden-style cemetery landscape architecture to Kentucky. The property originally was a farm with a cave that ran 246 feet into a hillside, located at the far east end of Broadway Street, away from the bustle of city life. In the mid-19th century, prior to the era of large municipal parks, it was common for large cities to promote a cemetery as a green oasis and pastime destination. People would go to stroll, picnic and meditate. Recognizing the trend, the city of Louisville hired a landscape engineer to design a cemetery with winding pathways, trees and shrubs, waterfowl, tranquil vistas and spring-fed lakes, all peacefully located among the farm’s rolling hills. This became Cave Hill.

Interesting Tidbit: In addition to being a burial ground, Cave Hill is a magnificent arboretum with more than 600 species of trees and shrubs, including 20 trees that are the largest of their kind in Kentucky. Cave Hill employs a horticulturist, two arborists and a maintenance staff of 50 who care for the grounds.

CHURCHILL DOWNS Nothing matches being in a crowd of 160,000-plus people screaming like crazy as 20 of the world’s best 3-yearold Thoroughbred racehorses charge down the homestretch in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs racecourse in south Louisville. I can’t speak for the horses, but there’s nothing in the human experience that’s comparable!

Why Selected: Churchill Downs has hosted the Kentucky Derby, the Commonwealth’s most iconic sporting event and the world’s most famous race for 3-year old Thoroughbreds, since its first running in 1875. That makes the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs the longest continually run major sporting event in America.

Horse racing in Kentucky dates back to the late 1700s.

The founding of Churchill Downs began in 1872, when Col. Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr. traveled to England, where he attended the Epsom Derby. This sparked Clark’s dream of creating a comparable horse-racing spectacle in America.

Upon his return to Louisville, Clark developed a racetrack that became known as Churchill Downs because it was constructed on land that Clark leased from his uncles, John and Henry Churchill. A crowd of 10,000 was present for Churchill Downs’ opening day on May 17, 1875. The famous twin spires grandstand was constructed in 1895, when the tradition of adorning the Derby winner with a garland of roses also began.

Interesting Tidbit: In the early 1900s, the Kentucky State Fair was held at Churchill Downs. During those years, the fair featured the popular but odd spectacle of two locomotives being intentionally crashed headon in the infield.

MY OLD KENTUCKY HOME Visiting Bardstown and My Old Kentucky Home is always a delightful experience. The town’s residents are history-aware and hospitable. More importantly, there’s a lot to see in this town of 13,000. Nothing generates as much nostalgia as touring the antebellum My Old Kentucky Home mansion and the gorgeous gardens surrounding it.

Why Selected: My Old Kentucky Home, for generations, has held a special place in the hearts of Kentuckians and is one of the most iconic 19th-century homes in the country. It also inspired Stephen Foster’s song “My Old Kentucky Home,” an important musical composition in American history due to its influence on the 19th-century abolitionist movement.

The original structure that would become a mansion in 1818 was built in 1798 on a 1,200-acre plantation named Federal Hill and owned by U.S. Sen. John Rowan and his wife, Ann Lytle. The Commonwealth of Kentucky purchased Federal Hill from the Rowan family in 1923 and renamed it My Old Kentucky Home. When the Rowans owned Federal Hill, it was the center of Kentucky’s political, cultural and social life.

Interesting Tidbit: During his time as owner of the Federal Hill mansion, John Rowan killed Bardstown’s town doctor in a duel. Rowan was absolved of any wrongdoing when it was determined that all rules of dueling had been followed. This, however, led the Kentucky legislature to pass a law that is still upheld today and requires state officials, attorneys, public notaries and school board members to promise in their oaths that they have never fought in a duel.

ABBEY OF GETHSEMANI After enjoying lunch at Bardstown’s iconic 18th-century Talbott Tavern, I headed south to the Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani. While pedaling the 12 picturesque miles through wooded, gently rolling countryside, I found myself wondering what a delegation of French monks might have been thinking back in 1848 when, guided by Louisville Bishop Benedict Joseph Flaget, they made this same trip to explore a location for their new outpost in America. They decided to settle on a tract of land that had been named Gethsemani by the Sisters of Loretto, from whom it was purchased.

Why Selected: A Trappist monastery, Gethsemani is the oldest continuously operating monastery in the U.S. For 170 years, the monks there have exemplified religious devotion.

World-renowned monk, theologian and writer Thomas

Abbey of Gethsemani

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Merton resided there from 1941 until his death in 1968.

Forty monks live at Gethsemani, ranging in age from 33 to 95. They lead disciplined lives of prayer, meditation, sacred reading and work. In addition to worship and contemplation, every able-bodied monk has a job. Some tend the monastery’s large vegetable garden and greenhouse, three prepare the monks’ meals, a few oversee the monastery’s Retreat House program that hosts 5,000 guests each year, others administer the operations, and many are involved in producing the monastery’s popular fudge and fruitcake. Last year, the monks sold 90,000 pounds of fruitcake and 60,000 pounds of fudge.

Monastic life is intentionally lived as separate from the world. Monks are not permitted to leave Gethsemani, even for a short time, without the Abbot’s permission. One monk has not been away in 55 years. When I asked if monks believe that their life at Gethsemani makes the world a better place, Brother Paul Quenon told me, “Yes, by faith, we do. We’re like healthy trees. We purify the air by being what we are. Gethsemani witnesses to another way of being in the world, to show there are choices that can be made in the interest of deeper values.”

Interesting Tidbit: Monks at Gethsemani are allowed to talk during the day but observe silence at meals and in their rooms. I don’t know if this means that they can’t talk to themselves! The day begins when the “rising bell” is rung at 3 a.m., and monks gather to sing the Office of Vigils with psalms and readings. Each day ends with evening prayers.

Monks are in bed by 8 p.m. There are no TVs, radios or personal phones at the monastery, but monks can write and receive letters and have access to newspapers and a 40,000book library.

LINCOLN BIRTHPLACE My next stop was the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park outside Hodgenville in LaRue County. The park is located on the site where the Lincoln family lived and President Lincoln was born in 1809. The centerpiece of this historic site is a stately granite-andmarble memorial that contains a replica of the one-room log cabin in which Lincoln was born. The memorial is the most impressive structure of its kind in Kentucky. It would be difficult to climb the 56 steps leading to it (one step for each year of Lincoln’s life) without feeling a sense of awe, gratitude and pride.

Why Selected: The memorial celebrates the life and legacy of Kentucky’s most famous son and America’s most highly regarded president. Dedicated in 1911, it was the nation’s first memorial to honor Lincoln. It was paid for by contributions from 100,000 private donors, many of whom were schoolchildren whose average gift was 31 cents.

In late 1808, Thomas and a pregnant Nancy Hanks Lincoln moved from nearby Elizabethtown to a farm south of Hodgenville. Like most families who settled on the Kentucky frontier in the early 1800s, the Lincolns didn’t have much money. But according to Park Ranger Natalie Barber, “they weren’t considered poor because it was mostly a cashless economy and the Lincolns built selfsufficient lives around the area’s natural resources.” They used chestnut trees to build and heat their home, cleared land to raise vegetables, hunted game, and made their own furniture and clothes. A nearby spring provided an ample supply of fresh water.

Interesting Tidbit: Two months after moving to their farm, the Lincolns welcomed their second child. They named him Abraham, after his grandfather. Years later, Nancy Lincoln’s cousin, Dennis Hanks, recalled learning that “the Lincolns had a baby at thur house, so I jest run all the way over. I rickolect when I held the little feller in my arms his mother said, ‘Be keerful with him, Dennis.’ I sort o’ swung him back and forth; a little to peart, I reckon, fur with the talkin’ and 26

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the shakin’ he soon begun to cry and then I handed him over to Auntie who was standin’ close by. ‘Auntie,’ sez I, ‘he’ll never come to much,’ fur I’ll tell you he wuz the puniest, cryin’est little youngster I ever saw.”

MAMMOTH CAVE Biking south from Hodgenville to Cave City took me past my “most favorite in all the world” general store—the Amish-owned R&S Grocery and Bakery on Ky. 31W between Munfordville and Horse Cave—and into the gorgeous, densely forested Mammoth Cave National Park, the final stop on my trip.

Why Selected: With 405 miles of mapped caves, vast chambers and subterranean passageways, Mammoth Cave is by far the world’s longest known cave system. New parts are still being discovered, and there seems to be no end in sight! It’s also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a Biosphere Reserve.

When I asked park guides how Mammoth Cave was formed, they told me that an ancient sea covered the center of our continent around 325 million years ago. This created a 600-foot crust of soluble limestone, which was then covered by a sandstone-and-shale cap that was deposited by an ancient river. Eventually, the sea and river disappeared, and natural forces eroded the cap until about 10 million years ago, when cracks and holes began to expose the limestone. Rainwater worked its way underground and hollowed out the cave as we know it today. During the next 10 million years, natural forces will continue to shape Mammoth Cave, which will eventually erode, collapse and break down into a series of canyons.

Interesting Tidbit: Mammoth Cave National Park is one of our nation’s oldest and most popular tourist attractions.

Last year, more than 2 million guests visited the park, and 587,853 of them took one of the cave’s guided tours.

According to Dave Wyrick, Mammoth Cave chief of interpretation, guided tours have been offered for more than 200 years. Stephen Bishop, an enslaved African American, was the cave’s first tour guide back in 1816.

••• After enjoying a Kentucky Hot Brown at Mammoth Cave’s Green River Grill, I began to pedal for home. I was feeling fortunate that I was able to visit 10 amazing places of historic significance that have helped shaped our Commonwealth and nation. These sites are different from one another, but all have a lot to teach us. There is so much more to know about these remarkable locales than the few words I’ve written are able to express. Each is wonderfully staffed and maintained, provides an up-to-date website, offers dining or picnic facilities, and operates an information center, museum and gift shop. Plus, they are located in Kentucky’s most picturesque places. Be sure to visit them. You will learn a lot about Kentucky. Q

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Man of the Wilderness: Daniel Boone Part III: A Life Well-Lived

By Ron Soodalter Boone Illustration by Jessica Patton

“[W]e behold Kentucky, lately a howling wilderness, the habitation of savages and wild beasts, become a fruitful field; this region, so favorably distinguished by nature, now become the habitation of civilization, at a period unparalleled in history, in the midst of a raging war, and under all the disadvantages of emigration to a country so remote from the inhabited parts of the continent.

“Here, where the hand of violence shed the blood of the innocent; where the horrid yells of savages and the groans of the distressed sounded in our ears, we now hear the praises and adorations of our Creator; where wretched wigwams stood, the miserable abodes of savages, we behold the foundations of cities laid, that, in all probability, will equal the glory of the greatest upon earth. And we view Kentucky, situated on the fertile banks of the great Ohio, rising from obscurity to shine with splendor, equal to any other of the stars of the American hemisphere.”

— Daniel Boone, as related to John Filson, Colonel Boone’s Autobiography, 1784

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Daniel Boone had a vision. He saw himself leading his family, friends and neighbors to a pristine wilderness brimming with opportunity. And he saw himself as the owner of enough land to ensure his future security. The object of his ambitions was the unsettled land known as Kentucky.

SIEGE However, during Daniel Boone’s first decade in Kentucky, it was still a “howling wilderness.” The challenges—and the setbacks—were many. On his first failed expedition to lead would-be settlers to the Promised Land, he had lost his oldest son in an American Indian attack. During the course of establishing Boonesborough as a frontier settlement, Boone’s daughter, Jemima, was taken by hostile warriors, calling forth a dramatic rescue operation. Over the years, Boone himself had been shot, tomahawked and, in early 1778, captured by the Shawnee and held for several months before escaping to Boonesborough.

