Beshears Attend KentuckyShow!, Chippewa Athlete Joe Guyon, Dollar General Added to Cool Kentucky Exhibition, and More

What a week for the Frazier’s featured film, KentuckyShow!

If you haven’t had the pleasure of seeing it, it’s a first-see for all visitors and a must-see for all Kentuckians!

 

Governor Andy Beshear, First Lady Britainy Beshear, and First Dog of Kentucky Winnie Beshear attend a screening of KentuckyShow! at the Frazier History Museum, July 28, 2025.

 

Recently, we had the pleasure of welcoming Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear to see the updated film, which features fifteen new voices from across the state. Governor Beshear’s is one of those new voices—along with artists, authors, civic leaders, public servants, and yours truly. What an honor it is to have contributed to the film that represents the Commonwealth like no other.

As you can see, we also hosted First Lady Britainy Beshear and the first family’s well-behaved canine, Winnie. I don’t know many dogs that could patiently endure both a cocktail hour and a film screening.

KentuckyShow! has been a passion project for Sharon Potter, who also happens to be a director on the Frazier’s board. She did an amazing job as the film’s executive producer for its debut in 1984 and through two updates, one in 2008 and another this year. You can read more about Sharon and KentuckyShow! in the August edition of the Voice-Tribune.

The film’s production has been managed brilliantly and carefully by Donna Lawrence Productions. Much has changed over the last forty years in the Commonwealth, including the addition of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® which has brought millions of tourists to the Bluegrass State.

KentuckyShow! screens three times daily at the Frazier (twice on Sundays). Access is free with the cost of museum admission. And coming soon, we’re enclosing the Brown-Forman Theater to ensure an even better experience to viewers of the film and visitors to our Cool Kentucky exhibition. Thanks to Potter & Associates Architects and Parco Construction for making that happen!

In today’s Frazier Weekly, Rachel Platt introduces her latest program featuring forgotten Native American sports hero Joe Guyon. Tish Boyer shares a few artifacts from Guyon, a college football hall of famer and multi-sport professional athlete who coached at St. X High School.

Mick Sullivan drops the first season finale of our podcast Kentucky Wide, Megan Schanie gets us ready for back-to-school, and Abby Flanders follows the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® to Augusta.

Enjoy, folks!

Andy Treinen
President & CEO
Frazier History Museum


This Week in the Museum

Join Us September 16 to Celebrate Louisville’s Forgotten Sports Hero Joe Guyon

Louisville’s Forgotten Sports Hero: Joe Guyon flyer.

I love a good story. That’s not surprising, considering my former profession as a journalist. But it still holds true today as VP of Mission at the Frazier. We are all about storytelling. So, imagine my reaction when local attorney Greg King reached out to tell me about one of the greatest sports stories with ties to Louisville, a story he was sure I had never heard.

He was right. I had never heard of Joe Guyon, and chances are you haven’t either. So, thanks to Greg and all his research, and blessings from Guyon’s family, we are inviting you to our program on September 16. The program is titled Louisville’s Forgotten Sports Hero: Joe Guyon.

Like his best friend Jim Thorpe, Guyon was also Native American and played sports at the Carlisle Industrial School in Pennsylvania under legendary coach Pop Warner. Guyon would later play college football at Georgia Tech under another legendary coach, John Heisman. He would play in the NFL and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as well as the College Football Hall of Fame. By the way, he wanted a former rival on the gridiron, Dwight D. Eisenhower, to deliver his induction into the Pro Hall!

And that’s not all: Guyon also played for the Louisville Colonels baseball team. He was described as nearly mythical as an outfielder.

He would later coach a myriad of teams, including the football team at St. X High School in Louisville, where he is in their hall of fame, too.

Guyon spent his later years in Louisville and would show up at local ballfields and other events dressed in his Native American regalia to talk about his heritage. But many folks never knew about his legendary sports career. It’s time that changed. Thanks to the generosity of St. X, you can attend our program on September 16 for free. Reservations are required, so click here to sign up.

There will be special presentations from Louisville Slugger to Guyon’s family during our program, a special tribute at the Bats game on September 17, as well as a ceremony at his gravesite at Resthaven that morning.

I love a good story and hope you do too.

Rachel Platt
VP of Mission


From the Collections: Chippewa Athlete Joe Guyon’s Regalia and Ring

Joe Guyon’s Chippewa regalia with beadwork.

Joe Guyon’s Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 1966 induction ring.

A member of the Chippewa tribe, Joe Guyon (c. 1892–1971) had a long and full career as a professional athlete—including here in Louisville. Now, the Guyon family has generously loaned us several objects related to Joe’s career to put on display in our Cool Kentucky exhibition.

Today, we want to spotlight two of these objects. The first is a piece of Joe Guyon’s regalia featuring beautiful Chippewa beadwork. Notice the exquisite floral pattern, with leaves and vines. The pattern features bright pink, reds, greens, and blues on a background of black velvet. The second object is a Pro Football Hall of Fame ring Joe was presented upon being inducted in 1966.

These objects and many more on loan from the Guyon family will go on display in the summer of 2026. To get a sneak peek at them, secure your tickets to our September 16 program Louisville’s Forgotten Sports Hero: Joe Guyon. I will be there to showcase these objects and many more. So take an up-close look as we hear Joe Guyon’s incredible story!

Tish Boyer
Registrar & Manager of Collections Engagement


Curator’s Corner: Dollar General Display Added to Cool Kentucky

 

Dollar General display in the Frazier’s Cool Kentucky exhibition, August 6, 2025.

