Kentucky History & Haunts

Public executions once drew crowds by the thousands in Kentucky. Families traveled by wagon, vendors did business, newspapers covered every detail, and many people believed these spectacles served as a warning to would-be criminals. Others saw them for what they were: state-sanctioned violence disguised as public entertainment. In this episode, we trace the history of Kentucky's public hanging...

Who was “Kentucky Frank”? Scout. Showman. Snake wrangler. Shooting gallery owner. Wild West performer. Serial storyteller. And eventually, a 72-year-old man who made headlines for marrying a thirteen-year-old Kentucky girl. In this episode of Kentucky History & Haunts, we trace the strange and unsettling life of the man born George Russell, better known to newspaper readers across the country...

This week, we’re heading back to April 1926 , where Kentucky newspapers delivered an especially chaotic mix of adventure, crime, odd headlines, and unexpectedly wholesome trivia. First, we follow Louisville native Jonathan Duff Reed Jr. , who beat out more than 1,000 applicants to join Commander Richard E. Byrd’s historic North Pole expedition, and later signed on for another journey toward Antarc...

This week, we’re heading back to April 1926 , where Kentucky newspapers delivered an especially chaotic mix of adventure, crime, odd headlines, and unexpectedly wholesome trivia. First, we follow Louisville native Jonathan Duff Reed Jr. , who beat out more than 1,000 applicants to join Commander Richard E. Byrd’s historic North Pole expedition, and later signed on for another journey toward Antarc...

In August 1925, fourteen-year-old Mary Vickery vanished from the coal camp of Coxton in Harlan County, Kentucky. Her father, miner E.C. Vickery, stopped going underground and began searching above it, combing hollows and writing desperate letters for help. Months later, a decomposed body was discovered in an abandoned mine shaft between Harlan and Baxter. A suspect was arrested. A courtroom filled...

First we’re paging through the Courier Journal for stories of romance gone sideways, dramatic gestures, and a few fiery plot twists. Starting with a Louisville divorce case where Mrs. Bessie Offutt tried to end her 17 year marriage, claiming her much older husband preferred sitting by the fire all day while she earned the living. The judge ruled that the law does not dissolve every unhappy marriag...

Kentucky in March of 1926 stands at a threshold. Winter is loosening its grip, modern life is creeping in, and beneath the surface of everyday routines, tensions simmer. Automobiles share muddy roads with horses, radios crackle with distant voices, and Prohibition is officially enforced while quietly ignored. In this episode of  Kentucky History & Haunts , we explore a month where gossip turns...

In this episode of Kentucky History & Haunts , we trace the remarkable life of Dr. St. Elmo Brady, a Louisville-born chemist, educator, and civil rights pioneer whose influence reached far beyond the laboratory. Born in 1884 amid flooding, segregation, and racial inequality, Brady rose to become the first Black American to earn a Ph. D. in chemistry and one of the most important scientific edu...

Yep, this episode from the 'century ago in Kentucky' series should technically have been about February 1926. I didn't realize I had been researching 101 years ago until I was about to hit publish! But I bet Kentucky was just as interesting in '25 as it was in '26! February 1925 In this episode of Kentucky History & Haunts , I explore the headlines of February 1925 , uncove...

In this episode, we follow the winding, unsettling path of a cold case that stretches from Lexington, Kentucky to Austin, Texas, and across nearly a decade of violence. In November 1998, 43-year-old Linda Rutledge was murdered inside her family’s hearing aid business in Lexington. Her body was found after the building was set on fire, and despite early investigation, the case quickly went cold. Fo...

In this episode, I dive into the life of Mildred “Milly” Lucas , a woman often credited as the first female jailer in Kentucky—though her journey to that role was anything but straightforward. What begins as an exploration of early female jailers in the state becomes a gripping true story of violence and political upheaval. After the brutal murder of her husband, Daviess County Jailer William Luca...

What happens when a newly elected Governor of Kentucky finds his political career consumed by corruption scandals, a burning state capitol…and his son’s sensational murder trials? In this episode, we dive into the dramatic rise and infamous downfall of Governor Joseph Desha — and his son Isaac, who may have been one of Kentucky's first serial killers. We begin with Joseph’s early life as a fro...

This episode explores the rich history and significance of the Brown Theater in Louisville, detailing its evolution from a premier theater to a movie house, its role in civil rights protests, and its modern-day significance as a community resource. The discussion also touches on ghost stories associated with the theater and the importance of the arts in society. Special thanks to Christian Adelber...

