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TODAY IN KENTUCKY HISTORY

Kentucky Trivia ● Kentucky Tweets

February 24, 1775, the North Carolina Gazette printed NC Governor Martin’s letter.  He quoted at length from the Royal Proclamation of 1763, particularly the portion prohibiting land purchases from Native Americans by private persons.  He aimed his piece directly to Richard Henderson and his Kentucky confederates.

February 24, 1838, Kentucky Congressman William Graves killed Congressman Jonathan Cilley of Maine in a duel outside Washington D.C.  It started on the House floor when Graves approached Cilley with a letter from a 3rd party.  Cilley refused to accept it.  Graves took it as an insult and challenged him to the duel.

February 24, 1843, Kentucky created Johnson County from Floyd County, Morgan County, and Lawrence County and named it in honor of Richard Mentor Johnson, U.S. V.P.  Paintsville is the county seat.  Other localities include Asa, Boonscamp, Chandlerville, Collista, Denver, Dobson, East Point, Elna, Flat Gap, Fuget, Hager Hill, Hargis, Keaton, Kerz, Leander, Low Gap, Manila, Meally, Nero, Nippa, Odds, Offutt, Oil Springs, Redbush, River, Riceville, Sip, Sitka, Staffordsville, Stambaugh, Swamp Branch, Thealka, Thelma, Tutor Key, Van Lear, Volga, West Van Lear, Whitehouse, Williamsport, Winifred, and Wittensville.  The 97th county created, Johnson County covers 264 square miles.

KY 1843
640px Map of Kentucky highlighting Johnson County.svg
By David Benbennick

On February 24, 1852, Mason County native Roy Bean dueled on horseback with a Scotsman.  The Kentuckian damaged the Scotsman’s right arm, and police arrested both men for assault.  Bean, considered brave and handsome by the local women, received numerous visits and gifts during his six-week stay in jail.  However, he escaped in April when one of his admirers slipped him knives hidden in some tamales.

February 24, 1885, Julia Marcum, who put her life in danger for the Union cause, received a pension for combat wounds received in the Civil War.  Only a handful of women received a war pension, but Aunt Julia, 91, also received a military funeral when she was laid to rest in the Highland Cemetery in Williamsburg died.

February 24, 1885, Deputy Marshal John Gill, Mount Sterling Police Department, died while assisting another deputy marshal arrest a drunk and disorderly man.

Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Barlow native Robert Earl Grace, born in 1907, in Ballard County.

Feb 24 EarlGraceGoudeycard
By Goudey

February 24, 1917, the Daughters of the American Revolution shipped a huge chip from one of Kentucky’s most historic trees, bearing Daniel Boone’s initials and the date 1781, to Lexington for preservation.  It came from a Beech Tree in Letcher County.  For generations, the tree had been a landmark, located on Boone’s Creek, 300 feet from the Kentucky River.

February 24, 1917, Nicola Marschall died in Louisville.  The artist designed the original Confederate flag, the Stars and Bars, and the official grey uniform of the Confederate army.

February 24, 1924, Deputy Sheriff James Baker, Clay County Sheriff’s Office, succumbed to gunshot wounds sustained two weeks earlier while attempting to make an arrest.

February 24, 1930, Town Marshal J. Wes Perkins, Williamsburg Police Department, died from a gunshot as he and another officer attempted to stop a car whose occupants were suspected of firing several shots from the vehicle.

Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to World Boxing Association World Heavyweight Champion Jimmy Ellis, born in 1940 in Louisville.

February 24, 1944, Sharpe native James King lost his life near Gotha, Germany, when the B-24 on which he was a co-pilot got shot down.  James played basketball for three seasons (1939-42) for the Wildcats.  Sharpe is located in Marshall County.

February 24, 1956, one of the 1st drunk driving experiments concluded and the findings showed that drivers are impaired much lower than the generally accepted .15%.  

Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Falmouth native Elizabeth Alice Broderick, born in 1959.

February 24, 1961, while police arrested 58 people during an anti-discrimination demonstration in downtown Louisville, civil rights leaders met with Louisville Mayor Bruce Hoblitzell to end the three-day protest.

Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Lexington native Kelly Craft, born in 1962.  The ex U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations from 2019 to 2021 is currently running for governor.