As a prisoner and adopted son of Chief Blackfish, Boone had bought time for his family and neighbors by promising to surrender Boonesborough to the Native Americans in the spring. In August 1778, Blackfish, accompanied by some 400 warriors, arrived at the fort to “remind” the recently escaped frontiersman of his promise. When the men of Boonesborough unanimously voted to fight rather than surrender, the fort came under immediate siege.

For the next several days, the Shawnee and the settlers exchanged fire, as the American Indians periodically lobbed torches inside the stockade. On the evening of the 10th day, the natives launched a full-scale attack, setting several roofs on fire. The defenders, however, repelled them yet again and, with the help of a propitious heavy rain, managed to extinguish the flames. The next day, the Shawnee left, carrying their dead with them.

The fort inhabitants’ long rifles had been far more effective than the British muskets used by the Native Americans, and when the Shawnee finally lifted the siege and departed, Boone estimated that some 27 had been killed, as opposed to two dead settlers. Four were wounded, including Daniel, brother Squire and daughter Jemima.

TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS Incredibly, instead of attributing their survival to Daniel Boone, the settlement’s militia officers court-martialed him for treason. The charges referred to—as described in Part II (November issue, page 18)—his surrender of his men at the salt lick, his offer to surrender the fort to the British and the Shawnee, his sortie to find the location of the American Indians (it was argued that he had deliberately weakened the fort’s garrison), and his conducting the leading settlers outside the fort in the presence of Blackfish’s warriors.

Boone was found innocent of all charges. In belated appreciation of his efforts in saving the settlement, Boone was commissioned a major in the militia, although the experience of the trial had so shamed him that he rarely referred to it in later life.

Shortly thereafter, Boone left for North Carolina to bring his wife and the rest of his family back to Kentucky.

Reportedly, Rebecca was less than enthusiastic at the prospect of returning, having already spent three hard years there and having lost her oldest child. But after wintering on the Yadkin River, they returned to Kentucky and a life, as one biographer wrote, that would see “Boone’s sense of purpose and calling … challenged, diverted, and blurred, as he found himself involved in businesses for which he was not suited, in disputes that puzzled and embarrassed him.

What had promised to be a simple life of hunting and trapping and locating land for others became a series of aggravations, failures.”

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Boone arrived in late October 1779 to find Boonesborough bustling with new settlers. He immediately moved to a more remote area and established a new settlement, which he dubbed Boone’s Station. Historians have long assumed that the proximity of others was what repeatedly drove Boone to pull up stakes and move. Interestingly, however, Boone, who acknowledged having an “itchy foot,” was far from antisocial. As biographer Michael Lofaro points out, “[L]eading a solitary life was never his aim.” In fact, Boone was ever willing to help his neighbors build a barn, cabin or malt house and was known for his generosity, affability and patience. Colonist Peter Houston, who had spent considerable time with Boone, provided a fair description of the man: “He was one of the most benevolent and fatherly men I ever knew, and all looked to him as their counselor and guide.”

His moves, as Lofaro states, “generally stemmed from an economic necessity. Hunting and trapping paid far better than farming and, to be successful at either, he had to follow the game.” It stood to reason that the more people gathered in an area, the likelier the animal population would grow thin and eventually disappear.

Another way in which Boone hoped to prosper was through land speculation. Once resettled in Kentucky, Boone turned his efforts again to the acquisition of property, having earlier lost his original claims to the Commonwealth of Virginia’s courts. Sadly, his quest for land would continue to be a source of pain and frustration throughout his life.

In 1780, he sold his recent claims at a profit in order to reinvest under a new Virginia law allowing for the purchase of cheap land. Before he set out to finance the new warrants in Williamsburg, several friends entrusted him with their own savings so that he might buy claims for them as well. Carrying thousands of dollars in his saddlebags, Boone and a companion spent the night in a James City, Virginia inn. They awoke to find the money gone and their prospects completely destroyed. As Boone later stated, he was “left destitute.”

His fellow investors held him accountable for their losses, and some suspected that he had purloined the money himself. However, Thomas Hart, who along with his brother had lost the greatest amount to the thieves, criticized Boone’s accusers: “[M]uch degenerated must the people of this Age be, when Amongst them are to be found men to Censure and Blast the Character and Reputation of a person So Just and upright and in whose Breast is a Seat of Virtue too pure to admit of a thought so Base and dishonorable … I have ever found him of a Noble and generous Soul, despising everything mean.” Boone would spend years paying his neighbors back, but pay them back he did.

Apparently, Boone’s financial difficulties did not prevent him from dabbling in politics from time to time. He was still well thought of throughout the region, and in 1781, he was elected to the first of three terms as a representative to the Virginia legislature. According to biographer John Mack Faragher, however, he was anything but a diligent legislator. “He did not take to the work … and was absent a good deal of the time, meeting with old friends or escaping into the woods for short hunts.” Boone’s tenure as a politician would be unremarkable.

NATIVE AMERICAN FIGHTS … AND LOSSES Following his return home, Boone continued to have trouble with the American Indians. He was involved in several skirmishes and one full-scale battle. As an old man, Boone would claim to have killed only one native in his lifetime, but from the eyewitness statements of others, as well as his own words, this is clearly not the case. In his

Daniel Boone National Forest

constant fight for survival, Boone took his share of Native American lives.

Although he generally managed to emerge unscathed, Boone’s survival would come at a terrible personal cost. On one occasion, shortly after a force under George Rogers Clark raided and burned several native villages, Boone was out bear hunting with his brother, Edward. They were set upon by a war party, and the two were separated in their flight. While Daniel managed to escape his pursuers, Edward, whom the Native Americans mistook for his more celebrated brother, was caught and killed, his head taken to show the tribe that Daniel Boone finally had been slain.

Boone’s most tragic encounter occurred in August 1782, after a large combined force of Shawnee, Cherokee, Delaware, Wyandot and Tawa braves attacked the settlement at Bryan’s Station, killing several settlers and destroying crops and livestock. A party of 182 men from Bryan’s Station, Boonesborough, Harrodsburg and Lexington—including Boone and his young son, Israel—quickly assembled in pursuit. Coming upon an earlier camp, Boone estimated the number of American Indians at around 500 and advised waiting for reinforcements. He was outvoted.

The party pursued the braves along a trail so easily read—including trees blazed with tomahawks—that Boone feared an ambush. When the party reached the Blue Licks along the south bank of the Licking River, Boone knew his suspicions to be correct. Sensing that the natives awaited them in the ravines ahead, he again advised caution, only to be shouted down. With a cry of, “All who are not damned cowards follow me,” Maj. Hugh McGary led the party at a run toward the ravines.

What followed was a bloodbath. The settlers were caught in a murderous fire, and in less than 15 minutes, more than 40 percent of their number lay dead. As Boone later commented, “Many widows were now made.” One of the slain was Israel. Boone threw his son’s body over his shoulder and ran for the river but was forced to put him down in order to escape. “[I]t is painful to think,” Boone told Houston, who was a member of the party, “that my poor boy has fallen prey to the scalping knife.” Then, Houston recalled, “The grand old pioneer wept bitterly.”

Although no one blamed Boone for the defeat, he felt responsible for his inability to convince the others to show caution. “I cannot reflect upon this dreadful scene, but sorrow fills my heart,” he later told John Filson. “My footsteps have often been marked with blood … Two darling sons, and a brother, have I lost by savage hands.”

In the depths of despair following the Blue Licks debacle, Boone was on the verge of abandoning his dream of seeing Kentucky settled. At the end of August, he wrote to Gov. Benjamin Harrison, “I have Encouraged the people here in this Country all that I Could, but I Can no longer Encourage my Neighbors nor my Seff to risque our Lives here at Such Extraordinary hazards … I hope your Excellency will … Send us Some Relief as quick as possible.”

Shortly thereafter, Boone joined Clark and some 1,000 riflemen and staged a reprisal raid, destroying American Indian villages and crops, killing, scalping and taking prisoners as they went. Boone later commented, “We continued our pursuit through five towns on the Miami rivers … burnt them all to ashes, entirely destroyed their corn and other fruits, and everywhere spread a scene of D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 8 / JA N UA RY 2 0 1 9

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desolation.” The war with the Shawnee would continue for 12 more years, until “Mad Anthony” Wayne finally subdued them at the 1794 Battle of Fallen Timbers.

JACK OF ALL TRADES: SURVEYOR As a businessman, Daniel Boone nearly always struggled.

Sometime around 1783, he found himself involved in a lengthy lawsuit in which his claim of land ownership at Boone’s Station was called into question. Boone, however, was temperamentally ill-suited to courtroom battles.

According to chronicler Robert Morgan, “[O]nce a claim was contested, his tendency was to abandon it and move on. He seemed unable or unwilling to adapt to the aggressive commercial and legal culture that was overwhelming the new territory.”

True to form, he uprooted his family and moved to Limestone, Kentucky, which is now the city of Maysville.

Described at the time as a “muddy hole of a place with two or three log houses and a tavern,” it sat on the Ohio River and served as a jumping-off site for westering immigrants.

There, Boone saw an opportunity to combine his woods skills with the possibility of both earning a decent living and finally acquiring his own land. He advertised himself as a surveyor and jobber—a “locator” of suitable land for investors. It was a function he had served earlier at Boonesborough, and he now passed an exam licensing him by the Commonwealth of Virginia as a deputy surveyor.

Boone’s wilderness skills were generally known, and he had no difficulty in attracting clients. At this time, the filing and purchasing of land in Kentucky was chaotic in the extreme. The entire region was poorly mapped where it was mapped at all and was being overrun by scoundrels and opportunists who would “claim” a tract of land by simply building a ramshackle cabin on it. They would then sell it, often several times, to unsuspecting settlers and investors.

As it turned out, Boone’s knowledge of the woods far outstripped his business sense and attention to detail. In a time and place in which land claims were constantly being disputed, he was haphazard in his methods and often oblivious to the possibilities of litigation. His approach to filing was generally hurried and unorthodox, and some of his clients lost their claims due to his procedural errors.

Boone even had a claim of his own overturned in court because he had filed it “by right of discovery” rather than filing the appropriate papers and paying the required fees.

Writes Lofaro, “Daniel’s lack of time and money often was matched only by his naiveté. He never thought anyone would question the legality of his claims. He was wrong.”

Boone lost a number of his claims through cross-filings and writs of ejectment. In numerous instances, believing he owned certain tracts, he sold them to finance further speculation, only to discover that others had laid valid claims to the same land. Not only did Boone again find himself landless, but he was now the object of several suits for damages, placing him in a degree of debt from which he was unable to extricate himself for years to come.

DANIEL BOONE, BUSINESSMAN At the same time he had earned his deputy surveyor’s license, Boone built a store and tavern in Limestone. At least for the moment, he proved to be a better store owner and innkeeper than surveyor, and he established a decent livelihood. And since the Commonwealth held a fair number of American Indian captives to exchange for captured settlers, Boone obtained a contract to supply food and goods to the Native American prisoners. For the first time in their lives, the Boones courted prosperity.

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store. The fact that Boone was a slave owner has bedeviled historians. However, it must be remembered that while Boone was a lifelong proponent of personal liberty, he was also a product of a time and place in which slavery was an accepted fact of life. Writes Morgan, “Though some writers have tried to argue that Boone disapproved of slavery, there is little evidence for the argument.” Morgan further suggests that when Boone’s fortunes were at a low, he stooped to slave trading.

