Name: True Bluegrass Stories:
Brand: Tom Stephens
SKU: 9781596295452
Price: 21.99 USD
Availability: InStock

True Bluegrass Stories:

9781596295452

$21.99

Famed pioneer Daniel Boone, upon seeing the Bluegrass region for the first time in 1769, wrote, "From the top of an eminence, we saw with pleasure the beautiful level of Kentucke." Centuries later, his sentiments still ring true.
In this fast-paced collection of articles from his widely successful "Looking Back" column in Kentucky Monthly magazine, author Tom Stephens delivers a captivating glimpse into Kentucky's renowned Bluegrass region. Hide
away in the stockades and stations of the pioneers, discover Abraham Lincoln's Lexington retreat, face off in a duel as Henry Clay did, consume the potent origins of Kentucky bourbon and sober up with the Shakers. All of this and plenty more lie ahead when you explore True Bluegrass Stories: History from the Heart of Kentucky.

True Tales of Old-Time Kentucky Politics

9781596296367

$21.99

Did you know that William Goebel of Kentucky remains the only state governor to be assassinated while in office? Or that Abraham Lincoln, now a favorite son of the Bluegrass State, garnered less than 1 percent of the state's vote in 1860? How about Matthew Lyon, the congressman who won reelection from a jail cell and once bit off the thumb of a voter during a brawl on the House floor? These are but three of the fascinating and little-known stories from Kentucky's political past found in True Tales of Old-Time Kentucky Politics. Join longtime columnist Berry Craig as he shares tales of a time when votes could be bought with a drink and political differences were resolved with ten paces and a pistol.

True Tales of Old-Time Kentucky Politics

University of Louisville

9781467127561

$24.99

Belknap Campus, the historic heart of the University of Louisville (UofL), was laid out just before the Civil War as a city-owned reform school and orphanage. In 1925, the university acquired the site, relocating its undergraduate college and adding an engineering school. Eight structures from that earlier use give the modern campus its strong historical feel. This volume is rich with images of student life, from homecoming and campus hangouts to intramurals and sports. University of Louisville: Belknap Campus chronicles the dramatic expansion of the campus into adjacent neighborhoods, drawing heavily on archival sources. The Belknap Campus story provokes both warm recollection and pride in a 200-plus-year-old institution that is part of the core fabric of what makes Louisville great.

Van Lear

9780738552941

$24.99

Van Lear was a sparsely populated farm community at the dawn of the 20th century. Known originally as Miller's Creek, its pastoral nature was soon lost as it transformed into a thriving municipality. John C. C. Mayo, a young schoolmaster, was the force behind this development. With his geologic knowledge and his forward-looking business savvy, he foresaw the economic power of the veins of bituminous coal that lay undisturbed in much of Eastern Kentucky. Mayo and a small nucleus of businessmen acquired vast tracts of land and mineral rights. In the case of Miller's Creek, these holdings were sold to a corporate behemoth, the Consolidation Coal Company (Consol). Mayo became one of Kentucky's wealthiest citizens, and Miller's Creek became Van Lear.

Villa Hills

9780738586885

$24.99

Although the small town of Villa Hills was incorporated into a sixth-class city in 1962, the area where the city sits was home to luscious farmland dating back to the time when Kentucky was still part of Virginia. The development of Villa Hills is the story of the birth of a suburb. It is the perfect example of population sprawling away from the larger cities, as people looked for a more rural setting to raise their families. In the late 1950s, what they found was unincorporated Kenton County, bounded by the tiny town of Crescent Springs and the Ohio River. At this pivotal time in the area's history, farmers were beginning to sell their land and builders were breaking ground on three-bedroom ranch homes and four-bedroom two stories. Images of America: Villa Hills presents the history of the farmers who worked the land, the Benedictine sisters who established a monastery, and the young families who worked together to build the city now known as Villa Hills.

Walton-Verona

9780738566184

$24.99

Nestled among the rolling hills of southern Boone County, Walton and Verona have existed side by side since the early 19th century. Walton's first post office, known as Gaines Crossroads, was established in 1815 and named after the Abner Gaines family that owned most of the land. Colonel Gaines owned the first stagecoach line on the road between Cincinnati and Lexington, using his sprawling Federal-style mansion as a tavern and inn for travelers. Both communities grew after the Louisville and Nashville Railroad came through in 1869, and with the addition of the Cincinnati Southern Railroad in 1877, Walton became the largest town in Boone County. Bypassed in growth by its neighbor Florence, Walton spent many years as a small town while Verona remained a farming community--until the two were joined together by the consolidation of their school districts. As Boone County has become one of the fastest growing counties in Kentucky, both Walton and Verona are growing from their pasts toward a successful future.

