>> Like many small towns, you're just attached to the things that you like and that you enjoy.

>> Kentucky Edition goes on the road in Hopkinsville where the arts and aliens are drawing them in.

>> Her works.

Go beyond the borders of in a mask.

>> It's Kingsville is honoring its native daughter.

The late Bell Hooks.

>> What makes me happy is about as being the better capital is it just pays tribute.

And it just shows the hard work that our farmers put in.

>> And why life is sweet.

And the batter capital of the world.

Some of our artists, we just give pieces of jewelry to you in and they create their own designs.

>> Plus, using old jewelry to create art and opportunities.

>> Production of Kentucky Edition is made possible in part by the KET Millennium Fund.

♪ ♪ Good evening and welcome to a special Kentucky edition.

I'm Laura Rogers and for Renee Shaw.

Thank you so much for joining us.

Back in June, we went on the road to Hopkinsville and Christian County tonight highlights from the trip power.

Toby give starts us off with a look at some of the important people and events in the history of Hopkinsville.

>> Bartholomew and Martha and would of Jonesboro, Tennessee settled present-day Hopkinsville and 17 96.

The Woods claimed 1200 acres of land and built a cabin.

Other settlers arrived and after the town built a courthouse in jail, the committee called itself Christian Courthouse to honor the Woods family.

The town was later renamed Elizabeth after their eldest daughter that cause confusion with Elizabeth Town.

So in April of 18, 0, 4, the Kentucky General Assembly renamed it Hopkinsville after Samuel Hopkins, a revolutionary War.

Colonel who rose to the rank of general during the war of 18, 12 Christian County is also named for a revolutionary war figure.

Colonel William Christian agriculture dominated the local economy with farmers growing corn, winter, wheat and tobacco.

The Civil War divided Hopkinsville and Christian County with some people supporting the union and others providing support to the Confederacy.

Hopkinsville changed hands.

At least a half dozen times in December of 18, 64, just a few months before the war ended.

Confederate forces burned the Christian County Courthouse used by union forces as an army barracks.

The Evansville, Henderson and Nashville Railroad arrived in Hopkinsville in 18.

68 Hopkinsville and Christian County, a part of the black patch to back about and the fight over tobacco prices frequently turned violent.

Many tobacco farmers saw the American tobacco company has a monopoly keeping payments to farmers as low as possible in 19 0 for tobacco planners form the dark tobacco district Planners Protective Association to fight big tobacco in 19.

0, 7, The association's Knight riders sees Hopkinsville is police station cut off contact with the outside world and set fire to 3 warehouses to punish tobacco executives who bought tobacco from farmers who weren't members of the association.

Christian County can claim a vice president, at least even to the first vice president under Grover Cleveland from 18 93 to 18.

97 was born in Christian County in 18.

35, it's better known grandson that lay Stevenson.

The second was the Democratic nominee for president in 1952.

1956, its most famous recent native is probably bell Hooks.

The author, educator and Social critic born Gloria Jean Watkins in Hopkinsville in 1952, she died in 2021. for Kentucky Edition.

Toby Gibbs.

>> The city of Hopkinsville pays homage to its history while of all living with the times by encouraging downtown growth investment and interest.

We spoke with some of the people committed to seeing the city thrive.

>> Downtown was like the business center.

It really still is.

There's a train going by right now.

Means death still is just passing through here all the time.

The city of Hopkinsville to history museum's been here downtown, holding down this corner since 1976.

Amid a bustling center of activity.

One of the things about up until we are the batter capital of the world.

And that comes from that connection to an agriculture and industry.

Christian County is the leading wheat producer and the state.

Hence this week's culture at the corner of 9th and main downtown is changed so much since my childhood.

When I was growing up here in the 1980's and 90's, I KET really one thing about downtown.

And it was him or the other.

She's a great beacon.

She's been here a long time.

She holds a lot of great memories for our community, Alhambra theater as a focal point of downtown.

A fixture for 95 years.

Its last major renovation in 2018.

We're so fortunate to have maintained this downtown beauty and not many downtown still have a historic theater today, the Performing Arts Center host a live season performances and educational programming that helps drive economic development.

It's a real quality of life.

And people are looking for that in their community of the arts are so important.

This is our regional and cultural center for us.

>> Here in Hopkinsville >> I leave August says the downtown Renaissance director at Community Development Services.

She hopes the city secure funds and implement projects like streetscape sent park improvements.

It's so rewarding because you get to see those tangible results and know that you've been a part of something that is just making our community a better place.

>> You know, the locals is hop down.

The city has undergone a transformation in the 21st century.

>> We've had, you know, a lot of businesses come.

We've had some businesses go as well.

