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Though most of
us have migrated to different parts of the country, we still
consider "Kentucky" our home state.
We have added
some interesting things about our home state here.
There are lots
more things to be added as we accumulate them. Come back
and find out more about our home state, Kentucky.
Our State Flag
Flag: State seal centered
against a blue field
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Origin of the Name: From the
Wyandot name for "Land of Tomorrow
--
Ken-tah-teh
Kentucky was first
used officially by Virginia. On
December 6, 1776 Kentucky County was
created out of Fincastle County,
Virginia.
Admitted as a State: June 1,
1792
Capital: Frankfort
Area: 40,411 square miles, Ranks
37th in all states. 39,732
square miles of land
Borders: Illinois, Indiana, Ohio,
Tennessee, West Virginia and Virginia
Population: 3, 726,000
(statistic several years old now),
Ranks 23rd
Highest point: Black Mountain,
4,145 feet
Lowest Point: Mississippi River,
257 feet
Average Temperature:
87.6 to 23.1
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Major Rivers:
Cumberland River, Green River,
Kentucky River, Mississippi River,
Ohio River
Lakes: Kentucky Lake at
Murray,
Lake Barkley at Eddyville, Cumberland Lake
at Somerset, Barren River Lake at Cave
city, Cave Run Lake at Owingsville,
Dale Hollow Lake at Burkesville,
Laurel River Lake at Corbin, Nolin
Lake at Bee Spring, Rough River Lake
at Leitchfield, Taylorsville Lake at
Taylorsville, and maybe some I have
missed.
Out of hundreds originally, there are
still 13 covered bridges still
standing scattered through the State.
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Motto: United We Stand, Divided
We Fall
Latin Motto: Deo gratiam
habeamus (Let us be thankful to God)
Nickname: Bluegrass State
State Fair: Louisville
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Things To Do and See
Kentucky has caves to
explore; lakes and rivers
for fishing ,boating and
water sports; state parks
with a diversity of
interests; camping;
museums, horse farms;
nature trails; horse
racing; dirt biking
and motorcross; golf
courses; covered bridges;
and list goes on.
Eastern Kentucky boasts of
the most beautiful fall
colors you can find any
where. It was once
the most coal-productive
in the world.
Each section of the state
has something special to
boast about. You can
find a lot of information
at
http://www.kentucky
tourism.com
Come Visit Us!
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Tree: Kentucky Kentucky
Tulip Tree/Coffee Tree
Tulip Tree
Became official tree in 1994
Coffee Tree
Unofficial Tree
Coffee Pods were roasted and used by
early settlers to make a coffee-like
drink. They are poisonous to humans
if not thoroughly roasted
See link below for controversy over
Kentucky Tulip Tree (official tree) vs Kentucky
Coffee Tree (unofficial tree) for state tree
http://www.kdla.ky.gov/resources/kytree.htm#Controversy
Flower: Goldenrod
State fruit: Blackberry
Drink: Milk
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Bird: Kentucky Cardinal
Fish: Kentucky Spotted
Bass
Wild Animal Game Species:
Gray Squirrel
Butterfly: Viceroy
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These interesting tidbits were
sent to me from one of my
Kentucky friends. I
have no way to prove their
authenticity, but I would make a
guess that they have merit.
1792: Kentucky was the
first state on the western
frontier to join the union.
1816: (First Promoted)
Mammoth Cave, with 136+ miles of
mapped passages, is the world's
longest cave. It is 379
feet deep and contains at leave
five levels of passages.
It's second only Niagara Falls
as the most popular tourist
attraction in the US. It
became a National Park on July
1, 1941.
1856: The first enamel
bathtub was made in Louisville.
1893: The first electric
light bulb was shown in
Louisville. Thomas Alva
Edison introduced his invention
to crowds at the Southern
Exposition.
1887: Mother's Day was
first observed in Henderson by
teacher Mary S. Wilson. It
became a national holiday in
1916.
1893: "Happy Birthday to
you," probably the most sung
song in the world, was written
by two Louisville sisters,
Mildred and Patricia Hill.
Late 19th century: Bibb
lettuce was first cultivated by
Jack Bibb in Frankfort,
Kentucky.
