A Capital City Rises: 1751 to the Present

African American

Black Lives Matter March to State Capitol

2020

The first Black Lives Matter March in Frankfort occurs on June 5. Marchers walk from the Old Capitol to the current State Capitol. Most wear face...

Capital Plaza Tower Implosion

2018

On March 11, the Capital Plaza Tower is imploded after 46 years as Frankfort’s tallest building. The Civic Center is also demolished. The...

Bourbon Production Resumes at Old Taylor Distillery

2015

Bourbon production begins again at the Old Taylor Distillery under the trade name Castle and Key.

Elmer T. Lee Inducted into Hall of Fame

2012

Buffalo Trace Master Distiller, Elmer T. Lee, is inducted into Whiskey Magazine’s Icons of Whiskey Hall of Fame.

Islamic Center Opens

2001

The Islamic Center of Frankfort opens.

George C. Wolfe Wins Tony Award

1993

On June 6, Frankfort native and Frankfort High graduate George C. Wolfe wins a Tony Award for directing “Angels in America: Millennium Approaches” on...

Mary Levi Smith Becomes President of Kentucky State University

1991

Mary Levi Smith becomes the 11th president of Kentucky State University and the first female to hold the position.

Kentucky River Floods in December 1978

1978

On December 10, the Kentucky River crests at 48.5 feet breaking the record of 1937 by nearly a foot.

Tornado Hits Franklin County on April 3, 1974.

1974

On April 3, a tornado roars into Franklin County killing four and injuring more than 100 people as well as damaging or destroying 200 buildings.

Frankfort's Urban Renewal Demolishes Craw

1965

Frankfort’s Urban Renewal project removes 70% of the Craw area to make way for a hotel, shopping area, and state office tower as well as a new federal...

The Great Race Films in Frankfort

1964

In October, Warner Brothers Studio begins hiring extras for “The Great Race” to be partly filmed in Franklin County. Needed are 250 men, 225 women,...

March on the Capitol In Frankfort

1964

On March 5, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stages a March on the Capitol. Among the 10,000 people marching are baseball great, Jackie Robinson, and...

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at Kentucky State College

1957

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. speaks at the Kentucky State College (later University) commencement.

Kermit Williams Integrates Frankfort High School

1956

Kermit Williams is among the first African Americans to integrate Frankfort High. A picture of Williams scoring a touchdown is featured in the...

Craw Neighborhood Begins to Disband

1955

The city establishes the Frankfort Slum Clearance and Redevelopment Agency which marks the official beginning of the end of Craw, Frankfort’s colorful...

Major General Hume Develops M.A.S.H.

1950

Frankfort’s Major General Edgar Erskine Hume, stationed in Korea, develops the Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (M.A.S.H.).

First Franklin County World War II Casualty

1942

On December 7, 1941 the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor. In December 1942, James A. Satterwhite becomes the first World War II casualty from Franklin...

John Fallis Shot and Killed

1929

John Fallis, known as the King of Craw, is shot on August 18 and dies during a craps game. Everett Rigsby is the shooter.

Mayo-Underwood High School Opens

1929

The Mayo-Underwood High School for educating African Americans is dedicated on Mero Street.

Raymond Glenn Featured in Silent Movie

1924

Frankfort’s Raymond Glenn, known professionally as Bob Custer, appears for the first time in the silent movie Trigger Fingers.

Albert Bacon Fall Resigns

1923

Frankfort’s Albert Bacon Fall resigns as United States Secretary of the Interior due to the Tea Pot Dome Scandal.

Women Earn Right to Vote

1920

Women earn the right to vote with the passage of the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution and its ratification by the states.

Prohibition Arrives

1920

Prohibition stops distilled spirits production, but the failed experiment ends in 1933 when the 21st Amendment to the US Constitution is passed.

