Lincoln Scholar Harold Holzer, Breckinridge County’s Joseph Holt House, Old Louisville Witches’ Tree, and More
Abraham Lincoln!
He is, without question, my favorite President and Kentucky’s most influential son. After all, if it weren’t for the only US President born in Kentucky, our United States of America would no longer be united. One hundred and fifty-nine years ago, in the face of our country’s greatest challenge, with eleven states having filed for secession, and an insurrection, Lincoln stayed true to the Constitution and preserved our union.
Front cover of Brought Forth on this Continent: Abraham Lincoln and American Immigration by Harold Holzer, 2024. Credit: Penguin Random House.
Heck, Lincoln, the Orator Extraordinaire, was the topic of my senior thesis at the University of Cincinnati. For these reasons and many others, the Frazier is incredibly excited to support our friends at the Farmington Historic Home as they host the world’s most respected Lincoln scholar, Harold Holzer.
Harold Holzer Lincoln Scholar Visits Louisville will include two ticketed events, including a private dinner with Holzer here at the Frazier on Wednesday, October 23, and a BBQ dinner and lecture at Farmington on Thursday, October 24. You can sign up to attend either here.
The Frazier is proud to join the Filson Historical Society, the University of Louisville History Department, and the McConnell Center in partnering on this program in support of Farmington. It’s Kentucky, folks: united we stand!
In today’s Frazier Weekly, Lincoln is featured in both our From the Collections and our Museum Shop. There’s a 120: Cool KY Counties story from Breckenridge County highlighting Lincoln’s lawyer at the Joseph Holt House. Plus, Jason Berkowitz digs up the history of the Old Louisville Witches’ Tree and Heather Gotlib celebrates the 110th birthday of the Belle of Louisville.
I hope you enjoy!
Andy Treinen
President & CEO
Frazier History Museum
This Week in the Museum
From the Collections: Lincoln Presidential Campaign Badge, 1864
Abraham Lincoln presidential campaign badge, 1864.
With as popular as President Abraham Lincoln has become to American history, it might be surprising to know that there was considerable doubt that he would win a second term. This was due to a few factors, not the least being that the country was still at war—a war no one had expected to last as long as it did. There was criticism in both parties of Lincoln’s wartime restraints on civil liberties. This means that even within his own party his candidacy did not go unchallenged. However, that taking of Atlanta by General Sherman boosted morale in the North, and on election day Lincoln won with 212 of 233 electoral votes.
At the Frazier, we have several pieces in our collection pertaining to the Lincoln family. This 1864 presidential campaign badge has a small gem albumen, an albumen silver print, of Lincoln suspended from a red, white, and blue grosgrain ribbon with an American eagle pin. A gem albumen photograph is a method of photograph that uses egg whites to produce the image. In 1864, this method would have been relatively new as it was it had only been around since 1847 and became the first commercial process of producing photographs on a paper base from the negative, not glass or tin like previous methods.
This is a rare and very interesting piece of our collection. You can see it now on view in our Commonwealth: Divided we Fall exhibition. You will find it in our Civil War gallery, so come on down to the Frazier and have a look at it in person.
Tish Boyer
Registrar & Manager of Collections Engagement
Museum Shop: Lincoln Cutting Board
Lincoln cutting board sold in the Frazier’s Museum Shop.
We’re proud to call Honest Abe one of our own here in Kentucky, and his timeless wisdom still resonates: “Whatever you are, be a good one.” We believe this handcrafted cutting board, made in Stanton, Powell County, Kentucky, is a great one! Find it now in our Museum Shop.
Highlights of 120: Breckinridge County: Joseph Holt House
120: Cool KY Counties graphic.
Did you know the attorney who presided over the trial of the Lincoln assassination conspirators was from Breckinridge County, Kentucky? Thanks to the hard work of the Friends of the Holt House and its president, Susan Dyer, the historic home is now being restored and preserved to host events and community days. Frazier president Andy Treinen shares the full story in the video below.
Find this and other unique stories, songs, and videos in our 120: Cool KY Counties exhibit.
