History Burgoo

Tis the Season for some Baseball! Pass the Word Challenge #3

    Little League Team from Maysville, KY

Baseball season is in full swing!  The sport has a noteworthy history in Kentucky including a strong minor league presence having had teams based in at least 32 Kentucky cities.  Were you watching when the Valley Sports American Little League Team defeated the Sendai, Japan team to win the 2002 Little League World Series World Championship? 

Check out this Valley Sports American Little League Team Uniform in KHS’s Collection:

Kentucky’s Baseball Scandal…

Did you know that the National League’s first major gambling scandal occurred in Louisville?  The Louisville Grays were a charter member when the National League formed in 1876 and finished fifth during the first season.  During the following year, the team led the league through season before suddenly going through a slump and ultimately losing the league pennant to the Boston Red Caps.  It was later discovered that gamblers had paid four Louisville players to lose games so that Boston would win the championship in 1877.  The National League’s first major scandal led to the demise of the Grays and the four team members who were involved were banned from playing professional baseball for life. 

African American Baseball                                

Monroe Doneghy & John Lewis Doneghy

Kentucky also has a strong history in the African American baseball story.  In 1887, the Louisville team, Falls City, joined the League of Colored Baseball Clubs, which was the first national league for black players.  Several independent semiprofessional black teams played in exhibition tours before the formation of the Negro National League in 1920.  Louisville was home to the Negro National League’s White Sox (1931), the League’s Black Caps (1932) and the Buckeyes (1949). 

Former Kentucky governor, A.B. “Happy” Chandler, served as commissioner of baseball from 1945 to 1951 and is credited as being instrumental in the racial integration of the major leagues in 1947.

More than 200 Kentucky natives have played major league baseball and four Kentuckians have been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame: Earl Combs, A.B. Chandler, Jim Bunning and Harold “Pee Wee” Reese. 

Oral history interviews with former major and minor league baseball players can be found at http://passtheword.ky.gov. "Pass the Word” is a discovery tool for oral histories throughout the state of Kentucky. 

Pass the Word Challenge Week 3

The week’s challenge is to find two oral history collections that represent sports other than baseball on Pass the Word.  Include both the collection names and the respective sports in your answer. 

Submit your answer through the About section on Pass the Word.  See the image below to find out where the About section is on the Pass the Word homepage:

Your name will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a professional quality digital recorder when you respond to a challenge with a correct answer.  Make sure to include “Pass the Word Challenge” in the subject line and submit your answers by 8am EST on Friday morning.  Only correct answers submitted via this method will be eligible to be entered into the drawing.  Correct answers for the weekly challenge will be posted to the site’s homepage on Friday afternoon.  The results of the drawing will be announced at the end of August. Happy Exploring!

Pass the Word Challenge – Week 2!

Lions, Tigers and Chimpanzees in KY!

Oral histories are diverse and you never quite know what you are going to hear.  The opportunity to listen to a variety of people tell their stories in their own words and the randomness of the conversations are some of the reasons why oral histories are so appealing and fascinating.  

The KY Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFWR) Retirees Oral History Project is one collection with a lot of unique stories.  It seems like a fitting collection to highlight as summer begins and we want to spend more time outdoors.  Perhaps the title may not immediately capture the attention of someone who isn’t interested in gaming or wildlife.  However, listening to the stories of these retirees of the KDFWR provides the opportunity to learn about some of their great and unusual work experiences including dealing with all kinds of strange pets and unexpected wildlife.

Take this example of KDFWR retiree James Durell’s story about a lion in Frankfort: 

 Download Lion Story - James Durell - 2005OH03.6b

This is just one of the many stories that can be heard by listening to the interviews of the KDFWR Retirees Oral History Project.  In addition to stories about lions, pet deer and other animals, the retirees also discuss the establishment of conservation and wildlife education initiatives including the Salato Wildlife Education Center in Frankfort, Camp Earl Wallace on Lake Cumberland and Camp Robert Webb on Grayson Lake.  Interviewee Don Isom also tells some stories about the pranks staff members played on each other including one about hiding a dead fish in someone’s car.  Listen to more of Durell’s stories and interviews with other KDFWR Retirees to learn more about their experiences while working to preserve, restore and protect Kentucky's natural resources on Pass the Word.

