Most people know, but for those that do not know, it is a goal of mine to visit every county in Kentucky (which I have named my Kentucky 120 tour). To date, I have been to 70 counties where I have taken at least one picture in that county that identifies that county. Sadly to say, there have been a couple of places where the county sign has been the only thing of worthwhile in the county (you were right Chris). When thinking about the counties that I have been, it is very hard to say which county is my favorite. Home will always be my favorite place (Simpson County) and Warren County (Bowling Green) a close second, however, minus those two places...I will have to say that my favorite place that I have been to thus far has been Mason County.
My first visit to Mason County was back in 2006 for a wedding. Who would have known that the wedding and a simple crossing of paths (although not what any of us wanted at the time) would have paved a way to where I not only lived in Morehead and London, but also experience different cultures, meet new people and make friends, and lead me to where I wanted to see more of Kentucky. The first time I went back to Mason County in 2009 was on mistake. I signed up for a meeting in Maysville without realizing that they offered the same meeting in Morehead. While on lunch, the people in the training showed me parts of Maysville and took me to my favorite restaurant of ALL TIME...Caproni's on the River. I went back to Maysville a couple of other times to eat at Caproni's (I love their Fried Green Tomatoes). While I told people of how much liked Maysville because of the history as a river town, they told me that I would love Washington, Kentucky even better. I would soon learn.....
Today's blog focuses on the trip to Washington, KY. Washington is located off Highway 68 about 3 miles before/after Maysville. In the past, Highway 68 went through downtown Washington, but like many highways that are frequently traveled by patrons, there was a need to expand the highway, which resulted in the highway bypassing the town. In Washington's case, this move further preserved the historical aspects of the town. Washington, also known as "Old Washington" was one of the first two settlements in the state of Kentucky. Walking through town, you will many buildings, log cabin homes, stores, etc. that were built during the late 18th century. In the first picture you see a log cabin built and named after Simon Kenton, who owned a store in Washington. The second picture is of the first Post Office west of the Allegheny Mountains. The third picture is of a sign of tavern built in 1807. What captivated me so much about Washington was the fact that walking through the town felt like a picture tour from 1789-1820. For my history buffs, I know that I am not alone in the sentiment that much of Kentucky's history that is known or sites to visit are from the Antebellum period (1820 - 1860). Therefore, it is extraordinary to see anything that predates the Antebellum period (another place of interest is Cane Ridge in Bourbon County). I do find it interesting that Washington (which is located about 5 - 7 miles from the Ohio River) was established as a town before Maysville. However, Washington lost the county seat of Mason County to Maysville in 1848 as Maysville became more established as a river town.
Now, I know that a discussion that tends to bring up uneasiness even now is the institution of slavery. I know that February is set aside for African-American history month. Typically, any thoughts or acknowledgements of African-American history is progressive not regressive. Therefore, my next section is not intended to be degraded or offensive to anyone or trying to set African-Americans back, but merely is referenced as a historical part of the community of Washington.
One of the surprises for me in Washington was the Harriet Beecher Stowe Slavery to Freedom Museum. Everyone knows Harriet Beecher Stowe as the writer of Uncle Tom's Cabin, which was at its time had a tremendous impact toward the growth of the anti-slavery movement. Harriet Beecher Stowe visited Washington where she saw a slave auction on the county courthouse in 1833 (remember the county seat was not moved to Maysville until 1849). The picture below the Museum picture is the lawn where the old courthouse stood where she witnessed the slave auction. It was that event that served as the impetus for Harriet Becher Stowe to write Uncle Tom's cabin. I knew that she had witnessed a slave auction and that was why she wrote the book, but I did not realize that she witnessed it in Kentucky. Another interesting thing that I remember from looking at the different buildings was reading the historical marker of a church (not pictured). The church disagreed upon the issue of slavery and thus resulted in a split of the church.
There is so much more to this town that I have not discussed on this blog. Just the overall feeling of walking through the town was enough for me...but I love history. I will say that if I did a Top 20 must see places of Kentucky, Washington, Kentucky would be on that list. For me, it was everything that my friends were saying PLUS MORE.
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