A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....11-07-07....Kentucky ~ "The Bluegrass State"

Mama_Bear | JustAmy | November 7, 2007

[Mama_Bear]

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day

Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997.   Over 200,000 people have registered for posting privileges on Free Republic, and the forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world.

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day was introduced on June 24, 2002. It's only a small room in JimRob's house where we can get to know one another a little better; salute and support our military and our leaders; pray for those in need; and congratulate those deserving. We strive to keep our threads entertaining, fun, and pleasing to look at, and often have guest writers contribute an essay.

On Mondays please visit us to see photos of A FEW OF FR'S VETERANS AND ACTIVE MILITARY

We're
"On the Road Again"...

Please join "A Few of FR's Finest" as we make a cyber-visit to another state in this great Union of ours.

These are the states
we have presented to date:

05-23-03 Alabama 06-27-03 Maryland 07-11-03 Vermont 07-25-03 Utah 08-05-03 Texas 08-22-03 Nevada 08-26-03 Wash DC 09-05-03 Tennessee 09-17-03 Florida 09-19-03 Minnesota 10-03-03 New Mexico 10-14-03 Georgia 10-17-03 Louisiana 10-22-03 Michigan 11-04-03 South Dakota 11-14-03 California 01-09-04 South Carolina 02-06-04 West Virginia 02-20-04 Oregon

03-09-04 Pennsylvania 03-30-04 Wyoming 04-13-04 Mississippi 04-27-04 Missouri 05-25-04 Indiana 07-21-04 Virginia 08-18-04 Colorado 09-29-04 Idaho 10-20-04 New Hampshire 12-07-04 Hawaii 02-09-05 Maine 03-09-05 North Carolina 04-13-05 Arizona 06-15-05 Iowa 10-19-05 Alaska 09-26-07 Massachusetts 10-03-07 Kansas 10-24-07 Delaware

Archaeological evidence shows that Indians lived and hunted in Kentucky as long as 13,000 years ago. Arriving Europeans brought epidemic diseases that swept through the Native American population. By the mid-1700s only a handful of native settlements survived in Kentucky. Native Kentuckians include the Mingo (Seneca-Iroquois), the Cherokee, and the Shawnee.

Explorers like Dr. Thomas Walker and John Finley in the 1750s and frontiersmen like Daniel Boone and Simon Kenton in the 1760s gave glowing accounts of the rich land beyond the mountains. Attracted by the promise of abundant land and game, settlers flocked through the Cumberland Gap or down the Ohio River to Kentucky. In 1774, James Harrod constructed the first permanent settlement at present day Harrodsburg. Fort Boonesborough was established in 1775, and many other settlements were created soon after. With the advent of the American Revolution, British-inspired Indian attacks continually plagued these pioneer settlements. The last major Indian raid in Kentucky occurred at the Battle of Blue Licks in 1782, although small skirmishes and raids would continue until 1813.

In 1776 Kentucky became a separate county of Virginia, and was admitted to the union as the fifteenth state on June 1, 1792 - the first on the western frontier. Kentucky chose to be known as a commonwealth, meaning government based on the common consent of the people and dating to the time of Oliver Cromwell's England. Isaac Shelby, a Revolutionary War hero, was the first governor, and Frankfort was chosen as the state capital.

Read more about Kentucky's rich history HERE.




Did you know?

Kentucky's horse country is located in the heart of the state's Bluegrass region, known as the Inner Bluegrass. This region encompasses approximately 2,400 square miles (6,200 square kilometers) around Lexington and is what many Kentuckians think of as "the Bluegrass." But the physical geography of the Bluegrass region, which extends to the Ohio River and down through the center of the state, is defined by its underlying limestone and shales of the Ordovician period, about 500 million years ago. The Inner Bluegrass sits on the oldest of the limestone, which is especially rich in calcium and phosphate, nutrients that create good pasturelands. And where you find good pasturelands, you find horses!

