Information and history of the state of Kentucky

Kentucky was the first region west of the Allegheny Mountains to be settled by American pioneers. James Harrod established the first permanent settlement at Harrodsburg in 1774; the following year Daniel Boone, who had explored the area in 1767, blazed the Wilderness Trail through the Cumberland Gap and founded Boonesboro.

Originally a part of Virginia, in 1792 Kentucky became the 15th state to join the Union.

Kentucky is known as the "Bluegrass State", a nickname based on the bluegrass found in many of its pastures because of the fertile soil. One of the major regions in Kentucky is the Bluegrass Region in central Kentucky which houses two of its major cities, Louisville and Lexington.

Some Kentucky Symbols

1. State Bird	2. State Mammal	3. State Flower	4. State Butterfly	5. State Fruit
6. State Tree	7. State Mineral	8. State Instrument	9. State Fish	10. State Horse

1. Cardinal - The northern cardinal was designated official state bird of Kentucky in 1926.
2. Gray Squirrel- The gray squirrel was designated the official state wild game animal of Kentucky in 1968.
3. Goldenrod - Goldenrod (Soldiago gigantea) was designated official state flower of Kentucky in 1926.
4. Viceroy Butterfly - The viceroy butterfly was designated official state butterfly of Kentucky in 1990.
5. Blackberry - The blackberry was designated the official state fruit of Kentucky in 2004. Blackberries are delicious raw and are also used in desserts, jams, seedless jellies and wine.
6. Tulip Poplar - The tulip poplar was designated official state tree of Kentucky in 1994.
7. Coal - Coal was designated the state mineral of Kentucky in 1998. Coal is actually a fossil fuel.
8. Appalachian Dulcimer - The Appalachian dulcimer was designated as the official state musical Instrument of Kentucky in 2001. Eastern Kentucky lies in the heart of the region known as Appalachia.
9. Kentucky spotted bass - The spotted bass, also called spotty, or spots in various fishing communities, is a species of freshwater fish of the sunfish family of the order Perciformes.
10. Thoroughbred - The Thoroughbred is a breed of horse celebrated for speed and endurance. Thoroughbreds are best known as racehorses, but are also popular in other equestrian sports such as polo, hunting, and eventing.

Did you know?

• The Kentucky Derby is the oldest continuously held horse race in the country. It is held at Churchill Downs in Louisville on the first Saturday in May.
• Mammoth Cave is the world's longest cave and was first promoted in 1816, making it the second oldest tourist attraction in the United States. Niagara Falls, New York is first.
• The first Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant owned and operated by Colonel Sanders is located in Corbin.
• Kentucky is the state where both Abraham Lincoln, President of the Union, and Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederacy, were born. They were born less than one hundred miles and one year apart.
• The song "Happy Birthday to You" was the creation of two Louisville sisters in 1893.
• Joe Bowen holds the world record for stilt walking endurance. He walked 3,008 miles on stilts between Bowen, Kentucky to Los Angeles, California.
• The public saw an electric light for the first time in Louisville. Thomas Edison introduced his incandescent light bulb to crowds at the Southern Exposition in 1883.