1 00:00:01,133 --> 00:00:03,300 >> Hey everybody, and welcome to the premiere of the 28th 2 00:00:03,300 --> 00:00:06,600 season of Kentucky Life. I'm your new host, Chip 3 00:00:06,600 --> 00:00:10,233 Polston, and I could not be more excited to join you on our 4 00:00:10,233 --> 00:00:13,366 show. Cannot wait to bring you a remarkable collection of 5 00:00:13,366 --> 00:00:16,533 stories this season from all corners of the state. Now, 6 00:00:16,533 --> 00:00:19,300 as for me, I've lived in Kentucky my entire life, 7 00:00:19,300 --> 00:00:22,100 I'm a Louisville native with deep family roots in Eastern 8 00:00:22,100 --> 00:00:24,666 and Central Kentucky, and I'm a proud graduate of Western 9 00:00:24,666 --> 00:00:28,300 Kentucky University. The Bluegrass State has always been 10 00:00:28,300 --> 00:00:31,266 my home, and I'm so looking forward to exploring our great 11 00:00:31,266 --> 00:00:35,600 commonwealth together here on Kentucky Life. 12 00:00:56,666 --> 00:00:59,800 >> So I'm here in the beautiful historic Bardstown area to take 13 00:00:59,800 --> 00:01:02,100 in some of these remarkable sites and visit a few of the 14 00:01:02,100 --> 00:01:05,200 unique locations the town has to offer. But before we go too 15 00:01:05,200 --> 00:01:08,033 far, let's dive right in to our first story. For more than 16 00:01:08,033 --> 00:01:11,033 seven decades, theater lovers and those simply looking for a 17 00:01:11,033 --> 00:01:13,666 wonderful evening under the stars have travelled to 18 00:01:13,666 --> 00:01:17,366 Danville to enjoy one of the jewels of the Bluegrass. 19 00:01:17,366 --> 00:01:20,300 Begun by a Kentucky veteran returning to his hometown, 20 00:01:20,300 --> 00:01:23,600 the Pioneer Playhouse has attracted actors and plays from 21 00:01:23,600 --> 00:01:26,433 New York City. Today, the founder's children are 22 00:01:26,433 --> 00:01:29,566 following in his footsteps, providing a unique outdoor 23 00:01:29,566 --> 00:01:34,066 experience that brings cheering patrons every summer. 24 00:01:34,066 --> 00:01:37,600 >> 73 years ago, a Danville native returned from his 25 00:01:37,600 --> 00:01:40,933 service in World War II and began what has become a 26 00:01:40,933 --> 00:01:45,100 landmark tradition, not only in his hometown, but for all of 27 00:01:45,100 --> 00:01:46,633 Kentucky. 28 00:01:46,633 --> 00:01:50,100 >> My father, Evan Henson, served in World War II; with 29 00:01:50,100 --> 00:01:53,666 the G.I. Bill, he went to New York City to study acting. 30 00:01:53,666 --> 00:01:57,766 And then his father here in Danville, Kentucky called him, 31 00:01:57,766 --> 00:02:01,100 and he had, had a heart attack, and he needed his son to come 32 00:02:01,100 --> 00:02:03,900 back and help with things. So dad came back to Danville, 33 00:02:03,900 --> 00:02:08,366 Kentucky and he said, "If I can't be on Broadway, I'm going 34 00:02:08,366 --> 00:02:11,933 to bring Broadway to the Bluegrass." 35 00:02:11,933 --> 00:02:15,100 >> Evan Henson went to work dreaming and designing a summer 36 00:02:15,100 --> 00:02:20,566 stage for theatergoers to enjoy plays under the stars. 37 00:02:20,566 --> 00:02:24,633 >> My father was a force of nature. We would watch him 38 00:02:24,633 --> 00:02:28,433 build a building, he never built anything with blueprints, 39 00:02:28,433 --> 00:02:31,133 he would just draw a design on a napkin and he would put up a 40 00:02:31,133 --> 00:02:33,933 board and he would start nailing. All of this complex 41 00:02:33,933 --> 00:02:37,433 that you see around here 42 00:02:37,433 --> 00:02:40,633 >> is a complex that was created out of his passion for 43 00:02:40,633 --> 00:02:43,000 his dream. 44 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:44,533 >> In 1956, 45 00:02:44,533 --> 00:02:48,366 >> his dreams would get a tremendous boost. He convinced 46 00:02:48,366 --> 00:02:51,733 MGM Studios to bring a major film production to the 47 00:02:51,733 --> 00:02:53,833 Bluegrass State. 48 00:02:53,833 --> 00:02:56,566 >> He heard that they wanted to film a movie called Raintree 49 00:02:56,566 --> 00:03:00,333 County. It was meant to be the next Gone with the Wind, 50 00:03:00,333 --> 00:03:05,566 it just was a huge film for the time and all of the stars of 51 00:03:05,566 --> 00:03:08,566 the day - Elizabeth Taylor, Montgomery Clift - 52 00:03:08,566 --> 00:03:11,033 >> they were here in Danville living for six weeks, so it was 53 00:03:11,033 --> 00:03:13,366 quite a big story. 54 00:03:13,366 --> 00:03:16,033 >> Part of the film centered around a beautiful train 55 00:03:16,033 --> 00:03:20,466 station MGM would build and leave behind in Danville. 56 00:03:20,466 --> 00:03:23,133 Henson would quickly see the value of this building as a 57 00:03:23,133 --> 00:03:28,266 centerpiece for his new theater. 