Cool and/or weird facts about Kentucky

[J_Dee]

I. Kentucky's home to at least three astroblemes ("star wounds"), or ancient meteorite impact structures.

Spoiler

Jeptha Knob is located in Shelby County in north-central Kentucky. This nearly 3-mile-diameter group of hills is visible just north of Interstate 64. It contrasts sharply with the surrounding rolling farmland. It is believed to be the geologic remnant of the uplifted rebound structure in the center of a 425-million-year-old meteorite crater, though this has not been confirmed. It can be observed on the Shelbyville geologic quadrangle map.

Versailles structure: The Versailles structure, approximately 1 mile in diameter, is located along Big Sink Road in Woodford County, central Kentucky. This circular depression was for years thought to be a large sinkhole, but detailed mapping revealed a telltale belt of circular and radial faults, making it a possible remnant of a meteorite crater. The Versailles structure was formed sometime after the close of the Ordovician Period, 440 million years ago.

Middlesboro structure: The Middlesboro structure is a circular depression nearly 4 miles in diameter. Middlesboro is probably the only town in North America that lies in an astrobleme. The structure was probably caused by the impact of an object about 1,640 feet in diameter. Located in Bell County, southeastern Kentucky, the structure is thought to be 300 million years old.

II. March 3, 1867: the day it rained mystery meat in Kentucky.

Spoiler

So, cool facts about Kentucky:

 

[Louis_Skunt]

My Old Kentucky Home is the best state song in the country.

 

[starchief5]

The grass is blue there.

 

[RunninRichie]

Kentucky

 

[Lord Z]

1 in every 3 Kentuckians is on disability.

 

[Rebelfreedomeagle]

More than half of the American casualties in the war of 1812 were Kentuckians.

 

[bkingUK]

I’ve told people from out of state for years that the Appalachian accent is the closest resembling dialect to old English. Found out later it wasn’t true, but I tell people that anyways... because it’s cool

 

[vhcat70]

The only state whose last two letters are its abbreviation. Why would we do that?

 

[vhcat70]

Pre-Civil War, largest wine-producing state. After that war, found another adult beverage to be the leader in.

 

[vhcat70]

Its Ohio River continually gets lower in elevation from WV to the Mississippi. I guess it's the OH RIver because we had a KY River already.

 

[Booker Noe]

I’ve told people from out of state for years that the Appalachian accent is the closest resembling dialect to old English. Found out later it wasn’t true, but I tell people that anyways... because it’s cool

Irish? I’ve always thought a thick Appalachian accent was close to Irish.

 

[LineSkiCat14]

I’ve told people from out of state for years that the Appalachian accent is the closest resembling dialect to old English. Found out later it wasn’t true, but I tell people that anyways... because it’s cool

Ha, reminds me of a bar near me. I had heard that some of the decorations inside were from the old wood of the bar that burned down in its place.. so I told people like it was a cool fact. And one day I was telling my date, having dinner there, and the server was just like "yeah, none of that is true.." lmao.

 

[Lord Z]

Kentucky is the only state that shot the Bigfoot BRFO team out of the woods when they started doing their bigfoot calls at night.

 

[bkingUK]

Irish? I’ve always thought a thick Appalachian accent was close to Irish.

Not an expert but Irish is big influence. Some remnants of old English due to isolation, but it’s really not that well studied from what I’ve seen on internet. Most studies come from linguistics people in Appalachian universities but basically there is nothing that says mountain talk = old English.

 

[AustinTXCat]

- Kentucky is the leading beef producing state located east of the Mississippi River and ranked #18 nationally.

- The nation's top producer of beer cheese is located in Nicholasville, KY. Excellent stuff.

- The internet Top Level Domain (TLD) known as *ky is actually for the Cayman Islands.

 

[CatGotMyTongue]

The State Capital is located inside of a deep, ancient shithole

 

[Gassy_Knowls]

Mammoth Cave is theorized to go underground all the way to New Mexico

 

[roguemocha]

The only state whose last two letters are its abbreviation. Why would we do that?

Because it’s cooler than KE.

 

[AustinTXCat]

- Home to Mammoth Cave, longest known cave system on Earth.

- 95% of all bourbon on the planet is produced in Kentucky.

- Post-It notes were invented by a 3M scientist in Cynthiana, KY, where the product is still produced today.

- Somerset Kentucky has been called the "Houseboat Capital of the World". James "Jim" Sharpe is credited with founding 'Sumerset Houseboats' after a stint in the military following WW2. Somerset is essentially the birthplace of houseboats. Kentucky offers more navigable waters than any other state in the nation except Alaska.

- JIF plant in Lexington is the largest peanut butter production facility in the world.

- All aluminum Reynolds Wrap products have been produced at the same Louisville plant for over 70 years.

 

[funKYcat75]

Because it’s cooler than KE.

