Historical Marker #944 in Bardstown (Nelson County) commemorates steamboat innovator John Fitch, whose pioneering work helped set the stage for a transportation revolution. Fitch was born on January 21, 1743, in Windsor, Connecticut. He first…

Historical Marker #1493 in Paris highlights the accomplishments of American inventor Garrett Augustus Morgan, who was born the son of former slaves on March 4, 1877. Garrett Morgan grew up on the family farm while his father worked for the…

Historical Marker #2104 in Louisville notes the historical significance of that city’s Main Street whiskey firms. Louisville’s rise to become Kentucky’s largest city in the nineteenth century was due in large part to its location on the Ohio…

Historical Marker #2103 in Louisville notes the significance of the “Old Forester” brand, which was the first commercially bottled bourbon. It will likely never be known who produced the first bourbon distilled in Kentucky. The spirits’ history…

Historical Marker #2254 in Louisville notes the location of the home of Anne and Carl Braden, who were active in the Civil Rights Movement. Anne and Carl Braden are probably best known for their efforts to bring fair housing to Louisville in the…

Historical Marker #2122 remembers Lexington’s Cheapside slave auction block and the thousands of enslaved Kentuckians sold here. For decades before the Civil War, Lexington was the center of the slave trade in Kentucky. Located in the heart of…

Historical Marker #1917 in Kenton County commemorates Fort Wright, a defensive position that was named in honor of Union General Horatio G. Wright. In August and September 1862, Confederate generals Edmund Kirby Smith and Braxton Bragg invaded…

Historical Marker #2283 in Shelby County commemorates the massacre of members of the 5th United States Colored Cavalry (USCC) near Simpsonville. On January 25, 1865, Company E of the 5th USCC was transporting a herd of 900 cattle to Louisville. …