January 6, 1775, Richard Henderson reorganized the Louisa Company, adding new members and forming the Transylvania Company. Henderson immediately commissioned Daniel Boone to begin land purchase negotiations with the Cherokee Nation. The other eight members included: Thomas Hart, John Williams, William Johnston, Nathaniel Hart, John Luttrell, James Hogg, David Hart, and Lend Henly Bullock.
Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Breckinridge County native Joseph Holt, born in 1807. The 18th U.S. Postmaster General was also the 25th U.S. Secretary of War.
Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Bardstown native Robert Charles Wickliffe, born in 1819, the 15th Louisiana governor. In his inaugural address in Baton Rouge; Governor Wickliffe advocated a united Democratic South to protect state’s rights. He also championed expanding American power to the Caribbean, Mexico, Cuba, and Central America to preserve slavery in the U.S.
Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Frankfort native Hugh Rodman, born in 1859, who served as the Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet from 1919 to 1921.
Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Chloe Creek native Effie Waller Smith, born 1879 in Pike County. An African-American poet of the early twentieth century, she published three volumes of poetry: Songs of the Month (1904), Rhymes From the Cumberland (1904), and Rosemary and Pansies (1909). Her poetry appeared in the publication Harper’s Weekly and various regional newspapers.
January 6, 1906, Town Marshal T. H. Kirby, Scottsville Police Department, died accidentally when his revolver fell from its holster and discharged, striking him in the heart while supervising prisoners working on Main Street.
January 6, 1920, on the 1st day of the General Assembly, Kentucky ratified the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, giving women the right to vote.
Governor Edwin P. Morrow signing the 19th Amendment; the 24th state to ratify the amendment.On January 6, 1930, the world’s largest tobacco market housed 10,000,000 million pounds. Lexington warehousemen estimated that 9 million tons were present and another 1 million tons would arrive on this day. Local tobacco men claimed this weight broke all records since the market began in 1905.
Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Lynn native Donald Edward Gullett, born in 1951 in Greenup County. A member of the Cincinnati Reds dynasty, he won four National League pennants and two World Series championships between 1970 and 1976. As a member of the New York Yankees he also won two consecutive World Series championships in 1977 and 1978.
January 6, 1956, at the Keeneland January Sale, Stavros Niarchos bought Segula, the dam of 1955 Horse of the Year Nashua, for $126,000, a record price for a broodmare sold at a public auction.
January 6, 1964, the owner of the Kansas City A’s, Charlie Finley, signed a two-year deal that would shift the club to Louisville. The deal had the Athletics playing ball at Louisville’s Fairgrounds Stadium. The city and state guaranteed the stadium would undergo a renovation that would raise the seating capacity from 20,100 to 30,632. Other MLB owners would not approve the deal.
January 6, 1969, Army PFC David L. Johnson from Flemingsburg died in the Vietnam War.
On January 6, 1969, Quality native Don J. Jenkins was serving as a private 1st class in Vietnam when he repeatedly exposed himself to hostile fire to engage the enemy. Despite being wounded, he made several trips through intense fire to rescue other wounded soldiers. For these actions he received a promotion and awarded the Medal of Honor in March 1971.
On January 6, 1970, falling snow and plunging temperatures put education on ice in 43 Kentucky counties and slowed Kentucky highways to a standstill. Louisville declared an emergency.
January 6, 1971, the Kentucky Colonels took on the Virginia Squires and won 145 to 137. Louie Dampier ran his free throw streak to 45 and scored 30 points.
January 6, 1976, three women were driving home from dinner on US 27 in Stanford when they saw what they thought was an airplane on fire falling from the sky. But the object stopped on a dime less than 100 feet from the ground beside them and, the women claim, caused the car to accelerate uncontrollably. They could now see what they described as a disc-shaped craft with revolving yellow lights that maneuvered behind them and began pulling their vehicle toward it. A blue light then filled the car, and the next thing the passengers remember was being back on the highway, driving home, but confused and noticeably hot. Residents of nearby counties independently reported the same UFO around the alleged encounter.
January 6, 1980, Governor John Y. Brown and Agriculture Commissioner Alben Barkley II met at Cave Hill, the governor’s Lexington mansion. They discussed their differences in the Agriculture Department’s operations. The two men were at odds on how to promote Kentucky Ag products. Brown claimed Barkley was uncooperative. Barkley claimed Brown was meddling, possibly unlawful, in his department.
Cave HillJanuary 6, 1987, Ira E. Massie, a former UK “tobacco production specialist,” known to many as Mr. Tobacco, died of lung cancer.
On January 6, 1994, Virginia Clinton Kelly passed from breast cancer at age 70. An avid horseracing fan, Virginia twice attended the Kentucky Derby in 1958 in the infield and again in 1993 as Governor B. Jones’s guest on Millionaire’s Row.
January 6, 2000, Randy Kimbrough, a veteran senior budget official for the Kentucky Department of Education, resigned after an investigation revealed misuse of state funds totaling $300,000. During the F.B.I. investigation, they concluded he acted alone.
January 6, 2005, a federal judge ordered Saddlebred Wild-Eye and Wicked to be exhumed after dying under mysterious circumstances. The Kentucky State Police started the investigation. Wild-Eye and Wicked won the Saddlebred industry’s Triple Crown twice.
January 6, 2006, a male who escaped a Kentucky prison and lived on the lamb for 15 years accepted a plea deal to serve 14 more years. He murdered a 10-month-old baby in 1978.
January 6, 2008, the Midway Christian Church re-created an Old-Time Christmas with a Medieval Epiphany feast celebration. They feasted on a locally raised hog instead of a wild boar.
On January 6, 2011, the F.B.I. arrested Jeffrey Alexander Sterling, an American lawyer and former C.I.A. employee. This made the 5th whistleblower case the Obama administration prosecuted. Obama prosecuted eight whistleblowers, more than any other administration.
On January 6, 2015, police pulled over Sen. Brandon Smith in Frankfort on the 1st day of the 2015 legislative session for drunk driving and speeding. A jury later acquitted him for drunk driving, but the speeding charge stuck.
January 6, 2018, a Keeneland graduate won Santa Anita’s GIII $100,000 Sham Stakes for three-year-olds. Meanwhile, Turfway Park canceled their card due to weather.
On December 6, 2022, the legacy media could only focus on the first anniversary of the January 6, 2020, events in Washington, D.C. It may go down in as one of the most divisive events in American history. President J. Biden memorialized the day in a grand speech in 2024.
January 6, 2023, showing more common sense than he did in four years as governor, former Governor Matt Bevin walked out of Kentucky’s Capitol without filing for another run at the office after teasing he may do it on social media the night before.