There is no doubt that sports events like the Super Bowl and World Series can boast of rich and colorful histories, but neither can match the Kentucky Derby, which will be renewed for the 134th time at Churchill Downs in Louisville on May 3, 2008. One of the oldest continuously-held sporting events in the world, the Run for the Roses was first contested back in 1875. Aristides was the winner that day in front of a crowd of about 10,000 Kentucky Derby ticket holders. For the 2008 Kentucky Derby, that number will be more like 150,000 to see “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports.” While the race might be over in about 120 seconds, the Kentucky Derby offers a full array of activities that takes over the entire city of Louisville.

Dessert on Derby day can only be one thing: a rich, dense chocolate-nut pie flavored with Kentucky bourbon. The original version of this pie is trademarked and fiercely protected by its inventors, but there are several unofficial versions of it: Run for the Roses Pie, Eighth Race Pie, Thoroughbred Pie and Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie.

This is Beaumont Inn's Pastry Chef, Cathy Nichols, version of this regional classic.

INGREDIENTS: Pie Crust:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup butter, cut up
1/4 cup ice water, more or less

Filling:
1/2 cup butter, unsalted, melted
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
2 tablespoons Kentucky Bourbon

PREPARATION: Crust:
Mix all except water in food processor until crumbly. Slowly add ice water until mixture just holds together. Wrap in a flat circle in plastic wrap; Chill overnight. Form into pie pan.

Filling:
Beat eggs with cooled butter. Add flour & sugar. Beat until mixed well. Gently fold in pecans, chocolate & bourbon. Add mixture to pie shell. Bake at 350° for about 30 minutes, or until set. Serve with fresh whipped cream.

INGREDIENTS:2 cups water
2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh mint leaves
32 fluid ounces Kentucky bourbon
8 sprigs fresh mint leaves for garnish

DIRECTIONS:
Combine water, sugar and chopped mint leaves in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat until the sugar is completely dissolved. Allow syrup to cool, approximately 1 hour. Pour syrup through a strainer to remove mint leaves. Fill eight cups or frozen goblets with crushed ice and pour 4 ounces of bourbon and 1/4 cup mint syrup in each. (Proportions can be adjusted depending on each person's sweet tooth). Top each cup with a mint sprig and a straw. Trim straws to just barely protrude from the top of the cups. Serve juleps on a silver platter.

Note:
If you are using silver goblets, place them in the freezer for at least half an hour before serving. Handle frozen goblets with a clean towel, holding them by their edges, so as not to mar the lovely frosted surface.

But Kentucky isn't only about thoroughbred horses and the Kentucky Derby (although you might get an argument from some Kentuckians), Kentucky is also about...

Fine bourbon is as synonymous with Kentucky as fine horses, and it's a major ingredient in everything from mint juleps to chocolate candy. America's native spirit flows here like the limestone spring water from which it's made.

What wine is to California's Napa Valley, bourbon is to Central Kentucky, and there is no better way to discover the essence of the commonwealth's signature beverage than a drive along the state's Bourbon Trail. This is where 95 percent of the world's supply of bourbon is artfully produced. Most of the distilleries are located within two hours of each other - in the hilly country around Bardstown, Louisville, Frankfort and Lexington. Some names are legendary - Maker's Mark, Jim Beam, Wild Turkey, Buffalo Trace and Four Roses. Others, like Heaven Hill and Woodford Reserve, are of newer vintage, but have quickly made a name for themselves.

Kentucky is the most tobacco-dependent state in the United States. Although North Carolina grows more tobacco than Kentucky, tobacco accounts for a larger percentage of Kentucky's agricultural income.

Most tobacco grown in Kentucky is a type known as burley, which has a medium-light leaf and is cured by air-drying in an open barn. But in far west Kentucky, a darker, heavier tobacco is grown and is cured inside closed barns heated by smoldering fires of sawdust and oak or hickory slabs. Known as "dark-fired" tobacco, it's used for chewing tobacco and snuff. The area of the state where it's grown has been referred to as the "Black Patch", for the dark color of the fire-cured leaf. At the opposite end of the tobacco color spectrum is "bright" tobacco, a light leaf grown mostly in the Carolinas. Bright tobacco is the major component of American cigarettes.

The tobacco crop is quickly disappearing from the farm fields of Kentucky. But tobacco barns, in various states of repair, stand proudly on the landscape as icons of family farming.