But we have created an environment that we believe is business friendly and it is welcoming.

>> Agha says they've been able to attract small business owners and investors in part by offering tax rebate sent some reimbursements for expenses.

>> About 15 years ago, the city of Hopkinsville implemented some incentive programs to assist to offset the cost of those restoration projects.

Because while they may have good bones, those buildings require a whole lot of attention and it can become very costly to get them single for occupancy.

>> The office has received and approved more than 100 applications since those programs were adopted.

She says that's yielded about 13 million dollars of private investment.

Like many small towns.

You're just attached to the things that you like and that you enjoy.

And we do have a lot of historic properties in which we're very proud of.

>> Including our banks property.

This is one of the oldest have properties in the Now home to planters.

Bank.

This building once housed union and Confederate soldiers during the Civil War.

>> Since then, we friend invited to other historic properties and at rebound last other.

>> What we some properties.

And so we've we on about 4 blocks in downtown, we're committed to improving our areas of 9 straight.

Elizabeth McCoy says the focus now turns to the future.

We've had some consultants in town to help us think about how do we go to the next level and what else to be do you want to continue to improve visual appearance of our downtown?

>> We've also had a number of new restaurants open downtown.

The happens.

A brewing company has been a big draw.

So lots of that kind of small investment that's added up to a really big impact.

That includes the 6 street project that began a decade ago and which improvements were made that encourage private investment.

So there's not a vacant storefront on that street now.

And we are so appreciative of how the community has supported those businesses.

Area known for an alleged alien encounter in 1955.

Would receive renewed interest in its relation to the cosmos when it became the epicenter of the eclipse and 2017, when you really think of like the heart and soul.

>> Of Hopkinsville, it is right here in these teams.

Little streets that's around our downtown area.

This is what drew people in to this community 100 years ago, 200 years ago.

And that's what's children people in today.

>> Each year, thousands gather on sacred ground in Hopkinsville for the Trail of tears Powwow, a trail of Tears Heritage Center has hosted the event for decades as a way to honor the culture and traditions of the indigenous people who traveled and died along the trail.

>> The powwow is something that there's a variety of different perspectives in native cultures and dancing isn't a part of the ceremonies is also part of it.

There's social dances.

There's there's a variety of ways in which which dancing is a report of various cultural expressions and foundations.

If you go to how you see a lot of common elements is typically a grand entry of dancers.

There's almost always if not does honor veterans.

And since there's a long history of Neely's service in the armed Forces of the United States, there's singers and drummers.

And then there's, you know, any to Powell has a has a really strong and see.

But it's also, you know, even within the fund everything there's there's a strong respect for what's also going on.

And and every powwow has If things to different people.

>> If our power out, he is a major gathering.

They do dance competitions, drumming competitions.

just coming to the general public to watch.

But it's also one of our missions.

They meant see you on our troops.

Here's a commission.

Is that education and the general public and the Native American history and culture.

Almost every Native American tribe has a removal story and something we.

>> And many of them are cold, you know, trail with a crowded train.

The tears we're referring to the trail of tears were talking about the chair >> Typically when people talk about the trail of tears, the emphasis is on the Cherokee Nation and the experience of the Cherokee Nation from the fall of 18, 30 to the early spring, late winter of 18.

39 when the U.S. government forced them from from their lands in Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee.

It was through Tennessee through the kind of western corner of Kentucky crossing the Mississippi in and around Illinois, Missouri, and then traveling across southern Missouri.

And in some cases, the ordinance on and into what was then called Indian The trailer itself is one of these experiences.

It's hard to truly kind of understanding capture certainly for anyone in the present And particularly when you think of how little they were able to take from their homes before the force into these camps and then being put on that real on an average day removal party again to somewhere around 1,1200 or so you would move maybe 10 to 12 miles.

Most of the individuals would be walking.

There was poor food.

There was overcrowding in the summer of 18.

38 was incredibly hot.

People.

The sun and no present disease issues amount Rishon all along the way.

Young and old to charity men, women and children were.

We're dime.

And that's what happened.

The chief white pants and was last man.

>> Now White has was leader of the traditional sturdy.

He was from a little place called Germantown Georgian.

He was a farmer.

But he would go back and forth to Washington, D.C., fighting the removal.

He returns from one of his trips and your family living in a scam and they have taken over in the state of Georgia.

He had no right to.

So he surrendered himself to one of the stock age 2 will come true.

A live to the first of October 18.

38 the first week of November 18.

38.

He didn't even Its last man was from a place called Mo Grounds origin.

He was ahead.

Councilman.

We know we had a small family.

He was about 75 when he passed away years.

But that's about all we know Is the, you know, kind of a carrier here.

