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TODAY IN KENTUCKY HISTORY

Kentucky Trivia ● Kentucky Tweets

On April 5, 1792, Native Americans attacked Tucker’s Station in Green County.  The Rev. John Tucker, his wife, and two others died as they tried to escape to Casey’s Station.

Localtonians wish a Happy Anniversary to John James Audubon and Lucy Bakewell, who wed in the Pennsylvania Commonwealth in 1808.  One biographer called his marriage the most important life decision because she was “the spur to his ambition and the balance wheel to his character.”

Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Richmond native Samuel Freeman Miller, born in 1816.  Dr. Miller received his medical degree from Transylvania University in 1838 and passed the bar in 1847.  In 1862, President A. Lincoln nominated him to the Supreme Court, where he served until he died in 1890 as a strong abolitionist.

April 5, 1849, a circuit court in Fulton County found Col. J. Leigh guilty of accepting a challenge to fight a duel, and they fined him $150.00.

April 5, 1864, Henry Clay’s son, Thomas, spent his 1st day as the Honduras Ambassador.

On April 5, 1893, the Kentucky legislature passed an act to control the corporations’ growing power, mainly aimed at the railway industry.  Along with other economic hardships throughout the eighties, increasing railroad rates pushed citizens to ask for more government control.

April 5, 1903, Constable Tom Crace, Morgan County Constable’s Office, died from a gunshot while serving a warrant on a man near Wheel Rim Fork.

On April 5, 1929, Lexington’s 57 schools celebrated Arbor Day, with the city actively participating for the 1st time.  Each school received and planted an American White Ash, approximately 10 feet tall.

On April 5, 1932, Phar Lap’s groom, Tommy Woodcock, found his horse in severe pain and high temperature in his stall in the early morning.  Phar Lap hemorrhaged to death within a few hours.  An autopsy revealed that the horse’s stomach and intestines were inflamed.  Many believe the mafia poisoned the horse to stop hefty losses from gambling ventures.

April 5, 1950, a Jessamine County couple received a fine of $250 plus court for possessing gambling devices and paraphernalia located in their hotel.  Police confiscated 25 to 30 punchboards and several types of small gaming machines.

April 5, 1953, Marine Corps PFC James E. Jones from Boaz in Graves County died in the Korean War.

April 5, 1954, Patrolman Henry E. St. Clair, Jefferson County Police Department, died in an automobile crash when his patrol car struck a gasoline truck head-on.

April 5, 1960, the Commonwealth honored Mrs. Minnie Cornett, a 71-year-old mother of nine, as the 1960 Kentucky Mother of the Year.  Minnie, who aided many in her small community of Mallie in Knott County, personally received a plaque from Governor B. Combs.

April 5, 1967, Marine Corps CPL Joseph A. Scruggs from Hopkinsville in Christian County died in the Vietnam War.

April 5, 1969, Air Force MSGT John N. Edwards from Bowling Green in Warren County and Marine Corps PFC Willie L. Lowe from Louisville died in the Vietnam War.

April 5, 1973, the state announced they would begin to install devices on stoplights to enable emergency vehicles, such as police and fire trucks, to trip the red lights as they approach.

On April 5, 1975, Keeneland held its opening day of the Spring Meet, and 17,087 fans appeared with temperatures barely reaching 50.

April 5, 1981, in a dramatic ending, Agriculture Commissioner Alben W. Barkley II declined to testify on his behalf concerning the provocative sexual harassment against himself and two other department officials.

On April 5, 1987, the Lexington police went to 22-year-old Meranda Bates’s house at 11:00 p.m. and took her to jail for not paying $3.50 of a $37.50 speeding ticket.  She spent six hours locked up, and her story made frontline news.

April 5, 1990, state and federal officials descended on a furniture-manufacturing plant near Somerset to search for evidence that the company might be discharging hazardous waste.  The F.B.I., E.P.A., Kentucky State Police, and others spent the whole day collecting evidence.

On April 5, 1990, Governor W. Wilkerson told the press he would actively campaign against two constitutional amendments that would give more power to the General Assembly.  These powers allowed the legislators to call special sessions and strike down state agencies’ resolutions immediately instead of waiting ninety days.