By this time, author Filson’s short “autobiography” of Boone, ostensibly dictated by the frontiersman himself, had been published and widely read. Soon, people throughout the fledgling nation as well as in France and Germany were familiar with Boone’s name, along with some of his more dramatic—if rhetorically enhanced— exploits. Filson’s flowery account concludes with a wellsettled, complacent Boone stating, “This account of my adventures will inform the reader of the most remarkable events of this country. I now live in peace and safety, enjoying the sweets of liberty, and the bounties of Providence, with my once fellow-sufferers, in this delightful country, which I have seen purchased with a vast expense of blood and treasure: delighting in the prospect of its being, in a short time, one of the most opulent and powerful States on the continent of North America; which, with the love and gratitude of my countrymen, I esteem a sufficient reward for all my toil and dangers.”

AGING AND ENDINGS Sadly, Boone’s euphoria was more the product of Filson’s creative wordsmithing than his subject’s actual words. For the real-life Boone, prosperity ultimately proved elusive. He continued to be dogged by business problems. His business as a surveyor, jobber and land speculator was in shambles, and after years of diligent effort, he quit the storekeeper’s trade over contract disputes. Determined to succeed as a horse trader, he sent two sons to sell a herd of horses, only to have several of the animals run away. At one juncture, he tried to make a business of gathering and selling the highly prized ginseng plant, only to have half of the shipment ruined by flooding.

Over all his efforts loomed the ever-present specter of debt, a problem that was exacerbated by the ever-trusting Boone’s lifelong habit of extending loans to untrustworthy people. His creditors pursued him relentlessly, to the point where, between 1789 and 1803, he and his family moved no fewer than six times, finally leaving Kentucky for good.

Writes Lofaro, “The measure of Daniel’s bitterness over his treatment in Kentucky could not be underestimated.”

Out of necessity as well as pleasure, Boone would sometimes fall back on his hunting skills to fill the larder.

In 1797, the 63-year-old Daniel and son Nathan killed 156 bears, selling the skins for up to $5 apiece, the carcasses for $20, and the oil for $1 per gallon. His success in taking deer and beaver was equally impressive. The old “Leatherstocking” had not lost his touch.

Boone ultimately settled in Spanish-owned Missouri. His fame had preceded him, and in 1800, in exchange for attracting more settlers, the governor gave him a significant land grant, along with an appointment as “syndic” (magistrate) for the Femme Osage district, some 60 miles west of St. Louis. Acting as administrator, sheriff, judge and jury, Boone thrived in the position, earning the locals’ respect as an evenhanded, benevolent patron.

Sadly, Boone’s role as regional magistrate lasted only a short time. The following year, Spain transferred the entire region to France, which sold it to the fledgling United States in 1803. As a result of this so-called Louisiana Purchase, Boone’s position was soon terminated, and his

property allotment was rescinded. Once again, he had biographies, films and a successful television series failed to follow the proper procedures in filing his land purportedly depicting the life of Daniel Boone. Few, if any, claim, believing that, since he was an official of the Spanish bore a resemblance to the historical person. Only over the government, such a step was unnecessary. Although he past few decades have biographers seriously attempted to personally appeared before the Federal Land Commission separate the facts from the folklore. What has emerged is the to petition for the return of his land grant, the courts story of a man who was both a legend in, and a product of, declared Boone’s claims null and void in 1809. his time.

By that time, Daniel was well into his 70s and suffering Boone, along with other denizens of the deep forests such from severe rheumatism, as Robert Rogers and David exacerbated by a recent nearCrockett, was at his best in fatal plunge through the ice of the wild, where his natural the Missouri River, as well as skills could best be utilized the physical reminders of and appreciated. As several narrow-but-punishing biographer Lofaro states, brushes with death. Conflict “Daniel seems always to with American Indians have suffered at the hands of continued to be a problem. civilization.” Unwittingly, in Missouri was home to the helping to open Kentucky to powerful Osage, a tribe even white settlement, Boone had more warlike and daunting than become the author of his the Shawnee and Cherokee. own obsolescence. By living Personal loss took a terrible to old age, he witnessed his toll on Boone, as well. In once-beloved Kentucky grow addition to the two sons who from the beckoning had been slain by Native wilderness of his dreams Americans, he had lost three of into a world, writes Robert his four daughters, and in 1813, Morgan, “that was … he buried his beloved Rebecca. repugnant to him, so raging The following year, and relentless in its growth Congress, in belated and greed.” recognition of Boone’s service, Morgan makes what is gave him a tract of land in perhaps the most profound what was then being called observation on Boone and Missouri Territory. The his time: “[H]eroes such as 80-year-old frontiersman Boone were essential to the Boone’s initial burial site, in Marthasville, Missouri finally had a land claim that settlement of the frontier, would stand undisputed. but once the wilderness and In 1817, Boone fell ill on what would prove to be his last Indians were gone, society had little use for the men hunt, limiting him to a relatively sedentary existence. Three themselves. It was the legend that was important.” years later, sensing the end was near, Boone made More than 200 years after Boone’s death, he continues to arrangements to be buried near Rebecca and called on represent the consummate American frontiersman—the family members to prepare him for his death. They shaved flesh-and-blood version of James Fenimore Cooper’s him, cut his hair (saving the cuttings for posterity), and Deerslayer. Of all the paeans to the self-described “itchybrushed his remarkably full set of teeth. “My teeth,” he footed” frontiersman, perhaps Boone would have most commented, “would yet serve anybody a lifetime!” He then appreciated the tribute paid to him by Daniel Carter Beard, asked his daughter-in-law, Olive, to sing him some of his founder of a popular youth organization in 1905, years favorite songs. before the establishment of the Boy Scouts of America.

On Sept. 28, 1820, after bidding farewell to Nathan, Beard, in his own words, strove to create “a society of Jemima and other family members, he uttered his last scouts to be identified with the greatest of all Scouts, words: “I am going, my time has come.” Daniel Boone, Daniel Boone, and to be known as the Sons of Daniel lifelong survivor of American Indian attacks and the harsh Boone.” Having lost two of his own sons to the tomahawk vagaries of wilderness life, died peacefully in bed, just one and scalping knife, such an honor no doubt would have month before his 86th birthday. touched Boone deeply. Q A quarter-century after his death, delegates from Kentucky—the state that had alternately ignored him, denied his land claims, and threatened to jail him for nonpayment of debts—traveled to his and Rebecca’s gravesites RECOMMENDED READING in Femme Osage Creek, Missouri. According to Marc Houseman, president of Missouri’s Friends of the Daniel Daniel Boone - Autobiography of Colonel Daniel Boone Burial Site, “Some Frankfort businessmen were Boone building a new cemetery, and they wanted a celebrity buried there as a commercial draw.” Ignoring the fact that John Mack Faragher - Daniel Boone: The Life and Boone had left Kentucky more than 20 years before his death, vowing never to return, they exhumed what human Legend of an American Pioneer artifacts they could find and reburied the Boones’ remains in Frankfort. Kentucky had finally claimed him as its own.

Michael A. Lofaro - Daniel Boone: An American Life

LOOKING BACK: LEGENDS AND FACTS Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, opportunists and would-be authorities turned out countless portraits, plays,

Robert Morgan - Boone: A Biography

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HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS

By Jackie Hollenkamp Bentley

A

h, the dazzling lights, the festive decorations, the merry music … Yes, it’s the time of the year to bundle up and head out to enjoy the best of holiday music, check out winter wonderlands, and gaze upon spectacular light displays.

As always, Kentucky has a month full of events, festivals and concerts to celebrate the holidays. Following are just a sampling. For more information on upcoming festive events, visit kentuckymonthly.com and click on “Events” near the top of the page.

SCUBA SANTA’S WATER WONDERLAND

For 15 years, Newport Aquarium has celebrated the holidays in a unique way—by letting Santa go for a swim as the aquarium decks itself out in holiday magic. From now through Dec. 31, guests can visit Santa as he takes a dip in Shark Ray Bay as well as enjoy the holidaythemed galleries throughout the aquarium for an undersea holiday celebration.

Tickets to the aquarium are $24.99 for adults 13 and up, and $17.99 for children ages 2-12.

THROUGH DEC. 31, Newport Aquarium, Newport, 1-800-406-3474, newportaquarium.com

WINTER WONDERLAND OF LIGHTS

Every year in November and December, for the past 25-plus years, Ashland’s Central Park and downtown area transform into a winter wonderland. Not only is the 52-acre park glowing with dozens of holiday displays and 800,000 lights, the city also celebrates winter for five weeks by hosting Santa at the Central Park Log House, taking families on Winter Wonderland Express Train Rides, and hosting a home and business decorating contest.

THROUGH JAN. 1, Central Park, Ashland, (606) 324-5111

POLAR EXPRESS, THE TRAIN RIDE

Big South Fork Scenic Railway transforms into the famous train ride beloved by many. Passengers can read along with Chris Van Allsburg’s book, The Polar Express, as the train makes a “round-trip journey to the North Pole.” The trip includes a visit with Santa, caroling, special gifts and, of course, hot chocolate. Pajamas are encouraged attire.

Coach tickets are $44.75 each. First-class seats are $59.75 each. Children 2 and under are free but must sit on an adult’s lap.

DEC. 1, 2, 7-9 AND 14-23, Big South Fork Scenic Railway, Sterns, (606) 657-9491, stearnsthepolarexpressride.com

18TH CENTURY CHRISTMAS AT THE FORT

See how Christmas was celebrated by Kentucky’s early settlers at Fort Boonesborough. For one weekend in December, visitors can immerse themselves in historic holiday celebrations, complete with candlelight and Christmas decorations. Various ethnic groups and nationalities are presented in living history interpretations, and guests can enjoy bonfires, music and dance.

Admission is $8 for adults, $5 for children 6-12, and free for kids under 6.

CHRISTMAS IN THE PARK

Hop in the car and head to Elizabethtown’s Freeman Park for a cruise through holiday magic. More than 100 holiday displays will greet motorists as they drive along an illuminated roadway featuring a glimmering lake that’s sure to get anyone in the holiday spirit. Add some Christmas music to the trip by tuning the radio to 87.9 FM. Admission is free.

THROUGH JAN. 1, Freeman Lake Park, Elizabethtown, touretown.com 34

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DEC. 7-8, Fort Boonesborough State Park, Richmond, (859) 527-3131, parks.ky.gov/parks/recreationparks/ fort-boonesborough

CHRISTMASTIDE, 1816

The world has seen dramatic changes over the past two centuries, but celebrating the holidays with friends and family is a timeless custom. Witness how people partied in 1816 at Louisville’s Locust Grove, where first-person interpreters representing the Croghan family, who owned the property, welcome guests to their historic home.

Visitors can see artisans present hands-on demonstrations as well as purchase their wares.

Admission is $6 for adults, $3 for children, and free for children under 6.

DEC. 8, Locust Grove, Louisville, (502) 897-9845, locustgrove.org

WINTERFEST

Spend an entire weekend celebrating the holidays while enjoying the beauty of Lake Cumberland State Resort Park.

For two days in December, the park hosts several holiday and winter-themed activities to get guests in the spirit of the season. These include a Reindeer Run 5K, dinner with Santa, a tree lighting, screenings of holiday movies, evening strolls under twinkling lights, carolers, and shops offering ornaments, trinkets and toys.

Reservations for lodge rooms or cottages can be made online at parks.ky.gov/parks/resortparks/lake-cumberland or by calling (270) 343-3111.

DEC. 14-15, Lake Cumberland State Resort Park, Jamestown

LIVE NATIVITY

Go back 2,000 years to experience “the reason for the season” at Bardstown Baptist Church’s annual live nativity.

For decades, the church has delighted visitors with the recreation of Jesus’ birthday, complete with actors in period dress and even live animals to make the scene even more authentic.

