Kentucky Tartan

[chasem]

I've been browsing today, and came accross the Kentucky Tartan. ( http://www.clan.com/tartan_detail.html?tartan=10586 )

I started looking for the background/history on it, but I can't find it anywhere. Anyone have any good leads?

[macwilkin]

The Kentucky Senate Resolution 27 states:

A RESOLUTION supporting the Kentucky Tartan.
WHEREAS, Senate Resolution 155 of the 105th United States Congress designated April 6 of each year as "National Tartan Day" to honor those Americans of Scottish descent who played an integral role in the founding of our great nation, and recognizing the achievements and contributions made by Scottish Americans in the fields of science, technology, medicine, government, politics, economics, architecture, literature, media, and visual and performing arts; and
WHEREAS, in 2001, the first year of the new millennium, Kentucky will host the International Highland Games at Glasgow, Kentucky; thus, it is appropriate and fitting that Kentucky have an official Kentucky Tartan that can be worn with pride and honor, and that represents the many early settlers and trailblazers of this great Commonwealth that were of American Scottish descent; and
WHEREAS, Kentucky is bounded on the north by the Ohio River and on the west by the Mississippi River, and between these boundaries are two of the largest man-made lakes in the world, Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley, and the blue water of these rivers, lakes, and other streams is represented by the blue in the Kentucky Tartan; and
WHEREAS, Kentucky was the birthplace of both presidents in the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln, born in Hodgenville in Larue County, and Jefferson Davis, born near Fairview in Christian County, and the Kentucky Tartan's blue and gray represents the brave soldiers who fought during the Civil War; and
WHEREAS, the green and bluegreen in the Tartan represents Kentucky's bluegrass where magnificent thoroughbreds graze and frolic among the few that are training for the Kentucky Derby which is held each year on the first Saturday of May; and
WHEREAS, Kentucky is located in the geographic area known as the Bible Belt; many brave and courageous Kentuckians of American Scottish descent fought and died for religious freedom and independence, and white in the Kentucky Tartan represents their purity, goodness, bravery and valor; and
WHEREAS, the official state bird is the Kentucky Cardinal, and red in the Tartan represents the precious blood that was shed by many American Scottish citizens of this great Commonwealth in the defense of freedom; and
WHEREAS, the Tartan's bright yellow represents the Goldenrod, Kentucky's state flower; and the black "window pane check" in the Tartan represents the Commonwealth's coal and oil resources;
NOW, THEREFORE,
Be it resolved by the Senate of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky:

Section 1. The Senate is proud to endorse the Kentucky Tartan and deems our great Commonwealth fortunate to host the International Highland Games in Glasgow, Kentucky, in the year 2001. The participants in these Scottish games will receive the outpouring of Kentucky hospitality that has always been indicative of the Bluegrass State.
Section 2. When the Senate adjourns on January 20, 2000, it does so in strong support of the endorsement of the Kentucky Tartan.
Section 3. The Clerk of the Senate is hereby directed to transmit a copy of this Resolution to The Scottish Coalition, P.O. Box 1307, North Riverside, Illinois 60546.

A little bit of information in there!

Cheers,

Todd

[chasem]

Just a little... too bad you didn't find any real information :P

Maybe I shouldn't have read up on it... now I want a kilt in that tartan

Thanks a bunch for finding this! Might I also ask where you found this information?

[GMan]

This brings up a question for our resident Librarian (or others if they want to input something) how many states in the US and Provinces in Canada have their own tartans?

[macwilkin]

I did a google search for "Kentucky Tartan", and it was one of the first links:

www.lrc.state.ky.us/recarch/00rs/SR27/bill.doc

Glen: All of the Canadian provinces and territories, save Nunavut, have either official or unoffical tartans. In addition, several cities and counties in Canada also have tartans, as well as the Maple Leaf, Canadian Centennial, the RCAF tartan, etc.

Matt Newsome has a rather long list of US state, city, and other tartans on his web site:

http://www.district-tartans.com/

Remember that some of these tartans are not officially recognized by the governing bodies like the state legislature.

And not forgetting our own Cyndi, who is working on official recognition for a Maryland state tartan! :mrgreen:

Matt, any thoughts on this?

Cheers,

Todd

[M. A. C. Newsome]

There are some 30+ American states that have tartans, but not all of these are official. That means that not all of them have been adopted by the state.

Of course there are also counties, cities, and towns that have tartans here in America, and even broader regions like mountain ranges (there is a Blue Ridge tartan, for instance).

I have most of these pictured at http://www.district-tartans.com but if you want more information, you really need to buy my Compendium of District Tartans (which you can get to by clicking "Book" on the above web site).

For example, here is the entry from the CDT for the Kentucky tartan (minus the picture):

Kentucky
Date: 2000
Source: Ferguson/Murray-Schweitzer

Kentucky is the “Bluegrass State.” It is home to such American icons as Bluegrass music and the Kentucky Derby.
Kentucky is one of the states that saw a strong Scots-Irish influence as frontiersmen from the southern Appalachians pushed further west. Daniel Boone is but one famous example.
The Kentucky tartan was designed by Rupert Ferguson and Pat Murray-Schweitzer of the Scottish Society of Louisville. Green and blue represent the famous bluegrass of Kentucky. Blue also represents the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, as well as Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake, two of the largest man made lakes in the world. Red represents the state bird, the cardinal, as well as the blood shed by Kentuckians defending their nation. White is for the values of purity, goodness, bravery and valor. Yellow is for the state flower, the goldenrod. Black represents coal and oil, two major economic resources in the state.
Kentucky is also the birthplace of both President Lincoln and President Davis, who led opposing sides during the Civil War. This unique fact is honored in the blue and gray in the tartan.
Governor Paul Patton of the Commonwealth of Kentucky signed a proclamation establishing this tartan as the official Kentucky Tartan on April 5, 2000.

K4 G26 B22 W4 N8 R6 Y6

Aye,
Matt

[chasem]

Thanks a bunch guys! I guess I missed that link on my search, Todd. But then again, I generally bypass documents

Matt, thanks for the additional input! Greatly appreciated.

[GMan]

This is really cool guys, thanks! Now when I go about North America I can wear the kilt of where I am. Oh I do need more kilts!

Chasem this thread really is great. Thanks for getting it going

[mkmound]

This brings up a question for our resident Librarian (or others if they want to input something) how many states in the US and Provinces in Canada have their own tartans?

Well, speaking for the Texas contingent, we have our Bluebonnet District Tartan.

Mark

[Doc Hudson]

Well, speaking for the Texas contingent, we have our Bluebonnet District Tartan.

Mark

And a most handsome tartan it is!!!

I'm trying to talk to of my Texican friends into getting a kilt in the Bluebonnet tartan.