Kentucky History & Haunts

After briefly encountering Jailer John Reinhardt Pflanz Jr. in our episodes about Rainey Bethea, I went looking for a little more information—and wound up with a 10,000-word story.

Born to German immigrants in Louisville’s Portland neighborhood, Pflanz rose from city councilman and local inventor to Jefferson County sheriff and, in 1898, county jailer. He quickly gained a reputation for running a tighter ship while advoc...

In Part One, we followed Rainey Bethea’s story through the murder of Lischia Rarick Edwards, his arrest, conflicting confessions and remarkably swift trial. After a proceeding lasting only a few hours, a jury deliberated for less than five minutes before sentencing him to be publicly hanged.

Part Two begins with Black attorneys, journalists and civil-rights advocates attempting to secure Bethea a new trial. They questioned whe...

Rainey Bethea is remembered as the last person publicly executed in Kentucky—and, depending on the source, the last person publicly executed in the United States. But his story did not begin at the gallows, and the familiar version of what happened in Owensboro leaves out some of its most important and troubling details.

In Part One of this two-part series, we trace what is known about Bethea’s early life in Roanoke, Vir...

Public executions once drew crowds by the thousands in Kentucky. Families traveled by wagon, vendors did business, newspapers covered every detail, and many people believed these spectacles served as a warning to would-be criminals. Others saw them for what they were: state-sanctioned violence disguised as public entertainment.

In this episode, we trace the history of Kentucky's public hangings long before the infamous execution of ...

Who was “Kentucky Frank”?

Scout. Showman. Snake wrangler. Shooting gallery owner. Wild West performer. Serial storyteller. And eventually, a 72-year-old man who made headlines for marrying a thirteen-year-old Kentucky girl.

In this episode of Kentucky History & Haunts, we trace the strange and unsettling life of the man born George Russell, better known to newspaper readers across the country as “Kentucky Frank....

This week, we’re heading back to April 1926, where Kentucky newspapers delivered an especially chaotic mix of adventure, crime, odd headlines, and unexpectedly wholesome trivia. First, we follow Louisville native Jonathan Duff Reed Jr., who beat out more than 1,000 applicants to join Commander Richard E. Byrd’s historic North Pole expedition, and later signed on for another journey toward Antarctica because apparently o...

This week, we’re heading back to April 1926, where Kentucky newspapers delivered an especially chaotic mix of adventure, crime, odd headlines, and unexpectedly wholesome trivia. First, we follow Louisville native Jonathan Duff Reed Jr., who beat out more than 1,000 applicants to join Commander Richard E. Byrd’s historic North Pole expedition, and later signed on for another journey toward Antarctica because apparently o...

In August 1925, fourteen-year-old Mary Vickery vanished from the coal camp of Coxton in Harlan County, Kentucky. Her father, miner E.C. Vickery, stopped going underground and began searching above it, combing hollows and writing desperate letters for help. Months later, a decomposed body was discovered in an abandoned mine shaft between Harlan and Baxter.

A suspect was arrested. A courtroom filled to the rafters. A jury convicted 23...

First we’re paging through the Courier Journal for stories of romance gone sideways, dramatic gestures, and a few fiery plot twists.

Starting with a Louisville divorce case where Mrs. Bessie Offutt tried to end her 17 year marriage, claiming her much older husband preferred sitting by the fire all day while she earned the living. The judge ruled that the law does not dissolve every unhappy marriage. Still, when her husband die...

Kentucky in March of 1926 stands at a threshold. Winter is loosening its grip, modern life is creeping in, and beneath the surface of everyday routines, tensions simmer. Automobiles share muddy roads with horses, radios crackle with distant voices, and Prohibition is officially enforced while quietly ignored.

In this episode of Kentucky History & Haunts, we explore a month where gossip turns deadly, crime crosses state line...

In this episode of Kentucky History & Haunts, we trace the remarkable life of Dr. St. Elmo Brady, a Louisville-born chemist, educator, and civil rights pioneer whose influence reached far beyond the laboratory. Born in 1884 amid flooding, segregation, and racial inequality, Brady rose to become the first Black American to earn a Ph.D. in chemistry and one of the most important scientific educators of the 20th century.

From Centr...

Yep, this episode from the 'century ago in Kentucky' series should technically have been about February 1926. I didn't realize I had been researching 101 years ago until I was about to hit publish! But I bet Kentucky was just as interesting in '25 as it was in '26!

February 1925

In this episode of Kentucky History & Haunts, I explore the headlines of February 1925, uncovering a mix of crime, romance, tragedy, and the supernatura...

In this episode, we follow the winding, unsettling path of a cold case that stretches from Lexington, Kentucky to Austin, Texas, and across nearly a decade of violence.

In November 1998, 43-year-old Linda Rutledge was murdered inside her family’s hearing aid business in Lexington. Her body was found after the building was set on fire, and despite early investigation, the case quickly went cold. For years, Linda’s murder ...

In this episode, I dive into the life of Mildred “Milly” Lucas, a woman often credited as the first female jailer in Kentucky—though her journey to that role was anything but straightforward. What begins as an exploration of early female jailers in the state becomes a gripping true story of violence and political upheaval.

After the brutal murder of her husband, Daviess County Jailer William Lucas, during a raciall...

What happens when a newly elected Governor of Kentucky finds his political career consumed by corruption scandals, a burning state capitol…and his son’s sensational murder trials? In this episode, we dive into the dramatic rise and infamous downfall of Governor Joseph Desha — and his son Isaac, who may have been one of Kentucky's first serial killers.

We begin with Joseph’s early life as a frontier soldier t...

This episode explores the rich history and significance of the Brown Theater in Louisville, detailing its evolution from a premier theater to a movie house, its role in civil rights protests, and its modern-day significance as a community resource. The discussion also touches on ghost stories associated with the theater and the importance of the arts in society.

Special thanks to Christian Adelberg and William Richards with Kentucky...

Content Warning: This episode includes discussion of a murder scene and a suicide. Please use care deciding when or whether to listen.

We pick up moments after Mayor Dr. George P. Archer is found shot beside his car outside his clinic in Prestonsburg, KY (July 12, 1973). A witness reports a beige-on-green Buick LeSabre fleeing the scene—similar to the car driven by Judith Archer, the city clerk and executive director of the Ho...

Content Warning: This episode discusses a murder scene in detail as well as a suicide. Please use care deciding when or whether to listen.

In this episode of Kentucky History & Haunts, we travel back to 1970s Floyd County to uncover the high-profile—but surprisingly underreported—murder of Prestonsburg Mayor Dr. George P. Archer.

Born into a prominent Eastern Kentucky family of doctors and civic leaders, Archer carrie...

In this episode of Kentucky History & Haunts, we head back to August 1925—a month of sensational scandals and small-town crime sprees that made big headlines.

First, you’ll hear the wild tale of Lucy Wagner McMills, a young woman accused of kidnapping her husband and tricking him into marriage after a whirlwind romance. Newspapers from Kentucky to New York branded her a “Modern Cavewoman,” while her groom...