The Kentucky Encyclopedia's 2,000-plus entries are the work of more than five hundred writers. Their subjects reflect all areas of the commonwealth and span the time from prehistoric settlement to today's headlines, recording Kentuckians' achievements in art, architecture, business, education, politics, religion, science, and sports. Biographical sketches portray all of Kentucky's governors and U.S. senators, as well as note congressmen and state and local politicians. Kentucky's impact on the national scene is registered in the lives of such figures as Carry Nation, Henry Clay, Louis Brandeis, and Alben Barkley. The commonwealth's high range from writers Harriette Arnow and Jesse Stuart, reformers Laura Clay and Mary Breckinridge, and civil rights leaders Whitney Young, Jr., and Georgia Powers, to sports figures Muhammad Ali and Adolph Rupp and entertainers Loretta Lynn, Merle Travis, and the Everly Brothers. Entries describe each county and county seat and each community with a population above 2,500. Broad overview articles examine such topics as agriculture, segregation, transportation, literature, and folklife. Frequently misunderstood aspects of Kentucky's history and culture are clarified and popular misconceptions corrected. The facts on such subjects as mint juleps, Fort Knox, Boone's coonskin cap, the Kentucky hot brown, and Morgan's Raiders will settle many an argument. For both the researcher and the more casual reader, this collection of facts and fancies about Kentucky and Kentuckians will be an invaluable resource.

The occupation of Bardstown and Nelson County, Kentucky, by Union troops began in September of 1861 and ended in September of 1865--a turbulent time in the "neutral" county, and a piece of history rarely explored by Kentuckians. In this unprecedented visual journey, discover the unique role that Nelson County and Kentucky played in the Civil War as a military crossroads and the site of many Union training camps. More than 80 different Union units were involved in skirmishes and set up camps in Nelson County during the war. The county's turnpikes and railroads dictated the movement of many troops and supplies through the area--both Union and Confederate. Included in these pages are historical images, maps, documents, and vivid accounts passed down from generation to generation that bring the war to life. From the Confederate invasion of 1862 and the Guerrilla activities of 1864-1865 to the last surrender at Samuel's Depot on July 26 and the aftermath of the war, A Portrait of the Civil War in Nelson County offers a unique perspective of the war's effects on one county and its people.

The small town of Bardstown, Kentucky was once an uninhabited wilderness, but in 1780, William Bard lured fellow Pennsylvanians, traveling along the Ohio River, to join him and freely settle his brother's untamed land. He offered rent-free opportunity for the duration of the American Revolution, drawing 33 settlers to clear the region and create a crude brush village called Bardstown. The people of this forested region just south of Louisville would face controversy, population decline, the turmoil of war, and the threat of Prohibition, while upholding a strong pioneer ethic and fostering ties to their unique history. Recognized as one of the best small towns in the United States, as well as the "Bourbon Capital of the World," this community has some big city renown. During the early part of the nineteenth century, Bardstown excelled in state issues, including politics, religion, education, and business. The Civil War would bring significant tensions and a decline in the town's population, but through industrial growth and the development of the lucrative distilling industry, Bardstown gained much fame. Although Prohibition proved economically devastating to many residents, Bardstown survived and grew, enjoying a strong tourist trade today with its almost 300 historic structures and the Kentucky Bourbon Festival each fall.