Black History Month

Fred E. Stephens was a pioneering religious leader and military chaplain who broke racial barriers during World War II. He became the first African American chaplain assigned to the Army Air Corps’ first African American service unit—a branch that would later evolve into the United States Air Force. Before World War II, African Americans were excluded from the Air Corps entirely. In 1943, Stephens was among just twenty-two African American […]

Saturday, April 24, 2024 marked a significant milestone as Habitat for Humanity of Pulaski County broke ground for the Veterans Build Initiative.The groundbreaking ceremony not only marked the beginning of three veterans cottages but also included the dedication of the esteemed First Sergeant U.S. Army Louis D. Garrett Village. Maxine Garrett, the widow of First Sergeant Garrett and the family were in attendance. Her presence added profound meaning to the […]

The following information on Ned Modrell was submitted by Richard Curtis from Nashville, TN to the NKAA, Notable Kentucky African Americans Database."In her book Old Burnside, Harriett Simpson Arnow notes that the lumber industry in the region gained widespread recognition when a record-sized poplar tree from Pumpkin Hollow won acclaim at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. The area was home to a steam-powered sawmill located along the Cumberland River on […]

/*! elementor - v3.19.0 - 05-02-2024 */ .elementor-widget-image{text-align:center}.elementor-widget-image a{display:inline-block}.elementor-widget-image a img[src$=".svg"]{width:48px}.elementor-widget-image img{vertical-align:middle;display:inline-block} /*! elementor - v3.19.0 - 05-02-2024 */ .elementor-heading-title{padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title[class*=elementor-size-]>a{color:inherit;font-size:inherit;line-height:inherit}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-small{font-size:15px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-medium{font-size:19px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-large{font-size:29px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xl{font-size:39px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xxl{font-size:59px}Thomas Kenney Robb Born in Frankfort, KY, Thomas K. Robb worked in lumber and was Yard Master at Burnside, Williamstown, and Louisville, all Kentucky communities. In 1896 he was elected Lumber Inspector for the Frankfort Penitentiary by the State Board of Sinking Fund Commissioners, beating […]

/*! elementor - v3.17.0 - 08-11-2023 */ .elementor-widget-image{text-align:center}.elementor-widget-image a{display:inline-block}.elementor-widget-image a img[src$=".svg"]{width:48px}.elementor-widget-image img{vertical-align:middle;display:inline-block} https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/9462020/joseph-s-ballew Joseph S. Ballew, one of the early African American police officers in Omaha, NE, joined the Omaha Police Department on June 21, 1915. He was born in Pulaski County, KY, and lived in Mt. Gilead with his family according to the 1870 U.S. Census. Three years later, Ballew enlisted in the U.S. Army and served with the […]

/*! elementor - v3.17.0 - 08-11-2023 */ .elementor-widget-image{text-align:center}.elementor-widget-image a{display:inline-block}.elementor-widget-image a img[src$=".svg"]{width:48px}.elementor-widget-image img{vertical-align:middle;display:inline-block} Ayokunle Odeleye created the twenty-foot tall "Memorial For Enslaved Persons" stainless steel sculpture to honor and commemorate the contributions and resting places of enslaved people. Property of Lake Cumberland Slaves Memorial In 2015, three residents of Somerset were made aware of unmarked graves belonging to enslaved Americans in the Lake Cumberland region. To pay tribute and respect to […]

In 1798, Pulaski County was created from parts of Green and Lincoln Counties. It was first inhabited by Revolutionary War veterans who chose to honor their fallen comrade, Casimir Pulaski, a native of Warsaw, Poland and hailed as the "Father of the American Cavalry." Unfortunately, Pulaski lost his life during the Battle of Savannah in 1779. Interestingly, there are currently seven counties named Pulaski across the US. The specific location […]

The son of Reella (Lackey) Alexander (1901-1977) and Jesse Wilson Alexander (1894-1984), Jesse Nelson Alexander, Jr. was born in Somerset, Kentucky on August 19, 1928. At the age of 16 years old, Alexander graduated from Central High School in Louisville, Kentucky, where he grew up and studied. The racially segregated Louisville Municipal College, which was a part of the University of Louisville for African Americans, awarded him a Bachelor of […]