Bardstown in Nelson County, Kentucky — The American South (East South Central)

Daniel Arthur Rudd

— Kentucky Black Trailblazers —

Photographed by Mark Parker, August 18, 2025

1. Daniel Arthur Rudd Marker

Inscription. Explore the remarkable life of Daniel Arthur Rudd, a pioneering entrepreneur, author, and advocate. Born into slavery in 1854 in Bardstown, KY, he established the Ohio Tribune, the inaugural newspaper dedicated to the Black Community. Despite encountering racism and anti-Catholicism, his publication championed eduction and progress for Black individuals. His impactful contributions endure

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Arts, Letters, Music • Civil Rights. A significant historical year for this entry is 1854.

Location. 37° 48.761′ N, 85° 27.828′ W. Marker is in Bardstown, Kentucky, in Nelson County. It is on North 2nd Street north of East Maidens Alley, on the right when traveling north. Location of the marker is the former Union Church, now site of the Bardstown-Nelson County African American Heritage Museum. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 317 N 2nd St, Bardstown KY 40004, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Greater Louisville Area.

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: Bardstown's First Church (here, next to this marker); Union Church (here, next to this marker); Lt. General Harold G. Moore Jr. (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Alexander Walters (1858-1917) (about 400 feet away); “A Pretty Close Call”

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

(about 700 feet away); Twenty-Five Damned Yankees (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Cobblestone Path (approx. 0.2 miles away); Salem Academy (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Bardstown.

Also see . . .
1. Daniel Arthur Rudd.

Daniel Arthur Rudd, born into slavery on August 7, 1854, in Bardstown, Kentucky, rose to become a formidable figure in journalism and civil rights advocacy. After emancipation, he co-founded the “American Catholic Tribune” with physician Jane Winston, creating a platform for a national Black Catholic newspaper that addressed the pressing issues of the time.

(Submitted on September 2, 2025, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina.)

2. Daniel Arthur Rudd. Click on the link and follow the instructions to see part of Rudd's story in "Augmented Reality" (Submitted on September 2, 2025, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina.)

Daniel Arthur Rudd Marker at the former Union Church image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Parker, August 18, 2025

2. Daniel Arthur Rudd Marker at the former Union Church

Site is now the Bardstown-Nelson County African American Heritage Museum

Credits. This page was last revised on September 4, 2025. It was originally submitted on September 2, 2025, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. This page has been viewed 89 times since then and 20 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 2, 2025, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. • James Hulse was the editor who published this page.