Lex Talk History

The official podcast of the Lexington History Museum is back with a fresh episode for June. Soulfeast Week, a 10 day celebration of black culinary and agriculture in central Kentucky, takes place From June 16 - 25th. Alan and Mandy get a preview from event co-founder Martina Barksdale. This year's daylong SoulTeenth Fest in Gatton Park will include the dedication of an EJI marker to honor R.C.O. Benjamin. Local activist Russell Allen joins the program to talk about the effort to memorialize the journalist, minister and attorney who was murdered on October 2, 1900, while helping to register Black citizens to vote in Lexington.

Lex Talk History, the official podcast of the Lexington History Museum, is back with a fresh episode for May. To celebrate the upcoming 'DiverCity' Festival Saturday May 23 at the Robert F. Stephens Courthouse Plaza, Alan and Mandy welcome in Basel Touchan of Global Lexington, the city's international center and hub for global engagement; connecting residents, community partners, and local government to ensure everyone in Lexington can access information, services, and opportunities.

Keeneland's Spring Meet starts this Friday and Lex Talk History, the official podcast of the Lexington History Museum welcomes back Keeneland Library director Roda Ferraro. The library is launching a new exhibit and education initiative, 'Raíces: The Making of Latino Legacies in Racing,' which showcases 100 groundbreaking Latino figures in the Thoroughbred racing and breeding industry from the late 1800s to today. Get a sneak peak and find out the latest LHM happenings in this fresh episode.

You need to be wearin' your green for this one! Lex Talk History, the official podcast of the Lexington History Museum, welcomes Megan Moloney and Liza Hendley Betz - President and Vice President respectively, of the Bluegrass Irish Society. Since 1980 the group has organized the Saint Patrick's Day celebrations in Lexington. This year, March 13 & 14, promises to be full of entertainment and family-sized fun. They also talk with Alan and Mandy about the long history of the festival.

Lex Talk History, the official podcast of the Lexington History Museum, has this fresh episode just in time for Black History Month. Alan and Mandy get you caught up on museum happenings then get into an in depth discussion with guests Steve Phan, chief of interpretation at Camp Nelson National Historical Site and Dr. Amy Murrell Taylor, professor of 19th century history at UK, and the author of the award winning book, 'Embattled Freedom - Journeys Through the Civil War’s Slave Refugee Camps.'

A new community initiative, "Stand with HER Story," is a collaboration between the Lexington History Museum and the League of Women Voters of Lexington. It invites community members to nominate women, living or deceased, who have made an impact in Fayette County. Lexington LWV president Liza Holland joins Mandy and Alan to talk about the effort.

Lex Talk History, the official podcast of the Lexington History Museum, is back with our final episode for 2025. 250Lex co-chair Eunice Beatty highlights the many different ways Lexington celebrated its 250th anniversary and previews the upcoming Grand Finale, Monday December 15th at Central Bank Center.

Lex Talk History, the official podcast of the Lexington History Museum, is back for November with an update on museum happenings and a chat with Lexington film maker and writer Jeff Hoagland. Mandy and Alan talk with Jeff about the debut of four new multimedia projects that complement LHM's “Intersections: 250 Years of Lexington History” exhibit. The premiere event, 'Discovering Lexington,' will be held this Saturday November 22nd at 11 a.m. in the Lexington Public Library's Farish Theatre.

October's 250Lex theme explores Lexington's history as the "Horse Capital of the World." We talk with Hallie Hardy, executive director of Visit Horse Country, which is celebrating its own 10 year anniversary with numerous equine-related events happening all this month. We also run down some exciting new things happening at the Lexington History Museum.

To help celebrate September as 250 Lex Sports Month, Lex Talk History, the official podcast of the Lexington History Museum, visits with business entrepreneur Alan Stein; the name most closely associated with Lexington Legends baseball since it's inaugural season 25 years ago. Stein talks about Lexington's long history of baseball, the secret of the Legends' longevity, and other franchises that have come and gone. Alan and Mandy also recap a busy month of museum happenings.

250 Lex is shining the spotlight on Lexington's business history and so are we. Alan and Mandy return with this fresh episode of Lex Talk History and their special guests are Commerce Lexington president and CEO Bob Quick and chief communications officer Mark Turner. The Lexington Chamber of Commerce has been a part of our city almost from the very beginning fostering growth and innovation in the business community. Plus, Alan and Mandy recap a very busy July of museum happenings, let you know what's happening now, and give a sneak preview of September events.

In this new episode of Lex Talk History: get a behind the scenes tour of the long-awaited Intersections exhibit now on display at the Lexington History Museum. Plus, in keeping with 250 Lex's Culinary Month theme, Deirdre Scaggs, with UK Libraries' Special Collections and Research Center, talks to Alan and Mandy about the discovery of new evidence in an unsolved Lexington food poisoning case. The sensational attempted murder of one of Lexington’s most prominent families gripped the community for weeks in 1904. Deirdre also talks about her recently published book: 'The Historic Kentucky Kitchen: Traditional Recipes for Today's Cook.' It's an episode we hope you'll really, (wait for it) savor.

