Kentucky History & Haunts

This is part one of a two part series about the Fall family. Part one discusses the life of Phillip Fall, preacher, teacher, Southern sympathizer. Phillip Fall made connections with major religious figures in Kentucky during the Reformation movement. One of Phillip's sons, William, would later have a son named Albert Fall, who holds the infamous title of being the first U.S. Cabinet member convicted of a felony. Part two will focus on the life of Albert Fall, Phillip's grandson, and let me tell you, it's a very different story.

Much of the research from part one was from the Phillip Fall biography written for the Kentucky Historical Society by P. Burnley and from therestorationmovement.com.

It is likely I made mistakes in this episode as I am not well versed in the topic of religion. If I need to make a correction, or you have a future topic suggestion, please email kyhistoryhaunts@gmail.com

To buy Jessie a coffee for her work on this episode (remember, this is a one-woman show) you can send a tip through Paypal @kyhistoryhaunts or Venmo @kyhistoryhaunts

In the early 1990s, the Meade County police, Louisville police and Kentucky State police thought they had gotten it right when they arrested Garr Keith Hardin and Jeffrey Clark for the murder of Louisville native Rhonda Sue Warford. It took decades and assistance from the Kentucky Innocence Project to right the wrongs made during the investigation and trial. Let me know what you think. You can send mail to my work address- 9115 Leesgate Rd Suite A, Louisville, KY, 40222.

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Cozy up with your bayberry candles, your Hoppin' John, your whiskey and your black buns. It's time to discuss New Year's traditions. I'm making sure you know how to prepare your meals, who to invite into your home, and how to clean your furniture as we enter the new year. HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!

In October of 1923, a group of armed young men attempted to escape from Eddyville prison in western Kentucky. After shooting multiple prison guards, they realized their original plan wasn't going to work. They barricaded themselves in the dining hall in the center of the prison yard and the following days resulted in a standoff between the surrounded inmates and the prison guards, plus several Hopkinsville National Guardsmen summoned by Governor Morrow. As the incident came to an unfortunate end, authorities were left wondering, who provided the weapons? They learned exactly who it was. She even confessed, multiple times. But would she face the consequences?

Tarantula bites, jailhouse weddings, drunken traffic cops, voter fraud, post office heroes, safety pin mishaps, baptism confusion, and so much more! Time travel with me, to November 1923 in Kentucky. Connect with the show on Instagram @kyhistoryhaunts, find the show on Facebook under Kentucky History & Haunts, and be sure to join the Facebook group Kentucky History & Haunts & More! Please leave a rating or review wherever you listen, and share with a friend. Happy Thanksgiving!

Belle Gunness was born in Norway in the 1850s. Three decades later she moved to Chicago and started a family and business with her first husband. Tragically, their house and business mysteriously burned. The family collected the insurance money and moved to Texas. While living outside of Austin, Belle's family members began dying off one by one, in the strangest of circumstances. Then another house burned down. It seemed bad luck, in the form of death and fires, followed Belle wherever she went. Especially when she arrived in La Porte, Indiana, at the turn of the 20th century.

Belle Gunness was born in Norway in the 1850s. Three decades later she moved to Chicago and started a family and business with her first husband. Tragically, their house and business mysteriously burned. The family collected the insurance money and moved to Texas. While living outside of Austin, Belle's family members began dying off one by one, in the strangest of circumstances. Then another house burned down. It seemed bad luck, in the form of death and fires, followed Belle wherever she went. Especially when she arrived in La Porte, Indiana, at the turn of the 20th century.

Mary Langley was born Mary Hinderer in Ohio in the 1880s. In her early years, she and her family moved to Indiana near Camp Chesterfield, a popular community for spiritualists and mediums. By the 1920s, Mary was a successful medium, traveling regionally to offer her services. By the mid-1920s she was working in Covington, where she was arrested and put on trial for disorderly conduct. The local authorities believed Mary Langley was a fraud after exposing her by raiding a séance at her home. Her dedicated followers disagreed, and many continued to defend her in the days leading up to her trial. Most of my research for this episode came from The Kentucky Post archives. To support the show, send Jessie a Halloween card with $5 in it to her work address, 9115 Leesgate Rd, Suite A, Louisville, KY 40222. You can also Venmo or Paypal a one-time donation to @kyhistoryhaunts. Thank you for listening and for your support!

Back for another round of ‘A Century Ago in Kentucky!’ Listen to stories about the Kentucky state fair, terrifying automobile mishaps, hidden bootlegging operations in chimneys, a duel in northern Kentucky, a drunk mayor, gypsies, dynamite and more!