Here’s another audio clip related to animals from the Veterinary Medicine in Western Kentucky Oral History Project that I hope you’ll enjoy:

Tiger and Chimpanzee Story - Paul Bailey - 2008OH06.6

Whether you are looking for animals, natural resources or another topic, Kentucky’s oral history collections deal with a wide variety of topics that can be searched through Pass the Word, Kentucky’s new, online, oral history discovery tool. 

Are you ready for your 2^nd Pass the Word challenge?  Relating to this week's theme about animals and natural resources, the challenge this week is to find which national park in Kentucky that celebrated its 50^th anniversary in 2009.  Find an interview with someone who was directly involved with or affected by this park’s creation on http://passtheword.ky.gov and include the person's name as part of your answer.  

Submit your answer through the About section on Pass the Word.  Here’s where to find the About section on the Pass the Word homepage:

Your name will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a professional quality digital recorder when you respond to a challenge with a correct answer.  Make sure to include “Pass the Word Challenge” in the subject line and submit your answers by 8am EST on Friday morning.  Only correct answers submitted via this method will be eligible to be entered into the drawing.  Correct answers for the weekly challenge will be posted to the site’s homepage on Friday afternoon.  The results of the drawing will be announced at the end of August. 

 

 

Participate in the Pass the Word Challenge to be entered to win oral history related prizes.

 

Exploring Kentucky through its Oral Histories

What do you know about Kentucky’s rich heritage in oral histories?  Did you know that interviews exist with well-known Kentuckians in addition to people like your grandma, uncle or neighbor?  Kentucky’s oral histories cover a range of topics including classic Kentucky themes of horses, bourbon and tobacco and topics such as the displacement of people, civil rights, sports, arts and gambling.  Plus all of Kentucky’s 120 counties are represented by the state’s oral histories.  Whatever the topic may be, a related oral history most likely exists. 

Kentucky’s oral histories date back to 1970 when the Appalachian Oral History Project was started at Alice Lloyd College and Lees College.  In that same year, the Western Kentucky University’s Folklife Archives was also established followed by the establishment of oral history programs at Murray State University, University of Kentucky and University of Louisville in 1973 and at Eastern Kentucky University in 1976.  The Kentucky Oral History Commission was also established in 1976 as an innovative way to support oral history at the state level and Kentucky continues to be the only state with a state oral history office.  With this solid foundation, oral histories have thrived in Kentucky with the creation of over 600 collections and an estimated 35,000 oral history interviews across the state. 

So how do you find out what oral histories exist related to your particular interests?  

Camp Arty-fact kids exploring the map of Pass the Word repositories. 

Because the interviews are located in so many different museums, archives and libraries throughout the state, the Kentucky Oral History Commission, administered by the Kentucky Historical Society since 1992, wanted to provide an easy way to find what oral histories are accessible throughout the state and connect you to the places where you can access them.  Building upon 1991 and 2000 statewide oral history surveys, a 2008 survey of Kentucky’s county libraries and input from advisors helped to develop Kentucky’s new, online, oral history discovery tool called Pass the Word. 

Pass the Word (PTW) serves as a centralized database for oral history collections publicly accessible through Kentucky libraries, museums and archives.  This project seeks to make Kentucky’s oral history collections more visible and accessible by providing a single portal of access to all the oral history collections in the state as well as provide a unified portal to gather oral history news and resource information from Kentucky and around the U.S.  Check out the site online at http://passtheword.ky.gov/.  Just search a name, a place or a topic and see what you find!

 

Pass the Word is an ongoing project and currently has over 15,000 interviews listed on the site located at over 100 participating repositories throughout the state.  To officially launch the site, we will have a series of weekly clues to encourage you to explore the site.  Over the next 12 weeks, follow Pass the Word blog posts that will look at a variety of collections or topics that can be found by using the search tool.  Each blog will offer a challenge to help you explore Pass the Word. 

Your name will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a professional quality digital recorder each time you respond to a challenge with a correct answer.  Submit your answer through the About section on Pass the Word. 

