Kentucky Trivia ● Kentucky Tweets

April 29, 1814, Henry Clay loaned famed Kentucky artist Joseph H. Bush $50.00, and months later $150.00. 
Jouett-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 on the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers.  Shippingport is 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.

April 29, 1896, the world’s 1^st recorded set of same sex quintuplets was born in Mayfield, Graves County.  The five baby boys born to Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Demarcus Lyon were considered such a wonder that people from all over West Kentucky and beyond flocked into the home to see.

Kentucky Trivia:  The babies were named Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Paul, and all died within two weeks due to starvation.  A wet nurse was acquired, but it still was not enough.  Bottle feeding was extremely frowned upon, and Mrs. Lyon said they would not let her do it even though the stores sent milk to the house and bottles.  She never said who “they” were.

Monday, April 29, 1901, His Eminence beat four others and won the 27^th Kentucky Derby in 2:07.75 with James Winkfield aboard.  Trained and owned by F. B. Van Meter, the 1^st place prize money paid $4,850.  Second place received $700 and 3^rd $300.  The 1901 Derby was the only April Derby.

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, a group 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.

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 1^st time.

April 29, 1935, Patrolman John Wesley Carpenter, Louisville Police Department, died as the result of an injury and infection to his hand sustained during a struggle with a prisoner two weeks earlier.  His hand received a cut when he struck the prisoner in the teeth.

April 29, 1937, Fencing wins the 1^st Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland.  The Kentucky Association track hosted the race from 1911-14 and 1919-26.

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 where 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.  It was the festival’s final pre-Derby program and 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 first woman to hold such a position for Keeneland.

April 29, 1959, Tomy Lee wins the Blue Grass and gives jockey Bill Shoemaker the first of his record six victories in the race.  They return to win the Kentucky Derby.

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 first 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 fifteen-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.

April 29, 2000, the United States Dog Agility Association held their 5^th competition at the Kentucky Horse Park, while the Rolex Three-Day Event took place.  Over 400 dogs of many breeds leaped over bars, climbed through tunnels, and stepped on A-Frames, for owners and spectators alike.  The competition was intense.

On April 29, 2000, the Mountain Mushroom Festival began in Irvine, showcasing the Morel Mushroom.  The elusive mushroom brought prices from $15 to $75 a pound, depending on the buyers’ desperation.  The largest mushroom received a $100 cash prize, which was over a foot long.

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

April 29, 2009, the Belle of Cincinnati replaced the Delta Queen in the annual “The Great Steamboat Race” run on the Wednesday before the first Saturday of May.  The first 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.

April 29, 2017, Golden Gate hosted the GIII $100,225 San Francisco Mile for three-year-olds and upward.  A Keeneland graduate takes home $60,000 for 1^st place.

April 29, 2020, Kentucky Heartwood called for a halt to logging in part of the Daniel Boone National Forest.  The conservation group had concerns the U.S. Forest Service marked more trees for cutting than allowed.  They also witnessed logging in banned areas.

In Kentucky, on April 29, 2020, 23,797 small businesses received $4.1 billion in relief funds in the first round.  Big banks who provided the funds favored their larger customers first.  For example, Ramaco received an $8.4 million loan.  Ramaco Resources, a Lexington-based $100 million publicly-traded coal company, had no mines operating in Kentucky.  The government did not provide a list of the businesses that received loans.  A majority of real, local small businesses received nothing.

On April 29, 2021, more than 1.7 million Kentuckians had received vaccinations; there were 2.8 million who had not.  Businesses offered freebies to entice people to get the vaccination.  These included: 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.