March 7, 1777, “the Natives attempted to cut off from the Fort a small party of men – a skirmish ensued. We had four men wounded and some cattle killed. We killed and scalped one Indian and wounded several,
March 7, 1807, Deputy Sheriff John A. Gooch, Livingston County Sheriff’s Department , died from a gunshot by a drunk man who was never apprehended; however, locals did convict the shooter’s brother of manslaughter.
March 7, 1825, Henry Clay became the 9th Secretary of State for President J.Q. Adams until March 3, 1829.
March 7, 1846, a sniper with a high-powered rifle shot John U. Waring from the roof of a main street building as he walked downtown Versailles. Locals called John “the number one bad man of Union County.” His brother Francis died in an infamous Kentucky duel. Famous Kentucky Duels by J. Winston Coleman, Jr. pg 63.
On March 7, 1853, Bardstown native James Guthrie became the 21st U.S. Secretary of the Treasury for four years under two presidents, Franklin Pierce (14) and James Buchanan (15).
March 7, 1862, Woodford County native William Perkins Black fought bravely in the Civil War Battle of Pea Ridge in Arkansas and for his actions, he received the Medal of Honor in 1893.
Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Louisville native Nellie Crawford, born in 1873, known as Madame Sul-Te-Wan on stage, in film, and on television.
March 7, 1882, the Howard-Turner Feud “began to start” in Harlan County when Wix Howard killed Bob Turner, son of Democratic county chairman George B. Turner. The shooting occurred one day after a poker pot dispute. They Say in Harlan County: An Oral History by Alessandro Portelli; pg: 59
Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Bloomfield (Nelson County) native Stith Thompson, born in 1885. The Motif-Index of Folk-Literature is a six-volume catalogue of motifs, granular elements of folklore, composed by Stith. Often referred to as Thompson’s motif-index, the catalogue has been extensively used in folklore studies, where folklorists commonly use it in tandem with the Aarne–Thompson–Uther Index (ATU), for folktale studies.
March 7, 1893, Kenton County native John Griffin Carlisle became the 41st Secretary of the Treasury . President Cleveland appointed him in 1892, at the beginning of the President’s 2nd term. Unfortunately, the Panic of 1893 marred Carlisle’s tenure as Secretary and ended his political career. The once-popular Carlisle became so disliked that he had to leave the stage in the middle of a speech in his hometown due to a barrage of rotten eggs. John moved to New York City and died there at 75 but came home to rest at Covington’s Linden Grove Cemetery.
March 7, 1908, State University, Lexington (UK) played Central University (Centre) in the state championship game . Central crushed State 29-10 in the Danville Rink in front of the largest crowd to ever witness a basketball game in Danville.
March 7, 1923, Town Marshal Otis Garnett Thornton, Taylorsville Police Department , succumbed to gunshot wounds sustained two days earlier while escorting a prisoner to jail. On their way, they passed the man’s home; he broke free from the officers and ran inside. He emerged from his home with a shotgun and shot Marshal Thornton.
On March 7, 1924, Angela Millville announced the Louisville postal employees would open Kentucky’s 2nd Credit Union . The 1st one belonged to the Berea college students.
On March 7, 1935, the Harlan County Sherriff appointed 235 deputies, leaving 182 on active duty after many resignations . The announcement occurred on the 2nd day of Governor R. Laffoon’s commission investigating disputes between the United Mine Workers and Harlan County coal operators.
March 7, 1940, by a 70-8 vote, the House passed a bill to regulate tobacco warehouse sales after eliminating a requirement that said they had to open on the 3rd Monday in November. The bill required warehouses to be licensed and bonded.
March 7, 1946, Lexington attorney and former state Sen. Rodman W. Keenon honored Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant, Coach Adolph Rupp, and the Kentucky General Assembly members at a Lafayette Hotel dinner. Mr. Keenon urged the state legislature to assist UK’s new athletics program. (click for pic)
March 7, 1951, Army CPL James N. Ramey from Lyon County died in the Korean War.
March 7, 1952, Army PFC Herbert King from Perry County died in the Korean War.
March 7, 1953, Army CPL Raymond L. Hatfield from Harlan County died in the Korean War.
