In this episode of Kentucky History & Haunts, we head back to August 1925—a month of sensational scandals and small-town crime sprees that made big headlines.

First, you’ll hear the wild tale of Lucy Wagner McMills, a young woman accused of kidnapping her husband and tricking him into marriage after a whirlwind romance. Newspapers from Kentucky to New York branded her a “Modern Cavewoman,” while her groom swore he’d been too drunk to know he was saying “I do.”

Then, we dive into the chaotic, decades-long saga of the Alford family of Winchester, known as “the Bootleg Syndicate” during Prohibition. From barn raids to shootouts, jailbreaks to safe-cracking, the Alfords’ rap sheets stretched across generations. George Alford was dubbed the Bootleg King of the Bluegrass, while his children—including Virgil, Tommy, and Woodrow—made headlines for everything from moonshining to armed robbery.

This episode has it all: star-crossed lovers, outlaw families, jailbreaks, scandals, and tragedy.

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9115 Leesgate Rd Suite A

Louisville, KY 40222

In this offbeat episode, we take a break from heavy historical biographies and dive into something a little lighter. What started as a routine property history search for a Louisville listing led me down a rabbit hole of vintage newspaper clippings, culminating in an unexpected and fascinating journey through the early nudist (or naturist) movement in Kentucky and Indiana.

You’ll hear the bizarre headline that sparked it all—“Bee Intrudes as 2 Louisvillians Enter Ranks of Nudist Royalty”—and meet the surprisingly compelling couple at the heart of it. We cover the founding of Zoro Nature Camp in Indiana in the 1930s, its battles against public scandal and legal scrutiny, and how it became a hub for naturist conventions and moral high ground.

We follow the story of Bernard and Dorothy Harding, a deaf couple from Louisville who lived fascinating lives full of hardship, resilience, and—briefly—nudist royalty. Plus, we explore how lawmakers in Kentucky reacted to the idea of nudist colonies with 20-foot wall requirements, licensing fees, and statewide panic.

This episode has it all:

🔍 Historical deep dives📜 Archival weirdness👑 A nude coronation⚖️ Oddball legal history🧡 And a love story that’s almost too strange to be true.

Quotes to Remember:

🗞️ “We are unashamed of our bodies. It will take more than court orders and cold weather to stop us from leading our lives as we wish.”
👑 “A bee intruded itself upon the coronation scene… the ceremony was quickly finished.”
📜 “If a man wants to get off in the woods and gambol about in the nude, he ought to have that right.” – Rep. Henry Ward

Further Reading / Links:

• Kentucky Nudism Laws: https://naturistaction.org/laws/kentucky-laws/

  
  

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  🧡 Leave a review wherever you listen📲 Follow on social media📬 Send mail to 9115 Leesgate Rd, Suite A, Louisville KY 40222✉️ Corrections/feedback/topic suggestions: kyhistoryhaunts@gmail.com

  Thanks for tuning in—and until next time, keep your curiosity uncovered.

In this episode, we explore the extraordinary life of Brigadier General Charles Young — a man born into slavery in Mays Lick, Kentucky, during the Civil War who went on to break barriers across the U.S. military and beyond. Despite facing relentless racism, repeated demotions, and exclusion due to his race, Young became a pioneer and trailblazer, achieving numerous historic firsts as a Black officer in the U.S. Army.

You'll learn about Young's journey from his family’s escape to freedom in Ripley, Ohio, through his tough years at West Point, his service with the Buffalo Soldiers, and his role as the first Black superintendent of a National Park (Sequoia & General Grant). We also learn about his friendships with figures like W.E.B. Du Bois, and his diplomatic posts in Haiti and Liberia.

This episode touches on Young’s incredible resilience, the legacy he left through public service, education, and advocacy, and his long-overdue posthumous promotion to Brigadier General in 2021.

*The transcript for this show is auto generated using AI. Robots make mistakes too y'all!

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Jessie Bartholomew

9115 Leesgate Rd Suite A

Louisville, KY 40222

This episode is written, recorded, edited and marketed by Jessie. To buy her a coffee for her work on the show, Venmo @kyhistoryhaunts

https://www.nps.gov/media/video/view.htm?id=219094BE-2C76-4E63-85B3-8D8B46EFFFB5

https://brigadiergeneralcharlesyoungfoundation.org/timeline/