Oral History: Kentucky Oral History Commission
Canary cage from coal mine, c. 1900
Miners carried caged birds with them into coal mines to warn them of the presence of poisonous gases. With technological advances, electronic instruments replaced birds. The phrase "canary in the bird cage" became a popular American phrase for sensing impending danger. Donated by Wade Hall.
Canary cage from coal mine, c. 1900

Kentucky Oral History Commission

CURRENT INTERVIEW INITIATIVE: MILITARY ORAL HISTORY

"Kentucky Military Treasures" Exhibition Oral History Project

If you are an active duty member of the military, a veteran, a National Guardsman, a reservist or a civilian who has a story about the homefront , the Kentucky Oral History Commission (KOHC) wants to hear your story.

The KOHC, administered by the Kentucky Historical Society (KHS), invites veterans and others with military- related stories to preserve their piece of history. Participants can visit the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History in Frankfort to interview with trained KHS volunteers. Interviews will be recorded and take about one hour. Participants will be sent a CD of their interview and will receive free admission for that day for the entire KHS history campus, which includes the Center for Kentucky History, the Old State Capitol and the Kentucky Military History Museum at the Old State Arsenal.

The KOHC is soliciting these personal accounts as part of a new KHS exhibition, "Kentucky Military Treasures: Selections from the Kentucky Historical Society Collections." The exhibition tells the stories of Kentuckians who fought in battles spanning nearly 200 years and includes significant artifacts from conflicts ranging from the War of 1812 to more recent engagements in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The KOHC invites anyone with a military-related story to participate, especially individuals with experience in recent or current conflicts.

To make an appointment to share your story with the KOHC, contact Sarah Milligan at 502-564-1792, ext.4434 or email Sarah.


The Kentucky Oral History Commission:

From tenant farmers and lay midwives to political leaders and nationally acclaimed authors, the Kentucky Oral History Commission (KOHC) reaches across the state to record and preserve the diverse stories that are a part of Kentucky's rich and colorful history.

Since 1976 the Kentucky Oral History Commission has:

  • Awarded more than 600 grants to individuals, colleges, universities and community organizations, resulting in the collection of more than 25,000 interviews located at repositories throughout the state.


  • Established a collection of nearly 9,000 interviews, one of the largest in the United States, at the Kentucky Historical Society.


  • Conducted a multi-year project to document the civil rights movement in Kentucky and to produce educational programs based on the oral history collection. More than 200 interviews have been collected and transcribed. The award winning project also produced eight radio programs, two performance pieces, and the documentary "Living the Story: The Civil Rights Movement in Kentucky” which periodically broadcasts on Kentucky Educational Television. Two symposiums were presented on the civil rights project and in 2005 the Civil Rights Movement in Kentucky online database was launched.


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