I’m not a native Kentuckian – I moved there from across the Ohio River with my mother when I was six. But, during my formative years there, I cultivated an appreciation for University of Kentucky Wildcat blue (chosen because the coach of a 1900s Wildcat football squad liked the color of a player’s tie), burgoo and Ale 81. And, I humbly submit that the Bluegrass State boasts the United States’ best state anthem, “My Old Kentucky Home.” It may lack the melodic majesty of Ray Charles’ “Georgia on My Mind,” or the verve of Lyle Lovett’s “(That’s Right) You’re Not from Texas, but Texas Wants You Anyway,” but Stephen Collins Foster’s ballad still evokes powerful pride of place among Kentuckians.
In Foster’s era, signage was virtually nonexistent – painted windows and porch-hung placards were functional rather than aesthetic. However, I think he would appreciate the character these signs, which my wife, Karen, and I snapped during a weekend getaway to Berea, bestow upon the Commonwealth.