47. Washington's Birthday

Today, of course, is President Washington's birthday, the Father of our Republic, for whom our Federal City is named. In Kentucky we have both a county and a town named for the president. Washington, the town, is one of the oldest towns in Kentucky, incorporated by the Virginia legislature in 1786, six years before Kentucky joined the Federal union. The town's history claims it to be the first place in the United States named for the president. The town runs along the old US 68, (a block or two east of the new four-lane 62/68 that weaves up the hill and out of Maysville), and a few miles south of Maysville, of which technically it is a part due to being incorporated thereto in 1990. Old US 68, or Old Main Street, is a narrow two lane road, with small ditches along either side of it. The road widens at the main cross intersection which is with KY 1236, which becomes US 62 a few blocks to the west. There are shops, stores, and old log cabins, including one housing the Post Office.

The town of Washington played a part in the establishment of postal service to the expanding United States, first as a route into what was then called the Northwest Territory (or Expansion) into Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, and points west. Later, President Andrew Jackson, who travelled through the town on his trips between his home and the District of Columbia, made it part of the route for mail distribution along the Limestone Pike and Buffalo Trace, which ran from Zionsville, Ohio, south to Maysville, onto Lexington, Nashville, and eventually New Orleans, all territory very familiar to the president. Another bit of trivia about this town is the idea that some thought it might become the nation's capital, long before Washington DC actually did so after being named for the exact same person. Here is a trivia question for you. What Kentucky town was seriously considered as the nation's capital city? I'll give you two hints - one is its very name which is similar to a part of the name of the actual national capital, and the other is it played a role in our nation's history in the War of Secession, variously also known as the War Between the States, the War of Northern Aggression, or its most popular name, the Civil War.

Also located in Kentucky is Washington County, the most common name for a county in the Republic, there being 31 Washington counties. The county was formed in 1792, the first county formed after Kentucky was granted statehood, and was the tenth formed from the original territory of Kentucky County, Virginia. Many of Kentucky's counties are, like Washington, among the most common names for a county. In fact, of the top sixteen most common names for a county, Kentucky has all sixteen. The second most common is Jefferson, and tied for third are Franklin, Jackson, and Lincoln. But, oddly, Kentucky's Lincoln County is not named for the only president born in the Commonwealth. We do have a county named for the only president buried in the Commonwealth, that of Taylor County, formed in 1848 and named for Zachary Taylor, whose remains lay buried in the Taylor family tomb, located at the Zachary Taylor National Cemetery on Brownboro Road in Louisville, a place several generations of the Taylor family called home. And our Green County, the 13th most common name and named for Nathanael Greene, drops the terminal "e" that is found in the other Greene counties across the country. But, I digress.

The county seat of Washington County is Springfield. Some lists offer than Springfield is the most common place name in the country, according to the United State Census Bureau. It is not the most common community name, however. A distinction of our commonly named city of Springfield in our commonly named county of Washington is that it is the only Springfield city in a Washington county in the country. Springfield is one of those places I will trek to on one of my Saturday pleasure drives. Like going to Frankfort, there are several ways to get there, but my most common one is to drive out I-65 to the Bernheim Forest exit at KY 245. This road takes you through the knobs of southern Bullitt and northwestern Nelson counties, passing along the way the Jim Beam Distillery in Clermont, there producing one of the products which has made Kentucky famous worldwide. The road leads into Bardstown. (A side note: we have a Shepherdsville Road, sometimes called the Old Shepherdsville Road in Jefferson County, but no road called New Shepherdsville Road. Nelson has a New Shepherdsville Road, sometimes called Shepherdsville Road, but no Old Shepherdsville Road).

You can follow KY 245 around Bardstown on the new eastside By-Pass through the old rock quarry, but I usually follow the old road into town, then turn left onto Stephen Foster, the main east-west corridor. Following through town and around the old Court House, you join on the east side US 150, which is the road to Springfield. Not too far out on the right, you will pass Federal Hill, the estate made famous as the setting for Stephen Collins Foster's song My Old Kentucky Home. Just past there is a McDonald's, also on the right, at the corner where you can turn south onto KY 49 and visit the Maker's Mark Distillery. That McDonald's is my usual "convenience" stop, both for personal duties and to get anther cup of coffee. Opposite the McDonald's is Guthrie Drive, the street on which a few weeks ago Bardstown and Kentucky suffered the loss of ten lives in a devastating fire.

After crossing the county line into Washington County is the village of Fredericktown, actually off to the right on the "old" road, where one can worship at the Old Holy Trinity Church. Fredericktown is set up against a hill in a broad plain easily prone to flood waters rising out of the Beech Fork of the Rolling Fork of Salt River, upon which it is directly located. There is a little market along through there where one can buy freshly processed meats, by the pound, or by the side. Continuing southeastwardly along US 150 about six miles, the large buildings of Saint Catherine's College arise on the right. The huge Dominican Motherhouse of the facility was built in 1904, but the college's history marks its founding as a college to 1931. The first school of any type was founded by the Catholic Sisters of Saint Dominic (the Dominicans) in 1823. They began grating degrees in 1839. It is a beautiful place, once set well in the countryside, but the city of Springfield is slowly making its expansion out to the college. Shortly after the college, Springfield proper comes into sight. My cousin, Bill Lewis, Jr., lived for several years in Springfield. He is known around this area as a jazz musician, playing the coronet and other such instruments. He currently lives in Lebanon, Kentucky. A friend, Aaron Horner, who played a key role in the Yarmuth campaign, serving as the Interim Chair between the departure of Dan Borsch, who ran the Primary part of the campaign, and the arrival of Jason Burke, who ran the Fall campaign, is also a native to this area.

One of the rules about the pleasure trips is this - you must return to Louisville along a route substantially different, as much as possible, from the journey there. Returning from Springfield, you can go north along KY 555 (parts of which used to be KY 53) toward Willisburg Lake, then through to Chaplin, Bloomfield, and Fairfield, passing along the way a few branches of Metro Councilman Jim King's King Southern Bank. Another way would be to follow KY 55 up to Taylorsville Lake and re-enter Jefferson County along Taylorsville Lake Road out past Jeffersontown. There are several more but I will leave their discovery up to you.

There is a tradition that the furthest west George Washington ever travelled in his lifetime is to a high point between Louisville and Lexington, while he was a young man working as a surveyor. Do you know where this is? A number of you have probably passed this point many times. Happy Birthday, Mr. President.