Looking at old family photos, or vintage photos in general can be extremely entertaining. The offer us a glimpse into a different era, when life was both more simple, and more complicated at the same time. The wardrobe, automobiles, careers and daily life were all extremely different from the way we now live.
Here are 10 unique photos from the 1800s and 1900s in Kentucky:
10. An ice cream and burger parlor in the early 1900s on 44 and Broadway in Louisville.
Personally, I think photographs from the 1800s and 1900s are incredibly interesting. We can take a look at things we'd otherwise never be able to experience. Most of the people born during those centuries have left this world to walk the spirit path. However, their memories live on via the images we find from their era.
Anyone who'd like to share some old photos from that time in history, please feel free to post them in comments.
The New Attraction in Louisville, Kentucky We Can’t Wait to Experience
A new exhibit at the Frazier History Museum called 120: Cool Kentucky Counties celebrates what makes each county in Kentucky unique. The exhibit shares stories, history, and music about each county. The exhibit is part of a larger part of the museum called Cool Kentucky.
Do you know that Kentucky has more than 100 counties? Incredibly, the Bluegrass State has 120 counties, the fourth-most of any U.S. state. I admit that I am not very familiar with the details of some Kentucky counties, and I'd love to know more. A new exhibit, 120: Cool Kentucky Counties, at the Frazier History Museum in Louisville focuses on what makes each Kentucky county unique.
120: Cool Kentucky Counties is a permanent collection of stories, music, culture, history, and traditions from around the state. The exhibit has two large touch screens, and when visitors select a county, they are presented with information about it. They might learn about the world's first Dollar General, which opened in Allen County, or the largest apple pie, which was baked in Casey County. They may also learn about remarkable Kentuckians, like Lillian South, the first female state bacteriologist from Warren County, or Sara Bradley, a celebrated chef and Top Chef contestant from McCracken County.
Music is a significant part of 120: Cool Kentucky Counties and visitors can enjoy songs by musicians from every Kentucky county. The songs featured are diverse and include works from many types of artists, including gospel, folk, bluegrass, opera, and more. The exhibit also showcases interesting and historical objects from Kentucky counties, which rotate over time.
The new 120: Cool Kentucky Counties exhibit is part of a larger part of the Frazier History Museum called Cool Kentucky. Cool Kentucky displays some incredible pieces of the state's history, including the boat Tori Murden McClure used to become the first American to row alone across the Atlantic. There's also a tree stump in which Daniel Boone purportedly inscribed his name. Many famous Kentuckians like Muhammad Ali, Abraham Lincoln, Edwin Hubble, and Jennifer Lawrence are celebrated. Visitors can also enjoy a multimedia experience called the KentuckyShow!, which celebrates Kentucky's history and culture and is narrated by Ashley Judd.
The Frazier History Museum is a fantastic place for locals and tourists to learn about the Bluegrass State. In addition to 120: Cool Kentucky Counties and Cool Kentucky exhibits, the museum has exhibits focused on the history and culture of bourbon, Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery, and more.
Usually, when our state gets on the news, it is due to the Kentucky Derby Festival, political chaos, or something pertaining to bourbon. At one point, we had tales of goblins in part of the state, but at least some strange excuse could be concocted for that. Our state has had some strange phenomena that occurred over the centuries, and we've covered some such events previously. One thing that cannot just be easily explained away, and is considered a bizarre event in Kentucky history, would be the Kentucky meat shower. What is a meat shower? Let's find out.
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On March 3rd, 1876 in the community of Olympia, a strange shower hit.
This unusual phenomenon in Bath County was unlike any storm anyone had seen. Residents were in a frenzy, as it took place over one farm. The weird shower only rained down at the Allen Crouch home. The Mrs. was out in the yard making soap when the debris started to fall. She ran for cover in the house, not knowing what madness had befallen her home.
Most pieces were 5X5 cm, but one piece was 10 cm. Mrs. Crouch was fortunate to have avoided any injury as the meat fell all around her. It landed on the fence, the house, the yard and was basically scattered throughout the property. Oddly, the sky was completely clear, no clouds and no big shadows. The sun was shining just like in the image.
The New York Times and Scientific American covered the event, examining the meat.
The meat looked like beef and several people tasted it, claiming it tasted like mutton or venison. However, one expert claimed it wasn’t meat at all, but a substance called Nostoc cranium. After further testing, the meat was determined to be human lung tissue and animal cartilage. This was confirmed by Dr. J.W.S. Arnold, Histologist, and Dr. A. Mead Edwards, of the Newark Scientific Association, publishing their findings in, "The American Journal of Microscopy and Popular Science."Why did human and animal meat fall from the sky? There have been several theories, including medical specimens falling from a plane to vulture vomit. After much discussion and theorizing, the Louisville Medical News of 1876 claimed the most feasible solution was, "Projectile Vulture Vomit." Since there was far to much for one scavenger, it was decided it had been a group of vultures regurgitating a meal during flight over that specific area. This was the most logical solution to the mystery at hand, according to Dr. L. D. Kastenbine, who wrote the report.
Black Vultures and Turkey Vultures are both common in Kentucky.
Both are also known to projectile vomit stomach contents to lighten up in flight, or as a defense mechanism when frightened or hurt. The above solution means a flock of vultures either became frightened or felt too fat to fly over an area less than an acre, and projectile vomited. The fact they vomited human tissues was just kinda left out there for our imagination.
A sample of this regurgitated meat is on display at the Moosnick Medical and Science Museum at 300 N Broadway Road in Lexington’s Transylvania University to this day.
The documented theory seems a little questionable, but then again, it is hard to explain this odd event in Kentucky history.If you want to see more fascinating things at the medical and science museum, stay at this beautifully renovated cottage in Lexington.
The Kentucky meat shower has to rank pretty high on the list of weird Kentucky occurrences. But we are just getting started. There are plenty of weird things that happened in Kentucky. You can read about more bizarre events in Kentucky’s history in this feature article.
