music >>Three >>Two >>One >>Cheers >> As America celebrates birthday number 250.

Check out this birth announcement.

[MUSIC] >> We remember that democracy is strongest when communities come together with respect, participation, and shared purpose.

[MUSIC] >> What better way to celebrate America's roots than by planting trees?

>> Nobody's ever attempted to do anything like this in the history of Clinton County.

>> And if you're looking for a place to celebrate America's birthday, we've got your number.

[MUSIC] >> Production of Kentucky edition is made possible in part by the KET Millennium Fund.

>> Good evening and welcome to a special edition of Kentucky edition.

I'm Renee Shaw.

Happy birthday to America and we thank you for joining us this evening.

Break out the birthday candles and you'll need quite a few.

Is our nation celebrates a milestone birthday on Saturday.

America turns 250 years old.

Our Toby Gibbs has more on what happened on July 4th in 1776 that led to the birth of our country.

[MUSIC] >> The story begins well before 1776, tensions had been building between the 13 colonies and the mother country, Great Britain, for more than a decade, according to Carol easterly of the Kentucky Historical Society.

>> Really, the main rallying cry was no taxation without representation.

The colonists did not have any representatives in Parliament, and yet the British government continued to kind of pile on.

[MUSIC] More and more taxes.

And they really felt that that was pretty unfair.

And that had been going on for a while all the way back in the 1760s.

[MUSIC] >> A growing movement pushed for independence from Britain.

War began in 1775, though not all colonists supported the revolution.

There were those loyal to Britain, and they hoped to.

Reconciliation was still possible.

>> I read that historians estimate anywhere between 15, 20, maybe 30% of colonists were loyal to the British crown.

Some of them fled.

Some fled to Canada, where they were received and given asylum in Canada.

Some did take up arms with the British Army.

There wasn't sort of a general uprising of loyalists, and others just tried to kind of stay out of the fray, but they would not join the colonists in their fight against the British government.

>> In May of 1776, almost two months before the Declaration of Independence, the Continental Congress passed a resolution urging the colonies to break away from Britain and form their own governments.

Massachusetts delegate John Adams wrote the preamble to that resolution and always believed that preamble was the true Declaration of Independence.

>> Now, Adams's ego and his rivalry with Jefferson might have had a little bit to do with his with his ongoing insistence.

[MUSIC] >> In a sense, July 4th is not Independence Day.

[MUSIC] The Continental Congress met in Philadelphia on July 1st.

The next day, July 2nd, 12 of the 13 colonies voted for Richard Henry Lee's motion for independence.

[MUSIC] Delegates then spent the next two days revising the document, announcing and explaining the decision to break away from Britain, a document already being worked on by Virginia delegate Thomas Jefferson.

[MUSIC] Then, on July 4th, the Continental Congress adopted that document, the Declaration of Independence, with late 18th century transportation and communications slow, it took days, even weeks, for word to spread throughout the colonies and territories beyond, including Kentucky.

>> It would have taken several weeks, at least for news from the eastern colonies to reach Kentucky.

These frontier settlements were still very remote.

Kentucky at this point was still part of Virginia.

The colony of Virginia.

In 1776 it became a separate county, and that was for the purpose of defense.

>> The Declaration of Independence and its famous phrases all men are created equal, and life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness have inspired Americans for almost 250 years, and people seeking freedom in other parts of the world.

Carol Easterly says the Declaration's message can still inspire unity today.

>> I think we're living through a very polarized moment right now, but the ideals that are expressed in the Declaration of Independence, it's something that all Americans can get behind now.

Certainly they're very high ideals and ones that we've never perfectly lived up to as a country.

But that doesn't mean we don't continue to try to live more fully into them, to grow into them.

And we've had activists at different times in our history who've called us out and have kind of tried, you know, called us to be who we say we want to be in, in the Declaration of Independence.

And so I think it's it's kind of a beacon for us to, you know, a goal to kind of continue growing toward as a country.

