Thank You For Visiting

October 1, 1777, Col. George Rogers Clark left Harrodsburg for the east, and reached the capital of Virginia November 5th.

On October 1, 1779, Simon Girty and Alexander McKee, leading a large force of Indians, ambushed American forces in present-day Northern Kentucky.  The Americans were returning from an expedition to New Orleans.  The ambush occurred near Dayton, Kentucky, across the Ohio River from Cincinnati. Only a handful of the Americans survived, among them Colonel John Campbell and Captain Robert Benham.

October 1, 1788, John Filson, Kentucky historian, was attacked by hostile Shawnees, and his body was never found.  After his disappearance his partners, Denman and Patterson, transferred his interest in the site of Cincinnati to Israel Ludlow, and his heirs never reaped any benefit from the subsequent increase in the value of the land.  He never married and left no direct descendants.

October 1, 1794, Kentucky establishes the first post office.  Innes B. Brent was the Post Master.  Both the post office and jail was in the two-story log building.
The Squire’ Sketches of Lexington by J. Winston Coleman, Jr.; pg: 22

October 1, 1838, is the date for “a list, showing the names, ages, and tribe of each student in the Choctaw Academy in Scott County.”  Under the treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek, signed in 1825, an academy was established for the education of young Indians.

October 1, 1866, Kentucky University President, John B. Bowman, purchased Henry Clay’s former estate, Ashland, and the adjacent Woodlands Farm, (Woodland Park) to establish the A&M College.  The A&M College was by law a secular state school and opened with 190 students.  Courses were offered in the sciences and in liberal arts.

October 1, 1890, Ernst Humphreys was lynched in Caldwell County for murder.

October 1, 1894, Berry Rich was lynched for arson and theft in Crittenden County.

October 1, 1902, Churchill Down’s financial problems continued to plague the racetrack and finally a group headed by Louisville Mayor Charles Grainger (1901-1905), Charlie Price and Matt J. Winn agreed to take over the operation.  The takeover was done by amending the track’s articles of incorporation with no transfer the form of a deed.  Grainger was named president, Price racing secretary and Winn vice president.  Under this administration, the track finally showed its first profit in 1903, 28 years after its founding.

October 1, 1952, Jackie Robinson and Kentuckian Pee Wee Reese both hit home runs in Game 1 of the 1952 World Series, helping the Dodgers take home a win in Brooklyn.

October 1, 1953, Maker’s Mark’s origin began when T. William “Bill” Samuels Sr., purchased the “Burks’ Distillery” in Loretto for $35,000.

Localtonians wishes a Happy Birthday to Ashland native Gina Cheri Walker Haspel, born in 1956.  She was the first Director of the Central Intelligence Agency and the 7^th director overall.

October 1, 1956, 24-year-old jockey Johnny Heckmann becomes the first jock to ride seven winners on the same card.  He won Hawthorne’s daily double, paying $141.20 for a $2.00 ticket.  Johnny sat out the third race and won the fourth race.  In the fifth race, he couldn’t find the board.  When Johnny won the sixth race, excitement mounted, and when he won the seventh race, the fans became hysterical.  Johnny won the eighth race by a neck and the ninth race by a head, on the favorite. 

October 1, 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower shook hands with Lexington police Chief E.C. Hale in Lexington as part of his re-election campaign.  After being met at the airport by Kentucky Governor Happy Chandler, the president’s car rode through downtown in a parade.  He later gave a speech at Memorial Coliseum at the UK.  During Hale’s time as police chief from 1953 to 1972, he was credited with helping to keep racial tensions in the city from turning violent.

October 1, 1958, Abe Black catches the current state record for a Walleye from Lake Cumberland; 21 lbs. 8 ozs.

October 1, 1966, Kentucky football players prepared to carry coach Charlie Bradshaw off the field after UK defeated Auburn 17-7 at Stoll Field/McLean Stadium in Lexington.  That was the last time Kentucky defeated Auburn at home.  UK beat Auburn at Jordan–Hare Stadium in 2009.

October 1, 1967, Shelby County native Whitney Young, 40, became the Executive Director of the National Urban League.  He was unanimously selected by the National Urban League’s Board of Directors.

October 1, 1972, the Milwaukee Bucks returned to Freedom Hall.  Oscar Robertson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar each scored 20 points as the Bucks beat the Colonels 131–100.

October 1, 1975, Muhammad Ali (49-2) fought Joe Frazier (32-2) in Araneta Coliseum, Manila.  The rematch called “The Thrilla in Manila” might have been the greatest heavyweight fight of all time.  Ali promised it would be “a killa and a thrilla and a chilla when I get the gorilla in Manila.”  He mistakenly thought Frazier was over the hill. Ali attacked Frazier early, but Frazier took the momentum in the fifth round and pounded Ali for several rounds.  Ali rallied in the 12th, and both men were exhausted by the end of 14 rounds.  Frazier’s trainer, Eddie Futch, would not let his fighter come out for the 15th.  Ali raised his arms in victory, then collapsed, saying later it was the closest thing to death he had ever experienced.

October 1st, 1995, Jody Payne performs “Workin’ Man Blues” at the Farm Aid concert in Louisville.  Farm Aid was started by Willie Nelson, Neil Young and John Mellencamp in 1985.

October 1, 1996, Kentuckians over 21 years of age can obtain licenses to carry concealed deadly weapons after a background check and a gun safety course.  

October 1, 2011, Belmont host the GI $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup.