The northernmost county along Kentucky’s uneven northern border (which is also the south bank of the Ohio River) is named after famous local frontiersman Daniel Boone.

Among Boone County’s cities, Florence is the largest. But its most interesting undoubtedly is the small unincorporated municipality of Rabbit Hash.

Originally known as Carlton, the town’s citizens decided in 1847 to rename it to honor one of the more delectable local culinary delights.

Not only is the town’s name quite colorful, so apparently are its 300 residents. In 1998 they decided it was time for Rabbit Hash to start electing a mayor.

The winner of that first mayoral election was one Goofy Borneman-Coleman, a local dog “of unknown parentage.” Mayor Borneman-Coleman was supposed to serve a term of four years but he unfortunately died in office in July 2001 at the ripe old age of 16.

Unfortunate, too, was the sad fact that Rabbit Hash did not have a vice mayor to assume the town’s highest office, so the post remained vacant.

In 2004, however, the town filled its leadership void by electing Junior Cochrane, a black Labrador retriever, as the town’s second mayor. Mayor Cochrane also died in office – in May 2008.

The city held a special election that August and the voters chose the town’s first female mayor, a border collie named Lucy Lou. Mayor Lou served for eight years!

In 2016 another female, Brynneth Pawltro, a pit bull, won the mayor’s race; she was succeeded in 2020 by Wilber Beast, a French bulldog.

Meanwhile, Rabbit Hashians decided to anoint all candidates for mayor who did not win to be the town’s official “ambassadors.”

Current Rabbit Hash ambassadors include Jack Rabbit (a beagle), Poppy (a golden retriever), and Lady Stone (a border collie).

Rabbit Hash, Kentucky, seems to be an interesting place indeed! If I ever find myself in the neighborhood, I think I’ll go down to city hall and pet the mayor. If I take him a box of doggie treats, perhaps he’ll give me a key to the city!