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Lexington’s First Airport was at Halley Field

The entrance to the Meadowthorpe neighborhood. Author’s collection.

Last month, a historic marker was dedicated at the Lexington intersection of Leestown Road at Boiling Springs Drive. The spot marks the entrance to Lexington’s first true subdivision: Meadowthorpe.

In a chapter on the Bluegrass region in Lost Lexington, I mentioned the Meadowthorpe neighborhood and the historic airport. From Lost Lexington: 

In the early 1950s, Lexington’s first true subdivision was developed off Leestown Road. The subdivision was named Meadowthorpe, after the large residence associated with the equine stock–farm that once operated there. The area was also once the site of Lexington’s first municipal airport, Halley’s Field. It was here that Charles Lindbergh secretly arrived to visit his friend in 1928. Despite an attempt at secrecy for Lindbergh’s visit, word spread of the famous aviator’s arrival and three thousand witnessed the challenging takeoff from the open field that was bounded by both tree and telephone wires. Subdivision of the farm and the erection of houses at Meadowthorpe began in late 1949, with the subdivision’s first homes being constructed from the limestone fences that once dotted the farm’s landscape. At the time, living in Meadowthorpe was still considered “rural living.”

Historic marker of “Lexington’s First Airport” at Meadowthorpe. Author’s collection.

The historic marker, #2440, offers this history:

Halley Field, Lexington’s first municipal airport, was located on Meadowthorpe Farm, owned by Dr. Samuel Halley. Although aircraft landed here as early as 1921, it officially opened May 28, 1927 and was dedicated June 10, 1927. World-famous aviator Charles Lindbergh landed here on March 28, 1928. Over.

(Reverse) Halley Field hosted air circuses, air shows, flight training, sight-seeing tours and small airlines. It reverted back to farmland in 1934 and became a subdivision in 1949. Meadowthorpe Farm included a two-story Greek Revival house, later purchased and enlarged by Col. James E. Pepper, distiller and owner/breeder of Thoroughbreds.

This post includes an excerpt from Lost Lexington, Kentucky.

Lexington has dozens of well-restored landmarks, but so many more are lost forever. The famous Phoenix Hotel, long a stop for weary travelers and politicians alike, has risen from its own ashes numerous times over the past centuries. The works of renowned architect John McMurtry were once numerous around town, but some of the finest examples are gone. The Centrepointe block has been made and unmade so many times that its original tenants are unknown to natives now.
Click here for details on author events and purchase info!

Nicholasville House Burns and is Quickly Demolished

At the corner of First and Walnut streets in Nicholasville stood a home of many-additions, the first of which was constructed in 1804. That original structure – a log cabin – was built in a year that was only six years after Jessamine County was carved from Fayette and Nicholasville was founded (though Nicholasville wouldn’t be incorporated for another 33 years).

A fire of unknown cause ripped through the structure on Thursday evening drawing a mutual aid by the Nicholasville Fire Department call that was responded to by the fire departments of Wilmore, Jessamine County, and Lexington.

A pile of debris from the old ca. 1804 log cabin.

By Friday morning, a structure emerged that was badly charred. Without a doubt, the many additions would need to be demolished. But the log cabin which had withstood over 200 years of history and two other major fires seemed resilient. It might be able to be preserved.

The logs had been cut and hewn by hand. The trees from which those timbers came could have stood several hundred years before the trees were felled. If the log cabin couldn’t have been reclaimed, those logs could have perhaps been rebuilt on the same or another site. Or the logs could have been repurposed and reclaimed in other ways.

It would have taken preservationists only a few days to determine if some form of salvage was possible.

But those few days weren’t to happen. Despite attempting to save at least the old log cabin for a few days, the entire property was razed early Saturday morning.

The following video is just under 2 minutes in length and it contains some additional images and video which I took on my multiple trips to the site over the weekend.

The history of Nicholasville suggests a series of owners to the property. The most notable resident, though of whom little is truly known, was Lady Sterling who was born here. As an adult, she “became a lady in fashionable society in St. Louis, and later the wife of an English Lord, and the mistress of a superb mansion in London society.”

Recognizing Kentucky American Indians beyond November

By Helen Danser, Chair, Kentucky Native American Heritage Commission

American Indian Heritage Month has been observed in Kentucky each November since 1998, designated again recently by Gov. Steve Beshear. According to the gubernatorial proclamation, “American Indians have lived in Kentucky for more than 12,000 years… Kentucky’s American Indian heritage enriches the lives of Kentuckians and is worth preserving.”

This coincides with the national observance which, according to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, started at the turn of the 20th century as an effort to gain a day of recognition for the significant contributions the first Americans made to the establishment and growth of the U.S.

