An old wagon with bourbon barrels (with bourbon rickhouses in the background) on display at the Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort Kentucky. The first Kentucky bourbon dates back to 1795, when Jacob Beam first sold his “Old Jake Beam Sour Mash. Seven generations of the Beam family have been involved in the production bourbon since that time.
The Buffalo Trace Distillery, which dates back to 1775, has gone by several names over that time, including George T. Stagg Distillery and the Old Fashioned Copper (O.F.C.) Distillery. The current name, Buffalo Trace, refers to well known pathways that buffalo herds left behind on the Great Plains and Midwest that Indian tribes and later European pioneers, followed during their travels. In some cases they became the basis for highways now used today in the United States.
A view of the historic Jim Beam Bourbon Whiskey Barn located near Bardstown Kentucky, First sold as Old Jake Beam Sour Mash beginning in 1795, seven generations of the Beam family have been involved in the production of one of the best selling brands of Bourbon Whiskey in the world.
State Capitol – The Kentucky State Capitol was built between 1905 and 1909 for a cost $1 million dollars. It is the state’s fourth permanent capitol building. Two burned down, and the third stands not far from the current capitol building. The Kentucky capitol holds all three branches of state government, including the legislature, the supreme court and the executive branch. It includes offices for the governor, lieutenant governor, the attorney general, and the secretary of state.
The building was constructed in the Beaux-Arts style and features a number of French architectural elements. The designer Frank Mills Andrews was a distinguished and award-winning architect. The interior of the building includes a number of bronze statues – Abraham Lincoln (pictured), Henry Clay, Dr. Ephraim McDowell and Alben Barkley (a farmer vice president). Until recently Jefferson Davis, the only president of the Confederacy, was included among them. His statue was removed in 2020, and placed in Fairview, Kentucky, his birth place and the location of a monument built in his memory, in 1973.
Cove Spring Park – While only 240 acres, Cove Spring Park is a very interesting place. One might almost describe it as a small valley tucked away between steep forested hills. It has a number of short trails both in the valley and along the hillsides, as well as several waterfalls, a beautiful stream, and several historic structures. The perfect place to get outdoors, but also get away from the heat, on a hot summer day.
Daniel Boone Grave Marker – Overlooking the Kentucky River, this grave marker is located in the Frankfort Cemetery. Daniel Boone is an icon of American folklore. A frontiersman and explorer he is known for the time he spent on the Kentucky frontier. Since his death in 1820, a bit of a controversy has developed about where he’s truly buried. Originally buried in Missouri, his body along with that of his wife Rebecca were disinterred in 1845, and moved to his now official burial site in Frankfort. However, some Boone historians in Missouri aren’t so sure. Various tests on the bones that were moved have been conducted, with inconclusive results to date.
Buffalo Trace Distillery – As the producer of 90% of the world’s bourbon, Kentucky is well known for its brewing of this alcoholic beverage. In fact its a point of pride that there are nearly twice as many barrels of aging bourbon in the state, as there people. Buffalo Trace, Distillery is arguably the oldest brewer in the state, with its orgins dating back to 1775, and two brothers Hancock and Willis Lee. Buffalo Trace has gone by numerous names over the years, the most notable of which is George T. Stagg Distillery, which undoubtedly many current locals would remember. The current
The current distillery’s name is an interesting choice, as it refers to a trail that Indians and explorers alike discovered passing through southern Indiana. Its creators weren’t humans, but bison, no doubt numbering in the millions, that carved an impressive and durable pathway across the wilderness landscape of the American frontier.
Frankfort Historic District – While many a historic downtown can be found in Kentucky, I have found Frankfort to be one of the more interesting and scenic, given its location among steeply forested hillsides. The City of Frankfort derives its name from Frank’s Ford, a historic crossing on the Kentucky River that was named after Stephen Frank, an early pioneer of the state that was killed in an indian skirmish in 1780. For quite a long time after its founding Frankfort was Kentucky’s second largest city after Lexington, and as previously noted it became the location of the state’s capitol upon statehood in 1792. The state’s third capitol building, built in 1830 is one of the 86 buildings that make up Frankfort’s downtown historic district.
Adjacent counties
Owen County (north) Scott County (east) Woodford County (southeast) Anderson County (south) Shelby County (west) Henry County (northwest)
