Every so often, an author comes along who reminds us why we love what we do, someone who doesn’t just write about Kentucky, but lives it. Today, that person was Medina P. Dean, M.Ed.
Medina is the author of From Wilderness to Commonwealth: 1750–1792 — Kentucky’s Early Story Through Today’s Historic Sites, a beautiful, research-rich journey through the early years of our state’s history. What makes her story so special is that this project wasn’t written from behind a desk, it was discovered one trip at a time, as she and her daughter set out to explore Kentucky’s landmarks firsthand.
Together, they visited historic homes, battlegrounds, cemeteries, and courthouses, uncovering the people and places that shaped our Commonwealth. Along the way, Medina turned those experiences into stories that connect the dots between our past and the world we live in today.
Her love for history began through genealogy, tracing her family roots back to the early 1800s and even to the American Revolution. That connection inspired her to dig deeper, travel farther, and share her discoveries through her website, Kentucky Historic Travels, where she continues to explore and write about the fascinating stories hidden in every Kentucky town.
We first met Medina this past summer when she stopped by The Kentucky Bookstore during a trip through Anderson County. From the moment she walked in, we knew she was something special. She spoke about her work with such enthusiasm that we couldn’t wait to feature her books and today’s signing proved why. Medina has that rare gift of turning history into something you can feel. She greeted every visitor with a smile, sharing her adventures like old friends swapping stories around a kitchen table.
And now, Medina is continuing the journey with her brand new book, The Growth of Kentucky: From Frontier Taverns to Farming Estates, 1792–1862. Picking up where her first book left off, this second volume explores Kentucky’s first seventy years as a state from the early capital debates and frontier taverns to the family farms that built the foundation of modern Kentucky.
Her writing reminds us that history isn’t just something in textbooks, it’s right here, all around us, waiting to be rediscovered.
Having Medina here at The Kentucky Bookstore was more than just a signing. It was a reminder of what makes Kentucky’s stories so powerful: the people who love them enough to keep them alive.
We have more of the From Wilderness to Commonwealth books available in the store fand her newest release, The Growth of Kentucky, will be on our shelves next several weeks.
Gail
The Kentucky Bookstore
126 South Main – Lawrenceburg, KY