In 1920, ten-year-old Geneva Hardman was murdered on her way to school, just outside Lexington. Both civil authorities and a growing lynch mob sought Will Lockett, a black army veteran, as the suspect. The vigilantes remained one step behind the lawmen, and a grieving family erred on the side of justice versus vengeance. During the short trial, tensions spilled over and shots were fired outside the courthouse, leading to a declaration of martial law. Six people died in what civil rights leader W.E.B. Du Bois described as the "Second Battle of Lexington." Join author Peter Brackney and delve into this century-old story of murder and mayhem.

“Give[s] a history of Lexington and the region with a special focus on the historic neighborhoods of Lexington and historic sites around the Bluegrass.” —The Kaintuckeean The Athens of the West. The Horse Capital of the World. The Home to the Greatest Tradition in College Basketball. Heart of the Bluegrass. Lexington has a lot of names and an even richer history. The region played an oversized role in America’s educational, political, religious and cultural development. Visit a historic AME church in downtown Lexington that was a stop on the Underground Railroad for escaping slaves. Walk through fifteen local historic districts. Explore an equine cemetery. Join historians Foster Ockerman Jr. and Peter Brackney on a tour through historic sites and buildings in Lexington and central Kentucky.

Author Keven McQueen relates tales of true crime from Kentucky history, including the story of the abuse and murder of Mary Magdalene Pitts, a three-year-old girl from Greenup County who was killed by her father and a housekeeper.

Over 100 old-time recipes “authentic enough that one can easily cook like grandma (or her ma). A must for every kitchen and a nostalgic delight” (Louisville Courier-Journal). Kitchens aren’t just a place to prepare food—they’re cornerstones of the home and family. Just as memories are passed down through stories shared around the stove, recipes preserve traditions and customs for future generations. The Historic Kentucky Kitchen assembles over one hundred dishes from nineteenth and twentieth-century Kentucky cooks. Deirdre A. Scaggs and Andrew W. McGraw collected recipes from handwritten books, diaries, scrapbook clippings, and out-of-print cookbooks from the University of Kentucky Libraries Special Collections to bring together a variety of classic dishes, complete with descriptions of each recipe’s origin and helpful tips for the modern chef. The authors, who carefully tested each dish, also provide recipe modifications and substitutions for hard-to-find ingredients. This entertaining cookbook also serves up famous Kentuckians’ favorite dishes, including John Sherman Cooper’s preferred comfort food (eggs somerset) and Lucy Hayes Breckinridge’s “excellent” fried oysters. The recipes are flavored with humorous details such as “[for] those who thought they could not eat parsnips” and “Granny used to beat ’em [biscuits] with a musket.” Accented with historic photos and featuring traditional meals ranging from skillet cakes to spaghetti with celery and ham, this is a novel and tasty way to experience the rich, diverse history of the Bluegrass State.

"The Athens of the West. The Horse Capital of the World. The Home to the Greatest Tradition in College Basketball. Heart of the Bluegrass. Lexington has a lot of names and an even richer history. The region played an oversized role in America's educational, political, religious, and cultural development. Visit a historic AMC church in downtown Lexington that was a stop on the Underground Railroad for escaping slaves. Walk through fifteen local historic districts. Explore an equine cemetery. Join historians Foster Ockerman, Jr. and Peter Brackney on a tour through historic sites and buildings in Lexington and central Kentucky."--Provided by publisher

"They had been told their sacrifice was for the public good. They were never told how much they would miss it, or for how long." Drowned Town explores the multigenerational impact caused by the loss of home and illuminates the joys and sorrows of a group of people bound together by western Kentucky's Land Between the Lakes and the lakes that lie on either side of it. The linked stories are rooted in a landscape forever altered by the mid-twentieth-century impoundment of the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers and the seizing of property under the power of eminent domain to create a national recreation area on the narrow strip of land between the lakes. The massive federal land and water projects completed in quick succession were designed to serve the public interest by providing hydroelectric power, flood control, and economic progress for the region—at great sacrifice for those who gave up their homes, livelihoods, towns, and history. The narrative follows two women whose lives are shaped by their friendship and connection to the place, and their stories go back and forth in time to show how the creation of the lakes both healed and hurt the people connected to them. In the process, the stories emphasize the importance of sisterhood and family, both blood and created, and how we cannot separate ourselves from our places in the world.