On May 1, 1769, Daniel Boone, John Finley, and four others set out for the Cumberland Gap using the same route Dr. Walker had used 19 years earlier . They were gone for two years. The Story of Kentucky by Cherry and Stickles pg: 31
On May 1, 1775, Benjamin Logan arrived in Kentucky County, Virginia, with a survey party led by John Floyd and erected “a little town” they named St. Asaph’s . Logan built a cabin and planted a corn crop, which he would later use as proof to claim 1,400 acres, despite returning to Eastern Virginia and not returning until March 1776 with his family. Today Logan’s Fort resides in Lincoln County.
On May 1, 1780, Virginia Governor Thomas Jefferson signed the town charter of Louisville , named in honor of King Louis XVI of France, whose soldiers aided Americans in the Revolutionary War. Col. George Rogers Clark settled Louisville in 1778 near the rapids of the Falls of the Ohio River, a natural barrier to river travel and thus a stopping point.
May 1, 1851, one of the coldest Springs ever known in Northern Kentucky continued with temperatures from 20 to 28 degrees. The heavy black frost killed whole fruit orchids, grapes, and many tender trees.
On May 1, 1897, the Tennessee Centennial Exposition in Nashville unveiled Louisville native Enid Yandell’s PALLAS ATHENA. At 40 feet tall, it was the largest statue in the world at the time, designed by a woman.
May 1, 1905, the Seelbach Hotel celebrated its grand opening , drawing 25,000 visitors to its five-hour public inspection, including the South’s 1st roof garden. Over the years, celebrities and dignitaries visited, including Presidents Taft, Wilson, F.D. Roosevelt, Truman, Kennedy, Johnson, Carter, and Clinton. Another special guest, Al Capone, left his legacy with the large mirror he sent from Chicago so that he could watch his back.
Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Mayfield native Bobbie Ann Mason , born in 1940. A novelist, short story writer, essayist, and literary critic, Bobbie’s memoir became a Pulitzer Prize finalist.
May 1, 1943, Colonel Matt Winn nicknamed the 69th Kentucky Derby the “Street-Car Derby.” He lobbied Washington hard to run the 1943 Derby despite many war restrictions. He promised to organize a “Street-Car Derby,” banning out-of-state patrons and the locals’ automobiles to the track. Count Fleet won with the shortest odds in Derby history at 2-5. He would become the 6th Triple Crown winner.
On May 1, 1944, Hazard in Perry County voted “dry” in a option election by 876 votes . Locals cast 4,332 votes. The county voted “wet” in a similar election in 1938.
May 1, 1948, Warren Wright’s Citation won the 74th Kentucky Derby in 2:05 2/5 . Eddie Arcaro and Ben Jones completed the connections. Calumet Farm won their 3rd Derby and 2nd Triple Crown with Citation, the 8th colt to do so.
May 1, 1953, Happy Chandler welcomed comedian Bob Hope at the Blue Grass Field in Lexington for Derby Week.
On May 1, 1954, Determine won the 80th Kentucky Derby , the 1st grey colt to wear the Roses. Determine went in 2:03 to earn $102,050. The owner, Mr. Crevolin, thrust the trophy up in the air, where he lost control. The lid flew off, and the base came crashing down, landing on his foot. Although he broke his foot and damaged the trophy, he won the Kentucky Derby.
On May 1, 1956, Governor Chandler told the press he would not comment on his choice to succeed Senator Alben Barkley till after the Washington funeral and Kentucky burial. However, a little-known law stated that Chandler’s political enemy, Earl Clements, would choose the new Senator. So, the storm began to brew with a threat of a special session. To ease all tensions Chandler appointed Robert Humphreys, a “safe” bet for the five-month stint. John S. Cooper won the next general election.
May 1, 1965, Kentucky bred Lucky Debonair won the 91st Kentucky Derby after winning the Santa Anita Derby and Bluegrass Stakes. The winning time of 2:01 1/5 for owner Ada L. Rice Racing Stable, trainer Frank Catrone, and jockey Willie Shoemaker won $112,000.
May 1, 1970, Army SSG Robert L. Collett, Jr., from Ages in Harlan County , Army SP5 Lowell T. Jarboe from Clarkson in Grayson County, and Army PFC Thomas J. Kaaufman from Lexington , died in the Vietnam War.
May 1, 1971, Cañonero II, a Kentucky bred and Venezuelan champion, won the 97th Kentucky Derby with Gustavo Ávila up in 2:03 1/5. Venezuelan owner Edgar Caibett hired Juan Arias to condition the colt. The Keeneland graduate sold for $1,200 and won $145,500, the richest Derby to date. Fans wagered $6,389,567 to set another Derby record.
May 1, 1972, Muhammad Ali (36-1) fought George Chuvalo (66-17-2) in Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver, British Columbia . In his 2nd fight against the Canadian, Ali hit Chuvalo at will, but the bout still went 12 rounds. Ali loathed hurting fighters that he could beat easily.
