David Payne was just eighteen years old when he joined the Army Air Corps. He would then go on to mechanic school, and end up at what he thought would be the perfect place for peacetime service, Hickam Field in Hawaii.

That peace was shattered on December 7, 1941 with the surprise attack by the Japanese on our U.S. naval and military forces in Pearl Harbor.

David Payne, date unknown. Credit: Payne family.

Sgt. Payne was asleep on the third floor of an Air Corps barracks when the bombing began. He says the explosions were some of the loudest sounds he’s ever heard.

In newspaper accounts, Payne said he looked out the window to see his first enemy plane, a torpedo plane making a run on the Pearl Harbor Naval Base a half-mile away.

Payne would throw on some clothes and immediately begin towing parked American B-18 bombers to dispersal areas, trying to save them, while firing shots from his .45-caliber pistol at the low-flying enemy planes.

David Payne, 2021. Credit: Payne family.

Payne, who is now 100 years old and living in Hardin, Kentucky, would serve through World War II and in September of 1945 be discharged along with millions of other GIs.

He is one of Kentucky’s only living survivors of Pearl Harbor, and we will pay tribute to him tomorrow on the eightieth anniversary of the attack.

We had hoped he would join us in person, but he is now unable to make the trip. However, several other WWII veterans will be here, so it could be one of the largest gatherings of WWII veterans in the U.S. on this important date in history. The list of those coming continues to grow.

Please join us and salute members of the Greatest Generation. We owe it to them.

Our doors open at 10 a.m. and the program starts at 11.

“Saluting our Veterans: The 80th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor”

In today’s issue of Virtual Frazier Magazine, curator of guest experience Mick Sullivan and communications and research specialist Simon Meiners look at the transfer of historic documents — including original copies of the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and Magna Carta — to Fort Knox that occurred two weeks after Pearl Harbor. Plus, two prolific musicians join the lineup of performers at our December 12 “Cool Kentucky: Independent Spirits” program and Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams calls for submissions to a civic education essay and slogan contest for students.

C’mon down!

This Week in the Museum

Video: Magna Carta at Fort Knox, 1941 – 44

On the morning of December 27, 1941, two weeks after Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor, a U.S. Army truck guarded by a scout troop of the 13th Armored Division and Secret Service agents departed Louisville and arrived at the U.S. Mint’s gold bullion depository at Fort Knox, Kentucky. The truck’s cargo — half a dozen padlocked containers and packing cases — was carried to an underground vault beneath a steel and concrete structure deemed invulnerable to bombing attack. At 12:07 p.m., the vault was closed.

So what was the cargo?

It was a cache of historic documents: the British government’s Lincoln Cathedral copy of Magna Carta, 1215; the U.S. Library of Congress’s Saint Blasius-Saint Paul copy of the Gutenberg Bible, c. 1455; engrossed originals of the Declaration of Independence, 1776, and the U.S. Constitution, 1787; the original Articles of Confederation, 1777; the first and second autographed drafts of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, 1863; and the autographed copy of Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address, 1865.

The documents would remain at the facility until the autumn of 1944.

Source

“For Nearly Three Years Fort Knox Vault Held Declaration of Independence and Constitution.” The Courier-Journal. February 4, 1945.

Photographs of the Sragowitz Brothers in WWII, 1944 – 45

The Frazier has many objects related to military history in its permanent collection — but when I think of World War II history, there’s one archival collection in particular that comes to mind.

The Faller Family Collection tells the story of three generations of Sragowitz family members who originally emigrated from Lithuania to New York City to begin a new life in America. In 1917, Rebecca Sragowitz left Lithuania to join her husband Julius in Brooklyn, bringing her four-year-old son Benjamin, the only Sragowitz brother born in Lithuania, with her. Over the next decade, a daughter and three more sons would follow: Lillian, Joseph, Stanley, and Eli, who went by “Jerry.” While this collection captures the “American Dream” sought by many who came to the United States looking for a better life, it focuses largely on the four Sragowitz brothers, all of whom enlisted in the Army or Navy at the onset of WWII.

