On May 27, 1778, a small band of pioneers established Louisville on Corn Island in the Ohio River. During the following summer, George Rogers Clark trained recruits for his Illinois campaign, settlers planted corn, and they camped on the island until Fort Nelson was built in 1781. Thomas Hutchins mapped it in 1766, encompassing about seventy acres. “Great sycamores, cottonwoods, and giant cane” covered the island during the late 1700s.
On May 27, 1823, thoroughbreds American Eclipse and Sir Henry met in three four-mile races at Union Racecourse for a 1st North versus South match-up.
May 27, 1830, President Andrew Jackson vetoed a bill that would allow the federal government to purchase stock in the Maysville, Washington, Paris, and Lexington Turnpike Road Company . He declared that such bills violated the principle that the federal government should not be involved in local economic affairs. Jackson also pointed out that funding for these kinds of projects interfered with paying off the national debt.
May 27, 1862, Brigadier General Jeremiah Tilford Boyle , a native of Mercer County, took command of the District of Kentucky. Halting guerrilla activity and suppressing Confederate support were two of his goals.
The Courier-Journal published the 1st public notice to establish the track that would become Churchill Downs
On Friday, May 27, 1881, Saunterer won the 9th Preakness Stakes , the first race on the card. They went one mile and a half for a $2,000 purse. The Derby ran ten days earlier, and the Belmont eleven days later.
May 27, 1891, Deputy Jailer Joel C. Park, Madison County Detention Center , died from a gunshot while serving a warrant on a man for stealing a suit from another man.
May 27, 1891, Kentucky erected a monument over the 28th governor’s grave , Dr. Luke P. Blackburn, three years after his death.
Tuesday, May 27, 1902, Old England won the 27th running of the Preakness Stakes . The 4th race was one mile and 70 yards. Kentuckian J.B. Haggin bred the winner. Old England skipped the May 3 Derby and the Belmont five days earlier.
Wednesday, May 27, 1903, Africander won the Belmont Stakes, going 1 3/8 miles in a four-horse field . He won by two lengths and earned $11,285. Kentuckian J.B. Haggin bred the winner.
May 27, 1917, at 4:00 p.m., a deadly Kentucky tornado began in Tennessee’s northwest corner and quickly moved into the Commonwealth. Forty-two people lost their lives in Fulton County, half of which were in the Bondurant area along KY 1282. The southeast side of Clinton County was also hit hard, with 17 more fatalities there. In Graves County, another five people died near Dublin. The F4 tornado took sixty-four lives, and 345 people received injuries in a 50-mile path.
May 27, 1922, Chief of Police James Sexton, Ravenna Police Department , died while arresting a man for assaulting his wife. As he placed the man in custody, the man pulled out a handgun and shot him three times.
Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Florence native Kenny Price , born in 1931. Known as the “Round Mound of Sound,” his highest-peaking singles, “Walking on New Grass ” and “Happy Tracks ,” both reached No. 7 on that chart.
May 27, 1938, one of Kentucky’s greatest political scandals started when Brady Stewart, Happy Chandler’s campaign manager, published a letter in The Courier-Journal claiming that “every federal relief agency in Kentucky is frankly and brazenly operating on a political basis.” Chandler wanted to be governor again.
May 27, 1943, J.O. “Jack” Keene died of a heart attack at the Fair Grounds in Detroit.
Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Owensboro (Daviess County) native Jeremy Mayfield , born in 1969.
May 27, 1971, Army CPT Paul D. Carter from Louisville died in the Vietnam War.
On Primary Tuesday, May 27, 1975, Secretary of State Thelma Stovall became the 1st woman nominated as Lt. Gov. in Kentucky, defeating 19 men in the Democratic race. Governor J. Carroll, 44, won a stunning majority for a chance to win a full term on his merits. The former House Speaker and Lt. Gov. beat out several politicians and two wealthy coal operators.
May 27, 1984, former heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali participated in the 1984 Olympic Torch Relay through downtown Louisville.
On Wednesday, May 27, 1987, religious and political leaders stated that Wallace Wilkinson’s resounding victory in the primary the day before wasn’t necessarily a mandate for a state lottery . They vowed to continue working with the General Assembly and helping kill any lottery bill as they had done since 1974.
May 27, 1991, Louisville native Ted Schulz won the Foster Brooks Pro-Celebrity Golf Tournament held at Hurstbourne Country Club . Seven years earlier, as a 24-year-old, he won the Kentucky Open Championship at the same club but on a refurbished course.
May 27, 1992, Rep. Carroll Hubbard, 1st District, pocketed $260,000 in leftover campaign money when he left Congress the following year, all legal cash.
On May 27, 2009, commanders at Fort Campbell dedicated the first of three days to help new soldiers cope with the stress of war, setting aside routine duties . The Kentucky base had experienced at least 11 suicides that year, the highest number of any U.S. military base.
On May 27, 2010, the Kentucky Senate adopted Senator Neal’s resolution to reaffirm the principles of equality preserved in the U.S. Constitution , the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Kentucky Civil Rights Act of 1966.
On May 27, 2016, Governor M. Bevin’s administration joined eleven other states in a lawsuit against the federal government over its transgender bathroom guidelines. Bevin stated the government had no authority over local school districts’ locker room policies.
On May 27, 2019, Thomas Massie blocked a long-overdue $19 billion “Relief Bill” backed by President Trump and Speaker Pelosi , claiming, “You can’t have bills passed in Congress with nobody voting on them. That is the definition of the swamp, and that’s what people resent about this place.”
On May 27, 2023, President Biden and then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy agreed to raise the debt ceiling. Thus ending the yearly production drama of “SHUTDOWN 23.” The Ukraine War sparked some GOP debate, and they asked for a new Speaker. They got one in Johnson five months later. Today, Speaker Johnson is “same as it ever was.”
On Saturday, May 27, 2023, Governor A. Beshear crowned the new Kentucky Mountain Laurel Festival Queen while Thomas M. shared some bad news about the big banks and Big Brother working relationship.
On Monday, May 27, 2024, the governor spent time with the National Guard on Memorial Day. Meanwhile, the National Weather Service confirmed tornadoes hit Eastern Meade, Northern Hardin, Butler, and Northern Warren Counties over the holiday weekend. In Meade an EF-1 tornado with 90 mph winds went through a 1.3-mile path.