Simon Meiners
Communications & Research Specialist
Lesser-known Legends of Kentucky: Old Louisville Witches’ Tree, 1889–Present
As the spooky season begins, and the countdown to Halloween is underway, we’re kicking off Lesser-known Legends of Kentucky. For the next four weeks in Frazier Weekly, our Jason Berkowitz will bring you some of those tales. Jason is bypassing some of the better-known tales of Big Foot and the Pope Lick Monster to instead go after the lesser-known. That is, until now! He begins with the Witches’ Tree in Old Louisville. Many in our area have heard of the tree, but did you know the story behind it? Take it away, Jason.—Rachel Platt, VP of Mission
Trunk of Old Louisville Witches’ Tree, April 12, 2021.
Double, double toil and trouble, there once was a grumble that turned Old Louisville into rubble. Or so the legend of the Witches’ Tree, located near Central Park, would have us believe. It is, indeed, a ghastly sight—its gnarled branches and unusual shape giving the impression of something ominous and otherworldly. But this was not always the case. In fact, the public’s opinion in 1889 was exceedingly positive, as residents of the Old Louisville neighborhood determined to use the maple tree for their annual May Day celebration. This required the tree to be cut down and fashioned into a highly decorated maypole, which young people would dance around in hopes of finding true love by sundown. If successful, marriage typically occurred six weeks later on Midsummer’s Day (thus the long-standing tradition of a June wedding).
Nonetheless, the May Day planning committee's decision would have far-reaching consequences and even prove fatal. This was because the tree had already been claimed by a coven of witches as a meeting spot for their nightly ceremonies. Prior to the fateful day, the witches had mostly kept to themselves, performing their rituals in secrecy by the light of the moon. You can imagine their surprise upon returning one night to see the tree chopped down and taken away. However, surprise would soon turn into suspicion and suspicion into spite, as the coven of witches learned of the tree’s purpose.
Delivering a curse for the ages, the head witch loudly proclaimed for all to hear: “Beware Louisville, beware the eleventh month!” Then the witches fled, leaving the residents of Old Louisville to ponder the meaning of this sinister threat. That is until the severity of the curse became plain for all to see, when on March 27 the following year, an F4 tornado ripped through both Old Louisville and the city at large, destroying mansions, tobacco farms, schools, and warehouses. Nearly one hundred people were killed, including several members of the May Day planning committee. According to the legend, as the tornado was leaving town, it emitted a lightning bolt which struck the ancient, grizzled stump. From that spot, a new tree immediately sprouted, eventually becoming our present-day Witches’ Tree, as twisted and knobby as its doomed predecessor.
Offerings collected at the Old Louisville Witches’ Tree, April 12, 2021.
Today, the residents of Old Louisville have heeded the witches’ curse and now claim their own long-standing tradition. To ensure such a terrible calamity never happens again, it is said the tree must remain undisturbed, and, what’s more, honored in its own unique way. For over a century, witch aficionados and superstitious townsfolk have paid their respects by tossing trinkets, charms, keepsakes, and other personal belongings into the branches of the Witches’ Tree. This tradition is performed not just to appease the vengeful witches, but to also receive good fortune. Make sure you give it your all, as landing on a higher branch considerably increases one’s luck. And under NO circumstances remove an object from the Witches’ Tree, as this will once again lead to a curse—and possibly another tornado. You’ve been warned, dear readers!
Jason Berkowitz
Stories in Mind Facilitator
Calling All History Buffs and Beer Enthusiasts! Join Us for a Unique Journey Through 10,000 Years of Beer
The History of Beer in 10,000 Years graphic.
“I am a firm believer in the people,” Abraham Lincoln once said. “If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts—and beer.”
Since our sixteenth president is featured prominently in this week’s issue of Frazier Weekly, I thought it only right to use Honest Abe to promote our upcoming October 22 program: the History of Beer in 10,000 Years.
The night will kick off with an interactive happy hour, where guests can meander through our interactive “Brewseum,” presented by the LAGERS Homebrew Club, and dive into the sensory world of beer. Enjoy samples of a variety of modern craft brews from Apocalypse Brewing Company, Falls City, Trellis Brewing Company, Atrium Brewing Company, and Monnik Beer Company. Explore how historic ingredients—many of which were used centuries ago—continue to influence the flavors and aromas of the beer we drink today.
Beer isn’t just a drink; it’s a living history! Dive deeper into this fascinating subject during the special presentation, “How to Brew Beer in 10,000 Years,” produced by Brewgrass Homebrew Shop. From its early days shaping ancient civilizations to its impact on today’s vibrant craft beer culture in Louisville, this talk will take you on a journey through the co-evolution of beer and humanity.