Though the brothers shared a common interest in joining the military, the war took each of them in a different direction. Benjamin served in the Army as a Grade 5 Technician with the 84th Chemical Mortar Battalion under General Patton, which took him across North Africa and Europe. Benjamin fought in many Italian battles and campaigns including Po Valley and Rome. Joseph Sragowitz, the only one never to shorten his surname to “Sragg,” served in the Army’s Air Corp and flew thirty-two bombing missions over Europe, for which he received medals of valor. The third brother, Stanley, also served in the Army as part of the European infantry and received Bronze Star and Purple Heart awards. Jerry, the youngest Sragowitz, has perhaps the most interesting story, as he enlisted in the U.S. Navy at seventeen after having his mother, who couldn’t read English, sign his permission papers under the guise of school papers. His service took him to the Pacific theater of the war where he became a boxer in order to avoid “Kitchen Police” duty and impressively became known as the “Lightweight Champion of the Pacific” with a record of sixteen undefeated fights.

The collection contains a wide variety of memorabilia, including personal photographs, postcards, flight logs, newspaper articles, identification cards, and books — all of which provide invaluable insight into the daily life of a soldier serving overseas. Although countless volumes have been written on the history of the World Wars, this family archive pulls back the curtain to reveal military experiences outside of combat.

Supplementing their military records, which list the infantries to which the brothers belonged and the battles in which they fought, these photographs tell the stories of in-between moments, those times when the soldiers unloaded food rations or relaxed on the beach. A sense of adventure comes through the pictures as one sees foreign places through the eyes of a soldier who was seeing new places for the first time himself, revealing the incredible ability of humans to find moments of life and joy even amidst the difficult reality of war.

Photo of Benjamin Sragowitz seated in uniform, c. 1944. Inscription on back reads, “To Marion: With all my love, Ben.” Part of the Frazier History Museum Collection.

Each photo, each piece of paper, offers a glimpse into the stories of the Sragowitz brothers — situated within the larger story of World War II. The brothers’ stories — of traveling through the countryside, writing notes on the back of photographs sent home to loved ones, or socializing with crew members on base or in the nearby town — could be those of any other soldier. This collection preserves those moments forever, allowing us to connect with people from the past through their lived experiences. And whether or not you have served in the military, we can all reflect upon the bravery, strength, and family bond immortalized in this archive.

The Frazier History Museum will salute our veterans tomorrow during a program that honors the 80th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor and remembers those who served our country in World War II.

Note on the collection: The Sragowitz story continues with Rhoda, the daughter of Benjamin Sragg, who relocated with her husband to Louisville, Kentucky in 1995. Bernard and Rhoda Faller’s book “Moving the Nest,” an autobiography detailing their experience, was donated to the Frazier History Museum in 2016 as part of the Faller Family Collection.

Exhibition-inspired Gifts, Part One: Selections From the West of Ninth Book Nook

Book nook in *West of Ninth: Race, Reckoning, and Reconciliation*, December 1, 2021

In the December 6, 13, and 20 issues of Virtual Frazier Magazine, curator Amanda Briede will feature gift ideas inspired by exhibitions at the Frazier.

First up, I want to feature the books displayed in the book nook in West of Ninth: Race, Reckoning, and Reconciliation. You may have noticed that the last room of this exhibition features a book nook that includes several books that can help explain some themes of the exhibition to younger children. I am so proud of the list of books that we put together with the help of our education department, and I think these books would make great, meaningful holiday gifts for the children in your life. I know that my little friends Ezra and Alice are sure to have one or two included in their Christmas gifts this year.

