A Little Kentucky Trivia

September 27, 1808, the Kentucky Abolition Society held their 1^st meeting.  The society of predominantly Baptist churches opposed the existence of slavery and sought to end the “moral evil.”
Kentucky Encyclopedia edited by John E. Kleber; pg: 489

September 27, 1853, thirty-two slaves from Mason and Bracken Counties, nine from Campbell County, and fourteen from Boone County, crossed the Ohio River to freedom.
History of Kentucky, Volume 1 By Lewis Collins; pg: 1,853

September 27, 1886, Charles Henry Parrish became the pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Louisville and served at Cavalry until his death in 1931.

September 27, 1892, the 1^st Eclipse Baseball Park in Louisville caught fire.  The team built seats and a new fence within 48 hours so that the scheduled games would not be interrupted.

September 27, 1894, Aqueduct Racetrack opened on the property that belonged to the old Brooklyn Water Works.  The property brought water to New York City from the vast Hempstead Plain.  Also known as the “Big A,” Aqueduct is the only racetrack in New York City, occupying 210 acres in the borough of Queens.  It is located just eight miles from its sister track Belmont Park.  Another Aqueduct neighbor is John F. Kennedy International Airport.  Through the years, the Big A has been the scene of racing’s landmark events, including the only triple dead heat in stakes history.

Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Louisville native William Conrad, born in 1920.  Mr. Conrad was a WW II fighter pilot, actor, producer, and director whose career spanned five decades in radio, film, and television.  His career peaked in popularity when he starred in the detective series Cannon (1971–1976).

September 27, 1950, 20-year-old Army PFC Robert C. Martin from McCracken County died fighting in the Korean War.

September 27, 1952, 21-year-old Army PFC Jennings French from Madison County died fighting in the Korean War.

September 27, 1965, 29-year-old Army SSG James Elmer Pruitt from Heiner, in Perry County, died fighting in the Vietnam War.

September 27, 1968, 20-year-old Army PFC Luther Clark Berryman from Paris died fighting in the Vietnam War.

September 27, 1969, Kentucky hosted the 8^th ranked Ole Miss Rebels and beat them by one point 10-9.  The victory came in the 1^st year as head Coach for John Ray.  In four years, Ray went 10-33.  His biggest win came on this night when he beat Archie Manning.

September 27, 1980, Genuine Risk, the 2^nd filly to win the Kentucky Derby, Misty Gallore, and It’s in the Air, battle in Belmont Park’s Ruffian Stakes.

On September 27, 1982, the Kentucky New Era reported that the Maxey Flat disposal would close due to “radioactive leakage.”  Although no immediate health hazard was reported, “the potential [was] still there.”  State Natural Resources confirmed that radioactive material had escaped burial trenches and leaked beyond the borders of the 250-acre site.  The Maxey Flat Low-Level Radioactive Waste (LLRW) facility is a Superfund site in Hillsboro, Fleming County which served as a dumpsite for 832 government agencies and corporations until 1977.

September 27, 1987, Perry A. Clark and a friend got shot while canoeing on the South Fork of the Kentucky River, just inside Owsley County at the Clay County line.  The area is 11 miles south of Booneville in Owsley County off of KY 11, near Bishop Bend Road.  The ambush came from unknown assailant(s) from the bank of the river.  Mr. Clark died at the scene.  The other victim escaped and survived his injuries.  The State Police request help resolving this murder.

September 27, 1991, Kentucky State University’s Board of Regents quietly asked Dr. John Wolfe, the newly elected President to step down.  They then cancelled his upcoming inauguration festivities.

September 27, 2005, Lynndie Rana England from Ashland received three years in prison and a dishonorably discharge from the Army for her involvement in the Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse scandal.  She was one of eleven military personnel convicted in 2005 by Army courts for mistreating detainees and other crimes connected with the tortures.

September 27, 2006, Constable Elmer Kiser, Carter County Constable’s Office, succumbed to wounds sustained one week earlier when he was assaulted by a reckless driver whom he was following.

On September 27, 2008, Kentucky and Western Kentucky met for the 1^st time in football.  In Lexington, the home team won 41-3.

September 27, 2013, Ft. Knox’s Human Resources Command released a memo stating that the Army had paid out $16 million over a 2 ½ year period to service members who were deserters.  This was the 2^nd time since 2006 the Army made this mistake.  The reason; commanders failed to do paperwork promptly.

September 27, 2014, a Kentucky bred won Belmont Park’s GI $1,000,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes for three-year-olds and upward.

On September 27, 2019, while Harlan miners ended their railroad blockade and Governor M. Bevin removed a judge from office whom he didn’t like, London hosted the 30^th annual World Chicken Festival with Colonel Sanders look-a-likes roaming the streets.  Seems like the governor should have gotten the miner’s money for them; and he wants to be governor again.

September 27, 2020, military suicides increased by as much as 20% compared to the same period in 2019, and some incidents of violent behavior spiked as service members struggled under coronavirus lockdowns, war-zone deployments, national disasters, and civil unrest.

Positives:  456 / 66,491
Deaths:  3 / 1,157 – 1^st death 3/16/20
50&over:  1,126 / 49-30: 30 / 29&under: 1

September 27, 2021, Ford Motor Co. announced a $5.8 billion plan to build twin battery manufacturing plants in Hardin County to create 5,000 full-time jobs.