Winchester is known far and wide as the Birthplace of Beer Cheese and the home of “Kentucky’s Official Soft Drink”— Ale-8-One, the only soft drink invented in the Bluegrass state still in existence. But there are some lesser known facts about Winchester and surrounding Clark County you may not be familiar with. For instance . . .
Did You Know . . .
The 1992 movie, “The Last of the Mohicans,” was inspired by the 1826 novel of the same name, which was inspired by a true-life incident that took place on grounds now occupied by one of the Beer Cheese Trail stops—the Waterfront Grill: the 1776 kidnapping of Daniel Boone’s 14-year-old daughter, Jemima, and her two friends, sisters Betsey and Fanny Callaway, by a band of Shawnee. Daniel Boone rescued the girls (unharmed) two days later. “We make [the incident] a part of our customer service throughout the day by educating locals and travelers coming into the area about this historical event,” said Waterfront Grill owner Deborah Garrison.
Opie Taylor’s parents were married in Winchester over 75 years ago. That’s right; child star Ron Howard’s parents, Rance Howard and Jean Speegle, were married on October 5, 1948, at Winchester’s Brown-Proctoria Hotel. At the time, the couple were part of a traveling acting troupe performing “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” and learned they could marry in Kentucky with no waiting period—important because the troupe rarely spent more than a day or two in any given town. Read more about this Winchester Hollywood connection in Pete Koutoulas’ account in WinCity Voices.
Winchester’s elegant Brown-Proctoria Hotel was built on the site of a 19th century log rooming house—the first tavern in town. Known as the Flanagan House, it hosted Henry Clay for a July 4, 1805 speech. In 1824, it was replaced by the Old National House, later renamed the Reese House. At some point, President Andrew Jackson stayed here. Today, the historic building houses the Brown Proctor Apartments. Learn more about its lineage on Winchester’s Downtown Walking Tour.
Fort Boonesborough State Park is on the Daniel Boone Heritage Trail—designated a Kentucky Scenic Byway in 2020—that meanders to points of interest from the fort to Hall’s on the River restaurant to Lower Howard’s Creek Nature and Heritage Preserve and beyond on what is considered one of Kentucky’s most historic and scenic roads. Download the driving tour and follow in Daniel Boone’s footsteps along Athens-Boonesboro Road between Ford Road and Grimes Mill Road.
The Leeds Theater has come a long way since opening as a single-screen movie theater nearly 100 years ago. One of Winchester’s first movie houses, it opened in 1925 with a screening of the silent movie, “The Crowded Hour,” starring BeBe Daniels (Jan. 14, 1901-March 16, 1971). A seasoned actress with dozens of movie credits, Daniels would be awarded the 1925 Photoplay Award for Best Performances of the Month (July) for this war flick. Today, this beautifully restored performing arts center brings a full season of entertainment—music, films and various musical and drama performances—including “The Ultimate Elvis Show: Tyler Christopher and The Roustabout Show Band” at 7 p.m. Saturday Sept. 21. (Tickets here.) And there will be nothing silent about this show, among the most authentic Elvis tributes in the nation.
Winchester’s Bluegrass Heritage Museum is a treasure-trove of books on genealogy and genealogical resources, including titles by well-known local genealogist and county historian Kathryn Owen. These include Old Graveyards of Clark County, Kentucky and Early Winchester Inscriptions, co-authored with Ann P. Couey. Additionally, thanks to Owen’s decades-long research in Winchester and Clark County cemeteries, sources and information about dozens of Clark County families are available through the museum’s website for online genealogical research.
Red River Gorge is not only a federally designated National Geological Area, but a National Natural Landmark and a National Archaeological District as well. Additionally, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is home to the federally designated Wild and Scenic Red River and Clifty Wilderness. But that’s not all. The Gorge is also Kentucky’s only known breeding site for the red-breasted nuthatch, a small songbird whose call is described as a “fast series of nasal, hornlike notes that sound like yank-yank.” All this less than a 35-minute drive from Winchester.