February 24, 1967, Army SGT Carl A. Humphrey from Jeffersontown, Marine Corps PFC Gary S. Jordan from Newport, Marine Corps LCPL Phillip R. Shoopman from Louisville and Army CPT Paul E. Vanhoose from Stambaugh in Johnson County, all died in the Vietnam War.

February 24, 1968, Marine Corps SSGT William B. Hughes from Vanceburg in Lewis County, Air Force SSGT Johnny Rose, Jr. from Williamsport in Johnson County and Army SSG William L. Watson from Louisville, all died in the Vietnam War.

February 24, 1969, Marine Corps LCPL Ronald T. Varney from Belfry in Pike County died in the Vietnam War.

February 24, 1970, Army CPT Patrick L. Smith from Louisville died in the Vietnam War.

February 24, 1971, former Secretary of the Interior delivered a speech at UK’s Student Center Ballroom.  Mr. Hickel, “Society today faces problems on many fronts, but I consider none more serious than that of defending our ecological life lines.  We are faced with the reality we cannot create new resources…continued waste…extravagance…that will only burden the welfare of tomorrow.”

February 24, 1988, in an 8–0 landmark decision, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Larry Flynt’s Hustler Magazine.  They published an ad depicting televangelist and political commentator Jerry Sr. as an incestuous drunk.  The court ruled Falwell was a public figure; hence the parody was protected speech and could not have been reasonably considered believable.

Kentucky Trivia:  Despite being portrayed in an Oscar nominated movie, The Academy refused Larry Flynt an invitation to the 1997 Awards, so Woody Harrelson brought Flynt as his “plus one.”

Feb 24 Falwellhustler

February 24, 1990, Deputy Sheriff Ethelbert Wainscott, Jessamine County Sheriff’s Department, suffered a fatal heart attack as he and two other deputies served an arrest warrant at a man’s home.

February 24, 1996, Gulfstream’s GII $200,000 Fountain of Youth Stakes paid a $288.20 payout on a $2.00 ticket.

February 24, 1999, Columbia native Lance Buton’s Top Secret special aired on television.

February 24, 2003, Governor Paul Patton, in his bid to cut costs, shrunk the Kentucky fleet from 5,000 sedans, trucks, and vans to 4,500.  The governor and lt. governor drove around in a 20-car fleet, including Crown Victorias, Chevrolet Suburbans, and a Ford Conversion van.

February 24, 2008, the GII $350,000 Fountain of Youth Stakes finished with Keeneland graduates placing 1st through 7th.  A Kentucky bred took home $210,000 for 1st place.

February 24, 2014, America, with the help of Pierre Omidyar successfully overthrew the Ukrainian government.   The Washington Post editorial celebrated the Maidan demonstrators successful campaign to overthrow Yanukovych.  The “moves were democratic,” the Washington Post concluded, and “Kiev, Ukraine is now controlled by pro-Western parties.”

February 24, 2015, a bill AT&T pushed to deregulate telephone service finally passed the Kentucky House.  The bill enabled telecom conglomerates to drop essential services in rural areas.

February 24, 2019, government finance records showed that Kentucky’s four major utility companies pumped $327,050 into Frankfort lobbying, while the solar industry only showered the city with $6,500.

February 24, 2020, Hollywood hit their lowest point in the city’s history when Harvey Weinstein is found guilty of rape in a landmark trial.  Early coronavirus news made investors uneasy, and the Dow Jones had their largest sell-off in two years.  Technology stocks fell because many bought gold, government bonds, utilities, and real estate investments.  Meanwhile, the Rupp Arena remodeling construction continued.

The F.B.I. detained a Benton man on February 24, 2021, after being seen on YouTube videos during the Capitol riots.  Clayton Mullins dragged a police officer down the Capitol steps sending him to the hospital.  Meanwhile, Frankfort lawmakers sponsored a bill to protect landlords’ rights to evict tenants during future pandemics.

February 24, 2022, Russia finally invaded Ukraine.  We are still fighting over fossil fuels, this time the pipelines that lead from Russia through Ukraine to Europe.  Unfortunately, Uncle Sam wanted in on the Europe / Russia pipeline discussion and today there is war.  Both major U.S. political parties are 100% full-blown war hawks, that can’t end well.