Historical Marker
Benedict Joseph Flaget (1763-1850)
A priest for 62 years, the "First Bishop of the West" became Bishop of Bardstown, 1810; of Louisville, 1841. Jurisdiction embraced area of Ky., Tenn., and old Northwest Territory. Flaget directed founding of colleges, congregations, and St. Joseph's Cathedral; witnessed ten dioceses formed from region. Bishop buried in Louisville.
Kentucky is home to Mammoth Cave National Park, the world's longest known cave system with over 400 miles of explored passages.