With Labor Day weekend just around the corner and the kiddos already back in the classroom, the seasons of change are upon us. And while it’s important to acknowledge change, this is an incredibly exciting time to live in the present in Kentucky!

In this 120th year of the Kentucky State Fair, all 120 Kentucky counties are coming together right now in Louisville to celebrate the shared culture of our Commonwealth. It’s a time many of our weekends are now consumed with high school, college, and professional sports and all the sights, sounds, and smells that come with it. It’s a time of harvest, music, back-to-school butterflies, and—yes—Bourbon.

To kick off Bourbon Heritage Month, the Frazier is partnering with our good friends at Michter’s Fort Nelson to throw a shindig for the ages. With live music from the Derby City Dandies and incredible food from RK Bluegrass, the 2024 Michter’s Speakeasy at the Frazier will feature Michter’s Bourbon tastings and two cocktails available for every guest.

As always, we’ll have a costume contest, a dance contest, plenty of flippers, scores of flappers, and fellas who are dizzy with the dames. Get tickets here!

In today’s Frazier Weekly, several exciting reasons to become a Frazier member, a Sippin’ with Stephen episode with Castle & Key’s “Whiskey Wizard,” and a couple of guest contributions on Louisville’s Black gospel music heritage and the history of Olmsted Parks featured on a new bandana sold in our shop.

I hope you enjoy!

Andy Treinen
President & CEO
Frazier History Museum

This Week in the Museum

Museum Shop: Olmsted Parks Bandanas

In 1891, Louisville hit the jackpot when Frederick Law Olmsted, the genius behind Central Park and the Biltmore, was commissioned to design the city’s park system. What makes it extra special? It’s one of only four complete Olmsted Park systems in the world, with parks linked by tree-lined parkways. We’re thrilled to support the Olmsted Parks Conservancy with the sale of this custom bandana, featuring a map of Louisville’s unique park system! Buy one now for $5 in the Frazier’s Museum Shop.

The snappy new bandana featured above depicts Shawnee, Iroquois, Cherokee, and over a dozen other Louisville parks—including Stansbury Park. Located at Third and Eastern Parkway, across from U of L’s campus, Stansbury Park holds a special place in my heart. As a U of L alum, I’ve been there for dates, HORSE games, lunch with friends, and head-clearing solo walks. In fall 2010, I TARCed there every Saturday at 9 a.m. for a one-credit-hour tennis class. Now, to celebrate Louisville’s historic Olmsted Park System, the Olmsted Parks Conservancy is hosting a new beer garden series—starting with a Stansbury Park Beer Garden this Thursday! We’ve asked the Conservancy’s Jesse Hendrix-Inman to shed light on the history of Stansbury Park, a jewel in Louisville’s world-class park system.—Simon Meiners, Communications & Research Specialist

The Olmsted Parks Beer Garden Series celebrates various parks in Louisville’s Olmsted Park system, and the next event is in Stansbury Park on Thursday, August 22!

You have probably driven right by Stansbury Park on the way to the Speed Museum or Iroquois Park without knowing that it is the central greenspace in one of Frederick Law Olmsted’s masterpieces, Louisville’s Olmsted Park system.

Louisville has one of only four completed Olmsted Park systems in the country—the others are the Emerald Necklace in Boston, the Olmsted Park system in Buffalo, and the Olmsted Park system in Rochester.

Olmsted’s concept of the park system intended to comfortably connect people from different neighborhoods and walks of life, building community and creating equitable access to nature. Today, the park system still serves as a vital piece of infrastructure, with the parkways acting as green ribbons allowing multimodal connections through the city to each of the flagship parks.

At the heart of Louisville’s Olmsted Park system is Stansbury Park. If you think of the park system like a wheel, the parkways fan out like spokes from Stansbury Park to the three flagship parks: Shawnee in the west, Iroquois in the south, and Cherokee in the east.

When Louisville’s Olmsted Park system was designed, the Louisville School of Reform’s land blocked access from the city to the parkway that provided connection to Iroquois Park. Mayor Charles Jacob had already purchased a right-of-way between the school and Iroquois Park, a property known at the time as the “Grand Boulevard.” We now know it as Southern Parkway. The school gave the property for the park to the city in 1900 when Third Street was extended, and the Olmsted firm completed the master plan for Stansbury Park in 1909.

Originally the park was called the Third Street Triangle, followed by the Third Street Playground. In 1916, it was known as Triangle Park. Mayor Harvey Sloane renamed it Stansbury Park in 1985 after the death of William B. Stansbury, who served as Louisville’s mayor from 1977 to 1982.

Today, Stansbury Park provides much-needed green space to the surrounding neighborhoods. It still serves as a critical link in our Olmsted Park system, near where the three parkways should have connected, allowing people to travel throughout the city by bike or foot. Olmsted Parks Conservancy is exploring ways to work with city leaders to implement a master plan to fully realize the vision for Stansbury Park.

