![]() This grumpy native of Mason County loved dueling so much that before he committed suicide in 1855, he had participated in 14 duels and killed 10 men. Not a trace of it is known to now exist.ĪLEXANDER McCLUNG. JOHN BANVARD: Louisville artist who created the largest painting in the world, a panorama of the Mississippi, Missouri and Ohio Rivers on a canvas 3,000 feet long. Bates married a woman even taller than he was. Two Kentucky giants, measuring 7’9” and 7’5” respectively. Since publication, I have come to believe that stories about the more scandalous aspects of Johnson’s life, as related in the book, may owe more to scurrilous campaign propaganda than fact. Vice-president under Martin Van Buren, noted for behavior that got crazier as he aged. The town drunkard of Lexington, who proved to be made of heroic stuff when he buried victims of the 1833 cholera epidemic. The book spotlights the following illustrious personages and sports delightful illustrations by my twin brother Kyle: Then a thought permeated my concrete skull: why not write a book about a wide variety of strange and unusual Kentuckians, and include a chapter about Porter? Thus was Offbeat Kentuckians born, not unlike a baby with a dozen heads. To my dismay, I found that no matter how much research I did, there just wasn’t enough information to fill an entire book. OFFBEAT KENTUCKIANS (Kuttawa, KY: McClanahan Publishing, 2001)Īround 2000, I considered writing a book about Jim Porter, the Louisville Giant (1811-59), whom I have long considered a fascinating character. Update! It is now available as an e-book: ![]() Better yet, write to Turner Publishing and tell them to reprint it. Clay, Freedom’s Champion appears to be out of print. Note to Cassius Clay fans: since the publication of the book, I have found even more new information about him, which will be appearing in some short articles written for the Madison County Historical Society’s newsletter.Ĭassius M. Plus lots of photos, some never in print before! In addition to strictly biographical material, the book includes information on the construction of White Hall, a room-by-room tour of the house, White Hall ghost stories, rare letters by and about Clay, and a section or two deconstructing myths and misinformation about Clay. I decided to write a new biography of Clay utilizing all of this new information, and the result was my first book. While there, I heard many interesting stories about him from descendants, many of which had never been in print also, while doing research on other things I kept finding long-lost news items about and interviews with Clay, many of which complemented or contradicted material in extant books about him. I worked as a tour guide at Clay’s mansion, White Hall, from 1995 to 2001. He lived a life of such excitement, color and violence that it would require a separate website to tell it all in full. ![]() Clay (1810-1903), not to be mistaken with Muhammad Ali, was an emancipationist who lived near Richmond, KY. CLAY, FREEDOM’S CHAMPION (Paducah, KY: Turner Publishing, 2001)Ĭassius M.
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