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This Glorious Birthday of Our Freedom

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AMERICA!

“When in the course of human events…” began that unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States, in Congress on July 4, 1776. We have, ever since, celebrated that date as being the birth date of our country (ignoring that the declaration was made on July 2, but recognizing instead its adoption on July 4).

Today’s celebrations are marked with parades, street fairs, and fireworks. Since 1777, Americans have recognized the importance of the holiday. The first such celebration in the West was in Jessamine County at the farm of Colonel William Price. Price, who had attained the rank of Major, preferred to be known as a Colonel likely due to his rank in the Kentucky militia.

Col. Price was present in October 1781 for the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown and also saw action at the Battles of Brandywine, Monmouth, and Germantown.

In 1794, Colonel Price invited a number of his fellow patriots to his farm for a feast and memory of their struggle for freedom and independence. Forty attended this great event. What follows is a letter from Colonel Price to Governor Isaac Shelby recalling the event to which the Governor could not attend. The letter appears in Bennett Young’s 1898 A History Of Jessamine County, Kentucky:

Fayette county, Ky., July 5, 1794.
To His Excellency, Isaac Shelby, Governor of Kentucky:

My Esteemed Friend — I was greatly disappointed by your not coming to my house on yesterday (July 4). We had a glorious time and a big dinner. Forty men sat down at my tables, who had served in the late struggle for our freedom and independence. It was a glorious sight to behold, and I wish King George III and Lord North could have witnessed the scene in the wilds of America. On the return of this glorious birthday of our freedom from British despotism, the heart of every patriot in the late struggle may rightfully pour its highest tribute to God and the great sages and soldiers who resolved to stake their lives and sacred honor in maintaining the Declaration of Independence. Throughout the limits of our country, from Massachusetts to Georgia, the hears of a free and happy people have been dedicated on yesterday to the contemplation of the great blessings achieved and bequeathed to us by such heroic leaders as George Washington, Israel Putnam and Nathaniel Greene. Such brave leaders took their lives in their hands, and liberty or death was inscribed on their hearts. God, in the plenitude of His beneficence, has generally chosen men qualified to resist kings and tyrants in their attacks on the rights of the people. The history of our mother country furnished full proof of this fact and our own glorious country in the late war for independence is a more brilliant illustration o the great truth that God hates all tyrants and despotic rulers, and sooner or later overthrows all such rascalsin causing the people to rise up and cut their heads off.

Truly thy old friend,
William Price

A truncated version of the events marks the location of this commemoration on State Historic Marker #201:

July 4, 1794, Col. William Price, veteran of the Revolutionary War, held the first celebration of Independence Day west of the Alleghenies. At his plantation, near here, forty veterans dined to commemorate the “glorious birthday of our freedom.”

Imagine the great time these veterans had with each having encountered different battles, different fronts. While some thought the war ended at Yorktown, the numbers included those who fought ten months later in the last major battle of the American Revolution which happened to occur in Kentucky: Blue Licks. Some suffered the frightful winter at Valley Forge and others were among Kentucky’s earliest settlers. Each contributed greatly to our Nation’s freedom and each reveled at Col. Price’s home on July 4, 1794. Then, as now, together we stand but divided we fall.

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!

Tubes O’er Lexington

The Lex Art Sculpture from Main and Limestone – Lexington, Ky.

This past weekend, the installation of Lex was completed over the Lexington Laundry Company Building at 141 East Main Street. Designed by NewYork sculptor Dewitt Godfrey, the design is a fixture of various shapes and sizes of steel tubes nestled between its taller neighbors.

The work, which adds another dimension to a block that is already a mixture of historic and modern architecture was commissioned work by LexArts and Leadership Lexington‘s 2010 Class.

This final design is scaled-back from the original renderings which also topped the neighboring Lexington Cigar Store. Another twist on Godfrey’s well-known abstract steel tube design, the Lex project is unique in that its location is three stories above ground with no pedestrian access. 

The piece weighs approximately 11, 900 pounds and spans 18′ 8″ over the art center. At its tallest point, the Lex exceeds twenty-seven feet with its 17 cylinders. The largest of those cylinders is ten feet in diameter.

