TODAY IN KENTUCKY HISTORY

Kentucky Trivia ● Kentucky Tweets

June 2, 1814, Shaker Village became official after nine years in development with New Lebanon, NY.  In 1805, they set out on foot from NY to Kentucky.  By 1823, 491 Shakers lived at Pleasant Hill and owned approximately 4,500 acres.

June 2, 1865, Civil War officially ended.

Thursday, June 2, 1887, Hanover beat Oneko, by 30 lengths, in the 4th Belmont Stakes going the 1 ½ miles on a heavy track in 2:43 ½ and earned $2,900.  Born on Runnymeade Farm in Paris, Oneko was the last stallion to be the leading sire in North America for four consecutive years until Bold Ruler achieved the feat in 1965.

Tuesday, June 2, 1896, Hastings, with Harry Griffin up, won the 30th Belmont Stakes over three others by a neck.  August Belmont won the $3,025 purse.  The 1 3/8 miles went in 2:24 1/5 on a good track.

Wednesday, June 2, 1909, Joe Madden won the 43rd Belmont Stakes over four others and earned $23,550.  The 1 3/8 miles went in 2:21 3/5.

June 2, 1910, Kentucky dedicated the 4th permanent and current capitol building in a grand ceremony led by Governor Augustus Willson, the 36th governor.  The Capitol is home to the House, Senate and Kentucky’s Supreme Court.  The final cost was $1.82 million some of which was provided by the federal government for damages due to the Civil War and 1898 Spanish American War.  They made no plans for parking because popular opinion said automobiles were a fad.

June 2, 1919, Patrolman Thomas Martin Giltner, Louisville Police Department, died from gunshots trying to arrest two men at 2 o’clock in the morning in front of a garage.

June 2, 1921, Deputy Sheriff William Marion Stewart, Harlan County Sheriff’s Office, died from gunshots arresting a miner who was bringing a rifle onto a train to the McCombs mines in Lenarue.

June 2, 1933, Burkesville native William Marrion Branham reported 14 converts.  His followers believed miraculous signs accompanied his ministry.

June 2, 1945, Darby Dieppe won the Blue Grass Stakes held at Churchill Downs.

Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Louisville native Wes Unseld, born in 1946.

June 2, 1948, Deputy Sheriff Montgomery Givens Christian, Union County Sheriff’s Office, died when he fell from the running board of a vehicle, attempting to arrest the driver for being intoxicated.

June 2, 1951, Army CPL Virgil Grant from Madison County died in the Korean War.

Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Louisville native Steven Carl Raible, born in 1954.  Steven announced the play-by-play on radio for the Seattle Seahawks and anchored for KIRO 7-TV in Seattle, Washington until his retirement.  He played for the Seahawks for six seasons.

June 2, 1968, Army SP4 Robert G. Galloway from Berea died in the Vietnam War.

June 2, 1969, Army SGT Francis R. McGowan from Columbia in Adair County died in the Vietnam War.

June 2, 1970, Marine Corps LCPL Thomas J. Berning from Newport died in the Vietnam War.

June 2, 1974, the popularity of Bluegrass Music was evident on the Louisville’s Riverfront Plaza as a large crowd gathered for the 2nd annual U.S. Bluegrass Music Festival. 

June 2, 1975, the Kentucky State Racing Commission refused summer racing dates to the Commonwealth Race Course in Louisville for the first time since they opened in 1956.  The dates were split between Churchill Downs and Ellis Park.

June 2, 1982, Keeneland sale graduates Golden Fleece and Touching Wood ran 1st and 2nd, respectively, in the Epsom Derby.

June 2, 1983, Air Canada Flight 797, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9, caught fire during a flight over Kentucky; 23 of 46 passengers died from smoke inhalation even after the crew successfully landed the aircraft at the Cincinnati airport in Northern Kentucky.

June 2, 1989, Rick Pitino became UK’s head basketball coach.

On June 2, 1992, the feds indicted Louisville native Douglas Phillips known as the “Houdini of Credit Card Fraud,” one of Kentucky’s finest scam artists.  Phillips conned Proctor & Gamble’s CEO out of $11,400 while in a Kansas prison.  Mr. Arztz, P&G’s CEO, earned $1.4 million in 1991.  In 2020 their CEO earned $22.9 million.

June 2, 1997, the Supreme Court cleared the way for Kentucky’s first execution in 35 years by rejecting the final round of appeals for murderer Harold McQueen.  On the same day, Attorney Ben Chandler sent a letter to Governor Paul Patton asking him to sign the death warrant.  McQueen died less than a month later.

Kentucky Trivia:  Since the U.S. reinstated capital punishment in 1976, Kentucky has executed three people, all for murder, and all occurred at the Kentucky State Penitentiary (KSP) in Eddyville.  In 1997 they used the electric chair, in 1999 and 2008, a needle.   The first person legally executed by Kentucky was Jereboam O. Beauchamp, who hung in 1826 for the murder of Solomon P. Sharp.

June 2, 2005, Deputy Sheriff Roger Dale Lynch, Livingston County Sheriff’s Department, died from a gunshot after responding to a domestic violence call.

On June 2, 2014, Washington, D.C. announced their historic call to reduce carbon-dioxide emissions from existing coal-fired power plants.  At the time, Kentucky received 90% of its electricity from coal.  As a result, Kentucky also claimed the top spot for top C02 emission rates, followed by WY, WVA, and IN.

June 2, 2016, for the 53rd time, the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame honored Kentucky athletes.  The 2016 Class included: Darel Carrier, Kyra Elzy, Lakeside Swim Club, Philip Haywood, Scott Davenport, Shaun Alexander, and Joel Utley.

On June 2, 2017, the Lexington Legends introduced Tech the Bat Dog.  Every 2nd and 4th innings during Bark in the Park nights, the Malinois breed collects the bats around home plate after each hitter.  Meanwhile, cheap, abundant natural gas helped coal use hit a 33-year low.

On June 2, 2019, Paul McCartney sang to a sold-out crowd, 19,000 plus, in Rupp Arena.  From Beatles to Wings, the stunning set included 37 songs delivered in a 2.5-hour concert with no intermission.  In addition, the Courier-Journal spotlighted Will Jacoby’s leather shop.  Made from Kentucky bison, presidents, royalty, and common folk line up to have their orders filled.

June 2, 2020, on the 4th night of Kentuckians protesting police brutality in Lexington and Louisville, Lexington Police officers marched with protestors.  In Louisville, police released a video showing that a restaurant owner, protecting his property, fired a gun outside his restaurant right before being shot by police.

On June 2, 2021, Churchill Downs suspended Bob Baffert from all their racetracks for two years.  The suspension started immediately, will last through the 2023 Spring Meet, and will be applied to all of his employees.  Meanwhile, the Fayette County schools decided not to mandate the coronavirus vaccine for their students.