On Sunday, March 7, 1965, the 1st of three non-violent marches from Selma to Montgomery began. The 600 marchers were protesting discrimination when police, state troopers, and a vigilante group attacked the American citizens with clubs, tear gas, and bullwhips. National television captured the violence where hundreds of non-violent protesters received injuries, and many went to hospitals. “Bloody Sunday” galvanized voting rights forces, which spurred the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
March 7, 1968, Marine Corps George E. Sweatt from Bowling Green in Warren County died in the Vietnam War.
March 7, 1971, although Kentucky law prohibited Sunday sales of alcohol, restaurants in Kenton and Campbell Counties did it openly and successfully .
March 7, 1973, the U.S. announced that only 8,000 GIs remained in Vietnam . The height of the war saw 500,000 Americans overseas. The war ended in April 1975.
On March 7, 1974, the Federal Energy Office announced that Kentucky would receive 125.7 million gallons of gasoline for March, 11.3 million more than in February. Many locals were not pleased.
March 7, 1975, the state court of appeals voted unanimously to permit a 1974 law requiring the surface owner’s consent for strip-mining to remain in effect . At issue was a law that legislators passed to help end the abuses of the infamous Broad Form Deed Statue.
March 7, 1980, Coal Miner’s Daughter debuted
March 7, 1985, ex-governor Julian Carroll stated he was not embarrassed when a jury convicted his cabinet secretary of conspiracy and mail fraud; however, he felt the federal prosecutors should be.
On March 7, 1992, Cawood Ledford, the “Voice of the Wildcats,” took the spotlight at midcourt along with his wife, Frances, after he called his last game at Rupp Arena. Ledford called UK football and basketball games for 39 years. He spoke only briefly, “It’s a sad time for Frances and for me, but you fans have made it really a special and short 39 years, and I’ll always love you, and God bless you.” The Unforgettables defeated TN 99-88. (click for pic)
On March 7, 1999, capping a difficult week that included bankruptcy and a last-minute reprieve, J. Peterman, founder and chief executive officer, left the company he started and named.
March 7, 2004, police charged two Lexington men, a medical salesman and a UK senior, with trafficking in muscle-building steroids in a case that used search warrants from both coasts. In 1991, steroids became illegal.
March 7, 2011, the average price for a gallon of gasoline in Kentucky stood at $3.46 per gallon.
The Wildcats ended their regular season on March 7, 2015, by beating Florida 67-50. This team tied the 2012 Championship team (38-2) for the most wins in men’s Division I history. The Cats ended the regular season 31-0, followed by their 28th SEC Tournament. They won four more games in the NCAA tournament and lost to Wisconsin in the semis to end the season 38-1.
March 7, 2017, Kosair Charities and the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame announced eight inductees into the Class of 2017 Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame: Mike Battaglia, Howard Beth, Rodger Bird, Rob Bromley, Swag Hartel, Kenny Klein, Dennis Lampley, and Marion Miley.
March 7, 2018, teachers gathered in Frankfort for an unsuccessful protest when a Senate committee advanced a controversial plan to overhaul Kentucky’s ailing public pension systems. Teachers in eight counties planned to protest at their schools the following day.
On March 7, 2021, President Biden commemorated Bloody Sunday by signing an executive order aimed at promoting more civil rights. UK considered changing the name “Dead Week” to avoid offending certain groups. One alternative was “Prep Week,” to reflect the days dedicated for students preparing for final exams.
March 7, 2022, one day after the Women’s basketball team won the SEC tournament , Coach Calipari sent a tweet. Can you believe it?!? @UKCoachLZ wins an SEC championship in one of the greatest comebacks I’ve ever seen…AND THEN SHE FINDS MY WATCH!! You’re the best, Coach Elzy!!! Coach Cal made the trip to Nashville to watch the win and cheered so hard he lost his Rolex watch.
On March 7, 2023, the U.S. Senate introduced the Restrict Act to continue the xenophobia those inside the beltway are so good at spreading. They aimed this xenophobic legislation at the Chinese people when they unsuccessfully tried to ban Tik Tok.
President Obama started the Assange prosecution, Trump continued it, and Biden ended it.