Kentucky Trivia ● Kentucky Tweets

December 29, 1776, the Mingo attacked McClelland’s Fort in Georgetown (roughly 30-50 men) led by Chief Pluggy, who died.  John McClelland and Charles White also died.  Locals abandoned McClelland’s Fort (Royal Spring), and the men returned to Harrodsburg.  That left two remaining forts in Kentucky, St. Asaph (Stanford) and Boonesborough.  The Squire’ Sketches of Lexington by J. Winston Coleman, Jr.; pg: 15

Localtonians wish a Happy Anniversary to Governor James F. Robinson and Susan Mansell of Georgetown, who married in 1821.  It would be the governor’s 1^st of three wives.  Mansell and Robinson had two children, a son and a daughter before Mansell died in 1835.

December 29, 1838, two Kentuckians, Alexander Keith McClung and John Menifee, dueled five miles from Vicksburg, MS.  They used rifles at 20 paces.  On the 1^st fire, Menifee got shot through the forehead, and McClung escaped injury.  A dispute over disciplining a child fueled the argument.  Famous Kentucky Duels by J. Winston Coleman, Jr.; pg: 141

December 29, 1848, the 1^st newspaper published west of the Allegheny Mountains, and also in Kentucky, ceased publication after 61 years.  A territory of Virginia, Kentuckians pioneers found their issues were neither highly regarded or understood by papers hundreds of miles away in cities such as Richmond, Baltimore or Philadelphia.  Around August 11, 1787 when the 1^st edition came out, Lexington was a small but growing town of 300 settlers living in just over 40 log cabins.

December 29, 1865, Patrolman Thomas J. McFadden, Louisville Police Department, died when he and other officers investigated gunfire sounds along Fourth Street near the Ohio River levee.  The officers encountered two soldiers in the area carrying rifles with fixed bayonets.  At least one of the soldiers opened fire on the officers and Patrolman McFadden was fatally wounded.

Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Willard native Governor William J. Fields, born in 1874 in Carter County.  Known as “Honest Bill from Olive Hill,” he represented Kentucky’s 9^th District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1911 to 1923, resigning to become the state’s 41^st governor and the 38^th individual to hold the office.

December 29, 1882, Town Marshal William R. Cruger, Princeton Police Department, died after arresting a man for being drunk and disorderly.  As the two men walked up a set of stairs from the street to Marshal Cruger’s office, the prisoner produced a gun, spun around, and shot Marshal Cruger in the head.

Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Ashland native Clyde Lee McCoy, born in 1903.  Clyde was a jazz trumpeter whose popularity spanned seven decades.  He also co-founded Down Beat magazine in 1935.

On December 29, 1917, Deputy Sheriff Robert B. Eversole, Laurel County Sheriff’s Department, died serving a property levy when he went to the home of a suspect to collect a fine.  When the suspect refused to pay the fine, Deputy Eversole informed him that his property would have to be levied to cover the fine and went to the suspect’s mill to hang a notice.  The suspect followed Deputy Eversole with a rifle, and shot him.

Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Winchester native Claude Howard Sullivan, born in 1924.  Mr. Sullivan did Kentucky play-by-play broadcasts for football and basketball games for nearly 20 years for the Lexington radio station WVLK.

December 29, 1950, Jefferson County Judge Shamburger banned all gambling in the county outside the city “because of the ridiculous incident at the Skyline Club.”  Police arrested a Skyline patron for vagrancy and breach of peace when the proprietor would not pay out his winnings.

December 29, 1967, Army CPL Robert O. Graham from Louisville and Army CPL Clifton Henson from Liberty died in the Vietnam War.

December 29, 1968, Whitesville native David Paul Nash passed away in Vietnam.  David was a U.S. Army soldier and a recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor.

December 29, 1968, Army SGT James A. Buckley from Coal Run in Pike County died in the Vietnam War.

December 29, 1970, the Highway Department announced that Kentucky toll booth employees would be on the outlook for drunk drivers and would report them to the State Police.

Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Augusta native Heather Renee French Henry, born in 1974.  Heather won the 2000 Miss. America Pageant, the same year she married Kentucky Lieutenant Governor Steve Henry, 21 years her senior, in Louisville.

December 29, 1984, Jerry Claiborne’s Cats returned to the Hall of Fame Classic Bowl in Birmingham, AL, for the 2^nd consecutive year, this time beating Wisconsin 20-19 in front of 47,300 spectators.  Kentucky running back Mark Logan earned MVP honors.

On December 29, 1986, more than 19,000 fans filled Freedom Hall for a Kentucky practice to usher in the era of school-boy legend Rex Chapman.  The Cats would lose their December 30 game to Georgia in Louisville.

December 29, 1990, #18 Kentucky traveled to Louisville to square off against the Cardinals, Kentucky won 93 to 85.  Sean Woods (UK) and LaBradford Smith (UofL) earned high scoring honors.

On December 29, 1999, favored by three points, Hal Mumme’s Cats lost to Syracuse in the Music City Bowl 13-20 in Nashville with 59,221 fans in the stands.  UK Quarterback Dusty Bonner gave it his all.

December 29, 2006, Coach Rich Brooks got a Gatorade bath after the Cats defeated Clemson, 28-20, in the Music City Bowl at LP Field in Nashville.  A Music City Bowl record 68,024 fans witnessed UK’s 1^st bowl victory in 22 years thanks to MVP Andre Woodson’s 299 yards passing and three touchdowns.  UK would make another trip to the Music City Bowl the following year, beating Florida State, 35-28 and break another attendance record.

December 29, 2013, the University of Kentucky announced their research on microbes from coal mines to help fight disease.  Jon Thorson, head of UK’s Center of Pharmaceutical Research and Innovation, stated the microbes have to work harder to survive underground; they are more competitive, meaning they may be a reliable tool to help fight disease.

December 29, 2017, David Padgett’s Cardinals traveled to Lexington to play Calipari’s 16^th-ranked Cats and lost by 29.  High scorering honors went to Deng Adel (UL) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (UK).

On December 29, 2017, Kentucky lost to Northwestern by one point in the Music City Bowl.  Sophomore Benny Snell Jr., who came in leading the SEC in rushing TDs, capped the game’s opening drive with a 3-yard TD that was his 19^th of the season and 32^nd of his career.  Both teams lost key players in a wild second quarter.  The Wildcats lost Snell at 13:01 after an ejection for contact with referee Chris Coyte.  Snell had just lost seven yards on the run, and Coyte appeared to be trying to give Snell a hand up; apparently, Snell pushed his hands away.  The referee threw the flag immediately.

December 29, 2018, #16 Kentucky, with Coach Cal at the helm, traveled west on I-64 to KFC Yum! Center to play Chris Mack’s Cardinals.  The road trip must have been fun.  Cats rolled 71-58: high scoring honors went to Tyler Herro (UK) and Christen Cunningham (UL).

December 29, 2019, two teenagers commit Lexington’s 29^th homicide, breaking the city’s record for most murders in one year.

December 29, 2021, Governor A. Beshear stated that Kentucky was in a 4^th coronavirus surge and tweeted, “Folks, it’s clear Kentucky is now in a surge from omicron; this is the most contagious variant we’ve seen.”   Meanwhile, Lexington broke its daily coronavirus record for the number of positive tests as people lined up at Commonwealth Stadium to get tested.