It's officially Pride Month and Lex Talk History is back with a fresh episode examining Kentucky's long, storied, and often under-told LGBTQ history. Alan and Mandy welcome back Josh Porter from the Faulkner Morgan Archive to talk about the Queer, Here, & Everywhere exhibit now on display at the downtown branch of the Lexington Public Library. They also discuss a number of upcoming 250 Lex events to celebrate homecoming month.

Lex Talk History, the official podcast of the Lexington History Museum, goes from "All Things LaFayette" to a seldom told aspect of life in the Mary Todd Lincoln House. This bonus May edition features Gwen Thompson, executive director of the historic childhood home of the former First Lady. She and Mandy discuss some of the people that too often history leaves out of the grand narrative; especially poignant with Lexington's 250th anniversary upon us. One person in particular was an enslaved servant named Chaney Dickerson. It's a fascinating conversation you won't want to miss.

2025 marks the 200th anniversary of the Marquis de LaFayette’s historic tour of the United States. LaFayette, then the last surviving major general of the Revolutionary War, received a hero’s greeting at many stops, including his visit to Lexington. In this edition of Lex Talk History Mandy and Alan get a visit from Lexington History Museum trustee-emeritus Bill Swinford; arguably the most knowledgeable source on the subject. Bill previews a number of Lafayette anniversary events coming up this month.

250 Lex's designated theme for April is the dual, and equally important roles of music and the written word in our city's history. For such a heavy lift Mandy and Alan turn to the one and only DeBraun Thomas who is certainly adept at both. He's a singer, a songwriter, truth-teller and last but not least, a radio host extraordinaire. This conversation will be anything but conventional and we guarantee you'll learn something new about our community!

250 Lex's theme for March is higher education and Lex Talk History is doing its part to highlight our rich history of colleges and universities. Alan and Mandy welcome historian Andrew Patrick for an overview. They also talk about the latest museum happenings, give an update on the StoryCorps project currently set up in Woodland Park through April 14th, and preview 250 Lex's College Town Showcase coming this weekend to the campuses of Blue Grass Community and Technical College, Transylvania University and the University of Kentucky.

Lex Talk History is back with the first of two episodes for March. Alan and Mandy talk about the latest happenings at the Lexington History Museum, share all the details about the StoryCorps project coming soon to Lexington, and then in our Lex Get Into It segment they welcome guests Regina M. Lewis and Sharon Murphy from Black Yarn; a Lexington-based nonprofit dedicated to using research and film to shine a light on economic injustice and connect Black experiences with those of all Americans. Regina and Sharon discuss with Mandy the segregated history of Lexington, redlining and restrictive covenants, and talk about the upcoming debut of their documentary film: “Lexington, Resilience in the Redline.”

Lex Talk History is back with our January episode. Alan and Mandy recap the kickoff to 250 Lex and highlight what's to come in the New Year. In keeping with this month's theme of health and wellness they talk with Rachel Hogg-Graham, Associate Professor, department of health management and policy in the UK College of public health. She's done extensive research on public health crises in Lexington; including the 1833 Cholera Epidemic, the 1918 Influenza pandemic, as well as lessons learned and challenges encountered during the recent COVID-19 Pandemic.

Our final 2024 episode of Lex Talk History features a conversation with 250 Lex Commission Co-chair Kip Cornett. Alan and Mandy get a sneak peek at just about everything the city has planned to celebrate its 250th birthday in 2025; and what role the Lexington History Museum will play in the commemoration.

Alan and Mandy return for a special episode for National Indigenous History Month. Our special guest is Kelly Hyberger, Director of Curatorial Affairs with the Filson Historical Society. The museum in Louisville has endeavored to preserve and share Kentucky's underreported Native American History while also repatriating objects in their collection to their rightful places. Breaking News: On Tuesday November 12th Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear appointed Kelly to serve on the Native American Heritage Commission. The Commission was established in 1996 to recognize and promote Native American contributions and influence in Kentucky’s history and culture. Alan and Mandy also share news about a new digital exhibit saluting Lexington's military veterans, as well as a sneak peek at the Lexington History Museum's vital role in helping the city celebrate its 250th birthday in 2025.

Alan and Mandy recap the opening of the museum's new exhibit, Among Women, and then turn it over to Carly Muetterties as she highlights Central Kentucky women featured in the book she co-authored with Maddie Shepard. Bluegrass Bold showcases 36 diverse Kentucky women whose contributions to national and state history over the course of more than two centuries deserve recognition. Written to appeal to young readers and to help teachers weave Kentucky content in their curriculum, Muetterties and Shepard chose women whose stories have the potential to inspire young people to be civically engaged throughout their lifetime. Carly will give an in depth presentation at the the next LexTalks event at the museum Sunday October 20th. Click the link below for registration information!