Governor's Corner — John Breathitt
Russellville, Logan County, Kentucky
Marker Inscription
Governor's Corner. Home of Governor John Breathitt, born 1787, Virginia. Came here, 1800. Lawyer, legislator. Elected Lieut. Governor, 1828, and Governor, 1832. He was advocate of need for preserving Kentucky's valuable documents. He wrote: "There is a laudable solicitude to know everything in respect to our history." Breathitt died in office, 1834. Monument in Maple Grove Cem. by Kentucky. Dedicated June 17, 1964.
Erected by Kentucky Historical Society
The Story
This was the home of John Breathitt, who rose from Virginia-born newcomer to governor of Kentucky. Arriving in 1800, he built a career as a lawyer and legislator, was elected lieutenant governor in 1828 and governor in 1832, and died in office in 1834. A believer in the value of history, he urged the state to preserve its important documents, writing of "a laudable solicitude to know everything in respect to our history."
Why it matters
Breathitt's early call to safeguard Kentucky's records marks an early American concern for preserving the documentary record of a young state's past.
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Related people
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Themes & tags
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