The Ohio River served as the dividing line between the North and South in middle America, with Ohio offering freedom and opportunity to refugee enslaved individuals. Ohio also served as an important political calculation for President Abraham Lincoln, who understood the importance of Ohio (and neighboring Indiana) as the South closed off economic traffic downriver. … Read more
Darryl Smith may be new to BGES, but he’s a grizzled veteran when it comes to Civil War history in Ohio and Kentucky. The owner of Walking With History, Smith will host his first BGES tour later this summer, focusing on the often-overlooked battles waged along the Ohio River. “Civil War on the Ohio” runs … Read more
“Oh, the sun shines bright on my old Kentucky home.” That enduring lyric holds particular meaning for BGES member Dan Rush. His family roots reach deep into the fertile soil of the Bluegrass State, quite literally. His ancestors settled in Kentucky in the 1700s and farmed the land from the time they arrived. As an … Read more