Historical Note:

Preacher lifts American spirits . . .

Elijah Craig, a Baptist minister in Bourbon County is credited with introducing a new kind of American spirit in 1789 . . . Bourbon Whiskey. It's unique flavor was attributed to using water flowing over the region's limestone rock, with a base of native Indian corn (60-75 percent) and storing the concoction in smoky charred barrels.

Name Origin: Indian. ('Meadowland")

Capital: Frankfort

Population: 3,827,000

Area: 40,410 square miles

Statehood: June 1, 1792 (15th)

Nickname: The Bluegrass State

Motto: "United we stand, divided we fall"

Famous For: Wilderness Trail, Daniel Boone National Forest, Cumberland Falls, Red River Gorge, Bluegrass, Horses, Fort Knox, Mammoth Cave, Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Coal, Kentucky Bourbon