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Lexington in Fayette County, Kentucky — The American South (East South Central)
 

Class Competitions
⎯⎯⎯
Tug of War

 
 
Class Competitions Marker side image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, July 23, 2022
1. Class Competitions Marker side
Inscription. Class Competitions On American campuses in the 1900s, freshman and sophomore classes had a variety of competitions. The University of Kentucky was no exception. An early rivalry was the annual flag rush in which one class would defend their flag from being captured by a rush of competitors. Replacing the annual flag rush in 1913 was the tug of war across Clifton Pond.

Tug of War Students were granted a half-day holiday for the annual drenching, and crowds could reach more than 2,000 for the event. The freshman class was usually victorious in the battle until teams of equal size were established in 1923. Seniors supervised to ensure fair play, and the victors would storm downtown in celebration.
Class of 2012

 
Erected 2013 by Kentucky Historical Society. (Marker Number 2392.)
 
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: EducationSports. In addition, it is included in the Kentucky Historical Society series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1913.
 
Location. 38° 2.014′ N, 84° 30.176′ W. Marker is in Lexington, Kentucky, in Fayette County. It can be reached from Hilltop
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Avenue north of University Drive, on the right when traveling north. Marker is in the quad area between William T. Young Library and Rose Street Garage on the University of Kentucky campus. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Lexington KY 40508, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Kentucky’s Bluegrass Region. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Desegregation of UK / Lyman T. Johnson (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Haggin Hall (about 700 feet away); Herman L. Donovan / Donovan Hall (about 800 feet away); Maxwell Place (approx. 0.2 miles away); WBKY/WUKY (approx. Ό mile away); Kentucky Kernel (approx. Ό mile away); Margaret Isadora King / Margaret I. King Library (approx. Ό mile away); What's in a Name? (approx.
Tug of War Marker side image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, July 23, 2022
2. Tug of War Marker side
Ό mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Lexington.
 
Also see . . .  Class Competitions/Tug of War. A flash of inspiration by the University of Kentucky's second president resulted in the annual test of strength between the freshman and sophomore classes. (Becky Riddle, ExploreKYHistory) (Submitted on July 27, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.) 
 
Class Competitions / Tug of War Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, July 23, 2022
3. Class Competitions / Tug of War Marker
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on July 27, 2022. It was originally submitted on July 27, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 390 times since then and 23 times this year. Photos:   1, 2, 3. submitted on July 27, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
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Jul. 30, 2026