Around April 13, 1750 Dr. Thomas Walker was the first recorded person to discover and use coal in Kentucky. In 1820 the first commercial mine, known as the "McLean drift bank" opened in Kentucky, near the Green River and Paradise in Muhlenberg County; and Kentuckians have been mining coal ever since.

Coal touches every Kentuckian. It powers the state literally and figuratively. Coal provides 91% of the state's electrical power and mining is the state's largest industrial employer.

Kentucky Coal Mining Museum

From the Kentucky Tourism Website....."There are so many wonderful attractions throughout Kentucky that we're sure it is a place you will want to visit again and again. Discover the beauty, excitement and hospitality that are the distinctive trademarks of our great commonwealth. Start planning your visit today..."

Bluegrass, Blues and Barbecue
Kentucky's Derby Region
Northern Kentucky River Region
Kentucky's Appalacians
Bluegrass Region
Daniel Boone Country
Southern Lakes
Caves, Lakes and Corvettes
Western Waterlands

• In 1774 Harrodstown (now Harrodsburg) was established as the first permanent settlement in the Kentucky region. It was named after James Harrod who led a team of area surveyors.
   
• The old official state tree was the Kentucky coffee tree (Gymnocladus dioicus.) The tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) is the current official state tree. The change was made in 1976.
   
• Cheeseburgers were first served in 1934 at Kaolin's restaurant in Louisville.
   
• Chevrolet Corvettes are manufactured in Bowling Green.
   
• Mammoth Cave is the world's longest cave and was first promoted in 1816, making it the second oldest tourist attraction in the United States. Niagara Falls, New York is first.
   
• The first Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant owned and operated by Colonel Sanders is located in Corbin.
   
• Kentucky is the state where both Abraham Lincoln, President of the Union, and Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederacy, were born. They were born less than one hundred miles and one year apart.
   
• Cumberland is the only waterfall in the world to regularly display a Moonbow. It is located just southwest of Corbin.
   
• Fleming County is recognized as the Covered Bridge Capital of Kentucky.
   
• Shelby County is recognized as the Saddlebred Capital of Kentucky.
   
• Thunder Over Louisville is the opening ceremony for the Kentucky Derby Festival and is the world's largest fireworks display.
   
• More than 100 native Kentuckians have been elected governors of other states.
   
• The song "Happy Birthday to You" was the creation of two Louisville sisters in 1893.
   
• Teacher Mary S. Wilson held the first observance of Mother's Day in Henderson in 1887. It was made a national holiday in 1916.
   
• Pikeville annually leads the nation in per capita consumption of Pepsi-Cola.
   
• The first American performance of a Beethoven symphony was in Lexington in 1817.
   
• Post-It Notes are manufactured exclusively in Cynthiana. The exact number made annually of these popular notes is a trade secret.
   
• Kentucky was the 15th state to join the Union and the first on the western frontier.
   
• Bluegrass is not really blue--its green--but in the spring bluegrass produces bluish purple buds that when seen in large fields give a blue cast to the grass.
   
• There is a legend that the inspiration for Stephen Foster's hymn like song "My Old Kentucky Home" was written in 1852 after an unverified trip to visit relatives in Kentucky.
   
• Daniel Boone and his wife Rebecca are buried in the Frankfort Cemetery. Their son Isaac is buried at Blue Licks Battlefield near Carlisle, where he was killed in the last battle of the Revolutionary War fought in Kentucky.
   
• The public saw an electric light for the first time in Louisville. Thomas Edison introduced his incandescent light bulb to crowds at the Southern Exposition in 1883.
   
• The radio was invented by a Kentuckian named Nathan B. Stubblefield of Murray in 1892. It was three years before Marconi made his claim to the invention.
   
• The first enamel bathtub was made in Louisville in 1856.
   
• In the War of 1812 more than half of all Americans killed in action were Kentuckians.
   
• Middlesboro is the only city in the United States built within a meteor crater.
   
• Joe Bowen holds the world record for stilt walking endurance. He walked 3,008 miles on stilts between Bowen, Kentucky to Los Angeles, California.
   
