Governor William Goebel Statue

The statue of Governor William Goebel in front of the Old State Capitol is a reminder of the deeply divided politics of Kentucky at the end of the 19th century. After a bitterly contested election, Goebel, the Democratic contestant, was shot as he approached the steps to the Capitol by an unidentified assailant hiding in an office in the Old Capitol Annex next door. The legislature declared Goebel the winner. He was sworn in on his death bed and was quickly succeeded by his running mate, J.C. W. Beckham. Goebel was a champion of workers’ rights, especially the rights of railroad workers.