Join us at Stansbury Park for the Olmsted Parks Beer Garden Presented by Kentucky Select Properties, Thursday, August 22, 5–8 p.m. Admission is free!

Jesse Hendrix-Inman
Director of Communications, Olmsted Parks Conservancy
Guest Contributor

Curator’s Corner: Tucked-Away Olmsted Park Plans

In honor of Louisville’s incredible Olmsted Park System, I wanted to share some objects in our Cool Kentucky exhibition that are often overlooked. Hiding in the back corner of the first floor, past the bathrooms, we have several reproductions of plans created by the Olmsted Firm. These plans include architectural drawings, planting plans, and more from Louisville’s Olmsted Park System. These plans were originally featured in our 2019 exhibition Olmsted’s Louisville, but I am excited to be able to continue showing off these beautiful plans in Cool Kentucky. The next time you visit the Frazier, wander a little further past the giant portrait of Olmsted on the back wall. You may be surprised by what’s hiding back there!

Amanda Briede
Sr. Curator of Exhibitions

20th Anniversary Photo: Amanda’s First Exhibition, 2019

Opened April 10–October 20, 2019, the Frazier’s Olmsted’s Louisville exhibition explored the career and legacy of Frederick Law Olmsted in the city of Louisville. It featured historical documents, architectural plans, neighborhood maps, design drawings, portraits, photographs, and interactive content, including a listening station. But what I remember fondly about Olmsted’s Louisville was that it was the very first exhibition curated by my wonderful colleague Amanda Briede. Brava, friend!

Simon Meiners
Communications & Research Specialist

Olmsted not the Only Person to Thank for Louisville’s Park System

One of my very favorite places to spend time in Louisville is Cherokee Park. During my younger years, it was for a run or an annual kickball game with friends; now, it’s to take a walk, try to catch sight of an owl on a hike, or sit at the top of Dog Hill and enjoy a picnic dinner. But no matter the reason, or how many times I’ve been around that same loop, it never gets old.

Yet, over all those years, I’d never wondered why the park was located there or who helped make it happen. An exhibition here at the Frazier changed that. Our 2019 Olmsted’s Louisville exhibition shared the unique story of Frederick Law Olmsted and his firm’s role in designing what are now seventeen parks and six tree-lined parkways spread throughout the city. Known as the Olmsted Parks, they are a highlight of living in or visiting Louisville, designed by the man and his firm known for their work on Central Park in New York, outdoor elements of the 1893 World’s Fair held in Chicago, and the Biltmore Estate.

As it turns out, I don’t only have Olmsted to thank. According to Eric Burnette in his book Parks for the People! Profit, Power, and Frederick Law Olmsted in Louisville, before Olmsted’s arrival, there had been many park systems planned for the city over the years—and they all failed.

So how did this final plan come together so nicely and form into the outdoor spaces I enjoy so much today? Burnette argues that it was a bumpy ride, and that I owe much of my gratitude to none other than a Scottish-born New Yorker turned Louisvillian named Andrew Cowan. A Union artillerist during the American Civil War, a businessman, a supporter of Louisville’s Southern Exposition, and a member of the city’s Board of Parks Commissioners, Cowan was clearly a busy man.

“We like to think history gives credit where credit is due, but that doesn't always happen,” Burnette writes. “Sometimes credit goes to the people who are loudest, while the people who do the work get left behind. Louisville would not have an Olmsted Park System without a man named Andrew Cowan. He had the vision, he secured the land, he reached out to Frederick Law Olmsted himself. All along the way, he fought against people like John Breckinridge Castleman, who wanted to use Louisville's parks to enrich himself. Castleman was later lauded for his work, while Cowan all but disappeared from history. This is their story.”

This is just another reminder that the decisions made back in the 1890s directly affect my life today. And the decisions we make today will surely impact the future. So, cheers to Cowan and his diligent work for Louisville parks.

Cowan passed away in Louisville on August 23, 1919. You can visit his gravesite in Cave Hill Cemetery.

Megan Schanie
Sr. Manager of Educational Programs

Sippin’ with Stephen: Brown Derbies with Castle & Key’s “Whiskey Wizard”

As the official starting point of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail®, the Frazier History Museum shares stories of the people, places, and producers of the Kentucky Bourbon industry. To learn more, visit our Kentucky Bourbon Trail® Welcome Center or tour our Spirit of Kentucky® exhibition.—Simon Meiners, Communications & Research Specialist

Today’s episode of Sippin’ with Stephen features Brett Conners, the “Whiskey Wizard” at Castle & Key in Woodford County, Kentucky. Brett enlightens viewers on the history and products available to visitors at Castle & Key and demonstrates how to make a Brown Derby cocktail. For more information on the distillery, please visit their website.

Recipe for Brown Derby

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. Castle & Key Bourbon

• 1 oz. grapefruit juice, freshly squeezed

• 1 oz. honey syrup

• Grapefruit twist to garnish

Instructions:

First, add the Bourbon, the grapefruit juice, and the honey syrup into a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled. Second, fine-strain into a cocktail glass. Third, express the oil from a grapefruit twist over the drink and drop the twist into the drink to garnish.