De la Peña, Matt, and Christian Robinson. Last Stop on Market Street. 2015. #1 New York Times Bestseller, USA Today Bestseller, Newbery Medal Winner, Caldecott Honor Book, and Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book.
Woodson, Jacqueline. Brown Girl Dreaming. 2016. National Book Award Winner, Coretta Scott King Award Winner, Newbery Honor Book, and one of TIME’s 100 Best Young Adult Books of All Time.
Barnes, Derrick (author), and Gordon C. James (illustrator). Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut. 2017. 2018 Kirkus Prize for Young Readers Winner, Newbery Honor Book, Caldecott Honor Book, Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book, Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book, Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Award Book, Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator Honor Book, and Society of Illustrators Gold Medal Book.
Hong, Jess. Lovely. 2017.
Levinson, Cynthia. The Youngest Marcher: The Story of Audrey Faye Hendricks, a Young Civil Rights Activist. 2017.
Woodson, Jacqueline. This is the Rope: A Story From the Great Migration. 2017.
Higginbotham, Anastasia. Not my Idea: A Book About Whiteness. 2018. White Raven 2019 Selection and School Library Journal’s Best Books of 2018 Nominee.
Penfold, Alexandra (author), and Suzanne Kaufman (illustrator). All are Welcome. 2018.
Alexander, Kwame (author), and Dawud Anyabwile (illustrator). The Crossover. 2019. Newbery Medal Winner and Coretta Scott King Honor Award Winner.
Celano, Marianne. Something Happened in our Town: A Child's Story About Racial Injustice. 2019. New York Times Bestseller, #1 Indiebound Best Seller, #6 American Library Association’s Office of Intellectual Freedom’s Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2020, Little Free Library Action Book Club Selection, National Parenting Product Award Winner, and NCSS-CBC 2019 Notable Social Science Trade Book for Young People.

Reminder that all of these books are accessible in the exhibition, so be sure to stop by to see West of Ninth to preview the books before you purchase!

Five Must-see Places to Visit in South Louisville

Our school, Holy Cross, is located in the heart of Louisville’s South End. After we began interning for the Frazier, we realized there are many locals who may not know this area very well. We thought we would write this to show readers all the amazing places in our part of town.

Tioga Falls

If you are ever near Muldraugh, I recommend visiting Tioga Falls. Tioga Falls is a beautiful option for those wanting a nice and relaxing time in nature. It’s a great hike and has a worthwhile payoff when you see the falls itself. The falls is a great place to cool down during a summer hike.

Ohio Valley Raceway

Growing up in an environment where drag racing was a regular occurrence, I’ve always been around racetracks and cars. My family would always plan trips out of town to go drag racing, but one local place that we frequented was Ohio Valley Raceway. Ohio Valley Raceway is a drag strip located in the outskirts of the South End. It is a fun place to spend a weekend if you are a fan of the sport or even if you simply enjoy cars. It is exciting to go in October to see the Doorslammer Drag Racing Competition.

Mike Linnig’s

Mike Linnig’s is a restaurant located near the waterfront. They serve fried fish and all the works. Mike Linnig’s provides an atmosphere that feels as though you are sitting on the dock of the bay. Though not actually on the water, it is just a floodwall away. There’s also a playground for the kids (and for the adults, if you are so inclined.)

Shirley’s Way Charitable Gaming Facility

Interior of Shirley’s Way Gaming Facility, January 1, 2020. Credit: Jackson Schablik.

Kentucky is one of the many states where casino gambling is illegal. However, charitable gaming is legal. Shirley’s Way is a nonprofit organization that serves people fighting cancer. They support individuals by making payments on things like rent, mortgage, and electricity bills. One of the many ways they raise money is through their gaming facility. They are located off Dixie Highway right next to the Gene Snyder Freeway, attached to a locally owned sports bar. It is a fun environment to try to win money: The machines in the facility are programmed with thirty electronic pull tab games, and you can win up to $599 per ticket.

Colonial Gardens

Colonial Gardens is a historic building that has been newly renovated into a strip area with four restaurants inside. (Three of them are locally owned!) It’s a perfect place to visit after a nice hike through Iroquois Park, located directly across the street. It has a nice outdoor atmosphere, so people of all different tastes can go and mingle. There is a taco place known for its margaritas, a pizza place known for its craft beers, and a burger place known for serving great Bourbon. With all of these great options, everyone ends up happy!

I hope you consider visiting one (or all!) of our top picks from the South End. We’ve known these places for years, and they’ve become some of our favorites.

