A Hebron physician who arrived in town with $100 in his pocket went on to deliver more than 3,000 babies, make house calls by horse, sleigh, and Model T, and work seven days a week until his death at 83.
Dr. Samuel "Sam" Nunnelley's story anchors a historical essay published July 27, 2026, in the NKyTribune's "Our Rich History" series. Written by Northern Kentucky University historian Paul A. Tenkotte, the piece profiles three Northern Kentucky country doctors whose careers spanned the early 1900s through the 1960s and draws a line between their era and the rural healthcare shortage facing Kentucky.
A practice built on Bullittsville Road
Nunnelley graduated from the University of Louisville Medical School and set up shop in Hebron in January 1909. His home and office sat at 400 Bullittsville Road, several hundred feet back from the road. He was one of just 13 physicians serving all of Boone County at the time.
Over nearly six decades, he reached patients however he could. The Kentucky Post profiled him on July 15, 1964, when he was 80 and still seeing patients every day of the week. Reporter Ed Rust's story carried the headline "A country doctor — 3000 babies later!" Nunnelley continued practicing until his death in 1967.
Worn-out cars and barter payments
Tenkotte's essay also profiles Dr. Charles Petty of Independence, who told the Kentucky Post in a December 26, 1951, interview: "I have nearly worn out at least 30 autos." Petty was 86 and still practicing at the time. He died in 1957.
A third physician, Dr. Charles Robert Slater of Erlanger, practiced for nearly 60 years, delivered approximately 2,800 infants, and provided more than 400,000 treatments before retiring in 1939.
Before health insurance existed, Tenkotte writes, these doctors accepted barter — poultry, vegetables, firewood — as payment and treated the poor for free. They pulled teeth, performed emergency surgeries, and mixed their own medicines before penicillin was available.
A shortage that echoes
A 1957 Kentucky Post editorial published after Petty's death warned that "the ranks of the like of Dr. Petty are thinning fast." Tenkotte argues the warning still applies. ECRI, a national patient safety organization, ranked reduced access to rural healthcare as the No. 2 patient safety concern in its 2026 report, noting that more than 60% of primary care shortage areas are rural. Kentucky Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman said in February 2026 that the state faces a 10,000-nurse shortage.
The full essay is available at nkytribune.com.
Upcoming community events
- Thursday, July 30 — Storytime in the Park, Petersburg Community Park Shelter, 10–11 a.m., free, ages 2–5.
- Saturday, August 1 — Crafts & Classics Festival, Bell Park and Historic Main Street Fire Station, Florence, 9 a.m.–1 p.m., free admission. Over 60 vendor booths, food trucks, and a car show. Parking at Florence Christian Church.
- Saturday, August 8 — Summer Concert Series: Tom the Torpedoes (Tom Petty cover band), Boone Woods Park Amphitheater, 7–8:30 p.m., free.
- Saturday, August 8 — Boone County's Got Talent, Boone Woods Park Amphitheater, noon–2 p.m., free. Submit a video to [email protected].
- Saturday, August 15 — Dinosaur Day with Dad, Boone Woods Park Shelter 3, 10–11 a.m., $10/person, ages 4–7. Register at boonecountyky.org/parks or 859-334-2117.
