Ask a Kentuckian!

[downtown]

After I posted I knew someone was going to comment on that. Whatever, it's on the Ohio river and much of the metropolitan area is on the Indiana side. It's not entirely Southern or Eastern so it's at least kind of midwestern.

Of course it's a southern city. The southern parts of Ohio and Indiana might as well be as well. Evansville and Cincinnati have more in common with places like Nashville and Richmond than they do Indianapolis or Columbus.

 

[stfoskey12]

What do you think of your state stealing the names of so many other places?

Glasgow, Frankfort, Lexington, Richmond, London, Florence, Paris, Georgetown, Lebanon, Lancaster, Danville, Henderson, Princeton, Manchester, Columbia, Mount Washington...

 

[Joecoolyo]

That seems pretty common throughout the U.S.

I mean I had to pass through Moscow in order to get to Iowa City.

 

[CELTICEMPIRE]

Are you aware that World Cyclocross Championships are being held in Louisville this weekend?
It's really big in Belgium ;-) I just heard that the race has been moved from Sunday to Saturday, because of floodrisk. The track is only 10 meters or so from the Ohio river ...

We've been getting some crazy weather in the last few days here so I'm not very surprised.

What do you think of your state stealing the names of so many other places?

Glasgow, Frankfort, Lexington, Richmond, London, Florence, Paris, Georgetown, Lebanon, Lancaster, Danville, Henderson, Princeton, Manchester, Columbia, Mount Washington...

I think every state has that. We also have Versailles which the locals call "Versales."

 

[stfoskey12]

That seems pretty common throughout the U.S.

I mean I had to pass through Moscow in order to get to Iowa City.

Somehow I always thought Kentucky had more than usual. I can only think of a Durham, Oxford, Warsaw, Plymouth, Nashville, Lexington, Dallas, Troy, Carthage, and Concord in North Carolina. (10 for NC, 16 for KY) Then again, there are several small towns with the same name in many states where it's hard to figure out the original place it's named after.

 

[Kaitzilla]

Why is KFC pushing grilled chicken these days?

I can get that anywhere. I want fried!


Also had a pretty good rant about Nashville, but it appears to be misplaced

Looks like anyone who wants to conquer Kentucky should aim for Lexington and then gear up for guerilla warfare to the southeast.

Louisville will voluntarily surrender for a pro sports team and Cincinnati will too if you can get Pete Rose into the Hall of Fame.

 

[Joecoolyo]

Somehow I always thought Kentucky had more than usual. I can only think of a Durham, Oxford, Warsaw, Plymouth, Nashville, Lexington, Dallas, Troy, Carthage, and Concord in North Carolina. (10 for NC, 16 for KY) Then again, there are several small towns with the same name in many states where it's hard to figure out the original place it's named after.

Generally you'll find a lot of small towns are named after bigger places. Off the top of my head, I can only think of Cairo and Champaign in Illinois. But when you actually drive through, you'll find yourself on a world tour.

 

[_random_]

Apparently, there's a campaign to change your state's slogan to "Kentucky Kicks Ass." How well-known is this, and isn't that awesome?

 

[CELTICEMPIRE]

Apparently, there's a campaign to change your state's slogan to "Kentucky Kicks Ass." How well-known is this, and isn't that awesome?

, unfortunately I have never heard of it, so I imagine it isn't very well-known.

 

[Leifmk]

When I was young and full of promise (i.e. over twenty years ago now), I spent a year as a foreign exchange student in Kentucky. In a small town called Berea. What, if anything, do you know and think about that place?

 

[CELTICEMPIRE]

When I was young and full of promise (i.e. over twenty years ago now), I spent a year as a foreign exchange student in Kentucky. In a small town called Berea. What, if anything, do you know and think about that place?

I've been there once (about 2 years ago), they have a college there, and its out in the country, that's about all I know. It was a nice town from what I experienced.

