A History Lover's Guide to Lexington & Central Kentucky


Book Description

“Give[s] a history of Lexington and the region with a special focus on the historic neighborhoods of Lexington and historic sites around the Bluegrass.” —The Kaintuckeean The Athens of the West. The Horse Capital of the World. The Home to the Greatest Tradition in College Basketball. Heart of the Bluegrass. Lexington has a lot of names and an even richer history. The region played an oversized role in America’s educational, political, religious and cultural development. Visit a historic AME church in downtown Lexington that was a stop on the Underground Railroad for escaping slaves. Walk through fifteen local historic districts. Explore an equine cemetery. Join historians Foster Ockerman Jr. and Peter Brackney on a tour through historic sites and buildings in Lexington and central Kentucky.




History Lover's Guide to Lexington & Central Kentucky, A


Book Description

"The Athens of the West. The Horse Capital of the World. The Home to the Greatest Tradition in College Basketball. Heart of the Bluegrass. Lexington has a lot of names and an even richer history. The region played an oversized role in America's educational, political, religious, and cultural development. Visit a historic AMC church in downtown Lexington that was a stop on the Underground Railroad for escaping slaves. Walk through fifteen local historic districts. Explore an equine cemetery. Join historians Foster Ockerman, Jr. and Peter Brackney on a tour through historic sites and buildings in Lexington and central Kentucky."--Provided by publisher




A History Lover's Guide to Louisville


Book Description

Gateway to the South. Home of the Kentucky Derby and Churchill Downs. Louisville has a rich history, beginning with the city's discovery by General George Rogers Clark. The city played an important role in the Civil War, and during the Gilded Age, it became the Bourbon Capital of the World. During World War I, the city hosted 47,500 troops at Camp Zachary Taylor. During World War II, the U.S. Naval Ordnance Plant contributed to the war effort, making rounds for big guns during the late war. Author Bryan S. Bush takes the reader on a journey to discover the history of Louisville through the historic sites and locations from far past to the present day.




A History Lover's Guide to Memphis & Shelby County


Book Description

This tour of Memphis goes well beyond the traditional guidebook to offer a historical journey through the Home of the Blues. Explore the city's African American heritage from Church Park to beautiful Mason Temple, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his final, prophetic speech. Visit Court Square, where a young Thomas Edison delighted children and adults with his popular invention: the cockroach shocker. Discover hidden gems like the nineteenth-century dueling grounds on the banks of the Mississippi and a charming Depression-era country store. From Beale Street to the bluffs, author Bill Patton traces the incomparable history of Memphis.




A New History of Lexington, Kentucky


Book Description

Lexington is known as the "Horse Capital of the World," but the city's history runs much deeper. Learn about the mayor who refused the Ku Klux Klan permission to march and organize in the city. Meet one of the nation's foremost advocates for voting rights for women who was a native of the city. Visit the many small hamlets around Lexington that were settlements for the formerly enslaved. Lexington was the state's first capital and the nation's first community to establish an urban service boundary to regulate growth and preserve horse farms. Seventh-generation Kentuckian and Lexington native Foster Ockerman Jr. offers an updated history.







Kentucky Bourbon Country


Book Description

Like wine lovers who dream of traveling to Bordeaux or beer enthusiasts with visions of the breweries of Belgium, bourbon lovers plan their pilgrimages to Kentucky. Some of the most famous distilleries are tucked away in the scenic Bluegrass region, which is home to nearly seventy distilleries and responsible for 95 percent of all of America's bourbon production. Locals and tourists alike continue to seek out the world's finest whiskeys in Kentucky as interest in America's only native spirit continues to grow. In Kentucky Bourbon Country, now in its third edition, Susan Reigler offers updated, essential information and practical advice to anyone considering a trip to the state's distilleries (including the state's booming craft distillery sector) or the restaurants and bars on the Urban Bourbon Trail. Featuring more than two hundred full-color photographs and a bourbon glossary, the book is organized by region and provides valuable details about the Bluegrass—including attractions near each distillery and notes on restaurants, lodging, shopping, and seasonal events in Kentucky's beautiful historic towns. In addition to providing knowledge about each point of interest, Kentucky Bourbon Country weaves in little-known facts about the region's best-kept secrets, such as the historic distillery used as a set in the movie Stripes and the fates of used bourbon barrels. Whether you're interested in visiting the place where your favorite bourbon is made or hoping to discover exciting new varieties, this handy and practical guide is the key to enjoying the best of bourbon.




The Murder of Geneva Hardman and Lexington's Mob Riot of 1920


Book Description

In 1920, ten-year-old Geneva Hardman was murdered on her way to school, just outside Lexington. Both civil authorities and a growing lynch mob sought Will Lockett, a black army veteran, as the suspect. The vigilantes remained one step behind the lawmen, and a grieving family erred on the side of justice versus vengeance. During the short trial, tensions spilled over and shots were fired outside the courthouse, leading to a declaration of martial law. Six people died in what civil rights leader W.E.B. Du Bois described as the "Second Battle of Lexington." Join author Peter Brackney and delve into this century-old story of murder and mayhem.




Lost Lexington, Kentucky


Book Description

Lexington has dozens of well-restored landmarks, but unfortunately so many more are lost forever. The famous Phoenix Hotel, a longtime 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. Join local blogger, attorney and preservationist Peter Brackney as he explores the intriguing back stories of these hidden Bluegrass treasures.




Weird Kentucky


Book Description

A guide to the odd and interesting history, places, and people in Kentucky.