DEC. 14-15, Bardstown Baptist Church, Bardstown, (502) 348-3866

A ROCKIN’ COUNTRY CHRISTMAS

Hear Christmas music sung in a way that only country music legends can emulate. A Rockin’ Country Christmas takes the stage at the Owensboro Convention Center for one night in December. Various tribute singers bring stars such as Elvis Presley, Tammy Wynette, Patsy Cline, Roy Orbison, Loretta Lynn, Jerry Lee Lewis, George Jones, Johnny Cash and Merle Haggard to the stage.

Tickets are $16 each, with general admission seating.

DEC. 15, Owensboro Convention Center, Owensboro, (270) 687-8888, owensborocenter.com

BARKLEY BASH 2018

What better way to wrap up the holiday season and bid adieu to 2018 than ringing in the new year at Kentucky’s Lake Barkley State Resort Park? There are several party options from which to choose. A special event package includes overnight lodging in a lake-view room. Party tickets include a dinner buffet and dancing to the music of Nashville’s Top Tier. Dance-only tickets also are available, plus guests can also take advantage of a cash bar.

The overnight package is $199.95. Dinner and dance tickets are $120 per couple. Dance-only tickets are $75 per couple.

Reservations can be made by calling.

DEC. 31-JAN. 1, Lake Barkley State Resort Park, Cadiz, 1-800-325-1708, parks.ky.gov/parks/resortparks/ lake-barkley

J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 7 • K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY

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A Nightingale Sings A longtime Louisville actor and critic brings his favorite playwright to life in a one-man show

By Michael A. McKinney

Roger Fristoe as the late playwright

W

hen Roger Fristoe was a high school student in Paducah in the late 1950s, he read The Glass Menagerie, a play that would lead him into a lifelong fascination with theater. Shortly thereafter, Fristoe entered a speech competition in which he recited the opening and closing monologues of that Tennessee Williams script about a young man’s melancholy memories of his dysfunctional family.

When he participated in the state-level competition at the University of Kentucky’s Guignol Theatre in Lexington, Fristoe recalls, “Those were the first words I ever spoke as an actor on a real stage.

“By that time, I had fallen in love with Tennessee Williams’ writing, and to this day, he remains my favorite playwright. I’ve always identified with him, and I’m so moved by the way he finds beauty in the lives of the misfits among us.”

••• Now, Fristoe is portraying Williams in a one-man show, Confessions of a Nightingale, at the Boyd Martin Experimental Theatre, also known as the MeX Theatre, of the Kentucky Center for the Arts in Louisville on Dec. 6-9 and 13-16.

Louisville actor/producer/director Mike Seely is directing the show for his production company, Actor’s Choice.

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The play was created in 1983 by actor Ray Stricklyn and author Charlotte Chandler, designed as a vehicle for Stricklyn and based on Chandler’s interviews with Williams for her book The Ultimate Seduction, along with other sources.

The action takes place near the end of Williams’ life. He died in 1983. The title refers to the poetic connotations of a nightingale as the “bird of love” and also as a symbol of the connection between love and death.

“The script gives you a choice as to where to set the play, which basically consists of Williams speaking intimately to the audience,” Fristoe says. “So, we decided to place it in the patio/backyard area of his longtime home in Key West.”

That’s where Williams regularly indulged in his pastime, oil painting. Most often, he painted portraits of friends and local sights in his adopted hometown. This inspired Fristoe—who, like Williams, began painting as a teen—to replicate several of Williams’ paintings for use on the set.

Perhaps influenced by their Florida locales, the paintings have an easy flow about them and utilize tropical colors. “It was a little disorienting at first, painting in someone else’s style,” Fristoe says. “But the process of copying his artwork became another way of establishing rapport with my subject. And I think these paintings really enrich and enliven our set.”

••• Over the years, Fristoe has read everything he could find about Williams and has seen many productions of his plays and the films based on his writings. In 1980, Fristoe directed a production of A Streetcar Named Desire at the Clarksville (Indiana) Little Theatre. “In our script, Tennessee calls Streetcar the pinnacle of his career,” he says. “And I recall telling the cast at the time, ‘Always remember that it’s a privilege to speak these words!’ ” Fristoe, who served for 14 years as film critic and entertainment writer for The Courier-Journal in Louisville, has written monthly on a freelance basis for more than 20 years for Turner Classic Movies. He has a long history in the Louisville area as a stage actor, director and designer. His other one-man shows include I Am My Own Wife, The World of Carl Sandburg and An Evening Without Noel Coward.

Among 50 other acting credits, he is especially proud of roles in productions directed and/or produced by Seely.

These include leads in Equus, The Lion in Winter, Sylvia and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

“Whenever I’m charging into one of these epic roles, it’s always reassuring to be working under my buddy Mike,” Fristoe says. “I really value his judgment, his style and his easygoing temperament.” Q Michael A. McKinney, a former writer for The CourierJournal in Louisville, is a retired talent agent whose clients have included Kentucky entertainers Grady Nutt and Carl Hurley.

Confessions of a Nightingale will be performed at the MeX Theatre of the Kentucky Center for the Arts at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 6-8 and 13-15, and Dec. 9 and 16 at 2 p.m. For further information and to purchase tickets, visit kentuckycenter.org or call (502) 584-7777.

Tennessee Williams.

D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 8 / J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 9 • K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY

37

Mary Todd Lincoln flouted convention as a politically active woman in the 19th century

By Ray Cavanaugh

T

hough she led one of the most embattled lives of any United States first lady, Mary Ann Todd—the future Mrs. Abraham Lincoln—entered an auspicious situation when she was born into a wealthy Lexington family 200 years ago, on Dec. 13, 1818.

Her birth took place in the two-floor, nine-room Todd family home on Short Street. This residence was “typical of those new brick houses admired by travelers who came to Lexington expecting to encounter savage Indians, wild animals, and wooden shacks, but who left admiring the wealthiest, most sophisticated community west of the Alleghenies, excepting, of course, New Orleans,” as described in Jean Harvey Baker’s book Mary Todd Lincoln: A Biography.

Named Mary Ann after her mother’s only sister, she was the fourth of seven children (three brothers and three sisters) in a Presbyterian family of English, Irish and Scottish ancestry. Both her maternal and paternal grandfathers, Robert Parker and Levi Todd, were among Lexington’s founders and earliest promoters to prospective newcomers.

Her father, Robert Smith Todd, was a successful, albeit slave-owning, merchant and lawyer who served as a 38

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Kentucky state senator and had been an officer in the War of 1812. When Mary Ann was 6, her mother, Eliza Ann Todd (née Parker) died during childbirth. The following year, her father remarried.

Mary Ann’s stepmother, Elizabeth Humphreys Todd, and sisters were willing to conform to the era’s expectations of Southern ladies. But Mary Ann herself was most certainly unwilling. Though she received training in the social graces that daughters of the wealthy were obliged to possess, she also obtained an extensive and varied education.

Additionally, her enthusiasm for politics—at the time, an unusual pastime for females—manifested as early as age 9, when she expressed her disapproval of Andrew Jackson, who visited Lexington as a presidential candidate.

For a young political aficionado like Mary Ann, Lexington was a veritable playground. Baker’s book relates that the city, aside from being a frequent destination for presidential visits, was the setting of “incessant parades, speeches, pole raisings, and election eve celebrations that accompanied a new era of American party competition.”

Lexington’s Mary Todd Lincoln House The Todds sometimes received important political guests, such as Henry Clay, the longtime Lexington resident and three-time presidential candidate who, along with holding other prominent positions, represented Kentucky in both the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate.

For Mary Ann Todd, the city’s political dynamism was a sorely needed distraction from the ongoing tension of her troubled relationship with her stepmother. Though this tension resulted in much discomfort, she was able to find outlets for personal growth and individual expression through acting, dancing, literature and, of course, politics.

From 1826 to 1832—with a one-year break to visit family in Springfield, Illinois—Todd attended the Shelby Female Academy in Lexington. She studied once again at the same school from 1837 to 1839, by then, known as Dr. Ward’s Academy.

Between her two tenures there, she attended Madame Mentelle’s Boarding School, also in Lexington. Even though she lived nearby, Todd, longing to escape her stepmother, boarded at the school, which was run by a woman who had fled the revolution in France decades earlier. Thanks to Charlotte Victorie Leclere Mentelle, Todd became fluent in French and an avid reader of the works of French novelist and playwright Victor Hugo.

In 1832, the Todd family relocated from their residence at Short Street to a larger home on West Main Street. This 14-room residence, which still stands, is known as the Mary Todd Lincoln House and is open to the public. The Todds’ previous residence was purchased by the Lexington Catholic Diocese and was demolished in 1887.

Todd’s days in Lexington ended in 1839, when, at age 20, she moved to Springfield, Illinois to live with her sister, Elizabeth Todd Edwards. Making her mark as a debutante in Springfield society, Mary Ann enjoyed the attention of a number of suitors, including a lanky lawyer named Abraham Lincoln. They proceeded to get engaged, but Lincoln broke off the engagement. As he was not then financially successful, he feared that he was an unsuitable husband for a lady accustomed to material comfort. Despite these misgivings, Todd and Lincoln, with the urging of mutual friends, reconciled.

At 23, Todd married Lincoln, then 33, on Nov. 4, 1842 in Springfield, where they began to raise a family. Ever headstrong and unafraid to flout convention, Mrs. Lincoln remained politically engaged at a time when most considered such pursuits unsuitable for a wife. She became first lady when her husband took office as president on March 4, 1861.

Though her life was privileged in the material sense of the word, Mary Todd Lincoln endured more than her share of personal hardship. She was unpopular as first lady: Southerners considered her a turncoat, while Northerners viewed her Southern background (she had two halfbrothers who died and an additional half-brother who was wounded while fighting for the Confederate Army) as highly suspect.

Aside from witnessing her husband’s assassination on that infamous 1865 night at Ford’s Theater, she had to contend with three of her four children, all sons, dying in youth. She had long had a tendency toward mood swings, but the series of traumas she suffered led to a deteriorated psychological state. In 1875, the only son who outlived her, Robert Todd Lincoln, launched court proceedings to have his mother committed to a mental asylum.

Such a commitment was so thoroughly against her wishes that she attempted suicide. She survived only because an alert pharmacist, suspecting her motives, had slipped her a placebo instead of complying with her request for the far more potent substances of camphor and laudanum.

After obtaining her release from a mental asylum in Batavia, Illinois, Mary Todd Lincoln relocated to Europe for a period of several years. She ultimately returned to live with her sister in Springfield, where she died on July 16, 1882, at 63. She was buried nearby in the Lincoln tomb at The Mary Todd Lincoln House Springfield’s Oak Ridge hosts Mary’s Bicentennial Cemetery.

Birthday Bash on Dec. 13.

Illinois has Mary Todd Lincoln’s remains, For information, call but her roots will (859) 233-9999 or always belong to visit mtlhouse.org.

Lexington. Q D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 8 / J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 9 • K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY

39

VOICES

Past Tense/Present Tense

Bill Ellis Has Resigned From the 21st Century

BY BILL ELLIS

I

f this article sounds like the dim ruminations of an old curmudgeon, a historian at that, who will reach his 79th birthday on Jan. 1, so be it.

Like many of our readers, I have lived long enough to make certain pronouncements about this new century. I am not entirely proud of myself or our past, even if I am an old historian. If a historian’s job is to praise the past as if it were sacred, I have failed.

