I know I’m partial because I work at the Frazier, but we have one of the best deals in town when it comes to membership. As we celebrate our 20th anniversary, individual memberships are just $20 and family memberships are $50. Of course we also have higher membership levels, with even more perks—all of which you can check out here.

As the city counts down to Kentucky Derby 150, we’re also counting down to member appreciation month in May, a time when the Frazier celebrates its members. So on Wednesday, May 1, we’re inviting our members to our Museum Shop and giving them a 20 percent discount that is good for the entire month. We’ll also get into the Derby party spirit with free Bourbon tastings and $5 dollars off two special barrel select Bourbons. Did I also mention we’ll have a sweet treat for our members? And plenty of fun Derby items to purchase in the shop with your discount.

Our open house for members will take place in the Frazier’s Museum Shop, Wednesday, May 1, from 12 to 3 p.m. We’ll also be ready to sign you up if you come that day and want to join our Frazier family.

If you want to see what the Frazier is all about, check out this video from Kertis Creative.

I know I’m partial, but I think we’re one of the best deals in town with membership.

Happy Derby—and happy member appreciation in May for our Frazier members!

Rachel Platt
VP of Mission
Frazier History Museum

This Week in the Museum

Curator’s Corner: Hunter S. Thompson’s “The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved,” 1970

“The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved”: This is the title Louisvillian Hunter S. Thompson famously gave to his 1970 article about the ninety-sixth running of the Kentucky Derby.

The article appeared in Scanlan’s Monthly, and it was the first time that Thompson worked with illustrator Ralph Steadman. It was the birth of Gonzo journalism, a style popularized by Thompson and characterized by the journalist appearing as a part of the story via first-person narrative. An original copy of the Scanlan’s Monthly featuring Thompson’s article is currently on display in the Literary Kentucky section of the Frazier’s Cool Kentucky exhibition.

But that isn’t the only object related to Thompson’s infamous portrayal of the “fastest two minutes in sports” we have in our collection. During our 2019 exhibition Freak Power: Hunter S. Thompson's Campaign for Sheriff, we acquired a thirtieth anniversary print of Steadman’s illustration that was used on the front page of the article. This print was produced on May 2, 2000, at Petro III Graphics in Lexington, Kentucky, thirty years to the day after Steadman first met Thompson at Churchill Downs.

Thompson’s article and Steadman’s illustrations focused less on the actual horse race and more on the party atmosphere surrounding the event, describing the drunkenness in both the infield and the grandstands. But if you are wondering, the race was won by Dust Commander, ridden by jockey Mike Manganello.

Happy Derby!

Amanda Briede
Sr. Curator of Exhibitions

Museum Shop: Most Exciting Two Earrings in Store

Gear up for the big race with statement accessories that will steal the show! Whether you’re trackside or hosting a backyard party, it’s all about the details. Elevate your look with our $20 fascinators and a dazzling selection of earrings from the Frazier’s Museum Shop. Go big or go home!

Frazier Offering $20 Craft-your-Own-Mint-Julep Classes Every Day this Week

The Frazier Museum is getting in the Derby spirit by offering a daily Craft-your-Own-Mint-Julep class every day, April 29–May 4, at 3 p.m. This class pays homage to the history of this iconic cocktail, which has been linked to the Kentucky Derby for 150 years. You will learn how to craft this historical cocktail, including how to make a mint-infused simple syrup that will have your Derby party guests begging for this recipe. This class is the perfect way to springboard yourself into the Derby spirit. The $20 cost includes museum admission. Reserve your spot now—and you’ll be glad you did!

Stephen Yates
Community & Corporate Sales Manager

Highlights of 120: Fayette County: Final Resting Place of Derby-Winning Black Jockeys

In each issue of Frazier Weekly, we bring you a text story or video featured in our 120: Cool KY Counties exhibit, which opened March 15.—Simon Meiners, Communications & Research Specialist

Fayette County is home to a cemetery in which some of the most influential jockeys in Kentucky and Derby history are laid to rest. Our Stories in Mind facilitator Susan Reed has the full story.