Be sure to check out the new tubes o’er Lexington when you come downtown for the Fourth of July!!

Modified from an earlier post.

A New Partnership with River City News

The Kaintuckeean is excited to announce a new blogging partnership with The River City News. RCNews has for over a year been providing “thoughtful, creative and breaking news from Northern Kentucky’s largest city.” (that’s Covington). A number of RC News’ articles have focused on the developments, redevelopments, and preservation efforts in Covington and its neighboring communities.

There is a lot occurring in Northern Kentucky. Covington, like so much of Kentucky, is historically and architecturally rich. Michael Monks, the creator of RCNews, will keep Kaintuckeeans up to date on preservation developments in that region and will share some history along the way!

Courthouses and BBQ. Plenty in Owensboro!

Daviess County Courthouse – Owensboro, Ky.

Daviess County was established in 1815 from portions of Ohio County and is named for the lawyer who unsuccessfully prosecuted Vice President Aaron Burr for treason. Strong southern ties made Daviess County a southern hotbed. According to the Kentucky Almanac, Lincoln only received seven votes in the election of 1860. A large confederate monument stands on the courthouse lawn.

Confederate Monument – Owensboro, Ky.

Owensboro, originally Owensborough, is an interesting town. Though its cut off from Interstate access, its still the fourth largest city in the Commonwealth. Its location along the Ohio River spurred its early growth, along with the booming tobacco industry in the Green River region and its bourbon production following the distillery boom of the 1880.

Owensboro functioned as a manufacturing hub until the 1970s. On a more personal level, my wife’s family is from this area, and any visitor to Owensboro owes it to themselves to try the barbecue: Moonlite for the experience, Old Hickory for the quality.

Historic Public Buildings of Daviess County ca. 1864
Credit: David Rumsey Historical Map Collection

This is the fifth courthouse to occupy the site. All the previous courthouses were quite interesting, the third one having been burned by Confederate troops in retribution for black Union soldiers utilizing the building as barracks.

The fourth courthouse was Italianate with a huge cupola on top, but it was condemned and removed in 1927. It was also reportedly haunted. This fifth courthouse was built in 1963, after nearly 25 years of attempting to obtain funding for its construction. In 1989, a Judicial Center was also opened.

Blue Grass Trust Awards for Preservation Go To…

BGT deTour Committee Members Griffin Van Meter, Jason Sloan, Peter
Brackney, and Rachel Alexander along with BGT President Linda Carroll

On Sunday, the members of The Blue Grass Trust gathered at the Hunt-Morgan House in historic Gratz Park for the annual meeting and presentation of the Annual Preservation Awards. Recipients included:

Preservation Craftsman Awards to Laryn Karsnitz; Many Moons Designs (Tommy & Laura Whitaker). These were given to building industry craftsman exhibiting a strong commitment to quality craftsmanship for historic buildings.

Public Service to Preservation to Lindy Casebier, Deputy Secretary of Tourism, Arts & Heritage Cabinet and Acting State Historic Preservation Officer; Fayette County Public Schools. Awards given to government agency or official for service to preservation movement or to a specific project.

Clay Lancaster Heritage Education Award to Douglas Boyd, Ph.D., for Crawfish Bottom: Recovering a Lost Kentucky Community. Award given to individual or group for service in researching and disseminating information about the central Kentucky region.

Barbara Hulete Award: Dave Shuffett for efforts in the preservation of central Kentucky’s history, heritage, built environment, landscape, archaeological resources, sense of community or significant endeavors.

Lucy Shropshire Crump Award to the BGT deTours Steering Committee which is comprised of Molly Eblen, Jason Sloan, Rachel Alexander, Peter Brackney, Brandon Warren, and Griffin Van Meter. This award goes to those who have provided exemplary service to The Blue Grass Trust throughout the year. Of course, we’re a little biased toward this award as the ranks of this site cross over with the Steering Committee.