 

[Glenn's take]

The only state whose last two letters are its abbreviation. Why would we do that?

Alaska but it's reversed.

 

[roguemocha]

Its Ohio River continually gets lower in elevation from WV to the Mississippi. I guess it's the OH RIver because we had a KY River already.

Hold on, do some rivers flow uphill or something?

 

[Gassy_Knowls]

Kentucky is the only state to end in the letters "KY" which is its abbreviation.

 

[JStaff2187]

Kentucky’s name comes from the Iroquois word "ken-tah-ten," which means "land of tomorrow."

There are other possible meanings for "Kentucky" that derive from the Iroquois language which are meadow, prairie, and "the river of blood."

 

[Glenn's take]

Kentucky is the only state to end in the letters "KY" which is its abbreviation.

Kentucky is tied with 49 other states for having the first letter of the state being the first letter of the abbreviation.

 

[JStaff2187]

Kentucky is tied with 49 other states for having the first letter of the state being the first letter of the abbreviation.

 

[SaguaroCat]

Only Alaska has more navigable miles of water.
Lake Cumberland is the largest artificial lake east of the Mississippi measured by volume.
Kentucky Lake is the largest artificial lake east of the Mississippi measured by surface area.
Kentucky is the only state bordered on 3 side by rivers.

 

[Lord Z]

In Kentucky a person is considered “sober” until he “cannot hold onto the ground.”

 

[Kaizer Sosay]

<> Bourbon barrels outnumber citizens 2-1 in the state of Kentucky.

<> Both leaders of the Civil War were born in Kentucky: US President Abraham Lincoln was born in what is now Hodgenville, KY and the confederate president, Jefferson Davis, was born in Fairview, KY.

<> Duncan Hines (yes, the cake mix guy) was born in Bowling Green, KY.

<> Although thoroughbred race horse Man O’ War was born in Kentucky...he never actually ran a race in the state of Kentucky.

<> The nation's first commercial oil well was actually not in Texas, but was drilled in 1819 along the banks of the Cumberland River in McCreary County.

<> The melody of the song “Happy Birthday” was composed in 1893 by Patty and Mildred Hill, two Louisville sisters.

 

[funKYcat75]

- Kentucky is called the Bluegrass State because grass is still illegal and that makes everyone blue.

- The amount of limestone in Kentucky’s water supply is the main reason that Ashley Judd and Wynonna Judd can be genetic half-sisters and one can be beautiful (once upon a time) while the other looks like Sam the Eagle with a red wig.

- 3/4ths of Kentuckians make up 75% of the population.

- If you walked from Pike County to the Jackson Purchase, your feet would hurt pretty bad.

-Geographically, Kentucky stays in place because Tennessee blows and Indiana sucks.

- The Cumberland Gap is the preferred nickname of ya momma.

 

[Glenn's take]

@funKYcat75 Has no basis for saying he was a 50/50 chance of being a male or female when he was born. It wasn't decided until at least 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, or even 150 years down the road when he decided what sex he was.

 

[Spica Orbit]

5 out of 3 Kentuckians support the new non-racist math!

 

[Tskware]

Ohio River is actually located in Kentucky (screw the Buckeyes)

Mississippi River changed course in early 1800s after a massive earthquake leaving a small portion of far Western Kentucky inaccessible from Kentucky, you have to go through another state to get there (can't remember the name of the place, I have never been there)

 

[CatGotMyTongue]

I think we all agree Disney World sucks

 

[80 Proof]

I’ve told people from out of state for years that the Appalachian accent is the closest resembling dialect to old English. Found out later it wasn’t true, but I tell people that anyways... because it’s cool

The Legendary Language of the Appalachian "Holler" - JSTOR Daily

Is the unique Appalachian dialect the preserved language of Elizabethan England? Left over from Scots-Irish immigrants? Or something else altogether?

daily.jstor.org

 

[GGCAT]

Kentucky is the only state to have a county and county seat named after a sitting President and Vice President.

In 1820 Monroe County was named for then President James Monroe. The county seat was named Tompkinsville after Monroe's Vice President, Daniel Thompkins.

 

[vhcat70]

Mammoth Cave is theorized to go underground all the way to New Mexico

Well of course it's underground.

 

[vhcat70]

Only Alaska has more navigable miles of water.
Lake Cumberland is the largest artificial lake east of the Mississippi measured by volume.
Kentucky Lake is the largest artificial lake east of the Mississippi measured by surface area.
Kentucky is the only state bordered on 3 side by rivers.

KY should go all the way down to the Cumberland River in all places.

 

[vhcat70]

<> The nation's first commercial oil well was actually not in Texas, but was drilled in 1819 along the banks of the Cumberland River in McCreary County.

Oil wells in PA b4 TX.

 

[vhcat70]

Hold on, do some rivers flow uphill or something?

Just during earthquakes.