This museum&nbsp;opened in 2010 and was the result of efforts&nbsp;from the Rowan County Veterans' Foundation. In their official statement regarding their efforts to establish the museum, the group's spokesperson, Charles Gilley, a fellow veteran and current curator of the museum, stated that&nbsp;the group "wanted there to be a place where citizens from Rowan County could come and learn about the veterans from this area.”1 &nbsp; Members of the&nbsp;Rowan County Veterans' Foundation sought artifacts relating to military history from members of the community and secured items dating back to the Civil War. The majority of these objects were donated by the community's veterans, including members of the organization. Charles Gilley also purchased numerous pieces for the museum in the hopes of providing the community with the most well-developed collection possible. Today, the Rowan County Veterans' museum houses over 375 different artifacts which have been carefully curated into displays meant to honor all five branches of the military as well as the various wars they served in. The museum is located next to the&nbsp;Doughboy Statue depicting an American WWI solider and honors Rowan County citizens who served in the war. The statue was constructed in 1929 and was acquired from the Rowan County Veterans' Federation for the museum. The museum is also home to Freedom Park, a memorial wall engraved with the names of Rowan County veterans.&nbsp;

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Rowan County's Veterans' Memorial opened in 2010 in the former Morehead Board of Education building. The museum was established by the Rowan County Veterans' Federation to share the town's military history and honor local veterans. The museum's collection of artifacts dates back to the Civil War and features pieces which reflect all five branches of the military. The museum's most popular attraction is its Freedom park, an outside area which features a historical statue as well as a wall engraved with the names of veterans from Rowan County

Rowan County Veterans' Memorial and Freedom Park

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Morehead is located in the eastern region of Kentucky and is the county seat of Rowan County. The city is best known as the home of Morehead State University which has its roots in the aftermath of the Rowan County War. The town also has thriving art and history societies. Landmarks featured in this tour highlight each of these characteristics, such as the Morehead Folk Art Center and the historical marker for The Rowan County War. Sites not featured on this tour as a result of their distance from the center of town include the site of the old Morehead Normal School and Hargis Hall.

Albert W. "Allie" Young was born on December 29, 1865 in Elizaville,&nbsp; a small town in Fleming County, Kentucky to Col. Zachary T. Young and Amelia O'Bannon. The family relocated to Morehead, Kentucky, in Rowan County in 1875, when Allie was nine years old, where his father, Zachary, who formerly served in the Civil War on the side of the Confederacy, established a law office and served as county attorney. There, Allie was largely educated via the library housed in his father's law office, an education which reportedly led to his own legal aspirations. These legal aspirations were first realized in 1886, when, at the age of twenty, shortly after his marriage to Eliza Flora Johnson,&nbsp;he was elected to the role of Rowan County attorney. Young took over the role from his father, and&nbsp;held the position for around a decade before eventually being appointed to the&nbsp;circuit court of Rowan County as a judge.&nbsp;Both of these elected positions allowed Young to remain based in the city of Morehead, the place which had long been his home.&nbsp; After serving as judge for twelve years, Young resigned and opened a private law office, in the same building in which his father's had been located. The law office thrived not only in Morehead, but Rowan County as a whole, with Young taking on a plethora of cases and offering both legal advice and his skills as a defense attorney to numerous clients. He acted in this capacity until 1923, when he was elected to the Kentucky state Senate. In this new role, Young soon became the Democratic floor leader of the Senate. During his time as a senator, Young worked to establish the state teacher training school in Morehead in addition to extending the primary road system in Eastern Kentucky.&nbsp; Young passed away on February 18, 1935 in Louisville, Kentucky at the age of sixty-nine. At the time of his death, he had established a legacy for himself within the state of Kentucky, in particular the city of Morehead. Consequently, his contributions to the city's legal circuit, educational facilities, and roadways have been commemorated on Morehead State University's historical archives. In addition, the site of his law office was deemed a historical landmark by the state of Kentucky and was affixed with a marker to inform visitors of Allie Young's legacy. The building was demolished by the state in 2014 after being condemned; however, the historical marker still stands on the edge of the property it was once located on, near Morehead State University's campus.&nbsp;

This historical marker is located at the former office of Judge Albert W. "Allie" Young (1865-1935). Young was a prominent lawyer, judge, and Kentucky Senator from Morehead who was elected to the state senate in 1923. Young rose through the ranks of the Democratic Party and eventually became the leader of the party in Kentucky. During his time in the state senate, Young played a vital role in the growth of Morehead State University in addition to aiding in the expansion of roadways in eastern Kentucky. The site of Young's legal practice was later recognized as a state historical landmark. The building was condemned and demolished in 2014 but this historical marker continues to share the history of the building and Young's contribution to Kentucky history. 

