On September 3, 1783, the Brits and Americans signed The Treaty of Paris , ending the American Revolution. The pact granted U.S. independence and provided significant lands in the western territory. The likelihood of an organized Native invasion in Kentucky was significantly reduced.
September 3, 1861, known as “Sewanee’s Fighting Bishop ,” Confederate General Leonidas Polk fortified a bluff on the Mississippi River at Columbus. Two days earlier, U.S. General Ulysses S. Grant had taken control of Paducah and Cairo, IL and intended to take control of the high ground around Columbus.
September 3, 1862, Breckinridge native Joseph Holt became the Judge Advocate General of the U.S. Army, appointed by President A. Lincoln.
On September 3, 1867, Kentucky inaugurated John LaRue Helm as the 24th Governor at his home, Helm Place, in Elizabethtown. Despite his frail health, he canvassed the entire Commonwealth, calling for an end to bitterness against those who had sided with the Confederacy during the Civil War. Helm was so weak at his swearing that his Secretary of State read his inaugural address at the Hardin County Courthouse. This was his second term, having also served as the 18th governor. Helm died five days later on September 8, some say of stress.
September 3, 4 & 5, 1872, Louisville hosted a splintered Democratic National Convention . The other democrats held their convention in NY.
September 3, 1880, the James brothers allegedly made off with $1,800 and a watch from their last stagecoach robbery . The holdup occurred around Mammoth Cave. They reportedly found the watch on Jesse’s dead body in 1882.
September 3, 1887, Fleming County lynched Charles Coleman after being convicted of criminal assault.
September 3, 1896, Richmond native David R. Francis became the 20th U.S. Secretary of the Interior , just one of his many high-profile jobs.
September 3, 1916, Sheriff Robertson, Carroll County Sheriff’s Office , died from a gunshot wound from a suspect he was serving a warrant on for mistreating his family and terrorizing the town.
September 3, 1936, Katherine Rebecca Pettit passed away in Lexington, her hometown . The educator and suffragist contributed to the settlement school movement of the early 20th century.
September 3, 1940, President F. D. Roosevelt left Corbin at 12:15 a.m. and arrived in Winchester at 2:55 a.m. The president then arrived at Olive hill at 5:22 a.m., leaving at 5:25 a.m. and arrived in Mountain Top at 5:31 a.m. and stayed three minutes. He then traveled to Ashland and stayed 10 minutes. FDR then left Kentucky for WVA.
September 3, 1950, Army CPL Kenneth Ball from Whitley County , Army PFC David C. Bruin from Pendleton County , Army CPL Donald D. Skeens from Johnson County , Army CPL Lloyd E. Wainscott from Grant County , Army PFC Ralph B. Williams from Oldham County , and Army PFC Charles T. McKinney from Graves County , all died in the Korean War.
September 3, 1952, Marine Corps PFC Hubert Mills from Dewitt in Knox County died in the Korean War.
September 3, 1965, Patrolman Stephens, Olive Hill Police Department , died from a gunshot attempting to make an arrest.
September 3, 1966, Marine Corps CPL Lorenza Gayles from Middlesboro and Army SP4 Robert A. Masterson from Louisville , both died in the Vietnam War.
September 3, 1967, Army 1LT James L. Ante from Covington died in the Vietnam War.
September 3, 1969, Army SGT Gary L. Evans from Pebworth in Owsley County died in the Vietnam War.
On September 3, 1970, Kiefer Maddox, a Jefferson County farmer, didn’t want to make a big thing out of it . However, after his creek turned from soapy water to a black oily substance, he blamed the new Ford truck plant one and a half miles away. So he opened up to the press, and they listened.
On September 3, 1976, Louisville police charged at least three teenage antibusing protestors with harassing police. The youths decided to stay after 500 protestors disbanded. Earlier, the demonstrators had marched along a major thoroughfare waving American and Confederate flags and chanting slogans.
On September 3, 1978, about 100 lucky people gathered spontaneously around a 1968 black Cadillac parked beside Kincaid Tower for the final scene of the movie Steel starring Lee Majors. The scene had three components. One was to film the falling beam from Kincaid Tower, another for the car to explode after the beam hit it, and the third part was for the actors to say their parts.
September 3, 1991, Henry Clay’s House stopped public tours to begin a major renovation.
September 3, 1994, in a game that fans wanted for several decades, Kentucky and Louisville squared off on the gridiron for the 1st time in 70 years . A Commonwealth Stadium record crowd of 59,162 watched Kentucky win their only game of the season, 20-14, Backup quarterback Antonio O’Ferral ran for the late game-winning touchdown. Howard Schnellenberger, who pushed for the renewed rivalry, coached his last season. The series record now stood at 7-0. Coach Bill Curry presented the game ball to Trent DiGiuro’s family, who died less than two months earlier.
September 3, 1999, Catlettsburg, a town of 2,200 that hugs the Ohio River just south of Ashland, celebrated the town’s 150th birthday with a free concert by George Jones for the icing on the cake. Officials expected 25,000 to attend. It would not have happened without Police Chief Mark Plummer, who met Jones at a concert in the early 80s and has been a great friend since, even visiting each other’s home. George would return for many more Labor Days before passing.
On September 3, 2001, workers held a Lexington Living Wage rally. The annual gathering switched locations from Triangle Park to Douglass Park. One of their main goals was get the minimum wage to $9.61 an hour.
On September 3, 2008, Bill Canan, a former Lexington policeman involved in the city’s 1st war on drugs during the 1970s, walked free from federal prison after a drug dealing conviction. Canan played a role in the Bluegrass Conspiracy.
September 3, 2010, Harrodsburg native Daniel W. Scott II, owner of Daniel W. Scott II Farm near Lexington, died at 94 . His 1st winner as a breeder, Gushing Oil, won the 1952 Blue Grass Stakes, the Arkansas Derby, and the Louisiana Derby. Gushing Oil gave it a try in that year’s Kentucky Derby but finished unplaced.
September 3, 2016, a Kentucky bred and Keeneland graduate won the GI $300,000 Del Mar Debutante Stakes for two-year-old fillies, while Kentucky Football lost their season opener to Southern Mississippi 44-35. The Wildcats ended the season with a loss in the Tax Slayer Bowl to GA. Tech.
September 3, 2020, Kentucky schools limited spectators for high school sports . Meanwhile, Senator J. Biden said, “When we finally do, god willing, get a vaccine, who’s going to take the shot? Who’s going to take the shot? Are you going to be the first one to say sign me up? They now say it is OK? I’m not being facetious.”
On September 3, 2021, Apple announced that Kentucky and seven other states would participate in trial runs of replacing a plastic drivers’ license with a digital one.
On September 3, 2022, Thomas Massie tweeted , “Do your research.” He then linked to a joint statement concerning the January 6 attempt to overturn election results.
On September 3, 2023, Senator Rand Paul made two posts , one to wish his wife, Russellville native Kelley Ashby Paul, a happy birthday. The other is below.