Kentucky Trivia & Tidbits - Page 4

Looking for Kentucky trivia? Try our list Kentucky little know facts, tidbits and trivia.

—The first hand transplant in the United States was performed by surgeons at Louisville’s Jewish Hospital in 1999 on Matthew David Scott, of Absecon, N.J., who lost his hand in a fireworks accident. Dr. Warren Breidenbach was the lead surgeon.

first appeared: 4/8/2007

—Born in 1877 near Hopkinsville (pop. 30,089), Edgar Cayce became one of the nation’s best-known psychics, answering questions about medical and world events while in a trance-like state. More than 14,000 of Cayce’s “readings,” as they are known, are studied by followers today.

first appeared: 3/25/2007

—Glier’s Goetta in Covington (pop. 43,370) is the world’s largest maker of goetta, a German breakfast dish (similar to sausage) made of beef, pork, steel-cut oats and seasonings.

first appeared: 3/11/2007

—In 1947, the Lexington Hustlers of the Negro Baseball League became the first integrated baseball team in the South when Coach John “Scoop” Brown accepted a white player who had been rejected by all-white teams for being too small.

first appeared: 2/27/2007

—After a $1 million renovation, the Civil War-era Goddard Bridge in Fleming County (pop. 13,792) reopened last August. Kentucky is the nation’s first state to pass legislation requiring a covered-bridge expert for preservation projects costing more than $50,000, along with public input.

first appeared: 2/11/2007

—The boyhood home of author and illustrator Daniel Carter Beard (1850-1941), a founder of the Boy Scouts of America, is preserved in Covington (pop. 43,370), along with a statue of “Uncle Dan,” as he was known.

first appeared: 1/28/2007

Louisville native Martha Holmes, a Life magazine photographer, was known for her photos of famous people, including painter Jackson Pollock and film stars Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. Her 1949 photo of Pollock, dangling a cigarette from his lips, became a U.S. postage stamp, minus the cigarette.

first appeared: 1/14/2007

—Country singer Marlow Tackett is known as “Mountain Santa Claus” in Pikeville (pop. 6,295), where he has thrown a Christmas party for needy families every year since 1975 at Marlow’s Country Palace. Tackett grew up in poverty, one of 18 children.

first appeared: 12/17/2006

—Filled with chocolate chips and walnuts, Derby Pie is a favorite regional dessert. The original recipe was created in the 1950s by the Kern family, who owned the Melrose Inn in Prospect (pop. 4,657). The family obtained a trademark for the pie’s name in 1968.

first appeared: 12/3/2006

—Billed as America’s largest indoor farm show, the National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville features 800 exhibitors. About 300,000 visitors browse the latest agricultural innovations, from hand tools to heavy equipment, during the annual show that began in 1966.

first appeared: 11/19/2006

—Completed in 1816, the Washington County Courthouse in Springfield (pop. 2,634) is the state’s oldest courthouse still in use. The marriage certificate of President Abraham Lincoln’s parents, Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks, is housed in the courthouse.

first appeared: 11/5/2006

—Owensboro (pop. 54,067) is earning a reputation as “Broadway West,” thanks to Zev Buffman, president and CEO of RiverPark Center performing arts facility, who moved to the area after a successful career as a Broadway producer. His connections have reeled in several debuts, including Mel Brooks’ The Producers.

first appeared: 10/22/2006

—Known as the first millionaire west of the Alleghenies, John Wesley Hunt made his fortune in the mercantile business after the founding of Lexington. His home, Hopemont (also known as the Hunt-Morgan House), built in 1814, is operated as a historic house museum.

first appeared: 10/22/2006

—Bowls, banks, hips and dips embellish the thrills at the $2 million Louisville Extreme Park. One of the nation’s top skate parks, it features 40,000 square feet of outdoor concrete skating surface for skateboarders, in-line skaters and bicyclists. The public park is open 24 hours day.

first appeared: 10/8/2006

Established in 1927, the Speed Art Museum in Louisville is the state’s oldest and largest art museum with more than 12,000 pieces in its permanent collection. Collections include 17th-century Dutch and Flemish paintings, 18th-century French art, and Renaissance and Baroque tapestries.

first appeared: 9/24/2006

Post-it Notes are stuck on desks and refrigerators around the globe, but the friendly little reminders all begin their blank journey at the 3M Co. plant in Cynthiana (pop. 6,258). 3M introduced the office product nationally in 1980.

first appeared: 9/10/2006

Novelist Alice Hegan Rice, born in 1870 in Shelbyville (pop. 10,085), is best known for her 1901 bestseller Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch, which was adapted to the stage and made into a movie starring Shirley Temple.

first appeared: 8/27/2006

The Red Mile in Lexington is one of the nation's oldest harness-racing tracks. Named for its red clay track, the venue has hosted harness races, in which horses pull drivers in two-wheeled carts, since 1875.

first appeared: 8/13/2006

Residents of Rabbit Hash elected a dog named Goofy for mayor in 1998. The late hound inspired a documentary about the quirky Ohio River town, where the local gathering spot is the 1831 Rabbit Hash General Store.

first appeared: 7/30/2006

Open since 1922, Shaheen's Department Store in Louisville still is owned by the family of founder Sam Shaheen. The immigrant from Lebanon first found work at the Sealbach Hotel in Louisville, then saved enough money to buy a dry goods store.

first appeared: 7/16/2006

jump to page: 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18

newspaper partner login create account

Recent

Popular

Recipes

Below are the most recent American Profile articles:

Below are the most recent, highest rated American Profile articles:

Below are the most recent, highest rated American Profile recipes:

Relish

Spry

Below are the most recent articles from our Relish sister site. Click on the "Spry" tab above to see the most recent articles from our other sister site.

Below are the most recent articles from our Spry sister site. Click on the "Relish" tab above to see the most recent articles from our other sister site.