 

The next time you visit the Frazier, be on the lookout for an interesting new addition to Cool Kentucky: an installation that highlights the Kentucky origins of Dollar General. J. L. Turner and Son retail store was founded in Scottsville, Allen County, Kentucky, in 1939 by James and Cal Turner. By 1955, the Turners owned thirty-five stores in Kentucky and Tennessee. That same year, Cal converted their store in Springfield, Washington County, Kentucky, into the first Dollar General. Under the leadership of Cal Sr. and his son, Cal Jr., Dollar General stores spread across the country. Though the Turner family no longer owns Dollar General, the chain now has more locations across the country than any other store.

In the new case of objects related to Dollar General, you will find a bright pink piece of corduroy fabric that highlights one of our favorite stories from the early days of Dollar General. In 1956, Cal Sr. bought an overstock of hot pink corduroy fabric and had it made into pants. The store was able to sell the pants for just $1 a pair. Nearly every man in Springfield, Kentucky, could be seen wearing bright pink pants!

The installation also highlights the charitable work by the Turner family. The Laura Goad Turner Charitable Foundation was established in 1989, named for the wife of Cal Sr. The Foundation is dedicated to improving the quality of life and empowering the people of Southcentral Kentucky. Since its inception, the Foundation has donated more than $36 million to eighty-three nonprofit organizations.

The next time you find yourself in the Cool Kentucky exhibition, you can find the new installation about Dollar General underneath the disco ball!

Amanda Briede
Sr. Curator of Exhibitions


Kentucky Wide Podcast Season Finale Explores Germans who Cut Stone

Today, we release the last episode of the first season of Kentucky Wide! It’s been a real joy working on this podcast with so many great colleagues. This episode about a fascinating pair of German immigrant stone carvers was written by Jason Berkowitz and Simon Meiners.

The Heigold House façade near the Waterfront Botanical Gardens on River Road is a famous site to many locals. Christian Heigold carefully carved the stone ornamentation on the face of his nineteenth-century home to tell a rich story of that time in America.

Similarly, German immigrant August Bloedner carved the oldest Civil War monument in America to honor his fallen fellow soldiers at Kentucky’s Battle of Rowlett Station in 1861. It is kept safe from the elements at the Frazier History Museum and the stories it can tell are important.

Stay tuned for the second season!

 
 

Mick Sullivan
Curator of Guest Experience


Frazier to Host Kentucky History Homeschool Day Next Week

Back to School: Kentucky History Homeschool Day flyer.

Are you a part of the homeschooling community? Do you know someone who is? We’re excited to offer a Kentucky history–focused homeschool day later this month that will provide families with a chance to get together to kick off the school year while enjoying exhibitions and immersive learning experiences at the Frazier!

All of the details are included below, but feel free to reach out to education@fraziermuseum.org with any questions.

Back to School: KY History Homeschool Day
August 22, 2025
Frazier History Museum

11 a.m.–3 p.m. (ongoing)
Cost: $10 per child (One Free Adult per Family) (Free for Children Ages 0 to 4)

Come celebrate the start of another school year and learn some Kentucky history alongside other homeschool families! There will be something for everyone, including access to all the Frazier’s immersive exhibitions, prize drawings, tours, craft and activity tables, and more!

In addition, families will have several opportunities to experience one of our newest educational presentations, The Longest Painting in the World. This twenty-five-minute multimedia performance of music, imagery, and live storytelling is about a nineteenth-century man named John Banvard, who painted the longest painting in the world right here in Kentucky.

This program will run drop-in style, so feel free come by any time that works for you between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Eastern Time. Parents or guardians will participate in all activities with their children. Families are welcome to bring along a sack lunch to enjoy in the first-floor lunchroom or the Gateway Garden.

Spaces are limited and reservations are required. Learn more or purchase tickets here!

Megan Schanie
Sr. Manager of Educational Programs


 
 

On the Trail with Abby: Augusta Distillery in Bracken County

On the Trail with Abby graphic.

Bourbon tourism is booming—and the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® is growing faster than ever! Each week, the Frazier’s Abby Flanders takes readers on a digital stop-by-stop tour of this expanding adventure, spotlighting the distilleries, stories, and expressions behind America’s native spirit. Ready to hit the trail in real life? Start your journey at the Frazier History Museum, the Official Starting Point of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail®.

 

A Vendome still in Augusta Distillery in Bracken County, Kentucky, October 2, 2024.

 

I’ll help you plan a weekend trip! Tucked along the banks of the Ohio River, where steamboats once carried goods and gossip between ports, is one of Kentucky’s most charming towns: Augusta, Bracken County. Located in this tiny river town (population: just over 1,000) is Augusta Distillery.

The distillery itself is a beauty. Located in the historic F. A. Neider building, which provided metal stamping services dating back to 1883 until its closure in 2007, the distillery was lovingly restored and transformed into a destination in 2018. Everything about Augusta Distillery feels intentional, from tasting notes to the visual experience. It's an operation that pays attention to the details, like the miniature steamboat paddle wheels outfitted into the never-ending distillation tubes, gloriously spinning white dog on production days.

At the heart of Augusta's operation is Buckner’s, their high-end single barrel line known for rich, layered complexity and extra-age statements. Last fall, I had the pleasure of visiting Augusta not just as a writer, but as a selector—representing the Frazier History Museum in choosing a private barrel of Buckner’s 10-Year for the Bourbon Limited Club.

Not only is the Bourbon delicious (I should note that Buckner’s 13-year took home Best Bourbon in the World at the 2023 San Francisco World Spirits Competition), but visiting Augusta is also a treat. The town feels like a step back in time, and the hospitality is rich like Bourbon. You’ll find quaint shopping and dining options nearby, like the Beehive Tavern, and plenty of small-town charm to fill an afternoon.

Whether you're chasing acclaimed bottles or reflecting in the quieter corners of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail®, Augusta Distillery is well worth a visit.

Abby Flanders
Administrative Chief of Engagement


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