>> For KET.

[MUSIC] I'm.

Toby Gibbs.

>> Thank you so much, Toby.

As we know, Frankfort is the capital of Kentucky, but how was it chosen and why has it remained the capital city?

Our Emily Sisk explores the founding of Frankfort.

>> The history of Frankfort is that it's really the story of a scrappy underdog.

>> That scrappy underdog began as a land inhabited by Native Americans.

Then it became the frontier.

>> It was the farthest west for a number of years.

>> In 1786, a Revolutionary War general named James Wilkinson purchased land where Frankfort sits today.

The Virginia legislature gives him a mandate to establish a town here that he names Frankfort.

James Wilkinson is a very interesting character in Kentucky history and national history as well.

He was a bit of a rogue and a scoundrel, and he actually spied for the Spanish government.

But he got one thing right, and that was establishing the town of Frankfort in 1786.

>> A few years later, Frankfort was sold to a wealthy businessman named Andrew Holmes.

Around the same time, Kentucky was established as a state and began looking for its capital city, Louisville, Lexington and Petersburg in Woodford County all wanted the title, but Frankfort landowner had a trick up his sleeve.

>> Andrew Holmes made a bid that included not only lots of land that could be used for this purpose, but also the use of his home for seven years as the Capitol building, while a permanent capital was being built.

And he also promised building supplies in the form of locks and hinges, boxes of glass nails and some cash as well.

>> And Frankfort had other advantages.

Like its geography.

>> It is smack dab between the growing commercial districts of Lexington and Louisville.

>> It also was along the Kentucky River, which made it easier for communities up and down the river to send delegates to the new legislature.

>> So Frankfort outbid all the other towns and became the capital.

But what about the Capitol building, where political powers would convene the structure we know today has been around for over a century, but it's actually the fourth Capitol building in Frankfort history.

>> The first two Capitol buildings did not come to good ends.

Both of these buildings were located along Broadway in downtown Frankfort on what was known as the Public Square.

>> They were really developing at a period of time where there was a lot of really, really quick, rapid development and not any regulation.

>> Both the first and second Capitol buildings burned down.

The third old state Capitol building was used from 1830 until 1910, when the government size outgrew the structure.

That led to the construction of the fourth and current building.

In the early 1800s, Frankfort had one of the largest populations in the state.

Industries boomed from lumber to the railroad to bourbon.

>> If you visited Frankfort during the mid 19th century, the smell of bourbon and whiskey fermenting and being distilled would have been thick in the air.

Because of the number of distilleries here in the area.

You also had tobacco and hemp and horses and manufacturing, all of which made this a very bustling hub.

As river traffic and rail traffic shifted to highways and other ways of getting goods around the country.

That also affected the way that Frankfort's economy operated.

>> Today, the capital city's population is around 28,000, which makes some people wonder why it remains the capital.

Doctor Seaver says Frankfort represents the majority of small town Kentuckians.

>> It's important to me that the state capitol in Kentucky is not one of the bigger or better known cities within the state.

Kentucky has so many remarkable small towns, and I really think Frankfort is emblematic of that heritage.

>> For Kentucky edition, I'm Emily Sisk.

>> Thank you.

Emily.

An aptly named Kentucky community is planning a special celebration in honor of America's birthday in 1776.

Our Laura Rogers takes us on a trip to Clinton County and the town of 76.

>> I've been looking forward to this since 1976.

I remember that year very well.

Bicentennial quarters, Bicentennial half dollars.

>> That was also the heyday of CBS news correspondent Charles Kuralt and his On the Road segment.

>> And he traveled around America doing features on places associated with the 200th anniversary of the country.

And I remember thinking to myself, I wonder why he doesn't come to 76 Kentucky.

>> This time around.

Many will come to 76.

Kentucky to celebrate America.

>> 250 where better to celebrate the spirit of 76 than at the only place named 76 in America.

