News

The Madison County Historical Society donated a plaque for the Daniel Boone Statue, which stands on the campus of Eastern Kentucky University, commemorating Daniel Boone's historical significance to Madison County. 

On August 22, 2009 the first group of Madison County Heritage Walk of Fame plaques were dedicated.

The turnout for the picnic was great. The weather was perfect, cool, but not rainy; food was good; and a lot was accomplished at the board meeting.

Thursday, December 13, 2007
Another Cemetery Destroyed - Cemetery Law
I had a call earlier this week from a neighbor. She was looking for information on the Blanton Cemetery on Dodd Road: photos, lists of burials or anything else I could find. Using the Vockery cemetery books I was able to give her a listing of the names they found, but no photos. I've been in this cemetery and it was a mess, but I will also guarantee that there were many more than nine burials here. The nine names we had covered 40 years of burials and 8 different surnames. Sounds like a community cemetery to me.

My neighbor was very upset as some of her family was buried here. She has already called the Attorney General and local authorities. The stones are still there, but they were bulldozed into a big pile and the ground leveled. When I can get photos I'll post them, but now I wanted to post a link to a web page at U of L which compiles all Kentucky Revised Statutes regarding cemetery laws.

Time permitting I would also like to do deed research and see if the cemetery was excluded from the deed for the surrounding land. Any volunteers to do this research?
Posted by jc at 7:11 AM No comments: Links to this post 

Madison County Historical Society Spring/Summer
2009 News Update

ι Madison County Heritage Walk of Fame. The Walk of Fame Selection Committee
has selected the followings six persons to receive plaques: Daniel Boone
(frontiersman), Laura Clay (suffragist), Kit Carson (explorer), John Gregg Fee
(founder of Berea College and abolitionist), James Bennett McCreary (KY
Governor, Madison County U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator), and Monk Estill
(KY’s first freed slave). The handsome bronze plaques for this first class of
inductees will be encased in red brick-colored concrete and will be located in the
sidewalk around the Madison County Courthouse. Plaques have been ordered and
installation will begin shortly. Installation ceremony will be on August 22nd .
ι Become a sponsor for the Madison County Heritage Walk of Fame. The Heritage
Walk of Fame is expensive, and you are encouraged to become a sponsor. Go to the
Historical Society’s web site: www.madisonhistoryky.org print out form (found
under the Madison County Heritage Walk of Fame), mail in the form with your
donation, and be placed on the Sponsorship Honor Roll.
ι Madison County Junior Historical Society currently has 78 dues-paying student
members. Some of the students are working on a Madison County history quilt
project. The development of a teaching module centering on the Madison County
Heritage Walk of Fame is being considered. More creative projects are also being
planned.
ι The Historical Society Board of Directors has approved a Lifetime category of
$500 for society membership.
ι Members present at the April Historical Society meeting approved the following
Officers and Board members for 2009 and 2010: Officers—William Adams
(president), Paul Rominger (vice president), Bill Robinson (secretary), and Charles
Hay (treasurer and program chair). Board of Directors—in addition to the officers,
are Jackie Couture, Jane Clouse, Dean Whitaker, Bob Moody, Steve Connelly.
ι Planning for the Kit Carson park continues. An agreement between the City of
Richmond and Eastern Kentucky University’s Arlington Association is currently
being finalized. The city has employed a landscape architect to draw up park plans
and an interpretative National Park Service quality sign is being made.
ι At the April meeting, members present ratified the expenditure of up to $7,000 for
badly needed repairs to Cane Springs Baptist Church. One corner of the building
has sustained major water damage to the foundation and needs immediate repair.
In addition, talks with the Madison County Office of Historic Properties continue
concerning the possibility of establishing of a small community park on a portion of
the Cane Springs land. 
Program

Date: June 4th
Location: Burnamwood in Richmond. The property, built by William Embry in
1855 and purchased in 1868 by Curtis Field Burnam, is located at the end of
Burnam Court, which runs into West Main Street just past the Tates Creek Roadtraffic light on West Main.
Time: 6:30
Program: Bill Robinson, the Society’s secretary and reporter for the Richmond
Register will speak on “Curtis Field Burnam: Outstanding Madison Countian.”
Special Event: There will be tour of the estate after the meeting.

 

October 16th at 6:30 at the Kentucky Artisan Center, Dr. Lindsay Apple, professor emeritus of history at Georgetown College—The Clay Family Legacy: A Duty To Country.