May 1, 1973, the 1st commercial barge traffic on the Kentucky River above Frankfort in the last ten years began . The barges operated between the mouth of the river at Carrollton and the Boonesboro area at mile 175.5. The Commonwealth Towing Company warned pleasure boats to be careful on all of the river’s 263 miles.
On May 1, 1978, Town and Country magazine claimed 200,000 millionaires lived in the U.S.
May 1, 1982, Gato Del Sol won the 108th Kentucky Derby in a maximum field of 20 starters. Arthur B. Hancock III and Leone J. Peters co-owned and bred the colt in Paris at Stone Farm. Jockey Eddie Delahoussaye and trainer Edwin J. Gregson completed the winning connections. Starting from post 18 at odds of 21-1, he charged home to win by 2 1/2 lengths in 2:02.40 to win $428,850.
On May 1, 1984, the Detroit Free Press reported that Michael Jackson and his five brothers would kick off the “Victory Tour” in Rupp Arena , followed by 13 North American stops. They never came, and the tour opened in Arrowhead Stadium in St. Louis. The tour set the highest-grossing record when it made $75 million ($196 million in 2022).
On Wednesday, May 1, 1985, the Delta Queen defeated the Belle of Louisville after losing last year due to a bomb threat. The Queen pulled out in front and stayed there to the pleasure of the 550 passengers on the floating party. To ensure no more disruptions, Sherman Shepards sniffed both boats and scuba divers inspected the hulls.
On May 1, 1989, Chris Antley’s streak of winning a race every day ended at 64 days . In a career that spanned from 1983 until he died in 2000, he won 3,480 races with documented purse earnings of $92,261,894.
On May 1, 1993, Virginia bred Sea Hero won the 119th Kentucky Derby . Owner Paul Mellon, 85, one of the wealthiest men in America, had already begun dispersing his thoroughbred holdings. Mack Miller hired Jerry Baily, who came home in 2:02.42, which earned the connections $735,900.
On May 1, 1994, one of the most grueling and divisive legislative sessions ended in failure at midnight in Frankfort. The lawmakers came up $600 million short of balancing the budget. They also failed to address the state’s healthcare disasters adequately. Governor B. Jones stated he would veto then burn the budget and healthcare laws they passed. A special session came next.
May 1, 1999, the 125th Kentucky Derby winner Charismatic came from the claiming ranks to win the Roses for D. Wayne Lukas , Chris Antley, and Robert B. & Beverly J. Lewis. The winning time of 2:03.29 earned $886,200. Click to see Donald Trump with his girlfriend, Melania Knauss. They would marry six years later.
May 1, 2004, Smarty Jones, ridden by Stewart Elliott, improved his record to 7-0 when he won the 130th Kentucky Derby , making him the 1st undefeated Derby winner since Seattle Slew in 1977. His connections cashed the largest horse racing payday in North American history, $5,854,800. To celebrate Oaklawn Park’s 100th anniversary, the track’s owner, Charles Cella, promised a $5 million bonus to any 3-year-old who swept Oaklawn’s Rebel Stakes, Arkansas Derby, and the Kentucky Derby.
May 1, 2010, Super Saver won the 136th Kentucky Derby . Jockey Calvin Borel captured his 3rd Derby in the last four years, while trainer Todd Pletcher picked up his 1st Derby victory in 25 tries. The winning time of 2:04 4/5 earned $1,425,500.
May 1, 2015, Campbell Brown, 47, a 5th -generation Brown family member, began his tenure as President of the Old Forester brand . George Garvin Brown, who started the company in 1870, still has his signature on the bottle.
On Sunday, May 1, 2016, German rider Michael Jung held onto his impressive lead and won the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event for the second time in two years. Two females finished second and third, Lauren Kieffer and Maya Black. Only two others had won the event back-to-back. The competition covers Dressage, Cross-Country, and Show Jumping.
On May 1, 2021, the “Transition Derby” helped the country inch toward normalcy after the coronavirus lockdowns . The track allowed 40%-50% capacity. They also banned Lasix for the 1st time in a Kentucky Derby. However, this Derby is the year Bob Baffert got caught cheating. On May 9, news broke that Medina Spirit tested positive for betamethasone. On February 21, 2022, the Kentucky stewards officially made Mandaloun the official winner of the 147th Derby.
On May 1, 2022, The Judds and Ray Charles joined the Country Music Hall of Fame a day after Naomi died . Meanwhile, McCracken County suspended a teacher after they created fraudulent vaccine cards so six students could go on a field trip.
On May 1, 2023, the governor posted again about expanding Kentuckians’ health care. Would Andy’s donors let him campaign for universal healthcare in the 2028 race? The chances are slim.
On May 1, 2024, AIPAC’s #1 Kentucky cheerleader got busy on X, not that there is anything wrong with that.