Here’s where to find the About section on the Pass the Word homepage:

 

Make sure to include “Pass the Word Challenge” in the subject line and submit your answers by 8am EST on Friday morning.  Only correct answers submitted via this method will be eligible to be entered into the drawing.  Correct answers will be posted to the site’s homepage by noon on Friday.  The results of the drawing will be announced at the end of August. 

Are you ready for your first challenge?  To help you discover all the repositories participating in Pass the Word, Week 1’s challenge is to locate the library, museum or archive closest to your home that has oral histories on Pass the Word.  Send in your responses and name of your town by 8am EST on Friday, June 7^th.  Happy exploring!   

Transforming students’ lives through the power of history!

On April 26 and 27, roughly 1,000 students from across the Commonwealth will meet at the University of Louisville for the 51st annual Kentucky Junior Historical Society Conference and Kentucky History Day. 

During their time in the Kentucky Junior Historical Society, KJHS students conduct research individually and in groups, cultivating skills of communication, collaboration and creativity and critical thinking.

Students presenting a project to judges during the 2012 conference.

 

Working in-depth on a personally-chosen project, participants collect oral histories, restore local landmarks, create dramatic interpretations of historical events and develop websites, competing to be one of the top students who will take their project to the University of Maryland in a bid for national honors.

The culmination of a year of work may lead up to just one day, but the impact can transform a student's life.

Take Emma, for example. "This has made a huge impact on Emma’s life," writes her mother, Rebecca. As a young child, Emma had a pronounced speech impediment affecting her confidence speaking in a public setting. Through years of speech therapy and small class settings she was able to present to her classmates, but it was her involvement with Kentucky History Day that changed everything.

"Kentucky History Day gave Emma an opportunity to become an expert in her topic of choice, which in turn, made her feel like she could speak with academic authority. The issue wasn’t about public speaking anymore; it was about sharing her expertise."

To ensure that any qualifying student has the opportunity to compete on the national level, the Kentucky Historical Society subsidizes the cost of each student's trip to Washington D.C. and the University of Maryland.

Donors are the people who make this dream a reality – state funding isn't available to send one single student to National History day.

Join Rebecca, Emma and other supporters of history education on April 24^th as the KHS Foundation, in partnership with the Kentucky Nonprofit Network, participates in Kentucky Gives Day, a special 24-hour day of giving.

During this one-day event you can make a tax-deductible donation to the Kentucky Historical Society Foundation, instantly making Kentucky History Day a reality for more students like Emma!

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KJHS is administered by the Kentucky Historical Society, which is an agency of the Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet and is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. KHS is committed to helping people understand, cherish and share Kentucky's history by providing connections to the past, perspective on the present and inspiration for the future. For more about the Kentucky Historical Society and its programs, visit www.history.ky.gov.

Upcoming Genealogy Programs

Thursday Night Genealogy, Live!

Join us each Thursday evening in the Library Reading Room during regular season hours for a full hour of genealogy instruction. These genealogy sessions will take place each Thursday night from 6:30-7:30PM, beginning March 14th and running until December 12th. All it takes is an hour to hone your research skills, get started on the basics, preserve your documents, get organized, become more familiar with genealogy software or share your genealogy success stories!  
Sessions are free and registration is NOT required. For more info: khsrefdesk@ky.gov or 502-564-1792 x.4460
Some of our upcoming topics include:

March 28th: Getting organized – Paper & Digital Tips

April 4th: Introduction to KHS Library Collections
April 11th: Genealogy Stories
April 18th: Genealogy for Kids (How to attract their Interest)
April 25th: Document/Photo Preservation
May 2nd: Introduction to Using Census Records
May 9th: Getting Started with Genealogy
May 16th: Genealogy Stories
May 23rd: Using FamilySearch.org
May 30th: Using Ancestry.com
June 6th: Using Heritage Quest
June 13th: Genealogy Stories
June 20th: Using Legacy Family Tree Software
June 27th: Using RootsMagic Family Tree Software
July 4th: Closed – Holiday
July 11th: Getting Started with Genealogy
July 18th: Genealogy Stories
July 25th: Accessing Oral Histories Across the State

Genealogy Tea & Sympathy (This Saturday!)