58 00:03:28,266 --> 00:03:30,866 >> He dug a hole in the ground, a huge hole to make an 59 00:03:30,866 --> 00:03:35,666 amphitheater, and the rest is history, the rest became this 60 00:03:35,666 --> 00:03:38,700 amazing Pioneer Playhouse. 61 00:03:38,700 --> 00:03:40,900 >> But just as his father's health drew him back to 62 00:03:40,900 --> 00:03:44,200 Danville, Henson's failing health would call to his 63 00:03:44,200 --> 00:03:47,533 children. Sister Holly would stay in Danville to help her 64 00:03:47,533 --> 00:03:49,333 father run the show. 65 00:03:49,333 --> 00:03:53,000 Then, as their father approached the end of his life, 66 00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:56,366 she developed cancer and died. 67 00:03:56,366 --> 00:04:00,466 Heather and Robby left their careers in New York and LA to 68 00:04:00,466 --> 00:04:04,133 continue Evan Henson's dream. 69 00:04:04,133 --> 00:04:08,466 >> The show must go on is in our DNA, in the Henson DNA. 70 00:04:08,466 --> 00:04:11,733 So we had a funeral a week later and we opened a show two 71 00:04:11,733 --> 00:04:14,666 weeks later, and that was it, we just went from there. 72 00:04:14,666 --> 00:04:19,200 And Robby moved back full-time from LA, and Robby and I both 73 00:04:19,200 --> 00:04:22,733 then started, this became it, we're running the theater with 74 00:04:22,733 --> 00:04:25,300 my mother. Our dad started 75 00:04:25,300 --> 00:04:28,533 >> this 73 years ago, we've been a family-run business 76 00:04:28,533 --> 00:04:33,300 since then. And we think 77 00:04:33,300 --> 00:04:34,633 it's a special theater. It's not Carnegie Hall, it's not the 78 00:04:34,633 --> 00:04:36,266 New York Center of Theater. It is grassroots theater, 79 00:04:36,266 --> 00:04:38,933 it's Kentucky theater. 80 00:04:38,933 --> 00:04:42,333 >> It's a wonderful tradition to watch sister and brother 81 00:04:42,333 --> 00:04:48,133 welcome the audience and remember their father. 82 00:04:48,133 --> 00:04:51,433 Every summer, the Playhouse puts on a series of five plays 83 00:04:51,433 --> 00:04:57,733 with laughter and applause, filling the amphitheater. 84 00:04:57,733 --> 00:05:00,433 Another tradition that has become a great attraction for 85 00:05:00,433 --> 00:05:01,633 play goers 86 00:05:01,633 --> 00:05:04,900 >> is the opportunity to enjoy dinner and to mingle before the 87 00:05:04,900 --> 00:05:06,500 play. 88 00:05:06,500 --> 00:05:09,700 >> We have patrons who have been coming back for years and 89 00:05:09,700 --> 00:05:13,700 they're so happy to see us, they're like, "We just couldn't 90 00:05:13,700 --> 00:05:16,600 wait 'til the Playhouse opened again and we couldn't wait to 91 00:05:16,600 --> 00:05:17,966 see you." 92 00:05:17,966 --> 00:05:21,100 >> The Playhouse has attracted actors from all around the 93 00:05:21,100 --> 00:05:24,800 country. It's part of Henson's dream that he paid forward to 94 00:05:24,800 --> 00:05:27,833 fulfill the dreams of others. 95 00:05:27,833 --> 00:05:31,400 >> There have been hundreds, if not thousands of actors who 96 00:05:31,400 --> 00:05:34,600 have come through these doors. It's like John Travolta or Lee 97 00:05:34,600 --> 00:05:38,500 Majors or Bo Hopkins or Jim Varney. But even as 98 00:05:38,500 --> 00:05:41,966 importantly, are many actors who have gone on to be 99 00:05:41,966 --> 00:05:45,100 teachers, who have gone on to be better communicators in 100 00:05:45,100 --> 00:05:46,300 their work. 101 00:05:46,300 --> 00:05:48,900 Hundreds, if not thousands of these actors have come through 102 00:05:48,900 --> 00:05:54,233 these doors and I think that's the real magic of this place. 103 00:05:54,233 --> 00:05:59,066 >> As the sun sets and the play begins, the dream begun 73 104 00:05:59,066 --> 00:06:00,166 years ago 105 00:06:00,166 --> 00:06:03,433 >> comes to life, as the audience is enthralled and the 106 00:06:03,433 --> 00:06:06,766 night air fills with laughter and joy. 107 00:06:06,766 --> 00:06:10,333 It's a wonderful evening and a wonderful tradition for all 108 00:06:10,333 --> 00:06:13,500 Kentuckians to enjoy. 109 00:06:13,500 --> 00:06:16,533 >> A rich sports history is a big part of life in the 110 00:06:16,533 --> 00:06:19,966 Commonwealth. In a small Floyd County town, a group is working 111 00:06:19,966 --> 00:06:24,466 to restore the old Wayland Gym into a museum honoring standout 112 00:06:24,466 --> 00:06:27,866 athletes from high schools across the mountains of Eastern 113 00:06:27,866 --> 00:06:32,666 Kentucky. 