History Burgoo

ScanFest is coming to the Library!

Earlier this year, the KHS Library purchased a Bookeye 4 overhead scanner.  Since you may be wondering what that is, I’m going to rely on the old “a picture is worth a thousand words” adage.

 

Basically the Bookeye has the ability to create digital images of our collections by using an overhead camera.  We love this machine, because we can now take digital images of our collections that would be damaged using a traditional flatbed scanner.  Many thanks to the Kentucky Historical Society Foundation and the Kentucky Genealogical Society for providing funding to purchase the Bookeye.

So what is ScanFest?  On two Saturdays in October (Oct . 1 and Oct. 29) we are letting patrons bring in their fragile books (family bibles, diaries, scrapbooks, etc.), along with a USB (flash/thumb) drive and we will provide digital images of their materials -- for free!!

Customers can sign up for 20 minutes sessions by contacting the Library Reference Desk at KHSRefdesk@ky.gov.  To ensure the highest quality scans, there will be a 5 page scan limit per session, but you can sign up for more than one session.  Customers can choose  scan resolutions and formats (JPEG, PDF, TIFF).  Digital images will be in color, and black & white photocopies will also be available for 25 cents each.

Okay, a wrap-up:

• ScanFest will be held on Sat. Oct. 1 and Sat. Oct. 29, from 10 am - 5 pm
• Registration is required for a guaranteed time slot.  Walk-ins will be accommodated as time allows.
• Scanning sessions are limited to 20 minutes & 5 pages of material.  Patrons can sign up for multiple sessions.
• Don’t forget a USB drive!  (We recommend at least 4 GB to make sure that all files will fit on the drive)
• Recommended materials for scanning are fragile and tightly bound books such as family Bibles and scrapbooks.  Manuscripts and photographs are not recommended.

Email us at KHSRefdesk@ky.gov with any questions and to reserve your spot!

An interning folklorist in the field: documenting art cars in Kentucky.

Just before finishing up here hours as an intern here at KHS, Folklife Intern Jenn Jameson visited Louisville to document the unique tradition of art cars.  With fellow folklorist Joseph O'Connell, she shares the end product of a few hours doing fieldwork for the Kentucky Folklife Program.

Each year, Louisville’s Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft (KMAC) stages the Kentucky Art Car Weekend [link: http://www.kentuckyartcarweekend.com], an event that brings together people who have transformed their vehicles into mobile, public artworks.  During the Weekend, participating car artists present these eye-catching vehicles at meet-and-greets in front of the KMAC and in a parade through the city’s Crescent Hill neighborhood.      

2010 marked the event’s 10^th anniversary.  On August 6^th, Kentucky Folklife Program [link: http://folklife.ky.gov] fieldworkers Joseph O’Connell and Jennifer Jameson documented the occasion through photography and sound-recorded interviews.  The following photo essay and audio report present highlights from their fieldwork at the Art Car Weekend for KFP.

 Appearing in the audio report are the voices of C.M. and Grace Kelly Laster of Crofton, Ky.; Sonny Fenwick of New Albany, Ind.; Jen “Cricket” Bidwell of Louisville, Ky.; Tom Maguire of Lexington, Ind.; and Karen Welch, Director of Programming at the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft.

Kentucky Art Car Weekend, Audio Segment

How Will You Observe Patriot Day?

On December 18th, 2001 President Bush signed public law No. 107-89 designating September 11th as Patriot Day, in remembrance of the tragic events that shook our nation on September 11, 2001. Citizens are asked to fly the American flag at half-staff from dawn until dusk. The bill passed the House of Representatives with a vote of 407-0 and passed the US Senate unanimously.

The outpouring of patriotism in our country following the attacks on September 11, 2001 was a strong message to the world. It reflected the strength and resolve of our country’s founders. I once heard that patriotism is the duct tape of democracy. Perhaps that is true. It brings out the best in us when we focus on the big picture and not on our differences. In between those times of tragedy and triumph, some put their patriotism on the back burner. Why can't we be patriotic every day?

