Life in early Clark County, Kentucky, is recalled in this new 53 page booklet titled: Clark County, Kentucky, USA. The spiral-bound booklet is a compilation of excerpts from several hard to find sources: the 1877 Atlas of Burbon, Clark, Fayette, Jessamine and Woodford Counties, KY (maps only); the Handbook of Clark County and the City of Winchester (1889); and Kentucky, a Guide to the Bluegrass State, a 1939 product of the WPA Writer's Program. The tri-color cover is printed on 80# card stock and protected with a vinyl sheet. The text is printed on 8.5" x 11" 60# paper. Although the writer of the handbook states that it is not "designed to be a biographical dictionary", there are nonetheless a number of prominent citizens mentioned, sometimes with photographs of themselves and /or their homes. The writer further states that "the keynote of the book is to present Wincheste and Clark county as they are," so the booklet is not primarily a history and yet by its nature it is historical material today. Among the many subjects included are: a 1793 description of the area; Geology of the area; Agricultural Resources and Cattle Raising; Population; the City of Winchester, county seat; public schools of Winchester, and its various improvements and businesses; the Winchester Bar; County officials and city government;, and other interesting bits of history and trivia. Pictures include the homes of John W. Bean, F. H. Dudley, Dr. Washington Miller, H.P. Thomson, V.H. Abbott, J.H. Besuden (spelled Bisuden in the WPA book), Judge W. M. Beckner, V.W. Bush, Washington Miller, Dr. J.D. Simpson, M. R. Browne; Rodney Haggard, N.H. Witherspoon, William M. Cooke, A. Mitchell Jr., I.N. Massie, S.H. Oden, B.F. Curtis, E.C. Fox, R.R. Perry, W.B. Gardiner. There are also pictures of the Winchester Opera House, business of Jacob Saarbach, M.H. Clay and Co.'s Planing Mills, Winchester Fire Department, Perry and Whittington Dealers in Coal, Business of Evans, Gordon and Co., Kentucky Wesleyan College, Citizen's National Bank in Winchester, Dudley Furtnature Co., Rees House, Methodist Church, Eclipse Mills and business block of Smith P. Kerr, Baptist Church, T.L. Phillips' Drug Store Interior; Presbyterian Church, Court House, Jones Bros. Warehouse; V.W. Bush's Warehouse; W.B. Logan's Drug Store Interior; and Conn Bros. Planning mills. This booklet includes 7 pages of excerpts from the WPA book. Although perhaps out of date as a tour book, these WPA guides are rich in history and trivia. A story of Daniel Boone and Boonesboro, on the county's border, is included.