114 00:06:32,666 --> 00:06:35,500 >> If anything brings a community together quicker or 115 00:06:35,500 --> 00:06:38,800 faster and deeper than sports, I don't know what it is. 116 00:06:38,800 --> 00:06:42,733 We had this vision looking for those athletes that maybe 117 00:06:42,733 --> 00:06:47,033 didn't get the recognition that they richly deserved. We are 118 00:06:47,033 --> 00:06:50,300 isolated, not so much today, but certainly in the '30s, 119 00:06:50,300 --> 00:06:55,066 '40s, '50s, even into the '60s. A lot of these early athletes, 120 00:06:55,066 --> 00:06:58,033 there's not a lot of documentation even for them, 121 00:06:58,033 --> 00:07:01,766 you had to be so dominant in the game. 122 00:07:01,766 --> 00:07:04,566 Kelly Coleman, for instance, is a junior 123 00:07:04,566 --> 00:07:07,766 and his stats are unbelievable. It was not First Team 124 00:07:07,766 --> 00:07:09,366 All-State, 125 00:07:09,366 --> 00:07:13,033 it was his senior year. Yeah, I think there's always been, 126 00:07:13,033 --> 00:07:15,933 I don't want to say it's a slight, it just wasn't here in 127 00:07:15,933 --> 00:07:20,533 terms of the coverage. What brought that to our attention 128 00:07:20,533 --> 00:07:24,666 was Charlie Osberg, second-leading scorer in the 129 00:07:24,666 --> 00:07:28,033 state of Kentucky, 1956. The only man in front of him in 130 00:07:28,033 --> 00:07:31,433 1956 was King 131 00:07:31,433 --> 00:07:33,933 Kelly Coleman. We got to looking down a list of players, 132 00:07:33,933 --> 00:07:37,200 and I noticed Charlie's name was on this list, assuming that 133 00:07:37,200 --> 00:07:39,233 he was in the High School Athletics Association Hall of 134 00:07:39,233 --> 00:07:42,666 Fame. Turns out he's not. 135 00:07:42,666 --> 00:07:47,300 And I'm thinking, from Flat Gap, Kentucky and he's not in 136 00:07:47,300 --> 00:07:50,066 the Hall of Fame. I thought, well, how many other mountain 137 00:07:50,066 --> 00:07:53,833 athletes might there be that has not received the 138 00:07:53,833 --> 00:07:57,200 recognition that they might have received, 139 00:07:57,200 --> 00:08:00,366 had they been from Lexington or Bowling Green, Paducah, 140 00:08:00,366 --> 00:08:02,166 wherever. 141 00:08:05,833 --> 00:08:07,600 >> There's so much pride in Eastern Kentucky about 142 00:08:07,600 --> 00:08:11,633 basketball in general, because that dates back over a century 143 00:08:11,633 --> 00:08:14,733 and around coal mining camps especially; people played 144 00:08:14,733 --> 00:08:17,900 basketball and if you were a good basketball player you had 145 00:08:17,900 --> 00:08:20,833 a status in the community. If you were a great basketball 146 00:08:20,833 --> 00:08:23,766 player, I mean, you almost had carte blanche in many ways. 147 00:08:23,766 --> 00:08:27,466 And when I was growing up in the '60s and '70s, it was 148 00:08:27,466 --> 00:08:31,266 basketball and coal, coal and basketball, you flip them as 149 00:08:31,266 --> 00:08:33,866 things to be proud of because there was a real sense of 150 00:08:33,866 --> 00:08:36,733 community pride. And I think that's what they've done at 151 00:08:36,733 --> 00:08:38,666 Wayland is they've captured that. 152 00:08:38,666 --> 00:08:43,766 >> We're blessed to be sitting today in a 1937 building. 153 00:08:43,766 --> 00:08:48,566 You're sitting on an original floor from 1937, surrounded by 154 00:08:48,566 --> 00:08:53,266 seats and the bleachers that's been upgraded, we're now ADA 155 00:08:53,266 --> 00:08:54,533 compliant. 156 00:08:54,533 --> 00:08:57,600 But it's been a privilege and an honor to be a part of this 157 00:08:57,600 --> 00:09:01,266 process knowing that we are providing a place to honor 158 00:09:01,266 --> 00:09:05,000 those other athletes. And again, we're in a basketball 159 00:09:05,000 --> 00:09:07,400 gym, but we're all about sports in general. 160 00:09:07,400 --> 00:09:11,600 We're about basketball, yes, and that's primarily why we're 161 00:09:11,600 --> 00:09:15,766 here, but there's football, there's baseball, 162 00:09:15,766 --> 00:09:19,266 there's soccer now, there's girls sports that we didn't 163 00:09:19,266 --> 00:09:22,366 have when I was in school, so we covered it all. 164 00:09:22,366 --> 00:09:25,833 >> My father played for Garrett High School back in the '40s 165 00:09:25,833 --> 00:09:28,966 and he played in that gym. In my brief and certainly 166 00:09:28,966 --> 00:09:31,633 uninspiring basketball career, I played in that gym in the 167 00:09:31,633 --> 00:09:35,333 early '70s, and later played Independent League and Church 168 00:09:35,333 --> 00:09:38,666 League games in that gym in the mid '70s, even when I'd gone 169 00:09:38,666 --> 00:09:42,533 off to college and come back a few times. And it was fun to go 170 00:09:42,533 --> 00:09:46,266 back because there's so few places you can't go home again 171 00:09:46,266 --> 00:09:49,900 to, certainly not going back to the '40s and to the '70's. And 172 00:09:49,900 --> 00:09:54,466 it's the same place. And the Wayland Gym is the same place. 173 00:09:54,466 --> 00:09:56,300 You go back to a different time. 174 00:09:56,300 --> 00:09:59,000 And I think especially with the way that the flow of life is 175 00:09:59,000 --> 00:10:01,566 these days, 176 00:10:01,566 --> 00:10:04,933 sometimes there's something special about that nostalgia. 