Mick Sullivan
Curator of Guest Experience

As part of our 120: Cool KY Counties exhibit, we’re curating a list of 120 unique sites to visit: one site in each county! In 2024, once a month, we’ll share sites in ten counties, completing the list in December. For April, we’re sharing sites in these counties: Edmonson, Elliott, Estill, Fayette, Fleming, Floyd, Franklin, Fulton, Gallatin, and Garrard. I extend a special thank you to Kentucky Historical Society, whose Historical Marker Program has been a brilliant resource for this list!

Mammoth Cave. (37°11’14.3”N, 86°06’12.5”W) From 1838 to 1842, enslaved guide and self-taught geologist Stephen Bishop extensively explored Mammoth Cave in Edmonson County. Many of the features he discovered—including Fat Man’s Misery, Tall Man’s Agony, Lake Lethe, the River Styx, and the Echo River—can be seen today on guided tours led by National Park Service rangers.

Keith Whitley Memorial Statue. (38°06’16.0”N, 83°07’07.2”W) On June 27, 1999, a bronze statue of country singer Keith Whitley (1954–89) wearing a leather jacket and ostrich-skin boots was installed in Sandy Hook, Elliott County, where Whitley grew up. His music has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity since 2022, when his song “Miami, My Amy” began trending on TikTok.

Ah-wah-nee. (37°41’50.9”N, 83°59’14.6”W) In 1769, Daniel Boone, Squire Boone, and Joseph Proctor camped at Ah-wah-nee, a grassy Shawnee trading post at what is now West Irvine, Estill County. Located on an old buffalo trace known as War Road, which led from the east to the future site of Fort Boonesborough, the area was used by Shawnees for hunting and obtaining lead supply.

Mary Todd Lincoln House. (38°03’04.5”N, 84°30’09.9”W) In 1832, Mary Todd Lincoln, age thirteen, moved with her family to 578 W. Main Street, a fourteen-room home in Lexington, Fayette County. It had been built c. 1806 and originally operated as the Sign of the Green Tree inn and tavern. In 1839, Mary Todd would move to Illinois, where she would meet and wed Abraham Lincoln.

Goddard White Bridge. (38°21’44.4”N, 83°36’55.8”W) Constructed by Joseph Goddard at an unknown time, the Goddard White Bridge shares the 1820 lattice truss design of Ithiel Town. In 1933, it was moved one mile south to its present location over Sand Creek in Goddard, Fleming County. Historically, covered bridges sheltered roads from snow, minimizing wood deterioration.

Little Floyd. (37°34’06.3”N, 82°38’33.0”W) In 1821, when Kentucky created Pike County, Tandy Stratton’s 750-acre farm east of Tram, Floyd County, found itself on the Pike side, to Tandy’s dismay. In 1845, Tandy’s brother James, a legislator, wrote a rider stipulating that Tandy’s farm would once again be in Floyd—and his colleagues didn’t notice. The issue remains unresolved.

William Goebel Fell Here. (38°12’00.1”N, 84°52’36.2”W) On the morning of January 30, 1900, an assassin shot contested governor-elect William Goebel five or six times here outside the Old State Capitol in Frankfort, Franklin County. The next day, while languishing in bed, Goebel was sworn in as governor. He died February 3. He remains the only US governor assassinated while in office.

Whitson Cemetery. (36°30’16.6”N, 89°29’31.8”W) The Kentucky Bend, a.k.a. the New Madrid Bend, is an exclave of Fulton County almost fully encircled by an oxbow loop meander of the Mississippi River. Created c. 1850 and originally located further northwest in the Bend, the Whitson Cemetery, used by the Everett and Whitson families, was moved here in 1910 to escape erosion.

Dr. Lucy Dupuy Montz House. (38°47’05.7”N, 84°54’02.4”W) About 1894, Dr. Lucy Dupuy Montz (1842–1922), a teacher at the Cincinnati College of Dental Surgery, relocated to her hometown of Warsaw, Gallatin County. She moved to a Federal-style house at 200 W. High Street, where she operated a dental practice until she retired in 1921. She was Kentucky’s first woman dentist.