President Barack Obama noted in his 2014 proclamation, “As we celebrate the rich traditions of the original peoples of what is now the United States, we cannot forget the long and unfortunate chapters of violence, discrimination, and deprivation they had to endure… but as we work together to forge a brighter future, the lessons of our past can help reaffirm the principles that guide our Nation today.”

These are sobering words I take very seriously as chair of the Kentucky Native American Heritage Commission, established in 1996 to promote awareness of significant Native American influences within the historical and cultural experiences of our Commonwealth. The commission is attached to the Kentucky Heritage Council/State Historic Preservation Office (KHC) and made up of 16 appointed members, eight of Native American heritage, representing institutions of higher learning, the preservation or archaeological communities, the arts community and the public at large.

The commission has been working hard to fulfill our mission of advocacy, having met recently with the Education and Workforce Development Cabinet and the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to raise awareness of American Indians residing in our state and help link these individuals to services they may need, given particular health and social issues associated with their ancestry.

But education is our main focus, especially the need to refute pervasive myths and stereotypes that continue to be perpetuated in modern culture, to an alarming degree. We have made it a priority to address these through presentations at public schools and put tools into the hands of teachers so they can do so, as well. The commission’s education committee is working on a curriculum about Kentucky Native Americans geared to Common Core standards, which would enhance history curriculum already in place. And we are working actively with several school-related sports teams to encourage them to do away with inappropriately themed mascots.

Recently we were successful in having a commission representative appointed to the Governors Interstate Indian Council, which met recently in conjunction with the National Congress of the American Indian. The commission has also recently been accepted into the Southeastern caucus of the council, thus officially recognizing us as the Indian commission for Kentucky. This is important because the commission is not a tribe, as are most other members, and this gives us a voice at the national level to bring forth issues those of us in Kentucky face related to tribal or social service needs.

Many Kentucky American Indians are descendants of those who marched along the Trail of Tears, which forced tribes west as part of the Indian Removal Act of 1830.This tragic chapter in American history resulted not just in the eradication of Cherokees from our state, but also others including original Kentucky tribes Shawnee, Chickasaw and Yuchi. Some returned in later years, and today according to the Census Bureau, more than 30 tribes are integrated in Kentucky’s population. A number of these individuals are recognized as members of either federally or state-recognized tribes living off reservation.

Advocating for legislative approval of a legal definition of “American Indian” has been a longstanding effort by the commission, and we have made the case that Kentucky should simply adopt the federal Census Bureau language, which defines an American Indian as someone having origins in any of the original peoples of North, Central and South America, who maintains tribal affiliation or community attachment, and is a legal resident of the United States.

Adopting a definition would serve as acknowledgement and validation that American Indians do, in fact, reside in Kentucky, and reinforce that we have, indeed, been an integral and distinguished part of its history, and now represent a vital part of the present and future of our Commonwealth.

Helen Danser

If you would like to become involved in our work, contact KHC staff coordinator Tressa Brown at [email protected], or 502-564-7005, ext. 125, or visit www.heritage.ky.gov.


Helen Danser, of Tyner, is chair of the Kentucky Native American Heritage Commission and is of Cherokee descent.


The foregoing post is adapted from a press release issued by the Kentucky Heritage Counsel/State Historic Preservation Office on December 3, 2014.

A deTour of Temple Adath Israel TONIGHT

Lexington’s first Jewish congregation was and is the Temple Adath Israel. It was established formally in 1904 “for the purpose of religious services, a Sabbath school and other matters pertaining to the moral elevation among the Jewish people of Lexington and Central Kentucky.”

Temple Adath Israel is affiliated with the Union for Reform Judaism. According to reformjudaism.org, that movement of Judaism aims “to introduce innovation while preserving tradition, to embrace diversity while asserting commonality, to affirm beliefs without rejecting those who doubt, and to bring faith to sacred texts without sacrificing critical scholarship.”

Tonight at 5:30 p.m. the Blue Grass Trust’s deTours program will host its monthly event at Temple Adath Israel’s historic sanctuary which is located in Lexington at 124 North Ashland Avenue. Specific event details are available at www.facebook.com/BGTdeTours or by calling the BGT office at (859) 253-0362.

The congregation first met in 1903, before charter in “a rented lodge hall on short Street in downtown Lexington, where a dozen of the it’s most prominent Jewish residents met to hold services, listen to the lecture of a visiting rabbi, and set in motion the establishment of a new congregation” according to the book The Synagogues of Kentucky. The congregation constructed and began worshiping in a synagogue on Maryland Avenue in 1904 in what was the first physical synagogue in Lexington; that structure is still standing.

