She was one of two women on the expedition Colonel Daniel Boone led in March of 1775, and one of the first African American women to live in Kentucky — but maybe you don’t know her name. Most of the documentation just said, “Negro Woman.”

But we have since learned her name was Dolly, and she is represented on the walls of the Frazier History Museum.

And now, Dolly will be celebrated with special showings of Along the Way Forth: Unraveling Dominion, the thirty-minute film by internationally renowned composer Rachel Grimes. The film will be shown in the Frazier’s Brown-Forman Theatre each Sunday in November at 2 p.m., starting November 7.

The film and music hybrid documents Grimes’s research into the life of Dolly, an enslaved member of Daniel Boone’s original group of settlers in Kentucky. It began with Grimes’s researching her own roots, simultaneously learning more about Dolly, with her research continuing today.

Her first work celebrating the life of Dolly and other lost voices in history was her folk opera, The Way Forth. The film we are showing begins with that research on Dolly and ends with an excerpt from the folk opera.

Grimes considers Dolly a founding mother of Kentucky. Dolly was enslaved by Colonel Richard Callaway, and gave birth to a mixed-race son named Frederick, the first child born in Fort Boonesborough. You will learn about Dolly, Frederick, and how their descendants made their mark in so many ways.

There are no pictures of Dolly, but this painting by artist Audrey Menefee, in cooperation with Rachel Grimes and Lamont Collins from Roots 101, where the painting resides, is the closest thing we have. And what a treasure it is.

It is past time to learn about these lost voices in history, Dolly being just one of them.

Take time to listen to my interview with Rachel Grimes about her research, how it all began, and how we all play a role in making sure all stories get told.Also in this issue, we’ve got articles about Tyler Gerth’s photography, the Frazier’s new permanent collection web page, and saddling up with Horse Soldier Bourbon.

Rachel Platt
Director of Community Engagement
Frazier History Museum

This Week in the Museum

Museum Store: Rachel Grimes’s The Way Forth

Copies of a beautiful double-vinyl gatefold of the Rachel Grimes album The Way Forth, as well as the CD version, are available for purchase at the Frazier’s Museum Store now through December. This complete recording of Grimes’s folk opera encompasses lush layers of voices and orchestrations in an experiential, non-linear investigation highlighting perspectives of Kentucky women from 1775 to today.

Featuring the talents of Teddy Abrams, Jecorey Arthur, Scott Moore, Joan Shelly, members of the Louisville Orchestra, and more, The Way Forth is an internationally renowned masterpiece created by distinctly Kentucky voices.

Curator’s Corner: Tyler Gerth: Imaging Kentucky

For our entry into this year’s Louisville Photo Biennial, we are proud to bring you a collection of photos by Tyler Gerth. Tyler was an amateur photographer who attended and photographed the 2020 protests in downtown Louisville. Tragically, Tyler was killed on June 27, 2020 when a gunman shot into a gathering at Injustice Square Park.

Though Tyler was best known for his documentary photographs of the protests, he also traveled Kentucky and the country taking photos. Tyler Gerth: Imaging Kentucky focuses on Tyler’s incredible photographs of the Commonwealth, from protests in downtown Louisville to rolling hills of Kentucky bluegrass. His photographs capture our state’s true beauty, which is sometimes gritty but always unique.

In the words of Tyler’s family:

Tyler Gerth was incredibly kind, warm-hearted, and exceedingly generous, holding deep convictions and faith. He lived by the mantra “Be excellent to each other,” as he chose to see and honor the dignity, humanity, and worth in all those around him.

These beliefs compelled Tyler to Jefferson Square in the summer of 2020, to document the protests for racial justice. Through his lens, the beauty, joy, and hope for the future are captured. Tragically, on June 27, a gunman opened fire into the crowd, killing Tyler, and robbing us all of his talent and more precious time.

Tyler was creative, inquisitive, gentle, tenacious, and so very brave. In addition to a corporate career at Papa John’s, he loved to travel and be outdoors, played various instruments and multiple sports, had a thriving garden, and showcased his wonderful sense of humor by constantly wearing silly socks. He is still missed terribly by his friends, family, and beloved rescue dog, Jordan.

