One-hundred-eighteen years ago, in the spring of 1908, Versailles became a professional baseball town. The Versailles Aristocrats was organized in 1907 and joined the Class D Bluegrass League in 1908. Their competition included teams from Lexington, Frankfort, Richmond, Shelbyville and Lawrenceburg. Baseball had been part of Versailles culture since the 1880s, with a team representing the community, but never at the professional level. A century later, surviving editions of T

A simple Google search led me down a local baseball rabbit hole and I am thrilled about it. Not originally from Woodford County, I find myself behind on local history most of the time. It was while searching for some fun summer pieces when I typed into Google: “professional athletes from Versailles, Kentucky.” Imagine my surprise when the Versailles Aristocrats popped up on my iPhone screen. At first, I wasn’t sure it was real. Most search engines use AI to point you in the r

When Woodford County’s tennis players arrived for the first day of off-season workouts last fall, it did not take long to realize the program was changing. The expectations, workouts and atmosphere were different. The program was evolving into more than a spring sport. It was becoming a full-year commitment based on winter training and court management. When the dust settled from the workouts and matches, Woodford performed well in a tough region, having one of the most succe