-
Book Notes – Elkhorn: Evolution of a Kentucky Landscape
Evolution of a Kentucky Landscape. Richard Taylor. (2018. Pp. 298. $35.00. Hardback. University Press of Kentucky: https://www.kentuckypress.com/9780813176017/elkhorn/) ISBN: 978-0-8131-7601-7. “Richard Taylor is professor of English and Kenan Visiting Writer at Transylvania University and former Poet Laureate of Kentucky. Taylor has written numerous books, including Sue Mundy: A Novel of the Civil War, Girty, and Earth Bones.” – Back Cover. Elkhorn: Evolution of a Kentucky Landscape is a book in which Richard Taylor tells of the history of a small section of one of Kentucky’s longest creeks, Elkhorn Creek. Taylor was introduced to the Elkhorn in 1975 when he took a teaching position...
-
History Mystery: The Mule Derby at Renfro Valley
On this, the last day of May in Kentucky, we are closing out Derby month with these two talented ladies on mules. Apparently, they were the winners at a “Mule Derby” held at Renfro Valley in Rockcastle County. Our mystery not only lies with the identity of these two derby winners, but also in the event itself. We understand that Renfro Valley still holds a mule related event each fall known as “Mule Days” – but is a mule derby still part of the tradition – is it connected to the current Mule Days at all? The photos looks to...
-
Book Notes – On a Burning Deck. The Road to Akron & Return to Akron
On a Burning Deck. The Road to Akron. An Oral History of the Great Migration vol. 1. & On a Burning Deck: Return to Akron. By Tom Jones. (2017. Pp. 298. $18.95. Paperback. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform: http://www.onaburningdeck.com/) ISBN: 978-1-5440-2537-7 & 978-1545565766. Akron, Ohio native Tom Jones presents a fascinating story of the early twentieth century Great Migration in his book On a Burning Deck. The Road to Akron. An Oral History of the Great Migration vol. 1. Jones asserts that of the hundreds of thousands of people who made the trek from Appalachia in order to work in the rubber...
-
Book Notes – Before Abolition: African-Americans in early Clark County, Kentucky
Before Abolition: African-Americans in early Clark County, Kentucky. By Lyndon Comstock. (2017. Pp. 812. $26.95. Paperback. Lexington: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.) ISBN: 978-1-9740-9411-0. The rising interest in genealogy can’t be understated. It’s the second most popular hobby in the United States, the second most visited type of website, and is the subject of countless television shows, books, blogs, and web-series. There is a wealth of resources available for both novice and professional aficionados, but African-Americans face unique problems when researching their genealogies, ones which stem from gaps in history, whether hidden from or lost to those who seek to find...
