Photos from the Lexington Herald-Leader archives updated daily

Blue Grass Field terminal remodeled, 1968

Blue Grass Field’s terminal in March 1968 was redecorated to make room for a service counter for Allegheny Airlines. Allegheny was the fourth airline with service to Lexington; the others were Delta, Eastern and Piedmont. To make ticket counter space for Allegheny, a snack bar was eliminated and the Hertz Rent-A-Car counter was moved. Displays in the terminal were moved to provide additional seating for waiting passengers. In this image, there are 13 visible ashtrays — some located next to the rows of chairs, and others at each counter. Click on the image for a closer look. Allegheny offered nonstop service to Pittsburgh and Nashville from Lexington. 1968 was a milestone year in Lexington’s airport history. Work was completed on extending runway 4-22 from 5,500 feet to 6,500 feet to usher in the jet age. And a new 60-foot reinforced concrete control tower, complete with a seven-foot radar structure, was built to handle jet service and the airport’s ever-growing traffic load. The first jet flight out of Lexington was on March 31, 1968. Allegheny was in business until 1979. It was a forerunner of US Airways, which later merged into American Airlines. Published in the March 3, 1969, Sunday Herald-Leader. Herald-Leader File Photo

The restaurant at Blue Grass Field was remodeled in March 1968, along with other parts of the terminal building. A new snack bar was built in this area because its original space was needed for the airport’s fourth airline, Allegheny. Published in the March 3, 1969, Sunday Herald-Leader. Herald-Leader File Photo

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Kentucky basketball’s Rex Chapman, 1986

The University of Kentucky’s Rex Chapman drove past Louisville’s Tony Kimbro, left, and Pervis Ellison during the Wildcats’ Dec. 27, 1986, win over the defending national champion Cardinals. The freshman from Owensboro scored a game-high 26 points in the 85-51 win at Freedom Hall. Click here to see other images of Chapman from our archives. Despite playing only two years at Kentucky, Chapman is 50th on UK’s all-time scoring list with 1,073 points. In 1988, he was drafted eighth overall by the Charlotte Hornets. He is now a commentator on UK’s pregame radio show. The ex-Wildcat star has recently been vocal about his political views. Leaders of UK’s radio network, past and present, say it’s better not to mix sports and politics. Herald-Leader File Photo

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Micro-City Fun Day at Douglass Park, 1984

An estimated 2,500 people attended the Micro-City Government Fun Day at Douglass Park on July 25, 1984. The event was sponsored by the Urban County Government, and children from 22 parks attended the event. The pool was built with funding made available through the Community Development Block Grant Fund. The new facility offered an aquatic program for neighborhood youth. Frederick Douglass Park was opened in 1916, when a prominent black grocer sold the 25-acre site to the city of Lexington to establish the first park in the Bluegrass for black residents. In its early history, it staged multiple uses. Click on the image for a larger view. Photo by Frank Anderson | Staff

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The naked man, 1977

A stitchless Michael Hardrick tried to explain to Lexington attorney Pat Prosser why he was walking around downtown naked, reading from a Bible, on July 28, 1977. Hardrick, 26, of Cincinnati, told Prosser that he had been directed by the Lord to give away all his earthly possessions. Lexington police arrived and arrested him for indecent exposure at Market and Third streets. Photo by Ron Garrison | Staff

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New Lexington police cruisers, 1950

Lexington Patrolman Lloyd Lindsey, left, and Sergeant Espy Hedger inspected the first of five new police cruisers ordered by the city in July 1950. Unlike the older cruisers, the new ones had two spotlights, one on each side, and a combination red light and siren on top. Published in the July 21, 1950, Lexington Leader. Herald-Leader File Photo

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UK coach Joe B. Hall during first ‘Dream Game,’ 1983

University of Kentucky coach Joe B. Hall reacted to an official’s call March 26, 1983, during his team’s 80-68 NCAA Tournament loss to Louisville in what would be know as the first “Dream Game” between the two schools. With a Final Four berth on the line in Knoxville, the Wildcats were outscored 18-6 in overtime. Click here to see another photo from our archives of the game, and click here to see images of Hall. Photo by Charles Bertram | Staff