Lucy Graves Advocacy Awards went to Jessamine County Judge Executive Wm. Neal Cassity and Magistrate George W. Dean for exhibiting advocacy leadership in supporting the historic preservation movement in central Kentucky.

Betty Hoopes Award to Chris Ertel. This award goes recognizes a volunteer from the Antiques and Garden Show.

Clyde Reynolds Carpenter Adaptive Re-Use Awards went to Parlay Social, TRUST Lounge and the Russell School Community Center. The individuals or groups exhibited outstanding efforts toward the rehabilitation or adaptive re-use of a building or buildings within central Kentucky.

John Wesley Hunt Award for an individual’s lifetime service to the preservation movement in central Kentucky went to Barbara Hulette.

Congratulations to all the recipients!

Sports and Art Worlds Lost A Legend: LeRoy Neiman

Neiman’s UK Basketball Game

Famed American sports artist LeRoy Neiman passed away yesterday at the age of 91. His famous works captured some of the greatest moments in sport with his exquisite, short brush strokes. Neiman captured the essence of boxing great and Kentuckian Muhammad Ali, he painted the final stretch of the Kentucky Derby, and he created the official imagery of the 2010 Kentucky-hosted World Equestrian Games.

For Kentucky basketball fans, Neiman painted the most famous painting in our beloved team’s history. Commissioned by Ashland Oil in 1977, the original of Neiman’s “UK Basketball Game Between UK and St. John’s, December 17, 1977” hangs on display in the UK Art Museum. Below is my write up on this spectacular work of art:

Another “see blue” work which I noted was a Leroy Neiman oil depicting a 1977 basketball game between the UK Wildcats and St. John’s University. Of course, UK has recently played and handily beaten St. Johns which was a repeat of this 102-72 affair featuring Kentucky greats Jack Givens, James Lee, Kyle Macy, Mike Phillips and Rick Robey.

This oil was exquisite and the short brush strokes gave it a fervor that would have been present during the UKIT and throughout the season as our Cats would go on to a record of 30-2 and a National Championship (defeating Duke) under the helm of Joe B. Hall.

Rest in peace, LeRoy.

Hancock County Courthouse in Hawesville a Favorite

Hancock County Courthouse – Hawesville, Ky.
Photo: NRK

The tiny hamlet of Hawesville, Kentucky is located just upriver from Owensboro. It sits on a high bluff across the river from Cannelton, Indiana.

Of all of the courthouses I have visited in small towns, this was my favorite. Completed in 1867, it is the second courthouse on this site. It is on the National Historic Registry, and was restored in 1978. The two-and-one-half story five bay by three bay rectangular courthouse retains so much character. According to the National Register of Historic Places, the courtroom occupies the majority of the second floor.

Although built during the midst of America’s tumultuous Civil War, the building has a “singularly tranquil and substantial architectural presence.” My favorite part, however, is this quote from the Hancock Clarion newspaper concerning the building specifically, which can generally be applied to the important role that Kentucky’s courthouses have played in our towns both small and large:

It was in this building that many of the county residents’ grandparents and great-grandparents received their high school diplomas at graduation. It was in this building that lovely ladies and dashing young gentlemen danced at gala balls and receptions generations ago. In the courtroom on the second floor men of state, governors and Congressmen, spoke.

The courthouse was described as one of the “handsomest and least altered from the original condition of any in Kentucky.” I have to agree.

Henderson County’s Fourth of Five Courthouses

Henderson County Courthouse – Henderson, Ky. Photo: NRK

For me, the Henderson County Courthouse was a breath of fresh air. So often, when a county decides to build something new to replace the old courthouse, they build something that looks like a Soviet-era bunker.

Former Henderson County Courthouse Source: KDL

Regardless of my opinion of the new courthouse, the demolition of the previous courthouse (pictured at right) was hotly disputed. The decision in the 1960s to destroy the former, circa 1843, courthouse occurred only after a major dispute with preservationists.

In the end, preservationists succeeding only in delaying the demolition of the ca. 1843 courthouse by four years through the use of a restraining order.

That previous courthouse was a two-story brick Greek Revivial with cupola which served as a prison, cookhouse, fort, and Civil War headquarters and hospital during its 120 years as the heart of Henderson County.