Warren County

9780738543321

$24.99

Blessed with a landscape of undulating hills, numerous picturesque waterways, and deep stands of native hardwood trees, Warren County, Kentucky, is a beautiful place. Fertile land, a number of significant natural resources, and important transportation routes have helped make it one of Kentucky's most economically vibrant counties. Besides the county seat of Bowling Green, Warren County boasts several rural hamlets with unique histories and resources, including Smiths Grove, Oakland, Rockfield, Woodburn, Rich Pond, Hadley, Richardsville, and Alvaton. Images of America: Warren County features photographs of this area's rich culture, including its agriculture, religious and educational institutions, family life, and tourist attractions. Because of Warren County's important agricultural heritage, this book includes images of crops and livestock as well as photographs that demonstrate the importance of transporting products to market. People, the county's most important natural resource, are also prominently featured. Finally photographs related to the Martin murders, the Alvaton bus tragedy, the 1907 Prohibition march, and a bull traipsing through a furniture store are all presented.

Washington County

9780738552996

$24.99

Named after the first president of the United States, Washington County is nationally known as the place where Abraham Lincoln's parents wed in 1806. While that is the public perception, residents say they live in the county to enjoy life's simple pleasures--visiting friends, watching softball games, or taking drives in the country. It is a unique and beautiful place; rugged, wooded hills in the north gently cascade to rolling, fertile terrain in the south. Washington County was made up of 35 separate communities, now anchored by the incorporated towns of Springfield, the county seat; Willisburg; and Mackville. Images of America: Washington County features photographs of the area's rich culture, the strong roles of religion and education, the agrarian base, and, most importantly, its families. The photographs depict the enjoyment of living and prospering in Washington County.

Waverly Hills Sanatorium

9781467149990

$21.99

High on a hill on the south side of Louisville, Kentucky, a massive Tudor Gothic Revival building still stands as a testament to past struggles with a deadly disease. The structure was once part of the sprawling complex of Waverly Hills Sanatorium, established in 1910 for the treatment of tuberculosis. Waverly Hills expanded rapidly, with racially segregated facilities housing up to five hundred patients a day by World War II before new medical developments led to the institution’s closure in 1961. Join author Lynn Pohl for an investigation of Waverly Hills Sanatorium’s rich history and mixed legacy, explored through photographs, public health records, newspaper accounts and the stories of patients and employees.

Wayne County

9780738586960

$24.99

A county named for the Revolutionary War general "Mad Anthony" Wayne and a county seat named in honor of the beautiful home of Thomas Jefferson is, without doubt, made up of citizens proud of their history! The town of Monticello has deep roots and a rich heritage that provide inspiration for all its citizens. It has produced musicians like "Blind" Dick Burnett, who wrote "Man of Constant Sorrow," and Shelby Moore Cullom, who supervised the construction of Abraham Lincoln's burial site in Springfield, Illinois. Years after Daniel Boone came through the Cumberland Gap and followed the Cumberland River into Wayne County, the Army Corps of Engineers constructed Wolf Creek Dam and created Lake Cumberland with over 1,200 miles of shoreline. Much of the lake lies in Wayne County, and enterprising citizens have made Monticello the "Houseboat Manufacturing Capital of the World."

Western Kentucky in Vintage Postcards

9780738514598

$24.99

Western Kentucky in Vintage Postcards guides residents, visitors, and history buffs alike on a virtual driving tour through Kentucky's westernmost counties to enjoy its rich history and natural beauty. Readers will discover why this is perhaps the most diverse region in the Bluegrass State with its many different geographical areas-flat lands to rolling hills and coal fields to miles of lakes. The scenic journey begins in Hopkinsville, meanders north through Madisonville to Henderson, and continues west to the Mississippi River, with stops in Murray, Mayfield, Paducah, and several small towns. Vintage postcards culled from a variety of sources highlight those things that are uniquely Western Kentucky: tobacco fields, coal mines, Confederate president Jefferson Davis, Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley, farming, historical buildings and sites, floods, and dams.

Wicked Lexington, Kentucky

9781609491338

$21.99

Filled with tales of infamous duels, cheating congressmen, and much more, Wicked Lexington, Kentucky offers the first collection the city's rowdy and ruckus history .