I grew up in a rigidly racist society in a small town. I recall separate schools and segregated movie houses and public restrooms in our courthouse. Things began to change in 1954 with the Brown v. Board of Education decision. There has been much progress in race relations since then, but only a fool would believe that we live in a nation that is totally blind to racial as well as social injustice. We have a long way to go. Our future as a nation and a Commonwealth depends on progress, not worship of old ways. If the United States of America is not, in Abraham Lincoln’s immortal words, “the last best hope of the earth,” then the world is doomed to resurging totalitarianism.

That does not end my gripes. I grew up in a working-class family only one generation removed from tenant farming. Working-class folks are not as respected today as they were in my younger days on Snow Hill in Shelby County. We should not forget where we came from. As our world becomes more computerized and we move toward an information society, the people who get their hands dirty are not given the credit or the income they richly deserve.

Patterns of speech and behavior have changed, and not for the better. Some changes are perhaps negligible. “Have a good day!” has been replaced with, “Have a good one!”

“Have you finished your meal?” has been replaced with, “Are you still working on that?” “You guys” has replaced “ladies and gentlemen” and other recognitions of gender. “You know what I mean?” No, I don’t know what you mean.

Other changes are not as inconsequential. Drivers now give others “the finger” or utter curse words for any little indiscretion. Bullying apparently is worse now in schools 40

K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY • D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 8 / J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 9

than when I was a kid. Women as well as senior citizens are abused. Coarseness is everywhere, even in high places, becoming so commonplace that we tend now to just accept it by rolling our eyes.

I do not blame all of this on modern technology but come close to doing so. I realize that the internet, email, cellphones, Facebook, Twitter, tweets, etc. can be wonderful means of communication. However, now we all worry about eavesdropping by a new criminal class, thief by electronic stealth, and even foreign operatives tampering with our electoral process. Innocent people are hounded into suicide. I know all the statistics for crime appear to indicate we are a more civilized and tolerant society.

Statistics for poverty appear to show improvement. My qualm is that for all the advancement in technology, we still have these problems.

Oh, excuse me; problems are no longer problems but “issues.”

I realize that old age has caught up with me, but please don’t call me elderly quite yet. I have several health “issues,” including high blood pressure, glaucoma, bad knees needing replacements, pinched nerves in my lower back and crepey skin, and I just added neuropathy to the menu. But “I am still on foot and taking nourishment,” as a friend in Richmond likes to say. I play golf with some friends who can hear much better than I. But I can see better at a distance than ever before and can direct them to their errant drives.

My memory is failing. “Too many birthdays,” as my friendly internist calls it. Plus, I had more than one concussion playing football many years ago and a minor brain injury in my early 70s. One consolation is that I don’t have to buy books anymore: I can pick up a book I read no more than one or two years ago, and it seems fresh. Words like “solecism” and “etiolated,” which once rolled off my tongue, I now have to look up in the dictionary. Just kidding!

I have to admit that my ability to recall names is slipping. One of my favorite pastimes is watching old movies and television programs and trying to guess the names of the actors. Isn’t that Parley Baer and Tim Holt I just saw on a cowboy show on the old television program channel? That is a sign of old age, isn’t it?

My memory is failing...

One consolation is that I don’t have to buy books anymore. I can pick up a book I read no more than one or two years ago, and it seems fresh.

I have trouble recalling historical facts that I used to remember so easily only a few years ago. Whereas I used to know all the presidents of the United States—in succession, by the way—many of their cabinet members, most of the governors of Kentucky and many other important Kentucky personages, many members of the current Congress, historical events in sequence, a good many prime ministers of Great Britain at least as far back as Benjamin Disraeli, all of the counties of Kentucky, and most of the nations of the world, I now have to rely on encyclopedias and other sources, and I admit, shamefully, the internet. State capitals, which used to come to mind immediately, now take some thought. Bismarck! Is that the capital of North Dakota or South Dakota?

A few issues ago, a reader caught my error in referring to Clay’s Republicans, when it should have been Clay’s Democratic-Republican cohorts around the time of the War of 1812. Of course, Andrew Jackson became the first true progenitor of the Democratic Party in 1828. The Republican Party did not exist until the 1850s, when it became a reform party opposed to the expansion of slavery. This was an egregious error on my part, the result of a slipping memory and not teaching American history survey classes, which I did continuously for more than 10 years until my 1999 retirement. There was no dishonest intention.

In recent years, we have begun to hear that there are two or more versions of facts, alternative history, and even fake history.

There is only one history, as such.

Daniel Patrick Moynihan said: “You are entitled to your own opinion.

You are not entitled to your own facts.” A fact is a fact. To a historian, opinion is what is known as interpretation.

Dear readers, please correct me if you find factual errors in my articles but never doubt my intention of writing true accounts as I see history. My political views are those of an early 20th century progressive of the Democratic or Republican party varieties. I still believe in progress.

Well, time to close for now. I must check my flip-phone for any recent messages from one of my several physicians, my bank, the water company, credit card companies, the exercise facility where I sweat it out and so forth. I don’t want to be left too far behind.

I can’t wait until next fall when I can visit my nearest Plymouth and Pontiac dealers to see what the new models look like.

Meanwhile, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

P.S. I hope you caught the idea that much of this diatribe was not entirely serious.

Readers may contact Bill Ellis at editor@kentuckymonthly.com

PENNED Kentucky Monthly’s Annual Writers’ Showcase

Attention, Writers! Kentucky Monthly is seeking submissions for our annual literary section in the February issue. Entries will be accepted in the following categories: Poetry, Fiction & Creative Non-Fiction.

Working on a novel? Send the first paragraph for a chance to be featured!

Submission deadline - December 10 For guidelines and to submit entries, visit kentuckymonthly.com D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 8 / J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 9 • K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY

41

CULTURE

Off the Shelf

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

THE INTRIGUING COMPROMISER Henry Clay: The Man Who Would Be President

By James C. Klotter Oxford University Press $34.95 (H)

When Henry Clay died on June 29, 1852, the event set off a great outpouring of appreciation all over America for the former longtime congressman, known as “the Great Compromiser.” Congress adjourned, a procession marched through the nation’s capital in his honor, newspapers praised him, great eulogies were pronounced, and in Kentucky, around 30,000 people showed up to see his body interred.

The iconic Clay appeared to be a beloved statesman. But why did Clay never get elected president after running for the office multiple times?

Kentucky’s state historian, Dr. James C. Klotter, probes far and wide in attempting to answer this intriguing question in his in-depth biography, Henry Clay: The Man Who Would Be President. Was it because Clay was not a military hero, a popular aspect of the times? Was he too much of a “Washington insider,” a characteristic that helped him craft compromises?

You, Too, Can Brew

Christmas Conundrums

House With Haunts

With all the microbrews, brewpubs and craft beer breweries popping up around the Brew Beer Like state, maybe it’s a Yeti time to think

By Jereme about making Zimmerman your own beer.

Chelsea Green History tells us Publishing that humans $24.95 (P) have been making the beverage since record-keeping began back when dates had “B.C.” after them. That leads you to believe that brewing can’t be that difficult.

In Brew Beer Like a Yeti, author Jereme Zimmerman assures readers it is indeed easy and has written a step-by-step book to take them through the process. First, he starts with a little history and folklore, followed by a closer look at the ingredients. Then he ties it all together with techniques and recipes for a ginger beer, a spiced dark ale and more.

Zimmerman of Berea, who specializes in modern homesteading and sustainable living, also is an avid fermenter. This book presents his low-tech, low-cost and low-stress way of producing your own frothy mug.

For decades, Michael Embry crafted a well-respected career as a journalist, including a Darkness Beyond long stint as the Light editor of

By Michael Embry Kentucky Wings ePress $17.95 (P) Monthly. Now retired, he’s focused on writing novels.

His latest, Darkness Beyond the Light, is the sequel to Old Ways and New Ways, each a part of his John Ross Boomer Lit series featuring baby boomers. Darkness has a compelling narrative with boomer issues such as changing social norms, caregiving of the elderly, and adult children living with parents.

The novel’s plot revolves around retirees John Ross and wife Sally, whose adult son, Brody, becomes prey to substance abuse and loses his job. Other challenges crop up in this struggling clan as they spend Christmas together at the Rosses, including daughter Chloe’s on-therocks marriage and mother-in-law Geraldine.

Frankfort resident Embry delights in tossing interesting twists into the storyline.

“Voodoo in Kentucky?” asks David Dominé in his memoir, Voodoo Days at La Casa Fabulosa. “Did Voodoo Days we even have at La Casa voodoo in these Fabulosa parts?”

By David Dominé It’s a fair Myrtle & LaMere question, since $16.95 (P) the voodoo days don’t seem to stop once Dominé moves into the building at 1228 South Third Street in Louisville.

Regardless of one’s belief in ghosts, enough eerie incidents happen during his time in the house that would leave anyone questioning the existence of the paranormal.

Though Dominé encounters a number of curious and interesting individuals, the house and Old Louisville are characters themselves and will not be satisfied with being in the background of the story.

Dominé’s writing immerses the reader into the events of the present while weaving in the history he uncovers.

Voodoo Days manages to be both a creepy and fun adventure that invites you into a part of Kentucky you may not have known about.

— Deborah Kohl Kremer

— Steve Flairty

— Cathrine Giles

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K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY • D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 8 / J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 9

And in forging monumental compromises, did Clay not polarize those with extreme views in the process? Was the fact that he was a slaveholder who often sided with abolitionist viewpoints a reason?

Klotter even explores the possibility that issues of Clay’s character bothered some voters.

The author lays out a wellwritten abundance of highly germane and nuanced material—the product of a master—for the reader to thoughtfully consider. This book belongs on the shelves of all who appreciate political history and its relevance for our lives today.

— Steve Flairty

A Happy Home This adorable children’s book is filled with wonderful illustrations and an equally wonderful Lulabelle’s Story, message. In The Trailer with Lulabelle’s Story, Lots and Lots author Karen of Love Harper Lain set

By Karen Harper out to dispel Lain; illustrated

by Mona Larkins the stigma and Heart to Heart negative Publishing stereotypes that $10.95 (H) come with living in a mobile home.

She realized how hurtful the derogatory term “trailer trash” could be and has written a book to show children that homes come in all shapes and sizes, and loving families can live in all of them.

The colorful illustrations, the reading tips at the beginning, and the hidden hearts on each page make this book ideal for little ones as well as adults. The kids likely won’t even realize they are learning a lesson.

Lulabelle is the name of the mobile home in the book and the name of Lain’s mobile home residence. This is the first book for Lain, who resides in Butler County.

— Deborah Kohl Kremer

D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 8 / JA N UA RY 2 0 1 9

• K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY

43

OUTDOORS

Field Notes

A Reader Writes

BY GARY GARTH

W

eather conditions combined for an afternoon of Kentucky fall magic. Shirtsleeve temperatures. A wisp of clouds. A hint of breeze. I deleted a couple of hours from the work schedule and loaded the kayak.

The drive to a familiar spot took about 40 minutes. It’s a small inland impoundment on a chunk of federal property.

The lake forms behind an earthen dam and covers about 20 acres. A pair of bald eagles has a nest nearby, just beyond the north shore, where the creek enters. The spot is popular with photographers during the winter. When the leaves are off, the nest—which is nearly the size of a small car—is visible.

The lake doesn’t get much boat traffic because outboards are prohibited. It’s popular with paddlers and campers on summer weekends.

I off-loaded the kayak and slid it into the water. Although the day was springtime warm, the leaves had turned and many had fallen.

The shoreline was mostly reds dotted with a few golds. It had been something of a muted fall—pretty but not dazzling.