Join our Library staff on the 5th Saturday of every month from 2-4PM for tea time and good ole fashioned conversation. Have an ancestor that is eluding you? Confused about which source to use next? Have questions about the proof standard or how to get the kids involved? Bring along your genealogy issues, hot topics or questions and the group will try to help you out. Even if we can’t solve your problem, we promise to provide lots of tea and sympathy! All research levels welcome – let’s learn from each other’s experiences!

Dates of the upcoming 5th Saturdays in 2013 (2:00-4:00PM):
March 30th
June 29th
August 31st
November 30th
Each Genealogy Tea and Sympathy session is free and tea is provided at the event. Please pre-register by calling the KHS Refdesk at 502-564-1792 x.4460 or by e-mailing us at: khsrefdesk@ky.gov

Second Saturday Family History Workshop

Saturday, April 13, 2013
Speaker: Cindy Peck
Topic: Using DNA to Enhance Your Genealogy Research

What DNA Tests Can (and Can’t) Offer the Genealogist
An overview of how DNA testing can enhance your family research with a basic description of what these tests measure. Appropriate for beginners through advanced.

How to Choose a DNA Test
A description of the types of DNA tests, comparisons of costs and services, and a description of how to participate in the surname projects offered by some of the testing companies. Appropriate for beginners through advanced.

Morning session runs from 10:30-11:30AM, followed by an hour break for lunch. Second session runs from 12:30-1:30PM. A light box lunch is available at a cost of $6 payable at the door when requested in advance. Registration for these free workshops is required by noon of the previous Friday. khsrefdesk@ky.gov or 502-564-1792 x.4460

Come join the genealogy fun!

Cheri Daniels -- Senior Librarian/Reference Specialist

Dr. J. Blaine Hudson, September 8, 1949 - January 5, 2013

                                                 (photo credit, University of Louisville) 

Memorial posts are always the hardest to write, which is probably why it has taken a week to join in the lament for the passing of Blaine Hudson, former Dean of the University of Louisville College of Arts and Science.

Dr. Hudson, an advisor, contributor, and friend to the Kentucky Historical Society, will be missed by staff, members, and patrons of KHS. Hudson has helped advise on various aspects of programming and research with the KHS, including contributing to our publication, The Register, and serving as an advisory board member on the Kentucky Oral History Commission. He was an endless advocate and scholar of civil rights and social justice in Kentucky, knowing, contributing to, and participating in the history of our own civil rights story while teaching this legacy in order to affect change in society today.

We will miss his council, his contributions, and passion in the field of history.

Today, we share in celebrating his legacy and life by remembering his part in the production of the civil rights documentary, Living the Story: The Civil Rights Movement in Kentucky. As is recounted several places in the news recently, Dr. Hudson first occupied the UofL College of Arts and Science in 1969 was among a group of students who took over the College to protest the lack of black administrators, faculty and scholarships for minority students at the University. 36 years later he was appointed Dean of the same College. But, we would like to let him tell his own story of growing up in racially segregated Louisville, KY. 

 

January 14, 2013 is the University of Louisville public memorial for Dr. Blaine Hudson, the event is open to the public and will be live streamed online for those who cannot attend in person. If nothing else, leave your memories on the site created for this purpose. 

 

--Sarah Milligan

Got Your Digital Preservation Plan in Hand? Want to?

 

There is no hiding from it. It pops up in your fat stuff (objects), your flat stuff (letters/photos/books) and your in-between stuff (my area, recording media). In preservation, you cannot escape the need to understand digital preservation and the ability to create a plan to address it. You might be saying, "hey, that thing is on paper, it will last forever. Why do I care whether a digital copy exists 5 years from now?" I wonder if you are the same person saying "why don't you have more available online?" And, if you have asked that question, you have probably gotten the answer "It takes a lot of man-hours and resources to digitize collections." And, if you have talked to me you will hear "it takes a lot of digital space to store those collections."

Okay, so now you know a little bit of the background that prompted me to apply for the Library of Congress Digital Preservation Outreach Education (DPOE) Train-the-Trainer event. Everyone has questions, but who is answering them and who has the best answers? In my direct field of interest, when you are dealing with the exclusive creation of born digital oral history interviews, this opens up a whole new need for immediate knowledge of standards and guidlines, not only for myself and KHS, but for the institutions we work with on oral history preservation planning. At it's core, a digital file is a digital file - whether a .tiff or a .wav or a .pdf - so what is the plan?

