Fast horses, strong tobacco and smooth bourbon whiskey are
Kentucky's most famous by-products but the state has much more to
offer visitors than genteel horse farms, 100-year-old distilleries,
and fields of tobacco. In fact, bordered by the states of Illinois,
Indiana, and Ohio to the north, Kentucky is as much Midwestern as it
is Old South. Still, this most northern of Southern states has a lot
in common with West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, and Missouri, its
neighbors to the east, south, and west.
Once an Indian hunting ground where Native American civilizations
flourished as early as 13,000 years ago, Kentucky is bounded in the
north by the great Ohio River and in the west by the mighty
Mississippi. White men explored the area as early as 1750, when
Shawnee and Cherokee still dominated the land. Early white
explorers, including Daniel Boone, entered Kentucky after the
Cumberland Gap, through the Cumberland Mountains on Kentucky's
eastern border, was discovered in 1750.
In 1792, Kentucky separated from Virginia and became the 15th
state. A border state, Kentucky clung unsuccessfully to neutrality
during the Civil War. Kentuckians fought in both Union and
Confederate armies and there are many true instances of brothers
taking arms against brothers in the struggle. Confederate forces
invaded Kentucky in 1861 but most of the fighting within the state
ceased by 1863, after Union forces ousted the Confederate army.
After the Civil War, the state changed economically and socially.
Tobacco became the major crop, the coal mining industry exploded,
and emphasis moved from agriculture to manufacturing and services,
causing a population shift to the cities.
Today, Kentucky offers a mix of big-city sophistication, natural
beauty, and country charm that any visitor will find appealing. The
largest cities lie along the state's northern region, with
Louisville famous for the arts, industry, and the Kentucky Derby,
and Lexington internationally known as the birthplace of
thoroughbred racing champions. Eastern Kentucky is the state's
poorest region but its mountains hold areas of great beauty.
Southern Kentucky has several large state parks situated on vast
man-made lakes, as well as Mammoth Cave National Park, the state's
biggest natural draw.