Rebecca Ruth Candies Opens

1919

Schoolteachers Ruth Hanly (later Ruth Hanly Booe) and Rebecca Gooch open Rebecca Ruth Candies. In 1938 the Bourbon Ball is invented here.

Frank Lloyd Wright House Built

1910

The only Frank Lloyd Wright designed house in Kentucky is built on Shelby Street in Frankfort for the Rev. Jesse Zeigler.

New Capitol Dedicated

1910

On June 2, the new Capitol is dedicated. Built of Vermont granite and Bedford limestone it costs $1.8 million.

First Boy Scout Troop in Frankfort

1909

Boy Scout Troop 1 is formally chartered by Lord Robert Baden Powell as a unit of the British organization. In 1910 this unit becomes the first Boy...

Paul Sawyier at High Bridge

1908

Paul Sawyier, Frankfort’s most famous and prolific artist, ties up his houseboat at High Bridge in 1908. Sawyier dies on November 6, 1917 in New York...

Winnie A. Scott Hospital Opens

1903

The Women’s Improvement Club Hospital opens at 228 East Second Street. It is later named the Winnie A. Scott Hospital and operated until Kings...

Governor William Goebel Shot

1900

William Goebel is shot in front of the Old Capitol on Broadway on January 30. On the next day he is sworn in as governor but dies on February 3. After...

Robert Burns Wilson

1898

Frankfort painter and poet, Robert Burns Wilson pens “Remember the Maine” which becomes the Spanish American War’s rallying cry.

Buffalo Bill Cody and Annie Oakley

1896

Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West Show, featuring Annie Oakley and Custer’s Last Battle, performs at Frankfort's Lake Park in Bellepoint.

Kings Daughters Hospital Founded

1894

The Kings Daughters Hospital is founded by the Kings Daughters Silent Workers Circle, located at the corner of Arlington and East Main Street.

Meek and Milam Fishing Reels

1893

Meek and Milam fishing reels win prizes at the Chicago World’s Columbian exposition. In 1900 the reels win prizes at the International Exposition in...

Dr. John Q. A. Stewart Starts School

1893

Dr. John Quincy Adams Stewart purchases the Kentucky Military Institute buildings on Lawrenceburg Road and starts a school for people with...

Paul Sawyier in New York City

1889

Paul Sawyier enrolls in the Art Students League in New York City.

The Future Kentucky State University Opens

1887

The State Normal School for Colored Persons, now Kentucky State University, opens in Frankfort with 55 students. The first president is John Henry...

Jumbo the Elephant Swims Across Benson Creek

1884

P. T. Barnum’s Circus brings “Jumbo” the elephant to Frankfort. The elephant swims across Benson Creek as local authorities fear his weight might...

Federal Building on Wapping Street

1883

Ground is broken for a Federal Building on Wapping Street. The Post Office is located on the first floor and the Federal Court on the second floor....

Clinton Street School Built

1882

The Clinton Street School is built for African American students. William H. Mayo of Cincinnati is its first principal.

Telephone Exchange Begins

1880

The telephone exchange begins. The Williams brothers hold the rights as agents of the American Bell Telephone Company. In 1883 long distance service...

Isaac Murphy Rides for Fleetwood Farm

1877

Famed African American jockey, Isaac Murphy rides for Fleetwood Farm. The farm on Louisville Road is owned by J. W. Hunt-Reynolds, a grandson of...

John Jordan Crittenden III Killed at the Battle of the Little Bighorn

1876

Frankfort’s John Jordan Crittenden III is killed on June 25 with Custer at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in Montana territory. Though a monument to...

Steam Sawmills Operate in Frankfort

1873

Six steam sawmills operate in Frankfort as logs from Eastern Kentucky tied in rafts are floated down the Kentucky River to be made into boards.

Reconstruction in Frankfort

1870

The Ku Klux Klan is active in the county. They threaten African Americans with death if they vote in the August election. Two companies of the 4th US...

