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Mariam and Erin discuss and play clips of a few of their favorite moments from Tales from the Kentucky Room. This episode was recorded online from their homes.

Jonathan Coleman guest hosts this episode, and tells his favorite ghost stories from his popular Lexington History Walks. Dr. Coleman conducts Lexington History Walks year-round, which can be booked on his website: www.drcolemanwalks.com

Mariam interviews Megan Couch about her research into the 1849 outbreak of Cholera in Lexington. They discuss finding more deaths from cholera than were actually reported, and tell the stories of families that were completely wiped out by the disease. Thi

Mariam and David discuss the sordid life of John Wilkes Booth before his assassination of Abraham Lincoln, including his visit to Lexington during the Civil War as a theater actor. Some listener discretion is advised.

Mariam and Wayne talk about the history of Lexington Public Library spaces, from its beginning as a subscription library in 1795 to the building project for the new Marksbury Family Branch (formerly Village Branch) now in 2022.

Mariam shares the history of Kentucky’s Separate Coach Law, and Lexington’s second African American attorney, J. Alexander Chiles, who took the fight to the US Supreme court multiple times in the 1890s and early 1900s.

In the final part of this series, Wayne takes us through the murders of the Barnes Family, the murders and shootings in Falmouth, KY, and the aftermath of the crimes. Listener Discretion is Advised.

JP Johnson tells the story of the time artist Henry Faulkner’s goat, Alice, disappeared for several weeks in 1965, and gives a preview of Lexington Public Library’s Henry Faulkner Week, February 25-March 3, 2019.

Erin guests to talk about bloodhound Nick Carter and his handler Captain Volney Mullikin, who together searched for and found over 600 people in Nick Carter’s career as a tracking hound.

Mariam and Erin tell the story of Constantine Samuel Rafinesque’s visit with naturalist John James Audubon, and how the resulting prank by Audubon on Rafinesque wasn’t fully discovered for nearly 150 years.

Mariam and David discuss Charles Dickens’ visit to Kentucky in 1842, with readings by Bill Widener from Dickens’ work “American Notes.”

Mariam interviews Reinette Jones, founder of the Notable Kentucky African Americans database. They discuss Kentucky’s Centenarian Librarians, the boxer David Moore, and the prison shoe-making industry. Visit the NKAA at http://nkaa.uky.edu/nkaa/

Mariam gives a brief history of the public schools in Lexington and Fayette County.

Mariam interviews Wayne Johnson, librarian and local historian about the murder of Transylvania University student Betty Gail Brown in October 1961. In the last episode, they discuss the court case and other theories of the crime.

Mariam and Wayne discuss the history of Lexington & Fayette County’s merged governments, one of only fifteen merged city-county governments in the United States.

Erin guests to tell the story of one of Lexington’s oldest unsolved murders – the killing of Alexander T. Hays in October 1846.

Mariam and Wayne discuss the 1970 shooting on Kent State’s campus, and how protests against the shooting, including the ROTC building fire, on UK’s campus led to curfews and lockdowns by Kentucky’s Governor.

Mariam interviews Lauren Burke, of the podcast Bonnets at Dawn, about Elizabeth Keckley, dressmaker for Mary Todd Lincoln.

Denise guest hosts and give sketches of the lives of three Lexington Civil War era women: Elizabeth Harbeson Hummons, Francis Dallam Peter, and Ella Bishop Ransom.

Naomi interviews Reverend L. Clark Williams about what progress has been made in Lexington since the June 4, 2020 march for racial justice.