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TODAY IN KENTUCKY HISTORY

Kentucky Trivia ● Kentucky Tweets

Localtonians wish a Happy Anniversary to Judge Todd and Lucy Washington, who wed in 1812 in the White House.  It was the first known marriage ceremony in the President’s home.  Thomas Todd was an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.  He moved to Kentucky County from Virginia in 1783 and died in Frankfort.  Lucy was Dolley Madison’s sister.

Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Harrodsburg native Frances Wisebart Jacobs, born in 1843.  Frances founded the United Way, one of the many charitable organizations she influenced.

March 29, 1878, Leslie County was created from Clay County, Harlan County, and Perry County and named in honor of Preston Leslie, Kentucky’s 26th governor.  Hyden is the county seat.  Other localities include: Asher, Bear Branch, Big Rock, Causey, Chappell, Cinda, Confluence, Cutshin, Essie, Frew, Grassy, Hare, Hell for Certain, Helton, Hoskinston, Kaliopi, Middlefork, Mozelle, Roark, Sizerock, Smilax, Stinnett, Thousandsticks, Toulouse, Warbranch, Wendover, Wooton, and Yeaddis.  Leslie County was the 117th county created and covers 404 square miles.

1280px Map of Kentucky highlighting Leslie County.svg
By David Benbennick

March 29, 1904, Deputy Jailer Marvin Conover, Adair County Regional Jail, died while assisting a deputy sheriff to serve a warrant on a man for failure to appear in court.

March 29, 1914, Deputy Sheriff Beverly Gerome McCowan Floyd County Sheriff’s Office, died while he and another deputy attempted to arrest two brothers for selling liquor in Wayland.

March 29, 1917, Deputy Sheriff Wilburn Taylor, Harlan County Sheriff’s Office, died while attempting to arrest two men who were drinking in Layman.  The men shot Deputy Taylor nine times.

March 29, 1917, a few minutes before midnight, Man o’ War came into the world at Major August Belmont, Jr.’s Nursery Stud, near Lexington.  He was the second foal of his dam, Mahubah.  America would enter WWI a few days after he was born.  He raced 21 times as a two and three-year-old; 18 in New York, two in Maryland, and one in Canada, his last race.  “Big Red” and Babe Ruth would capture the hearts of sports fans nationwide as the country headed into the roaring ’20s.

March 29, 1923, Sister Mary Settles, Kentucky’s last known Shaker, passed away at Pleasant Hill, ending the historic religious communal village that flourished from 1805 to 1910.

March 29, 1929, Deputy Sheriff Borkan Jones, Perry County Sheriff’s Office, died in the Troublesome Creek area trying to arrest five men for being drunk in public.  As Deputy Jones dismounted his horse, one of the men shot him.

Localtonians wish a Happy Anniversary to Louisville native Mariam Robertson and stockbroker Wallace T. McCreary, who wed in 1931.  McCreary lost $3 million on bad investments one week before they married.  The couple used McCreary’s remaining money to open a dress shop in Beverly Hills.  Within months, the shop went out of business, and Nolan filed for bankruptcy.  Nolan divorced McCreary in July 1932.  She was married once and had no children.

March 29, 1934, seventy-five downtown Louisville businesses and shops closed their doors for two hours so employees could attend Good Friday Services.

March 29, 1953, Marine Corps PFC Stewart W. Long from Louisville died in the Korean War.

March 29, 1960, Patrolman Orville Chancy Trinkle, Jr. Louisville Police Department, died in a motorcycle accident while he and his partner attempted to catch up to two cars they observed drag racing on Eastern Parkway.

March 29, 1966, Army WO1 Raymond L. Ford from Owensboro and Marine Corps PFC Jerald R. Towater from Louisville died in the Vietnam War.

March 29, 1966, Muhammad Ali (23-0) fought George Chuvalo (34-11-2) in Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto.  Chuvalo, a Canadian, is widely regarded as having the best chin in boxing history, having never been knocked down in 93 fights.  This fight would have been for Ali’s world title, but boxing politics caused it to be called “a heavyweight showdown.”  The fight went the distance, with Ali winning a unanimous decision.  “He’s the toughest guy I ever fought,” Ali said afterward.  Dundee said of Chuvalo: “He never stopped coming on.  You’ve got to admire a man like that.”

March 29, 1969, Central High School wins a memorable state basketball championship in Freedom Hall, by beating Ohio County 101-72, in front of 138,035.

Sweet 16 Trivia:  A crowd of 18,000 watched Central High School become the first all-black team to win the championship.  They also set a championship game record by scoring 101 points.

March 29, 1970, Army PFC James M. Furgerson from Evarts in Harlan County and Army PFC David P. Shelton from Louisville died in the Vietnam War.

March 29, 1971, Army SGT William G. Cox from Louisville died in the Vietnam War.

On March 29, 1980, Owensboro came from behind to beat Doss High School to win the Boys’ State Basketball Championship in Louisville’s Freedom Hall in front of 11,000 supporters.  This was the 3rd title for the Red Devils in 56 years of the tournament.

March 29, 1994, Bowling Green native William Huston Natcher died.  William served in the U.S. House of Representatives for 40 years, seven months, and 28 days, at the time he was the longest-serving member from Kentucky. 

Kentucky Trivia:  Barrier native and U.S. Congressman Hal Rogers has served 41 years, 2 months, and 25 days.

March 29, 2000, Governor Paul Patton signed into law the Pledge of Allegiance to the Commonwealth of Kentucky.  I pledge allegiance to the Kentucky flag, And to the Sovereign State for which it stands, One Commonwealth, blessed with diversity, natural wealth, beauty, And grace from on High.

March 29, 2006, in a stunning reversal of fortunes, legislatures announced a $55 million to rebuild three Kentucky River dams and two locks.  It also means an increase in water bills for everyone living near the river’s main stem in Central Kentucky.

March 29, 2012, Army SPC David W. Taylor, 20, of Dixon, died in Afghanistan of wounds caused by an accident at an ammunition supply point during Operation Enduring Freedom.

March 29, 2014, a neck decides the GI $1,015,000 Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park.   

March 29, 2017, Police Officer Nicholas Aniceto Rodman, Louisville Metro Police Department, succumbed to injuries sustained in a vehicle crash during a vehicle pursuit over a domestic violence incident.

March 29, 2018, Police Officer Phillip Lynn Meacham, Hopkinsville Police Department, was killed while investigating a police impersonator.   Officer Meacham, who was off-duty, observed the vehicle behind him operating with blue lights.

March 29, 2018, the Kentucky Senate passed Senate Bill 151, a pension bill.  The bill received numerous criticisms, especially from teachers and was overturned in December 2018 by the Kentucky Supreme Court as “unconstitutional.”  It was Governor Bevin’s attempt to address the pension crisis.

March 29, 2020, Governor A. Beshear announced 45 more people contracted the coronavirus bringing the total to 439 with no new deaths keeping the death count at nine.  In a dramatic response to prevent the coronavirus’s spread behind bars, the state reduced the number of county inmates by 28%.

March 29, 2021, in a live update, Governor A. Beshear announced that for the 11th straight week, coronavirus cases continued to decline.  To date, the flu strain caused 6,042 deaths with 425,333 positive cases reported.  Also in Frankfort, the Assembly returned from a short break and quickly asserted their legislative dominance over the governor’s veto pen.