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Bridal showers, 1956

A bridal shower given for Janet Turner in May 1956 in Lexington. Joan Overstreet, left, was the hostess for the shower. Turner’s wedding to David Frederick was to take place June 9 at Church of Christ in Lexington. A wedding announcement in the May 23, 1956, Lexington Leader said Tanner would entertain her bridesmaids at her home six days before her nuptials, followed by a spinster dinner the following day. A luncheon was held in Tanner’s honor June 6 and the rehearsal dinner was to be held June 8 at Colonial Inn. According to the announcement, previous events for the wedding included a Coke party, a miscellaneous shower, a china and silver shower, and a personal shower. Herald-Leader File Photo

A bridal shower was given for Velma Gray of Paris in May 1956. Gray, standing at right, was to be married to John Elsner on June 9 at Lexington’s Christ the King Church. Published in the May 29, 1956, Lexington Herald. Herald-Leader File Photo

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Downtown Lexington jewelry store burglary, 1956

Lexington patrolmen John Johnson Jr., left, and James Perkins looked at the damage after a burglary on June 21, 1956, at Kirk Jewelry Co., 301 West Main Street. Eight Bulova watches, valued at $400, were taken from the store. The two officers discovered the shattered window, which had been broken by a large railroad spike. Ten minutes later, a suspect was arrested, and an hour later, a second man was arrested. The quick arrests were a result of the two officers’ descriptions of the suspects. For their work, the department’s third platoon, particularly Johnson and Perkins, were given a commendation by Maj. Wallace McMurray. Both officers were graduates of Lexington’s old Dunbar High School and went on to long, decorated careers in the police department. Johnson, who died in April at age 88, spent 29 years with the department and retired in the 1980s as a juvenile detective. His daughter, Norma Johnson, said that at his funeral, his fellow officers described him as a mentor and a confidante, and they said he was a calming influence in tense situations. Here is a link to Johnson’s obituary. Perkins, who died in 1984 at age 58, four months after retiring, was Lexington’s first black sergeant, lieutenant and captain. Then-Police Chief John P. McFadden said Perkins wasn’t much for paperwork but had a knack for getting people to trust him enough to give him information. McFadden said Perkins once, in one day, got information that led to solving three unrelated homicides that had been unsolved for weeks. Herald-Leader File Photo

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Vice President Dan Quayle visits Lexington, 1992

Vice President Dan Quayle visited a home being built at 781 Ridgebrook Circle in Lexington, July 23, 1992. The Republican vice president used his visit to the neighborhood off Liberty Road to blame the Democratic Congress for the nation’s prolonged recession. During his campaign stop, he said Congress has refused to pass President George Bush’s proposal to give first-time home buyers a $5,000 tax credit. Quayle told the Home Builders Association of Lexington that the bill would create hundreds of thousands of jobs within six months. His visit to Lexington was part of the Bush campaign’s recent effort to direct voters’ desire for change at Congress. He said the nation needs to have the same party controlling the White House and Congress to avoid stalemates. “When you think of change, I want you to think about changing the Democratic Congress,” Quayle told a crowd of about 300 supporters who greeted him at Blue Grass Airport. As part of his effort to help the Republicans gain control of Congress, Quayle attended a Lexington fund-raiser for Republican U.S. Senate candidate David Williams. Although Quayle wanted to focus on housing programs and Congress-bashing, he was plagued during his Lexington visit by questions about whether he will be dumped from the Republican ticket. He refused to say whether he has offered to step down from the ticket or whether he and Bush have discussed his leaving the ticket. A little over three months later Bush and Quayle lost to Bill Clinton and Al Gore in the presidential election. Photo by Tim Sharp | staff

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Cincinnati Reds’ Eric Davis, 1987

Cincinnati Reds center fielder Eric Davis in the team’s locker room in Riverfront Stadium before a game against the Philadelphia Phillies, May 9, 1987. The photo ran with a story chronicling the young star’s rise in Major League Baseball. Through 46 games the 24-year-old had 17 homers, 44 RBI and a .349 batting average. “I’ve never seen a player with more raw talent,” Reds manager Pete Rose said at the time. That year he went on to make the All-Star team, was a Gold Glove winner and finished hitting .293 with 37 homers and 50 steals despite playing in only 129 games. Davis retired after the 2001 season and was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 2005. Click here to see another photo from our archives of Davis. Photo by Charles Bertram | staff

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