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TODAY IN KENTUCKY HISTORY

Kentucky Trivia ● Kentucky Tweets

On April 29, 1814, Henry Clay loaned famed Kentucky artist Joseph H. Bush $50.00 and months later, $150.00Jouett-Bush-Frazer Early Kentucky Artist by William Barrow Floyd

April 29, 1821, the steamboat Post Boy, commanded by R. De Hart, arrived at Shippingport from New Orleans after 17 days.  Shippingport lays at the foot of the Falls of the Ohio.

April 29, 1872, supposedly the James-Younger Gang, including five riders, robbed the Bank of Columbia, killing cashier R.A.C. Martin in the process.  The gang made off with $6,000.

Monday, April 29, 1901, His Eminence won the only April Kentucky Derby by defeating four others in 2:07.75 with James Winkfield aboard.  Trained and owned by F. B. Van Meter, the 27th edition paid $4,850 for 1st place, $700 for 2nd, and $300 for 3rd.

April 29, 1904, the Kentucky Court of Appeals abolished Beckham County.  With the growth of Western Carter County’s population and some Rowan County and Elliott County citizens, they all broke away to form Beckham County, named for then-Governor John C.W. Beckham, who signed the legislative act.  Eight days after a County Judge was appointed and Olive Hill established as the county seat, the court abolished the new county saying it failed to meet constitutional standards of size and population.  Beckham County is the only county in Kentucky created and deleted.

Beckham County

April 29, 1912, Hotel Henry Watterson opened on Louisville’s Walnut Street between 4th and 5th Streets.  The hotel featured ten floors, 250 rooms – each with a private bath and a complimentary electric fan – plus conference rooms, a Rathskellar, cafe, and dining rooms.  The exotic mahogany wood added a stylish elegance.

April 29, 1924, Chief of Police Josiah “Joe” Asher, Pineville Police Department, died when the police department’s assistant chief shot him during a dispute over a recent arrest.

On April 29, 1929, Amos and Andy, the famous blackface comedy team, played on WHAS radio station for the 1st time.

April 29, 1937, Fencing won the 1st Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland.  The Kentucky Association track hosted the race from 1911-14 and 1919-26.  Unfortunately, fencing finished a disappointing 17th in the Derby nine days later.

April 29, 1948, Chief of Police Rufus Barrow, Adairville Police Department, died from a gunshot with his service weapon when he responded to a disturbance call involving a mentally ill man who refused to return to the mental hospital.

April 29, 1951, Army PVT Wendell E. Smith from Campbell County and Army PVT Aaron W. Damron from Lawrence County, died in the Korean War.

April 29, 1952, Air Force Captain Richard E. Hines from Woodbury in Butler County died in the Korean War.

April 29, 1953, Judy Garland headlined a Kentucky Derby week appearance in Lexington for the Bluegrass Festival Show; she sang “My Old Kentucky Home,” accompanied by a single violin.

April 29, 1954, comedian Bob Hope performed for the Blue Grass Festival Show at Memorial Coliseum.  The festival’s final pre-Derby program also included Jerry Gray and his orchestra.

April 29, 1955, the Keeneland Association’s Board of Directors elected Elizabeth “Pansy” Ireland Poe to join the board, becoming the 1st woman to hold such a position for Keeneland.

Thursday, April 23, 1959, Tomy Lee won the Blue Grass Stakes to give Bill Shoemaker the 1st of his record six victories in the race.  They returned to win the Kentucky Derby nine days later.

April 29, 1965, Air Force COL Charles E. Shelton from Owensboro in Daviess County died in the Vietnam War.

April 29, 1966, Army SGT James R. Mollette from Whitehouse in Johnson County died in the Vietnam War.

April 29, 1967, Army PFC Roger D. Caudill from Whitesburg in Letcher County died in the Vietnam War.

April 29, 1970, Army SP4 Ancel J. Terry from Watergap in Floyd County died in the Vietnam War.

April 29, 1971, Army SSG Patrick O. Orr from Ft. Thomas in Campbell County died in the Vietnam War.

April 29, 1985, Louisville native Greg Page made his 1st title defense against Tony Tubbs in Buffalo, NY.  Page had already beaten Tubbs six out of seven times in the amateurs and was the favorite to win, but Tubbs upset him in a 15-round unanimous decision.  To make matters worse, a thief burglarized Page’s hotel room taking his championship belt, a $13,000 watch, and a $10,000 mink coat.

Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Louisville native Justin Thomas, born in 1993.  Justin has won 15 PGA tour events.

On April 29, 2004, Judge John Heyburn issued an injunction against the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority rules that prohibited jockeys from wearing advertising.  The ruling allowed jockeys to wear advertising on their pants in the May 1 Kentucky Derby.

April 29, 2009, the Belle of Cincinnati replaced the Delta Queen in the annual Great Steamboat Race, the Wednesday before the 1st Saturday of May.  The 1st Great Steamboat Race took place in 1963 between the Belle of Louisville and the Delta Queen.  The Belle won 22 races compared to the Queen’s 20 wins.

April 29, 2010, Police Officer Bryan Joseph Durman, Lexington-Fayette Urban County Police Department, died by a hit-and-run driver.

On April 29, 2021, more than 1.7 million Kentuckians had received the experimental vaccination; 2.8 million had not.  Businesses offered freebies to entice people to get vaccinated: deserts from White Castle, donuts from Crispy Crème, discounted Reds Baseball tickets, etc.  The governor had promised to lift the remaining virus restrictions when 2.5 million people received shots.

April 29, 2022, “We’re not going to get classical herd immunity from the coronavirus,” Dr. Fauci predicted at the press club, a reversal of the seemingly long-ago days when he and others predicted that vaccination benchmarks would signal a defeat of the coronavirus.