>> Nestled between two lakes with its own 76 falls.

It's a chicken or the egg situation with how the town, established in 1817, got its name.

>> There's a misconception that it's named after the height of the falls.

The falls is named after the town of 76.

>> 76 is a community that's kind of centrally located in the county.

>> Where we live is an important place, and it's an important part of American history.

The town produced some very, very prominent people.

>> Those people include World War Two veteran and Medal of Honor recipient Garland Murl Conner.

>> He may be the most decorated soldier of World War Two.

Merle was a very low key, humble fella, spent most of his time doing volunteer work.

>> A committee of 20 people has organized a two day celebration this Friday and Saturday, July 3rd and fourth with concerts, historical programs, a golf tournament and, of course, fireworks.

>> Of the nearly $100,000 it's taken to put this event on, 90% of it has come from private sources, and a lot of it has come from the community of 76.

>> The whole community is excited about it the county, the surrounding counties.

>> Most of the events will be held here at the 76 Falls Golf Course and its second summer since reopening.

>> And we're going to be having the stage here on the driving range.

>> A stage for the talents of Albany native Colton Bowlin slaughters Kentucky's Chris Night and Grammy Award winning Larry Cordle.

>> Larry is putting his lonesome Standard Time band back together for this concert.

>> As communities across the country celebrate America.

250 this one has 76 reasons to feel festive.

>> This is a pretty big deal.

We are America's only 76.

>> And thank you, Laura, for that.

Louisville kicked off its year long celebration of America's 250th birthday with a special unveiling.

The city owns a rare copy of the Declaration of Independence, printed in 1823.

The engraving is one of only 31 surviving copies.

In January, the city put the copy on display for the public to view.

During the unveiling, Mayor Craig Greenberg talked about how the Declaration's message from 1776 still resonates today.

>> The declaration is honest about grievance, bold in its moral clarity, and radical in its claim that power belongs not to kings, not to strong men, but to the people themselves.

The declaration does not speak softly.

It asserts that rights are inherent, that power must be accountable, and that we, the people, are the ultimate stewards of a free nation.

>> The public can see this copy of the declaration from now until Labor Day at the sons of the American Revolution Genealogical Research Library on West Main Street.

Go check it out.

Bowling green is marking America's milestone birthday with a special keepsake.

The city is offering limited edition challenge coins.

It's part of a broader celebration of America 250 and a way to honor the region's Revolutionary War history.

Originally, 300 coins were available for purchase, but that has increased to meet demand.

Sales benefit downtown events and festivals.

Bowling green Mayor Todd Alcott, a U.S.

Air Force veteran, is a coin collector and says he was inspired by events from his childhood.

>> 50 years ago.

When I was four, I remember the 200th birthday, and that year was really a lot of cool things.

There was a liberty Train going across America, but then there was a coin and it was the quarter.

And I remember it really stuck out because it had two dates.

It had 1776 and 1976, and that celebrated the 200th.

And it was cool because I started collecting those coins and I found out it was on the dollar.

I found it was on the 50 cent piece, and it was just something really special to kind of commemorate that.

And here we are 50 years later, and we get to show a generation that really hasn't seen the big birthday of America.

And this is a big birthday.

250 years on, the shield that the eagle's holding is the representation of a bowling green water tower.

And if we look up anywhere you are in Warren County, you can see the Bowling Green Tower.

It has the stars and stripes, but the stars and stripes on the shield is our tower.

>> Warren County was founded by veterans of the Revolutionary War and is named after Continental Army General Joseph Warren, who sent Paul Revere off on his famous midnight ride.

Speaking of history, Kentucky's official tree is playing a part in honoring America's roots.

The Kentucky Liberty Tree Project is marking America's 250th birthday by planting tulip poplars in all 120 counties.

Bourbon County put up its poplar tree in the ground in May.

Those who spoke at the planting ceremony said, what created this nation should also be what guides its future.

