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  1. The Nathan Hawkins “Mansion”: A Stone House in the Kentucky Territory of Virginia, 1790

    The Nathan Hawkins “Mansion”: A Stone House in the Kentucky Territory of Virginia, 1790

    By: Dr. Gay Sweely The house itself was … peeking stoically out from behind two overgrown oak trees …. It was a timeworn stone structure … with an addition thoughtlessly tacked on the back. That part was painted a dingy white … Indeed, the house hadn’t been lived in …...

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  2. Lexington Reminiscences of Burton Milward Sr.

    Lexington Reminiscences of Burton Milward Sr.

    Editor’s note: The following reminiscences represent an excerpt from the larger edition that resides in the Martin F. Schmidt Research Library. To review the full 34 pages, please visit the library or contact us to access a complete copy. Introduction by Burton Milward Jr.             Lewis William Burton Milward was...

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  3. The Letters of Frances Pope: “Bad speler…and too old to lern to do better”

    The Letters of Frances Pope: “Bad speler…and too old to lern to do better”

    By: Rogers Bardé Frances Watkins Walton was the third wife of John Pope. The couple married in 1820 and are buried side by side in the Cemetery Hill Cemetery in Springfield, Washington County, Kentucky. John Pope was a substantial citizen of Kentucky.  He served in both Houses of the Kentucky Legislature,...

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  4. 2020 Kentucky Ancestors Town Hall – New TV Show + Call for Family Mysteries!

    2020 Kentucky Ancestors Town Hall – New TV Show + Call for Family Mysteries!

    Thanks to everyone who came out this past October for another wonderful Kentucky Ancestors Town Hall! The third year of this amazing event brought an announcement we had all been hoping for – Our previous years’ episodes got picked up by KET (Kentucky Educational Television) and will air in 2020 on the...

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  5. The Sour Mash Whiskey Recipe of Catherine Carpenter

    The Sour Mash Whiskey Recipe of Catherine Carpenter

    By: Cheri Daniels, KAO Editor/KHS Head of Reference Services & Deana Thomas, KHS Archivist In 1995, the Carpenter Family Papers were donated to the Kentucky Historical Society (KHS). The scope of the collection runs from 1788 to 1928, and includes documents from several members of this family as well as...

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  6. Elmer Beville’s War (Part 2)

    Elmer Beville’s War (Part 2)

    By: David Baker Editor’s Note: This article, along with Part 1 published earlier in November 2018, showcase two different approaches to incorporating primary sources into family history writing. Part 1 provided examples of how one can fact check a letter or diary to better understand what the original writer was describing....

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  7. Elmer Beville’s War (Part 1)

    Elmer Beville’s War (Part 1)

    By: David Baker Editor’s Note: This article, along with Part 2 to be published later in November 2018, showcases two different approaches to incorporating primary sources into family history writing. Part 1 will provide examples of how one can fact check a letter or diary to better understand what the...

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  8. Marquis de Lafayette: “The Friend of Liberty” and the Paradox of Slavery

    Marquis de Lafayette: “The Friend of Liberty” and the Paradox of Slavery

    By: Michelle Williams, KHS Intern In May of 1825, by invitation of Governor Joseph Desha, Kentucky welcomed its most prominent guest – Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roche Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, known mononymously in the United States as simply Lafayette.  Lafayette was the French hero of the American Revolution,...

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