Blues in the Bluegrass, Step into History Walking Tours Return, Exploring Kentucky: Logan–McCreary, and More
Are you a member at the Frazier History Museum? Many of you are, and we appreciate you. Many more of you may be inclined to join when you hear this. In a recent survey, our members let us know what kind of programs they’re interested in—and when you talk, we listen. That’s why we’re so pleased to announce More for Members, a new series of member exclusive programs. The first event is coming soon! Mark your calendars for Thursday, October 24, when the Frazier presents Blues in the Bluegrass, an exploration of blues music, its development, its style, and the contributions of Kentucky musicians to the genre.
More for Members badge.
The Frazier’s house band the Ox Breeches poses in the Model T, August 21, 2024. Credit: Frazier History Museum.
Blues in the Bluegrass comes with a couple twists. First, this won’t just be a music history lecture. We will have live musical demonstrations from the Frazier’s very own house band, the Ox Breeches, performing together for the first time. Among our staff of historians, scholars, teachers, and community organizers, we have a full ensemble of skilled musicians who will bring their skills to the stage. We will also be joined by renowned author and music historian Michael L. Jones, who will share fascinating local accounts of pioneering Kentucky artists.
The other twist for this program will come from you. Every attendee at Blues in the Bluegrass will receive a gift upon arrival, a ten-hole diatonic harmonica, and join the Ox Breeches in performance. Don’t worry if you’re not a musician, we’ll teach you everything you’ll need to know and you’ll be harping the blues in no time.
This is a members-only program, so join before the end of this month to gain access and reserve your spot in the band.
In today’s issue of Frazier Weekly, Tish evokes Powell County’s Lily May Ledford, Amanda highlights Oksana Masters’s upcoming Paralympics competition, and more!
Kent Klarer
Grant Writer & Manager
Frazier History Museum
This Week in the Museum
From the Collections: Coon Creek Girls Photograph, c. Early 1950s
There is nothing quite like the sound of bluegrass music. The high harmonies, distinctive sound of the banjo and fiddle can turn a moment into joy and dancing. A uniquely American genre, bluegrass finds its roots all up and down the Appalachian Mountains. And while modern bluegrass bands are still a thing of beauty, it is the bands of the early twentieth century that really make my heart sing.
Coon Creek Girls, c. early 1950s. Part of the Frazier History Museum collections.
Lily May Ledford was born in 1917 on a farm in Powell County, Kentucky, where she learned music at home with her family. She played clawhammer style banjo and fiddle and started performing at square dances up and down the Red River Gorge area with her sister Rosie and brother Cayen. In 1936, when Lily May was nineteen, her family band the Red River Ramblers were invited to appear on the WLS Barn Dance radio show in Chicago. It was here that Lily May was noticed by producer John Lair, who had long wanted to form an all-girls string band. That band became the Coon Creek Girls, making their broadcast debut in October 1937.
Lily May would later recall that the audience was startled to hear an all-girls band and even drowned them out with their applause. The Coon Creek Girls performed from 1937 to 1957 and even played at the White House for President Roosevelt and the King and Queen of England. Lily May continued to perform at folk festivals in Kentucky in the 1960s and as Berea College’s Artist in Residence, 1979–80. In 1985, Lily May Ledford was named a National Endowment for the Arts Heritage Fellowship Award winner for her legacy of traditional tunes and banjo picking techniques.
We are proud to represent Lily May Ledford in our museum and collections. Pictured here from our collections if a photograph of the Coon Creek Girls, c. early 1950s. But if you want to see an actual dress Lily May wore at one of her performances, visit our Cool Kentucky exhibition!
Tish Boyer
Registrar & Manager of Collections Engagement
Highlights of 120: Muhlenberg County: Bluegrass Music
120: Cool KY Counties graphic. Credit: Frazier History Museum.
As we look forward to our October 24 Blues in the Bluegrass program, it’s worth reflecting on the origins of bluegrass music here in Kentucky. A pioneering guitarist named Arnold Shultz inspired some of the most famous thumb-pickers in Kentucky—many of whom, like Merle Travis and Mose Rager, hailed from Muhlenberg County. Find this and other unique stories from Kentucky history in our 120: Cool KY Counties exhibit.—Simon Meiners, Communications & Research Specialist
Arnold Shultz, left, and Pendleton Vandiver, c. 1910.
