June 30, 1780, the Virginia Assembly divided Kentucky County into Fayette, Lincoln, and Jefferson Counties. The new counties all became effective on November 1, 1780. At the time, the territory was home to five established communities: Boonesborough, Fort Harrod/Boiling Springs, St. Asaph, later called Logan’s Station, McClelland’s Station, and Leestown.
Kentucky 1780
On June 30, 1802, the federal government repealed the hated Federal Excise tax on whiskey sales and transportation of distilled spirits . There was much celebration in the streets. “The Lexington Light Infantry paraded and fired 17 vollies of musquetry, the beels rang joyful peal, the bonfires blazed and shouts filled the air.” The Squire’s Sketches of Lexington by J. Winston Coleman, Jr. pg: 24
June 30, 1817, Lexington laid the cornerstone for Fayette Hospital , the 1st psychiatric hospital west of the Allegheny Mountains and the 2nd in the U.S. From statehood in 1792, Kentucky boarded the mentally disturbed at public expense with individuals willing to provide care for them. Alternatively, a few were sent to Eastern State Hospital in Williamsburg, Virginia.
Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Breckinridge County native George Washington Swink , born in 1836. The landowner and Colorado politician is said to have been the holder of the 1st timber claim certificate in the U.S., issued by President Grover Cleveland in 1887.
Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Louisville native Matt Winn , born in 1861.
June 30, 1923, Deputy Sheriff Jesse Peters, Harlan County Sheriff’s Office , succumbed to a gunshot wound sustained two months earlier while arresting a drunk man in public.
June 30, 1925, John T. Scopes, variously termed the hero and “GOAT” of the Tennessee evolution case , came up missing days before his case went to trial. The young school teacher possibly headed to Chattanooga or his hometown of Paducah to get some peace and quiet before the storm.
June 30, 1947, as Col. Matt Winn celebrated his 86th birthday in Louisville with family , slot machines reappeared in Covington in the 1st comeback since February when an anti-slot group sued the Kenton County Commonwealth Attorney.
On June 30, 1955, the Louisville & Nashville Railroad’s old #2 , which made its first run nine years before the Civil War, made its last run from Louisville to Lexington. Kentucky in Retrospect by Lila Jones Kingston pg: 133
On June 30, 1962, Hickman (Fulton County) native Elvis Stahr, Jr. resigned as Secretary of the Army under President JFK to be Indiana University’s 12th president.
On June 30, 1972, after much controversy around “age,” Coach A. Rupp resigned from UK. In March, the Athletic Association Board and President Otis Singletary stood together and assured everyone that Coach A. Rupp would follow the school’s established retirement policy, like everyone else, and retire as mandated.
June 30, 1975, Muhammad Ali (48-2) fought Joe Bugner (51-6-1) in Merdeka Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia . A $2 million purse lured Ali to only his 2nd fight in a Muslim country. The rematch with Bugner didn’t generate much hype, so Ali was persuaded to say this might be his last fight to drum up interest. Ali danced around the ring most of the battle, throwing combinations every so often, and won the 15-round decision with ease.
June 30, 1978, Spectacular Bid won his 1st race , at Pimlico, by 3 1/4 lengths.
June 30, 1980, Deputy Sheriff Hiram A. Ritchie, Perry County Sheriff’s Office , died and another deputy was seriously wounded during a gun battle with five men near Buckhorn Lake.
June 30, 1984, click to see Larry Bird ducked under some trees to line up a golf shot during the 3rd annual Children’s Charity Golf Classic at the Greenbrier Golf and Country Club in Lexington. Bird had just won the Championship and commented the course was beautiful. Actor Leslie Nielsen and four other golfers won the event.
On June 30, 1989, the Belle of Louisville , one of the last authentic steamboats, became a National Historic Landmark . Originally named Idlewild in 1914, she started her service on the Allegheny and Mississippi Rivers. In 1931 she ran trips between the Fontaine Ferry amusement park near downtown Louisville and Rose Island, a resort about 14 miles upriver, along with many out-of-town trips. In 1934 Idlewild stayed in Louisville till after WWII. In 1948, Avalon became her name for the dying wish of an ex-Captain. By 1962, Avalon fell into disrepair until Jefferson County Judge Marlow Cook bought her at an auction for $34,000 in hopes of restoring the city’s connection to the waterfront. The newly named Belle of Louisville made her 1st cruise in a race against the steamboat Delta Queen in 1963.
By Bo
June 30, 1990, retired jockey Bill Shoemaker won his 1st race as a trainer , sending two-year-old filly Tempest Cloud to her maiden victory at Hollywood Park.
June 30, 1991, one year after his 1st victory as a trainer, Bill Shoemaker recorded his 1st Grade I win with Alcando in the Beverly Hills Handicap at Hollywood Park.
On June 30, 1999, coal and timber companies offered to sell Black Mountain to the Commonwealth for approximately $10 million. The state had to decide if the offer was fair and had then come up with the money. Months later, Kentucky purchased the mineral and timber rights to the summit only for $750,000. We bought it from Penn Virginia Resources to prevent large-scale mining and preserve the state’s highest peak, which stands at 4,145 feet.
On June 30, 2000, Governor Patton joined more than 100 state and local officials to dedicate the new stretch of U.S. 421, where Madison, Rockcastle, and Jackson counties meet. It took 2.5 years, $13 million, and the blasting of 3.4 million cubic yards of dirt and rock to straighten a two-mile stretch of steep, winding, and dangerous road. Big Hill Road is now safer.
On June 30, 2010, Army Sgt. 1st Class Kristopher D. Chapleau, 33, of La Grange , died in Afghanistan of injuries sustained in a non-combat incident during Operation Enduring Freedom.
On June 30, 2013, German news magazine Der Spiegel reported Edward Snowden’s leaks detailed NSA bugging European Union offices in Washington, New York and an EU building in Brussels. Snowden currently resided in Russia and received citizenship in 2022.
June 30, 2014, a divided Supreme Court gave corporations more personal rights when they ruled companies could deny birth-control coverage to their employees.
On June 30, 2019, Campbell County Deputy John Sayers served 61 years, 11 months, and 21 days . His career spanned 14 Kentucky governors, from Happy to Matt, and 12 presidents, from Dwight to Donald. Mr. Sayers served longer than any Kentucky officer in recorded history.
On June 30, 2023, veterinarians diagnosed Louisville Zoo’s 3-year-old elephant, Fitz, with elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus EEHV) virus and he died. Zoo keepers became alarmed after another elephant “repeatedly placed her trunk in Fitz’s mouth, an abnormal behavior.” They also noticed he was lethargic. The Smithsonian Zoo confirmed the diagnosis. EEHV affects young elephants that live in zoos, sanctuaries, or in the wild.