Content Warning: This episode includes discussion of a murder scene and a suicide. Please use care deciding when or whether to listen. We pick up moments after Mayor Dr. George P. Archer is found shot beside his car outside his clinic in Prestonsburg, KY (July 12, 1973). A witness reports a beige-on-green Buick LeSabre fleeing the scene—similar to the car driven by Judith Archer , the city clerk a...

Content Warning: This episode discusses a murder scene in detail as well as a suicide. Please use care deciding when or whether to listen. In this episode of Kentucky History & Haunts , we travel back to 1970s Floyd County to uncover the high-profile—but surprisingly underreported—murder of Prestonsburg Mayor Dr. George P. Archer . Born into a prominent Eastern Kentucky family of doctors and c...

In this episode of Kentucky History & Haunts , we head back to August 1925—a month of sensational scandals and small-town crime sprees that made big headlines. First, you’ll hear the wild tale of Lucy Wagner McMills , a young woman accused of kidnapping her husband and tricking him into marriage after a whirlwind romance. Newspapers from Kentucky to New York branded her a “Modern Cavewoman,” w...

In this offbeat episode, we take a break from heavy historical biographies and dive into something a little lighter. What started as a routine property history search for a Louisville listing led me down a rabbit hole of vintage newspaper clippings, culminating in an unexpected and fascinating journey through the early nudist (or naturist) movement in Kentucky and Indiana. You’ll hear the bizarre...

In this episode, we explore the extraordinary life of Brigadier General Charles Young — a man born into slavery in Mays Lick, Kentucky, during the Civil War who went on to break barriers across the U.S. military and beyond. Despite facing relentless racism, repeated demotions, and exclusion due to his race, Young became a pioneer and trailblazer, achieving numerous historic firsts as a Black offic...

Episode 150 (hooray) explores the historical significance of the Passenger Pigeon, the life of Junius Booth, and the cultural impact of extinction. It delves into the tragic story of the Passenger Pigeon, once abundant in North America, and the role of hunting and habitat loss in its extinction. The discussion also highlights the life of Junius Booth, father of John Wilkes Booth, and his connectio...

Mary Byron was waiting for her car to warm up in the parking lot of the mall where she worked on the night of her 21st birthday. She was about to head home to decorate the Christmas tree with her family. Instead she was shot to death by Donavan Harris, her former boyfriend. Just a few weeks earlier, Harris was arrested for holding Mary hostage at gunpoint and assaulting her in the basement of her...

Dr. Britton was the first black woman in Kentucky to practice medicine... but there is so much more to her story! Born in Lexington in 1855, she grew up a free black citizen and went to private schools in Lexington, then Berea college. She studied medicine in Battle Creek, Michigan under Dr. Kellogg. Dr. Britton helped open the Colored Orphans home in Lexington. She caused a stir at the 1893 Chica...

In the late 1830s, the owner of Mammoth Cave hoped to attract more tourists to the area. One of the key figures in making that happen was a slave named Stephen Bishop. Stephen became one of the most popular guides in the caves history, as well as a brave and savvy explorer, responsible for the expansion of the cave system with his discovery of several 'new' areas like the Bottomless Pit and Ruins...

Welcome to another installment of 'A Century Ago in Kentucky', where I share some of my favorite newspaper clippings from Kentucky newspapers in 1924. This episode includes stories of prisoners celebrating behind bars, while others are set free in time for the holidays, hundreds of gallons of wine are poured into the sewer by the Feds, plus fires and other accidents, burglars, crossword puzzles, a...

In the 1840s, a doctor from Louisville purchased Mammoth Cave. One of his motives for purchasing the land was to conduct an experiment by inviting tuberculosis patients to live underground during the winter months to cure them. It did not go well. For more on this topic, check out THE PURSUIT OF HEALTH IN THE MAMMOTH CAVE, published in the Bulletin of the History of Medicine, 1971, by Stanley Side...

On a cold January evening in 1925, after a long day of widening an entrance to a newly discovered cave, Floyd Collins lost his footing, knocked over his light, caused a shift in the tunnel and was pinned under a rock. Floyd was hopelessly stuck. Over the next two weeks, miners, geologists, engineers, family members and the Kentucky National Guard worked tirelessly to rescue Floyd. Floyd had passed...