Did You Know the Nation’s Capital Was Almost a City in Kentucky?

You may find the reason I need to visit Washington DC unusual, but here it is. The only time I've never been was when I was four-years-old. Richard Nixon was president at the time. Yes, I need to return.

And you know what? I still have vague memories of the visit. I remember watching the guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier; I remember marveling at the Lincoln Memorial; and I remember being in the White House. Again...vague. And it's not a long trip--I mean, relatively speaking. Plus, I never do mind road trips if the destination is worth it.

But had things turned out differently, my drive to the nation's capital would only take little more than three hours.

How Our Nation's Capital Was Chosen

A series I remember called How States Got Their Shapes told us why state's capitals aren't necessarily their most populous cities. Frankfort, for example, isn't even among the 10 most populated cities in Kentucky, but it is the center of Commonwealth government. (The explanation is that capital cities, for the most part, are centrally located.) A similar criterion was part of why Washington DC was selected back in 1790.

With that in mind, would it surprise you to learn that the nation's capital was ALMOST in Kentucky which has always seemed to be the midpoint between the North and the South?

That's right, and it was Richmond, a half-hour's drive south of Lexington, that nearly got the call.

However, its consideration was short-lived as it didn't have easy (or ANY?) access to a seaport the way Washington had and has thanks to the Potomac River.

I've visited Richmond recently. It's a beautiful college town; Eastern Kentucky University calls it home. But, it's place in governmental history is simply as the seat of Madison County. And I think it's fine with that.