>> We remember that democracy is strongest when communities come together with respect, participation and shared purpose, and we recognize our responsibility to continue cultivating these values right here at home.

A tree begins small.

It requires care, patience, and stewardship.

Over time, its roots deepen, deepen, its branches expand, and it provides shelter and strength for others.

In many ways, it mirrors the work of a community.

>> The Liberty Tree Project is a partnership between the Kentucky Historical Society, the daughters of the American Revolution, and the Kentucky Division of Forestry.

The tree plantings will continue through this year.

Kentucky has been home to several key figures who helped form our nation, among them members of the Clay family.

The Madison County property that once belonged to the family is reopening its doors to visitors.

Our Emily Prince visited the site to learn more about its history.

>> The City of Richmond celebrated its new ownership of White Hall State Historic Site here on Wednesday.

The mansion was home to the Clay family.

Museum curator Matthew Parrish said green Clay and his son, Cassius Clay, were some of the most influential but nearly forgotten Kentuckians and Americans.

Parrish said with the city's new ownership, he hopes more visitors can appreciate the deep history here at Whitehall.

>> He's kind of this pretty important person in Kentucky history that nobody really knows.

>> Green clay, that is, was the originator of the present day Whitehall site.

Green was a frontiersman and politician.

He even ratified the U.S.

Constitution as a Kentucky representative.

>> He was one of the biggest landowners in the state's history.

Clay County, Kentucky, is actually named after green because he basically.

He owned most of it.

As far as I understand.

Green clay was also the biggest slave owner in the state.

During his time.

>> Green Clay built the oldest stages of the Whitehall property in the late 1700s.

As time went on, the family expanded the mansion to its current size with about 40 rooms.

Parrish said many people are more familiar with Green Clay's youngest son, Cassius.

>> Despite growing up in a slave owning family, Cassius Clay becomes an anti-slavery politician.

>> Cassius started an abolitionist newspaper and was appointed by Abraham Lincoln to serve as the U.S.

ambassador to Russia.

>> He was an ambassador, so he was known on the world scene.

>> Even though he was a well known abolitionist and had close ties to President Lincoln.

Cassius history is still complex.

>> That's a big thing that we talk about here at Whitehall.

Despite cash as being an anti-slavery activist, he still owned slaves.

It shows people that there weren't just slave owners and abolitionists.

There were people in between.

>> Richmond Mayor Robert Blythe said he doesn't like to ignore or sugarcoat history, but to recognize what really took place at sites like this one.

>> As I like to say, history is what it is.

>> That's why the mayor wanted the city of Richmond to take ownership of the historical site, which was previously possessed by Eastern Kentucky University.

>> In Madison County.

There are some of the world's best kept secrets.

Unintentionally, this place could not be allowed to go into any further disrepair.

>> Visitors who come to Whitehall will experience what it was like to live on the property and see a nod to America's 250th birthday.

>> There's a brand new exhibit here at Whitehall called The Veterans of Richmond, and it's sort of like America 250 theme exhibit that talks about veterans from Richmond who were in conflicts from American Revolution up through World War Two.

>> The new city ownership is special to people like Commissioner Jim Newby, who has strong family ties to the site.

>> My father was the the park ranger.

My mother was the head tour guide and my sister ran the gift shop.

>> That family history and the desire for increased tourism is why Newby strongly supported the city's ownership.

>> When we took it over, I was ecstatic.

I was like, yes, I was a definite yes.

>> Mayor Blythe said he wants to ramp up the tourism efforts at multiple historic sites in Richmond and bring in the next generation to recognize the history here.

For Kentucky edition, I'm Emily Prince.

>> Thank you again, Emily.

You can also see Kentucky history every time you hit the road.

That's thanks to a 2400 historical markers and all 120 counties.

It's all because of a partnership between the Kentucky Historical Society and the Kentucky Department of Highways that's now 77 years old.