A long line of famous Bluegrass musicians traces their roots to Muhlenberg County. This gives the county an historic presence in American popular culture. In the 1850s, Scottish immigrants moved to a mining community in Muhlenberg County and brought their traditional music with them. The mines and ironworks they came to work at failed. Yet, the Scottish music influenced generations of performers. Based on their playing, Arnold Shultz developed his own picking style for guitar. Shultz would share the stage with the legendary mandolin player Bill Monroe. According to Monroe, it was Shultz who put the “blues” in Bluegrass. Along with Shultz, some of the most important musicians in Bluegrass history trace their roots to Muhlenberg County: names like the Monroes, the Everly Brothers, and the Rich Brothers. And don’t forget Merle Travis, father of the popular Travis-style picking technique.
Museum Shop: Bluegrass Mug
Bluegrass mug sold in the Frazier’s Museum Shop. Credit: Frazier History Museum.
Experience the charm of Kentucky with our new bluegrass mug. It’s perfect for everything from your morning coffee to an evening Bourbon, and even a hearty bowl of soup! We’ve put it to the test, so you know it’s a winner. Pair it with a bluegrass soundtrack for the ultimate cozy vibe.
Register Now for Frazier’s 2024 Fall Break Camp!
2024 Fall Break Camp graphic. Credit: Frazier History Museum.
We are excited to announce Fall Break Camp at the beginning of October, with the theme “It’s All Fun & Games!” Join us for the whole week or by-the-day as we play our way through all sorts of non-digital games, puzzles, and activities. Nicole and I will lead some puzzle- and game-themed presentations, like “50 Years of Dungeons & Dragons.” But mostly we’ll just play every day! All games are fair game—card games, board games, and even some tabletop role-playing games. We’ll play outside when the weather allows, and we’ll build box forts inside when it doesn’t. And our resident dungeon master Sarah J. will lead a mini-D&D campaign for brave and interested parties. We hope you can join us.
About the Camp
2024 Fall Break Camp: It’s All Fun & Games!
Games & free play camp for kids in grades 1–5
Monday, September 30–Friday, October 4, 2024
9 a.m.–4 p.m. (drop off begins at 8:45 a.m.)
$60/day ($55/day for members)
$285/week ($265/week for members)
Camp Capacity: 20 per day
Register at fraziermuseum.org/camps.
Zach Bramel
Manager of Youth & Family Programs
Step into History Walking Tours Return October 10 & 17
Step into History Walking Tours graphic. Credit: Frazier History Museum.
Back by popular demand, our Step into History Walking Tours will happen twice in October for a limited run.
The Frazier’s curator of guest experience, Mick Sullivan, will lead our tours on October 10 and 17.
There are a limited amount of spots available for each of those walks that begin at 10:30 a.m., so you better sign up quickly.
Get ready to grab a sweater and put on your walking shoes to learn more about the history around us.
Rachel Platt
VP of Mission
Louisville’s Oksana Masters Competing in the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris
Case of objects belonging to Oksana Masters in the Frazier’s Cool Kentucky exhibition, August 21, 2024. Credit: Frazier History Museum.
Do you have the post-Olympics blues? I know I sure miss being able to turn on the TV and watch any number of interesting sports from archery to judo. Never fear! The 2024 Paralympic Games begin this Wednesday, August 28, and offer the same levels of competition and national pride.
Of course, my favorite person to root for during the Paralympic Games is Louisville’s own Oksana Masters. This year, Oksana will compete in hand cycling in her seventh Paralympic Games. That means Oksana has qualified for every Winter and Summer Paralympic Games since 2012. Oksana has won seventeen medals in four different sports, including two gold medals in hand cycling from the 2020 Tokyo Games.
The Frazier is lucky to have a great relationship with Oksana and her mom, Gay. Gay graciously allows my colleague Tish Boyer and I into her home to rummage through Oksana’s Paralympic paraphernalia and borrow lots of amazing things to display in Cool Kentucky. Keep an eye out for Oksana competing in the coming weeks and stop by the competitive gallery of Cool Kentucky to see some of her cool equipment, medals, and more from past Paralympic Games.
Amanda Briede
Sr. Curator of Exhibitions
Frazier’s Biggest Cards Fan Ready for September 17 Program!
Welcome Coach Pat Kelsey: Operation ReviVILLE graphic. Credit: Frazier History Museum.
One of my favorite childhood memories is watching “Never Nervous Pervis” Ellison calmly hit free throws in the final minute of the 1986 NCAA championship game that U of L would go on to win against Duke 72-69. I still own my t-shirt celebrating that win. It’s been through a lot—worn through and thin, but still hanging in there, a little bit like a team I’m pretty familiar with.
