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As America became a nation, Maysville became the threshold to a new continent. Pioneers, Native Americans, soldiers, and slaves on their way to freedom all came here, and they left a heritage unmatched in our Commonwealth.
At the Kentucky Gateway Museum Center, you’ll find detailed depictions of the region’s past and fascinating insights into the men and women who played their parts in its rich history—people like Daniel Boone, Simon Kenton and his wife Martha Dowden, Henry Clay, Tecumseh, and many others.
Permanent exhibits bring the whole history of the region to life, but the museum is home to more artifacts, documents, and materials than can be displayed at any one time. Like our country, the exhibits here are always changing—there’s always something new and exciting to see.
The Museum Center also plays host to local collectors and traveling programs. Whether you’re interested in history, art, or the everyday life of an extraordinary community, you’ll find it here. Plan on visiting often to see the latest show.
MY BROTHER, MY ENEMY and A HOUSE DIVIDED
December 8, 2011
In conjunction with the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War, the Kentucky Gateway Museum Center will host two traveling exhibits in their Temporary Gallery. “My Brother, My Enemy” and “A House Divided: The Lincolns’ Confederate Relatives”. The combined exhibit opens on Friday, November 4th and runs through December 31st.
Abraham Lincoln invoked the phrase “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” Nowhere was this more apparent than in the border state of Kentucky – where family lines were often the battle lines. “My Brother, My Enemy” examines how Kentucky’s distinctive physical and political positioning led to deep and lasting divisions among families and friends. This is very apparent in the President’s own family where his wife, Mary Todd, had been born into a slaveholding household in Lexington. Of her thirteen siblings, eight of them were Confederate sympathizers and the Mary Todd Lincoln House relates this beautifully.
Unlike many other Civil War exhibitions that tend to focus on battlefield chronology, “My Brother, My Enemy” delves into the heart-wrenching and personal stories of the nationwide conflict that forever severed once close-knit relationships throughout Kentucky. This exhibit also makes use of 21st century technology with I pad stations, APPS and smartphones playing a role in helping the museum goer to understanding the devastation to families in the Commonwealth. “My Brother, My Enemy” also features a dozen artifacts including weapons, cutlery, photographs and jewelry.
“The war was rough on Kentucky,” explains the exhibit’s curator, Kelly Williams Wilkerson. “People literally work up one morning and were living in enemy territory. Kentucky was treated like a traitor by both sides. No one could be trusted.”
Dr. James Shires, Education Director for the Kentucky Gateway Museum sees “This inner active exhibit providing a historical learning experience for our young people and an opportunity for our museum to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Civil War”.
“My Brother, My Enemy” is made possible thanks to a federal grant from the institute of Museum and Library Services. “A House Divided” received support from the Kentucky Humanities Council and the Kentucky Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission.
Visitors can enjoy the exhibit Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Saturday 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. For more information contact the museum at 606.564.5865.