177 00:10:04,933 --> 00:10:07,600 Some people still like to watch Hoosiers every time it pops on 178 00:10:07,600 --> 00:10:12,100 the TV screen, so this is your opportunity to see Hoosiers in 179 00:10:12,100 --> 00:10:15,166 Kentucky is to go in that Wayland Gym. Because when you 180 00:10:15,166 --> 00:10:18,766 walk in there, it's like walking any place that's 181 00:10:18,766 --> 00:10:21,866 not even sports-related, but anything that you can feel a 182 00:10:21,866 --> 00:10:23,433 historic 183 00:10:23,433 --> 00:10:25,733 >> significance. Something happened in that gym, there's 184 00:10:25,733 --> 00:10:29,800 been moments in that gym that you'd like to hear about and 185 00:10:29,800 --> 00:10:31,933 you can get a chance to re-create it, he'll roll a ball 186 00:10:31,933 --> 00:10:34,033 out for you, Jerry will, and you can take a couple of shots 187 00:10:34,033 --> 00:10:35,300 if you want. 188 00:10:35,300 --> 00:10:39,333 >> I'd love to show the gym off and very proud of the work that 189 00:10:39,333 --> 00:10:43,800 we do as a group. This is home for me and so it's easy for me 190 00:10:43,800 --> 00:10:48,500 to do the work. It's really not work. We're looking forward to 191 00:10:48,500 --> 00:10:52,233 building on what we have. 192 00:10:52,233 --> 00:10:55,333 >> We continue our tour of downtown Bardstown here in the 193 00:10:55,333 --> 00:11:00,200 amazing Talbott Tavern built in 1779, and it's never stopped 194 00:11:00,200 --> 00:11:02,366 operating since. The manager of the property, Chuck Wood, 195 00:11:02,366 --> 00:11:04,133 is here with us. Chuck, thanks so much for being here. Thank 196 00:11:04,133 --> 00:11:07,433 you for having me. This amazing room we're in right now has 197 00:11:07,433 --> 00:11:10,766 connections to one of America's most famous outlaws. What all 198 00:11:10,766 --> 00:11:14,133 has happened in this room? Jesse James, there is a rumor 199 00:11:14,133 --> 00:11:16,966 that while he was drunk in the bar one day, downstairs is the 200 00:11:16,966 --> 00:11:19,600 world's oldest bourbon bar, he came up here to try to sleep 201 00:11:19,600 --> 00:11:22,566 off one of his famous massive hangovers. And for whatever 202 00:11:22,566 --> 00:11:25,333 reason, he woke up and thought he saw birds flying around 203 00:11:25,333 --> 00:11:28,266 inside of the murals, so he started shooting at them. 204 00:11:28,266 --> 00:11:30,166 And the bullet holes are still in the walls there? Bullet 205 00:11:30,166 --> 00:11:32,066 holes are still in the walls. That has to be an attraction 206 00:11:32,066 --> 00:11:34,133 for folks to come in and check out, isn't it? We get hundreds 207 00:11:34,133 --> 00:11:37,866 of people a day, after their meals, before their meals, 208 00:11:37,866 --> 00:11:40,433 just coming to see. And then of course on the weekends we have 209 00:11:40,433 --> 00:11:43,033 the historical ghost tours that come up here. Right. 210 00:11:43,033 --> 00:11:47,400 >> Now, you were telling us earlier about how these murals 211 00:11:47,400 --> 00:11:51,666 were covered with wallpaper and the story to me on how you all 212 00:11:51,666 --> 00:11:54,066 discovered them is pretty remarkable. How did all that 213 00:11:54,066 --> 00:11:55,633 come about? 214 00:11:55,633 --> 00:11:59,466 >> So we had the fire, there was a fire in 1998, which 215 00:11:59,466 --> 00:12:02,633 really burnt off all of the wallpaper, and as you can see, 216 00:12:02,633 --> 00:12:04,900 you can still see remnants of the wallpaper still there. 217 00:12:04,900 --> 00:12:07,000 Right. And then there's some charred areas here? There is. 218 00:12:07,000 --> 00:12:09,066 You can tell where that was? Yes. So when that got burned, 219 00:12:09,066 --> 00:12:11,533 was there this eureka moment where folks came in here and 220 00:12:11,533 --> 00:12:13,033 said, "Wait a minute, there's been something under this, 221 00:12:13,033 --> 00:12:15,433 this entire time"? There's something a lot more than what 222 00:12:15,433 --> 00:12:19,300 we've been able to perceive. And so we built this room right 223 00:12:19,300 --> 00:12:21,966 here to where this could be more of a museum, let everybody 224 00:12:21,966 --> 00:12:25,033 stay if they want to rent the Jesse James Room behind us. 225 00:12:25,033 --> 00:12:27,600 And then people will walk in and out all day long, they'll 226 00:12:27,600 --> 00:12:31,500 take pictures, they'll just look at... I mean, 1779, 227 00:12:31,500 --> 00:12:34,233 I'm sorry, 1790. Right. Which is remark... Now, it was built 228 00:12:34,233 --> 00:12:37,500 in 1779? Built in 1779. And when that happened, I was 229 00:12:37,500 --> 00:12:40,233 fascinated by this. This was built in Virginia. Yeah, 230 00:12:40,233 --> 00:12:42,666 we were known as Salem, Virginia. But it's never moved? 