History Archives

Only 1.6% of US doctors were Black in 1906 – and the legacy of inequality in medical education has not yet been erased

by Benjamin Chrisinger
June 10, 2024

Despite clear and persistent gaps between white and Black doctors, lawmakers have tried to prohibit diversity initiatives in medicine.

All the small things: Paint analysis peels back layers of the Dalton house

by Grace Abernethy
May 28, 2024

In her most recent Brick & Mortar Monthly column, historic preservationist Grace Abernethy uses her favorite tool to peel back the layers of Hopkinsville's historic Dalton house.

Stagecoach stop ledger reads like a Hopkinsville pre-Civil War ‘Who’s Who’

by Alissa Keller
May 21, 2024

After running a hotel in the heart of Hopkinsville, proprietor Burwell C. Ritter was elected to Congress and was serving in Washington, D.C., at the time of Lincoln's assassination.

A former student recalls the first year at Indian Hills

by Jackie Cornelius White
May 20, 2024

In the early 1960s, recalls Jackie Cornelius White, students had the opportunity "to create our own identity as the new elementary school in Hopkinsville."

UK history professor to speak at Hopkinsville Juneteenth celebration

by Hoptown Chronicle
May 16, 2024

Dr. Gerald Smith, co-editor of "The Kentucky African American Encyclopedia," will be the guest speaker June 15 at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Hopkinsville-Christian County.

Bettye Lee Mastin, journalist who championed historic preservation in Kentucky, dies at 97

by Jamie Lucke
May 13, 2024

Tom Eblen, former Herald-Leader managing editor and columnist, wrote that he nominated Mastin for the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame “because no journalist did so much for so long to inform Central Kentuckians about the unique built environment that surrounded them.”

Paducah group buys more than a dozen Helen LaFrance paintings at auction

by Derek Operle
May 13, 2024

The Paducah Historic Preservation Group raised more than $100,000 to purchase and preserve 14 works by LaFrance.

History on Tap will celebrate Hoptown Chronicle’s fifth anniversary

by Hoptown Chronicle
May 12, 2024

Museum executive director Alissa Keller and Hoptown Chronicle editor Jennifer P. Brown will lead the May 30 program with a look at the Snapshots in Time series.

Give Hopkinsville history a good scrub at tombstone cleaning days

by Jennifer P. Brown
May 2, 2024

Community members are invited to help at the Union Benevolent Society Cemetery.

Brick & Mortar Monthly: The Dalton House was home to many Hopkinsville boarders

by Grace Abernethy
April 29, 2024

In the most recent installment of Brick & Mortar Monthly, Grace Abernethy explores the history of boarding houses through the lens of her historic home.

Long lost ledger from an old Hopkinsville stagecoach stop reveals details of everyday life

by Alissa Keller
April 21, 2024

In January, readers chose the artifact they'd like museum director Alissa Keller to feature next. Here's that column.

A story of ‘adventure, intrigue, scandal and vast wealth’ is topic of next History on Tap

by Hoptown Chronicle
April 9, 2024

Museum director Alissa Keller will speak about episodes in the life of notorious Hopkinsville native Asbury Harpending.