We at the Three Forks Historical Center were sad to hear that the West Liberty Military Museum located in the jail next to the Courthouse downtown was closing. Our President Bob Smith's sister Alane called and arranged a few pick up days for volunteers to take trailers and trucks to West Liberty to load up on display cases, artifacts, and more. We can not thank you enough Tony and Alane for thinking of us. We are sad that you had to close down, but feel honored that we can help display the artifacts you loaned and donated to the Three Forks Historical Center. 

Thank you Jon Allen, Lee County EMA, Chuck Caudill, Lee County Judge Executive, Josh Caudill, Lee County Schools, and museum board members Kenneth Isaacs and Dedra Brandenburg who traveled and loaded artifacts several Fridays in a row. 

This year will be the 16th Annual Three Forks Old Engine, Tractor Show & Fish Fry. It will be hosted at the Three Forks Historical Center on HWY 11 North, Beattyville, KY. 

All day Saturday, September 11th, 2021 there will be a display of old tractors and engines. Registration starts at 9am. The first 25 engines to register will receive a dash plaque. The show will go on throughout the day with participants parading their antique tractors down Main Street at 3 p.m.
The fish fry will follow directly after the tractor parade. The meal will consists of fried fish, hushpuppies, cole slaw, french fries, baked beans, desert and drink. The cost will be $8.00. Children 6 and under eat free. 
​
Accepting donations to place into a silent auction fundraiser. If you have items to donate please call 606-464-2888 or 606-464-5038. Silent auction will close on the event day at 5pm. 

Farmers, Arts and Crafts vendors are welcome to set up. If you would like to set up, give us a call at (606) 464-2888 or (606) 464-5038
​
Come out and support the museum!

The flood alert for the area went from moderate flooding alert with a crest of 24 feet to a major flooding alert in 5 hours time with waters cresting at 35 feet. In Beattyville, it was a few inches larger than the flood of 1957. All of town was submerged in river waters and mud by Monday morning March 1st. All through the night rescue teams had worked tirelessly to evacuate residents in danger of the riding floodwaters. There was not enough warning for businesses to get their valuables out such as their computers and account books. The water receded by Wednesday and everyone gasps at the damages. Once the images and stories of the flooding hit the news and social media, groups and individuals starting donating their time, supplies, and most of all prayers for everyone effected. 

The Three Forks Museum did not escape harm. The waters rose to about 2 to 2.5 feet high inside the building. The log benches from the front porch were recovered from over 100 yards away. The museum board members waited until water receded on the Wednesday afternoon to go inside and assess the damages. The first priority was to empty the closets and pick up everything off the ground. Then we worked at emptying the bottom shelves of the display cases and setting everything out in the sun to dry. Next is was bringing in 2x4s to lift and place the display cases off the floor for air to circulate underneath. We also bought four dehumidifiers to place around the building and in the bathrooms were drywall is present. Thanks you to WSKV 104.5fm and Grace Baptist Church for donating totes and fans. Also for delivering the dehumidifiers we purchased from Lowes in Winchester. Also thank you to Tony Pence and the fraternity from Morehead State University who came down to help. 

Commonwealth Systems were in the area doing free HVAC assessment and we were able to have Nick come over to look at our system. The key to drying everything out would be warm dry air so we needed our units working. Nick came back another day and dismantled and cleaned both outdoor units and installed a new fan motor into one. More repairs are needed to the HVAC as the heating elements are shot. We are in need of new flame sensors, thermocouples, and igniters. 

On the floor we placed the Floor Sweep compound. John David was concerned about adding more water in there and he though this compound would keep the dust down and we could scrub it around to pick up the dirt before mopping. It has worked wonderfully so far. We also put a call out for Murphy's Oil Wood Soap, as the majority of the museum walls are wood. There were also pianos, and other furniture that will need a good cleaning. 

With everything we can get into totes, the next step is to clean out the garage area so we can use it for storage until we can get the main museum cleaned and straightened back up. Thank you to all the volunteers who have came to help so far. John David Sipple, Kenneth Issacs, Suzy Booth, Kim Oliver, Anita Brandenburg, Kendra Savage and her son Maddox, Kristy Dunaway and her daughter Lacy, Sheerree Nations,  Emma and Larry Adams, Trina Gipson, Shirley Reece, Ila Cox Nickel, Amy Parrott, and more. Also thank you to everyone who has brought supplies. Bob & Linda Smith, Evelyn Jenkins, Allison and Luke Catron of Georgetown, Shanna Charles, Jim Cable, Ernie Childers, Linda Botner, Yvonne Stamper, Marcella Fox, Masters of Disaster, and more. Sorry if I didn't get everyone's names. 

Below is a slideshow of photos. Donations Appreciated. We are trying to apply for any funding we can find for non-profits. There is a lot more work to be done and volunteers are welcome and appreciated. If you would like to help call Dedra at 606-560-9059. Donations can be mailed into P.O. Box 1033, Beattyville, KY 41311 or use the PayPal link on this website to make a donation online. 