Also learn about some of the exciting new projects the historical society is working on right now.
Posted by jc at 5:52 AM No comments

 Historical Society News Update
Winter/Spring 2008
 

Next Meeting:

 Day and Time: April 17th at 6:30
Location: Kentucky Artisan Center (just off exit 77 of I-75)
Topic: Dr. Jacqueline Grisby Burnside, associate professor & chair of Berea
College’s Department of Sociology—talk and slide show on new book, Understanding
Our Past: Interracial Communities in Berea and Madison County.
 Remaining Programs for 2008
June 19th at 6:30 at the Kentucky Artisan Center, Jim Prichard,
head of Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives Research Room—Jesse
James in Kentucky: Fact, Fiction, and Folklore.
August 2nd at 6:30 at the Cane Springs Baptist Church, Dr. Larry
Hood, an independent Kentucky history researcher—What is a Kentuckian?
[ANNUAL PICNIC]
October 16th at 6:30 at the Kentucky Artisan Center, Dr. Lindsay
Apple, professor emeritus of history at Georgetown College—The Clay Family Legacy:
A Duty To Country.
 Membership as of March 1st: TOTAL---90 (Richmond-46, Berea-9, Rest of
Kentucky-5, Out of State-30) 21-Family, 48-Individual, and 2-Student. We have 2
Benefactors ($100) and 7 Patrons ($50 Treasury balance as of March 1st: $51,003.16. A dues form will be included
in this mailing if you have not paid your 2008 dues.
 Madison County Board of Education has given the city of Richmond title to
Mt. Pleasant and the land on which it sits. Plans are to renovate the house for
use as an office and Civil War interpretative center.
 Friends of the Richmond Battlefield was recently formed with two
objectives: 1. to create an endowment fund for helping public and private
entities to preserve battlefield land, information, and artifacts; 2. to establish a
society of members whose ancestors fought or helped the fighters in the Battle of
Richmond or Madison County descendants who fought in the Civil War. For more
information contact Bob Moody---859-623-0541.
 Battlefield Park important dates: Park cleanup---April 12 [9-1]; Living
History---May 8 & 9; May 10---Civil War Trails day and dedication of the Masonic
Memorial monument at Quarters 29 (now called the Madison Visitors and History
Center) at 10:30; re-enactment---August 23 & 24.
 Unfinished Important Ongoing Activities: Miller Building preservation,
further development of Madison County Heritage Walk of Fame, and updating
current web site.
 Historical Society president, Philip Seyfrit, was recently appointed by the
Madison County Fiscal Court as director of Madison County historic properties.
 Historical Society BLOG formed. To access it use the following URL;
mchs1787.blogspot.com and engage in conversations about Madison history
and genealogy.
 Look for “Surname Communication Link” to appear in the upcoming issue
of Heritage Highlights along with an up-to-date list of Blue Grass Trust for
Preservation BGT plaques in Madison County.
 The Battle of Richmond Historical Highway Marker, which concerns
Berea’s involvement with the battle, has been installed and will be formally
dedicated to coincide with the Battle of Richmond re-enactment in August.
 Two Kit Carson highways markers will be reinstalled sometime this
summer, once the Tates Creek road-widening project has been completed.

Picnic at Old Cane Springs
August 2nd at 6:30

Come out and enjoy a good meal and learn the answer to the question, "What is a Kentuckian?"

Contact Charles Hay to make reservations.
Posted by jc at 5:49 AM No comments

Thursday, February 14, 2008
2008 Programs and Meetings

Mark your calendars for the following meetings of the MCHS. Hope to see everyone there.

1. April 17th at 6:30 at the Kentucky Artisan Center, Dr. Jacqueline Grisby Burnside, associate professor & chair of Berea College’s Department of Sociology—talk and slide show on new book, Understanding Our Past: Interracial Communities in Berea and Madison County.

2. June 19th at 6:30 at the Kentucky Artisan Center, Jim Prichard, head of Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives Research Room—Jesse James in Kentucky: Fact, Fiction, and Folklore.

3. August 2nd at 6:30 at the Cane Springs Baptist Church, Dr. Larry Hood, an independent Kentucky history researcher—What is a Kentuckian?

4. October 16th at 6:30 at the Kentucky Artisan Center, Dr. Lindsay Apple, professor emeritus of history at Georgetown College—The Clay Family Legacy: A Duty To Country.
Posted by jc at 8:28 AM No comments

Saturday, December 29, 2007
Philip Seyrit appointed as Madison County's first director of historic properties

Local historian and current president of the Madison County Historical Society, Philip Seyfrit recently was appointed by the Madison County Fiscal Court as the county's first director of historic properties. This includes management of Battlefield Park, White Hall park, Kirksville park, Madison County Fair Grounds park, Valley View park, and Union City park. Phil's office is located at the recently restored Rogers-Tribble House (Quarters 29) at the intersection of Highways 421 and 25. He will be concentrating most of his activities in getting the 500+ acre Battlefield Park Visitors and History Center open. Any questions about the Madison County Parks systems should be directed to Phil at 101 Battlefield Memorial Parkway, Richmond, KY 40475; 859-624-0013; philip.seyfrit@madisoncountykentucky.us.
Posted by Charles Hay at 6:51 AM