The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution has chosen to commemorate this tenth anniversary of the attacks on our country by encouraging state societies and local chapters to promote events in their communities to remember the nearly 3,000 who died in the attacks and the many thousands more whose lives were changed forever by the loss of a loved one. The NSDAR has even designed a banner which may be purchased and presented to first responders and others in your community. The objectives of the NSDAR are to promote Education, Historic Preservation, and Patriotism.

The Kentucky Society Daughters of the American Revolution will join with the Kentucky Historical Society on Sunday, September 11th, at 3 o'clock in the Cralle-Day Garden at the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History, 100 W. Broadway, Frankfort in observance of this Patriot Day. It is fitting that the ceremony will take place in front of the Kentucky Liberty Bell. The Liberty Bell is a symbol of that freedom which was won at places like Lexington and Yorktown, Midway and Normandy, and now is being defended as far away as Iraq and Afghanistan.  It represents a way of life so precious to us, but which others may seek to take away.

So wherever you are on Sunday, take a few minutes out of your day to remember those who were lost and those who grieve and those who bravely stepped forward to defend our country. If you can come to Frankfort, please join us. If not, find a way to show your patriotism and appreciation for the liberty we so often take for granted.

-Leslie Miller, KHS membership coordinator

 

Did you know that the original Liberty Bell was not called by that name until abolitionists adopted it as a symbol in the 1830's? And later the bell was used as a symbol by suffragists who commissioned a replica and had the clapper chained to the bell to symbolize the women's inability to have their voices heard.

The Kentucky Liberty Bell is one of 55 replicas cast in 1950 as part of a US savings bond drive. Each state, the District of Columbia, and two US territories received replicas. Most are displayed at or near the state capital. The Kentucky Liberty Bell, once on display at the Old State Capitol, can now be seen at the Kentucky Historical Society's Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History. Come by and see if it inspires you to wave your flag!

 

Inscription on the accompanying plaque:

DEDICATED TO YOU, A FREE CITIZEN IN A FREE LAND

THIS REPRODUCTION OF THE LIBERTY BELL WAS PRESENTED TO THE PEOPLE OF KENTUCKY

BY DIRECTION OF

THE HONORABLE JOHN W. SNYDER

SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY

AS THE INSPIRATIONAL SYMBOL OF THE

UNITED STATES SAVINGS BONDS INDEPENDENCE DRIVE

FROM MAY 15 TO JULY 4, 1950 IT WAS

DISPLAYED IN EVERY PART OF THIS STATE.

 

THE DIMENSIONS AND TONE ARE IDENTICAL

WITH THOSE OF THE ORIGINAL LIBERTY BELL

WHEN IT RANG OUT OUR INDEPENDENCE IN 1776.

IN STANDING BEFORE THIS SYMBOL, YOU

HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DEDICATE

YOURSELF, AS DID OUR FOREFATHERS,

TO THE PRINCIPLES OF THE INDIVIDUAL

FREEDOM FOR WHICH OUR NATION STANDS

On the Byway Again, Part 3--Better Late to Post Than Never!

 

It has been a few days since our last blog about our trip to the National Scenic Byways Conference.  We did finally make it to Minneapolis and we did it all on “Blue Highways” except the last 2 miles on I-94 that brought us to our hotel.

When we last blogged, we were leaving the Indiana National Scenic Byway in Vincennes, Indiana with plans to cross Illinois in a north westerly direction in hopes of picking up the Great River Road somewhere near Historic Nauvoo, Illinois.  Eddie Pennington, famous thumbpicker guitarist from Princeton, KY who is a Mormon highly recommended we start there and see the Temple and other historic sites surrounding this small town on the Mississippi River.

We drove nearly all day going through many small villages, towns and hamlets.  Actually I don’t think we hit any hamlets.  I am not even sure what a hamlet is in Illinois.  We travelled along miles and miles and miles of alternating corn and soybean fields with interesting barns scattered here and there.   