Musicians Brigid Kaelin and Will Oldham to Perform Sunday

Will Oldham performs as Bonnie “Prince” Billy at Parque de la Quinta de Torre Arias in Madrid, Spain, July 18, 2017. Credit: Diario de Madrid.

It’s already icing on the cake that we have musician Dawn Landes joining us with Tori Murden McClure for our December 12 “Cool Kentucky: Independent Spirits” program — so now, for the sprinkles on top!

We can announce Brigid Kaelin and Will Oldham will be part of the program, as well, singing with Dawn as they perform several songs from her album ROW.

Brigid and Will collaborated with several other well-known artists on the album, which is about the true-life journey of Tori Murden McClure, the first American and woman to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean.

Graphic for “Cool Kentucky: Independent Spirits”

It’s lightning in a bottle to have accomplished musicians Dawn Landes, Brigid Kaelin, and Will Oldham performing together at the Frazier.

Get your tickets now for this program, which will have us all talking, singing, and looking inside to see if we’re chasing our dreams.

We have just a few tickets left, so act quickly.

Rachel Platt
Director of Community Engagement

Announcing the Michter’s Program Welcome Cocktails, Expressions, and Pairings

Graphic for “Michter’s Bourbon Pairings & Holiday Hosting Know-how!”

Heads up to our Bourbon devotees and party planning superstars!

I’m excited to tell you some new details that have just been finalized for our upcoming “Michter’s Bourbon Pairings & Holiday Hosting Know-How!” program.

On December 15, the authors of Which Fork Do I Use With My Bourbon?, Peggy Noe Stephens and Susan Reigler, along with Michter’s Master of Maturation Andrea Wilson, will be here at the Frazier Museum to host the program. It’s a hall of fame lineup leading guests through Bourbon tastings, pairings, and holiday hosting tips. Here’s what guests can look forward to.

Welcome Cocktail

Black Manhattan served with passed Endive with goat cheese, walnuts, and cranberries

Tastings

Michter’s Straight Bourbon with pecan, dried cherry, and caramel
Michter’s Single Barrel Rye with smoked duck with fig on a sweet chip
Michter’s Barrel Strength with dark chocolate

It’s true — this is an evening carefully curated to please your palate. But I’m confident the stories and the tidbits of hosting advice guests hear will be what they’re boasting about most over the holidays. I look forward to seeing you all here!

Holiday Tours of the Frazier Offered December 13 – 31

’Tis the season for festive history tours! Starting Monday, December 13 and continuing until the end of the year, Frazier staff will be giving daily holiday tours around the museum. The tours are scattered throughout the day, ensuring that no matter what time you come to explore the museum, you’ll have a tour option during your visit!

Holiday tours will not focus on one specific holiday; instead, we’re sharing stories about various events and celebrations that have taken place in the U.S. and around the world. Plus, you’ll see how these stories relate to objects we have on display in the galleries.

We hope to see you on one of our tours very soon!

Keep on spreading the holiday cheer!

Giving Tuesday Recap

Graphic and donation tracker for Giving Tuesday 2021

We want to take a moment to thank our community and those who donated during this year’s Giving Tuesday campaign. Although we just missed our goal, every donation, membership, and admission ticket continues to assist us in our efforts to mean more to more people. Giving Tuesday may be over for this year, but our goal still stands. Will you be the one to bring us to our goal this year? There’s only one way to find out. Donate now!

Bridging the Divide

Secretary of State Michael Adams on Civics Essay and Slogan Contest

I am now part of Kentucky Civic Education Coalition, a non-partisan coalition committed to preparing all students to be informed, engaged participants in civic life. This statewide group not only informs students about issues, but instructs them in how government works, how to have a voice, and how to be an involved citizen. It’s what will keep our democracy alive and well. And to that end, another member of that coalition is ready to get students involved right now. Take a look at this contest now underway from the office of Kentucky’s Secretary of State. — Rachel Platt, Director of Community Engagement

Are you a student — or do you know a student — who is interested in civics? I’m pleased to announce our annual essay and slogan contest.

