September 22, 2024
Ronald Reagan visits Lexington, 1955
Screen and TV star Ronald Reagan met some employees at Lexington Lamp Works, 201 Rosemont Garden, during a tour of the plant on March 25, 1955. Here he chatted in the lunchroom with Gretchen Boone, left, the final inspector of headlamps, and Bettye Watts, a tapper. A.D. Dixon was the plant manager at the time. Reagan was the program supervisor of the General Electric Theater television series and came to Lexington to visit two GE plants. He had breakfast that morning at the Campbell House with executives of GE and the Lexington Herald-Leader. Photo published on March 27, 1955. Photo by E. Martin Jessee | Staff
Nancy Reagan campaigns in Lexington, 1984
First lady Nancy Reagan had lunch with Tracy, 8, and other young patients at Shriners Hospital on Nov. 2, 1984, during a campaign swing through Southern states four days before the presidential election. Ronald Reagan, her husband, would be elected in a landslide, carrying 49 of the 50 states and narrowly losing Minnesota, the home state of Democratic challenger Walter Mondale. Nancy Reagan, who died Sunday, March 6, 2016 at age 94, was known during her husband’s presidency for her “Just say no” drug-abuse prevention campaign aimed at youngsters. At Shriners, Dr. David B. Stevens, the chief of staff at Shriners and a former student of Nancy Reagan’s stepfather, renowned neurosurgeon Loyal Davis, gave her a tour. It took about an hour, and she visited each of the 34 patients at the 50-bed hospital. During a Herald-Leader interview that day, Reagan spoke positively of Geraldine Ferraro, Mondale’s running mate and the nation’s first female vice presidential candidate of a major party. She called Ferraro’s candidacy “a natural progression” for women, and said she didn’t seen any reason why a woman couldn’t be president one day. Photo by David Perry | Staff
Blue Grass Airport road repairs, 1985
A $1.5 million project to repair deteriorated roads at Blue Grass Airport was nearing completion on Oct. 15 1985. The airport’s roads had deteriorated because of increased traffic volume, airport executive director Jim Brough said at the time. The improvements included rebuilding the entrance road to the airport, incorporating curbing and gutters with storm sewers, building a four-lane divided road leading into the airport, adding an interior circulation loop to the terminal, and improving intersection designs. Less than two years later, in September 1998, ground was broken on a $12 million expansion to double the size of the terminal. The project included new elevators and escalators, a restaurant and a third-level observation room. The first level of a $12 million, three-level parking garage opened more than 10 years later, in July 1999, in the area shown on the right side of the photo. The two upper levels, which are for long-term parking, opened the following October. The garage added more than 700 parking spaces, from fewer than 1,200 to nearly 2,000. Photo by Ron Garrison | Staff
Peyton Manning and Tim Couch, 1997
Tennessee’s Peyton Manning and Kentucky’s Tim Couch on Nov. 22, 1997, after the Volunteers’ 59-31 win over the Cats at Commonwealth Stadium in Lexington. The much-hyped game featured the two quarterbacks — both with Heisman aspirations — combining to throw for 1 yard short of 1,000 yards. The game had 42 plays of 10 or more yards, 21 plays of 20 or more, 11 plays of 30 or more, seven plays of 40 or more, five plays of 50 or more and three plays of 60 or more. There were 1,329 yards of total offense. There were 57 first downs, 12 touchdowns and 90 points, 59 by Tennessee and 31 by Kentucky. The winning quarterback, Manning, trying to win the Heisman Trophy, threw for 523 yards and five touchdowns. The losing quarterback, Couch, hoping to win a future Heisman, threw for 476 yards and two TDs. Manning, a senior, was a perfect 11-of-11 for 267 yards and two touchdowns in the second half. His 523 passing yards set a UT school record. Tennessee’s 695 yards of total offense were the most ever against a Kentucky defense. “Peyton just picked us apart, basically,” UK senior defensive end Lamont Smith said. Not that Couch was crummy in comparison, mind you. The UK sophomore star completed 35 of 50 passes for a school-record 476 yards. Said Kentucky coach Hal Mumme, “I enjoyed watching both quarterbacks.” Photo by David Stephenson | Staff
Downtown Bardstown, 1982
Downtown Bardstown in Nelson County, looking north on Third Street from inside Courthouse Square, July 30, 1982. Photo by Charles Bertram | Staff
Bowie blocks LSU’s final shot, 1981
Kentucky’s Sam Bowie rose to block the game’s final shot by LSU’s Howard Carter as the ninth-ranked Wildcats knocked off the No. 2 Tigers on March 1, 1981, in Rupp Arena. The UK win prevented LSU from completing an undefeated SEC season. Bowie finished the game with 11 points, nine rebounds and four blocks. Photo by David Perry | Staff
Dan’s Country Store, 1993
A coal truck moved past Dan’s Country Store in June 1993 Chavies, in Perry County. Store owner Dan Farler said his store, which featured a mini museum of coal-mining equipment, was a popular lunch spot for coal truck drivers. The photo ran with with a story about a day trip to Perry County. Photo by Charles Bertram | Staff
Lansdowne Shopping Center, 1973
Aerial view of the Lansdowne Shopping Center in August 1973. Tates Creek Road runs diagonally near the bottom of the photo, while New Circle Road is seen angling up, left to right, in the top third of the image. A portion of the Merrick Place Apartments is at the lower left. Some of the businesses occupying the shopping center, from right to left, included Lansdowne Exxon, The Lansdowne Shoppe liquor store, Norgetown Laundry & Cleaning, Big B Cleaners, Henri’s Fashions, First Federal Savings & Loan, Governor’s Table restaurant, Begley Drug Co., First Security National Bank and Trust Co., Hallmark Colony of Cards, Pet Gallery, Lexington Academy of Dance, Stretch & Sew Fabrics, Angelucci’s men’s wear, Gingiss Formalwear, Lansdowne Florist, Line and Shot sporting goods, Lansdowne Veterinary Clinic, Lexington Travel Center, Lansdowne Barber Shop, Timothy beauty salon, Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream, and the A&P grocery store. Photo by John C. Wyatt | Staff
Gribbin’s Gallery, 1986
Eugene Gribbin, a former drummer and composer, donated this 21/2-story brick house at 429 North Broadway to Lexington’s city government in 1986. He died at age 94 in 1990. The city got a Renaissance Eclectic building, a showplace when it was built in the 1870s. Gribbin was to receive maintenance and lifetime occupancy of his combined residence-antiques shop-framing business. In 1995, the city sold the house to lawyer Harriet L. Allen, former Fayette Circuit Judge Charles Tackett and their associates for an office. The building is now the office of Wilkes & McHugh, P.A. Photo by Steven R. Nickerson | Staff
George Wallace campaigns in Lexington, 1968
Independent presidential candidate George Wallace was greeted by supporters after he arrived at Blue Grass Field in Lexington in September 1968, on his way to deliver a speech at he University of Kentucky. Published in the Lexington Herald on Sept. 15, 1968. Herald-Leader Archive Photo
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