1896: The first (known)
set of all male quintuplets was
born in Paducah.
1934: Cheeseburgers were
first tasted at Kaelin's
Restaurant in Louisville.
1937: The first Wigwam
Village Motel, with units in the
shape o a 'teepee,' was built by
Frank A. Redford in Cave City.
The world's largest baseball
bat, a full on hundred twenty
feet tall and weighing 68,000
pounds, can be seen at the
Louisville Slugger Museum in
Louisville.
Chevrolet Corvettes are
manufactured only in Bowling
Green.
St. Mary's Cathedral-Basilica of
the Assumption in Covington is
the home to the world's largest
hand blown stained glass window
in existence. It measures
an astounding 24 feet by 67 feet
and contains 117 different
figures.
The world's largest crucifix,
standing at sixty feet tall, in
in Bardstown.
Fort Knox holds more than $6
billion worth of gold, the
largest amount stored anywhere
in the world.
The Jiff plant in Lexington is
the world's largest peanut
butter producing facility.
Kentucky has more resort parks
than any other state in the
nation.
MIddlesboro is the only United
States city built inside a
meteor crater.
Newport is home to the World
Peace Bell, the world's largest
free-swinging bell.
Pike County is the world's
largest producer of coal.
Pikeville annually leads the
nation (per capita) in
consumption of Pepsi-Cola.
Post-It Notes are made
exclusively in Cynthiana.
Shaker Village (Pleasant Hill)
is the largest historic
community of its kind in the
United States.
Christian County is 'wet,' while
Bourbon County is 'dry.'
Warren County has the most
fertile land in the state.
Lake Cumberland has more miles
of shoreline than the state of
Florida.
Kentucky is best known for its
beautiful blue grass.
And, let us not forget the
basketball and the race horses!
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Musical Instrument:
Dulcimer
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If
you are among the older citizens of
Kentucky, you will remember sitting
around the radio and listening to the
"Renfro Valley Barn Dance."
Kentucky produced some of the finest
entertainers such as Bradley Kinkaid,
Red Foley, Jimmy Skinner, Billy Keith
Williams, Roland Gaines and Ernie Lee
Cornelison, not to mention all the
contemporaries of today.
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Song: "My Old Kentucky Home"
Original Version
The sun shines bright in the old Kentucky home,
'Tis summer, the darkies are gay;
The corn-top's ripe and the meadow's in the bloom,
While the birds make music all the day.
The young folks roll on the little cabin floor,
All merry, all happy and bright;
By 'n' by Hard Times comes a-knocking at the door,
Then my old Kentucky home, goodnight.
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Chorus
Weep no more my lady
Oh! weep no more today!
We will sing one song for the old Kentucky home,
For the Old Kentucky Home far away.
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They hunt no more for the possum and the coon,
On meadow, the hill and the shore,
They sing no more by the glimmer of the moon,
On the bench by the old cabin door.
The day goes by like a shadow o'er the heart,
With sorrow, where all was delight,
The time has come when the darkies have to part,
Then my old Kentucky home, goodnight.
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Chorus
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The head must bow and the back will have to bend,
Wherever the darky may go;
A few more days, and the trouble all will end,
In the field where the sugar-canes grow;
A few more days for to tote the weary load,
No matter, 'twill never be light;
A few more days till we totter on the road,
Then my old Kentucky home, goodnight.
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Chorus
"My Old Kentucky
Home" was said to have been inspired by Steven Foster's visit
to his Rowan cousins at Federal Hill in Bardstown.
The home is now
part of My Old Kentucky Home State Park.
The
Courier-Journal reported in the May 8, 1921 edition: "To
the strains of 'My Old Kentucky Home' Kentuckians gave vent
their delight. For Kentucky triumphed in the Derby."
The winning horse was Kentucky-owned and bred Behave
Yourself.
To honor Steven
Foster, Churchill Downs created the Stephen Foster Handicap in
1982 for three-year-olds and up to 1 1/8 miles with a purse
of $750,000.
Kentucky State Song Lyrics!
My Old Kentucky Home
Lyrics Adopted in 1986
The sun shines bright in My Old Kentucky Home,
'Tis summer, the people are gay;
The corn-top's ripe and the meadow's in the bloom
While the birds make music all the day.
