Off to the Archives: An Interview with Research Fellow Christian Krueger
The Kentucky Historical Society recently hosted KHS Research Fellow Christian Krueger from Marquette University for her research on “The Horse and Kentucky Identity, 1673–1865.” While researching in the KHS archive, Krueger spent a significant time in the Alexander Family Papers where she came across the famous horse Lexington’s bill of sale. As the Kentucky Derby is approaching quickly, it’s time we delve into the depths of KHS’s equine resources. Here is what Krueger had to say about her experience:
What brought you to research here at KHS?
"My time in the archives at the Kentucky Historical Society as a KHS Research Fellow proved especially fruitful for my doctoral dissertation. This research uses the horse to explore identity in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Kentucky by looking at power and its intersections with race, class, and masculinity. The KHS archives contain not only the Alexander Family Papers (which are extremely useful for anyone looking at Thoroughbred breeding and racing), but also a bounty of documents dealing with Civil War raids and theft of horses throughout the state, and Kentucky’s free Black and enslaved populations. I am excited to see how horses can help us understand these people and events of Kentucky’s past."
The Alexander Family Collection here at KHS contains an important piece of equine history—the bill of sale for the famous Thoroughbred, Lexington. Why is Lexington’s bill of sale important to Kentucky? To equine research?
"Of the horses at R. A. Alexander’s Woodburn Farm in Woodford County, Lexington is undoubtedly the most influential. Prior to Alexander purchasing him in the spring of 1857 for $15,000 (nearly $550,000 in today’s money!), Lexington successfully ran under the ownership of famed turfman Richard Ten Broeck, winning six of seven starts. Unexpected blindness, however, cut short the stallion’s racing career, and the terms of the sale even include the condition that “all is well, except for his eyes.”
"The letters comprising Lexington’s bill of sale mark the beginning of his lasting impact on the Thoroughbred breed and Kentucky’s equestrian landscape. As John H. Wallace notes in his 1897 The Horse of America, 'there had been great enterprises on similar lines before, and there have been even greater ones since, but Mr. Alexander’s Woodburn Farm, of Kentucky, may always be looked upon as the real pioneer in stock breeding on a large and methodological scale, and without limits to resources.'”
"Within this revolutionary breeding program, Lexington became a more prolific breeding stallion than he was a racehorse. His descendants—many direct offspring bred under Alexander’s guidance—would dominate the world of racing into the twenty-first century and include numerous Derby and Triple Crown winners."
"I started to tear up when I found the documents, honestly. The Alexander Papers are an immense collection, and I was afraid that I’d miss the bill. It was either the third or the fourth day into the fellowship when I came across the beginning of the letters between Robert Aitcheson Alexander and Richard Ten Broeck that outline the stallion’s sale."
What are some other materials in the Alexander Family Papers you found to be useful for your dissertation research?
"The fourth chapter of my dissertation argues that the horse upended power as much as cementing it, especially when considering Kentucky’s enslaved and free Black populations. Because of their skill, several enslaved horsemen made names for themselves as jockeys and trainers, both prior to and after emancipation. As such, the horse provided a means for these men to dismantle the same power system it had helped build."
"Woodburn Farm depended on enslaved labor. The Alexander Family Papers include an array of documents from which I hope to construct a better picture of the lives of enslaved persons within the context of Kentucky’s equestrian culture. The collection contains several receipts for the purchase of enslaved men and women, including a letter that inquired whether R. A. Alexander would be interested in purchasing Martha and her five children. In this letter, Martha's current enslaver, H. Whaller, mentioned talking with Martha to negotiate a sale for her and her children. Other documents such as receipts for hiring out enslaved men and receipts for provisions and services (medical treatment, lodging, etc.) for these men, women, and children, as well as a bill for the apprehension of a runaway."
Krueger became interested in equine history through her parents and grandparents who encouraged her to learn about family and local history. Krueger kept her bookshelves full of Thoroughbreds books, Marguerite Henrys books, and Breyers horse models. History and horses collided after Krueger got her own horse and spent hours researching the pedigree of her black Tennessee Walker gelding. Her current partner, Hayley’s Blue Comet, continues to inspire her intellectual and practical equine pursuits by experimenting with pre- and post-Civil War plantation saddles.
To learn more about the holdings in the Alexander Family Collection here at KHS, visit our digital collections website to view the finding aid.
Researchers have used the Kentucky Historical Society’s rich archival holdings to shed light on a vast array of topics, from frontier land distribution and law, to Civil War medicine and from river-borne commerce in the 19th century to Kentucky’s nuclear energy industry. Click here to learn more about the KHS research fellowship program, funded by the Kentucky Historical Society Foundation.
