Jessamine County Historical Society

06/10/2026

Farmers Bank presenting sponsor of the 2026 Jessamine County Fair. Go visit them and check out what they have to offer.
Happy Tuesday

06/06/2026

Camp Nelson pays tribute to former Jessamine County Judge Executive, Neal Cassity.

Camp Nelson National Monument is saddened to hear of the passing of former Jessamine County Judge Executive Neal Cassity. As employees of the National Park Service (NPS), we are privileged to work in amazing places around the country. We also recognize there are many people responsible for Camp Nelson being a park in the first place and then becoming part of the NPS so that we would have the privilege to do what we do.

I arrived at Camp Nelson in July 2020 and began learning about the efforts of so many people who played vital roles in preserving this landscape. On May 27, 2021, the president of the Camp Nelson Foundation and former magistrate George Dean thoughtfully brought Judge Cassity by the park to meet me and the staff, and to see some of the new changes in the park, including our new sign on the Visitor Center.

From my conversations with Judge Cassity, I’m sure he would deflect any credit for the role he played in the creation of the park, but Camp Nelson National Monument will forever be grateful for him, and so many others who had the vision and determination to make this park a reality.
-Superintendent Ernie Price, June 3, 2026

https://www.bettsandwestfuneralhome.com/obituaries/william-cassity

IMAGE: Former Jessamine County Judge Executive Neal Cassity, Superintendent Ernie Price, and Former President of the Camp Nelson Foundation George Dean at Camp Nelson National Monument, May 2021. Courtesy: NPS/MD

06/06/2026

We're proud to share that the PBS television program Secrets of the Dead: "The Civil War's Lost Massacre" is now available for free on YouTube. Thanks to our friends at KET - Kentucky Educational Television.

The episode investigates the horrific incident known as the Simpsonville Massacre where elements of Co. E, 5th US Colored Cavalry were ambushed and murdered by Confederate guerillas while escorting a herd of cattle from Camp Nelson to Louisville on January 25, 1865.

Historians and archeologists continue the work to discover the location of the unmarked mass grave. Updates will be provided when possible.

You can watch the episode HERE:

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x996pum

Wide Awake Films

06/06/2026

06/06/2026