Historically Speaking

The end of the 2020 school year has been a bit chaotic, to say the least. On this podcast, we look at the evolution of education in Boone County. Starting from the earliest private academies and ending in the mid-20th century, learn how the Boone County school system progressed through historic moments, including Brown v. Board of Education.

(Image: School bus. From the New Haven School Collection. Available on BCPL's catalog: bcpl.org)

An uptick in "bourbon tourism" and microbreweries has also led to an uptick in the research of the history of beer and bourbon in the Northern Kentucky area. How does Boone County fit into the picture? Inspired by many people's coping mechanism of choice during the COVID-19 pandemic, this episodes takes a look at what was brewing in Boone County--which once had the largest whiskey distillery in the state.

(Image: Petersburg Distillery, circa 1910. From the Boone County Historic Preservation Collection. Available on BCPL's catalog: bcpl.org)

We've been spending a lot of time indoors recently, and trying to keep our minds occupied is just one of the challenges of riding out the COVID-19 pandemic. However, we have modern technology at our disposal, with countless streaming services to provide us with music, movies, and television--not to mention the library's digital collection! As long as we have internet access and the right devices, we can find entertainment, but how did our historic counterparts spend their free time? In this episode, we take a look at what Boone County residents did for fun.

(Image: Musical pastime. From the Petersburg Album Collection. Available on BCPL's catalog: bcpl.org)

To start off the mini-series, we take a look at the last global pandemic: the 1918 Influenza, or the so-called "Spanish Flu." How did Boone County react, and how did people cope? Were they also social-distancing? COVID-19 is far from the only epidemic in Boone County's history, so this episode is hopefully a reminder that communities pull through uncertain times together.

(Image: Gentleman with a Cane and a Nurse. From the Raymond C. Sanborn Collection. Available in BCPL's catalog: bcpl.org)

Welcome to the local history podcast from the Boone County Public Library (Ky.)! Catch a glimpse of what we'll be talking about on a special four-part miniseries, inspired by our own ~historic times.~