Judge Albert W. "Allie" Young & The Allie Young Law Office

Over the course of the Civil War, the state of Kentucky suffered the loss of numerous state buildings and the destruction of a great deal of historical architecture. One of the most frequent sites targeted during the war were the various county courthouses located throughout Kentucky, as they housed historical records and stood as symbols of authority. Consequently, twenty-two courthouses were burned during the Civil War - nineteen of which were targeted during the last fifteen months of the war alone - at the behest of both Union and Confederate leaders alike. In addition to the leaders of these two opposing forces, the burning of courthouses was often carried out by pro-Confederate guerrilla groups. One such group was based in Morehead, Kentucky, part of Rowan County, during the Civil War. On March 21, 1864, the guerrilla group carried out the burning of the Rowan County courthouse, based in Morehead, launching flaming torches at the building until it was wholly engulfed in flames. This burning marked the easternmost attack on an institution in the state of Kentucky during the war.  After the end of the Civil War, during the era of Reconstruction, Kentucky worked to rebuild what had been destroyed by the acts of violence carried out during the war. Subsequently, the courthouse was rebuilt, with construction completed on the new building in 1866. The courthouse stood in place of the previous building in Morehead for nearly fourteen years until the events leading up to the Rowan County War. The Rowan County War was fought after an intense and contested run for county sheriff between two warring factions, with the city of Morehead acting as the epicenter of the war. This lead to a three-year period of lawlessness within the county. With its centrality to the events of the small-scale war, Morehead was the Rowan County city most afflicted by the acts of violence carried out during the fighting. The county courthouse, located in Morehead, once again became collateral damage, being burned again in 1880 during a small skirmish between the county's feuding factions.  After this, the courthouse was relocated to another building until it was eventually rebuilt again in 1899. As a result of each of the two burnings, all of the legal records housed in the courthouse prior to 1880 were destroyed, with no way to recover them.

The original Rowan County courthouse was located along Main Street in Morehead, Kentucky. During the Civil War, it was burned and destroyed by a pro-Confederate guerrilla group. The courthouse was later rebuilt during the Reconstruction era, in its original location. In 1880, however, leading up to the Rowan County War, the courthouse was once again burned during a fight between the county's two opposing factions. As a result of both burnings, all legal records prior to 1880 were lost. 

Rowan County Courthouse Fire Historical Marker

The current Rowan County Courthouse was constructed in 1899, taking the place of an older, one-story courthouse which had previously been used by the county. The courthouse was constructed along main street in Morehead, Kentucky, the county seat of Rowan County. The courthouse is a large, two-story brick building constructed upon a rusticated limestone foundation, making it one of the most architecturally significant buildings in the city of Morehead. The courthouse was officially vacated and close in 1981 following the construction of a new courthouse, prompting community members and court officials to ponder the future fate of the building. Ultimately, the city launched conservation efforts to upkeep the building as a result of its long presence in Rowan County's legal history, an effort which, along with the building's own architectural and historical significance, led to the building being recognized by the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.  In 2003, at the request of the Rowan County Judge, a group of Morehead residents making up the Morehead Art Guild, the Rowan County Historical Society, and the Morehead Theatre Guild met with representatives from the Lucille Caudill Little Foundation, a Kentucky based charity foundation which sponsors the arts, about the possibility of having the foundation award a one million dollar grant which would then be matched by local funds for the purpose of transforming the old courthouse into the Rowan County Arts Center. Once this request had been granted, the involved parties met with an architect and renovations on the building began. These architectural efforts focused primarily on restoration, with the only significant change to the building being the conversion of the old county offices into a series of gallery and theater spaces. Most noticeably, this renovation returned the court house's original grand bell tower to the front corner of the building.  At the time of the Rowan County Arts Center's establishment, there was a noticeable need for such a facility within the county. While local art groups existed at the time, there was no comprehensive facility available to display their work or to educate the community about the importance of the arts. With the establishment of the center, then, Morehead - and Rowan County as a whole - gained a space not only to praise local artists and display their work, but to teach others about art in all of its forms. This achievement is in line with the original mission statement of the Rowan County Arts Center, which, according to the center's official website, is as follows: <blockquote>"The principal goal of this project was set out as follows: to make available a dedicated facility within Rowan County where all its citizens, young and old, could have active experiences with the full spectrum of creative and performing arts, including but not limited to painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, music, dance, drama, and film."1</blockquote>In line with these goals, today the Rowan County Arts Centers offers a rotating series of galleries comprised of the work of local artists in addition to a series of weekly workshops for the general public. The center is also home to the Morehead Theatre Guild, and thus serves as the site for all of the troupe's productions. The center also offers an event space and subsequently hosts numerous town celebrations and festivals.