And I did a lot of seen mass.

>> What happened here?

They know who is here.

There is a lot those times band not powwow showing respect for the teams that are very clear that they come in there for about 11 years to marry.

I come here.

I always take them back honor to be able to do that powers around.

And I see the young ones and I want to be on the young was grown be a part of his dance.

Now there gonna do is make sure we happen to see that they're carrying on a tradition to because you might hear from my people to >> Around 3,000 people attended this year's trail of Tears Powwow, which was held over 2 days.

The event takes place in September.

Earlier this year, a new street sign was unveiled in downtown Hopkinsville in honor of a native daughter to those who KET her growing up.

She was Gloria Jean Watkins to the rest of the world.

She's the best known as Bell Hooks.

A look now at how our hometown is celebrating and preserving her legacy.

>> We didn't her work.

It's helped me to just become a more open minded person.

Jada Poindexter is one of the countless young women inspired by the works of Bell Hooks are book all about love it.

It's amazing.

First of all, and it really just shows you.

How the world needs so much more love.

That's one of the main problems with the World J to herself.

A young writer wrote the poem belonging as a black woman reading at at the March.

1st dedication of Bell Hooks way.

I was really John to write about belonging as a black one.

And because there's been so many times that I haven't felt like that I belong wherever I am simply because of the color of my skin.

>> Perhaps Bill Hooks with say the same.

She wrote nearly 40 books on the topics of race, gender and class and is known the world over as a feminist icon >> works go beyond the borders of any mask.

One of the things that she was concerned about was leaving a legacy.

So this just is the icing on the cake.

When demott late lead the charge to honor her late sister with her own street and the city where they were born and raced.

>> That she would be very happy.

The fact that her hometown Hopkinsville is naming a street after her.

>> The new sign now prominently displayed just steps away from her mural and the bell Hooks legacy room at the Pay Royal Area Museum.

>> It was absolutely wonderful.

It's emotional to me.

The room includes photographs and personal items from hooks Perea home offering an intimate look at her life and career are books in particular on feminism leave a lasting impact?

>> It's a way to get to understand that people should treat people fairly, should treat people with respect.

Show love, show care.

Shell can sign.

>> Hopkinsville embracing the legacy of the woman who despite her fame have seen her on TV and I would say, oh, yeah, I know Gloria never shied away from Western Kentucky roots to have bill books say in her writings that I am from Hopkinsville, you might go to the map and see where in the world is that and then you might come here.

>> And when you do, you just may pass by or turn down the street that bears her name.

>> Well, Gloria Jean, there you are.

How about that?

>> What does it take to become the batter capital of the world?

As Hopkinsville is known, it starts with a special time type of weight grown in abundance in the area and a dash of ingenuity then mix in a lot of hard work.

An uninspired marketing plan and you have a recipe for success.

I was pretty much born and raised here.

>> I love Hopkinsville.

They say if you love what you do, you never work a day in your life and that truly how I feel just to be here.

>> I have pride in my community.

>> The people in it so I do this all day every day, all over again for me.

It's the fact that I have the honor of sharing the story of where I came from, where I've been.

I've come back to and now I'm at this spot.

Hopkinsville, Kentucky is the leading week producer of Wheat we Harvest more week than any other county in the state of Kentucky.

Roughly over 3 million bushels of wheat are harvested every year.

It is a soft red winter wheat, which is ideal for your baking your pastries pies, things of that nature we manufacture here.

All of the crest.

These products, all of the ghirardelli baking mixes the red lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuit mix.

The pancake mix for Cracker Barrel.

And an interesting fact is if you eat a biscuit from a McDonald's and that McDonald's sits east of the Mississippi River.

All of the flower that made it biscuit came from right here in Hopkinsville.

So yet 3 million bushels of we every year is amazing.

And I think the happiest thing, what makes me happy is about as being the better capital is it just pays tribute.

And it just shows the hard work that our farmers put in farmers are very humble individuals and they are the ones that are doing all of this.

We could not be the batter capital if they were not out there doing what they did when COVID hit, we had a lot have time to do a lot of reading the world was just kind of turned upside down, topsy-turvy.

So, Brooke, Young, who was the executive director during that time.

And this idea just came from her reading a book doing her research an I've been, we are the better capital.

We have skillets that are branded the batter capital of the world.

You know, when people can drive through the city and see those weeks, stocks or come in here and take pictures, you know, in the batter bowl.

It's a pride thing, you know, because it's like Haiti.

That's us.

And they know that at some point the economic impact that this has had on the community has been amazing because we literally had people drive here just to get a picture in the batter.

Bo, we stick our, you know, our chest out.