231 00:12:42,666 --> 00:12:45,400 Nope. So it's always been here, but this was part of Virginia 232 00:12:45,400 --> 00:12:47,533 at the time? Yeah, when we were first built, we were known as 233 00:12:47,533 --> 00:12:52,566 Salem, Virginia until we became Kentucky. Right. And some of 234 00:12:52,566 --> 00:12:55,233 the famous folks that have come through here, the list is long 235 00:12:55,233 --> 00:12:58,866 and very notable. Who are some of those? Jesse James, John 236 00:12:58,866 --> 00:13:00,900 Fitch, he invented the steamboat 237 00:13:00,900 --> 00:13:03,166 >> here. He was buried out back in our cemetery, but now 238 00:13:03,166 --> 00:13:07,000 they've memorialized him in the square. Right. Daniel Boone, 239 00:13:07,000 --> 00:13:10,100 obviously Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, General 240 00:13:10,100 --> 00:13:12,366 Patton and General George Rogers Clark, just to name a 241 00:13:12,366 --> 00:13:14,666 few. Now when you talk about Abe Lincoln, his connection to 242 00:13:14,666 --> 00:13:16,833 the property here, what was that? Well, there was the 243 00:13:16,833 --> 00:13:20,800 famous land dispute when he was a kid, and then it was said 244 00:13:20,800 --> 00:13:23,566 that as an adult, as an attorney or a lawyer, which he 245 00:13:23,566 --> 00:13:26,266 was, he had depositions at the courthouse across the street. 246 00:13:26,266 --> 00:13:27,600 Wow. 247 00:13:27,600 --> 00:13:29,366 >> And he would come over here between depositions or 248 00:13:29,366 --> 00:13:32,300 afterward. And the bar area, as you mentioned downstairs, 249 00:13:32,300 --> 00:13:34,966 there's a lot of history in that bar area as well? 250 00:13:34,966 --> 00:13:36,700 Absolutely. That is the 251 00:13:36,700 --> 00:13:40,433 >> all-original portion, undamaged by the fire as well, 252 00:13:40,433 --> 00:13:43,866 and it's in the portion of the building directly under us that 253 00:13:43,866 --> 00:13:47,533 is all original to 1779, except for the gas in the fireplace 254 00:13:47,533 --> 00:13:49,733 and the electricity. Wow. What's it like for you to work 255 00:13:49,733 --> 00:13:52,466 here amongst all this history? That has to be something else? 256 00:13:52,466 --> 00:13:55,533 Well, I'm very passionate about history, so I love when people 257 00:13:55,533 --> 00:13:57,866 want to learn about it and I love telling about it and I can 258 00:13:57,866 --> 00:14:01,433 talk about it all day, I'll really geek out. And then it's 259 00:14:01,433 --> 00:14:05,200 really cool, the haunted aspect of it because everybody, 260 00:14:05,200 --> 00:14:08,300 all the staff, everybody sees something and everybody gets to 261 00:14:08,300 --> 00:14:10,866 have an experience at some point or another. Chuck Wood, 262 00:14:10,866 --> 00:14:13,133 manager of the Talbott Tavern, thanks so much for being with 263 00:14:13,133 --> 00:14:14,466 us. 264 00:14:14,466 --> 00:14:16,633 >> Well, who would've guessed the skeletons of a pair of 265 00:14:16,633 --> 00:14:20,366 2000-year-old Roman martyrs would be laid to rest on the 266 00:14:20,366 --> 00:14:23,500 other side of the world right here in Kentucky? Well, 267 00:14:23,500 --> 00:14:27,133 surprisingly, the two Saints, Magnus and Bonosa have been at 268 00:14:27,133 --> 00:14:30,566 rest at St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church in Louisville 269 00:14:30,566 --> 00:14:33,866 for well over 100 years. 270 00:14:38,366 --> 00:14:42,666 >> So 1901, so they've been here for 121 years now. The 271 00:14:42,666 --> 00:14:48,233 pastor who was here at the time was obviously well-connected. 272 00:14:48,233 --> 00:14:52,066 As far as we know, he wanted to have something to set his 273 00:14:52,066 --> 00:14:55,700 parish apart from many of the other parishes here 274 00:14:55,700 --> 00:14:59,866 >> in this part of downtown. He wrote to Rome requesting 275 00:14:59,866 --> 00:15:05,000 relics and lo and behold, they sent him two Roman martyrs. 276 00:15:05,000 --> 00:15:07,600 So quite unusual. 277 00:15:07,600 --> 00:15:11,900 I actually was pretty impressed that Father Clutter was putting 278 00:15:11,900 --> 00:15:13,166 it all on the line. 279 00:15:13,166 --> 00:15:17,833 >> I mean, are these real human remains? What we were to do was 280 00:15:17,833 --> 00:15:21,833 to look at the remains and tell them as much as we could 281 00:15:21,833 --> 00:15:26,533 forensically about what they were, who they were. 282 00:15:26,533 --> 00:15:30,800 >> And so you have the two Saints of Magnus and Bonosa 283 00:15:30,800 --> 00:15:34,933 who, legend has, lived during the fourth century, were 284 00:15:34,933 --> 00:15:36,600 martyred in Rome. 285 00:15:36,600 --> 00:15:41,300 Magnus was a Roman centurion, a soldier. Bonosa was a young 286 00:15:41,300 --> 00:15:46,000 Christian of the time and during one of the persecutions 287 00:15:46,000 --> 00:15:50,033 that occurred during those days that Magnus and Bonosa gave 288 00:15:50,033 --> 00:15:54,600 their life as a result of their faith. 