38°00′N84°30′W / 38.0°N 84.5°W /38.0; -84.5
TheBluegrass region is a geographic region in the U.S. state ofKentucky. It makes up the central and northern part of the state, roughly bounded by the cities ofFrankfort,Paris,Richmond andStanford.[1] It is part of theInterior Low Plateaus ecoregion.
"Bluegrass" is a common name given in the United States for grass of thePoa genus, the most famous being theKentucky bluegrass.[2] Despite its name, Kentucky bluegrass is native to North Africa and was likely introduced around 1600.[3][4]
The Bluegrass region is characterized by underlyingfossiliferous limestone,dolomite, andshale of theOrdoviciangeological age. Hills are generally rolling, and the soil is highly fertile for growing pasture.
The Kentucky Bluegrass is bounded on the east by theCumberland Plateau, with thePottsville Escarpment forming the boundary. On the south and west, it borders thePennyroyal Plateau, (also called the Pennyrile), withMuldraugh Hill, anotherescarpment, forming the boundary. Much of the region is drained by theKentucky River and its tributaries. The river cuts a deep canyon called theKentucky River Palisades through the region, preservingmeanders that indicate that the river was once a mature low valley that was suddenly uplifted. Particularly near the Kentucky River, the region exhibitsKarst topography, withsinkholes, caves, anddisappearing streams that drain underground to the river.
Before European-American settlement, various cultures ofIndigenous peoples of the Americas lived in the region. The pre-colonization state of the Bluegrass is poorly known, but it is thought to have been a type ofsavannah known asoak savanna, with opengrassland containingclover,giant river cane (a type ofbamboo), and scattered enormous trees, primarilybur oak,blue ash,Shumard's oak,chinkapin oak, andkingnut hickory. Some of these trees, which are hundreds of years old, still stand in old pastures in the Bluegrass.[5] The thickets of giant river cane, known ascanebrakes, created a dense undergrowth that made it impossible to find 10 uncleared acres that were not full of cane.[6] The local indigenous peoples hunted its large herds ofbison and other game, especially nearmineral licks. The name "Kentucky" likely comes from the word for "meadow lands" inIroquoian, but has several other possible origins.[citation needed] Europeans adopted the name to apply to the state. "Bluegrass" is a common name given in the United States for grass of thePoa genus, the most famous being theKentucky bluegrass.[7]
During the decades which followed theAmerican Revolutionary War (1775–1783), Americans settled in great numbers in the region. They migrated mostly fromVirginia. By 1800 these planters noticed that horses grazed in the Bluegrass region were more hardy than those from other regions; this is due to the soil's highcalcium content.[8] Within decades of increased settlement, the remaining herds of bison had moved west. The breeding ofThoroughbred horses was developed in the region, as well as of other quality livestock. Kentucky livestock was driven toTennessee and other areas of theOhio River valley for sale.
Planters, supported byslave labor, also cultivated major commodity crops on plantations, such astobacco,hemp (seeHemp in Kentucky), and grapes (seeKentucky wine). The first commercialwinery in the United States was opened in the Bluegrass region in 1801, in present-dayJessamine County by a group of Swiss immigrants.[9] It was authorized by theKentucky General Assembly.
Since theantebellum years, the region has been a center for breeding quality livestock,especially thoroughbred race horses. Since the late 20th century, the area has become increasingly developed with residential and commercial properties, particularly aroundLexington, the business center. Farms are losing ground to development and slowly disappearing. In 2006, theWorld Monuments Fund included the Bluegrass region on its global list of100 most endangered sites.
AlthoughBluegrass music is popular throughout the region, the genre is named after the bandBill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys, which in turn took their name from the state nickname of Kentucky.
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