Fancy Farm (Kentucky)
Fancy Farm is a civil parish and a census-designated place in Kentucky , USA . As of the 2010 census, Fancy Farm had 458 residents.
History and naming
Fancy Farm is located on Kentucky Route 80, in an area which, despite the establishment of Kentucky (1792), only became part of Kentucky in 1818 (so-called Jackson Purchase , President Andrew Jackson bought the area from the Chickasaw Indians).
The settlement was established in 1829 in a heavily Roman Catholic area, and the construction of the Hieronymus Church (1836, English St. Jerome Church) accelerated the growth of the village. According to one source, the name Fancy Farm comes from the opening of the post office; one candidate for the post of postmaster allegedly proposed that St. Jerome Farm be renamed Fancy Farm. It was first officially mentioned in 1870 as a post office in Boswell Precinct, and first mentioned as a settlement in the 1910 census. In 1920 Fancy Farm was finally considered a parish in its own district (precinct).
Demographics
According to the 2010 census, 458 people lived in Fancy Farm, 116 of whom were over 61 years old. 98 people were younger than 18 years. The population is almost entirely white.
Annual picnic
The hamlet is known well beyond Kentucky for its annual political gathering on the first Saturday in August. The festival has become so popular that the major politicians will attract Kentucky's attention if they fail to attend. The picnic draws around 12,000 to 15,000 visitors each year.
The event began as an annual picnic in 1881, and was initially held on the grounds of the Catholic Church. The first speeches by politicians date back to the early 1900s. Since Kentucky moved the timing of its primary elections from August to May in 1956 , the “Fancy Farm Picnic” event has been the starting shot of the autumn election campaign.
Well-known guests with many appearances include George C. Wallace (1975, before and after Governor of Alabama ), Lloyd Bentsen (Senator from Texas , later Secretary of the Treasury) and Vice Presidents Alben Barkley and Al Gore .
In addition to the speeches, the usual funfair activities take place, such as bingo games, raffles and races over 5000 meters and one mile . In 1982 the Fancy Farm Picnic set the world record for the world's largest picnic: the guests ate 15,000 pounds of grilled mutton, pork and poultry.
The proceeds from the picnic will go to the local Catholic primary school and to local development projects. Foreign dealers are not permitted, except for sellers of political collectibles such as badges, stickers, T-shirts and the like.
Web links
swell
Coordinates: 36 ° 48 ′ N , 88 ° 47 ′ W