THREE FORKS HISTORICAL CENTER
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Collections
  • Contact

Articles, videos, and whole lot of heart.

Christmas Spirit at the Museum

12/12/2019

0 Comments

 
Saturday, December 7th was a busy day for the City of Beattyville and the Three Forks Historical Center. The day started out with a Santa Workshop at the museum where children and families came in to write a letter to Santa, do an ornament craft, and decorate a cupcake like a reindeer. The museum also had 8 business vendors set up so while children did their crafts with the help of Mrs. Clause, an Elf, and some volunteers from Tourism and the DBA, parents shopped around the different tables. Bob Smith read the Christmas Story to the children and then Santa arrived at 12pm for photos. It was a fun morning at the museum to kick off the Christmas Spirit event that lasted all day till the parade through town that night and the Kiwanis Treat bags. 
Picture
0 Comments

Veterans Day Luncheon at Museum

11/7/2019

0 Comments

 
On Monday, November 11, 2019 the Lee County Republican Women club will be hosting a luncheon at the Three Forks Historical Center from 11am-1pm honoring Lee County Veterans. All Veterans, Veteran Families, and active military are invited to this appreciation luncheon. The women in the club will serve soups, sandwiches, deserts, and drinks. 
Picture
0 Comments

Woolly Worm Parade 2019

10/29/2019

0 Comments

 
Governor Matt Bevin walked down Main Street in Beattyville KY in this year's Woolly Worm Festival. This may be the first time that the festival has had an acting KY Governor in the parade. Video of the 2019 Woolly Worm Parade below. 

Governor Matt Bevin: Minute 29:26
0 Comments

Lee County FFA donates to the museum by parking cars at the 32nd annual Woolly Worm Festival in Beattyville, KY.

10/29/2019

0 Comments

 
We can't say enough about our local school system and especially the Lee County High School FFA under the leadership of Orvall Bennett. They are active in the community and do a wonderful job proudly representing Lee County when they travel to the KY State Fair in Lousiville or to Lexington to compete at the Wood Expo. Follow Lee County FFA on Facebook! 

During the biggest event of the year in Beattyville, the Woolly Worm Festival, FFA students volunteers to park cars in the Village Apothecary lot and at Jack's IGA. They raised $1,462 and gave half in donation to the Three Forks Historical Center. We thank you Mr. Bennett and your students from the bottom our hearts for your donation and your support. 
Picture
FFA presenting a $731 donation check to the Three Forks Historical Center.
Picture
Woolly Worm Racing at the 32nd annual Woolly Worm Festival, Beattyville, KY.

Lee County High School FFA Photos

0 Comments

Lee County High School Agriculture Classes Visit Museum

10/15/2019

0 Comments

 
The agriculture teacher at the Lee County High School, Mr. Orvall Bennett, brought his classes down to the Three Forks Historical Center. Driving the bus was museum board member Ray Shuler and the kids were meet by board members Bob Smith and JD Sipple as they toured the museum. Many of the kids had never been to the museum before. Bob and JD pointed out some rare and important artifacts and were there to answer any questions that the students had while exploring. Lee County FFA link.

"It's difficult to figure out where you are headed in life if you don't know where you've been. Many artifacts in the museum were used by your grandparents and great grandparents as they farmed, mined, logged, and raised their families without your modern devices like smartphones." - Bob Smith, Three Forks Historical Center President 
Photo of high school students looking into display cases at the museum.
0 Comments

Overview of the 2019 Old Engine and Tractor Show

8/12/2019

0 Comments

 
Great turnout this year to the Old Engine and Tractor Show at the Three Forks Historical Center in Beattyville, KY. The museum committee tried something new this year by having the show start on Friday night and bring in an actor from Kentucky Humanities. Daniel Boone was set to perform at the gazebo outside but a quick change of plans moved him inside the museum and out of the torrential downpour that hit that evening. Several volunteers pitched in to set up rows of chairs and an amazing crowd came in out of the rain to experience the lecture. Daniel Boone was amazing as the time was set after his exploring days when he had settled in to running an inn and store. He told about his adventures and hardships. It was a great opportunity for the youth in the room to learn more about the man that was Daniel Boone and not just an impersonal paragraph out of their school textbooks. After the performance the evening transitioned to indoor bluegrass music and outdoor hotdog and marshmallow roasting. 

On Saturday of the event old engines and tractors came early to park and display their equipment. Vendors came and set up booths and there was also a rock painting station for kids and families to paint rocks to place in the new museum flowerbeds. The Tractor Parade through downtown Beattyville began at 3pm followed by the fish fry at 4pm. Below is a walkthrough video of the museum grounds and the parade.  

Photos and Videos

2019 Tractor Parade 
Walkthrough: 2019 Old Engine & Tractor Show
Tractors and their drivers lined up for the tractor parade.
0 Comments

Old Engine and Tractor Show Aug 9-10th, 2019

8/3/2019

0 Comments

 
This year will be the 14th 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. The events kick off on Friday night, August 9th. Registration will begin at 6pm and participants are welcome to bring their tractors and camp out all night on the Museum property. Also new to the festival this year will be a visit by Daniel Boone at 7pm. This presentation of Daniel Boone is made possible by Kentucky Humanities. There will be storytelling, hotdogs and s'mores around the campfire that night along with pickin' and grinn'. Everyone is welcome to bring their instruments and participate.

All day Saturday, August 10th, 2019 there will be a display of old tractors and engines. Registration starts at 10am.
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. Kids can enjoy a paint rock station under the picnic shelter and once their masterpieces are complete, they can place their rocks in the museum flowerbeds or take them home.

