author
1869–1962
A Kentucky historian and researcher, she spent decades turning local stories, early rail history, and family records into lively, accessible books. Her work preserves the texture of nineteenth-century Kentucky in a way that still feels close and readable.
by Maude Ward Lafferty
Born in 1869 in Cynthiana, Kentucky, she was known for careful historical research and a deep interest in her home state. University of Kentucky archival records say she graduated from high school in Cynthiana and later attended a convent school in Paris, Kentucky.
Her writing centered on Kentucky history and heritage. Among the works linked to her are The Lure of Kentucky, the railroad history A Pioneer Railway of the West, and later historical and genealogical studies, including work on frontier families and Revolutionary-era Kentucky.
Archival sources also show that she served as secretary of club service in the University of Kentucky's Department of Extension from 1924 to 1940. She was married to Judge William Thornton Lafferty, and her papers—covering research files, manuscripts, correspondence, and historical notes—are preserved at the University of Kentucky, reflecting a long life devoted to documenting the state's past.