• The world's largest free-swinging bell known as the World Peace Bell is on permanent display in Newport.
   
• High Bridge located near Nicholasville is the highest railroad bridge over navigable water in the United States.
   
• Carrie Nation the spokesperson against rum, tobacco, pornography, and corsets was born near Lancaster in Garrard County.
   
• More than $6 billion worth of gold is held in the underground vaults of Fort Knox. This is the largest amount of gold stored anywhere in the world. 
• The Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption in Covington has 82 stained-glass windows including the world's largest hand-blown one. The window measures 24 feet wide by 67 feet high and depicts the Council of Ephesus with 134 life-sized figures.
   
• The swimsuit Mark Spitz wore in the 1972 Olympic games was manufactured in Paris, Kentucky.
   

With appreciation to the following websites...

Info Please
Southern U.S. Cuisine
Kentucky Coal Education
Kentucky Facts and Trivia

And a special thank you to JustAmy
for her help and contributions!

03-27-07 ~ Hall of Fame #19 ~ Final

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 11-05,06-07 MilitaryTribute

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' Every Thursday at the Finest The guy's good, folks!

[Mama_Bear]

[Mama_Bear]

[Mama_Bear]

Below are names of some of our FReepers' loved ones who are serving our country. If you have someone you would like to add, please address a post to Billie; Dutchess; dollycali;The Mayor; GodBlessUSA; JustAmy, and we will add their name to this list. As we pray for them, we pray also for all our nation’s leaders, and military personnel, and their families and friends. May God hold them close to His heart.



Please keep these FReepers
and their loved ones in your prayers.

gator girl........................husband severa.......................... brother Maigrey.........................cousin mystery-ak...........son, husband Inspectorette.......................son Blessed American..........nephew Slip18..........................nephew Diver Dave........niece, nephew ConspiracyGuy........2 nephews Pippin............niece's husband sneakers..........................son weldgophardline.................son weldgophardline.....brotherinlaw jamaly.................brother inlaw Future Snake Eater.......cousin WaterDragon............grandson WaterDragon...........son-in-law kimmie7......................brother LadyX (RIP)..............grandson fawn796......................nephew ValerieUSA..................2 sons Lakeside......................2 sons LakeLady....................nephew Spruce......................daughter Leofl.................................son chena..................... ..........son Hope and Glory..................son TheMayor...............friends'son Doug from Upland.......soninlaw homeschoolmama........nephew ariamne...................2 cousins mhking.........................cousin Consort.................2 daughters Consort...................son-in-law gonzo...................friend's son visualops.................Son, cousin auboy..........................cousin painter........................nephew jrushing.............................son LoneRedRanger...broth er-in-law Ladysmith.nephew, friend's son tina07......soninlaw & his friend MontanaCowgirlCop......brother nelibeli........................nephew Misty4jc.....................husband Colorado Slim..............nephew Tapatio....................2nephews ProudAFDad......................son Alouette.............................son Katydidnt...........................son Zechariah_8_13....br other-in-law Zechariah_8_13.............cousin PreviouslyA-Lurker........brother sheeza.......................husband kemathen7.................. husband Q6-God..................twin brother Q6-God....................active duty Warrior Nurse...........active duty SK1 Thurman...........active duty David Osborne..........active duty fc2tomschermuly......active duty bkwells....................active duty LongCut...................active duty cjk...........................active duty Trish........................active duty ODC-GIRL................active duty AF_Blue...................active duty thumperusn..............active duty Veloxherc.................active duty Don Simmons...........active duty wingnutx...................active duty CGblue.....................active duty bigghurtt...................active duty frankiep....................active duty veeceeque................active duty JRios1968................active duty NoLongerFreeState...active duty CMS........................active duty JemiansTerror...........active duty Hoosiersailor...........active duty txradioguy..................active duty tongue-tied. .............active duty vigilante2.....son,& adopted soldier NavySEAL F-16................son Jaxter.....................son-in-law 2ndDivisionVet..........brotherinlaw 2ndDivVet.....former stepdaughter GrandEagle ............... friend-Tim DebWisconsin....................nephew JarhedAirmanPatriot.........brother athelass.......two sons and two nephews DCBryan1................Active Duty oneolcop.....................son ItsForTheChildren........2 nephews SoldierDad....son, nephew, neice, cousin OhioWfan................................son marsh2............nephew