E.H. Taylor Purchases Swigert Distillery

1869

E. H. Taylor, Jr. purchases the Swigert distillery, rebuilding it and renaming it OFC for Old Fire Copper. It is considered the first modern...

John Bibb Develops Bibb Lettuce

1865

John Bibb develops Bibb lettuce in his Wapping Street backyard garden. Bibb enjoys giving the produce to his friends. It becomes widely marketed in...

Confederate Prisoners Executed in Frankfort

1864

On November 2, Union General Stephen Burbridge orders four innocent Confederate prisoners executed in Frankfort in reprisal for the murder of Union...

Fort Crittenden, later Fort Hill, is Built

1863

Fort Crittenden is built on a hill overlooking the city. Later the name is changed to Fort Boone. In 1864 the New Redoubt begins. Both are earth works...

Confederate Mayor in Frankfort Appointed

1862

Frankfort is the only Union capital to fall to Confederate forces during the Civil War. On September 6, Thomas N. Lindsey is appointed Confederate...

Kentucky Admitted as a Confederate State

1861

In December, The Confederate Congress admits Kentucky as a Confederate state. Bowling Green is chosen as the capital.

Franklin County Enters the Civil War

1861

At the start of the Civil War, 190 Franklin County residents join the Confederate Army and 253 join the Union Army.

Paper for Confederate Currency

1861

Paper mill owner, Ebenezer Stedman, delivers a substantial order of paper for Confederate currency to Richmond, Virginia but he is never paid.

Institute Opens

1860

The Kentucky Feeble Minded Institute opens. It is created to educate and train children with intellectual disabilities.

1860 Presidential Election

1860

Franklin County gives Abraham Lincoln no votes in the presidential election. John C. Breckinridge receives 907, John Bell 790, and Stephen Douglas 37.

Pepper Builds Old Crow Distillery

1860

Oscar Pepper builds the Old Crow distillery near Millville on Glenn’s Creek Road.

Daniel Boone Monument Erected

1858

John Haly erects the Boone Monument in the Frankfort Cemetery at a cost of $2000.

First United Methodist Church Built

1854

The First United Methodist Church is erected on Washington Street.

Capital Hotel Constructed

1853

The Capital Hotel is constructed by John Haly at a cost of $100,000. It accommodates 200 to 300 guests and is a favorite meeting place for...

Arsenal Built

1850

The State Arsenal is built by architect Nathaniel Cook in downtown Frankfort. It now serves as the Kentucky Military History Museum.

Frankfort Elects First Mayor

1849

An act of the legislature gives Frankfort a new type of government, from a Board of Trustees to a Mayor-Council form of government. This designates...

Lexington to Frankfort Railroad

1849

A tunnel under cemetery hill opens for the Lexington to Frankfort railroad.

River Raisin Soldiers Interred at Frankfort Cemetery

1848

Remains of Kentuckians massacred at the River Raisin during the War of 1812 are interred at the Frankfort Cemetery at the state mound.

St. Clair Covered Bridge

1847

The St. Clair Covered Bridge opens and telegraph lines go up.

Soldiers Buried in Frankfort Cemetery

1847

On September 16, Kentuckians who died at the Battle of Buena Vista and in other battles are buried at the state mound at the Frankfort Cemetery. Henry...

Franklin County Troops in Mexican War

1846

Franklin County furnishes two companies of troops to the Mexican War with Captains B. C. Milam and Frank Chambers commanding.

Frankfort Cemetery Company Purchases Land

1845

On February 16, the Frankfort Cemetery Company purchases 32 acres known as Hunter’s Garden for $3,801. On July 23 the bodies of Daniel and Rebecca...

Religious Separation Begins

1844

The Baptist Colored Society is deeded a lot on Clinton Street. This began separate churches for African American and white people in Franklin County.

Manufacture of Fishing Reels Begins

1839

Benjamin and Jonathan Meek begin the manufacture of fishing reels. Joined later by Benjamin Cave Milam. Elkhorn Creek is dubbed the small mouth bass...

