Tag: Madison

NoD: A Kentucky of a Place

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Looking across the Kentucky River into Fayette County – Madison Co., Ky.

I decided to get off of Interstate 75 as I approached Lexington from the south. Good decision. I wanted to enter into Fayette County using the old Clays Ferry Bridge, but I discovered a lot more. I took the “Clays Ferry” exit in northern Madison County and began zig-zagging my descent toward the Kentucky River on the old Lexington Road.

And then I saw the scenic overlook. I pulled to the side of the road and remembered why an 18th century Baptist preacher, when asked to describe heaven, said that “Heaven is a Kentucky of a place.” I’ve recognized this before, but never so close to Lexington.

The Kentucky River was high and clearly visible with the late-afternoon sun glistening off its pool. Everything else – verdant abundance on the hills and descending into the river valley. Aside from the ribbon of pavement at my feet, there was no indication that this pristine spot had been touched.

Yes, the preacher-man surely was right: “Heaven is a Kentucky of a place.”

Save the Historic Valley View Ferry

A variation of the following originally appeared on ProgressLex on May 18, 2011. I have previously written on the historic Valley View Ferry on the Kaintuckeean, but current events bring history to the forefront.

The John Craig at the Valley View Ferry, Ky.
The flags of Virginia and Kentucky fly over the John Craig vessel at the
Valley View Ferry, Ky.

The Valley View Ferry is a great example of what makes the Bluegrass unique. Crossing the Kentucky River at the point where Fayette, Jessamine and Madison counties meet (at the very end of Tates Creek Road), Valley View is the oldest, continuously operating ferry service west of the Alleghenies and the third oldest operating ferry in the country. In fact, Valley View predates the Commonwealth itself by seven years. When Virginia Gov. Patrick Henry (yes…that Patrick Henry) signed the Ferry’s charter in 1785, it was to be both “perpetual and irrevocable.”

The Lexington mayor’s budget proposes to withdraw Lexington’s funding for this historic landmark and important traffic corridor, undoing that which was begun by one of our Nation’s Founders.

Mayor Gray’s budget includes many tough decisions that affect a number of worthy groups and interests. Many of the cuts involved millions of dollars, yet the Valley View Ferry budget for Fayette County ($40,000/year) is fairly small. But this amount (most of which is in-kind materials and services rendered by the LFUCG for Ferry maintenance), and the overall support for the Ferry by the LFUCG, is critical for this important economic, transportation, and historic operation.

The Valley View Ferry is owned and operated by the Valley View Ferry Authority, which is the product of an inter-governmental agreement between Fayette, Jessamine and Madison Counties. Each county, plus the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, contribute to funding the Ferry. This inter-governmental organization is exactly the kind of regional cooperation in which the LFUCG should participate. Regionalism is key to the region’s economic growth and is a staple of any economic development report.

Each day, the Valley View Ferry transports workers across the Kentucky River to and from work in Fayette County (remember, these workers pay Lexington payroll taxes which are the chief revenue source for LFUCG). For many, the Ferry saves nearly an hour of commuting time each way. It is an indispensable economic link between the three counties. An average of 15,000 passengers take the ferry each month; it is estimated that between 50-70% of the passengers live or work in Fayette County and pay Lexington taxes.

The Ferry supports “a major traffic corridor in the area and continued funding at both the state and local level is vital to its continued operation.” [*] Of the several ferries operating entirely within Kentucky, ridership on the Valley View Ferry is the highest. Importantly, the Valley View Ferry is an “alternative emergency route when I-75 is closed.” [*]

The Valley View Ferry is also a tourist destination. When my nieces and nephews visit, one thing they always want to do is “take the ferry.” Valley View provides a beautiful view of the Kentucky River and, in the distance, the Palisades. Bicyclists often take the Ferry to cross the Kentucky River on their treks over scenic byways.

Saving the historic Valley View Ferry will not be easy. With many legitimate interest groups competing for a shrinking budget, we can not simply ask Mayor Gray to restore the Ferry budget without suggesting painful cuts to other parts of the LFUCG budget. But what we can ask is that Mayor Gray provide the visionary leadership that will bring the public and private sectors in Fayette, Madison and Jessamine counties together to work for a solution. Specifically, Mayor Gray should work with the Ferry Authority, government representatives of the effected counties, the Blue Grass Trust, Preservation Kentucky, the Kentucky Heritage Council, and preservation groups in Jessamine and Madison counties. With Mayor Gray’s leadership, a coalition of these groups stands a good chance of developing the creative public/private strategy that is needed to ensure that Valley View continues a mission and a legacy that dates back to the founding of our Republic.

