Pete, Legendary Talking Crow

Georgetown, Kentucky

He was only in town from 1829 and 1832, but Pete the Talking Crow left behind an enduring, obnoxious bird legend. Hat shop owner Dave Adams would attend horse races with his crow Pete, who developed the habit of yelling "Go!" at the horses. Accounts at the time claim after repeated false starts, officials were forced to use a bell instead of a shout to start the horses.

The crow was shot in 1832 by a boy visiting town (Pete didn't have time to yell anything) and was buried in a coffin in an unmarked grave at Georgetown College.

You can still experience Pete. An animatronic version of the bird entertains children at the Georgetown-Scott County Museum. He talks -- but in Japanese, ever since he was programmed for a sister city visit in Japan, funded by Toyota, a large manufacturing presence in Georgetown.