Auctioneer Bud Greenup, of Smiths Grove, is reflected in a mirror before the start of an auction at the former home of former Kentucky governor Louie Nunn near Hiseville, Ky. Saturday morning Aug. 21, 1999. The former governor is relocating to Lexington, Ky. and put thousands of personal items up for sale, including an embroidered office chair from the 1968 Southern Governors Conference seen at right. (Bowling Green Daily News/ Clinton Lewis)

“I’m proud of my heritage and where I grew up,” said Nunn, whose tenure as governor lasted from 1967 to 1971. “My family on my mother’s side settled here in 1792. I went to a one-room schoolhouse near here. I had to walk three miles to get there, but some days I got to ride a pony there. I built this in 1984, hoping to pass it down in my family from generation to generation,” Nunn said, surveying his 12,000-square-foot former residence and the now drought-parched rolling hills that hold so many memories for him. “I wanted it to last. It just didn’t work out that way.”

The Daily News OnlineHISEVILLE – “If you break anything on that table, it’s sold for $8,000!” Auctioneer Bud Greenup’s admonishing shout to onlookers Saturday began the auction that would end an era. More than two centuries after his ancestors settled in the Park community of northern Barren County, former Gov. Louie B. Nunn joined hundreds of onlookers to watch as many of his personal possessions went home with the highest bidder. Among the items for sale were autographed pictures of Presidents Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan posing with Nunn, dishes, area rugs and beautifully decorated firearms.A tide of memories seemed to wash over the only Republican governor the Bluegrass state has seen since 1924. “I’m proud of my heritage and where I grew up,” said Nunn, whose tenure as governor lasted from 1967 to 1971. “My family on my mother’s side settled here in 1792. I went to a one-room schoolhouse near here. I had to walk three miles to get there, but some days I got to ride a pony there.”I built this in 1984, hoping to pass it down in my family from generation to generation,” Nunn said, surveying his 12,000-square-foot former residence and the now drought-parched rolling hills that hold so many memories for him. “I wanted it to last. It just didn’t work out that way.” Nunn recently sold the estate to live in Lexington near his daughter, Jennie Penn. Penn said the sprawling acreage had a great deal of sentimental value for her and her children.”My children are having a hard time with this,” Penn said of the auction and all it meant. “They sort of grew up here. They never wanted to take a vacation they always wanted to come to the farm. They shared a lot of memories here. It’s sad for the family. All these years of connecting and now it has to go.”Curiosity drew many visitors, like Mike Young of Dry Fork, to the huge sale.”I just wanted to see what he had,” Young said. “I probably won’t buy a thing.” Nunn’s collection of antique and limited-edition firearms attracted many others, including Steve Denton of Park City.”Oh, yeah, these are some fine guns,” Denton said, examining a lovingly-polished Winchester rifle personalized for Nunn that was “far too pretty to hunt with. I’d love to have some of these, but because they’re Nunn’s there’s no telling what they’ll go for.”