After attending the 4 day Midwest Region training in August (alongside 20 other midwest representatives) in Indianapolis, I may not have all of the answers, but I know the questions to ask, where to look for resources and the structure for building a digital preservation plan. [thanks to the awesome DPOE trainers: Mary Molinaro (UofK), Robin Dale (LYRASIS), and Jacob Nadal (Brooklyn Historical Society) -- who made this stuff look easy].

Like any complex question, there is no absolute answer, but a series of other questions to ask until you drill down to the best solution for your paritcular situation at a particular time. 

SO, how does it work? 

 The DPOE curriculum is structured by breaking the digital presevation process into 6 segments:

Identify . . . the types of digital content you have.
Select . . . what portion of your digital content will be preserved.
Store . . . your selected content for the long term.
Protect . . . your content from everyday threats and emergency contingencies.
Manage . . . and implement requirements for long term management.
Provide . . . access to digital content over time.

Is your institution (library, archive, history museum, local historical society) grappling with these same questions? Want a place to start building a plan?

I can now provide training in the decision making process for all of these modules. They can be presented individually, comprehensively or in clustered groups and we can start where you need it most (ie: at the beginning, in the middle...) Let me know what the needs are and we can start a conversation about solutions. Have presentation, will travel.

KHS has supported my training certification through DPOE and we hope this can be an extension of our outreach offerings. As the first DPOE train-the-trainer graduate in Kentucky, let me know how I can help you. We are thrilled to have many more Kentucky voices in the international discussion of the future of preservation. 

---Sarah Milligan (sarah.milligan@ky.gov)

 

 

Special Thanks to the Indiana State Library for hosting the DPOE trianing along with support from IMLS. 

 

images: top image- http://digitalbevaring.dk/ - with use under the creative commons license

group image: DPOE MIdwest Trainers Group - provided by LOC DPOE office

1 question in 1 oral history interview and the power of community

Just a quick note about this story - as administrator for the Kentucky Oral History Commission (KOHC) adminsitered by the KHS, I get to witness a lot of fantastic stories that come out of oral hsitory projects we support. I am continually amazed what a little bit of funding in the right place can kickstart. I will admit, this story reaches farther than most, but in it's core, it is a perfect example of what acknowledging the cultural and historical value of the individuals in your community can accomplish. What this story reminds me is that the gift of sharing with oral hsitory can go both ways, oh, and if you haven't registered to vote in that election around the corner, get to it! - sarah milligan

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When the James Harrod Trust, a preservation organization in Harrodsburg, Kentucky, requested funding from the Kentucky Oral History Commission for an oral history project focused on the African American History of Mercer County, no one imagined one question during one interview would capture national attention. 

During the course of the project's first interview, a team of interviewers asked Mrs. Margaret Harris, age 105, if she remembered the struggle for women’s suffrage and her first vote. Her reply was quick and certain: “Yes, because that was the last time I voted. I voted for Herbert Hoover.” Family members in attendance then asked for information regarding the voter registration process. “Miss Margaret” was born in 1906, five years before birth certificates were officially recorded in Kentucky (in 1911).  Miss Margaret does not have a driver’s license or government photo identification. There are no living witnesses to attest to Miss Margaret’s birth; family records documenting her birth have been lost over the years. Following up on this information, one of the interviewers who happened to work for the Secretary of State's office, Kandie Adkinson, brought up the issue with Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes.  How could they get Miss Margaret to become involved in the election process?

 

This conversation kicked off a series of events beginning with a trip by Secretary Grimes to Mercer County to meet with Mercer County Clerk Chris Horn, Miss Margaret, and some of her family and friends.

 After her identity and residency were confirmed, Secretary Grimes & County Clerk Horn proceeded to register Miss Margaret to vote. She also applied for, and received, an absentee ballot if she is unable to attend the polls in person on November 6. Following this visit the story of 105-year-old Margaret Harris’ voter registration was broadcast on television stations throughout Kentucky. The Associated Press and internet news providers, such as CNN, included the news story and portions of Miss Margaret’s television interview in their coverage.