Church of the Ascension Begins

1838

The Church of the Ascension, an Episcopal church, begins.

Smallpox in Franklin County

1837

Smallpox is prevalent in Franklin County.

Santa Anna in Franklin County

1836

General Santa Anna, commander-in-chief of Mexican forces and President of Mexico, spends the night at a tavern in Franklin County. A prisoner of war...

Locomotive Transported to Kentucky

1835

A locomotive imported from England is brought up the Kentucky River and placed on the railroad track.

Orlando Brown House Designed

1835

Gideon Shryock designs the residence known as the Orlando Brown House at the corner of Wapping and Wilkinson Streets. Orlando, prominent Frankfort...

Cholera Epidemic in Franklin County

1833

A cholera epidemic kills 167 people in Franklin County in three weeks in 1833.This epidemic was brought to central Kentucky in the stagecoaches.

First Christian Church Organized

1832

On December 2, the First Christian church is organized under the direction of Elders John T. Johnson and Phillip Slater Fall.

Railroad Work Begins in Frankfort

1831

Work began in Frankfort on what would become the third railroad west of the Allegheny Mountains.

Marquis de Lafayette Visits Frankfort

1825

The Marquis de Lafayette visits Frankfort on May 14. A dinner and ball are held in his honor. He visits Margaretta Mason Brown at Liberty Hall as her...

Frankfort Population

1820

In 1820, there are 11,024 people living in Frankfort.

First Steamboat Built

1818

The first steamboat is built at Frankfort which becomes a hub for freight and passengers between Louisville and central Kentucky. To improve river...

South Frankfort Incorporated

1817

South Frankfort is incorporated by the Kentucky Legislature as a separate community. In 1850 it becomes the 8th ward of the city of Frankfort.

Kentucky State House Built

1813

On November 25, the first Kentucky state house built in 1793-94 burns. The second state house is completed in 1816 at a cost of $40,000. Half is paid...

Bishop Flaget Visits Frankfort

1811

Catholic Bishop Benedict Joseph Flaget visits Frankfort and declares he cannot find one Catholic!

First Methodist Meeting

1810

Bishop Frances Asbury holds the first Methodist meeting in Franklin County on October 17.

First Sunday School at Liberty Hall

1810

In the garden at Liberty Hall, Margaretta Mason Brown and Elizabeth Love establish the first Sunday School west of the Allegheny Mountains.

Henry Clay Defends Aaron Burr

1806

On December 5, Aaron Burr’s first trial for treason begins in Frankfort. Burr is defended by Henry Clay on charges of treason and is exonerated.

Meriwether Lewis Visits Frankfort

1806

Meriwether Lewis visits Frankfort after returning from the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

American Flag at Tripoli

1805

Marine Lt. Presley O’Bannon (buried at the state mound in the Frankfort Cemetery) plants the American flag at Tripoli, the first time our flag is...

Franklin County Courthouse/Cove Springs Water Works

1803

The building of the Franklin County Courthouse commences. Richard Throckmorton starts the Frankfort Water Works at Cove Springs using bored out cedar...

Building of Liberty Hall

1796

Liberty Hall, at the corner of Main and Wilkinson Streets, is built for John Brown. His wife, Margaretta Mason Brown, comes from New York to join him...

Frankfort's First Post Office

1794

The first post office is established on October 1 with Daniel Weisiger as first postmaster.

Franklin County Established

1794

On May 10, 1794, Franklin County is created as the eighteenth county in Kentucky.

Hemp Industry

1793

The first hemp mill opens in Franklin County. Image features a Hemp Break on display at the Capital City Museum.

Kentucky Admitted as Fifteenth State

1792

On June 1, Kentucky is admitted to the Union as the fifteenth state. Isaac Shelby is inaugurated in Lexington as the first governor. December 5,...