A couple of action items. First, contact the Mayor (859/258-3100) or other persons of interest to urge the cooperation and leadership necessary to preserve the Valley View Ferry – a key part of central Kentucky’s unique and irreplaceable cultural heritage.
Second, ride the Ferry (open dawn til dusk daily, except where the water on the Kentucky River is high – check here).
Third, donate to the Valley View Ferry Authority: Valley View Ferry Authority, ℅ Roger Barman, Chairman, PO Box 856, Nicholasville, KY 40356-0856. All donations are tax-deductible.

No Destination: Valley View Ferry

Fjording the Kentucky River at the point where Fayette, Jessamine and Madison counties meet is the John Craig. This boat has provided a motor for the Valley View Ferry since 1996, but the ferry is much older. In fact, the Commonwealth of Virginia in 1785 issued John Craig (a Revolutionary War veteran) the “perpetual and irrevocable” charter to operate the ferry at the site.

Since that time, a ferry has operated at Valley View and it is the longest, continuously operating business in the Commonwealth. For more than 200 years, the franchise for the privately-owned ferry was transferred between seven families. In 1991, it was purchased for $60,000 by the three counties who have since operated the ferry toll-free.

The barge adjoining the John Craig was replaced in 2000 and can now ferry three vehicles across the river at once (before the upgrade, only two could cross at the same time). About 250 vehicles cross the Kentucky River each day aboard the Valley View Ferry.

Flying above the John Craig are four flags: the American flag, the Kentucky flag, the Virginia flag and the POW-MIA flag. The Virginia flag flies as a tribute to the colony which first provided Cpt. Craig his franchise.

I always find it fun to ride the ferry, though my wife has a clear preference against it. Though, I guess the same could be said about all of my No Destinations.

Madison County Courthouse – Richmond, Ky.

I love Main Street in Richmond. It’s hilly, and as you come into town, it all spreads out in front of you. Today it hit me what makes some downtowns prettier than others – the really nice ones are like Richmond, where all the utility lines have been put underground. It really cleans up the view.
Richmond has done a great job in mapping out its history. In the few moments I spent at the courthouse square I learned a ton. The courthouse square in Richmond has a pretty great story. According to the historic markers, during the Civil War the courthouse square was used to house Union prisoners of war. More than 4,300 soldiers were kept here for a week until they were paroled. I particularly liked this. When a confederate colonel was asked by his superiors how many had been captured, his response was “I have not counted them, but I have a ten-acre lot full.”
The bust pictured above is a pioneer monument erected in 1906 by Richmond native David R. Francis, who was Mayor of St. Louis, Governor of Missouri, an ambassador to Russia and the U.S. Secretary of the Interior.
Also, a plaque on the courthouse commemorates U.S. Supreme Court Justice and Richmond native Samuel Freeman Miller, who served from 1862-90. He was a Lincoln appointee who studied the law WHILE HE WAS PRACTICING MEDICINE. Doctor and Supreme Court Justice…makes me feel like a slacker. According to the plaque, Justice John Marshall Harlan said of him, “It is safe to say that, with the exception Chief Justice John Marshall, no American judge has made a deeper impression upon the jurisprudence of this country than he.”

No Destination – June 5, 2009

Starting out in Nicholasville, we journeyed through Jessamine, Madison, Garrard, Mercer and Boyle counties. Here are some pictures from yesterday’s journey:

As always, there is a lot to learn in central Kentucky.

  • Tates Creek Road in Lexington is the border – for several miles – between Jessamine and Fayette counties.
  • The Valley View Ferry has a “perpetual and irrevocable” franchise issued by the Commonwealth of Virginia in 1785 (that’s why the Virginia flag also flies on the ferry). It has not since ceased operation. It has been operated by Madison, Fayette and Jessamine counties since 1991.
  • “C6, H0” remains visible in Danville to remember when Centre College’s football team (in an undefeated season) beat Harvard, 6-0. It is the only graffiti that the Centre trustees permit on campus.
  • What do they do with the dead? After the October 1862 Battle of Perryville, the Confederate forces quickly fled the area and a mass grave was constructed for the deceased rebel soldiers.