A DEDICATION and ribbon cutting ceremony celebrating a historical interpretive sign trail at Huntertown Community Interpretive Park was held Saturday afternoon, Nov. 18, 2023. The last resident of the historic African American community in Woodford County, Josephine Carr, was joined by descendants of other former residents, local leaders and volunteers, who supported opening a public park that tells Huntertown’s story. (File photo by Bob Vlach)
By Bob Vlach
Woodford Sun Staff
Being added to the Kentucky African American Heritage Trail connects Huntertown Community Interpretive Park (HCIP) to Black heritage sites across the state, according to Sioux Finney, a founding board member of the Friends of Huntertown.
“We are absolutely thrilled and honored to be included on this statewide Kentucky African American Heritage Trail,” said Finney. The local historian said she learned of HCIP and nine other sites joining more than 50 African American Heritage sites and attractions on the Heritage Trail, she said, while watching Gov. Andy Beshear’s announcement of the additions last Thursday, April 2.
“Black history is American history. Black history is Kentucky history. These new locations recognize these important stories and the contributions of brave African Americans who shaped who we are today,” said Beshear in a news release. “Whether you are a visitor or a lifelong Kentuckian, these sites have something for everyone and shine a light on our history while boosting tourism and local economies in the process.”
Huntertown Community Interpretive Park already has a connection to Camp Nelson National Monument – one stop on the African American Heritage Trail – based on its shared history related to the U.S. Colored Troops, Finney said. In August of 1871, a veteran of Colored Troops, Jerry Gatewood, purchased the first five acres in Huntertown, she pointed out.
“Huntertown’s story is part of the wider Kentucky story, and so this history, this story, these people, this community … needs to be preserved,” said Finney. “The stories and names of these people have to be remembered – not forgotten and not erased.”
She credited the 19 signs along an interpretive trail telling Huntertown’s story for elevating HCIP to being an educational gem of African American history.
Dedicated in 2023, Finney said the interpretive signage trail at HCIP was the result of a collaborative effort that included the University of Kentucky’s Landscape and Architecture Department, which designed the signs, and a historian who helped write the text for the signs.
So HCIP being added to the Kentucky African American Heritage Trail “is something that we should be proud of – not just the Huntertown team, but the whole county,” she said.
“The community really supports this park,” and now “more people are going to come here and walk the trails and … see how we treasure, in Woodford County, this story and this history, and the contributions of African Americans in our county’s history.”
In October 2025, according to the state’s news release, the public was invited to submit nominations for new sites to be considered for the Kentucky African American Heritage Trail. Applications were received and considered by a committee based on a site’s historical importance and the potential for visitor experience.
“These trail additions each play a significant role in elevating Kentucky’s African American heritage,” said Mike Mangeot, commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Tourism. “Through the trail, we are creating authentic and meaningful experiences for visitors while preserving our history for generations to come.”
Thanks to a collaboration with local governments and Parks Department, HCIP will soon break ground on a community pavilion, parking area and restrooms, according to Finney.
“We have a lot more to do, a lot more stories to uncover, and a lot more history to celebrate,” she said.
The retired Woodford County High School social studies teacher is thrilled this sharing of Huntertown’s history is rooted in the research by a group of her ninth graders at WCHS in 2015-16, she told the Sun. Echoing the words of Donald Morton, whose family called Huntertown home, she said, “The roots at Huntertown are deep.”
More information about the Kentucky African American Heritage Trail and sites on the trail can be accessed by visiting kentuckytourism.com on the web.