289 00:15:54,600 --> 00:15:58,366 >> We conducted metric observations on all of the 290 00:15:58,366 --> 00:16:02,233 remains, the cranium, and as a result, we were able to 291 00:16:02,233 --> 00:16:06,600 estimate the ages of the individuals. We did not do 292 00:16:06,600 --> 00:16:10,700 absolute aging, we did not do carbon dating. What had been 293 00:16:10,700 --> 00:16:15,200 related historically about them, she was purportedly a 294 00:16:15,200 --> 00:16:18,500 virgin and which obviously you cannot tell from skeletal 295 00:16:18,500 --> 00:16:22,833 remains, and she was a young female in her twenties. We 296 00:16:22,833 --> 00:16:25,366 weren't expecting anything, we were 297 00:16:25,366 --> 00:16:27,800 basically doing it blind. 298 00:16:27,800 --> 00:16:32,000 He, on the other hand, was either in his forties or his 299 00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:36,633 fifties, it's hard to remember. Male individual with some 300 00:16:36,633 --> 00:16:39,633 African descent, I believe 301 00:16:39,633 --> 00:16:43,200 >> The first time I saw them, actually I was a teenager. 302 00:16:43,200 --> 00:16:46,500 I came here to this church, as a 303 00:16:46,500 --> 00:16:50,666 14, 15-year-old with my parents, and it's a shocking 304 00:16:50,666 --> 00:16:53,833 thing to see at first, especially as someone that age, 305 00:16:53,833 --> 00:16:57,666 it takes you by surprise. 306 00:16:57,666 --> 00:17:01,433 >> Bonosa is in very good condition, quite honestly, 307 00:17:01,433 --> 00:17:04,500 a layperson probably couldn't tell her from a modern 308 00:17:04,500 --> 00:17:08,400 skeleton. She's in very good condition. St. Magnus on the 309 00:17:08,400 --> 00:17:12,600 other hand, the bones were quite eroded, the outer 310 00:17:12,600 --> 00:17:17,566 covering of the bone in places had flaked off. And we found 311 00:17:17,566 --> 00:17:20,700 some interesting things when we were doing the analysis. 312 00:17:20,700 --> 00:17:27,100 The cloth, as it turned out, was old altar cloths, and the 313 00:17:27,100 --> 00:17:31,900 reason apparently that they used them is that if something 314 00:17:31,900 --> 00:17:36,866 that's sacred is damaged or no longer usable for whatever 315 00:17:36,866 --> 00:17:39,866 reason, it either has to be burned or it has to be buried. 316 00:17:39,866 --> 00:17:44,066 Kind of like what Americans do with a retired American flag. 317 00:17:44,066 --> 00:17:47,800 So what they chose to do was take the retired altar cloths 318 00:17:47,800 --> 00:17:51,966 and wrap the remains with them. 319 00:17:51,966 --> 00:17:55,066 >> Of course, you come here into the church at night and 320 00:17:55,066 --> 00:17:59,033 the lights are dim and the candles are flickering in the 321 00:17:59,033 --> 00:18:01,566 corner and you have two skeletons in the front of the 322 00:18:01,566 --> 00:18:04,833 church. That's pretty amazing, and it's certainly something 323 00:18:04,833 --> 00:18:07,066 that people think of when you say this church, they say, 324 00:18:07,066 --> 00:18:09,766 "Oh, that's the church with the bones. 325 00:18:09,766 --> 00:18:11,066 Yeah, the skeletons." 326 00:18:11,066 --> 00:18:14,666 >> They may be here another 100 or another 200 years before 327 00:18:14,666 --> 00:18:17,900 somebody opens them up and looks at them again. So if you 328 00:18:17,900 --> 00:18:22,533 look at Bonosa, she's laying with her hands on her abdomen, 329 00:18:22,533 --> 00:18:26,133 but her hands are her hands, her right hand is all the bones 330 00:18:26,133 --> 00:18:28,700 of her right hand, all the bones of her left hand that 331 00:18:28,700 --> 00:18:31,633 were there, there's a couple missing. She was probably about 332 00:18:31,633 --> 00:18:37,700 90% present. St. Magnus was probably about 60% present. 333 00:18:37,700 --> 00:18:42,100 >> It's a remarkable thing to think 1700 years ago, these two 334 00:18:42,100 --> 00:18:44,866 individuals were walking the face of the earth 335 00:18:44,866 --> 00:18:48,733 and now their remains are present because of their act of 336 00:18:48,733 --> 00:18:49,833 faith, 337 00:18:49,833 --> 00:18:52,266 are present in a part of the world that they didn't even 338 00:18:52,266 --> 00:18:57,333 know existed to people who come here in Kentucky. 