February 9, 1837, Kentucky created Trimble County from Henry County, Oldham County, and Gallatin County and named it in honor of Robert Trimble, Associate Supreme Court Justice. Bedford is the county seat. Other localities are Locust, Milton, and Wise’s Landing. Trimble County was the 86th county created and covers 156 square miles.
By David Benbennick
February 9, 1838, Kentucky created Carroll County from Gallatin County, Henry County, and Trimble County and named it in honor of Charles Carroll, last living signer of the Declaration of Independence. Carrollton is the county seat. Other localities include English, Ghent, Prestonville, Sanders, and Worthville. The 87th county created, Carroll County covers 137 square miles.
By David Benbennick
February 9, 1838, Kentucky created Carter County from Greenup County and Lawrence County and named it in honor of William Grayson Carter, Kentucky State Senator. Grayson is the county seat. Other localities include Olive Hill, Access, Beech Grove, Beetle, Boone Furnace, Carter, Davy Run, Denton, Grahn, Hitchins, Mount Savage, Norton Branch, Rooney, Rush, (part) Smiths Creek, Soldier, Straight Creek, and Willard. Carter County, the 88th county created, covers 412 square miles.
By David Benbennick
February 9, 1846, the Louisville Theatre opened . They built on the same site the City Theatre used, before fire razed it in 1843. It Happened Today In Kentucky History by Robert A. Powell pg: 15
February 9, 1894, eight men organized The Jockey Club in NYC, including two men who owned Kentucky farms – August Belmont Jr. and James R. Keene . The organization shoulders many responsibilities related to horse racing, including maintaining the American Stud Book, the registry for all Thoroughbreds. The club’s offices remain in Lexington and New York City.
February 9, 1904, Kentucky created the 1st county in the 20th Century with Beckham County from Carter, Lewis, and Elliott Counties , Olive Hill would have been the county seat. The 120th county existed for only 80 days before being dissolved by the Kentucky Court of Appeals.
February 9, 1917, Kentucky hosted Tennessee in the Buell Armory Gymnasium and lost 23-20. They would lay each other the following night as well. Five Wildcats would score for Coach Tuttle.
February 9, 1920, a large lynch mob attempted to seize Will Lockett from a Lexington jail five days after he murdered a child . Governor Morrow called out state troops who used guns to quiet the crowd. Six people died, and scores received injuries. Regular U.S. Army troops also came to preserve order. The national press reported the story because the U.S. sent troops south of the Mason-Dixon line for the 1st time to disperse a “lynch mob.” The day after the trial, Lockett and four hundred soldiers escort him from Lexington’s Union Station to Eddyville, where he died by electrocution days later.
Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Athens native Jane Gentry Vance , born in 1941. Awards and Recognitions : Inducted into the Kentucky Writers Hall of Fame, 2019, Thomas D. Clark Medallion recipient for the New and Collected Poems of Jane Gentry, 2017. Hollins University Distinguished Alumnae Award, 2013, Inducted into UK’s College of Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame, 2013, Served as Poet Laureate of Kentucky, 2007-2008, many others.
February 9, 1953, Army PVT James S. Walker from Perry County died in the Korean War.
February 9, 1957, the colt Round Table caused one of the most memorable sales in thoroughbred history . Shortly before the 5th race at Hialeah, with a handshake, A.B. “Bull” Hancock Jr. sold Round Table to Oklahoma Oilman Travis M. Kerr for $175,000, a bargain for Kerr, but Bull kept 20% interest as a stallion. Racelens by Philip von Borries
February 9, 1965, Army PFC John W. Malapelli from Burlington in Boone County died in the Vietnam War.
February 9, 1966, Marine Corps CPL Robert K. Lovelace from Taylor Mill in Kenton County died in the Vietnam War.
On February 9, 1967, Loretta Lyn released “Don’t Come Home A-Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ on Your Mind) “ . It was Loretta’s 1st #1 country hit. It would also be the 1st time a woman wrote her #1 hit.
February 9, 1968, Army CPL David E. Littleton from Olive Hill in Carter County died in the Vietnam War.
February 9, 1969, Army SGT Jerry D. Jones from Lexington and Army SP4 Joe E. Hester from Mayfield in Graves County , died in the Vietnam War.
February 9, 1979, Winchester native John Orley Allen Tate, known professionally as Allen Tate, passed on . Described as a poet, essayist, and social commentator, he served as the U.S. Poet Laureate in Poetry from 1943 to 1944.
February 9, 1980, Coco and Coconut, also known as Michael Polakovs and his son David, performed with the Kosair Shrine Circus at Louisville Gardens. The Polakovs lived in Catlettsburg.
February 9, 1981, UK students took Governor John Y. Brown, Jr. to court and accused him of usurping power . They didn’t like Mama Bell raising student telephone rates by over one-third. Governor Brown created a new Public Service Commission, and the students claimed foul.
February 9, 2009, Army SGT Joshua A. Ward, 30, of Scottsville , died in Iraq fighting in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
February 9, 2010, Army SGT Adam J. Ray, 23, of Louisville , died in Afghanistan fighting in Operation Enduring Freedom.
February 9, 2013, Maker’s Mark sent a mass email announcing a plan to reduce the whiskey’s alcohol strength, citing supply issues . Going from 90 U.S. proof to 84 U.S. proof would have stretched inventory by about 6%. Eight days later, executives reconsidered its decision after a strong adverse reaction from customers.
February 9, 2017, Harper’s Country Hams in Clinton caught fire. It took 55 years for the company to become one of the nation’s leading cured ham producers and in a few hours a fire destroyed the family business.
February 9, 2019, all five entries in Santa Anita’s GII $200,000 Las Virgenes Stakes for three-year-old fillies were Keeneland graduates . The winner was a Kentucky bred.
February 9, 2020, the legacy media began discussing a new, unnamed virus in China that killed 891 people , more than the 2002-03 SARS virus. While two Americans died fighting in Afghanistan, Melisa Ethridge made a surprise visit to a small Lexington bar and sang a couple of songs.
February 9, 2022, UK A.D. Mitch Barnhart and Coach Cal publicly supported Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) legislation Kentucky was writing in the process of becoming a state law. The bill would pass one month later. Around 250 UK athletes had already inked deals, Donte Allen being the 1st in June 2021.
On February 9, 2023, the Kentucky House of Representatives unanimously voted to impeach Commonwealth Attorney Ronnie Goldy , a suspended elected prosecutor, who reportedly asked for nude photos and videos in exchange for prosecutorial favors. The commonwealth attorney for the 21st Judicial Circuit serving Rowan, Menifee, Bath, and Montgomery counties resigned days later.
