Lexington, Kentucky

Lexington is a city located on the territory of Kentucky. Lexington is the sixty-third most populous city in the U.S. The city is known as the horse capital of the world. It is located in the heart of the Bluegrass region. The population amounts about 295 000 people.

The city's history began in 1775, when Lexington was founded. It is located on the territory of Virginia. In 1792, the city passed to the territory of the newly founded state of Kentucky. The city was founded by celebrating guards. They deployed their camp at Elkhorn Creek, which today is located in the city. They celebrated the victory of the colonists at the Battle of Lexington, which is located in Massachusetts. Inspired by this victory, they named the place where they made the camp, Lexington.

Indians attacked the camp and it remained uninhabited for four years. In 1779, the twenty-sixth military came here to erect a fort. It became known as Bryan Station and became an important strategic point. Colonists defended the fort from the attacks of Indians, and then the British.

Lexington was officially founded in 1782. In 1790 there was built the first Baptist church. In 1829 Lexington became one of the largest and richest cities. The city had many intellectuals and artists, who endowed the city with the name of Athens of the West.

In the city appeared the first millionaire, John Hunt. The growth of the town was interrupted by a terrible epidemic of cholera, in 1833. Of seven thousand people, over five hundred people died within only two months. In 1848, there was another outbreak of cholera. The disease was spread through contaminated drinking vessels. At that time, people did not understand why they should drink from separate cups, and not everyone had the opportunity to eat with their own utensils. Richer people were leaving town soon to avoid the next epidemic.

The territory of Lexington had widespread slavery. Slaves were used for labourers and servants of the rich and aristocrats. In the fifties of the nineteenth century, there were so many slaves that Lexington city became known as the town with the most slaves in the territory of Kentucky. In the city, however, lived blacks well who were free people too.

Many famous people spent part of their life in Lexington. Among them is U.S. President Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln's wife was born and raised in Lexington, so the president of the United States often visited the city with his wife, who was very attached to her birthplace.

In 1935, on the territory of Lexington was built one of the first clinics to treat drug addicts. After years, the clinic was transformed into a federal prison.