8 pivotal moments that have helped shape Lexington, Kentucky’s 250-year legacy
Lexington, Kentucky’s 250-year journey is marked by defining moments that shaped its vibrant community. The city weathered sweeping changes during Prohibition, with local distilleries like Old Tarr and John Pepper shuttered, and an underground culture of speakeasies emerging.
Literary figures such as James Lane Allen captured rural Kentucky life, while walking tours now celebrate the city’s impact on writers and storytellers.
Urban development took dramatic turns, exemplified by the transformation of the Phoenix Hotel site from a failed skyscraper project into the much-loved Phoenix Park.
The proud sporting legacy, highlighted by Kentucky basketball’s 1948 NCAA championship win, reveals Lexington's deep-rooted traditions and ongoing spirit of achievement.
Read the stories below.
NO. 1: MAKE A TOAST TO PROHIBITION: WHEN BOOZE STOPPED FLOWING, EXCEPT IN PARTS OF LEXINGTON
The movement to MADA (Make America Dry Again) was led by Carrie Nation, who was born in 1846 in Garrard County, Kentucky. The cause was sweeping the country, but it earned thumbs-down in Lexington. | Published January 20, 2025 | Read Full Story by Liz Carey
NO. 2: PLANS FOR A 50-STORY OFFICE TOWER TRANSFORMED INTO PHOENIX PARK
A developer wanted to build a downtown high-rise in honor of coal. It failed, but Lexington is getting a new-and-improved Phoenix Park in its place. | Published February 13, 2025 | Read Full Story by Liz Carey
NO. 3: ‘PAPA, PAPA, PAPA!’ REMEMBERING A LOCAL TEEN JEOPARDY! WINNER
The Herald-Leader’s series of memorable moments in Lexington’s 250-year history focuses on a local teen who won a game show prize. | Published February 19, 2025 | Read Full Story by Liz Carey
NO. 4: TRANSYLVANIA GRAD WAS ONE OF NATION’S MOST-REVERED NOVELISTS
The Herald-Leader’s review of some of Kentucky’s most notable individuals and historic moments focuses on an award-winning novelist who wrote The Kentucky Cardinal. | Published February 19, 2025 | Read Full Story by Liz Carey
NO. 5: THE TRAGIC STORY OF MURDERED GOLFER MARION MILEY, A LEXINGTON FUTURE STAR KILLED IN ’41
The Herald-Leader examines the tragic story of Marion Miley, who was killed in her apartment in 1943. She was a local media darling with a bright future. | Published February 27, 2025 | Read Full Story by Liz Carey
NO. 6: KENTUCKY FRIED HISTORY: REMEMBER UK BASKETBALL’S FIRST NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP IN 1948?
In the 1948 NCAA Tournament, the Baylor Bears “were no match for Coach Adolph Rupp’s great band of hoopsters.” | Published April 7, 2025 | Read Full Story by Andrew Henderson
NO. 7: KENTUCKY CHILD STAR WON A CAR AS A 5-YEAR-OLD AND HASN’T STOPPED DRIVING TO SUCCESS
From child pageants and Broadway to Hollywood and podcasts, Laura Bell Bundy-Hinkle has been a dynamic entertainer with deep ties to Lexington, Kentucky. | Published April 14, 2025 | Read Full Story by Liz Carey
NO. 8: YOU CAN TOUR THE STREETS OF LEXINGTON WHERE FAMOUS AUTHORS WALKED
The 250th birthday celebration of Lexington, Kentucky, includes a walking tour of famous authors who called the city home. | Published April 23, 2025 | Read Full Story by Liz Carey
The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.