339 00:19:01,600 --> 00:19:04,533 >> When we were done - it's kind of giving me goosebumps 340 00:19:04,533 --> 00:19:06,800 even thinking about it now. 341 00:19:06,800 --> 00:19:09,366 Imagine this place packed, 342 00:19:09,366 --> 00:19:13,700 they wanted to see them go back, they had been gone for 343 00:19:13,700 --> 00:19:17,233 several months. How do I personally feel about it? 344 00:19:17,233 --> 00:19:21,400 I'm amazed that they fit the criteria that we were 345 00:19:21,400 --> 00:19:25,933 not expecting, but they fit the criteria that one would expect 346 00:19:25,933 --> 00:19:30,900 when it comes to young female, older male, I mean, 347 00:19:30,900 --> 00:19:35,700 >> that's pretty good. 348 00:19:35,700 --> 00:19:42,333 What we know of them is legend, it can't be confirmed, science 349 00:19:42,333 --> 00:19:47,533 can't confirm anything, but science can debunk, it can tell 350 00:19:47,533 --> 00:19:50,933 us that they aren't who they are or who we think that they 351 00:19:50,933 --> 00:19:55,333 are. What was interesting from Dr. DiBlasi's 352 00:19:55,333 --> 00:20:00,266 >> study was that everything that he was able to determine 353 00:20:00,266 --> 00:20:03,433 >> from an unbiased perspective, a scientific 354 00:20:03,433 --> 00:20:07,000 perspective, is that everything that he was able to tell was 355 00:20:07,000 --> 00:20:10,766 consistent with what the legend is. 356 00:20:10,766 --> 00:20:15,366 And so that was not confirmation of course, but 357 00:20:15,366 --> 00:20:17,466 it's 358 00:20:17,466 --> 00:20:23,366 >> heartening to know that the legend is intact in that way, 359 00:20:23,366 --> 00:20:25,166 I guess. 360 00:20:28,700 --> 00:20:31,600 >> Throughout the Bluegrass, more and more plant-based 361 00:20:31,600 --> 00:20:34,800 restaurants are starting to pop up as plant-based options 362 00:20:34,800 --> 00:20:38,933 become more accessible. The Social Vegan and Moody Mike's 363 00:20:38,933 --> 00:20:41,533 are two plant-based restaurants in Lexington who are 364 00:20:41,533 --> 00:20:44,733 challenging the notion that vegan and plant-based foods 365 00:20:44,733 --> 00:20:48,700 have to be bland and boring. In fact, their meals are the 366 00:20:48,700 --> 00:20:53,733 exact opposite. 367 00:20:53,733 --> 00:20:57,866 >> The word veganism is a lifestyle, a true vegan person, 368 00:20:57,866 --> 00:21:00,633 they don't have any animal products whatsoever, they don't 369 00:21:00,633 --> 00:21:03,700 have any leather, they don't have any products or cleaning 370 00:21:03,700 --> 00:21:06,100 products, makeup products or anything that's tested on 371 00:21:06,100 --> 00:21:09,600 animals. Plant-based is a little bit different, we are 372 00:21:09,600 --> 00:21:13,466 vegan at home, but we consider ourselves more plant-based and 373 00:21:13,466 --> 00:21:15,733 we don't use any animal products on the truck. 374 00:21:15,733 --> 00:21:20,266 >> Well, I think a lot of it is changing over from eating meat 375 00:21:20,266 --> 00:21:24,766 to a plant-based diet. Some of the biggest challenge is you've 376 00:21:24,766 --> 00:21:29,200 got to find the right stuff to consume and it's also not only 377 00:21:29,200 --> 00:21:34,566 being a vegan is good for us internally, but it's also good 378 00:21:34,566 --> 00:21:37,700 for the planet. You're not killing the animals, you're not 379 00:21:37,700 --> 00:21:41,566 getting rid of the other existing things that has life. 380 00:21:41,566 --> 00:21:46,700 It is just focused on that plant-based diet, which is 381 00:21:46,700 --> 00:21:47,866 plentiful. 382 00:21:47,866 --> 00:21:50,133 >> The plant-based market in Lexington is growing, if you go 383 00:21:50,133 --> 00:21:52,266 around to different restaurants, no matter whether 384 00:21:52,266 --> 00:21:56,800 it's a high-end restaurant or just, let's say, your burger 385 00:21:56,800 --> 00:21:58,433 spot, they're going to have something for plant-based 386 00:21:58,433 --> 00:21:59,733 people 387 00:21:59,733 --> 00:22:01,733 >> there. Moody Mike's is a vegan food truck, we focus on 388 00:22:01,733 --> 00:22:04,666 making plant-based food that appeals to everyone, meat 389 00:22:04,666 --> 00:22:06,733 eaters included. 390 00:22:06,733 --> 00:22:08,933 >> One of the biggest misconceptions that people have 391 00:22:08,933 --> 00:22:13,766 is, one, it's going to be gross. Two, it's going to be a 392 00:22:13,766 --> 00:22:17,700 bland taste. Three, people will say, "Oh, you're just eating 393 00:22:17,700 --> 00:22:20,600 grass. Here's a plate of grass." Stuff like that. 394 00:22:20,600 --> 00:22:23,800 But one thing that really gets people when they really try it, 395 00:22:23,800 --> 00:22:27,300 it actually blows their mind at how similar plant-based food 396 00:22:27,300 --> 00:22:32,200 can be to just normal food that meat eaters are used to. 397 00:22:32,200 --> 00:22:35,833 If we're out, let's say, at a brewery like Pivot, where we 398 00:22:35,833 --> 00:22:38,300 are normally located at, 399 00:22:38,300 --> 00:22:40,900 >> different people from all walks of life that are plant 400 00:22:40,900 --> 00:22:42,933 eaters and non plant-based ears, they're going to come up 401 00:22:42,933 --> 00:22:45,600 and at least try something, and that's going to pique their 402 00:22:45,600 --> 00:22:48,200 interest into what we are and what we're really about. 