And we're just happy that, hey, that's us with a better capital, sweetest place on Earth.

In south western Kentucky.

Specialty is being spot lighted in a new campaign.

Kentucky edition went on the road to visit a few stops on the West, Kentucky barbecue belts.

>> I love the smoky taste.

If our becuse.

Shaq has been a staple in Hopkinsville for close to 60 years.

We get a lot of new folks every day.

Monday.

Hargrove says she's welcomes customers from all over the country and they will plan their trip to make sure they hit me on one of my open days just so they can get barbecue.

This is just one stop of more than 40 places in 19 city on the West Kentucky barbecue belts.

That is without a doubt.

Our signature Dish Tourism Commission selected locally owned barbecue restaurants to feature on the Culinary Passage.

We have these generational family recipes that really haven't made their way out into the world debt.

And we decided, you know what, it's time to change that the campaign officially rolled out in mid-May, funded by American RESCUE plan dollars.

The state just released their 2023 economic impact numbers and of course, food and beverage is the number one expenditure that visitors spent many on when they come to this.

Organizers hope the mobile passport program will incentivize people to eat their way across western Kentucky.

>> And which you may have to loosen your belt on the barbecue belt for poor, we might be rolling you back to your hometown by the time you leave here.

But we're going to send you home.

>> A T-shirt because he visited so many stop barbecue as a point of pride for pit masters like Josh West here at homers, barbecue in Henderson.

It's the greatest thing in the world.

He arrives at homers at 5 o'clock in the morning to start preparing for the lunch crowd.

6.

>> The doors open at 11 and you see a line back to the street.

There are currently 5 restaurants on the barbecue belt in Henderson, including Thomas since around since the 1960's and Taylor's Grill on wheels.

They love to why the reaction whenever someone opens up that box and seize their food.

>> And they usually do a little dance to celebrate.

There's also brothers barbecue in Madisonville.

I love the flavor of the bar.

Tiki Trish Knowles says the West Kentucky flavor is distinctive with met number good.

Those are.

>> Tops a barbecue that you can't get everywhere you busy.

I have a lot of mud and customers that come from the northern parts to here to eat my mind.

>> It is a collaboration between communities publicizing the eateries and western Kentucky hoping to draw more people to the area from Owensboro.

>> All the way down around the lakes and the right thing for West Kentucky to be known for their marquee.

It's really get this mess.

There is a thing.

>> And you can get your mobile passport at W K Y BBQ dot com.

You'll earn prizes as you check in at locations along the way.

Organizers say they hope to add more restaurant.

>> As the campaign continues.

>> Well, from barbecue to beans and jewels.

The wonderfully made workshop as a nonprofit organization that provides people with disabilities.

The opportunity to create Christmas ornaments based on template made by locals in Hopkinsville, a colorful assortment.

Every purpose jewels are meticulously deconstruct.

It.

The historic Alhambra theater.

And then given new life all in the name of creativity and inclusivity.

We have locals and designers come.

>> You create a design on a Templet and we take a picture of it and we take those pieces and put them in a kit.

We developed the picture and then we have wooden template, wooden ornaments or other items that we put with the piece of jewelry and they the individual, we call them our artists.

They look at the picture and look at the pieces of jewelry and with with assistance sometimes they flew them back down and finished the ornament.

Some of our artists, we just give pieces of jewelry to you and they create their own designs.

All of that jury has been donated by our the unity.

So we had a community and wide to read right?

And it's been sorted and broken apart and we have use individuals with them disabilities and exceptional needs throughout that process.

It's been amazing.

Collaboration of the entire community.

I teach his students with special needs.

So I know the drive that they have and create an activity for them that they can take.

>> Pride and this.

This is also gives them a little bit of pratice.

Well, we have had and students who are non-verbal who are often not intercede and things are interested in it.

It's so fun to get to see their smiles.

We get reaction from their parents will get reaction from teachers.

It gives them something to do.

We are working fine.

Motor skills are large and are skills.

I hand coordination, communication, socialization and being able to see something come to life against people with disabilities and opportunity to participate with others in the community.

They get to experience are different or farms.

It can set retains and gives them a sense of support that they've accomplished something created something.

I love that every case is unique and a great way to show off those jewels.

The long-term goal.

>> Is to grow the workshop into a brick and mortar retail store staffed by the artist with special needs.

Well, we hope that you've enjoyed this trip to Hopkinsville in West Kentucky and we hope that you'll join us again tomorrow night at 6.30, Eastern 5.30, central for Kentucky edition where we inform connect and inspire subscribe to our Kentucky Edition, e-mail newsletters.

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With all we have going on here.

Thank you so much for joining us.

Have a good evening and merry Christmas.