In Tyler’s memory, his family has started Building Equal Bridges, The Tyler Gerth Foundation, an organization dedicated to carrying on Tyler’s name and legacy. Fueled by the core values of unification, education, and collaboration, the foundation seeks to create a more equitable world for the next generation, paved by those driven and determined to make it so. Recently, Building Equal Bridges donated $10,000 to the Louisville Urban League for the continuation of their polaroid project, providing free cameras and equipment for all students involved as well as funds for a professional photographer to facilitate the project. The 2020 version of this project can be seen on view in our exhibition West of Ninth: Race, Reckoning, and Reconciliation, and I hope that you will stop by to see Tyler’s many moving photographs of Kentucky, on view until fall 2022.

Amanda Briede
Curator

Introducing the Frazier’s Permanent Collection Web Pages

On behalf of the Frazier Museum Collections Department, where we manage and care for all the objects in our permanent collection, I am happy to announce the introduction of three new permanent collection web pages on the Frazier’s website: “Explore the Collection,” “Blog,” and “Collections FAQ.” This initiative occurred in response to an increasing need to make our collection more visible to you, our audience, and to provide direct access to our staff should you find yourself thinking, “That artifact might be of interest to a Kentucky history museum.”

When you visit Frazier’s website, you can now discover highlights from our permanent collection that represent the history of domestic life, culture, military service, and industry in Kentucky. You will also find overviews of our Founder’s Collection and the Charles W. Stewart Historic Miniatures Collection. Our growing permanent collection at the Frazier contains many interesting artifacts, so check back regularly to explore new highlights or read our monthly blog posts for more stories.

After reading about featured artifacts like the Priest Family Powder Horn and a Prohibition-era bottle of Atherton Whiskey, you can scroll down to our “Contact Us” form to submit any questions about items in our collection or donation inquiries. Driven by our institutional mission, “Where the World Meets Kentucky,” the primary aim of the museum’s collections department is to acquire objects that represent the diverse people and unique places in our state throughout history. If you are interested in inquiring about a potential artifact donation, please read our submission form at the bottom of our “Explore” page and our FAQs page closely.

As we work to refine and expand our permanent collection, the Frazier Collections Department has many exciting projects in the works that involve both in-person and virtual ways to access, experience, and form connections with the history held inside our walls.

Hayley Harlow Rankin
Manager of Collection Impact

A Hero’s Welcome to Horse Soldier Bourbon

One of the undeniably wonderful things about being the Official Starting Point of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® is that incredible stories are often delivered right to our doorstep. It Starts Here, and, along with all of you Bourbon buffs out there, the whiskey distilling world is now keenly aware.

If you’re not yet hip to the Horse Soldier Bourbon story, do yourself a favor and take a closer look. I first tried Horse Soldier on a vacation with my family to Amelia Island, Florida. While traveling, I often like to buy a Bourbon I’m unfamiliar with. On this late 2019 holiday trip, I whet my whistle with Horse Soldier, produced in Columbus, Ohio and St. Petersburg, Florida. It’s excellent Bourbon, I discovered, with a most inspirational story.

A couple months later, I got a call from a Horse Solder representative requesting a meeting at the Frazier. Five days later, the brand’s President John Koko and his team showed up on our doorstep.

By this time, I was even more familiar with the Horse Soldier band of brothers, the Green Berets who were dropped into Afghanistan after 9/11 — in fact, the first U.S. troops to ride into battle on horseback since World War II. I knew they inspired a monument, a book, and the movie 12 Strong, but I didn’t know what any of this had to do with Kentucky.

The Frazier is, after all, the official starting point of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail®, and while we would do whatever we could to help promote the Horse Soldier brand, Kentucky is a pretty important part of that KBT® equation.

It was then that Koko indicated he had one more thing to share. He said Horse Soldier is coming to the Bluegrass State with a 200 million dollar project in Pulaski County near Lake Cumberland that will be named Horse Soldier Farms. It will feature a distillery and a visitor center, an activity center, an amphitheater, a luxury lodge, cabins, and a retail village. Koko said the Horse Soldier team wanted to work with us on the announcement and consistent programming for the years leading up to the opening. We’re in!