One farm in particular was spectacular, the Castle Knoll Farm.  The barns and outbuilding were situated really close to the road and were somewhat shocking after driving through so many miles and miles of fields. To break the monotony I counted corn signs and Janet counted every planting of pink surprise lilies/resurrection lilies, often called “naked ladies” she could see and demanded we take photos of each water tower that we spotted along the way.  I think the final lily count was 238.  That’s a pretty high count and may constitute a regional tradition of some sort.

Several years at the Kentucky Folklife festival we presented yard art which sometimes reflects a community’s shared aesthetic for how they decorate outdoors.  Along the way we spotted many forms of yard folk art.  There was a cool garage with its outside walls completed covered with old license plates which we found by accident when turning around to take a photo of a sign advertising a restaurant/club for motorcyclists which read “Middle of Nowhere”.  There were numerous eagle statues adorning people’s yards and “Go Eagles” signs supporting a local school’s mascot.

 

Speaking of signage we saw quite a few historic markers and stopped for several.  The one that gave us the biggest kick and possible best connection with Kentucky was the proud signs announcing the historic marker for one of Abraham Lincoln’s teachers at a Blab School that he attended in Illinois.   Three small signs in quick succession announced the marker including one across the street with a large arrow.  So with great anticipation we stopped to see a post leaning over with half of the sign broken off.  We realize that it is difficult to keep up with the maintenance of these signs, but it gave us some comic relief in a pretty remote area.

After driving through some very flat but very interesting areas of Illinois we drove down a winding hill that opened up to a majestic view of a gigantic lock and dam followed by a serene looking Mississippi River covered on the near edges by miles of lily pads.  The road hugged the river and if we weren’t trying to make Nauvoo before nightfall, I think we would have stopped and just dangled our feet in the water.  We made it to a nice state park that overlooked the river and the reconstructed Nauvoo settlement, got the tent up before dark and headed into the town to view the amazing temple and find some food before all the restaurants closed. It was a long day and it was good to get some sleep.

-Bob Gates

On the Byway Again, Pt. 2--a little overdue!

 
If you read my last blog you will know that my wife, Janet, and I are exploring National Scenic Byways on our way to the National Scenic Byways Conference in Minnesota. We started out yesterday from Frankfort, KY heading west on Route 60. While Route 60 is not a designated Scenic Byway, I think it should be. There is a lot to see on 60 including the fairgrounds in Shelbyville where they have the annual Saddlebred horse show and the giant sausage outside of the Parnell’s plant in Simpsonville.

 

Anyway we got a late start and were leaving town around rush hour. Route 60 got us through and thanks to Janet we took Gene Snyder to I-71 though Louisville and across the I-64 bridge without facing any real traffic. Our aim is to ride the “blue highways” and we quickly found Route 150, one of Indiana’s National Scenic Highways. It started out as a 4 lane but within 5 miles it had narrowed down to two. We followed it though rolling hills and communities with German sounding names. We saw beautiful farms with unique tall barns and large lawns. We marveled how anyone could keep up with cutting so much lawn when I have trouble mowing our ¼ acre back home.

We were getting a little hungry even though I had already finished half a bag of pretzels, so we set our sites on French Lick thinking either the historic sector or the gambling casino would have a good supply of veggies (Janet has gone that way completely and I am lagging behind). We made it through the winding hills of Paoli but somehow missed the turnoff for French Lick. I don’t know how but I never saw the sign just like I have never seen an official Scenic Byways sign on the route. I don’t think there have been any.

 

Anyway we found a good “all you can eat” Amish restaurant in Loogootee (say that fast. three times). Janet went my way and ate catfish, shrimp, German noodles and rhubarb pie. We made it to Vincennes and found cheap lodging at the Days Inn. This morning we played tourists visiting such attractions as the Home of President William Henry Harrison, the local Farmers market (where we picked up some goodies for an all veggie and fruit lunch), the Old French Cathedral, the George Rogers Clark National Park (he helped defeat the French near here) and finally my favorite find, The Red Skelton Performing Arts Theatre on the campus of Vincennes University. Red Skelton was a favorite of mine when I was a kid. Some of his comic sketches scared me a little but he was really funny and it is great that his home town is so proud of him.

We are leaving the hotel and on our way to the Great River Road National Scenic Byway.

Bob Gates