How does a city begin?

Lexington, Kentucky began as a conversation.

Early June 1775, around the softly bubbling springs.

A group of men sit on buffalo hides and logs around the fire.

They're talking about the settle they're determined to build in this beautiful wild land.

What should they call it?

Lancaster?

York?

Then they remember the news they had just received.

It had taken six weeks for them about a battle far away in Massa The beginning of the fight for a new nation, for their dream of a free countr Lexington, Kentucky, is one of some 25 cities in the United States named for t at Lexington that started the American Revolu What sets this Lexington apart is that the name was chosen before the outcome of the war wa What optimists they were.

These hardy explorers.

They had no doubt that they and their countrymen would succeed i ambitious march to freedom, and that this their little camp was a great beginning too - of a that would grow and prosper, to become a place where years, g and centuries later there would be many stories to t Welcome to Lexington.

250 years.

We have a wonderfully rich histo in our community and its very diverse history.

And it is an area that is known across the world because of the thoroughbred industry and horses in general.

But it is also an area that's very hometown.

And so we run the gamut.

I think people find it - a very place to visit and to live.

And it's got stories from the distant past and the recent past and the pres that are just varied and fascina And we have the historic atmosph and buildings and beautiful land and stone wal and all the things to go with it The Lexington story is fascinati because it's such a testament to a dream of pioneer settlers to come to a new area, to carve out of literally a wilderness.

And you see that vision through every part of Lexington' from the very earliest days to t that Lexington was known as the Athens of the West.

Medicine, education, culture, the arts all came together to to weave a wonderful tapestry of Lexington’s story.

You know, when I think about Lex and its 250 year history, and I it's important that we reflect o the memory, place and identity.

Where do we go from here and how can we make sure that we make Lexington a better In many ways Lexington still has a lot of that Athens of the West with the University of Kentucky and other educational institutio But I think the thing that really attracts people to L is that it's a big enough city to have a lot of economic opport a lot of lifestyle opportunities But it's small enough where people still know each oth and still interact with each oth And I think that's really the se sauce to Lexington is being big yet small enough to be really a comfortable place to live and a beautiful place to Lexingtonians want every person to come here and realize how incredible it is And so we work really hard and we're really passionate abou being able to share that with pe I don't know of many other towns in the country that are willing to do that, to this is who we are, who we were, help us be who we're going to be