Kentucky information
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 interUSly 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 US Park, the state's biggest natural draw.
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