Welcome to the America250 Little Miss Liberty Spencer County Contest!
This fun and patriotic contest celebrates creativity, pride, and the voices of our young girls (ages 0-12) in Spencer County. Contestants should live or go to school in Spencer County. There is no formal live pageant — just submit a photo, a short video (30 seconds or less), and join us for the live winner reveal on July 4th at 4pm in the Main tent on Main Street in Taylorsville, KY!
Age Categories (Age on July 4, 2026)
Tiny Miss Liberty (0–4)
Mini Miss Liberty (5–8)
Little Miss Liberty (9–12)
There will be one winner for each category, and one overall winner. There are no prizes and no participation gifts. There will be a certificate for each winner and the pride of being recognized in front of their community.
How to Participate
Upload Patriotic Photo (REQUIRED) JPG or PNG only. Please upload one clear full body photo of the contestant in her most patriotic outfit or theme.
Upload the link to your 30 second or less, unlisted YouTube 30‑Second Video: “What Freedom Means to Me” (REQUIRED) Double check video viewing permissions before you submit. Tips: Have a friend check by sending the link to them. Try to keep your child’s face the main focus of the video. The video does not need to be fancy, just genuine.
Civil War Spencer County: Sites, Stories, Cemeteries & the Buffalo Soldier From Little Mount
Spencer County’s Civil War era lives on in roadside markers, church steeples, quiet cemeteries, and in the brief but remarkable life of a Buffalo Soldier whose headstone still stands in Little Mount. This guide takes visitors from downtown Taylorsville to the rural ridges where history survives in stone, soil, and story.
1) Downtown Taylorsville: Markers That Tell the War
The Courthouse Burned (January 1865)
A historical marker on the courthouse lawn explains how guerrillas set fire to the Spencer County Courthouse during one of the final, chaotic months of the Civil War. Federal scouts pursued the raiders toward Mt. Eden the next morning, but the courthouse was lost—though its records survived.
All Saints Catholic Church (Established 1830)
Just a short walk from the courthouse stands All Saints Catholic Church, Spencer County’s only Catholic parish. Founded in the 1830s, the parish witnessed the courthouse burning and remains one of the county’s oldest continuously active religious institutions.
Local tradition: Parishioners have long repeated this story. The night of the Courthouse burning by Confederate raiders, the city fathers were meeting within All Saints Catholic Church. Somehow they recieved word that the courthouse was to be attacked and so they all ran to collect the record books from the hall. As they ran back to the church with their arms full of papers and books the raiders arrived and because to chase them with bulltefire! A stray bullet struck the church steeple! While the story is not formally documented, it remains one of the community’s most enduring tales and can be verified by the staff at the church. It was just a legend until the original steeple was damaged in a storm. The steeple was taken down and rebuilt on the front of the church. As this was done, a civil war bullet was indeed found and was interred in the structure as it was rebuilt.
Guerrilla Quantrill in Wakefield
Five miles south of Taylorsville, a wayside on KY‑55 marks the spot where William Clarke Quantrill—the infamous guerrilla leader—was ambushed in May 1865. He attempted to flee, was shot and paralyzed, and taken into custody.
How Quantrill reached Louisville: After being wounded in the Wakefield ambush, Quantrill was carried under military guard to the U.S. Military Prison Hospital in Louisville, where he died on June 6, 1865. No surviving documentation specifies how he was transported (wagon, ambulance, or otherwise), only that he was captured in Spencer County and died in Louisville several weeks later.
2) Cemeteries: Where Civil War‑Era Kentuckians Rest
Spencer County’s cemeteries preserve the lives of frontier settlers, enslaved and free African Americans, and families divided by the war. Many of these resting places sit on rural hillsides or behind churches that still serve their communities today.
Little Mount Colored Cemetery (Little Mount) — Historic African American cemetery and burial site of Buffalo Soldier Lewis T. Baker.
Little Mount Cemetery — Adjacent to the Colored Cemetery, with numerous 19th‑century burials.
Pleasant Union Cemetery (Little Mount) — A small rural cemetery historically associated with the Little Mount community.
Elk Creek Baptist Church Cemetery — One of the county’s larger traditional cemeteries.
Riverview Baptist Church Cemetery — Located along Louisville Road in the Cox’s Creek area near the county line.
Briar Ridge Christian Church Cemetery — A historic cemetery on the eastern side of the county near Taylorsville Lake.
