Kentucky Events of 1873

Have you ever used Collins' History of Kentucky to learn what was happening in Kentucky during a given year? Volume 2 of this important resource contains events through 1873 in all parts of the Commonwealth. All sorts of events that might have impacted your ancestors' lives can be found in this book. It is available in many genealogical and local history collections of Kentucky libraries. I access it at Willard Library in Evansville, Indiana.

Below are some of the events I think might have affected my ancestors and their neighbors in 1873:

Jan. 7: Western Lunatic Asylum at Hopkinsville now has 326 patients of whom 14 pay from $3 to $7 per week. For want of room, it refused admission during 1872 to 106 lunatics.

Feb. 4: Legislature allows $2 for each wolf and $1 for each red fox, grey fox and wild cat killed within the state.

Feb. 6: The population of this state now exceeds 1,500,000.

Feb. 13: 3 men convicted of petit larceny in the circuit court at Cadiz, Trigg Co. and punished in the jail by whipping with 10 stripes each.

Mar. 15: Paducah derived over $7000 and Henderson about $2000 from liquor licenses in 1872.

Apr. 2: Death at Louisville, aged 53, of Judge John E. Newman, born Spencer Co. Nov. 19, 1819, practiced law at Smithland until 1850.

Apr. 10: Licenses to saloons for retailing liquor cost $250 in Hopkinsville and $200 in Henderson.

Apr. 14: 20,000 tons of Lyon Co. iron ore sold to parties at Brazil, Ind. to be shipped by rail via Louisville.

Jul. 9: 47 deaths from cholera at Franklin, Simpson Co. since the disease first appeared Jun. 21.

Jul. 15: 9 deaths from cholera at Elizabethtown, Hardin Co. since Jul. 11. A number of other deaths, also, at Paducah and Bowling Green.

Jul. 27: 5 deaths of cholera at Lagrange, Oldham Co. in 3 days. Many scattered cases all over Kentucky.

Aug. 1: 12 deaths from cholera in and around Princeton, Caldwell Co. since Jul. 18.

Oct. 20: First snow of the season.

Nov. 7: 7 stores and 1 dwelling, nearly all of the business portion of Moscow, Hickman Co., destroyed by fire.

Nov. 17: Deaths from cholera in Paducah and McCracken Co. from May 23 - Jul. 24 were 180.