I climbed in the boat, pushed away from shore, and began pedaling (I was in a pedal-driven Old Town Predator, oldtowncanoe.johnsonoutdoors.com/kayaks/fishing/ predator-pdl) to a familiar spot off a point on the narrow island that splits the lake. The second cast connected with a chunky bass. This water doesn’t harbor big fish, but the ones that live here are enthusiastic and feisty.

Every fourth or fifth cast resulted in a strike. But after landing and releasing a handful of fish, I laid the rod aside and turned the boat toward the upper end of the lake in the direction of the eagle’s nest.

I couldn’t get Carol off my mind.

Carol is a Kentucky Monthly reader. I know this because she mentioned it in her letter.

Readers occasionally write, and I am always happy to hear from them. The letters sometimes voice complaints.

Sometimes compliments. Occasionally both. Some folks offer story ideas. A few write to share their fishing or hunting or camping or hiking experiences. Nearly every letter—regardless of subject, tone or length—arrives via email.

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K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY • D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 8 / J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 9

Carol’s letter was penned with a ballpoint on lined, white paper and neatly folded into a square, white envelope. Included was a “Thinking of You” card adorned with butterflies and flowers. Pretty. The handwriting swirled in small cursive; neat and slanted from a right hand (left-handers nearly always have a distinctive slope to their penmanship). My own penmanship is embarrassingly poor.

Within the past year, I have lost two family members—a nephew and a brother, who were father and son. The nephew’s death was expected, following a brief but brutal illness. My brother died suddenly. Thanks to the patience and graciousness of the editor and publisher of this magazine, I was allowed to share a few thoughts regarding those personal losses within these pages.

Carol wrote to express her sympathy for my family’s loss and share the news of her own loss. Her daughter had suffered from cancer and died earlier this year.

Carol’s letter was kind and touching; heartfelt, pure and surprisingly personal in a way that’s difficult to describe. I have daughters. The thought of losing one goes beyond where my mind can take me.

Approaching the head of the lake, the kayak suddenly lurched to a stop. The lake had been drawn down, and I’d run into thin water. The PDL drive extends about 18 inches under the boat and had dug into the mud, which was flowering around the boat like a black cloud.

“I know,” Carol wrote, “it’s a very sad time for you, but aren’t memories great from a loved one!!”

She went on to share a bit about her daughter and the illness that had claimed her life, her daughter’s unbending Christian faith, and hope in life to come.

“So hang in there,” Carol concluded, “enjoy each and every day that we have with our families … as we keep our loved ones in our hearts and souls forever.”

It was the best advice I’d heard recently. I extracted the boat from the mud and decided to follow it.

You should, too. We all should.

Readers may contact Gary Garth at editor@kentuckymonthly.com

F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 3 • K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY

45

CALENDAR

8

Let’s Go

December Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

1.

Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing Winterfest Southern Kentucky Craft 2018, Main Street, Lights, Kentucky Luminaries, Pikeville, Horse Park, Frazier History through Dec. 31, Lexington, Museum, (606) 437-5129 through Dec. 31, Louisville, (859) 255-5727 through March 23, (502) 753-5663

A Victorian Christmas, White Hall State Historic Site, Richmond, also Dec. 7-8 and 14-15, (859) 623-9178



2.

3.

9.

10.

Junie B. Jones Sleep, presented Rudolph the Christmas A Grassical – Jingle Bells,

by Louder Red-Nosed with Exile, The Christmas, Batman Smells, Than Life, Reindeer Center for Rural Glema Mahr Paramount Arts Brown Theatre, Musical, EKU Development, Center for the Arts, Center, Ashland, Louisville, Center for the Arts, Somerset, Madisonville, (606) 324-0007 (502) 584-7777 Richmond, (606) 679-6394 (270) 824-8650 (859) 622-7469

11.

12.

13.

14.

Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver: A Bluegrass Christmas, Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum, Owensboro, (270) 926-7891

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

21.

22.

23.

24.

1

Family Fun Sunday: Handmade Christmas Cards, Oldham County History Center, La Grange, (502) 222-0826

Return to Bethlehem, First Baptist Church, Madisonville, through Dec. 11, (270) 821-3611

0

Saturday

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Musical, Brown Theatre, Louisville, (502) 584-7777

4.

8.

A Christmas Carol, EKU Center for the Arts, Richmond, (859) 622-7469

Kentucky Dulcimers Gatherin’, General Butler State Resort Park, Carrollton, (502) 732-4384

Candlelight Tour, Riverview at Hobson Grove, (270) 843-5565

The Polar Express, Paramount Arts Center, Ashland, (606) 324-0007

15.

Yule Ball, Murder Louisville Palace, Mystery, My Old Louisville, Kentucky Dinner (502) 883-5774 Train, Bardstown, (502) 348-7300



25.

Christmas Christmas Eve Day

2

30.

46

Tyler Childers, Louisville Palace, Louisville, (502) 883-5774

31.

New Year’s Eve

Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing Louis to Le Scaled to Christmas in Mans: History Perfection: the Park, of Chevrolet Miniatures, Freeman Lake Racing, National Kentucky Gateway Park, Corvette Museum, Museum, Elizabethtown, Bowling Green, Maysville, through Jan. 1, through Jan. 4, through May 31, (270) 765-2175 (270) 782-0800 (606) 564-5865

K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY • D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 8 / J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 9

29.

Kinky Boots, Carson Center, Paducah, (270) 908-2037

Ongoing Ongoing Innovators Off Spring: New Exhibit, Generations Kentucky Artisan Exhibit, Center, Berea, 21C Museum Hotel, through Feb. 27, Lexington, (859) 985-5448 through Feb. 27, (859) 899-6800

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

1.

Wednesday

2.

New Year’s Day

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

3.

4.

5.

10.

11.

12.

Cincinnati Beer Talk, Boone County Public Library, Burlington, (859) 342-2665

2

January

Early Winter Hike, Big Bone Lick State Historic Site, (859) 384-3522

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0

2nd Friday River City Bluegrass Jam, Powersports Rough Show, River Dam State Owensboro Resort Park, Convention Center, Falls of Rough, Owensboro, (270) 257-2311 (270) 297-9932

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14.

15.

16.

17.

Sweat, Market House Theatre, Paducah, through Jan. 26, (270) 444-6828

Gabriel Royal, Harlem Norton Center Globetrotters for the Arts, Tour, Danville, KFC Yum! Center, (859) 236-4692 Louisville, through Jan. 20, (502) 690-9000

18.

19.

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21.

22.

23.

24.

25.

26.

29.

30.

28.

Finding Neverland, Carson Center, Paducah, (270) 908-2037

Dorrance Dance, Brown Theatre, Louisville, (502) 584-7777

Bourbon Masters, Kentucky Derby Museum, Louisville, (502) 637-1111



27.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Chautauqua National Juried Art Exhibition, Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, through Feb. 14, (859) 622-1000

Concert: Boogie Woogie Kid, Boone County Public Library, Burlington, (859) 342-2665

Kentucky Symphony Orchestra Concert, Greaves Concert Hall, NKU, Highland Heights, (859) 431-6216

1

PBS Kids Live! Louisville Palace, Louisville, (502) 883-5774

Honk Jr., Paramount Arts Center, Ashland, (606) 324-0007

Daniel Tiger’s King for a Day, Carson Center, Paducah, (270) 908-2037

9

More to explore online!

Visit kentuckymonthly.com for additional content, including a calendar of events, feature stories and recipes.

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CALENDAR

Let’s Go

Let’s Go!

A guide to Kentucky’s most interesting events Bluegrass Region

1-9 Ralph Eugene Meatyard: Stages for Being, University of Kentucky Art Museum, Lexington, (859) 257-5716, finearts.uky.edu/artmuseum 1-14 Every Picture Tells a Story, Ashland: The Henry Clay Estate, Lexington, (859) 266-8581, henryclay.org

Ongoing Off Spring: New Generations Exhibit, 21C Museum Hotel, Lexington, through Feb. 27, (859) 899-6800, 21cmuseumhotels.com Innovators Exhibit, Kentucky Artisan Center, Berea, through Feb. 27, (859) 985-5448, kentuckyartisancenter.ky.gov Southern Lights, Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington, through Dec. 31, (859) 233-4303, kyhorsepark.com December

1-15 Story Time with Mrs. Santa Claus, Waveland State Historic Site, Lexington, (859) 272-3611, parks.ky.gov 1-16 Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, Waveland State Historic Site, Lexington, (859) 272-3611, parks.ky.gov 1-27 Artist Donald Perkins Exhibit: Arcadia, John G. Irvin Art Gallery, Lexington, (859) 253-6346 4 Christmas Tea, White Hall Shrine State Historic Site, Richmond, also Dec. 11, (859) 623-9178, parks.ky.gov

1 A Victorian Christmas, White Hall State Historic Site, Richmond, also Dec. 7-8 and 14-15, (859) 623-9178, parks.ky.gov

4 A Christmas Carol, EKU Center for the Arts, Richmond, (859) 622-7469, ekucenter.com

1 Holly Day Market, Rupp Arena, Lexington, (859) 233-4567, rupparena.com

6 Discovery Night: Festivals Around the World, Lexington Arts and Science Center, Lexington, (859) 252-5222, lasclex.org

1 Holiday Lunch, Woodford Reserve Distillery, Versailles, also Dec 7-8, 14-15, 21-22 and 28-29, (859) 879-1812, woodfordreserve.com

6 Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Rupp Arena, Lexington, (859) 233-4567, rupparena.com

1 ACMC Open House Gallery, Arts Council of Mercer County, Harrodsburg, (859) 613-0790, artscouncilofmercer.com

6-13 Trees and Traditions Tour, Waveland State Historic Site, Lexington, (859) 272-3611, parks.ky.gov

1 Harry Connick Jr., EKU Center for the Arts, Richmond, (859) 622-7469, ekucenter.com

7 Larry Sanders & Borderline Band, The Burgin Barn, Harrodsburg, (859) 748-5424, larryandborderline.com

1 Christmas Craft Fair, Christian Academy of Lawrenceburg, (502) 598-1914, christianacademylawrenceburgky.org 1 Celtic Woman: The Best of Christmas, Norton Center for the Arts, Danville, (859) 236-4692, nortoncenter.com 1-2 A Charlie Brown Christmas – Live on Stage! Lexington Children’s Theatre, Lexington, also Dec. 8, (859) 254-4546, lctonstage.org 1-2 A Christmas Carol, The Grand Theatre, Frankfort, (502) 352-7469, grandtheatrefrankfort.org

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Center for the Arts, Richmond, (859) 622-7469, ekucenter.com

12 Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Musical, EKU Center for the Arts, Richmond, (859) 622-7469, ekucenter.com 12 Feed the Soul Lunch & Music Series, Lyric Theatre, Lexington, (859) 280-2218, lexingtonlyric.com 13 Mrs. Lincoln’s Birthday, Mary Todd Lincoln House, Lexington, (859) 233-9999, mtlhouse.org 14 Exile, The Grand Theatre, Frankfort, (502) 352-7469, grandtheatrefrankfort.org 14-16 The Nutcracker, Lexington Opera House, Lexington, also Dec. 21-23, (859) 233-4567, lexingtonoperahouse.com 15 Jason Isbell, EKU Center for the Arts, Richmond, (859) 622-7469, ekucenter.com 15-16 Jack and the Wonder Beans, Lexington Children’s Theatre, Lexington, (859) 254-4546, lctonstage.org 21 Planetarium Pop-Up: Seasons of Light, Living Arts and Science Center, Lexington, (859) 252-5222, lasclex.org 31 Steve Ladd/Tribute Quartet Gospel Concert, Sand Spring Baptist Church, Lawrenceburg, (502) 598-3127, sandspring.org 31 New Year’s Eve: Tango Caliente!