>> The whole point of Kentucky's historical marker program is to create on the ground educational encounters with history where it happened.

And so often people tell me, and I've heard this throughout my life, people always think history happened elsewhere.

It's always surprising when they discover that history happens right here as well.

And that's really the driving force behind this State program, is to get people to understand and appreciate the.

Kentucky has very much been a leader in a lot of not only state developments, but national historical developments as well.

Kentucky is blessed to have one of the oldest and largest state marker programs in the nation.

The earliest markers on the landscape that we manage date to around 1936, but those were put up by a private organization in the Lexington area in 1949.

That's when the state government entered the scene.

So we like to think that we're in the 76th year of our program's existence.

One of the cornerstones of our program is that it is community driven.

So I always say that it is not Kentucky Historical Society staff who decide which topics matter the most, rather, members of the community approach us with topics that they nominate.

They go through a very rigorous nomination process.

Those topics are evaluated by a committee of historians from across the state, who select approximately 10 to 15 topics per year to advance to become new state historical markers.

If a topic is approved, the state government will cover the entire cost of the marker design and installation.

And that's really important because it levels the playing field and means that as long as somebody approaches us with a really good topic, there will not be any barrier to participation.

If you look at previous generations of this program, there was a lot of emphasis on frontier history, Civil War history.

But it's really great when people think even bigger than that, not just battles and things of that nature, although those are certainly significant in their own right.

But to get people to think about topics like Kentucky foodways, what were people eating and drinking to get people to think about Kentucky music culture?

And, you know, we're always excited when we get topics that deal with the history of women in Kentucky, African American history in Kentucky, LGBTQ history in Kentucky, things that really show all the different elements that make the Commonwealth both significant and unique.

Last year, we had a marker dedication in Vanleer, Kentucky, Johnson County, about the Webb family.

Now, you may not know the Webb family when I say that, but you will likely know some of the people who are members of it.

The Webb family gave rise to country music singers like Loretta Lynn and Crystal Gayle, and it's been really exciting to work with that community to help share how Johnson County has has played a significant role in the history of American music.

Fundamentally, it's a piece of metal on the landscape that people often pass, going 50, 60, 70mph.

But for those quiet moments where you get to slow down, get out of your car and connect with the Commonwealth's past, I think that's remarkable.

And I only have about 125 words that I can fit on a state historical marker.

So I always tell people it's not the end of the conversation, it's the beginning.

And if it inspires you to go and read a little bit more on your own, that's great.

>> Our country would not be what it is were it not for the men and women who fought for it.

Warren County recently paid tribute to one of those heroes, a Kentucky World War Two veteran, as he turned 104 years old.

Heyward Minton is a longtime loyal member of the Bowling Green Kiwanis Club.

The group held their weekly meeting at his home, turning it into also a birthday party.

State Representative Kevin Jackson honored Minton with a proclamation, and many other dignitaries and community members were there to wish Minton a happy birthday and make remarks.

He held perfect attendance at Kiwanis Club meetings for 64 years and hosted the club's first Thunderfest fireworks show in 1972.

We asked Mr.

Minton, what's the secret to a long, happy life?

>> House War people.

>> Well, I've always just tried to treat everybody like I wanted to be treated in this club has been nice to me.

I think I've lived so long.

Don't smoke, don't drink.

>> Okay?

>> Don't run around with wild women.

And, you know, most people say, well, why do you want to live?

>> We probably should follow his advice.

Minton says in his prime, he could catch more crappie in the nearby river than any man alive.

His other hobbies include reading and following.

NASA asked his thoughts about America's 250th birthday.

The World War Two veteran says all these years later, he still thinks we have the greatest country in the world and we will not argue about that.

You can find more programs and events celebrating America's 250th anniversary by visiting us online@ket.org slash 250.

Check us out.

Have a great happy weekend and we will see you back here on Monday night.

Until then, take really good care.

So long.