The Newspaper Press in Kentucky: Kentucky Bicentennial Bookshelf

The story of Kentucky's newspapers is the story of our political, economic, and social life. It is the story of issues and answers, the story of life and death. Newspapers, by their very nature, become sources of historical studies. They recount day by day or week by week the happenings, joyous or sorrowful, humorous or sad, enlightening or dull, experienced by those who live in the communities where they are printed or circulated.

In 1787, five years before statehood, John Bradford established Kentucky's first newspaper in Lexington. The "Kentucky Gazette" was first in a long line of newspapers which, over the years, have served the people of the state. "The Newspaper Press in Kentucky," by revered Kentucky journalist Herndon J. Evans, illuminates the early days of Kentucky newspapers and their influence.