This painting by Fred Thrasher depicting the Lost River Cave and mill was a big part of the fundraising that helped establish Lost River Cave as a tourist destination.

Fred Thrasher, the Clinton County artist whose 1991 painting titled “Lost River Cave and Mill” helped fuel the fundraising that established Bowling Green’s Lost River Cave as a tourist destination, died July 17. He was 83.

As the Friends of Lost River organization was trying to fund the restoration of the cave in the late 1980s, recalled local real estate auctioneer Ken Byrd, they enlisted the help of Thrasher.

“I grew up in Clinton County and had known him (Thrasher) since I was young,” Byrd said. “I told Fred what we had in mind, and in a couple of months he unveiled the painting. It was a beautiful painting that depicted the cave in the early 1900s.”

Byrd said the Friends of Lost River had a goal of raising $10,000 through selling the 1,500 prints of Thrasher’s painting.

“We passed $10,000 fast,” said Byrd, who doesn’t recall the total amount raised from the painting. “That helped turn Lost River into a wonderful tourist attraction.”

Byrd said helping a nonprofit like Friends of Lost River was typical of Thrasher, who worked for years selling insurance before devoting his time to painting.

“He was a great artist and very talented,” Byrd said, “but he was a people person, too.”

Thrasher did many paintings that benefitted schools and other organizations in his native Clinton County.

He lived in Bowling Green for a while, Byrd said, and used his talent to benefit the Red Cross and other organizations.

Lost River Cave Executive Director Rho Lansden said Thrasher’s work for the tourist attraction is still evident three decades after the painting was unveiled.

“The painting was done before I came here 22 years ago,” Lansden said. “We still have the original print, and we have postcard-sized versions of it. It was one of the early fundraising initiatives that helped the cave.”

According to an obituary in the Clinton County News, Thrasher’s work was recognized by many past Kentucky governors, and a copy of his “American Heroes” painting was purchased by former President George W. Bush, also an artist.

Thrasher was preceded in death by two sons, Donnie and Danny. He is survived by his wife Betty; four sons, Ronnie, Dennis, Jeff and Freddie; a daughter, Margaret; 16 grandchildren; and several great-grandchildren.