ladtx..................................2 sons Its_me_K.E.T.........................son MozartLover...........son, nephew ak_daddoo........................nephew Dubya............................nephew LBGA (RIP)..........................son katykelly..............................son Armymarinemom................3 sons american_ranger.....................son cookcounty.............................son Himyar....................................son SpookBrat.. ......................nephew SpookBrat........................cousin boxerblues........................2 sons the piper..............................son Tiffee4Bob......................boyfriend TexKat.......................son, step-son StarCMC.............................brother Darheel...............................niece Donaeus...........................nephew BeAllYo uCanBe........................son Repubmommy........................brother AgThorn................................2 sons kneezles.................................son RoseinRoseBear.....cousin's hubby Atomic Conspiracy......half-brother Atomic Conspiracy...........nephew Atomic Conspiracy..............niece Sunflowergal....................grandson mrstank..............................husband MrsMike31....................... .husband spotbust1............................husband campfollower............................fiance LUV W........................................son SilentServiceCPOWife........husband DirtyHarryY2K......................daughter DirtyHarryY2K.......... ......son-in-law Skimask.....................................son Palladin...............................grandson MississippyMuddy................... sister MississippyMuddy........2 nephews Kramster...............................stepson Socratic.............................nephew freema.......................nephew, son Azbushgal..............................son kimmykay.................................son NavySEAL F-16........................son Ike..........................................son repubmom...............................son wolfcreek............... ...........daughter JesseJane ...........................cousin Roses0508..............................son pmmd81..................................son SoldiersPrayingMom......... ........son WakeUpandVote..................brother Skyraider.................................son CyberAnt...........................nephew mrs tiggywinkle...................cousin Jen's Mom........................daughter Meg33.............................grandson 911angelady........................2 sons Nadine...............................nephew U S Army EOD.................daughter thehumanlynx...........brother-in-law JFC..................................nephew Earthdweller......................nephew ChairmanDec19thSociety ..brotherinlaw Anthem............................2 cousins meanie monster .........family friend PragmaticWarrior..........2 nephews Sageb1...........................3 cousins JulieRNR21.........friend's grandson SuzyQue...mom,2 sons,3 brothers weeder1...........................nephew IndyPendance..daughter,soninlaw fatima.....................granddaughter Lori from Long Island....soninlaw monkeyface..........two grandsons redhead...................grandnephew varina davis................ ...Grandson Rivendell.......................daughter W.W.Smith...........................son Gonzo........................Son-in-law USMCWife6869...........Husband AgThorn & Lily4Jesus......son jackv...............................Son Anne of DC.......niece's husband GulfWar1Vet...........two cousins TINA KIRBY...................Son dwhole2th ......................Son TADSLOS......................Son Katydidnt...................son Trooprally .................. son Edgewood Pilot...son, 2 nephews Diver Dave............cousin 007girl...................nephew arbee4bush .............daughter PERKY2004..........husband

[Mama_Bear]

Bedtime here. I’ll be back in the morning. Good night, everyone.

[ConorMacNessa]

Good morning, Mama_Bear! Great thread and Pledge! Happy Warm and Fuzzy Wednesday to the Finest!

[Biggirl]

Good morning to you, a wonderful picture of both a horse and cat in the Bluegrass state. =^..^=

Hope you cover CT down the road. It is also a beautiful state.

[GodBlessUSA]

Magnificient Mama_Bear!!! :)

[Severa]

Hey you're featuring my home state *BEAMS* thanks :)
(I'm originally from Louisville, KY)

[DollyCali]

Oh my Lori! where to start? Your new military prayer table is awesome... love the way it all flows together & that is true of all your threads.. the continuity is gorgeous with the graphics, choice of backgrounds, fonds & placement.. LOVELY

and I learned a lot. I just went over it once & plan to be back tonight for some visiting along the way. The pie recipe looks really REALLY good... and the mint juleps too (but for a hot day - we are having snow YUK)

When I lived in Cinti & NW ohio & made road trips to Fla we always went THROUGH but never stopped in Kentucky. Loved driving by the expansive horse farms.. One place I regret not visiting is Mamouth Cave

tourist site

Mamouth Cave - NPS site

[DollyCali]

This looks like something from the movie Alien but is really from Mammouth Cave

[dragonblustar]

Wow. What a great thread!

