Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Washington native Albert Sidney Johnston, born in 1803. The general fought in three different armies: the Texan Army, the U.S. Army, and the Confederate States Army.
February 2, 1820, Kentucky and Tennessee finally settled a long border dispute after John J. Crittenden encouraged Kentucky to accept Tennessee’s proposal. Thomas Walker incorrectly surveyed a line further south than it should had been.
On February 2, 1833, the General Assembly approved an act “to establish a Medical Institute in the City of Louisville.” A president and a moderator would serve with seven managers. The president and moderator served two-year terms, while the managers would serve one-year terms.
February 2, 1858, Kentucky created Jackson County from Rockcastle County, Owsley County, Madison County, Clay County, Estill County, and Laurel County and named it in honor of Andrew Jackson, U.S. President. McKee is the county seat. Other localities include: Bond, Brazil, Dabolt, Datha, Egypt, Gray Hawk, Hisel, Letterbox, Moores Creek, Sandgap, and Tyner. The 105th county created, Jackson County covers 347 square miles.
By David BenbennickLocaltonians wish a Happy Birthday to Nelson County native Joseph Seamon Cotter Sr., born in 1861. The poet, writer, playwright, and community leader was one of the earliest African-American playwrights to be published. He later became an educator and advocated black education.
By Photograph held by Robert W. WoodruffKentucky Trivia: In 1893, Joseph Cotter founded Louisville’s Paul Laurence Dunbar School, named after his fellow poet and friend. Mr. Cotter served as principal for the African-American high school until 1911 and continued in education until 1942.
February 2, 1876, baseball’s National League formed at the Grand Central Hotel, New York City, creating teams in Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Hartford, Louisville, New York, Philadelphia, and St. Louis.
Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Poor Fork native Rebecca Caudill Ayars, born in 1899 in Harlan County.
February 2, 1925, the 3rd Ford Motor Assembly Plant opened on 22.5 acres in Louisville. This plant made 400 cars a day with 1,000 employees. The Model T died here in 1927. Ford replaced it with the Model A and then the V-8 engine in 1934. The plant changed to a larger location in 1955 after surviving the 1937 flood and a U.S. military takeover during WWII.
Louisville Ford Plant 1927February 2, 1937, the Great Flood of 1937 reached its peak when water levels swelled to 60.8 feet and submerged 94% of Paducah.
February 2, 1938, a banner-waving crowd greeted Governor Happy Chandler at the Frankfort train station on his return trip from Washington. A motorcade, led by the Frankfort High School band and state police, escorted him to the mansion. The governor received callers throughout the day and then addressed the House on his trip to the nation’s capital.
February 2, 1942, Senator D.C. Jones of Harlan County introduced a bill to legalize two state lotteries based on horse races. One would be the Kentucky Derby, the other would race in the fall, possibly called Hospital Derby, for a tuberculosis hospital. Kentucky only taxed Churchill $2,500 a day, Latonia and Keeneland $1,000 a day, and Dade Park in Henderson $500 a day.
On February 2, 1950, floods caused over 10,000 persons to become homeless in Eastern Kentucky in communities along the Kentucky River. Barbourville, Pineville, Williamsburg on the Cumberland, Ashland, Catlettsburg on Upper Ohio, and Frankfort got walloped.
February 2, 1954, the House gave final approval and sent Governor Lawrence W. Wetherby a bill to regulate the coal strip mining industry in Kentucky. It was the 1st of its kind to require miners to make a “reasonable effort” to replace and rehabilitate the land.
February 2, 1960, Loretta Lynn signed her 1st recording contract with Zero. They recorded I’m a Honky Tonk Girl at United Western Recorders in Hollywood, CA. The single later hit #14.
February 2, 1962, Air Force CAPT Fergus C. Groves II from Louisville died in the Vietnam War.
February 2, 1968, Army SP4 Samuel G. Hurry from Covington in Kenton County and Army CPL John L. Jones from Madisonville in Hopkins County, died in the Vietnam War.
February 2, 1969, Army SGT Edmond Q. Wilson, Jr. from Midway died in the Vietnam War.
February 2, 1973, UK continued work on a significant expansion of its King Library just off Rose Street, one of many building projects on campus.
February 2, 1980, the Carter administration wanted Congress to force 141 electric power stations using oil or natural gas to use coal by 1985. The admiration’s proposal gave $6 billion to help pay for the mandatory coal-conversion law.
February 2, 1993, The 100 Best Small Towns in America released their book, and Danville received top honors in Kentucky and ranked #40 for all U.S. cities. Also included were Bardstown #79, Pikeville #85, and Somerset #89. Kentucky and New Hampshire are the only states with four towns in the book.
February 2, 1997, Hazard’s girls won the All “A” Classic small school championship beating Lexington Catholic 53-45 in Richmond. Not since Johnny Cox led Hazard’s boys to the Sweet 16 crown in 1965 had the Bulldog fans basked in glory. Additionally, not since 1930 had the girls won a state title.
February 2, 2004, former Kentucky Governor Louis B. Nunn became the 18th person to lay in state as the Kentucky State Police Honor Guard presented colors in the Capitol Rotunda.
Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Kentucky bred American Pharoah, born at 11 p.m. in 2012 on Tom VanMeter’s Stockplace Farm in Lexington.
February 2, 2013, Kentucky’s Legislative Ethics Commission stated businesses, lobbyists, and organizations spent $16.4 million in 2021 to influence state lawmakers. It shattered the old record for an odd-numbered year where a legislative session only last 30 days. Lawmakers meet for 60 days in even-numbered years.
February 2, 2017, the Kentucky Writers Hall of Fame inducted; Barbara Kingsolver, Gayl Jones, and three deceased writers: Irvin Shrewsbury Cobb, Alfred Bertram Guthrie Jr., and Joseph Seamon Cotter. The Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning in Lexington created the Hall of Fame in 2013 to bring attention to the state’s rich literary heritage.
February 2, 2022, while Kentuckians prepped for a major winter storm, Maple Syrup trended as the Commonwealth’s new cottage industry.
Kentucky Trivia: Kentucky has an estimated 50 million tappable Maple Trees. There are 7 million in Lecher and surrounding counties. The 2023 Kentucky Maple Syrup Day is February 4.