Temple Adath Israel Sanctuary prior to remodeling. UK Libraries.

The only physical sign that the Maryland Avenue synagogue was a Jewish house of worship was “nothing more than a wooden sign near its door.” That sign has been on display at the Ashland Avenue synagogue since the congregation relocated to the location in 1926.

Sanctuary of Temple Adath Israel, ca. 2014. Author’s collection.

The Ashland Avenue facilities were expanded in 1950 and 1955, but those additions were removed when the entire complex was remodeled in 1984. At that time, the sanctuary was also partially remodeled with changes including the removal of the old pipe organ.

The congregation and its members have played a vital role in Lexington’s growth as well as our community’s commercial and spiritual activities.

We hope to see everyone tonight at the Blue Grass Trust deTour which begins at 5:30. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/BGTdeTours or call the BGT office at (859) 253-0362.

Lost Lexington Signing at Joseph Beth TONIGHT

What is currently scheduled as my last 2014 book signing of Lost Lexington will be this evening at Joseph Beth Booksellers in Lexington Green, 161 Lexington Green Circle, Lexington.

I’ll be discussing, reading from, and signing Lost Lexington beginning at 7 p.m.

Hope to see you there!!

Read a little more about Lost Lexington, plus links to media coverage by clicking here.

Support the Fayette Courthouse … TONIGHT

How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.

That’s the approach my grandfather took when tackling a big problem. And that’s the approach that Lexington will need to take in order to save the historic 1898 courthouse in the heart of Lexington.

It is time to take a bite and a step toward preservation of this important structure which served as the center of Fayette County’s governance for over a century.

The Lexington-Fayette UCG is requesting a $200,000 grant from the EPA’s Brownfields Program.
Brownfields are “real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant” according to the EPA’s website.

The old courthouse, as has been well-documented and reported since the building’s public closure in 2012, contains a significant amount of lead-based paint, mold, asbestos, and guano (bird poop).

The city’s Division of Historic Preservation describes the old courthouse as a “property of extreme importance architecturally and/or historically.” There can be no doubt: the 1898 courthouse is significant and worthy of being preserved and restored. I don’t know what the ultimate use for this important structure will be, but nothing can be done unless and until the property is cleaned up and stabilized. Obtaining funds from the EPA Brownfields Program is a crucial step toward accomplishing the goal.

I was quite honored to read that much of the building’s history that was contained in the Brownfield Application references The Kaintuckeean‘s March 1, 2012 post.  If you are unfamiliar with the courthouse’s links to Tibetan palaces and the Canterbury Tales, then you should click through and read the history.

But here’s what you can do to help the grand old courthouse: Show your support for the Grant Application. In person, come tonight at 5:30 p.m. (December 1) to the public meeting (they are accepting public comment) to the third floor Phoenix Building conference room, 101 East Vine Street. Online, you can make your public comments (or statement of support) by sending an email to [email protected].

And for more details about Brownfields Application, visit www.LexingtonKY.gov/brownfields.

A Little Thanksgiving History

The First Thanksgiving 1621 by Jean Leon Jerome Ferris.

Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday of November, 1863 to be a day of “Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.” It established Thanksgiving as an annual holiday in the United States.

From the days of the Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress or Congress or a president would declare “national days of prayer, humiliation, and thanksgiving” at various times through the years.

Governors of the various states, too, thought it appropriate to give thanks. Governor Robert P. Letcher proclaimed the First Thanksgiving Day in Kentucky back on September 26, 1844.

Of course, Thanksgiving is traditionally recognized as having been a harmonious celebration between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Indians in the Massachusetts Colony. In reality, the Pilgrims celebrated a successful harvest. That “thanksgiving” lasted three days.

The only contemporary account of the 1621 Thanksgiving was in a letter written back to England by Edward Winslow in which he noted that “although it be not always so plentiful as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from want that we often wish you were partakers of our plenty.”

The plentiful harvest would have been especially important given that the prior winter bore witness to the death of half of the Pilgrims’ number. Those colonists would not repeat Thanksgiving as an annual tradition, contrary to modern lore.

Read more about Thanksgiving’s history, about Franksgiving, and remember to #ShopSmall by supporting local businesses on #SmallBusinessSaturday — all at

You can read the rest of my Thanksgiving column from this week’s Jessamine Journal (November 27, 2014) by clicking here. There you’ll learn more about Thanksgiving’s history and about Franksgiving. Plus, a reminder to #ShopSmall by supporting local businesses on #SmallBusinessSaturday!