 

[_random_]

Ever been to Jackson? It's awful.

 

[MagisterCultuum]

I've been there once (about 2 years ago), they have a college there, and its out in the country, that's about all I know. It was a nice town from what I experienced.

I hadn't thought about it in a long time, but I recall that their college is regularly at the very top of the rankings of the best colleges for liberal arts degrees, at least among those in the southern states. They have a rather high nominal tuition but it doesn't really matter as every single student is given a work scholarship that covers it entirely. The kind of work can vary greatly, but it includes farm labor and crafts like whittling furniture or blowing glass. It is a small school with high academic standards and a very strong socioeconomic (not race based) affirmative action program. (My sister considered applying there, but did not bother once she discovered that most of their openings are reserved for poor students. Our family income at the time was high enough that the chance of her being accepted was extremely slim, and she had already been accepted at her top choice college anyway.)


The school was involved in one of those landmark cases where the supreme court made a terrible decision. This private college had been founded on explicitly egalitarian principles, as a place where people of all races (and also both genders, iirc) could study together. I think a majority of the first students were former slaves, who proved to be quite intelligent and went on to do lots of good things. The Kentucky legislature did not like this, and so passed a law requiring all institutions of learning be racially segregated. The school fought to have this unjust law overturned as unconstitutional. I think they actually won at a lower court, but state appealed to the Supreme Court, had the decision reversed, and forced them to expel all of their black students. (I think they actually transferred them all to a new black college they founded nearby, but that school shut down a long time ago.) Eventually the bad law was overturned, but the school has still remained overwhelmingly white.

 

[Alex Dog]

What do you make of the Lincoln quote: "I hope to have God on my side, but I must have Kentucky"? I think it's worthy of a sig file.

 

[CELTICEMPIRE]

Ever been to Jackson? It's awful.

I've been to Jackson Mississippi, and I hate Mississippi, but I've never been to Jackson Kentucky.

I hadn't thought about it in a long time, but I recall that their college is regularly at the very top of the rankings of the best colleges for liberal arts degrees, at least among those in the southern states. They have a rather high nominal tuition but it doesn't really matter as every single student is given a work scholarship that covers it entirely. The kind of work can vary greatly, but it includes farm labor and crafts like whittling furniture or blowing glass. It is a small school with high academic standards and a very strong socioeconomic (not race based) affirmative action program. (My sister considered applying there, but did not bother once she discovered that most of their openings are reserved for poor students. Our family income at the time was high enough that the chance of her being accepted was extremely slim, and she had already been accepted at her top choice college anyway.)


The school was involved in one of those landmark cases where the supreme court made a terrible decision. This private college had been founded on explicitly egalitarian principles, as a place where people of all races (and also both genders, iirc) could study together. I think a majority of the first students were former slaves, who proved to be quite intelligent and went on to do lots of good things. The Kentucky legislature did not like this, and so passed a law requiring all institutions of learning be racially segregated. The school fought to have this unjust law overturned as unconstitutional. I think they actually won at a lower court, but state appealed to the Supreme Court, had the decision reversed, and forced them to expel all of their black students. (I think they actually transferred them all to a new black college they founded nearby, but that school shut down a long time ago.) Eventually the bad law was overturned, but the school has still remained overwhelmingly white.

I knew that it opened as an integrated college, but was forced to be segregated from Kentucky History in Middle School. I did not know that it went to the Supreme court, however.

What do you make of the Lincoln quote: "I hope to have God on my side, but I must have Kentucky"? I think it's worthy of a sig file.

It's a great quote for those people who think of Kentucky as irrelevant, and having no place in American History. I agree.

 

[Mad Man]

What side was Kentucky on during World War 1?

 

[CELTICEMPIRE]

What side was Kentucky on during World War 1?

They originally fought for the Central Powers until the government was overthrown and replaced by a pro-Entente one in late 1916. (the battle of Shelbyville was a decisive but forgotten battle in the war).