The fish fry will follow at 4pm. The meal will consists of fried fish, hushpuppies, cole slaw, baked beans, desert and drink. The cost will be $8.00. Children 6 and under eat free. Browse though artisans and crafters as they work their trade onsite! Come out and support the museum.

The Museum would like to add demonstrations of some of the skills that were important to our forefathers and reflect life on the early homesteads such as splitting wooden shingles or flint knapping. If you would like to set up and demonstrate some of the early arts and crafts at this show, give us a call at (606) 464-2888. 
Picture
Picture
Slideshow of 2018 Old Engine and Tractors Show Events. Photos by Joshua Hagan, Beattyville, KY
0 Comments

4th of July Museum Activities

7/8/2019

0 Comments

 
The 4th of July is annually one of the two larger fundraisers for the Three Forks Historical Center. The community goes up to Happy Top Park, Beattyville, KY to see a fantastic fireworks show each year and the museum manages the concession stand under the picnic shelter next to the splash park.

On the evening of the 4th, there were inflatables and water slides for the kids, the volunteer fire departments had a booth selling raffle chances on a gun, local church missions were doing face painting and games, the DJ spun tunes and the Three Forks Historical Center sold concessions. This year the concession stand had rib-eye sandwiches, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, pork tenderloin sandwiches, hot dogs, pop, and water. Once it hit 10pm the first of the fireworks were released and the DJ played music to go with the display. This year the museum took in $1,700 worth on concessions and about $200 on the rifle raffle and glow in the dark item sales.

Grand finale of the 2019 Lee County Firework Show!

July 3rd, 2019 Flooding on Museum's campus...

The weather is always something that has to be monitored. The night before the fireworks there was a flash flood and water raced down the hill from Dairy Queen on HWY 11 and traveled in front of the museum to reach the storm drain. The storm drain could not handle the volume of water, and with debris caught in the rapture, the storm drain backed up causing a flooded area in front of the museum and tourism center caboose. The Mayor of Beattyville, Scott Jackson, was on scene that night waiting for the state transportation crew to come to the museum and evaluate the flooding. There were several more flooded areas around Lee County in addition to the museum. The water did not endanger the museum this time but in the past it has reached the front stoop of the building. (Photos below of recent flooding.)
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
0 Comments

Welcome Twin City Cruisers Car Club

6/21/2019

0 Comments

 
The Three Forks Historical Center opened on Thursday, June 20th and welcomed the Twin City Cruisers Car Club from Irvine/Ravenna, KY. The group gets together rain or shine once a month and takes trips around the area cruising and touring different places. It was sprinkling that day, so they did not get the classic cars out, but the group visited anyway. There were 20 or so people tour the museum and both Bob Smith and John David Sipple of the Museum Board was there to give them the grand tour. Several in the group were military veterans and really enjoyed the military wing of the museum. Once they toured the museum, the group traveled to Slade and the Natural Bridge State Resort Park area to have lunch at the Red River Smoakhouse. It was a wonderful visit. The museum board welcomes groups at anytime during the week to call and schedule for the museum to be open. They board is also rotating Saturdays to have the museum open every Saturday from 10am-4pm. Call (606) 464-2888 or (606) 464-5038 to schedule your group tour.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
0 Comments

Ole Red Fire Engine has a new home!

6/21/2019

0 Comments

 
The Three Forks Historical Center garage building is the new home for the Lee County Fire Department antique fire engine. Locally known as "Ole Red" this was the first engine that the local community had. The truck itself is a 1953 Chevy and it remained the only fire truck up until the devastating runaway gas truck explosion of 1977 that killed 7 people, set several buildings and 50 parked cars along Main Street in Beattyville on fire.
Picture
Wallace Todd in the driver seat of the firetruck while co-worker Ferrell Wise gives him a gentle push with the backhoe.
Picture
Mayor of Beattyville Scott Jackson guiding Ole Red through the doors.
Picture
Pictured in the back: Ferrell Wise, city employee. Josh Smith museum board member. Front row: Charlie Sawyer, city employee. Mayor of Beattyville Scott Jackson, and Wallace Todd city employee.

More info on the 1977 Runaway Gas Truck Explosion...

Currier Journal Article Sept 1977.pdf
File Size: 803 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Associated Press Sept 1977 Article.pdf
File Size: 315 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Currier Journal Article Truck Driver Cleared Sept 1977.pdf
File Size: 321 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Picture
Link to Highway Accident Report
Link to Artifact Spotlight: burnt money
0 Comments
<<Previous
Forward>>

    About

    Welcome to the blog page of the Three Forks Historical Center in Beattyville, KY.

    Questions? Call museum President Bob Smith at (606) 464-2888.

    Please consider giving a donation to this wonderful museum!

    Mailing Address:
    P.O. Box 1033
    Beattyville, KY 41311

      Subscribe

      Register your email address to receive notifications on museum blog posts.
    Subscribe to Newsletter

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    Artifact Spotlight
    Biography Spotlight
    Happenings
    Introduction

    Archives

    March 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019

    Museum Board Members

    Want to get involved?  Ask the board members how you can volunteer to help the museum.

    Board Members:
    Bob Smith
    Linda Smith
    Josh Smith
    JD Sipple
    Edna G. Crabtree
    Kenneth Issics
    Rhonda Estes
    Geneva Duncil
    Frank Kincaid
    Sherry Lanham
    Everett Lee Marshall
    Dedra Brandenburg
    Suzy Booth
    Joshua Hagan
    Ray Shuler
Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Collections
  • Contact