Without question, the year 2020 was difficult for families, jobs, and everyone's mental and emotional health. To bring some joy to the holiday season, the Christmas Spirit Committee put together an enjoyable evening for the community. With many sponsors, the funds were used to light up the museum, Main Street, and the North Fork Bridge. Characters dressed up and danced as the cars went by in a reverse parade. Elvis sang from the porch of the museum and his music made it into everyone's car radios by way of a FM transmitter. The Grinch was as tall as the porch roof and waved at kids from on top of his stilts. Santa and Mrs. Clause handed out candy canes and chocolate to families who drove by. Down on Main Street at the courthouse, the Beattyville Kiwanis Club did a drive through treat bag giveaway. They have been giving away Christmas treat bags for 100 years and continued the tradition this year. For a night, it almost seemed that the world was back to normal. The kids also loved looking at all the fire trucks lined up on the property. Thank you Beattyville/Lee County Fire Dept for participating.

Here is a video slideshow of the decorations and activates during Christmas Spirit 2020. 

Tell us what you think about this new museum logo design. Soon we will have t-shirts and long sleeved shirts for sale. There has already been a printing of stickers. We are also looking into magnets. 

About the design:
The year 1992 is significant for it was that year, the museum board received the state approved construction plans for the structure of the main museum building. The military green and stars on each side represent the military wing of the museum. 

Ms. Sherree Nations has been searching for heirloom seeds over the last 10 years. Talking to 20 to 30 older residents about heirlooms seeds, she kept being told “I used to have some”. A year ago, she received beans that had been saved and passed down through the Goe family, descendants of Daniel Boone from the Old Landing area in Lee County.

Heirloom seeds are handed down from one family member to another for many generations. It takes 50 years of producing the same plant unchanged, in order to consider it heirloom.

The beans themselves are a type of goosey bean. These beans named after the originating folk lore story of being taken from the craw of a goose. It is still common to see Canadian grease migrate though this area. Knowing the history of Native Americans and the travels of Daniel Boone through Old Landing to Fort Boonesborough, Nations immediately began the process of contacting a seed specialist at the Baker Creek Seed Company, Martin Walsh, to have them tested and preserved. International seed specialist travel all around the world collecting and preserving rare seeds. 

In an article Nations sent to the Baker Creek Seed Company’s along with 10 of these rare beans to preserve in their seed library, she gave the seeds the identifying name of “Old Landing Settlers Goosey Beans”.  

Over this past growing season 2020, Nations was able to plant and watch these Old Landing Settlers beans grow. She picked a mess for tasting and has herself described them as delicious. 

“To think that these beans, which were on my farm table could be the exact unchanged beans that were harvested and placed on the farm table of Daniel Boone and his family is amazing.” said Nations.

When asked how such seeds have become so rare to find, Nations explained that few families now grow crops for food like they used to do. The elder farmers in the area, when asked about heirloom seeds or goosey beans, respond that their fathers and grandfathers used to grow and save them. Because of the downturn in family farming over the years, the practice of drying and saving seed to plant for the next season has all but disappeared. 

According to the book “Kentucky Heirloom,” The seed business began to change in the 20th century as multi-national companies bought out small seed companies and bred varieties best suited for mechanical harvest, long-distance transportation and long shelf life.

Nations resides in the Beartrack area of Lee County and anxiously awaits news from the Baker Creek Seed Company. She expressed great interest in finding more heirloom seeds in the Lee County and surrounding county area in order to preserve them and their family stories that go with them. 

If anyone has any family heirloom beans that have been passed down through generations of your family please contact Ms. Nations at 606-208-4777. To learn more about the Baker Creek Seed Company visit www.rareseeds.com. 

Article written by Dedra Brandenburg & Teresa Mays, Beattyville/Lee County Tourism, Downtown Beattyville Alliance & Locally Made Farmer’s and Artisan Market.
www.visitleecountyky.com 

The Three Forks Historical Center has needed new gutters for a year now. The back of the building's galvanized gutters had rusted clear through and discussions from the museum board indicated that the guttering needed to be replaced at a larger size. 

On Tuesday, Sept 15th new gutters and downpipes were installed in half a day by Richard Marcum and his crew. The antique brown continuous gutters look great but there was one hiccup. The timbers behind the flashing on the porch to the Veteran's wing entrance had rotted out so bad there was nothing to connect the new gutter too. Water had been going under the metal flashing and soaking the wood underneath. 

Calling for help, the board contacted Josh Caudill of Beattyville, to come and take a look at the damage. After some problem solving and a couple of hours, he cleaned out the rotted wood, replaced a few timbers and now it is ready for new metal and guttering. Thank you Josh for your time and willingness to help. 

Here are a few photos. 

Bruce Gordon, a railroad date nail collector, of Booneville, KY has been collecting date nails for over 40 years. He has loaned his award winning L&N Railroad Date Nail collection to the Three Forks Historical Center for display. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and collection with the museum! #datenails #LNRR #visitleecountyky #supportmuseums