Despite its illustrious beginnings as the "Athens of the west," Lexington has always had a darker side lurking just beneath its glossy sheen. It didn't take long for the first intellectual hub west of the Alleghenies to quickly morph into a city with the same scandalous inclinations as neighboring Louisville and Cincinnati. From Belle Brezing's infamous brothel of the late 1800s, frequented by some of the city's most prominent businessmen, and once pardoned by the governor, to historic sports scandals of the 1900s, local author Fiona Young-Brown tracks Lexington's penchant for misdeeds from founding to modern times.

Wicked Newport

9781596295490

$21.99

Controlled by the heavy hand of the mob and fueled by government corruption, Newport evolved through the nineteenth and twentieth centuries into a notoriously robust center of criminal activity.

With top political and law enforcement officials often on the take, the seedy status quo became so excessive that a May 1961 issue of Time magazine declared, "Newport has developed such a gaudy brand of gambling and prostitution that it stands today as one of the nation's most blatant sin centers." Eastern Kentucky University Professors Gary Potter and Thomas Barker, both experts on organized crime, along with Jenna Meglen, offer up a captivating chronicle of Newport's criminal development, complete with thought-provoking assessments of the possible advantages that organized crime brought to the city commonly considered to be Las Vegas's predecessor.

Wicked Western Kentucky

9781467150521

$21.99

Western Kentucky has always had a dark side, despite being the “Birthplace of Bluegrass Music.” Mary James Trotter, an arrested moonshine-selling grandma, remarked to a judge that she “simply had to sell a little liquor now and then to take care of my four grandchildren.” Rod Ferrell led a bloodsucking vampire cult in Murray, Kentucky, and traumatized parents of the 1990s. In the early morning of July 13, 1928, at the “Castle on the Cumberland,” seven men were put to death in Kentucky’s deadliest night of state-sponsored executions. Join award-winning author Richard Parker as he takes you on a journey through fifteen of Western Kentucky’s most nefarious people, places and events.

Wise Animal Handbook Kentucky, The

9780738528229

$16.99

Read-aloud time is about to get a lot more fun!

The Kentucky Wise Animal Handbook offers laugh-out-loud animal kingdom advice for kids of every age! Engaging animal photos entertain while charming read-aloud rhymes help jump-start conversations about practical life solutions.
The Read Together/Do Together? experience continues with pull out coloring pages in the back of the book featuring fun facts about special Bluegrass State animals including the viceroy butterfly and Thoroughbred horse.
Enjoy the opportunity to share your own practical wisdom with your favorite little one as you read-aloud... and laugh-aloud....again and again.

Women in Lexington

9780738542164

$24.99

Images of America: Women in Lexington is a celebration of Kentucky women at work, in the home, at play, in society, and as part of the larger fabric of women's equality. Women in Lexington were active during World War II: they fought for women's rights, experienced changes within the family, and took advantage of or created new opportunities in the workplace. The 200 vintage photographs featured in this volume were drawn from collections housed in the archive of the University of Kentucky. With nearly 2 million photographs, the collections offer unparalleled coverage of the cultural, social, agricultural, and industrial changes that have shaped Lexington and Central Kentucky.

Woodford County

9781467104395

$23.99

Located in the heart of the famed Bluegrass Region, Woodford County is one of the oldest counties in Kentucky. Prominent citizens met in 1788 to create a new county government before Kentucky was a state and the area was still part of Virginia. These individuals included attorney and minister Caleb Wallace, who would be the founder of several colleges, and Thomas Marshall, the father of US Supreme Court chief justice John Marshall. With some of the finest pastureland in the world, the nearby Kentucky River for transportation, and an enterprising and industrious population, Woodford soon became one of the more prosperous counties in the state. Today, Woodford County is a community of the 21st century, but it is still known for its Thoroughbred horses, bourbon distilleries, rolling landscapes, and stone fences.

Worthington and Springdale

9781467112949

$24.99

The Jefferson County communities of Worthington and Springdale are located on Brownsboro Road, 12 miles east of Louisville. The area's abundant water sources and fertile soil attracted the earliest settlers in the late 1700s, and farms, mills, and blacksmith shops sprang up along the streams. The Brownsboro Road (originally called Brownsboro Turnpike) served farmers selling their produce, as well as the wealthy "gentleman farmers" who built fine homes in the rural countryside. The fertile soil was particularly suited to growing potatoes, and the Worthington Potato Growers Cooperative handled thousands of barrels daily. The community came together to construct churches and a fine stone school building, establish a cemetery, and organize a fire department. The historic African American community of Taylortown survives in the Taylortown African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Zion Church, established in 1868. Today, suburban sprawl has erased all but a few vestiges of the once-thriving farming communities.