So, come raise a glass and toast to 10,000 years of beer and beyond. Whether you’re a history lover or a beer enthusiast, this event is one you won’t want to miss. Cheers!
Leslie Anderson
Membership & Partnership Manager
History All Around Us
Belle of Louisville to Celebrate her 110th Birthday on October 18!
Given my long history with the Belle of Louisville—from a Manual High School field trip in 2006 to a spooky Halloween BOOze cruise in 2022—the boat holds a special place in my heart. But so does its communications manager, Heather Gotlib! As many of you remember, Heather was my longtime colleague here at the Frazier Museum. We’ve asked her to share a bit about the Belle’s upcoming birthday. And PS: the next time you tour the Frazier’s Cool Kentucky exhibition, check out the Belle of Louisville objects on display—including calliope whistles, decorate acorns, and a plank from the paddle wheel!—Simon Meiners, Communications & Research Specialist
An Idlewild cruise, pre-1930. Credit: Wyckof family collection.
Attendees of a prom aboard the Belle, 1990s. Credit: John Nation.
In 1914, the Idlewild was launched from the James Rees & Sons shipyard in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A typical Mississippi-river style steamboat, she was unremarkable in her ubiquity. That day, no one could have had any idea that, eleven decades later, the Idlewild would become the oldest of her kind and the most widely traveled: a living, floating testament to another time.
The Idlewild has had three “eras” in her long history. From 1914 to 1948, she served as a ferry. In September 1930, the steamboat America caught on fire in Jeffersonville, Indiana. This left a local amusement park, Rose Island, without transportation for guests to and from Louisville. Fatefully, the Idlewild was called in to take her place for the 1931 season.
In 1948, the Idlewild was re-christened the Avalon as the dying wish of her captain, Ben Winters (but that’s a story for another time). In 1949, the Avalon was sold and became a “tramping” vessel, traversing every single one of the Western Rivers.
In 1962, the Avalon was put up for auction. Judge Marlow Cook purchased her for the city of Louisville for $34,000 and she made her triumphant return here. She was then re-named the Belle of Louisville—and you may know the rest of the story.
From a time when a steamboat was expected to last five years, the Belle is turning 110 on October 18. We can’t let something like that go by without a celebration! We’re collecting community stories and photographs, and you can send yours to 110days@belleoflouisville.org for a chance to win a birthday-themed prize pack.
On October 13, our #SundayFunday cruise will be a 110th birthday party! Come cruise with us and celebrate Louisville’s Legendary Lady.
If something spooky is more up your alley, we’re hosting Dream Within a Dream, our Edgar Allan Poe–inspired performance series, from October 16 to 20. You might recall this event from its start at the Frazier!
Although we hear a lot of amazing memories from the past sixty years, we’re not the same ol’ Belle, and we’d love to re-introduce ourselves.
Learn more at belleoflouisville.org.
Heather Gotlib
Communications & Content Manager, Belle of Louisville Riverboats
Guest Contributor
Bridging the Divide
License to Vote Art Contest Makes a Comeback
License to Vote Art Contest graphic. Credit: Jefferson County Clerk’s Office.
As the November election closes in, the importance of voting as a civic duty is always on my mind. And with that said, I am so pleased that the License to Vote Art Contest is making a comeback in 2025.
For years, the art contest inspired teachers and students in Jefferson County to be part of the political process. It was paused in 2011 but it’s now returning with a deadline of November 22, 2024, for schools to decide whether they will participate.
The contest is organized and executed by the Communications, Media, and Public Relations Division under the guidance of Voter Outreach, Inc. That is a nonprofit, bipartisan organization established by the Jefferson County Clerk’s Office.
Here’s how it works: All Jefferson County public, private, and parochial school students are invited to submit a simulated license plate related to voting, the electoral process, or something along those lines.
The license plate aligns with the County Clerk’s responsibilities of license plates and vehicle registration.
Each participating school will select first- and second-place winners due in March, with all the finalists competing for grand prize packages.
Those finalists and their parents, teachers, and principals are invited to a final judging and awards ceremony that will be held here at the Frazier on April 17, 2025.
We are thrilled to have it at the Frazier and be on the frontlines of civic education.
The winning artwork will be prominently displayed throughout the community in time for next year’s primary and general elections. Click here to learn more about the License to Vote Art Contest.
In the meantime, make sure you vote THIS November.
Rachel Platt
VP of Mission