Valley Cemetery (Taylorsville) — The city’s principal cemetery, located one mile west of town.
Patrick McGee Pioneer Cemetery (Waterford) — A small pioneer cemetery containing some of the county’s earliest settlers.
Carlin Family Cemetery (Normandy) — A private family burial ground on rural property east of the Normandy community.
Yoder Farm Cemetery — A small private or semi‑private family cemetery without published coordinates.
The Old Taylorsville (Pioneer) Cemetery Historic narrative accounts describe early burials here from the 1830s onward. African American burials were historically located on the southern slope while white burials clustered toward the west. Over the decades the cemetery saw damage, vandalism, and neglect, though local efforts have periodically restored portions of the grounds.
3) Spotlight: Buffalo Soldier Lewis T. Baker (1887–1910)
Lewis T. Baker was born in Spencer County in January 1887 to A.B. (“Oscar”) Baker and Mary Avery Baker. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1909 and was assigned to Troop M of the 10th U.S. Cavalry, one of the original “Buffalo Soldier” regiments.
The 10th Cavalry served across the American West, in Cuba during the Spanish‑American War, and in the Philippines. In 1909 the regiment was posted to Fort Ethan Allen in Vermont, where Baker served until his death “in the line of duty” on August 7, 1910, at age 23.
His body was returned home and buried in Little Mount Colored Cemetery, where his headstone reads:
“L.E.W.I.S. T. B.A.K.E.R. CO. M. 10 U.S. CAV.”
His story links Spencer County directly to the national history of African American military service.
4) Notable 19th‑Century Figures of Spencer County
Richard Taylor – Founder of Taylorsville
In 1799, Richard Taylor donated 60 acres at the fork of Brashear’s Creek and the Salt River to establish Taylorsville. Early trustees included Robert Jeffries, George Cravinston, Philip W. Taylor, and Benjamin Bourne.
Captain Spier Spencer – County Namesake
Spier Spencer, leader of the Kentucky “Yellow Jackets,” was killed in the 1811 Battle of Tippecanoe. Spencer County, founded in 1824, honors his name.
George Gilmore Gilbert (1849–1909)
Born in Taylorsville, Gilbert became a lawyer, served as Spencer County’s prosecuting attorney, then in the Kentucky State Senate, and represented Kentucky in the U.S. House of Representatives for four consecutive terms (1899–1907).
5) Self‑Guided Heritage Tour (Half‑Day)
Courthouse Lawn (Downtown Taylorsville): Begin with the “Courthouse Burned” marker.
All Saints Catholic Church: Walk uphill to the church built in the 1830s and explore parish history.
Wakefield (KY‑55): Visit the Quantrill ambush marker.
Little Mount: Explore the Little Mount Colored Cemetery (Lewis T. Baker’s grave), Little Mount Cemetery, and surrounding ridge‑top community.
A Winter Weekend in Taylorsville, Spencer County, KY
When winter settles over Taylorsville Lake and the hills get frosted, Spencer County turns into the most snug, welcoming, heartwarming little getaway in Kentucky. Its a safe quick jump from Louisville, Frankfort, or Lexington and let me tell you, Spencer County maintains its winter roads like a boss.
Winter Weekend Itinerary
Enjoy this magical little weekend plan. It’s what I would do with my husband and kiddos if I were visiting Taylorsville!
Friday Night: Margaritas & Music
El Lago Bar & Grill
Start with margaritas and Friday‑night music at El Lago Bar & Grill.
Insider Tip: Be sure to order in advance, place your order on Friday night to ensure Saturday night pickup!
Bubbles + Bourbon
Sip JD Shelburne’s Signature Series Bourbon in your Edgewater cottage’s hot tub for a toasty, relaxed evening. If you are extra lucky it will snow! Distillery Partner: https://www.inclusion-brand.com/ [jdshelburne.com][inclusion-brand.com]
Pick up a bottle at Good Time Liquor: 5471 Taylorsville Road / Fisherville, KY
Store Page: https://www.allinonepaint.com/heirloom-traditions-company-store Hours & Address: https://www.allinonepaint.com/ Local Feature: https://visittaylorsville.com/tag/heirloom-paints/
After a weekend in Taylorsville you will head home, happy and relaxed. There is nothing quite like a small-town reset to focus on what truly matters!
See you soon! Kat (Mom of 4, Small-Town enthusiast, Tourism Director)
