What better way to introduce this web site than a quote from the dean of Kentucky historians, Thomas D. Clark? This description of "The Kentucky Personality" is from his History of Kentucky (revised 6th Edition, Lexington, KY: John Bradford Press, 1977). "Present-day travelers through most sections of Kentucky are impressed with the independence of rural Kentuckians. If, by chance, these travelers visit the state on Saturdays and Sundays, they find the highways crowded with carefree pedestrians who are oblivious to passing automobiles or other vehicles. As tax-paying citizens, they refuse to yield any of the road, believing that their rights as native citizens are inviolate, and as thorough-going optimists, they place absolute confidence in the ability of automobile drivers either to stop their machines or to drive them into the ditch. This rugged individualism is characteristic of the development of Kentucky personality. When backwoods Virginians, Carolinians, and Pennsylvanians migrated to Kentucky, they came as agrarians, and their descendants have remained close to the soil. The population of no other state in the Union is perhaps so overwhelmingly independent yet so inconsistent in its personality as that of Kentucky. From the beginning, the conquest of Kentucky's soil demanded resourceful and individual prowess. Pioneer families, living on isolated farmsteads, became self-sufficient in all things, a trait of character which has been handed down to succeeding generations. Environment created not only a sense of independence but also a light heart, a quick temper, and a keen, if sometimes grotesque, sense of humor. "Fertile lands of the western country convinced early Kentuckians that their homeland was the only place adaptable to human habitation." Modern Kentuckians reluctantly accept that there are indeed a few places outside Kentucky which are suitable for human habitation, but most feel that those places, while acceptable, are certainly not preferable. We love our Commonwealth -- its beauty, its bounty, its varied geography, its variety of products, and its people "so overwhelmingly independent yet so inconsistent in its personality" (to again quote Thomas D. Clark). This web site is a collection of links to help you explore the Bluegrass State and its majesty. The links are categorized into several areas which are listed in the menu on the right of each page. Click on any button to go to a page of links to other sites. The links on SearchKentucky.net are primarily non-commercial, i.e. the emphasis is on links to educate, elucidate, and illuminate rather than to sell. Many of the sites do have commercial aspects, but they were chosen for reasons other than commerce. I invite your feedback concerning SearchKentucky.net and the sites it references. Please let me know what you like or don't like, what works and what stinks. Send opinions, assessments, facts, questions or answers to feedback@SearchKentucky.net. I especially invite information concerning web pages which are not currently included in SearchKentucky.net. Please make me aware of any site which meets these criteria for inclusion: 1) the site is substantially about Kentucky (including a business or organization located in Kentucky or having a significant presence in Kentucky) or a Kentuckian (living or dead); 2) the site has significant non-commercial information or appeals to persons who would not be interested in purchasing a represented product. Send the web site URL, your name, and the name and e-mail address of the webmaster or web site administrator to NewSite@SearchKentucky.net.   Here are some general sites to begin your exploration of Kentucky and its people. Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels Kentucky Yellow Pages Maps, Geography & Information