Kentucky Trivia:  Wallace Wilkerson’s Ponzi scheme stole $103 million from United Company, $81 million from George Valassis, $25 million from Wendy’s restaurant founder Dave Thomas, $15 million from Elmer Whitaker, $12 million from Milo Bryant, his former transportation secretary, $8 million from auto dealer Martin “Hoot” McInerney, $8 million from Hazard businessman L.D. Gorman, $5.5 million from Leonard Lawson and several million from others.

April 5, 1994, a Rockcastle grand jury confirmed that State Police acted appropriately in 1993 when they killed a man guarding his marijuana patch with a semi-automatic assault rifle.

April 5, 2000, President W. Clinton signed the Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the 21st Century.  The law gave several amenities to airports.

April 5, 2001, two Kentucky legislators from Louisville and Leitchfield agreed to speak at a “massive multi-state militia meeting” in Grayson County.  The group’s website likened President W. Clinton to Hitler and urged their members to “track down” the lone Jewish Kentucky representative and “bring ammo.”

April 5, 2005, the federal government gave back land to their rightful Kentucky owners after they seized it during WWII.  Fearing coastal attacks during the early stages of the war, the Army took 36,000 acres of rolling farmland in Western Kentucky’s Union and Webster Counties.

April 5, 2009, UofL advanced to the final game of the Women’s NCAA basketball championship by defeating Oklahoma in the semi-finals 61-59.  Unfortunately, the Cardinals would lose in their 1st title game to Connecticut.

April 5, 2010, Wikileaks published The Collateral Murder.  The classified military video depicted soldiers killing dozen civilians in an Iraqi suburb during the Obama administration.  Two Reuters news staff reporters lost their lives also.  Officials charged, arrested, and imprisoned Private Manning for leaking the information and Juilian Assange for publishing the video.

April 5, 2014, two Kentucky breds won Keeneland’s GI $500,000 Ashland Stakes.

April 5, 2015, J.B. Holmes won the Shell Houston Open in a playoff over Justin Spieth and Johnson Wagner.

On April 5, 2017, Shaquille O’Neal spoke at the University of the Cumberlands’s 12th annual Excellence in Leadership series.  He flew into the Williamsburg-Whitley County Airport, stayed a few hours, and flew back; his short visit impacted many.

On April 5, 2019, Maker’s Mark began selling a limited-edition bottle commemorating the 2012 UK Basketball National Championship team.  The bottles are the 5th and final ones in a set that honors UK teams; all bottles were white with blue wax—an unknown quantity sold for $60 apiece.

On April 5, 2020, Governor A. Beshear, without a mask, held his daily live coronavirus update and reported 38 new positive coronavirus cases and five new deaths.  The totals reached 955 and 45.  As all schools closed for an estimated two weeks, teachers, students, and families dealt with virtual learning.

On April 5, 2021, the state reported virus numbers plateaued after 11 weeks of declining statistics.  State stats showed 326,642 confirmed positive cases and 5,581 related deaths.  Only six counties had vaccinated ¼ of its population; four of those were Woodford (28.5%), Pike (27.6%), Perry, and Fayette (27.6%).  Government scientist admitted herd immunity was no longer an option.

On April 5, 2022, America’s top general told Congress that the U.S. should develop more European bases to guard against Russian aggression.  The U.S. controls about 750 bases in at least 80 countries worldwide.  Japan has 120 active bases, with the highest number of U.S. bases worldwide, followed by Germany with 119 and South Korea with 73.  Europe has over 200 bases in total.

On April 3, 2022, Irvine native Lee Hyden Rose passed over.  The 1958 alumnus of Transylvania University, served as an assistant coach after graduation under C. M. Newton.  He then took a similar position at Cincinnati before returning to his alma mater as head coach and AD and recorded 160 wins in eight seasons.  In 1975 he became the head coach and AD at UNC Charlotte.  Rose left Charlotte for Purdue in 1978, leading them to the Final Four in 1980.  He is one of only ten coaches in NCAA history to take two different schools to the semifinals of the NCAA tournament.