On March 3, 1783, Harrodsburg held its 1st court session months after Virginia law created the Kentucky District Court in 1782. Soon after, the court traveled to several stations around Kentucky before meeting in Danville on March 14, 1785.
On March 3, 1807, Thomas Todd served his last day as Chief Justice of the Kentucky Court of Appeals . His new job started the next day as an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.
On March 3, 1820, Lexington’s historical Postlethwaite Traven burned for the 1st time . Capt. John Postlethwaite started the establishment, then it shifted to Joshua Wilson, then to Sanford Keene when the fire occurred. Capt. John Postlethwaite took over operations after the fire until he died in 1833. It burned for the 2nd time in 1879 and then rebuilt as The Phoenix Hotel. History Of Fayette County, Kentucky Edited By William Henry Perrin; pg: 281.
March 3, 1837, the federal government announced that Louisville would receive a U.S. Marine Hospital , one of seven such wards built along the Mississippi River.
March 3, 1842, Kentucky created Letcher County from Perry County and Harlan County, named it in honor of Robert P. Letcher, Kentucky’s 15th governor. The county seat is Whitesburg. Other localities include Blackey, Fleming-Neon, Jenkins, Mayking, McRoberts, Millstone, Payne Gap, Beefhide, (partial) Burdine, Deane, Dunham, Eolia, Ermine, Gaskill, Gilley, Hemphill, Isom, Jeremiah, Letcher, and Seco. Letcher County, the 93rd county created, covers 339 square miles.
March 3, 1863, John J. Crittenden served his last day as Kentucky’s U.S. Senator . He died three months later. Crittenden served as a U.S. representative, U.S. senator, Kentucky governor, Kentucky secretary of state, and U.S. attorney general.
March 3, 1876, “flakes of meat” fell from the sky around Mrs. Allen Crouch as she made soap in her Bath County garden. An art professor at Transylvania University, Kurt Gohde, studied the story and uncovered many theories but no definite answers.
On Saturday, March 3, 1877, Rutherford Birchard Hayes became the 19th President . Since March 4, 1877, fell on a Sunday, Chief Justice Waite swore Hayes into office inside the White House Red Room on March 3, becoming the 1st president to take the presidential oath of office in the Executive Mansion.
March 3, 1908, State University, Lexington (UK) hosted and defeated Georgetown College 18-13 in the State College Gymnasium. Early in the second half the Cadet lads took the lead and held their opponents down during the remainder of the contest . Kentucky had an unknown coach.
March 3, 1911, State University, Lexington (UK) ended their season by hosting and defeating Transylvania University in the Buell Armory Gymnasium . More than 500 watched the 3rd game of a new rivalry. Kentucky Coach Harold J. Iddings’s high scorer was Louisville native Frank Marx.
March 3, 1914, State University, Lexington (UK) played Louisville on the Tharp University campus and won 26-13. Alpha Brumage coached Kentucky and the Louisville players coached themselves.
March 3, 1917, the Vols defeated the University of Kentucky (UK) 30-20 in the Knoxville Central Y.M.C.A. At no stage of the game were the Wildcats ever dangerous and their playing did not come up to the contest on Friday night when they held the U.T.
March 3, 1932, thousands of anti-tax store owners rallied in the rain on the Capitol lawn . Then they raided the governor’s mansion, scaring the staff, trashing the floors, and slightly damaging some furnishings. The invasion made headlines across the states.
March 3, 1933, Chief of Police Orville Gross, Wallins Creek Police Department , succumbed to a gunshot wound sustained the previous day while investigating a domestic disturbance.
March 3, 1944, the Germans shot down Mt. Victory native Vermont Garrison and took him prisoner . The Russians liberated him on May 1, 1945, and he remained in Europe as part of the Army of Occupation until 1946. He was one of only seven men to become an ACE in both World War II and Korea.
March 3, 1967, Army PFC Ronald L. Mikesell from Louisville died in the Vietnam War.
March 3, 1969, Army SGT William O. Walters from Melber in McCracken County died in the Vietnam War.
Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Beaver Dam native Jason Crabb , born in 1977. Jason is the frontman for The Crabb Family Christian music group.
Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Winchester native Yeremiah Bell , born in 1978. After playing football for EKU from 1999-2001 and several NFL teams, Yeremiah retired in 2014.
March 3, 1980, Governor John Y. Brown, Jr. appointed Phyllis George Brown full-time chairman of the newly created Kentucky Film Commission. The 1st Lady promoted film making in Kentucky without pay.
March 3, 1985, Bill Shoemaker became the 1st jockey whose mounts surpassed $100 million in career earnings . Shoemaker, 53, went into the day needing $82,977 to top $100 million. He rode Lord at War to a one-and-three-quarters-length victory in the $500,600 Santa Anita Handicap before a record crowd at Santa Anita Park.
On March 3, 1992, a state senator said, By God….I need a little Gubstake , one of many quotes from BOBTROT . He allegedly conspired with others in the Capital to get what he considered an overdue payoff for helping pass the 1984 banking legislation.
March 3, 2001, Denny Crum coached his last regular season game at home . The win came against the Memphis Tigers, coached by John Calipari in Freedom Hall.
March 3, 2011, Governor Steve Beshear’s Communications Office released a press statement headed, “Beshear signs landmark corrections reform bill into law .” The bill decriminalized the personal use of marijuana, up to eight ounces, reducing it to a minor offense.
On March 3, 2014, Danville native Craig Yeast became the head football coach at Fremont Ross High School in Fremont, Ohio.
March 3, 2015, the Kentucky Natural Lands Trust started a new fundraiser to buy 9,000 acres in four counties . High on the list was 1,200 acres in Harlan County, home to the largest tract of old-growth forest in the Commonwealth.
March 3, 2018, Gulfstream Park’s GII $400,000 Fountain of Youth Stakes finished with Keeneland graduates placing 1st , 2nd , 3rd , 4th , 5th , and 6th .
March 3, 2020, Kentucky officials prepared for the coronavirus and began discussing if entertainment and other venues should remain open and or limited. A mask or two were spotted at the UK basketball game. The U.S. death toll stood at nine. Washington, D.C. told America, “The average American doesn’t need to go out and buy a mask.” Meanwhile, a Kentucky legislative committee approved a bill to establish the Kentucky Center for Cannabis Research at UK to advance cannabis for medical treatment.
March 3, 2021, Kentucky continued seeing declining infections for the prevalent flu strain . Governor A. Beshear said, “Let’s remember as we work defeating this virus, we can’t quit,” reiterating the importance of maintaining a state-wide mask mandate and rules limiting in-person interactions. Meanwhile, a Franklin County judge blocked three new Kentucky laws that limited the governor’s emergency executive powers.
On March 3, 2022, the Georgia General Assembly moved forward on a horse racing bill; local media covered it well . The proponents showed models of new horse racing tracks in Georgia and discussed the possibility of $1.3 billion for new state revenue.
On March 3, 2023, an EF-2 tornado ripped through southern McCracken County , which was as broad as two football fields with winds reaching 125 m.p.h. When Governor A. Beshear arrived on the scene, he called it a miracle no one got hurt after damaging 68 homes. Over 207,000 Kentuckians went to bed without electricity.