The Rowan County Court House is a large, two-story brick building which was constructed in 1889 by city officials. The building is located along Main Street in Morehead, Kentucky, the county seat of Rowan County. The building is frequently referred to as one of both the most architecturally and historically significant buildings in Morehead. The courthouse was vacated in 1981 after the construction of a new courthouse and was later recognized by the National Register of Historic Places. Today, the building serves as the site for the Rowan County Arts Center. 

Rowan County Court House & Arts Center

The Rowan County War began as a feud between the Underwood and Holbrook families. The feud spanned three years, beginning in 1884 when John Martin, a Republican politician and member of the Underwood family, was shot by his political rival Floyd Tolliver during an altercation on election day. Martin was merely injured; however, his friend, Solomon Bradley, was shot and killed in the confusion. Tolliver was put on trial for his actions; however, shortly before the final decision regarding his case was to be made in December of that same year, Martin came across Tolliver while out drinking and, seeking revenge, fatally shot the other man. Shortly before he died from his wounds, Tolliver reportedly told his friends&nbsp;"Remember what you swore to do; you said you would kill him; Keep your word."&nbsp; Martin was immediately arrested and taken to a prison in Winchester, Kentucky. Because he was protected by the facility in which he was imprisoned, Toliver's brother, Craig,&nbsp;retaliated by killing two family members of D.B. Logan, one of Martin's closest friends. Despite this act of violence, Tolliver's friends and family&nbsp;felt that they still had not gotten retribution. Consequently, they, along with Tolliver's former political supporters, forged a document informing the prison in which Martin was held of Martin's transfer to another facility, one located in his hometown of&nbsp;Morehead, Kentucky. Martin was transferred by train and, during his journey back to Morehead, was ambushed by Tolliver's supporters who shot him. The act was carried out next to Martin's wife who helped Martin walk to the Powers Hotel in Morehead, where he explained what happened and then died a few hours later.&nbsp; Upon Martin's death, residents of both Morehead and surrounding cities in Morgantown soon began to take up sides, with many Republican citizens taking the side of Martin and his family while Democrats sided with Tolliver's friends and family. The two opposing factions argued and engaged in numerous skirmishes in the following years until the summer of 1887, during the war's climax, when a group of Martin's supporters, led by Hiram and Logan Pigman, surrounded and fatally shot Craig Tolliver. Resulting from their act was a widespread shootout between then and a faction of Tolliver's supporters which lasted two hours and, together, involved nearly sixty men. The shootout gained widespread attention, prompting the state militia to intervene and attempt to calm the two opposing groups. Another result of the war's widespread attention was a recommendation by government officials to abolish Rowan County in the hopes of ridding Kentucky of its bloody reputation. The county remained, however, and was soon visited by religious philanthropists who established the Morehead Normal School and worked to educate the residents of Morehead and inspire peace.&nbsp; Over the course of the three year war, twenty men were killed and sixteen were wounded. In honor of both them and the role the war played in Morehead's development, a historical marker was dedicated along First Street in Morehead, just outside of the Morehead Visitor's Center, memorializing the violent history of the county that&nbsp;eventually led to it becoming&nbsp;known as 'Bloody Rowan."&nbsp;The historical marker was dedicated by the Rowan County Court and erected in 1993 through a joint effort by the Kentucky Historical Society and the Kentucky Department of Highways.&nbsp; The Morehead Visitor's Center, the site of the marker, is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each Monday through Friday and offers additional information about the war as well as tourism resources for the city.&nbsp;

This historical dedicated in 1993 at the Morehead Visitor's Center shares the story of the Rowan County War, a feud between two opposing parties that lasted from 1884 to 1887. The feud began when Republican candidate John Martin was shot and wounded after an altercation with Democratic candidate Floyd Tolliver during election day 1884 in the county seat of Morehead. In revenge, Martin fatally shot Tolliver that December. The murder sparked a feud between the families and supporters of the two men that grew to involve the majority of Morehead's male residents. In the years that followed, most Morehead residents took sides in an increasingly violent serious of altercations that reached its climax in the summer of 1887 with a two-hour shootout between sixty men. In response to the shootout, the state militia occupied the city and state and local leaders took steps to prevent further bloodshed. At the end of the feud, twenty men were dead and sixteen had been seriously injured.

