Website Search

Mariam interviews Fred Mills about the history of the Kentucky Theatre and his 50 year tenure as the theatre’s manager.

Brenna guests to share her research on three of Lexington’s Black enclaves, founded by formerly enslaved persons after the Civil War. She highlights the history we know, and points out that much of the history of these hamlets and their residents are lost

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.

In this two part series on the Barnes Family’s murder, Mariam interviews guest Ike Lawrence, whose father notified Mrs. Barnes of her family’s murder, and later, Wayne discusses the start of the crime, with the two killers escaping the custody of the US M

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 interviews Terry L. Birdwhistell and Donald A. Ritchie about their January 2022 book, “Washington’s Iron Butterfly: Bess Clements Abell, an Oral History.”

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

Mariam talks with Kentucky author Jayne Moore Waldrop about her first fiction work, Drowned Town.

For our 60th episode, The TFKR Radio Players present a dramatic reading of ads about a horse sale gone sideways.

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

Mariam and David discuss Lafayette's 1825 visit to Lexington as we approach the 200th anniversary in 2024-2025.

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.