Next week, the Jefferson Davis State Historic Site in Fairview hosts a commemoration of the western Kentuckian who became the first, and only, president of the Confederate States of America on the occasion of his 204th birthday. We’ll speak with historian William C. Davis (no relation) about the rebel leader’s life and legacy today on Front Page A.M. from WKMS News.
(1.) WILLIAM C. DAVIS ON JEFFERSON DAVIS -- June 3rd marks the 204th birthday of one of the only two native Kentuckians to hold an American presidency. One is, of course, Abraham Lincoln, and the other is his Civil War counterpart, Confederate President Jefferson Davis. Davis was born in Fairview, in what was then Christian County, now Todd, in 1808. Beginning June 1st and running through the 3rd, the Jefferson Davis Birthplace State Historic Site will host a commemoration of the former U.S. Senator and rebel President. There will be exhibits, activities, and Civil War re-enactors. But given Davis’ place in American history, the question arises as to whether he is someone to be commemorated. For some insight into that question, we turn to Virginia Tech history professor and Civil War scholar William C. Davis (no relation) Davis is the author of Jefferson Davis: The Man and His Hour and Look Away! A History of the Confederate States of America.
(2.) BIG SINGING IN BENTON -- Every spring, Marshall County plays host to one of the longest indigenous singing events in the country. The annual Big Singing is a tradition that has stayed largely the same since the 1800s. Rose Krzton-Presson explores the history and significance of Marshall County’s Big Singing.
This year’s Big Singing takes place today at the Marshall County Courthouse on Benton’s downtown square. It’s free and open to the public anytime between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.