Jack Jouett: Portrait of An American Hero

No portrait of Captain Jack Jouett was ever painted; his profile is known only through a silhouette. His story, like his face, have been by and large forgotten by history at-large. But for those who recall the tale of Captain Jouett, he has been remembered as the “Paul Revere of the South.”

Silhouette of Capt. Jack Jouett

Jouett, a Virginian by birth, heard that the British were coming one night while sleeping at the Cuckoo Tavern in Louisa County, Virginia. He hurried on a 40-mile ride to Charlottesville on the back of his bay mare, Sally. His rush to was to warn the members of the Virginia legislature and Thomas Jefferson that the British were headed in their direction with the intent of capturing the Patriots. All but seven legislators successfully escaped thanks to Jouett’s heroics. (Jefferson leisurely stayed at Monticello and escaped himself by horseback with only second to spare, but Jouett definitely warned him!)

A new children’s book published this year, Jack Jouett: Portrait of An American Hero
tells the story of this brave man, his devoted horse and the daring midnight ride of June 3, 1781. Recommended for readers ages 8-12, the story is told from the perspective of Matthew Jouett (the Captain’s son).

Jouett and his family would relocate to Kentucky. Captain Jack Jouett lived in Woodford County but passed away while visiting a daughter in Bath County. He was buried on her farm.

Matthew Jouett tells the story of his father almost regretfully. A celebrated painter who created wonderful portraits of many of Kentucky’s notable citizens never had his father in the studio for a portrait painting. As a result, the only ‘image’ of Captain Jack Jouett is the silhouette cut by Matthew.

So as the title of the book suggests, Matthew set out to create a portrait of his father by telling the story of what the elder Jouett has done. The story is delightfully told and the pencil illustrations by Rebecca Blair carry the reader back to that night in 1781.

An excellent little read for young children through which they can learn about one of history’s great untold stories.

And best of all, the book – penned in reality by Martha J. Hutcherson – was a commissioned project by the Jack Jouett House Historic Site in Woodford County. That means that much of the proceeds from the sale of Jack Jouett: Portrait of An American Hero go to the ongoing programming and maintenance of that historic place.

Fighting to Save a Kentucky Landmark: Ridgeway

On Veterans Day, the Harrison County Fiscal Court chose to ‘honor’ the memory of one of Kentucky’s most prominent Veterans by voting to demolish his residence, Ridgeway (aka The Handy House), just 3 years shy of its 200th birthday. This former home of U.S. Congressman and War of 1812 Veteran, Colonel William Brown, sits at the top of a hill in the ‘new’ Flat Run Veterans Park off Oddville Pike, heading out of Cynthiana. The park has existed for nearly ten years, but it remains unfinished, and the local population has been divided on what to do with this structurally sound, but cosmetically challenged historic treasure.

The history of the house is quite remarkable. As mentioned above, the original owner was U.S. Congressman and War of 1812 Veteran, Colonel William Brown. He was an attorney and close friend of Henry Clay. Both served in the 16th Congress, which established the Missouri Compromise. Colonel Brown’s wife, Harriet Warfield, was the sister of Lexington’s Dr. Elisha Warfield. He is well known as the owner of the famed racehorse Lexington and as the physician who delivered Mary Todd Lincoln.

 
 

Thus began the Brown family’s connection to the Todd/Lincoln families. As Kentuckians migrated west, many families moved into the Illinois territory. The Brown family began this move as did some of the Todds. At this time, Colonel Brown was also leaning toward an anti-slavery stance, despite owning 30 slaves at Ridgeway. As he relocated his family, he freed his slaves and brought a few of them along to work as employed free men. The sons and nephew of the Colonel got caught up in the Black Hawk War and fought alongside another new Kentucky emigrant, Abraham Lincoln. The comrades in arms formed long lasting friendships, and Lincoln accompanied the Brown family men back to their new property to help clear it after the war, alongside Ridgeway’s former slaves.

As the years went by, evidence of Lincoln’s friendship with this family can be found in many ways.

When Lincoln was running for office for the first time in 1858, he wrote to the Colonel’s son (Capt. James N. Brown), assuring him of his stance on slavery:

I believe the declara[tion] that ‘all men are created equal’ is the great fundamental principle upon which our free institutions rest.

After Lincoln’s assassination, James was personally selected by Mary Todd Lincoln to serve as one of Abraham’s pall bearers on the final leg of the body’s journey in Springfield. James’ children are buried at Ridgeway, and the stones have been broken off and carried into the foyer of the house.