Camp Dick Robinson. (37°41’34.5”N, 84°39’42.9”W) On August 6, 1861, Pres. Abraham Lincoln authorized Maj. Gen. William Nelson to establish Camp Dick Robinson here in Garrard County. Named for Richard M. Robinson, a Union supporter who offered his house and farm as a campsite, it was the first camp south of the Ohio River for recruitment of federal troops in the Civil War.

Simon Meiners
Communications & Research Specialist

Chef Edward Lee first fell in love with Louisville after attending the Kentucky Derby in 2001. His name and his restaurants are now legendary in our city, and the Frazier Museum is delighted to be partnering with Ed and Maker’s Mark for a special book signing and cocktail party on May 22! Y’all know that this week is Derby, and many of us are looking for a guaranteed crowd-pleaser to bring to our Derby party. Last week, I dipped into Chef Edward Lee’s new book, Bourbon Land: A Spirited Love Letter to my Old Kentucky Whiskey, and I want to recommend his recipe for watermelon, mint, feta, and fried peanut salad for your Derby 150 event.

Chef Edward Lee’s Recipe for Watermelon, Mint, Feta, and Fried Peanut Salad

In Louisville, we drink mint juleps once a year during the Kentucky Derby. I’m not a big fan of the cocktail, but I do love the pairing of Bourbon and mint, which works great in a salad. Add some watermelon for sweetness, feta for saltiness, and fried peanuts to tie everything together with a crunchy nuttiness.

Serve this salad as a side or a first course. Serves 8 as a side.

Ingredients:

• 8 cups cubed watermelon

• 1 cup fresh mint, chopped

• 3 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

• 2 tbsp. sesame seeds

• 1 tbsp. olive oil

• 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

• 1 cup unsalted peanuts

• 1 1/2 tsp. sugar

• 1 tbsp. Bourbon

• 2 tsp. soy sauce

• 1/4 tsp. Bourbon salt (page 78)

Instructions:

Place the watermelon cubes in a large bowl. Add the mint, feta, sesame seeds, olive oil, and lemon juice. Toss gently until just combined. In a sauté pan, roast the peanuts over medium heat until just lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar, Bourbon, and soy sauce. Shake the pan vigorously to combine all the ingredients. The liquid will cook off quickly; when the pan is almost dry, transfer the peanuts to a plate and let cool to room temperature. Plate the watermelon salad in individual bowls and top with the peanuts. Sprinkle a little Bourbon salt over the top. Serve right away.

Bourbon Land is a collection of essays on Bourbon history, with tips on Bourbon tasting and over fifty cocktail, dish, and dessert recipes. Join us at the Frazier on May 22 to taste more recipes from Bourbon Land and watch as Ed leads us through a demo of his fried halloumi cheese with spiced Bourbon honey dish and a signature cocktail. You will have the chance to ask Ed questions and get a signed copy of Bourbon Land with exclusive swag from Maker’s Mark while listening to the catchy rockabilly tunes of Bullitt County’s Tyler Lance Walker Gill.

Special thanks to Ed Lee for sharing this recipe with us! I can’t wait to host you in May and try my hand at more of your delicious recipes at home!

Leslie Anderson
Partnership Manager

Frazier Summer Campers to Tour Science Center, KMAC, and Belle of Louisville!

The Frazier’s location here on Main Street is quite the perk for Frazier campers. Field trips to our friends on Main Street are a highlight of the summer that campers and volunteers alike look forward to every year. This summer our campers will visit the Kentucky Science Center to enjoy the galleries and IMAX, stop by KMAC for an art lesson, take a trip down to the river for a behind-the-scenes tour of the Belle of Louisville, and a walk around Main Street to check out all the amazing public art. If our words weren’t enough to convince you, maybe these photos from past trips will! Spots are filling up, so don’t miss out on the fun and register for camps today.