Lexington Opera House, Lexington, (859) 233-4567, lexingtonoperahouse.com January

7-8 18th Century Christmas, Fort Boonesborough State Park, Richmond, (859) 527-3131, parks.ky.gov

5 Concert with the Stars, Lexington Opera House, Lexington, (859) 233-4567, lexingtonoperahouse.com

7-9 A Christmas Carol, Ragged Edge Theatre, Harrodsburg, (859) 734-2389, raggededgetheatre.org

18 Gabriel Royal, Norton Center for the Arts, Danville, (859) 236-4692, nortoncenter.com

7-19 Candlelight Tours, Ward Hall, Georgetown, (502) 863-5356, wardhall.net

18-19 Kinky Boots, Lexington Opera House, Lexington, (859) 233-4567, lexingtonoperahouse.com

8 Model Trains Exhibit, downtown Midway, (859) 552-1377, meetmeinmidway.com 8 A Magical Cirque Christmas, EKU

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22 Chautauqua National Juried Art Exhibition, Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, through Feb. 14, (859) 622-1000, chautauqua.eku.edu

26 Rapunzel, Lexington Children’s Theatre, Lexington, (859) 254-4546, lctonstage.org February

6 Trey McLaughlin, Norton Center for the Arts, Danville, (859) 236-4692, nortoncenter.com 7 Legally Blonde – The Musical, EKU Center for the Arts, Richmond, (859) 622-7469, ekucenter.com 8 Brahms’ First, presented by the Lexington Philharmonic, Singletary Center, Lexington, (859) 233-4226, lexphil.org 9 Sleeping Beauty, presented by the Lexington Ballet, Lexington Opera House, Lexington, (859) 233-4567, lexingtonoperahouse.com 9 Peg and Cat Live, Norton Center for the Arts, Danville, (859) 236-4692, nortoncenter.com

Louisville Region

1-2 Louisville Supercon, Kentucky International Convention Center, Louisville, (502) 509-4065, louisvillesupercon.com

11 Sleep, presented by Louder Than Life, Brown Theatre, Louisville, (502) 584-7777, kentuckycenter.org

1-14 Archies Comics Exhibit, Jeffersontown Branch, Louisville Free Public Library, Jeffersontown, (502) 261-8290, jeffersontownky.gov

12 A Christmas Carol’s American Roots Discussion, Filson Historical Society, Louisville, (502) 635-5083, filsonhistorical.org

1-21 North Pole Express and Santa Express, Kentucky Railway Museum, New Haven, (502) 549-5470, kyrail.org 1-29 America to Zanzibar: Muslim Cultures Near and Far Exhibit, Muhammad Ali Center, Louisville, (502) 992-5334, alicenter.org 2 Family Fun Sunday: Handmade Christmas Cards, Oldham County History Center, La Grange, (502) 222-0826, oldhamcountyhistoricalsociety.org 4 Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening, Louisville Palace, Louisville, (502) 883-5774, louisvillepalace.com 6 Open House, Jailer’s Inn, Bardstown, (502) 348-5551, jailersinn.com

Ongoing

6 Luncheon Lecture Series, University Club, University of Louisville, Louisville, (502) 852-2247, louisville.edu

Modern Masterworks from Eskenazi, Speed Art Museum, Louisville, through Jan. 12, (502) 634-2700, speedmuseum.org

7-22 Elfapalooza, Galt House Hotel, Louisville, (502) 589-5200, galthouse.com

Kentucky Craft Luminaries, Frazier History Museum, Louisville, through March 23, (502) 753-5663, fraziermuseum.org

8 Christmas Tour of Homes, various locations in the Bardstown area, (502) 348-4877, visitbardstown.com

Christmas in the Park, Freeman Lake Park, Elizabethtown, through Jan. 1, (270) 765-2175, touretown.com

8 Comedian Randy Rainbow, Brown Theatre, Louisville, (502) 584-7777, kentuckycenter.org

December

1 Beautiful Music of Christmas, Basilica of St. Joseph Proto-Cathedral, Springfield, (859) 481-7094, centralkytheatre.com

8 Wreath-making Workshop, Oldham County History Center, La Grange, (502) 2220826, oldhamcountyhistoricalsociety.org 8 Bob Seger, KFC Yum! Center, Louisville, (502) 690-9000, kfcyumcenter.com

12 Jim Brinkman – A Joyful Christmas Live, The Brown Theatre, Louisville, (502) 584-7777, jimbrickman.com 14-15 Live Nativity, Bardstown Baptist Church, Bardstown, (502) 348-4877, bardstownbaptist.org 15 Santa on the Square, downtown Bardstown, (502) 350-6176, bardstownchamber.com 16 Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Musical, Brown Theatre, Louisville, (502) 584-7777, kentuckycenter.org 21 Yule Ball, Louisville Palace, Louisville, (502) 883-5774, louisvillepalace.com 22 Murder Mystery, My Old Kentucky Dinner Train, Bardstown, (502) 348-7300, kydinnertrain.com 30 Tyler Childers, Louisville Palace, Louisville, (502) 883-5774, louisvillepalace.com 31 Dancing Through the Decades New Year’s Eve Party, Galt House Hotel, Louisville, (502) 589-5200, galthouse.com 31 New Year’s Eve Celebration, Rough River Dam State Resort Park, Falls of Rough, (270) 257-2311, parks.ky.gov January

1 New Year’s Day Buffet, Galt House Hotel, Louisville, (502) 568-4241, galthouse.com 11 2nd Friday Bluegrass Jam, Rough River Dam State Resort Park, Falls of Rough, (270) 257-2311, parks.ky.gov

1 Breakfast with the Grinch, Oldham County History Center, La Grange, (502) 2220826, oldhamcountyhistoricalsociety.org

8 Second Saturday, downtown Elizabethtown, (270) 765-2175, touretown.com

19-20 Harlem Globetrotters Tour, KFC Yum! Center, Louisville, (502) 690-9000, kfcyumcenter.com

1 Supper with Santa, Grayson’s Landing Restaurant, Rough River Dam State Resort Park, Falls of Rough, (270) 257-2311, parks.ky.gov

8 Breakfast with Santa, Galt House Hotel, Louisville, also Dec. 15 and 22, (502) 589-5200, galthouse.com

21 PBS Kids Live! Louisville Palace, Louisville, (502) 883-5774, louisvillepalace.com

1-2 Greetings, Henry Clay Theatre, Louisville, also Dec. 6-9 and 13-16, (502) 585-5306, bunburytheatre.org

8-9 Mrs. Julia Beckham’s Christmas Tea, Wickland, Home of Three Governors, Bardstown, (502) 507-0808, historicwickland.com

1-2 The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, Shelby County Community Theatre, Shelbyville, also Dec. 6-9, (502) 633-0222, shelbytheatre.org

9 Christmas by Candlelight, Bardstown United Methodist Church, Bardstown, (502) 507-1981, bardstownmethodist.org

1-2 Old Louisville Holiday Home Tour, Historic Old Louisville Visitors Center, Louisville, (502) 635-5244, oldlouisville.org

9 15th Anniversary Open House, Pyro Gallery, Louisville, (502) 426-1328, pyrogallery.com

23 Dorrance Dance, Brown Theatre, Louisville, (502) 584-7777, kentuckycenter.org 24 Bourbon Masters, Kentucky Derby Museum, Louisville, (502) 637-1111, derbymuseum.org February

3 Cher, KFC Yum! Center, Louisville, (502) 690-9000, kfcyumcenter.com

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Let’s Go 15 Rigoletto, presented by Kentucky Opera, Brown Theatre, Louisville, (502) 584-7777, kentuckycenter.org

Northern Region

Ongoing Scaled to Perfection: Gallery of Miniatures, Kentucky Gateway Museum, Maysville, through May 31, (606) 564-5865, ksbminiaturescollection.com December

1 A Country Christmas, downtown Williamstown, (859) 824-3322 1 Murder Mystery Dinner Theater, Clooney Community Center, Augusta, (606) 756-2183, augustaky.com 6 Reindeer Games, Boone County Public Library, Burlington, (859) 342-2665, boone.libnet.info/events 6-9 An Old Kentucky Christmas, Burlington, (859) 586-4673, anoldkentuckychristmas.com 8 Northern Kentucky University Dance Troupe Performance, Behringer-Crawford Museum, Covington, (859) 491-4003, bcmuseum.org 8 Augusta Rotary Club’s White Christmas Parade 2018, Main Street, Augusta, (606) 756-2183, facebook.com/ events/1875681845857928 14 Friday Live Tunes, General Butler State Resort Park, Carrollton, (502) 732-4384, parks.ky.gov 14 Boutique Holiday Music, Boone County Public Library, Burlington, (859) 342-2665, boone.libnet.info/events 15 Christmas Home Tour, Augusta, (606) 756-2183, augustaky.com 18 Kentucky Dulcimers Gatherin’, General Butler State Resort Park, Carrollton, (502) 732-4384, parks.ky.gov 28 Jake Speed, Behringer-Crawford Museum, Covington, (859) 491-4003, bcmuseum.org 31 Kid-Friendly New Year’s Eve, Behringer-Crawford Museum, Covington, (859) 491-4003, bcmuseum.org 31 New Year’s Eve Play & Dance,

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K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY • D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 8 / J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 9

General Butler State Resort Park, Carrollton, (502) 732-4384, parks.ky.gov January

3 Cincinnati Beer Talk, Boone County Public Library, Burlington, (859) 342-2665, boone.libnet.info/events 5 Early Winter Hike, Big Bone Lick State Historic Site, Union, (859) 384-3522, parks.ky.gov 12-13 Hunchback of Notre Dame, Carnegie Visual & Performing Arts, Covington, also Jan. 18-20 and 25-27, (859) 957-1940, thecarnegie.com 25 Concert: Boogie Woogie Kid, Boone County Public Library, Burlington, (859) 342-2665, boone.libnet.info/events 26 Kentucky Symphony Orchestra Concert, Greaves Concert Hall, Northern Kentucky University, Highland Heights, (859) 431-6216, kyso.org February

1 Film: A Woman Called Moses, Kenton County Library, Covington, (859) 962-4060, kentonlibrary.org

10 Polished Brass Concert, Boone County Public Library, Florence, (859) 342-2665, boone.libnet.info/events

Western Region

7-15 The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, Theatre Workshop of Owensboro, Owensboro, (270) 683-5333, theatreworkshop.org 7-15 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, Playhouse in the Park, Murray, (270) 759-1752, playhousemurray.org 8 The Del McCoury Band, Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum, Owensboro, (270) 926-7891, bluegrasshall.org

December

1 Little Rembrandts – Reindeer on Canvas, John James Audubon State Park, Henderson, (270) 827-1893, parks.ky.gov 1 Movies for Me Series, Maiden Alley Cinema, Paducah, (270) 442-7723, maidenalleycinema.com 1-4 Market Days, Preservation Station, Owensboro, (270) 616-7007, visitpreservationstation.com

8 Paducah Symphony Orchestra, Carson Center, Paducah, (270) 908-2037, thecarsoncenter.org 8 Santa Visits the Park & Gift Shop Open House, Pennyrile State Resort Park, Dawson Springs, (270) 797-3421, parks.ky.gov 8 Christmas in Elkton and Parade, public square, Elkton, (270) 265-7070 9 Comedian Bill Engvall, Carson Center, Paducah, (270) 908-2037, thecarsoncenter.org

1-19 Miraculous Minis Exhibit, John James Audubon State Park, Henderson, (270) 827-1893, parks.ky.gov

9-11 Return to Bethlehem, First Baptist Church, Madisonville, (270) 821-3611, fbcmadisonville.com