This year, we’re asking ninth through twelfth graders to write an essay answering this question: “What changes should Kentucky make to improve civic education and literacy?” Please keep the essays to 1,000 words.

The slogan contest is for our middle school students in grades sixth through eighth. The slogan is for our Frederick Douglass Award Program, which encourages voter registration efforts in Kentucky high schools. The slogan request is simple: Come up with a slogan that will promote voter registration among young people.

The due date for the entries is Monday, December 20.

Head to our website for more information on the rules and procedures.

Winners will be announced during a ceremony and receive prizes.

During my term, I’ve listened to others — and that includes our students. So, come on, Kentucky: Let’s see what you’ve got! I can’t wait to see what you come up with.

Staff Pick

Bourbon Staff Pick: Stephen Yates on Russell’s Reserve 10-Year-Old Bourbon

Stephen Yates holds a bottle of Russell’s Reserve 10-Year-Old Bourbon, December 2, 2021

The Frazier History Museum is the official starting point of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail®, so it seems only fitting we should lift a glass to the holidays and say cheers. From November 8 through December 27, each issue of Virtual Frazier Magazine will feature a different staff member’s Bourbon pick for the holidays. Keep in mind, not everyone is a Bourbon expert; however, we all have our reasons for what we like, and we’ll share those with you. And yes, every featured product is sold in our Museum Store, so thank you for asking — and buying!

My Bourbon pick is one of my favorite values currently in your local liquor store, Russell’s Reserve 10-Year-Old Bourbon, from Wild Turkey. This product is 90 proof with ample aromas of vanilla and caramel. I love the fact that Russell’s Reserve 10-Year-Old has quintessential Bourbon flavors, namely vanilla, caramel, tobacco, and oak. This Bourbon hits two major points for me, affordability and availability! It is hard to find a ten-year-old Bourbon in the $40 price range that tastes as good as this product. In my opinion, it should be on every Bourbon aficionado’s bar, as it stands up well neat, on the rocks, or in a cocktail.

Stephen Yates
Community & Corporate Sales Manager

Holiday Staff Pick: Sam Newton on the Bonny Boy Liquor Dispenser

Sam Newton poses with a Bonny Boy Liquor Dispenser in the Frazier’s Kentucky Bourbon Trail® Welcome Center, December 2, 2021

We take great pride in the Frazier’s Museum Store, which has unique offerings that celebrate our state, our heritage, Frazier exhibitions, and so much more. It may be the perfect place to do your holiday shopping, and we are here to help you. From November 8 through December 20, each issue of Virtual Frazier Magazine will feature a different staff member highlighting their favorite items sold in the store.

I love a gift that can make most anyone laugh, so I’m a big fan of this Bonny Boy Liquor Dispenser as a holiday gift.

Modeled after Manneken Pis, a bronze fountain sculpture designed by the Brabantine sculptor Jérôme Duquesnoy the Elder and installed in Brussels, Belgium in 1618 or 1619, this replica is a fun addition to any bar. The real statue is based on the legend of a young Belgian Lord who relieved himself on his enemies during a battle, an act that allegedly spurred his men on to victory. There are also legends about a child who saved the city by putting out a fire with his stream. What the truth is, I’m not sure; however, it’s a fun story and a fun little statue.

If you’re looking for a fun gift for your White Elephant/Dirty Santa/Yankee Swap, then I recommend this Bonny Boy Liquor Dispenser.

Sam Newton
Assistant Manager of Visitor Services

Magna Carta’s 1941 Move to Fort Knox, Photos of G.I.s in WWII Italy, Brigid Kaelin and Will Oldham to Perform at Frazier, and More

Darrell Griffith Day in Chickasaw, Five Memories of Cryptid Con 2021, 1861 Battle of Rowlett’s Station Near Munfordville, and More

1861 Balloon Flight Over Kentucky, Five Artifacts From Beecher Terrace, Anti-torture Activist Sister Dianna Ortiz, and More