With Governor Andy Beshear, Kentucky Distillers’ Association (KDA) President Eric Gregory, and many other dignitaries on hand, the Horse Soldier team broke ground on the facility in Somerset on October 19. That day represents the twentieth anniversary of the day the Green Berets first landed in Afghanistan. Many of the servicemen are from Kentucky, have been stationed in the Commonwealth, and were actively training on the Cumberland River when they received the nation’s call to respond after 9/11. The homecoming was special. The celebration was headed our way!

That night, Horse Soldier held a private reception here at the Frazier to commemorate its commitment to join the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® and its connection to the Frazier as the official starting point. Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer, musician Ben Sollee, Kentucky Secretary of Tourism Mike Berry, and Somerset Mayor Alan Keck all joined me at the podium and rolled out the welcome wagon to Koko and his team, a veteran-owned and -operated company now planting its flag in Kentucky.

I’m so grateful they found their way to our doorstep!

Andy Treinen
President & CEO

Family Friday on November 12

JCPS has another long weekend ahead, and if you’re planning on taking a day to spend with your family, why not plan a staycation starting with the Frazier?

On November 12, we’ll be hosting a Family Friday event with games in the galleries, performances, scavenger hunts, a Storytime, and more! Our Monday Funday Family Day on October 11 was so popular that we decided to extend the festivities by an hour this time around: Now, events will be ongoing from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

These activities will be free with admission, so if you’ve recently renewed your membership, this is a great chance to enjoy it!

If you’re interested in staying up to date on the latest in Youth and Family programming, from Family Days like this to Winter Break Camps and more, sign up for our Youth and Family newsletter to be the first in the know!

Heather Gotlib
Manager of Youth and Family Programs

Education Intern Sage Garvey on Growing up With Frazier Camps

One of the best parts of my job is watching kids grow up, realizing what they’re passionate about, then trying new and exciting things as they transition from camper to volunteer and beyond. It warms my heart when campers remain part of our camp community through high school and even college! That’s why I asked Sage, our high school intern, to share their experience with Virtual Frazier Magazine readers as we look toward our next camp days with their help project-managing the experience. Winter Break Camp registration is now open for December 20 – 23 and December 27 – 30. Sage developed the topics alongside the Education Team, so you know that they are truly camper-approved! — Heather Gotlib, Manager of Youth and Family Programs

As a kid, my mom signed me up for the camps as a way to distract me while both my dad and mom went to work — and it got my energetic child brain away from them for seven to eight hours for sure. But what I realized over the time of going to those camps was that I absolutely loved the community that supported it. I went to those camps when I was between five and six years old, then went until I turned twelve. By that time, my parents knew I was going to eventually be old enough to volunteer.

Now, from a volunteer perspective, it’s more or less just fun to see the kids wanting to interact with kids and volunteers alike, finding things they’re thoroughly interested in, such as the different games we play. We, the volunteers, always end up learning something new along with the kids, too. So, it’s for sure something your kids would enjoy: I approve of it, and it’s a good time for them to learn about interesting aspects of history at a young age. I think it’s funny how much of my knowledge today I learned a couple years ago from attending these camps. I wouldn’t have learned as much without going to these Frazier camps as a kid, and returning as a volunteer.

I hope you and your family do consider joining us. Your kid will not only learn more about history, they’ll have fun with it!

I hope to see you all soon!

Sage Garvey
Education Intern, Frazier History Museum
Guest Contributor

The (Un)Known Project’s Floating Reconciliation Experience

We’ve talked about our partnership with the (Un)Known Project, an initiative to create artistic spaces and experiences to support learning, healing, reflection, reconciliation, and action. The project fulfills its mission by honoring the names and telling the stories of — both known and unknown — Black men, women, and children who were enslaved or hidden figures in Louisville, Kentucky and the surrounding region. The project launched this past summer with the dedication of reconciliation benches located along the Ohio River near Tenth Street.

Now, IDEAS xLab is putting out the call for the next phase of the project, the Floating Reconciliation Experience. Visit the links provided to learn more about the role of performers and the call for a stage manager. The deadline is November 3, so act quickly.

Rachel Platt
Director of Community Engagement