7-8 Seasons Greetings, Purchase Players Community Performing Arts Center, Mayfield, (270) 251-9035, purchaseplayers.com

13 Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Musical, Carson Center, Paducah, (270) 908-2037, thecarsoncenter.org

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Let’s Go 14 A Grassical Christmas, Glema Mahr Center for the Arts, Madisonville, (270) 824-8650, glemacenter.org 15 Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver: A Bluegrass Christmas, Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum, Owensboro, (270) 926-7891, bluegrasshall.org 15 Winter Bazaar and Breakfast with Santa, Kenlake State Resort Park, Hardin, (270) 474-2211, parks.ky.gov 29 Kinky Boots, Carson Center, Paducah, (270) 908-2037, thecarsoncenter.org 31 Pennyrile Forest: New Year’s Eve Celebration, Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park, Dawson Springs, (270) 797-3421, parks.ky.gov 31 Barkley Bash 2018, Lake Barkley State Resort Park, Cadiz, (270) 924-1429, parks.ky.gov January

12 River City Powersports Show, Owensboro Convention Center, Owensboro, (270) 297-9932, owensborocenter.com 17-26 Sweat, Market House Theatre, Paducah, (270) 444-6828, markethousetheatre.org 19 The Grascals, Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum, Owensboro, (270) 926-7891, bluegrasshall.org 28 Finding Neverland, Carson Center, Paducah, (270) 908-2037, thecarsoncenter.org 30 Daniel Tiger’s King for a Day, Carson Center, Paducah, (270) 908-2037, thecarsoncenter.org February

7 Wizard of Oz, RiverPark Center, Owensboro, (270) 687-2787, riverparkcenter.org 11 Peg and Cat Live, Carson Center, Paducah, (270) 908-2037, thecarsoncenter.org

Southern Region

Ongoing Louis to Le Mans: History of Chevrolet Racing, National Corvette Museum, Bowling Green, through Jan. 4, (270) 782-0800, corvettemuseum.org

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December

1 Children’s Ornament Workshop, Riverview at Hobson Grove, (270) 843-5565, bgky.org/riverview 1 Christmas Marketplace, Old Glory Schoolhouse, Monticello, (606) 679-6394 1-18 Kaleidoscope: Kentucky Museum Quilts, Kentucky Museum, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, (270) 745-2592, wku.edu/kentuckymuseum 2 The Cocktail, Dueling Grounds Distillery, Franklin, (270) 776-9046, duelinggroundsdistillery.com 6 Ricky Skaggs, Campbellsville University, Campbellsville, (270) 789-5266, campbellsville.edu 6-7 Bright Star, Lindsey Wilson College, Columbia, (270) 427-6848, theatrefestatlwc.org 8 Candlelight Tour, Riverview at Hobson Grove, (270) 843-5565, bgky.org/riverview 13 Christmas with Exile, The Center for Rural Development, Somerset, (606) 679-6394, centertech.com 14 Elf the Musical Jr., presented by BG OnStage, Van Meter Hall, Western Kentucky

February

University, Bowling Green, (270) 904-1382, bgonstage.org

14-15 WinterFest, Lake Cumberland State Resort Park, Jamestown, (270) 343-3111, parks.ky.gov

2 Orchestra Kentucky Winter Dance Party, Southern Kentucky Performing Arts Center, Bowling Green, (270) 904-1880, theskypac.com

14-16 A Charlie Brown Christmas Live, The Historic Star Theater, Russell Springs, (270) 866-7827, startheater.org

8 Love Letters, The Center for Rural Development, Somerset, (606) 679-6394, centertech.com

15 Magical Christmas, downtown Burnside, (606) 561-7117, burnsidetourism.com

Eastern Region

15 Orchestra Kentucky Chorale Christmas Spectacular, Southern Kentucky Performing Arts Center, Bowling Green, (270) 904-1880, theskypac.com 20-30 Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley, Flash Back Theatre, Somerset, (606) 679-6394, flashbacktheater.co 21 3rd Friday Folk Coffeehouse, The Carnegie, Somerset, (606) 679-6394, lamay.com/3rdFridayFolk.htm January

24 Evita Live! Southern Kentucky Performing Arts Center, Bowling Green, (270) 904-1880, theskypac.com

Ongoing Winterfest 2018, Main Street, Pikeville, through Dec. 31, (606) 437-5129, visitpikeville.com December

1 Dumplin’s and Dancin’ Appalachian Food Weekend, Hindman Settlement School, Hindman, (606) 785-5475, hindmansettlement.org 1 Appalachian Holiday Arts and Crafts Fair, Morehead State University, Morehead, (606) 780-4342, moreheadstate.edu

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Let’s Go 1 A Christmas Carol, Paramount Arts Center, Ashland, (606) 324-0007, paramountartscenter.com 1 Billie Jean Osborne’s Kentucky Opry Christmas, Mountain Arts Center, Prestonsburg, also Dec. 7, (606) 886-2623, macarts.com 1-2 Chrismas Tour of Homes, various locations, Ashland, 1-800-377-6249, visitashlandky.com 1-2 Greenbo Holiday Open House, Greenbo Lake State Resort Park, Greenup, (606) 473-7324, parks.ky.gov 7-9 The Polar Express Train Ride, Big South Fork Scenic Railway, Stearns, also Dec. 14-23, (606) 657-9491, stearnsthepolarexpressride.com 8 Danny Gokey and Natalie Grant, Paramount Arts Center, Ashland, (606) 324-0007, paramountartscenter.com 8 Jingle Bell Charity Ball, Bluegrass RV Supercenter, 1-800-377-6249, visitashlandky.com 10 Junie B. Jones – Jingle Bells, Batman Smells, Paramount Arts Center, Ashland, (606) 324-0007, paramountartscenter.com 13 Cirque Musica, Eastern Kentucky Expo Center, Pikeville, (606) 444-5506, eastkyexpo.com 15 Breakfast with Santa Claus, Carter Caves State Resort Park, Olive Hill, (606) 286-4411, parks.ky.gov 20 Exile Christmas Spectacular, Mountain Arts Center, Prestonsburg, (606) 886-2623, macarts.com 20 The Polar Express, Paramount Arts Center, Ashland, (606) 324-0007, paramountartscenter.com

Kentucky BIC ENT ENN

ATIO IAL CEL EBR

21 David Phelps’ It Must Be Christmas, Paramount Arts Center, Ashland, (606) 324-0007, paramountartscenter.com

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MAY 2015

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STUNNING SCENERY fer rivers of w Kentucky wit h a vie a cr uis e

January Angela Correll

15 Honk Jr., Paramount Arts Center, Ashland, (606) 324-0007, paramountartscenter.com

l Kentucky Novee the Stag Comes to d Crafting Woo l Art into Functiona tta Savoring Goe ay Pursuit Thrilling Railw Display until

08/04/2015

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Then you’ll love Kentucky Monthly Magazine. Visit kentuckymonthly.com or call 1-888-329-0053 to subscribe Q 54

K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY • D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 8 / J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 9

17 Heather Land: I Ain’t Doin’ It Tour, Paramount Arts Center, Ashland, (606) 324-0007, paramountartscenter.com

For additional Calendar items or to submit an event, please visit kentuckymonthly.com.

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J U N E 2 0 0 8 • K E N T U C K Y M O N T H LY

XX

VOICES

Vested Interest

Leaves Have Fallen

Hillbilly’s Fried Chicken Express in Ennis, Ireland. The term “hillbilly” originated in Ireland and Scotland.

T

here are nine trees surrounding my house. There are four in the front, three on the side and two in the back. Most are oak; a few are maple.

The first leaf falls in early October. By Election Day, they are peppering the lawn. By Thanksgiving, the leaves have all fallen, and I’ve spent at least two full weekends and several evenings moving them from the yard to the curb with the Black & Decker leaf blower my wife got me for my birthday.

On occasion, I have cleared my yard of every single red, yellow and brown leaf only to see the yard covered again from the wind of an overnight storm. When all the leaves are at the curb, I have enough to mound a four-foot-high leaf wall around my property, creating the illusion of an Irish hedgerow.

When we first moved in, my next-door neighbor greeted us with a warning. “Nice to meet you, Steve,” he said. “You have many leaves.”

As with cutting the grass, I enjoy my thoughts being hidden by the roaring hum of the blower. I am able to sort through problems and concerns, and sometimes I actually think of possible solutions. When I don’t, I pray.

••• Eighty-nine Kentucky Monthly readers spent a week in October searching for Kentucky in Ireland. We found it in

the music, the horses and especially the humor.

“Ya know … they were going to make a sequel to The Quiet Man, you know, the 1952 film with John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara. It’s a classic to be sure,” said our guide, Paul. “They were going to call the sequel The Quiet Woman—but search as they might, they couldn’t find one.”

One of the great similarities between “we and STEPHEN M. VEST the Irish” is the habit of Publisher & Editor-in-Chief “claiming kin.” We do it in Kentucky Monthly by celebrating those Kentuckians who may have lived here only a short while. In Ireland, they take it to extremes. The headline on one social page read: “Irish American Will Ferrell tapped for future film.” Ferrell, a former Saturday Night Live star, may have Irish roots, as do many of us, but it’s a connection that’s probably generations removed.

We visited the site of the Battle of the Boyne, which took place in 1690 between the armies of King James II and William of Orange. William, whose forces won, became a hero and was known in Ireland and Scotland as King Billy.

When his Protestant followers migrated to America in the 1700s, they brought with them songs about “Billy.” When they eventually settled in the mountains of western Pennsylvania and eastern Kentucky and Tennessee, the music they sang became known as hillbilly music, and over time, the people became known as hillbillies.

At the Slane Distillery, co-owned by Louisville’s BrownForman, we found Kentucky in the equipment, the white oak staves and the hospitality, as we did at the Pearse Lyons Distillery in Dublin, which stands as a memorial to Dr. Lyons, an Irishman who made central Kentucky his home.

He and his company, Alltech, brought the World Equestrian Games to the Kentucky Horse Park in 2010.

If you’re interested, there are some great photos of the trip on the Kentucky Monthly Magazine Facebook page.

You’ll find them in the album, “20th Anniversary Trip to Ireland.”

People have asked where we’re going next. I’m not sure.

Some people have suggested we do a trip every couple of years. Some suggested Italy and others Alaska or New England. Where would you like to go?

Readers, and those looking for a speaker for a church or civic group, may contact Stephen M. Vest at steve@kentuckymonthly.com

DECEMBER/JANUARY KWIZ ANSWERS: 1. B. Jeannie’s bottle was a hand-painted Jim Beam decanter that is now on display at the Smithsonian Institution; 2. A. Among the bells created by Bevin’s company are all those used by the Salvation Army at Christmastime and the one signifying that the angel Clarence got his wings in the 1946 classic It’s A Wonderful Life; 3. C. Harrodsburg was also known as Harrodstown and/or Harrod’s Town; 4. C. Silver; 5. A. The pods are difficult to crack open by most creatures, but eating unroasted seeds can cause serious health problems or death; 6. B. While the U.S. Air Force’s Project Blue Book may have been chasing a top-secret Skyhook balloon, no definitive explanation has been given for what became known as a UFO; 7. C. Brohm took the Louisville Cardinals to the 1993 Liberty Bowl; 8. C. While Arkansas first became a state in 1836 and then again after the Civil War, it did not have an official state flag until Hocker designed it; 9. B. Celtics Coach Red Auerbach felt it was more important to have a fresh Ramsey in at the end of the game than at the beginning; 10. A. John Simms “Shipwreck” Kelly was considered “the fastest man in the South,” running a 100-yard dash in 9.8 seconds.

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