For the 2003 edition of the annual Kentucky Life TeleFund “road show,” host Dave Shuffett and faithful canine sidekick Sadie head south and west on U.S. 62, from the new Ohio River bridge at Maysville to Wickliffe on the Mississippi. As always, there are plenty of interesting things to see and people to meet along the way:
- We begin in Maysville, following in the footsteps of innumerable 19th-century travelers for whom this charming Ohio River town was the gateway to the Bluegrass region. As a center of tobacco and hemp sales and a stopover point for steamboats, Maysville was one of the busiest river ports in the country for several decades. Its many antebellum homes reflect that period of growth and prosperity. But in more recent times, the Mason County seat has been a sleepier place, known to the outside world primarily as the hometown of singer/actress Rosemary Clooney. Times are a-changing again, though, thanks largely to the futuristic William H. Harsha Bridge. Opened to traffic in January 2001, this award-winning bridge is one of only a few cable-stayed bridges in the United States, and the first in Kentucky. Our cameraman shows you the view from the top of one of its 332-foot towers, while our Dave talks with Maysville’s Dave—Mayor David Cartmell—about how the completion of the bridge is bringing a new economic boom to the town and the surrounding region. Dave also meets welder Joyce Vize (right), who describes what it was like working on the bridge itself. • City of Maysville, 216 Bridge Street, Maysville, KY 41056, (606) 564-9411 • About the bridge
- When construction workers built another of America’s most dramatic bridges, San Francisco’s Golden Gate, they wore newfangled hard hats (then called “hard-boiled hats” for the steam used in the manufacturing process) invented by Edward D. Bullard, who ran a mining supply company in New Mexico. In 1972, his heirs moved the Bullard factory to Cynthiana; headquarters followed in 1991. And ten years after that, in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attack, the Kentucky company donated more than $175,000 worth of safety equipment to recovery and cleanup workers at Ground Zero in New York and at the Pentagon. CEO Richard Miller recalls that effort and shows some of the company’s other products, which include other safety devices and thermal imaging equipment. • Bullard, 1898 Safety Way, Cynthiana, KY 41031, (800) 227-0423 • History of the hard hat
- As judge executive of Scott County, George Lusby spends his workdays dealing with economic development and other fiscal matters. But he is often spotted at midday, still in suit and tie, indulging in his true calling: fishing. On this visit, the lifelong Georgetown resident talks about some of his favorite fishing spots on Elkhorn Creek and about the columns he writes for the Georgetown News-Graphic.
- Trains are the focus in Woodford County as we stroll through the town of Midway and head out for an excursion on a scenic railway in nearby Versailles. Midway, founded in 1832, was a railroad town from the start, built by the Louisville & Nashville Railroad. The main street was named Depot Street—an active train track still runs right down the middle—while other streets were named for L&N directors. The town itself takes its name from its location midway between Lexington and Frankfort. • City of Midway, 133 N. Winter St., Midway, KY 40347, (859) 846-4413
Versailles, of course, was named for the town in France, birthplace of the Marquis de Lafayette, by an officer who served under the general in the Revolutionary War. But it also has a long railroad history, and that legacy is reflected at the Bluegrass Railroad Museum. Open from June through October, the museum offers exhibits of vintage train cars and railroad equipment as well as scheduled and charter excursions on several scenic miles of track. • Bluegrass Railroad Museum, P.O. Box 27, Versailles, KY 40383, (800) 755-2476
- Since we’ve now been on the road long enough to need a libation, our next stop is at the Lovers Leap Vineyard and Winery in Anderson County. Though Kentucky is much better known as a producer of bourbon, wine is something of a growth industry, with about a dozen wineries now operating in the state. Jerry Holder shows us around this family-operated example. • Lovers Leap Vineyard and Winery, 129 Lovers Leap, Lawrenceburg, KY 40342, (502) 839-1299
One of Kentucky’s most serenely lovely places is next on the itinerary as Dave visits the Abbey of Gethsemani. Here Trappist monks have worked and worshipped since 1848, supporting themselves and the abbey by making such items as cheese and bourbon fudge while seeking their individual paths to God. The best known of their number was Thomas Merton, who lived at Gethsemani while writing the books that made him a spiritual guide for millions around the world. The abbey still welcomes guests on spiritual retreat as well as those contemplating the monastic life. Kentucky Life previously visited in Program 105. • Abbey of Gethsemani, Trappist, KY 40051, (502) 549-3117
- The Schmidt Museum of Coca-Cola Memorabilia is not an “official” corporate endeavor, but that just makes its collection all the more impressive. Located in the Elizabethtown Tourism Center, the museum houses the largest privately assembled collection of Coca-Cola memorabilia anywhere—including an entire hand-painted barn side that Bill and Jan Schmidt had disassembled and shipped in pieces from Georgia. Smaller items include beverage glasses, calendars, coolers, ads and posters, and even a hand axe emblazoned with the familiar red-and-white logo. The Schmidt family has been bottling Coke in Hardin County since 1901. • Schmidt Museum of Coca-Cola Memorabilia, 1030 N. Mulberry, Elizabethtown, KY 42701, (270) 234-1100
- If all that Coca-Cola doesn’t give you a buzz, our next segment is sure to. The Walter T. Kelly Company, located in the small Grayson County town of Clarkson, is known around the world as a maker of beekeeping equipment. The company also offers how-to publications for beginning apiarists. • Walter T. Kelly Co., 3107 Elizabethtown Road, P.O. Box 240, Clarkson, KY 42726-0240, (502) 242-2012
- Next door in Ohio County, Dave takes a look around the Bill Monroe Homestead in Rosine. A private foundation has been working to restore the place in tribute to the Father of Bluegrass Music. Kentucky Life visited a few years ago (Program 611), so this is a progress report of sorts. Foundation Executive Director Campbell Mercer shows Dave around and outlines the plans for the homestead and the larger Rosine Project, which is developing a “pilgrimage trail” bluegrass fans can follow to learn more about Monroe’s life and musical influences. • Bill Monroe Foundation, P.O. Box 429, Rosine, KY 42370
There’s more! Central City to Wickliffe
