Bourbon County

Original thinking is a hallmark of the people of Bourbon County, Kentucky, and evident in those who have made an impact on American life. The list includes Jacob Spears, who gave the name "bourbon" in honor of his county to the aged whiskey he sold in New Orleans; Barton Stone, who was involved in the creation of the Christian Church at the Cane Ridge Meeting House; and Garrett Morgan, who was born in 1877 to former slaves and went on to invent the gas mask and the tri-color traffic signal. The industrious spirit of Bourbon County's citizens is celebrated in this volume, a visual record of the county featuring the once-thriving bourbon industry, rarely seen photographs of early churches, and glimpses of African-American life in the community. Other photos show the transformation of Main Street in Paris as this thoroughfare prospered and changed and the courthouses built in the county over the years; early "action" photos show the third courthouse ablaze in 1901. Hundreds of familiar faces are captured in this engaging collection, some even pictured in front of the one-room schoolhouses of yesteryear. Photos from the 1898 celebration marking the end of the Spanish-American War show a joyous, patriotic community, coming together in a spirit of celebration.