Frankfort Incorporated

1791

The town of Frankfort was incorporated by the Virginia legislature in 1791. Until then, the site of Frankfort was known as Leestown bottom.

Forks of Elkhorn Baptist Church

1788

Forks of Elkhorn Baptist Church is organized, the first in Franklin County.

Wilkinson Spies

1787

James Wilkinson pledges allegiance to Spain and becomes a spy known as Agent 13.

Frankfort's First Sermon

1786

Rev. John Gano preaches Frankfort’s first sermon.

Wilkinson Founds Frankfort

1786

General James Wilkinson founds Frankfort. He built a log house on the corner of the future Wapping and Wilkinson Streets. A contemporary, Humphrey...

Stephen Frank

1780

Frankfort probably got its name from an incident which happened at the Kentucky River. A group traveling to make salt at Mann’s Lick is attacked near...

Kentucky County Established

1776

Kentucky County is created by Virginia. It is replaced in 1780 by Jefferson, Fayette, and Lincoln Counties. North and East Frankfort are in Fayette,...

Leestown Established

1775

Leestown is established near present Lock and Dam # 4 and becomes the first white settlement in Franklin County. It is named for Willis Lee. Lee is...

North Frankfort Surveyed

1773

On July 16, James and Robert McAfee, Hancock Taylor, and others survey almost all of North Frankfort. The beginning corner is located at what is now...

Settlement in Kentucky

1768

By the treaty of Fort Stanwix, the Iroquois tribe cedes land between the Ohio and Tennessee rivers opening Settlement in Kentucky.

Christopher Gist Explores Kentucky

1751

Christopher Gist explores central and eastern Kentucky with his African American servant. Gist is most likely the first European to visit the...

Early History

1700

For thousands of years, bison crossed the Kentucky River at Buffalo Trace on their way to the salt licks at Drennon Springs, located in what would...

A Capital City Rises: 1751 to the Present

Join the Capital City Museum on an interactive journey through time exploring the history of Frankfort and Franklin County. Special thanks to Frankfort historian Russ Hatter for his thorough and diligent research of our region's history.

1700-03-01 00:00:00

Early History

1751-04-01 15:28:18

Christopher Gist Explores Kentucky

1768-06-11 21:04:45

Settlement in Kentucky

1773-06-11 21:04:45

North Frankfort Surveyed

1775-04-01 15:28:18

Leestown Established

1776-04-14 19:17:05

Kentucky County Established

1780-09-12 07:06:09

Stephen Frank

1786-08-30 03:26:05

Wilkinson Founds Frankfort

1786-10-11 18:39:17

Frankfort's First Sermon

1787-09-21 13:12:23

Wilkinson Spies

A Capital City Rises: 1751 to the Present

Exploration and Settlement

1700 - 1791

Frankfort Grows

1792 - 1806

A Bustling City

1810 - 1845

Military Development

1846 - 1876

Arts and Education

1877 - 1909

Urban Renewal and Civil Rights

1910 - 1965

Modern Era

1974 - 2025

Exploration and Settlement

1700 - 1791

Frankfort Grows

1792 - 1806

A Bustling City

1810 - 1845

Military Development

1846 - 1876

Arts and Education

1877 - 1909

Urban Renewal and Civil Rights

1910 - 1965

Modern Era

1974 - 2025

African American

Black Lives Matter March to State Capitol

2020

Architecture

Capital Plaza Tower Implosion

2018

Bourbon

Bourbon Production Resumes at Old Taylor Distillery

2015

Bourbon

Elmer T. Lee Inducted into Hall of Fame

2012

Education

Islamic Center Opens

2001

Arts and Entertainment

George C. Wolfe Wins Tony Award

1993

Education

Mary Levi Smith Becomes President of Kentucky State University

1991

Natural Disaster

Kentucky River Floods in December 1978

1978

Natural Disaster

Tornado Hits Franklin County on April 3, 1974.

1974

Industry

Frankfort's Urban Renewal Demolishes Craw