A Little Introduction

Greetings, my name is Jeremy Richey and I am a Kentucky born writer who focuses mostly on film. I run the film and music blog Moon in the Gutter and have recently had some of my work published in The Directory of World Cinema: American Independent. I am starting this little side project to pay tribute to my home base of Frankfort, a town that I have been in love with since I was a kid. This will mostly be a visual tribute as I am kept pretty busy with my writing at Moon in the Gutter and other endeavors. I will be sharing personal photographs (like the one of me in Frankfort around 1977 to the left) as well as Frankfort memorabilia such as vintage postcards, pictures, ads and whatever other goodies I come across. I hope it proves enjoyable and offers up a nice tribute to what I really consider a special place.

To get started here are some facts about Frankfort, courtesy of its Wikipedia page:

"Frankfort is a city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky that serves as the state capital and the county seat of Franklin County.[1] The population was 27,741 at the 2000 census; by population, it is the 5th smallest state capital in the United States."

"Frankfort is located in the (inner) Bluegrass region of Central Kentucky. The city is bisected by the Kentucky River, which makes an s-turn as it passes through the center of town. The river valley widens at this point, which creates four distinct parts of town. The valley within the city limits contains "downtown" and "south" Frankfort districts, which lie opposite one another on the river. A small neighborhood with its own distinct identity, Bellepoint, is located on the west bank of the river to the north of Benson Creek, opposite the river from the "downtown" district. The suburban areas on either side of the valley are referred to as "west" Frankfort and "east" Frankfort, respectively."

"The town of Frankfort probably received its name from an event that took place in 1780s when Indians attacked a group of pioneers from Bryan’s Station who were making salt at a ford in the Kentucky River. One of the pioneers, Stephen Frank, was killed and the crossing became known as "Frank’s Ford." Later this name was shortened to Frankfort."

"After Kentucky became a state, five commissioners were appointed on June 20, 1792, to choose a location for the state capital. They were John Allen and John Edwards (both from Bourbon County), Henry Lee (Mason County), Thomas Kennedy (Madison County), and Robert Todd (Fayette County). A number of communities competed for this honor, but Frankfort won by perseverance and, according to early histories, the offer of Andrew Holmes' log house as capitol for seven years, a number of town lots, £50 worth of locks and hinges, 10 boxes of glass, 1,500 pounds of nails, and $3,000 in gold."

"During the American Civil War fortifications overlooking downtown Frankfort were built on what is now called Fort Hill. The Confederate Army occupied Frankfort for a short time."

"On February 3, 1900 Governor-elect William Goebel was assassinated in Frankfort while walking to the capitol to be inaugurated. Former Secretary of State Caleb Powers was later found guilty in a conspiracy to kill Goebel."

"The city has seen considerable growth since the 1960s. A modern addition to the State Office Building was completed in 1967. The original building was completed in the 1930s on the location of the former Kentucky State Penitentiary. Some of the stone from the old prison was used for the walls surrounding the office building. Capitol Plaza was established in the 1960s. The Plaza consists of the Capitol Plaza Office Tower, the Capitol Plaza Hotel (formerly the Holiday Inn, Frankfort), and the Fountain Place Shoppes. The Capital Plaza Office Tower opened in approximately 1968."

Enjoy my tribute and if you dig Frankfort as much as I do, drop me a friend request over at Facebook.