April 11, 2025
New Clays Ferry bridge nears completion, 1946
The road bed of the Clay’s Ferry bridge had been completed in this July 1946 photo and workmen were installing the last few panels of hand rails on the Fayette County side of the Kentucky River span. Approaches to the bridge were still to be constructed. This elevated two-lane bridge carrying US 25 over the Kentucky River was officially opened in a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony August 17,1946. At the time is was the highest highway bridge east of the Mississippi, at 250 feet above river level and spanning more than 1,736 feet from the Fayette County side to the Madison County side. The new bridge replaced a narrow, river level, wrought-iron span, known as the Clays Ferry bridge, which was built in 1869, replacing ferry that connected the two counties. A twin span, on the new bridge, was added in 1963 as part of I-75. Both spans were widened in 1998 to form a single six-lane bridge. Herald-Leader Archive Photo
Bobby Knight has a headache, 1975
Bobby Knight, coach of the number one ranked Indiana Hoosiers, felt bad on two counts following Kentucky’s 92-90 upset win, in the NCAA Mideast Regional championship game, March 22, 1975, in Dayton, Ohio. Knight was also battling the flu. See where this game landed in Mark Story’s ranking of the 50 greatest UK basketball wins of all time. Photo by E. Martin Jessee | Staff
Rinsing off at Boonesborough Beach, 1991
Greg Clark, 13, Richmond, showered off the sand in June 1991 at Boonesborough Beach on the Kentucky River. The state closed the beach later in the 1990’s due to sewage contaminated water and dangerous levels of bacteria. Photo by Tim Sharp | Staff
Western Auto, Jenkins, Ky., 1979
Albert “Moon” Childers, a retired coal miner and Willie Ross sat on the steps of the Western Auto store in Jenkins, Ky. in March 1979. Photo by Ron Garrison | Staff
Victory Garden winner, 1944
Mrs. Clyde Allen, Elkchester Pike, stood in her garden, in July, 1944. Allen was chosen by the Fayette Garden Council as the leading farm gardener in the Victory Garden contest of the 1944 growing season in Fayette County. Her three-quarter acre garden contained around 25 different vegetables. A Victory Garden winner was also chosen from among community gardeners and F.C. Clardy of Cochran Road was designated as being the best among approximately 500 plots of co-operative group gardens in Lexington and Fayette County. Victory Gardens were popular during World War I and II as a way to encourage home and community vegetable gardening to help reduce pressure on the public food supply. Heard-Leader Archive Photo
Rupp Arena, Lexington Center construction, 1975
An aerial photo from April 1975 shows the construction site of Rupp Arena, left, and what will become Lexington Center, the Hyatt Regency Hotel and Triangle Park. The grand opening of Rupp Arena was Oct. 7 to 10, 1976 and the first concert there featured Lawrence Welk and his orchestra. When it opened, Lexington Center was a five-fold operation: the convention-exposition hall, Rupp Arena, a shopping mall, the 17-story Hyatt Regency Hotel, and the Lexington Opera House. According to a 1976 article in the Herald-Leader, financing for Lexington Center and Rupp Arena was complicated, but it involved $66 million in private and public funding. $50.9 million of that was public money. On July 19, 2018, a groundbreaking ceremony was held for the long-awaited expansion of the Lexington Convention Center. The 3-year, $241 million project will be built in phases to allow Rupp Arena and much of the existing convention center to remain in operation. Click on the photo for a closer look and click here to see more images from our archives of Rupp Arena construction. And click here to to see a gallery of images celebrating Rupp Arena’s 40th anniversary, which was celebrated in 2016. Photo by John C. Wyatt | Staff
Senior Golf Classic at Griffin Gate, 1983
All eyes were on Arnold Palmer as he hit a tee shot in a practice round in the 1983 Citizen’s Union Senior Golf Classic at Griffin Gate Golf Club. Palmer, Bob Goalby and hometown favorite Gay Brewer, were among the 50 pros chasing a $25,000 first prize in the golf classic. Don January walked away with the first place money. Photo by Charles Bertram | Staff
Taking a dip in the Salt River, 1985
Ten teenage boys from beat the heat in June 1985 by swinging off a rope and dropping into the Salt River in Anderson County. Photo by David Perry | Staff
Opening of Cardinal Hill Convalescent Home, 1950
On hand to greet new patients at the Crippled Children’s Convalescent Home, soon to be called Cardinal Hill Convalescent Home, on opening day, August 1, 1950, was Micky, a cocker spaniel puppy who will be the mascot for the home. Four of the first 16 children to live at the home included Modina Marcum, left, Barbara Perry, Rose Reed, holding Micky, and Sophie Vires. Also pictured are staff nurse Willa Tussey, standing at left, and Marjorie Tubbs, home administrator. Micky was given to the children by Mrs. James Molloy. Herald-Leader Archive Photo
John Prine at Breedings, 1981
Singer-songwriter John Prine performed at Breeding’s night club in Lexington in September 1981. The popular folk singer-songwriter, now 71, performs tonight at the Master Musicians Festival in Somerset. Photo by Ron Garrison | Staff
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