403 00:22:48,200 --> 00:22:50,600 >> The Social Vegan is just a plant-based restaurant, the 404 00:22:50,600 --> 00:22:53,466 owner just wanted to bring something new and fresh to the 405 00:22:53,466 --> 00:22:57,533 city of Lexington. The community is just so fun and I 406 00:22:57,533 --> 00:23:01,833 think it's just awesome, it's a step ahead of the world and 407 00:23:01,833 --> 00:23:04,400 where it's going. So yeah, it's new. 408 00:23:04,400 --> 00:23:07,766 >> We want to be the gateway to the vegan lifestyle, knowing 409 00:23:07,766 --> 00:23:10,866 once they become familiar, they decide to go farther into the 410 00:23:10,866 --> 00:23:14,333 vegan lifestyle. They'll try other things, but we would just 411 00:23:14,333 --> 00:23:16,233 want to give them a healthy alternative in eating. 412 00:23:16,233 --> 00:23:17,466 Personally, I've 413 00:23:17,466 --> 00:23:21,666 been vegan going on about four years, 414 00:23:21,666 --> 00:23:26,833 and my sister's been a vegan for over 28 years, and 415 00:23:26,833 --> 00:23:28,533 I see how she look 416 00:23:28,533 --> 00:23:32,566 very youthful, a lot of energy, a lot of activity, I see how 417 00:23:32,566 --> 00:23:35,833 does it play in her life and I want to incorporate the same in 418 00:23:35,833 --> 00:23:37,300 mine. 419 00:23:37,300 --> 00:23:38,700 >> People here in Lexington seem to be opening up a lot 420 00:23:38,700 --> 00:23:43,000 more. I think it's growing in popularity and almost becoming 421 00:23:43,000 --> 00:23:48,200 trendy to be vegan, so I think people's minds are getting more 422 00:23:48,200 --> 00:23:49,366 open to it. 423 00:23:49,366 --> 00:23:52,933 >> Working in other kitchens where there are meat products, 424 00:23:52,933 --> 00:23:55,766 versus working somewhere where there's not, it's actually way 425 00:23:55,766 --> 00:23:59,333 easier to cook plant-based than other restaurants. The thing 426 00:23:59,333 --> 00:24:02,466 about The Social Vegan is they're all about teaching us 427 00:24:02,466 --> 00:24:06,400 about food and healthier ways and healthier options; at other 428 00:24:06,400 --> 00:24:09,200 restaurants, it's just like, "Here's a menu and 429 00:24:09,200 --> 00:24:14,600 >> go forward, go at it." Our chicken and waffle is actually, 430 00:24:14,600 --> 00:24:17,633 and we hate to say it, we've got to use the term chicken 431 00:24:17,633 --> 00:24:21,700 because people are familiar. If I just said mushroom and 432 00:24:21,700 --> 00:24:25,200 waffle, people will never even try it, they're like, "Ugh." So 433 00:24:25,200 --> 00:24:28,733 we address it on how they identify their food and what we 434 00:24:28,733 --> 00:24:34,600 try to imitate into what they're familiar with. 435 00:24:34,600 --> 00:24:37,800 Good thing about it is recreating 436 00:24:37,800 --> 00:24:41,666 >> the plant-based food that tastes like the common items 437 00:24:41,666 --> 00:24:45,033 that we are accustomed to eating, such as shrimp, such as 438 00:24:45,033 --> 00:24:49,466 chicken, such as burgers, is I engaged and taste and all that 439 00:24:49,466 --> 00:24:53,400 before, so I know what it takes to make it taste like those 440 00:24:53,400 --> 00:24:56,933 items. But one of the things we did was add flavor, plenty 441 00:24:56,933 --> 00:25:02,433 taste, flavor and choices that they can choose from, 442 00:25:02,433 --> 00:25:05,466 and they would know that vegan lifestyle is not just the 443 00:25:05,466 --> 00:25:07,633 vegetables and harsh eating. 444 00:25:07,633 --> 00:25:11,066 >> With veganism, just give it a try because there's so much 445 00:25:11,066 --> 00:25:15,200 food that vegans eat that's just not salad or fruit or 446 00:25:15,200 --> 00:25:18,233 anything like that. There's many options to veganism. 447 00:25:18,233 --> 00:25:21,600 You can have your alkaline vegan food, your raw vegan food 448 00:25:21,600 --> 00:25:25,200 or you can just have your fun vegan food 449 00:25:25,200 --> 00:25:27,100 like chicken sandwiches, burgers and all that type of 450 00:25:27,100 --> 00:25:29,500 stuff. So there's many different facets of it, I mean, 451 00:25:29,500 --> 00:25:34,766 you won't go wrong with any of it. 452 00:25:34,766 --> 00:25:38,366 >> Folks, thank you so much for joining us for the season 28 453 00:25:38,366 --> 00:25:41,533 premiere of our show. As the new host for Kentucky Life, 454 00:25:41,533 --> 00:25:45,133 I cannot wait to join you on so many more adventures that we're 455 00:25:45,133 --> 00:25:47,566 going to have down the road. But for now, I'll leave you 456 00:25:47,566 --> 00:25:48,666 with this moment. 457 00:25:48,666 --> 00:25:53,733 I'm Chip Polston, cherishing this Kentucky Life.