Nicole Clay
Education & Engagement Specialist

Zach Bramel
Manager of Youth & Family Programs

Frazier’s Mick Sullivan Takes Kentucky Stories to Massachusetts

Earlier this month, I was invited to perform for a second time at WBUR’s Podcast Playdate in Boston, Massachusetts. It’s always fun to be in another Commonwealth, but I especially love having the chance to share stories with audiences beyond our own—which is part of what led me to start the internationally-acclaimed podcast The Past and the Curious. Of course, with this performance and others, I can’t help but lean hard on Kentucky stories, no matter the audience. So Garrett Morgan, Lily May Ledford, and even some moments from the Lewis and Clark adventure made it to WBUR’s CityStage.

The audience was tremendous and eager to learn, which is always a delight to be a part of. Joining me this year was my old friend Joey Thieman, who has relocated to Boston. In 2015, he and I collaborated with two other musicians to write and perform a live soundtrack to Buster Keaton’s silent masterpiece The General here at the Frazier. It was great to play with him again, great to see Boston, and great to take Kentucky on the road!

If you haven’t tuned in to The Past and the Curious yet, find it where podcasts are found. Just this month, Today named it one of the twenty best podcasts for kids!

Mick Sullivan
Curator of Guest Experience

Vote for Frazier’s Hayley Harlow Rankin for 2024 Most Admired Woman

Our very own Hayley Harlow Rankin has been nominated for Today’s Woman’s 2024 Most Admired Woman! Hayley is the senior manager of fundraising at the Frazier, and for the past four years she’s contributed significantly to the museum’s growth.

Voting ends tomorrow, April 30, at noon—so vote for Hayley while you still can!

20th Anniversary Photo: Princess Diana’s Diamond Tiara, 2012

From September 15, 2012, to January 13, 2013, the Frazier History Museum hosted Diana: A Celebration. On display were about 150 objects from the late Diana, Princess of Wales (1961–97), including her royal wedding gown, her diamond tiara, her veil, her twenty-five-foot train, personal mementoes, and more. Owned by Princes William and Harry, the exhibition at the Frazier marked the tenth time it had been featured outside of England.

Simon Meiners
Communications & Research Specialist

Bridging the Divide

Caldwell County Veteran and Poet Dale Faughn has Passed Away

We have been fortunate enough at the Frazier to host several gatherings for veterans, many of whom have been veterans of World War II. And in the time I have been here, I have also had to say goodbye to so many of those heroes who have passed away. And here we are again, saying goodbye to Dale Faughn, who was a distinguished teacher as well as a Kentucky poet laureate.

Born in Lamasco, Lyon County, in 1925, he served in the US Marine Corps. He fought in the Battle of Iwo Jima and witnessed the historic raising of the flag on Mt. Suribachi. He went on to work in the field of education for sixty-one years, teaching at Caldwell County High School in Princeton.

I am sad to say the three veterans shown in the picture above, taken at the Frazier in 2019, are no longer with us. Oh, how we need to savor their stories and celebrate their courage. And whatever we do, make sure to thank those who are still with us.

I want to share one of Mr. Faughn’s poems with you. This one is titled “Salute to Normandy Invaders, June 6, 1944.”

Salute to Normandy Invaders, June 6, 1944

By Dale Faughn

Can be sung to the tune of “Just as I Am”

You changed the continent so much;
You changed the lives so many ways:
Restoring freedom as you went,
Though lives were shortened many days.

The freedom that many had lost,
You paid the price and bought it back;
With heart and hand and head and all;
You fought bravely and did not slack.

So many on that day who fought,
So soon were laid beneath the sod;
So much high praise is thus due you,
For all you gave, we thus thank God.

For all of you who have survived,
Though time may have taken its toll,
We never have forgotten you;
We pray God’s blessings on your soul.

And may the government we have,
Never decide to you forget;
And may the spirit that you had,
Remain with you forever yet.

Great thanks we give to all of you;
For fighting that you did, we hail;
Keep loving thus the USA;
With God’s help may it never fail.

Rachel Platt
VP of Mission