The young folks roll on the little cabin floor,
All merry, all happy and bright;
By 'n' by hard times comes a knocking at the door,
Then My Old Kentucky Home, good night!
Chorus
Weep no more my lady
Oh weep no more today;
We will sing one song
For My Old Kentucky Home
For My Old Kentucky Home, far away
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State
Bluegrass Song: "Blue Moon of Kentucky"
Lyrics 1947
Blue moon of
Kentucky, keep on shining,
Shine on the
one that's gone and proved untrue;
Blue moon of
Kentucky, keep on shining,
Shine on the
one's that gone and left me blue.
It was on a
moonlight night,
the stars
were shining bright;
And they
whispered from on high,
your love had
said goodbye.
Blue moon of
Kentukcy, keep on shining,
Shine on the
one that's gone and said goodbye.
In 1989, the
General Assembly designated the song "Blue Moon of Kentucky"
as Kentucky's official state bluegrass song. It was
written 1947 by William Smith "Bill" Monroe of Rosine,
Kentucky. |
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Martin Van
Buren Bates
In 1837 Martin Van Buren Bates
was born in Letcher County to
John W and Sallie Bates.
At thirteen years of age, he
weighed 300 pounds. He
kept growing until he reached
seven feet and 11 inches; his
weight reached 525 pounds making
him the largest man in the
world.
Martin was a school teacher and
served the Confederacy during
the civil war. After the
war he traveled, beginning his
journey by walking to Cincinnati
with a friend. In
Cincinnati, he joined the circus
and toured the country.
On a trip to Nova Scotia he met
his match and married Ann Swan.
She stood a little taller than
he did and they both continued
with circus.
Queen Victoria of England
presented the couple with large
gold watches costing more than
$1,000 (very expensive for that
era).
After his wife's death, he met
and married Anna LaVonne in
Cincinnati. Anna weighed
in at a mere 100 pounds.
He retired to his home in
Seville, Ohio where he lived
until his death at 80 years of
age.
Letcher County counted many of
its residents relatives of
Martin. Some of his
Letcher County relatives
were Dr. Wright of Seco, Booton
Bates of Neon, Henry bates of
Thorton and Jesse Bates of
Jenkins.
(Information garnered from
Kentucky Explorer, June
2005 edition)
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Hatfield and
McCoy Feud
You don't have to be from Kentucky to
have heard of the famous 'Hatfield and
McCoy Feud" in the area of Pikeville,
Kentucky and Matewan, West Virginia.
On the Kentucky side the clan leader
was Randolph McCoy; on the West
Virginia side it was William (Devil
Anse) Hatfield.
It began in 1863 and lasted nearly
thirty years and claimed thirteen
lives. It began with the killing
of Asa Harmon McCoy followed by a
stolen pig. And then there was
the love affair and heartbreak of
Roseanna McCoy with Johnse Hatfield.
Other
incidents were the stabbing and
killing of Ellison Hatfield on
Election Day at the polls, shooting of
three McCoy boys, burning of the McCoy
home by the Hatfields resulting in the
killing of two McCoy children.
Ironically, both Randolph McCoy and
William Hatfield lived into their
80's. Randolph died of burns on
March 28, 1914; William became a
born-again Christian in 1911 and died
of pneumonia January 6, 1921.
There is a lot of information about
the "Feud" at
http://www.blueridgecountry.com/hatmac/hatmac.html
and
http://www.real-mccoys.com/feud.html
There are several websites dedicated
to the "Feud" and ultimately the 2000
reunion.
It was finally put to rest June 9-11,
2000 when the Hatfield-McCoy "reunion
of the century" took place in
Pikeville, Kentucky. Descendants
of the feuding families hoped to end
the hostilities that brought them
notoriety.
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If your
Kentucky interest
is stirred, you can find more on the internet, for example
here:
http://www.netstate.com/states/symb/ky_symb.htm
If you aren't a
Kentucky Fan (How could you not be!!), you can also find other
state's symbols here.
Visit Delores'
Web sites
Copyright
Kelsey Adams Family 2005
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