On September 13, 1804, Henry Clay entered into an agreement to purchase 125 acres on Todd's Road just outside the city limits of Lexington, Kentucky. With this transaction, Clay began the creation of one of Lexington's most important sites. Over the next two centuries, Ashland would be home to five generations of one of Kentucky's first families. Ashland would also be the source of some of Kentucky's finest horses; the location of a small but important Civil War skirmish; the birthplace of the state's flagship university; the home to one of the state's first museums; one of Lexington's first subdivisions; and finally a National Historic Landmark. Many books have been written about Henry Clay, Ashland's creator and most important resident, but this is the first to tell the story of his beloved farm and personal retreat.

Lewis County, located in far northeastern Kentucky, was formed in 1806 and named for explorer Meriwether Lewis. The county was once teeming with industry as a supplier of finished goods and agricultural products. Historically, the county’s proximity to the Ohio River allowed the export of timber and salt, and in the 1800s, railroad transportation made Lewis County an influential source of railroad ties, boat-building materials, and barrels. In later years, the area was most popular for its health resorts, spas, and “sulfur waters,” which attracted visitors from as far as New York and Chicago. The images in this volume depict the county’s military influence, as Lewis Countians had strong allegiance to the Union during the Civil War. The photographs featured in Images of America: Lewis County have been drawn from the archive of the Vanceburg Depot Museum and from various private collections.

Muhlenberg County has been famous for its record-setting coal production since 1890. But as the county grew and the coal piled higher, another kind of energy began to flow from the depths of the mines. Songs like "Sixteen Tons" and "Paradise" spotlighted the lives of the bent and bowed coal miners and put the county on the map. With the addition of the world's largest power plant and the world's largest coal shovel, tourism increased as visitors came to see the hometowns of the famous Everly Brothers, James Best, Warren Oates, and Merle Travis. The Duncan Cultural Center and Museum, a gift from Hamilton Duncan, is a beautiful gathering place where people today can enjoy music and art and learn about Muhlenberg's coal legacy and rich history.