MONTICELLO, Ky. (LEX 18) — At the Wayne County Museum, walking encyclopedia David Smith has your answer to just about everything.
Pointing out an old-fashioned mobile-looking thing, Smith explained, “In the 1930s or 40s, that’s how you would've gotten a perm.”
Moving through the museum's military room, Smith recapped a Civil War battle associated with Wayne County.
“That was early January of 1862 when the battle took place,” said Smith. “It was actually one of the first Union victories in the Civil War.”
In another room displaying Wayne County’s musical history, Smith mentioned the musician whose song was used in the film “Oh Brother Where Art Thou.” In the next room, he discussed the first integrated public school in Kentucky following Brown vs. Board of Education, which was located in Monticello.
The list goes on -- rooms containing endless information and artifacts at the Wayne County Museum.
Yet, the most interesting attraction is the building itself, once known as Hotel Breeding.
“This was built as a hotel,” said Smith. “It opened in 1936 by Mr. R. G, Breeding.”
FDR was president, and a bottle of Coke cost 5 cents. Robert Breeding began building a hotel for Monticello using mules.
Times were different.
“Evidence that I've seen shows the first room that was rented went for $2 a night,” said Smith.
Hotel Breeding had a particularly special amenity.
When Breeding began digging the basement, he discovered a cave below.
Despite its uncharted trails and countless caverns, Breeding concluded that the cave was no threat to the integrity of the hotel. If the wise man built his house upon the rock, couldn’t a businessman build his upon a cave?
“That’s how they air-conditioned the hotel for the first few years. They used cave air, which is around 54 degrees, and they pumped it by a series of fans through the building and that’s how they air-conditioned it. Actually, they had a sign that said “air cooled” in the beginning,” said Smith.
Today, visitors travel to the Wayne County Museum for a glimpse into the past and a look into the cave 25 feet below a city on the rise.
