Previously part of Virginia, Kentucky was admitted into the Union as the fifteenth state on June 1, 1792. It is known as the "Bluegrass State" in reference to Kentucky bluegrass, a species of grass introduced by European settlers which has long supported the state's thoroughbred horse industry.
The fertile soil in the central and western parts of the state led to the development of large tobacco plantations similar to those in Virginia and North Carolina, which utilized enslaved labor prior to the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment. Kentucky ranks fifth nationally in goat farming, eight in beef cattle production, and fourteenth in corn production. While Kentucky has been a long-standing center for the tobacco industry, its economy has diversified into non-agricultural sectors including auto manufacturing, energy production, and medicine. Kentucky ranks fourth among US states in the number of automobiles and trucks assembled. It is one of several states considered part of the Upland South. (Full article...)
After debuting in 1998, Hall worked on the independent circuit under the name Macaela Mercedes. She won numerous championships, before beginning to work for Ohio Valley Wrestling in 2003 under her real name. She debuted on WWE's SmackDown brand as the "fixer" for the MNM faction. After leaving MNM, she became John "Bradshaw" Layfield's "image consultant", and managed him to the WWE United States Championship at WrestleMania 22. In February 2007, Hall developed an in-ring persona as a tone-deaf singer. In June 2007, she was drafted to Raw, where she participated in numerous tag team matches after allying with Melina. In October 2009, Hall won the WWE Divas Championship, but lost it to Melina the same night, marking it as the shortest reign in the title's history. Hall was released from her WWE contract in November 2010. Following this, Hall has appeared twice in WWE; first at the Raw Reunion in 2019 and then at the Royal Rumble 2021. Following her 2019 Raw Reunion appearance, WWE officially began regarding Hall as a legend. Since 2010, Hall has wrestled on the independent circuit. (Full article...)
Eversole-French Feud tin type (media recreation taken about 1890 after the Battle of Hazard). Eversole clan on the left, French clan on the right.
The Eversole-French feud was a long-running dispute between two American families which occurred primarily from 1887 to 1894 in the mountains of southeastern Kentucky, mainly in the town of Hazard in Perry County. The two instigators of the feud were Joseph C. Eversole and Benjamin Fulton French, who were both merchants and lawyers and at one time were friendly. The conflict was a media sensation and was covered by many US papers at the time. The first report was in the Louisville Courier-Journal on June 30, 1886, on Page 1. A listing of the various media reports is included at the end of this article. Ultimately, those media reports became the basis for various books written about the Eversole-French War. Based on a report by General Sam Hill to Kentucky Governor Simon Bolivar Buckner, the feud killed more than 20 men. Other historians exaggerated the numbers killed to as many as 74 deaths. (Full article...)
Image 14The Native American Crab Orchard culture existed in western Kentucky and southern Indiana from c. 200 BCE to 500 CE. (from History of Kentucky)
... that in 1977, Appalachian folk singer Phyllis Boyens performed at a Christmas benefit concert to support Kentucky coal miners who had been on strike for 17 months?
... that in 1969, unknown persons dynamited the tower of a Kentucky TV station, leaving it leaning at a 15-degree angle?
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