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TODAY IN KENTUCKY HISTORY

Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Silas Harlan, born in 1753 in West Virginia.  He journeyed to Kentucky with James Harrod in 1774 and served as a scout, hunter, and military leader.  Near Danville, he helped build “Harlan’s Station” with family members.  Harlan served under George Rogers Clark in the Illinois campaign of 1778-79 against the British.

March 17, 1775, the Transylvania Purchase, aka The Treaty of Sycamore Shoals, the largest private or corporate real estate transaction in U.S. history, took place.  The Transylvania Company purchased from the Cherokee over 20 million acres of land.  In return, the Cherokee received 2,000 pounds sterling and goods worth 8,000 pounds.  The sale was never legally recognized.

Twelve hundred Native Americans reputedly spent weeks in counsel at Sycamore Shoals before signing the deed; Chief Dragging Canoe was firmly against deeding land to the whites, but the other chiefs ignored his warnings and signed the deeds amidst a lavish ceremony and celebration.

The March 17, 1789, publication of the Kentucky Gazette newspaper used a “y” instead of the “e” for the first time.

Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Lexington, foaled in 1850 within Lexington’s current city limits on The Meadows Farm.  Dr. Elisha Warfield bred the great runner and sire.  The doctor was one of the most important early figures in Kentucky racing and a founder of the Kentucky Association Race Track.  The Meadows and the track bordered each other.  Darley was the name Warfield had given to the bay colt, but a new owner changed his name to Lexington.

March 17, 1876, jockey Alonzo “Lonnie” Clayton passed away, one of, if not the best jockey, of his era.  In 1892, he became the youngest jockey to win the Kentucky Derby at age 15.

March 17, 1884, Benjamin Gratz passed over in Lexington.  The successful hemp merchant was elected trustee of Transylvania University, a founder of Lexington’s 1st public library, and a founder of the Lexington Ohio Railway.  The Gratz family occupied Mount Hope in Gratz Park until 1984.

Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Louisville native Ralph Waldo Rose, born in 1884.  In throwing events, the six-time U.S. Olympic athlete medaled in the 1904, 1908, and 1912 games.  An impressive 6′ 5½” and 250 pounds, Rose broke the 50-foot mark for the 1st time in shot put.

March 17, 1890, Governor Simon Bolivar Buckner sent the militia to Harlan County in response to the ongoing Howard / Turner feud.  He also sent General Sam Hill as a personal favor to show his sincere interest in the county’s problems.

March 17, 1914, Kentucky passed the Enabling Act which gave the U.S. government permission to give Kentucky land for National Parks.

Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Powell County native Lily May Ledford, born in 1917.

On March 17, 1928, Ashland won the boys’ and girls’ State Basketball Tournament.  The Kittens triumphed over Oddville 27-11, and the boys won in four overtimes against Carr Creek 13-11.  Ashland completed the 1st undefeated (31-0) state championship.  Since Ashland, only the 1948 Brewers (36-0) claimed an unbeaten boys’ hoops state title.  There’s never been a four-overtime state title game since.

Kentucky Trivia:  The Carr Creek team had an interesting ride.  The Knott County school had no gymnasium, played games on an outdoor court, and only had uniforms when fans at the regional tournament in Richmond raised money to buy them.  Both Ashland teams received a regulation-size silver basketball, and both runners-up received similar size and quality trophies.  A throng of 4,000 filled Alumni Gym on UK’s campus to watch the finals.  

Saturday, March 17, 1934, the sale of liquor became legal in Kentucky when Governor Ruby Laffon signed the Control Act.  America’s prohibition ended three and half months earlier.

March 17, 1953, Army PVT John E. Nielsen from Jefferson County died in the Korean War.

March 17, 1954, the Kentucky House passed an amendment to the Day Law when they voted 52 to 32 to let African Americans into private and church-affiliated schools.  The Rev. Felix S. Anderson sponsored the bill, the only African American general assembly member.

On March 17, 1956, in one semi-final game, Carr Creek beat Wayland, 68-66; in the other, Henderson won, 78-63; click to see a picture.  The 39th edition in Memorial Coliseum might be the most memorable High School Boys’ Basketball Tournament, thanks to an abundance of last-second heroics.  This tournament featured a collection of schools with exceptional basketball pedigrees and the record-setting dominance of Wayland’s “King” Kelly Coleman.

March 17, 1961, this picture shows the Ashland Tomcats’ bench erupt when the final horn sounded after beating archrival Seneca in the quarterfinals of the boys’ state basketball tournament in Memorial Coliseum.  Ashland went on to win the tournament, defeating Lexington Dunbar, 69-50.

March 17, 1969, Army SGT Delmer V. Ashbrook from Sergent in Letcher County died in the Vietnam War.

March 17, 1971, Army SP4 Harry C. King from Louisville died in the Vietnam War.

On March 17, 1971, First Lady Pat Nixon waved to the crowd after she, President R. Nixon, and Governor Louie B. Nunn arrived at Blue Grass Field.  The President traveled to Lexington to attend the funeral of Whitney Young, Jr., Executive Director of the National Urban League.  The President delivered the eulogy at graveside services in Louisville’s Greenwood Cemetery.

March 17, 1973, Shawnee defeated Male 81-68 to win the 56th Kentucky High School Basketball Tournament in Louisville’s Freedom Hall.  The apparent lack of support from the Shawnee administrators caught the attention of many, including the press.

Sweet 16 Trivia:  Male Coach Jim Huter fell one victory short of joining Neal Arnston (Manual, 1923, ’25 and ’31); Paul Jenkins (Ashland, 1933 and ’34; Male 1945), and Ralph Carlisle (Lafayette, 1950, ’53, ’57) as the only head men in state history to win three Boys’ Sweet 16s.