Being a fan means different things to different people. To me, it’s pretty simple: you show up, and you cheer. Some years, and some games, there is more to cheer for than others. But the best is when you can celebrate a dive onto the floor, a tip out from behind that leads to a steal, or an amazing pass that no one in the crowd saw coming. As a true fan of the game, I also really appreciate movement without the ball, bench players getting on their feet and into the game, and a strong block out.
From what I could tell from the weak internet feed on our small computer of the recent U of L men’s basketball games in the Bahamas, I’m going to be hoarse after the games this year. All of those elements were on full display. We haven’t even had a home game yet and the energy is palpable. Coach Pat Kelsey had me hooked from his first press conference, and I’m so excited to see what he and the team have in store for us this year.
As always, we’ll be at as many home games as possible for the men’s and women’s teams and arranging our schedule to make sure and catch away games on TV. When we watch from home, I’m sure we’ll be joined by our dachshund/hound mix named Sutton—who’s named in honor of one of our favorite U of L players, Dwayne Sutton (duPont Manual graduate and U of L forward from 2017 to 2020). Sutty is also a big fan.
How exciting then that Coach Pat Kelsey will be on site here at the Frazier in September! My husband bought tickets to bring his father for his birthday, and I’m sure I’ll find a reason to help out that evening so I can join in the fun.
And we’d love to have you join us. More information and tickets are available online here for Welcome Coach Pat Kelsey: Operation ReviVILLE, set for Tuesday, September 17, 6–7:30 p.m.
Go Cards!
Megan Schanie
Sr. Manager of Educational Programs
Exploring Kentucky graphic. Credit: Frazier History Museum.
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 August, we’re sharing sites in these counties: Logan, Lyon, Madison, Magoffin, Marion, Marshall, Martin, Mason, McCracken, and McCreary. I extend a special thank you to Kentucky Historical Society, whose Historical Marker Program has been a brilliant resource for this list!
Exterior of O’Bannon House in Russellville, Logan County, undated. Credit: Jennifer Swiney, JFS Photography.
Abandoned bus at site of Homer’s Garage in Land Between the Lakes, Lyon County, c. April 2017. Credit: Four Rivers Explorer.
Noble Park Dairy Queen, 1988. Credit: Dairy Queen Grill & Chill (1031 Joe Clifton Dr, Paducah, Ky), Facebook.
O’Bannon House. (36°50’28.0”N, 86°53’08.3”W) On April 17, 1805, US Marine Corps Lt. Presley O’Bannon led an attack on Barbary coast pirates holding American seamen for ransom in Tripoli, Libya. He became the first American to raise an American flag on foreign soil in a time of war. In 1807, he moved to this home in Russellville, Logan County, where he lived until his death in 1850.
Homer’s Garage. (37°01’40.5”N, 88°05’59.2”W) In the 1960s, when towns were flooded to create Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake, Homer Ray owned Ray’s Garage in what is now the northeast part of Land Between the Lakes in Lyon County. All that remains of Ray’s Garage is an abandoned, stripped Lyon County School District bus, located south of the intersection of roads 126 and 127.
Berea College. (37°34’18.9”N, 84°17’23.2”W) In 1855, abolitionist Rev. John G. Fee founded Berea College here in Berea, Madison County. The school was dedicated to the equal education of blacks, whites, men, and women. In 1904, the enactment of the Day Law forcibly segregated the school; however, an amendment in 1950 allowed Berea College to resume racial coeducation.
Gardner Farmstead. (37°44’40.3”N, 83°04’51.0”W) In 1794, a group who attempted to settle here in present-day Salyersville, Magoffin County, were driven out by Native Americans. Around 1830, a massive log house with a two-story dog-trot was built at this location, and it remains standing today. Occupied by soldiers during the Civil War, the farm is the site of about 400 Civil War graves.
Loretto Motherhouse. (37°39’49.3”N, 85°23’56.2”W) In 1824, this 788-acre farm in Loretto, Marion County, became the home of the Sisters of Loretto. The Loretto community “seeks to praise God and serve the near and farther neighbor by educating ourselves and others in the ways of peace and justice.” They have sent teachers to South America, Africa, Pakistan, and China.
Cherokee State Park. (36°46’24.1”N, 88°08’21.5”W) In 1951, Cherokee State Park opened near Aurora, Marshall County. It was the first segregated park for African Americans in Kentucky and the South. The 300-acre park consisted of beach, cottages, boat and fishing docks, a picnic area, and a dining hall. With desegregation in the 1960s, the park was absorbed into Kenlake Park.