The Rowan County War Marker at The Morehead Visitor's Center

The Elizabethtown, Lexington,&nbsp;and Big Sandy Railroad company ordered the construction of a depot in Morehead, Kentucky in 1880 shortly after installing the town's first rail system, which spanned almost the entirety of Rowan County in Kentucky and stretched through the majority of the state of Kentucky. By 1881, construction on the depot was complete, with the final result being a large, one-story wooden building which sat along First Street in the heart of the city. Under the Elizabethtown, Lexington, and Big Sandy Railroad Company, the station offered both passenger and freight transportation options and continued to do so even after it was purchased by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad Company in 1892 until 1904, when it began servicing freight only. By 1960, the depot has ceased service entirely.&nbsp; In February 2016, the old depot was recognized by the National Register of Historic Places as a result of its status as the oldest commercial building in not only Morehead, but Rowan County, Kentucky, as well as its connection to the history of the railroad industry in Kentucky. Later that same year, local historians and county officials transformed the depot into the Morehead Railroad and Historical Museum. The museum chronicles both railroad history and the general history of Morehead, Rowan County, and Eastern Kentucky. Today, the museum houses artifacts from the six historic railroads which were established in the area in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries in addition to artifacts ranging from those&nbsp;relating to the infamous Rowan County Feud to the agricultural history of the region. These artifacts have been carefully curated by museum officials and arranged in a plethora of displays, many of which bring the museum a great deal of tourism. These displays include a small recreated Blacksmith shop, an antique tractor, and an old moonshine still. In addition to this, the museum also possesses a number of Native American artifacts and scale models of steamboats and various trains. The museum also features a theater room where informational videos are shown and offers an annual bus tour which allows participants the opportunity to trace the routes of the six railroads which ran through the area.&nbsp; The Rowan County Railroad and Historical Museum is opened every Thursday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and welcomes visitors of all ages.

The Morehead, Kentucky Passenger Depot was built in 1881 by the Elizabethtown, Lexington, and Big Sandy Railroad Company. The depot and station was later purchased by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad Company in 1892 and closing in the late 1960s. In 2016, the depot was recognized by the National Register of Historic Places. Later that same year, the city of Morehead approved its transformation into a local history museum, one which chronicles not only railroad history but the history of the area as well. 

Morehead Railroad and Historical Museum & Old Depot

The Kentucky Folk Art Museum at Morehead State University began in 1985 as a small collection of locally-created art housed in one of the buildings on campus. The art which was featured in this original collection was comprised primarily of a few paintings and sculptures which had been created by regional artists, many of whom were born in the first quarter of the twentieth century and have since passed away. In 1987, the then-president of the university encouraged the growth of this collection, reportedly stating that he felt it provided a unique look into Kentucky's past and culture. In an effort to facilitate this growth, the university's president began an initiative which saw the school partner with local museum curators who helped house, arrange, and encourage the growth of the collection.&nbsp; With the support of both the president and museum professionals, the collection soon flourished into a perpetual exhibit and, after the state donation of $200,000 donated to the collection by Kentucky senator Robert Stivers, the exhibit was transformed into a campus-based museum known as The Kentucky Folk Art Museum, housed in its own building. Today, the museum houses a permanent collection of over 1,400 works of local art. These works are curated into displays which are rotated, with their locations in the museum alternating between the first-floor gallery and the second-floor gallery. The works housed in the museum are notable for their whimsy and the rural, self-taught nature of them that reflects what it means to the artist to live in Kentucky, feats which attract many visitors and art-enthusiasts to the collection. The museum also regularly features specialized exhibits on its second floor which rotates on an annual basis, which varies from textiles and weaving to photography and historical paintings. Since its establishment, the museum has won several awards, including the 2010 Governor's Award for the Arts. In addition to housing a vast collection of local art, the museum also houses a large gift shop and hosts a plethora of educational art programs aimed at the country's youth, the latter of which has drawn participants from as far away as Florida.&nbsp;

Established by Morehead State University in 1985, this museum and center for the preservation and study of Appalachian folk art was housed in various campus buildings. In 1997, the university acquired this permanent space within the city's First Street Arts District. Each of the museum's growing collection of over 1400 pieces have been crafted by local, self-taught artisans. The Center is divided into two main galleries. On the second floor, visitors can view a variety of rotating and seasonal exhibits drawn from the museum's collection as well as works that have been loaned to the Center for a short time. The first floor contains works from the Center's collection. The Center also maintains a small gift shop that offers original folk art as well as books and home furnishings. 

Morehead Kentucky Walking Tour

Rowan County Veterans' Memorial and Freedom Park

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information