Word continued to spread throughout the state and when President Obama stopped in Cincinnati, the Kentucky Democratic Party arranged for the President to give a “shout out” to Miss Margaret who was in attendance. Yep, this was broadcast on C-SPAN.

During the week of her 106^th birthday party, representatives of the Obama Campaign Headquarters in Chicago visited Harrodsburg and interviewed Miss Margaret - or as they referred to her as the end of their visit, "Granny." Video from their visit is posted on the Obama Campaign website encouraging voter participation. When it comes to voter registration and participation, Miss Margaret’s rallying cry is “If I can do it, you can, too.” Regardless of your political leaning, the story here is every one should be able to excercise their right to vote.  

For the second time in her 106 years, Margaret Harris, whose sons served our country in the military and whose children and grandchildren, are leaders within their communities, will participate in the election process due to one question…during one interview in one Oral History project…funded in part by the Kentucky Oral History Commission. 

--James Harrod Trust Oral History Team

P.S. Thank you to all the players along the way that encouraged this story and spread the word - without you taking an interest, it wouldn't have made it quite so far.

 

image above: Miss Margaret being registered to vote. 

video above: Obama campaign video with Miss Margaret.

KHS Website Named One of the 101 Best for Genealogy!

For the second consecutive year, Family Tree Magazine has honored our main KHS website by naming it one of the 101 best sites for genealogy! This annual list has been a staple in the genealogy community for the past 13 years and recognizes websites based on various criteria. In 2011 our site was recognized on a statewide level, but 2012 has moved us into a regional recognition. Here is a link to the official announcement naming the entire 101 best sites: http://familytreemagazine.com/article/101-Best-Websites-2012 KHS is listed under the Midwestern region. For those of you who would like to have a print version of this list, just stop by your local bookstore to pick up the September issue. But hurry! This issue is only slated to be on newsstands until October 8th!

For those of you curious about our newest accolade, here is what they had to say about our site:

"Kentucky Historical Society, history.ky.gov: Bluegrass State researchers will stampede to this site for its cemetery records, Civil Rights archive and digital collections of everything from artifacts to old postcards. Click on the Kentuckiana Digital Library to also search more than 550,000 digital images including historic newspapers, photographs, Sanborn maps and historical issues of the Daily Racing Form."

Adventures in Paintsville!

This past weekend marked the 11the annual Eastern Kentucky Genealogy and History Conference in Paintsville Kentucky! Back in 2002, a group of researchers began what was then called the "Johnson County Reunion" to swap research notes and family stories in an attempt to re-connect with cousins and other local historians. This popular event soon grew out of its Johnson County confines and became the Eastern Kentucky Genealogy Conference. Each year this event, held on the third weekend in September, has grown bigger and better. With one of its largest attendances yet, a couple of KHS staffers had the opportunity to check things out and had loads of fun in the process!

 Here are a few snapshots from our trip!

Our very own Sarah Milligan speaking about Oral History and the best methods to use when interviewing family members.

My lovely audience after speaking to them about technology and genealogy - they were such a sweet bunch! At least they were still smiling AFTER my talk!

Cousin connection: My own cousins (L-R:Jodi Wright and Carolyn Mason Wright) from Scioto County Ohio Genealogical Society came down to represent those ancestors who had left the Eastern Kentucky area to find opportunities in the north. We found a new cousin connection that day with Mr. Edward R. Hazelett - a mutual descendant of Captain Henry Connelly - Revolutionary Soldier who is the ancestral patriarch of many Eastern Kentucky cousins! 

Our travels took us past the signs to Butcher Holler several times on our way to Jenny Wiley State Park where we stayed each night.

The host facility each year welcomes attendees and dresses to the nines for the Saturday evening dinner!

Special thanks to the coordinators this year - everyone was so welcoming and receptive to our sessions. For anyone with Eastern Kentucky roots, be sure to put this event on your calendar for next year as attendees come from all over, representing several counties and states to return "Home" to Eastern Kentucky!

--Cheri Daniels, KHS Senior Librarian/Reference Specialist