The above courthouse is the fourth in Henderson, and it sits on an enormous courthouse lawn. In fact, the site is allegedly the site of an ancient Indian mound.

Bronze Reliefs. Photo: NRK

This courthouse has these amazing dark marble columns around a semi-circular portico that are both modern and reference to the past. It was built in 1964-65 and cost just over half a million dollars. There are some amazing bronze reliefs near the entrances that detail a few notable events history of the county. The one below shows the surveying of the land that would become Henderson.

As has become the standard in Kentucky, what we have described as the Henderson County courthouse is not, actually, the current courthouse. Like so many other counties, the newer Henderson Judicial Center was completed in 2003 for just under $10 million.

Ohio River at Henderson, Ky. Photo: NRK.

Henderson was established on an existing settlement known as Red Banks. Due to its position on a bluff, the river town didn’t flood as much as others, and served as an important commerce point due to its position at the confluence of the Ohio and Green Rivers. When it was incorporated in 1810, one of the town’s 160 residents was John J. Audubon, the noted ornithologist, who operated a general store.

Along the Elkhorn Vale … Wendell H. Ford

Bust of Wendell H. Ford – Owensboro, Ky.

Although it would have been fitting to place this bust of Wendell H. Ford anywhere in the Commonwealth, it appropriately sits on the courthouse lawn in Owensboro. Wendell H. Ford served as Kentucky’s Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky from 1967-71 alongside Gov. Louie Nunn, then as Governor from 1971-1974. From the Governor’s Mansion, Ford ran for and was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1974. Ford, a Democrat, served Kentucky in Washington from 1974 until 1999. His service was marked with stints as both minority and majority whip.

Ford was born in Daviess County in 1924. After serving in the Army, he went to school and entered the insurance business with his father. Ford then entered politics by serving as an executive assistant for Governor Bert T. Combs. Elected to the state senate in 1965, Ford was elected Lieutenant Governor two years later. Interestingly enough, Ford (a Democrat) served as second-in-command for Republican Louie Nunn at a time when the two office holders did not run as a slate. During his time as lieutenant governor, Ford essentially rebuilt the organization of the Democratic party in the Commonwealth.

The 1971 Democratic primary for governor was an eight-way race decisively won by Wendell Ford, impressive particularly given that former Governor Combs was among the challengers. The fall election was a four-way race with Ford winning again, beating an independent challenge by another former governor A. B. “Happy” Chandler.  By defeating two former, popular Democratic governors, Ford was able to cement his stronghold on his political party and end some of the sectionalism that had traditionally plagued state Democrats.

The Wendell Ford administration was marked by efforts of efficient government consolidation and certain higher taxes. Among them, the coal severance tax was imposed and both the corporate tax and the gasoline tax were raised. Offsetting these tax increases was the elimination of the sales tax on food items, something which Ford had previously sought the exemption of during the Combs administration. During his administration, Kentucky passed the Equal Rights Amendment and the University of Louisville was transferred from municipal to state control.  

Then, the Kentucky governor could not run for re-election to a consecutive term. Ford opted to run for the U.S. Senate in 1974 and was elected and re-elected until he retired in 1998. While in the U.S. Senate, Ford was involved in a number of issues and was decisively pro-Kentucky, pro-coal, and pro-tobacco. Among his accomplishments, the Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment and Reform Act reduced aircraft noise and required airlines to better inform consumers. He supported the increase in the federal minimum wage, welfare reform, research of clean coal technology, and increased retirement benefits for coal miners. A final accomplishment which would have saved the government millions of dollars by using recycled paper and printing in volume through a centralized printing operation was never realized; although favorably reported out of committee, progress on the legislation was stymied by the Clinton removal trial following the President’s 1998 impeachment.
Ford’s seat was taken by Republican Hall-of-Famer Jim Bunning in 1998 and is now occupied by another western Kentuckian, Rand Paul. Today, Ford lives in Owensboro. His public papers are at the Owensboro Museum of Science and History along with a replica of his Senate office.