Another great place to visit is Red River Gorge.

http://www.redrivergorge.org

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

Don’t forget the Kentucky Rifle “Widow Maker”.

This history is multidimensional and a story that goes hand-in-hand with the trials and tribulations of this nation’s early settlers.

The Kentucky Rifle is recognized today as a work of art and highly prized by collectors.
Over two hundred years ago, however, it was used to provide food for the table and defend the family as well as defend the country.
The Kentucky Rifle played a major role in the Revolution as well as the War of 1812.
The British dubbed it The Widow Maker.

[jaycee]

Mama Bear, I can tell some hard work went into this thread. It is absolutely beautiful...flowers, pictures, and the wonderful colors. Thanks for a lovely thread to enjoy today. And a great Pledge, too!

[jaycee]

[The Mayor]

November 7, 2007

Our Refuge And Strength

ODB RADIO: Listen Now | Download

READ: Isaiah 31

Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember the name of the Lord our God. —Psalm 20:7

In August 2004, Hurricane Charley brought fierce destruction to areas of Florida. During the storm, 25-year-old Danny Williams went outside to seek protection in one of his favorite places, a shed under the protective branches of a banyan tree. But the tree fell on the shed and killed Williams. Sometimes, the places we look to for security can be the most dangerous.

The prophet Isaiah warned Judah’s King Hezekiah of this truth. Hezekiah was a good king, but he repeated the sin of his father Ahaz by seeking security in an alliance with an alien power (2 Kings 16:7; Isa. 36:6). Instead, he should have been encouraging his people to trust in the Lord.

By seeking help from Egypt, Hezekiah showed that he had failed to learn from history. Egypt had been anything but an ally to Israel. Hezekiah had also forgotten Scripture. Amassing horses for cavalry units was against the divine constitution for the king (Deut. 17:16).

Ultimately, Hezekiah did seek help from the Lord (Isa. 37:1-6,14-20). And God miraculously annihilated the invading Assyrians (vv.36-38).

Judah made the mistake of valuing the strength of Egypt over the living God. May our trust always be in the name of the Lord our God (Ps. 20:7).
 

Trust in God and you will know
He can vanquish any foe;
Simply trust Him day by day,
He will be your strength and stay.  —D. De Haan

No life is more secure than a life surrendered to God.

Bible in One Year:   Jeremiah 40-42; Hebrews 4

[Aquamarine]

Such a stunning piece of work Mama Bear but the you ARE one of the pros! :)

Kentucky is a beautiful state, one of my favorites.

[Mama_Bear]

Good morning and happy warm fuzzy Wednesday to you!

What a cute mama and baby picture. I love horses! Truth be told, I could have done the entire Kentucky presentation on thoroughbreds and horse farms. ;-)

[Mama_Bear]

Good morning, Biggirl. Thanks for stopping by our Kentucky thread today.

Eventually we will present every state and your state is definitely on the "to do" list. Don't know who is going to do Connecticut, but whoever does just might come looking to you for help "inspiration". ;-)

[Mama_Bear]

Thank you, sistah GeeBee! It was a very interesting state to research, but the horses and the gorgeous horse farms captured my heart right away. I think I would like to live in Kentucky. :-)

[Mama_Bear]

Hey you're featuring my home state *BEAMS* thanks :) (I'm originally from Louisville, KY)

Hey, good morning to our first Kentucky native to post on our thread!

I have only been in a little corner of your state. When my niece and I were exploring Hatfield and McCoy country a couple years ago, we crossed over the Tug Fork River and found ourselves in Pike County, which I understand is coal mining country. I wish we could have traveled further into your beautiful state. I would love to see some of those horse farms. I found so many pretty photos on the internet when I was Googling for information about Kentucky.