The Colonel’s nephew, Orville Hickman Browning, another Cynthiana native and resident of Ridgeway, studied the law at the house with his Uncle. Browning became one of Lincoln’s closest friends, and was later appointed U.S. Secretary of the Interior by President Johnson. When Abraham and Mary lost their son Willie, the Brownings were called to the White House to handle the funeral arrangements and to comfort Mary. It was to Browning in 1861 that Lincoln penned the famous line:

I think to lose Kentucky is nearly the same as to lose the whole game.

 

After the Brown family finally sold the farm to Dr. Frazer, Ridgeway had many chapters of historical importance. Here is a timeline of known events:

  • Since farm purchase in 1794, agriculture has been a constant force in the prosperity of Ridgeway 
  • House built in 1817/1818 based on tax records 
  • Plantation home to over 30 slaves leading up to the Civil War 
  • Several of those slaves emancipated by the Brown family as they migrated to Illinois in 1832 
  • Dr. Frazer continued the enslavement of individuals while supporting the Union 
  • Civil War: farm part of Union Camp Frazer from 1861 through 1862. Camp was destroyed by Gen. Morgan during Battles of Cynthiana 
  • William T. Handy turns a portion of the farm into a training area for his famous trotting horses 
  • Mr. Handy names the house Chestnut Hall 
  • After Mr. Handy’s death in the early 20th century, the house becomes known as the Handy House, and is transformed into a farmer’s co-op, with many families calling it home 
  • 2002: Purchased by the City of Cynthiana and Harrison County to form the Flat Run Veterans Park 
  • 2005: Included on the National Register of Historic Places

As faithful friends of the house worked tirelessly to save this landmark, others have pushed to replace it with a swimming pool even though the plans for Flat Runs Veterans Park accommodate both the historical property and the swimming facility.

When the original lease holders – the Harrison County Historical Society – unexpectedly relinquished the lease before it’s allotted time, a different non-profit was formed to ask for the lease to be transferred to them. Since 2012, that group – the Harrison County Heritage Council – has been actively making plans in the event it was awarded the lease. But each year there has been delay after delay, and new criteria set before us to fulfill prior to the lease being awarded, which we have always met. In July of 2014, a 23-page business plan was submitted to the city and county officials by Massachusetts real estate developer, and 4th great grandson of Colonel William Brown, Chris Starr. After the presentation, both groups responded very favorably and asked for our non profit paperwork prior to taking a vote. This had already been submitted and was awaiting rush processing, but the Mayor warned everyone that this could take up to 9 months due to a back-up in the system. We didn’t need to wait that long, as it was processed in August, and mailed back to us on November 7th. Unfortunately, without any notification, and with only a partial number of magistrates present, the Fiscal Court took it upon themselves to call for a vote 4 days later on Veterans Day. The Fiscal Court cited security concerns and lack of communication from our organization. Again, we were all on the same page – waiting on our paperwork prior to a vote. Plus, we had moved to secure the back door as requested.

We have been preparing to take quick action as soon as we received the lease – grant money allowed us to order the roof, landscaper has plans and men ready to break ground, money has continued to be raised, porches are ready to be fixed by local carpenters….all we needed was the final vote to allow us the permission to take action and turn this landmark into a much needed community center and event space that would provide revenue for decades to come.

We have one last stop: the City Commissioners meeting on November 25th at 5:30pm at Cynthiana’s City Hall. They have yet to cast their vote. If they agree to demolish, the fight looks just about over. Our organization feels the history of this house is larger than Cynthiana, and is a wonderful part of Kentucky’s heritage.

We welcome supporters from around the state or country – please call or e-mail the City/County officials of Harrison County/Cynthiana. Contact information is available on the City of Cynthiana’s website. Please urge them to vote in favor of restoration!

 This guest post was authored by Cheri Daniels (@historiana); all photographs in this post have also been provided by her. Cheri is a Director of the Harrison County Heritage Council which is the organization spearheading local efforts to preserve Ridgeway. By day, Cheri is an MSLS-Senior Librarian/Reference Specialist in charge of programming at the Kentucky Historical Society. She is also a Co-Editor of KentuckyAncestors.org, President/Co-Founder of Pastology, LLC, and maintains her own blog at Journeys Past. 

A Lost Lexington Interview

On Sunday, November 9, 2014, the iHeartRadio networks in Kentucky aired this radio interview about Lost Lexington. Interviewing Peter Brackney was Suzanne Duval. I wanted to share the audio with you all, so I created a video to make it a little more interested. This is my first stab at any sort of video editing, but it was fun so it may be worth utilizing more on the Kaintuckeean. 

As for the book, the next event is on Saturday at Costco. Check out more details over on Lost Lexington’s Facebook page. You can read about other coverage of Lost Lexington by clicking here.