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Saluting Commander Billie Farrell

  • Frazier Kentucky History Museum 829 West Main Street Louisville, KY, 40202 United States (map)
Saluting Commander Billie Farrell program image

Kentucky native Billie Farrell was the first woman to command the USS Constitution, the world’s oldest commissioned warship afloat. Its maiden voyage was under President John Adams in 1798. Farrell became the seventy-seventh commanding officer of “Old Ironsides” in 2022 in Boston for a two-year tour. She is a native of Paducah, Kentucky, and a graduate of the US Naval Academy with a new assignment these days. As Veterans Day approaches, we’ll talk with her about that groundbreaking role, the history of the USS Constitution, her Kentucky ties, her role models, and her life of service. Join us as we welcome her home! Visit our I Too Am a Kentuckian exhibition where Farrell is featured prior to the event.

Admission: $16 or Cost of Museum Admission (RSVPs required)

Program: 2:30–3:30 p.m.

Brown-Forman Theatre

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Frazier Programs Calendar
Frazier250: What was the Last Native American Village in Kentucky?
Oct 18
Frazier250: What was the Last Native American Village in Kentucky?

What was the last native American village in Kentucky? Where was it, who lived there, and how did they live? Join the Frazier’s Simon Meiners in a conversation with archaeologist A. Gwynn Henderson about the last Native American settlement in what is now Kentucky. As the Frazier marks 250 years since 1776—the year America declared its independence—we shine a light on the Native American presence in Kentucky leading up to that time. The late 18th century saw not only the arrival of Euroamerican settlers like Thomas Walker, James Harrod, and Daniel Boone in Kentucky—it also saw the abandonment of Kentucky’s last remaining Native American villages as distinct communities.

Dr. Henderson is the Education Director at the Kentucky Archaeological Survey. She has carried out field research in Kentucky, the Ohio Valley, Tennessee, and Mexico, and she is particularly interested in researching the lifeways of the ancient Native farming cultures of the middle Ohio Valley and the history of mid-18th century Indigenous groups in the same region. She will explore what the material evidence suggests about Lower Shawnee Town (Greenup County) and more.

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Frazier250: Top 10 Kentuckians
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Who would make your top 10 list of Kentuckians with the greatest impact? Simply put, who would make your Mt. Rushmore of Kentuckians?

Join us Wednesday, October 21, with your list of names as we debate who makes the cut.

We’ve invited five special guests to represent certain categories to get the conversation started with their top five choices. You get to help fill in the rest during a lively discussion.

The categories and featured panelists are:

· History with Historian Tom Owen

· Law with Judge Denise Clayton

· Music with ear X-tacy Founder John Timmons

· Literature with Best-selling Author Kim Michele Richardson

· Sports with WDRB Sports Journalist Eric Crawford

Expert colleagues from the Frazier will suggest names, too. Some names are represented in our museum’s Cool Kentucky and I Too Am a Kentuckian exhibitions.

Get your picks ready and let the debate begin!

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Bourbon Through Bluegrass
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Bourbon Through Bluegrass

Step into the heart of Kentucky with Bourbon Through Bluegrass—an immersive experience where the rich heritage of Bourbon meets the soul-stirring sounds of Kentucky & Bluegrass Music.

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Bourbon Through Bluegrass
Oct 29
Bourbon Through Bluegrass

Step into the heart of Kentucky with Bourbon Through Bluegrass—an immersive experience where the rich heritage of Bourbon meets the soul-stirring sounds of Kentucky & Bluegrass Music.

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Michter's Spookeasy
Oct 29
Michter's Spookeasy

Put on your best glad rags, hop on your broomstick, and head to the Frazier History Museum for the first ever Michter’s Spookeasy! This year’s Hotsy-Totsy is Halloween themed, featuring Michter’s tastings paired with novelty candy, fortune-telling, a haunted scavenger hunt, and so much more. Witches’ Magic Libations come with every ticket along with live music, ghost stories featuring real Kentucky folklore, and a best dressed contest judged by Caufield’s Novelty & Costumes. From zombie flappers to ghostly villains, this is the one Speakeasy you don’t want to miss, all thanks to our good friends at Michter’s. Live a little, come have a taste!

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Election Day Pop-Up Camp
Nov 2
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35th Anniversary of the Affrilachian Poets with Frank X Walker
Nov 6
35th Anniversary of the Affrilachian Poets with Frank X Walker

The Louisville Review and the Frazier Kentucky History Museum present the 35th Anniversary of the Affrilachian Poets with Frank X Walker, celebrating this historic anniversary of the oldest continually running predominantly African American writing group in the country. The program will consist of: a talk on the history of the Affrilachian Poets by founding member Frank X Walker, a poetry reading by members of the Affrilachian Poets Collective, and a reception with refreshments and abook signing. The first 100 registered guests will receive a complimentary copy of The Louisville Review Number 99, which celebrates 35 years of the Affrilachian Poets and 50 years of The Louisville Review.

CONFIRMED READERS, in addition to Frank.
Kelly Norman Ellis
Lisa Kwong
Zakia Holland
Jude McPherson
Ricardo Nazario-Colon
makalani bandele
Danni Quintos
Gerald L. Coleman
Marta Miranda

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Saluting Commander Billie Farrell
Nov 8
Saluting Commander Billie Farrell
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November 6

35th Anniversary of the Affrilachian Poets with Frank X Walker