Stephen Yates
Community & Corporate Sales Manager

Leslie Anderson Named Frazier’s Membership & Partnership Manager

Many of our readers may recognize me from articles I have written regarding our partnerships, Bourbon programs, and fundraisers like Summer Beer Fest at Frazier. I’m happy to share that my role at the Frazier Museum has recently expanded: I’ve stepped into the position of membership and partnership manager!

This new role is an incredible opportunity for me to connect with our valued members and partners in even more meaningful ways. I’m especially excited about the creative possibilities that lie ahead, as I’ll now focus on developing exclusive programs and experiences designed to engage curiosity, add value, and show appreciation to our members.

The Frazier has always been a place of discovery, learning, and community, so I’m eager to bring fresh, engaging content that reflects these values. Whether it’s special behind-the-scenes tours, unique events, or enriching workshops, I’m committed to making your membership experience at the Frazier more rewarding than ever before.

I look forward to working closely with all of you as we continue to celebrate the rich history and culture the Frazier History Museum is known for. Thank you for your ongoing support and stay tuned for an exciting program announcement for our members later this month!

Leslie Anderson
Membership & Partnership Manager

Bridging the Divide

Louisville Story Program to Release Book & Box Set of Louisville Gospel Music, 1958–81

Any time I get a call from Louisville Story Program, I know it’s going to be something good and inspiring. Their latest project, I’m Glad About It: The Legacy of Gospel Music in Louisville, 1958–1961, is another example of how LSP preserves our history and helps teach it. Executive director Darcy Thompson has more on their latest project, how you can get your hands on a box set, and how you can attend an epic concert at the Brown Theatre on September 28!—Rachel Platt, VP of Mission

For decades, the passion, hard work, and support of countless people across dozens of Black church communities in Louisville have nurtured and sustained a rich gospel music ecosystem. This music has served as a central part of religious practice and as an expression of Black pride, joy, affirmation, love, dignity, determination, and hope.

In the mid-twentieth century, a potent creative movement was documented in Louisville as small recording studios and record labels captured the sound and spirit of the city’s gospel choirs and quartets. Over the years, those powerful, invaluable recordings have become harder and harder to find, and the stories of the women and men behind them are in danger of being forgotten.

Over the past three years, the Louisville Story Program (LSP) has accompanied elders in the local gospel community in the process of preserving this rich cultural legacy so that it can live on for generations to come. They have digitized 1,000 songs from the original vinyl records, tracked down hundreds of photographs, and developed extensive narratives contextualizing the music, honoring legacies, and vividly describing the gospel music ecosystem in that golden era.

On September 28, the project will culminate in the release of I’m Glad About It: The Legacy of Gospel Music in Louisville, 1958–1981, a box set featuring eighty-three lovingly restored archival recordings and a 208-page full-color hardcover book written by people who have played roles in building Louisville’s gospel music legacy. In conjunction with the box set, LSP will launch a comprehensive digital archive of audio recordings, photos, and videos and host a one-of-a-kind concert at the Brown Theatre.

“I’m Glad About It is an extraordinary collection—a lavishly and lovingly compiled and annotated collection of songs, photographs, and commentary documenting one of America’s great hotbeds of gospel music,” Robert F. Darden, founder of the Black Gospel Music Preservation Program at Baylor University, said. “It is that rare project that elevates while it entertains, even as it celebrates and reveals the startling depth and impact of Louisville’s deep gospel tradition. Oh! And those songs . . .”

Teddy Abrams, music director of the Louisville Orchestra, hails the box set as “an inspiring, beautiful portrait of our region’s Gospel legacy . . . The combination of storytelling, photography, and musical curation is exceptional and vital. Louisville’s Black Gospel traditions are celebrated the way they should be, reinforcing their immense impact on American culture, inviting people to learn about this remarkable history, and securing this critical legacy for future generations.”

This project was made possible by women and men with a zeal for preserving a cultural heritage whose richness and importance cannot be overstated. Without efforts like theirs, this vital history would be in danger of fading away. And these songs, performed by people who worked as custodians, truck drivers, cooks, masons, mechanics, upholsterers, dry cleaners, schoolteachers, and funeral directors, are nothing short of transcendent to this day. They are a testament to the human spirit, to the abundance of brilliance in Louisville’s Black community, and to the power of faith. The authors of I’m Glad About It have ensured that future generations will better understand the shoulders upon which they stand, and that new audiences of all backgrounds can appreciate this rich history and be moved by this powerful music.

You can preview some of the music and images and meet some of the contributors by watching this short video. I’m Glad About It is available for pre-order for a twenty-percent discount here. Tickets to the gospel concert at the Brown Theatre are available here.

Darcy Thompson
Executive Director, Louisville Story Program
Guest Contributor