March 17, 1979, in a carefully orchestrated media event, John Y. Brown (45) and Phyllis George (29) got hitched in the Marble Collegiate Church in Manhattan.  Norman Vincent Peale performed the ceremony.  Guests included Paul Hornung, Milton Berle, Bert Parks, Walter Cronkite, Eunice Shriver, and Andy Williams, who sang “Just the Way You Are.”  Willie Nelson gave them a bible.  The night before, the couple hosted a rehearsal dinner at Studio 54.  During the honeymoon in St. Martin, John announced his candidacy for governor.

On March 17, 1979, with Dirk Minniefield, Lafayette defeated Christian County 62-52 in Rupp Arena to claim the Kentucky High School Basketball Sweet 16 Championship.  Some consider Coach Jock Sutherland’s Generals (36-1) one of the best Kentucky high school teams in history.

Kentucky Trivia:  Lafayette won the 1st Sweet 16 played in the Louisville Armory (1942), the 1st one played in Freedom Hall (1957), and captured the 1st boys’ state tournament played in Rupp Arena, too.

March 17, 1984, Logan County defeated Bourbon County 83-70 to capture the Sweet 16 Kentucky Boys’ State Basketball Championship in Rupp Arena.  After consolidating five smaller schools, Logan County High had only existed for two years.

Kentucky Trivia:  In a remarkable display of clutch shooting, Bourbon County’s Jeff Royce hit four game-winners and/or buzzer beaters — three to win games and one to force overtime.

March 17, 1988, an exuberant crowd of 15,000 to 20,000 education supporters marched on the Capitol, lashing out at Governor W. Wilkinson and demanding more money for Kentucky schools.  The crowd, which overwhelmed legislators and exceeded everyone’s expectations, was thought to be the largest ever to demonstrate in Frankfort.

March 17, 1990, Attorney General Fred Cowan made a public statement to confirm cock fighting was legal in Kentucky since 1980.  He went on to say the birds were exempt from a state law governing cruelty to animals.  Meanwhile, the Henry Clay Blue Devils won the 29th Girls’ State High School Basketball Tournament before 2,315 in Diddle Arena in Bowling Green.

On March 17, 2000, Louisville police and supporters protested the firing of their Chief by marching with signs in front of the police station.  The mayor fired the Chief when one of his officers killed 19-year-old Rudolph Desmond, a Black male, on May 13, 1999.

March 17, 2001, on Coach Don Adkins’s 50th birthday, his Lafayette Generals defeated the Male Bulldogs 54-49 to win the Boys’ Sweet 16 Championship at Rupp Arena with 19,288 in attendance.  The school captured a record-tying 6th crown with Henry Clay.

Kentucky Trivia:  Lafayette rallied from 13 down at halftime to break a streak of five straight losses in final games for Lexington schools.  Tates Creek in 1991, Lexington Catholic in 1992, Paul Laurence Dunbar in 1993 and ’94 and Lexington Catholic in 2000 had all lost in the finals.

March 17, 2009, the Wildcats returned to Memorial Coliseum to play in the 1st round of the N.I.T.  Coach Gillispie led the Cats to victory over UNLV 70-60.  The last time Kentucky played in Memorial was in 1976.  Gillispie’s one game in Memorial put him in the elite company to have coached the Cats in the Coliseum.  It was Gillispie’s last game coached in Kentucky.  The team won one more N.I.T. game and lost in the quarterfinals. 

March 17, 2011, Demonte Harper drained a three-pointer from the top of the arch with 4.2 seconds left to give Coach Donnie Tyndall’s #13 Morehead Eagles a 62-61 NCAA tourney stunner over intrastate power #4 Louisville.

March 17, 2012, Trinity defeated Scott County in the KHSAA Boys’ State Basketball Tournament at Rupp Arena in front of 14,064 spectators.

Kentucky Trivia:  Trinity became the 1st school to win Kentucky state championships in boys’ basketball and in football in the same school year, in the modern era.

March 17, 2018, Oaklawn’s GII $900,000 Rebel Stakes for three-year-olds, showcased a Keeneland graduate trifecta.

On March 17, 2020, a Nelson County man checked himself out of a hospital and told authorities he would not self-isolate after testing positive for the coronavirus.  He eventually cooperated; however, Nelson County Judge-Executive Dean Watts declared a State of Emergency and posted police outside his house.  The county had six confirmed cases.

Tuesday, March 17, 2020, Governor A. Beshear signed an executive order closing Kentucky entertainment and recreation venues by COB Wednesday after announcing two more positive cases.  This included hair and nail salons, and spas.  The state had 26 positive cases and one person died with the new virus.

March 17, 2020, Churchill Downs announced the 146th Kentucky Derby would be postponed to September 5.

Kentucky Trivia:  For the 2nd time in Derby history, Churchill Downs moved the date of the race.  The 1st time being during WWII in 1945 when it ran in June.

March 17, 2021, as the clock neared midnight, Kentucky legislators rushed more tax breaks for large corporations and others doing business in the Commonwealth, adding to the already billions of dollars given away.  In the meantime, Governor A. Beashear stated, “We are close to the finish line, but we can’t give up yet.  Keep masking up, keep social distancing and get vaccinated when it is your turn.  Let’s see this through till the end of the fight.”

March 17, 2022, the federal government charged a Louisville police officer at the center of a high-profile suspect shooting with “unreasonable use of force.”

On March 17, 2022, Cal’s Wildcats lost to Saint Peter’s 85-79 in overtime to lose the first round of the NCAA tournament, Kentucky basketball’s worst loss ever.

On March 17, 2023, Thomas Massie tweeted, “You are what you eat.”

On March 17, 2024, Governor A. Beshear wished everyone a Happy St. Patrick’s Day!