Kentucky Homeland Security and Emergency Services Resources

Kentucky is home to a natural phenomenon that is the only one of its kind in the world, a moonbow. A moonbow is a lunar rainbow, it occurs when the light of a full moon refracts off of a waterfall creating a prism of light inside the falls. Under the right weather conditions, it can occur once each month and lasts for several nights.

Although inhabited as far back as 13,000 BC, the first surveying party didn't enter Kentucky until 1750. The French and Indian War started in 1754 and further exploration was delayed for over a decade. Daniel Boone first visited the region in 1767 and returned in 1769 for a two year long exploration with a party led by John Finley.

Finley established Fort Harrod in 1774 and later founded Harrodstown, which became the first permanent settlement and is now Harrodsburg. In 1775, Daniel Boone was hired by the Transylvania Company to blaze what is now known as the Wilderness Trail and established Fort Boonesborough.

In 1776 the region was annexed as a Virginia county and the Transylvania Company lost all claims. But, after nine conventions between 1784 and 1790, the Virginia county ratified a constitution and became the 15th state to enter the Union on June 1, 1792.

The state is famous for its bourbon whiskey and the Kentucky Derby which held its first race in 1875. Agriculture and coal have always been an important part of the economy. But, the state has become more industrialized producing everything from aluminum to vehicles and lumber products to textiles.

Find College Degrees
Need Stories