By Steve Flairty
NKyTribune columnist
Small town life in Kentucky doesn’t mean there are a lack of things to do in those places, at least for what I’ve discovered looking around the state.
Here’s a sampling of events to get you started, coming in the next few months. And don’t forget the Kentucky State Fair, in Louisville, starting this week and running August 17-27. The fair has an amazing number of information booths highlighting counties and small towns all across Kentucky.
• Augusta: Rotary Heritage Days, August 30-September 3. Contact 716-515-8019.
• Carrollton: Bands and BBQ at the Point, September 8. Contact 502-732-7036.
• Central City: GospelFest 2023, Lu-Ray Park, August 30, 7 PM. Contact 270-754-5097 for details.
• Danville: Special Stand Comedy Weekend Starring Lee Cruse. Pioneer Playhouse, August 18—19. Contact 859-236-2747 or visit pioneerplayhouse.com.
• Wilmore: MORE TALES Storytelling Festival, Dan Glass Pavilion, September 15-16. Contact ajbryson12@gmail.com.
• Madisonville: Star Party, Mahr Park Arboretem, August 26, 9 PM. Contact 270-584-9017.
• Somerset: Somernites Cruise Super Cruise Weekend & Mustang Alley 2023, August 26. Contact 606-872-2277.
• Stearns: Barthell Coal Camp Train Rides, Big South Fork Scenic Railway, April to November 6. Contact 606-376-5330 or visit bsfsry.com/information
• Carlisle: 241st Battle of Blue Licks Commemoration, August 18-20. Contact 859-289-5507.
• Oak Grove: Annual Butterfly Festival, September 2. Contact 270-439-5675.
• Beattyville: 16th Annual Three Forks Old Engine, Tractor Show & Fish Fry, Three Forks Historical Center. September 9. Contact 606-464-2888.
• Union: 39th Annual Salt Festival, Big Bone Lick Park, October 20-22. Contact 859-384-3522.
• Union: Monster Mash Bash, October 27-29. Contact 859-384-3522.
• Maysville: Simon Kenton Festival, Historic Old Washington, September 16-17. Contact 606-563-2596 or info@cityofmaysvilleky.gov.
• Falmouth: Wool Festival, 48 Concord Caddo Rd., October 6-8. Visit kywoolfest.org.
• Ashland: Poage Landing Days Festival, September 15-17. Visit poagelandingdays.com.
For lots more ideas regarding enjoyable visits to less populated Kentucky communities– some of which temporarily grow hugely for a few days during their events–visit kentuckytourism.com.
Speaking of small towns in the state, I discovered a delightful historical book by Melissa Jurgensen called Images of America: River Towns of Central Kentucky (2008, Arcadia Publishing). Replete with old photos and informative captions, the author takes a look back at nine communities located along the Kentucky River, most of which had a vibrancy of their own until the advent of the interstate highway system and other improved methods of transportation came on the scene.
In referencing the communities of Tyrone, Oregon, Mundy’s Landing, Brooklyn, High Bridge, Camp nelson, Valley View, and Clay’s Ferry, Melissa noted that “while these villages were not the largest in their respective counties, nor did they boast the greatest populations, they played an integral role in shaping the history of the state.” You might say the world came to these small towns at one time, with many thanks to the steamboats and showboats coming from the Ohio to the Kentucky River. “The music from the calliopes, echoing off the palisades, was heard for miles before these novel vessels were even seen. Operas, plays, and, in later years, silent movies were shown aboard these vessels, often telling stories from far-off foreign lands, which undoubtedly sparked the imaginations of young and old alike,” said the author.
Tyrone, in Anderson County, was started as a distillery town in the 1800s and was important to the commerce of both Woodford and Anderson counties. Today, the Jo Blackburn Bridge, known as an “S bridge” because of its shape, connects the counties and is close to Wild Turkey Distillery. The community of Oregon, in Mercer County, once thrived and operated several boatyards, one by Squire Jordan Preston, a popular riverboat captain. Oregon became another casualty of the onset of railroads and the disappearance of steamboats.
Mundy’s Landing, located in Woodford County some twenty-five miles from Versailles, was settled in the late 1700s. In 1847, Jeremiah Mundy built a large inn and tavern on the site, and it was prosperous. It ceased operating in the early 1900s, several years after a murderous scandal occurred at the location. Little in population remains at Mundy’s Landing today.
A village around an area on the banks of the Kentucky River in Mercer and Jessamine counties, not far from the small town of Wilmore, revolved around Kentucky’s own version of the Brooklyn Bridge over the Kentucky River, and it had a man-made tunnel as part of it. The tunnel is now abandoned, and by the mid-fifties, a new bridge was built—used today—after the previous one collapsed from use by a heavy food-service truck. It’s a scenic area now, but with not many people.
Another river town, also near Wilmore, is focused on a railroad bridge. In October 1876, a railroad bridge was built, and President Rutherford Hayes was present at the dedication. In 1911, a larger bridge was built over it. High Bridge became a tourist attraction and though it doesn’t have the same draw today, it has a park and sizeable population in the area.
In a recent Kentucky by Heart column I wrote about two separate entities near a bridge on U.S. 27 crossing the Kentucky River between Jessamine and Garrard counties. I focused the Camp Nelson National Monument Park, along with mentioning the adjacent Camp Nelson National Cemetery. Though few still now live in the area around the two, these two landmarks make it a highly compelling place to visit.
Many Kentuckians love the fun and nostalgia of crossing a river by ferry. The Valley View Ferry, at the junction of Kentucky Rt. 169 and Kentucky Rt. 1156, is the known as the oldest business in Kentucky, established before Kentucky became a state in1792. The community of Valley View is in Madison County and the other side of the Kentucky River is in Fayette.
The Clays Ferry community, at the intersection of I-75 and U.S. Highway 25, has some busy restaurants and other businesses there today. A six-lane structure, the modern Clay’s Ferry Bridge, was completed in 1998 and carries a prolific number of vehicles over it daily. This Kentucky River town has quite a history and is still bustling with activity.
For more information about small river towns on the Kentucky River, Dr. Bill Ellis wrote a book in 2000 called The Kentucky River published by The University Press of Kentucky.