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Capital: Frankfort

State Nickname: Bluegrass State

State Bird: Cardinal

State Flower: Goldenrod

Admitted to the Union: June 1, 1792

Governors

June 4, 1792 to June 7, 1796:

Isaac Shelby

June 7, 1796 to June 1, 1804:

James Garrard

June 1, 1804 to June 1, 1808:

Christopher Greenup

June 1, 1808 to June 1 1812:

Charles Scott

June 1, 1812 to June 1, 1816:

Isaac Shelby

June 1, 1816 to October 21, 1816:

George Madison

October 21, 1816 to June 1, 1820:

Gabriel Sluaghter

June 1, 1820 to June 1, 1824:

John Adair

June 1, 1824 to June 1, 1828:

Jospeh Desha

June 1, 1828 to June 1, 1832:

Thomas Metcalfe

June 1, 1832 to February 22, 1834:

John Breathlitt

February 22, 1834 to June 1, 1836:

James Morehead

June 1, 1836 to October 5, 1839:

James Clark

October 5, 1839 to June 1, 1840:

Charles A. Wickliffe

June 1, 1840 to June 1, 1844:

Robert P. Letcher

June 1, 1844 to June 1, 1848:

Willaim Owslev

June 1, 1848 to July 31, 1850:

John J. Crittenden

July 31, 1850 to September 2, 1851:

John L. Helm

September 2, 1855 to September, 1859:

Charles S. Morehead

September, 1859 to August 18, 1862:

Beriah Magoffin

August 18, 1862 to September, 1863:

James F. Robinson

September, 1863 to September, 1867:

Thomas E. Bramlette

September 3, 1867 to September 13, 1867:

John L. Helm

September 13, 1867 to March 4, 1871:

John W. Stevenson

March 4, 1871 to September, 1875:

Preston H. Leslie

September, 1875 to September, 1879:

James B. McCreary

September, 1879 to September, 1883:

Luke P. Blackburn

September, 1883 to September, 1887:

J. Proctor Knott

September, 1887 to September, 1891:

Simon B. Buckner

September, 1891 to December, 1895:

John Y. Brown

December, 1895 to December 12, 1899:

William O. Bradley

December 12, 1899 to January 31, 1900:

William S. Taylor

January 31, 1900 to February 3, 1900:

William Goebel

February 3, 1900 to December 10, 1907:

John C. W. Beckham

December 10, 1907 to December 12, 1911:

August E. Wilson

December 12, 1911 to December 7, 1915:

James B. McCreary

December 7, 1915 to May 19, 1919:

August O. Stanley

May 19, 1919 to December 19, 1919:

James D. Black

December 9, 1919 to December 11, 1923:

Edwin P. Morrow

December 1,, 1923 to December 13, 1927:

William J. Fields

December 13, 1927 to December 8, 1931:

Flem D. Sampson

December 8, 1931 to December 10, 1935:

Ruby Lafoon

December 10, 1935 to October 9, 1939:

Albert "Happy" Chandler

October 9, 1939 to December 7, 1943:

Keen Johnson

December 7, 1943 to December 9, 1947:

Simeon S. Willis

December 9, 1947 to November 27, 1950:

Earle C. Clements

November 27, 1950 to December 13, 1955:

Lawrence W. Weatherby

December 13, 1955 to December 9, 1959:

Albert "Happy" Chandler

December 9, 1959 to December 10, 1963:

Bert T. Combs

December 10, 1963 to December 12, 1967:

Edward T. Breathitt

December 12, 1967 to December 7, 1971:

Louie B. Nunn

December 7, 1971 to December 28, 1974:

Wendell H. Ford

December 28, 1974 to December 11, 1979:

Juliam Carroll

December 11, 1979 to December 13, 1983:

John Y. Brown

December 13, 1983 to December 8, 1987:

Martha Layne Collins

December 8, 1987 to December 10, 1991:

Wallace G. Wilkinson

December 10, 1991 to December 12, 1995:

Brereton C. Jones

December 12, 1995 to 2003:

Paul E. Patton

2003 --

Ernie Fletcher

 
State Song
My Old Kentucky Home

Words and Music by: Stephen C. Foster

The sun shines bright in the old Kentucky home
'Tis summer, the people are gay;
The corn top's ripe and the meadow's in the bloom,
While the birds make music all the day;
The young folks roll on the little cabin floor,
All merry, all happy, and bright,
By'n by hard times comes a-knocking at the door,
Then my old Kentucky home, good night!

Chorus

Weep no more, my lady,
Oh weep no more today!
We will sing one song for the old Kentucky home,
For the old Kentucky home far away.

They hunt no more for the 'possum and the coon,
On meadow, the hill and the shore,
They sing no more by the glimmer of the moon,
On the bench by that old cabin door;
The day goes by like a shadow o'er the heart,
With sorrow where all was delight;
The time has come when the people have to part,
Then my old Kentucky home, good night!

Chorus

The head must bow and the back will have to bend,
Wherever the people may go;
A few more days and the trouble all will end
In the field where sugar-canes may grow;
A few more days for to tote the weary load,
No matter, 'twill never be light,
A few more days till we totter on the road,
Then my old Kentucky home, good night!


The song was adopted during the 1986 Regular Session of the General Assembly.

Click Left Triangle to Play Melody
State Population

1790: 73,677

1800: 220,955

1810: 406,511

1820: 564,317

1830: 687,917

1840: 779,828

1850: 982,405

1860: 1,115,684

1870: 1,321,011

1880: 1,648,690

1890: 1,858,635

1900: 2,147,174

1910: 2,289,905

1920: 2,416,630

1930: 2,164,589

1940: 2,845,627

1950: 2,944,806

1960: 3,038,156

1970: 3,220,711

1980: 3,660,777

1990: 3,685,296

2000: 4,042,209


State Capitol Building 1907