Moses Stepp Grave Marker. (37°44’22.8”N, 82°26’30.3”W) In March 1940, WPA road crews unearthed the grave of Revolutionary War veteran Moses Stepp near Laura, Martin County. According to the grave marker, Stepp lived from 1735 to 1855—which would make him 120. Legend has it Native Americans captured Stepp and nailed him by his ears to a tree, but he escaped.
Simon Kenton’s Station. (38°38’11.2”N, 83°48’10.2”W) In spring 1755, the same year Boonesboro, Boiling Spring, and St. Asaph’s were established in Kentucky, Simon Kenton made camp a half-mile west of this site in Maysville, Mason County. Kenton left the camp in the fall and visited other stations nearby. In 1784, he returned with family and friends and fortified the station.
Noble Park Dairy Queen. (37°04’59.5”N, 88°38’16.0”W) From the 1930s to at least the 1970s, teens in Paducah, McCracken County, would go “dragging Broadway” or “dragging the gut.” They cruised from this Dairy Queen down Park Avenue, around the 19th Hole, down 28th Street to Broadway to the Ohio River, up Jefferson Street to 28th Street, around Noble Park, and back to DQ.
Princess Cornblossom Burial Site. (36°41’58.8”N, 84°28’50.0”W) According to legend, as a young girl, Princess Cornblossom, the daughter of Chief Doublehead, attended the March 15, 1775, signing of the treaty of Sycamore Shoals, which transferred much of present-day Kentucky from the Cherokees to the Transylvania Company. She is buried at this site in Stearns, McCreary County.
Simon Meiners
Communications & Research Specialist
20th Anniversary Photo: “Good Morning to All” Manuscript, 2019
Detail of “Good Morning to All” manuscript on display in the Frazier’s Celebrating the Sounds of Kentucky exhibition, September 24, 2019. Credit: Frazier History Museum.
Opened September 13, 2019–January 2021, the Frazier’s Celebrating the Sounds of Kentucky exhibition explored Kentucky music from folk and bluegrass to Loretta Lynn, Bryson Tiller, and My Morning Jacket. The most historically significant item on display was a sketchbook of lyrics and melodies hand-written by Louisville musicologist Mildred Hill, c. 1895–1900. The sketchbook includes the only known manuscript of “Good Morning to All,” the original version of “Happy Birthday to You,” the most recognized song in the English language.
Simon Meiners
Communications & Research Specialist
Bridging the Divide
Kim Michele Richardson Launches Courthouses Reading Across Kentucky & Beyond
If you visit the website of Kentucky author Kim Michele Richardson, you will see the phrase: Books can carry you anywhere, even back home.” It was through a book she’d written, The Unbreakable Child, where I got to know Kim years ago when I was a reporter.
Her story, and her love of writing books, New York Times Bestselling books, has kept me a fan ever since.
Many of her recent books have honored the legacy of Kentucky’s packhorse librarians who delivered books to remote regions in the Appalachian Mountains in the 1930s and ’40s.
Kim is following in those footsteps herself with her latest initiative, Courthouses Reading Across Kentucky & Beyond. She was honored last year by Jefferson County Judicial Judge Susan Schultz Gibson, who named their first Little Free Library after Richardson. Richardson had donated books to their bookcase that sat empty.
Detail of page A1 of the June 29, 2024, issue of the Hopkins County newspaper the Messenger.
Free Little Library at the Hopkins Family Court in Madisonville, Hopkins County, Kentucky, August 18, 2024. Credit: Kim Michele Richardson.
Little Free Library book drop-off in Gary, Indiana, August 19, 2024. Credit: Frazier History Museum.
That started a movement among Richardson’s readers who wanted to send books; so did bookstore owners, teachers, and on and on. And for Richardson, not just books, but seed money to help these Little Free Libraries grow in courthouses across our state, and now into Indiana, too.
Courthouses in Lexington, Williamstown, Morgantown, Salyersville, Maysville, Shelbyville, and beyond now have books as part of the Little Free Libraries.
As Kim says, it’s her way of helping the struggling and disadvantaged folks who pass through those intimidating courthouse doors.
You have to understand that this initiative is very personal for Richardson. As she told me, her life began in that old courthouse where she was taken and placed in an orphanage as an infant, and spent the first ten years of her life.
So as Kim says, it’s humbling to see this movement taking hold, and taking off, and to see her name on the Little Free Library in Jefferson County.
A way to honor Kim, a way to honor the legacy of the packhorse librarians, who believed that books can carry you anywhere, even back home.
Rachel Platt
VP of Mission
