Owensboro Kentucky
Founded in Daviess County in the area known as Yellow Banks in reference
to the color of the soil on the banks of the Ohio River in that area.
in1806, Owensbough was named for Colonel Abraham Owen, The name was
changed in 1816. The town’s name was changed again in 1893 to Owensboro.
The town was nearly named Rossborough for Virginian David Ross, but that
proposal was shot down by the Kentucky Legislature.
Owensboro is the third largest city in Kentucky in terms of population.
Located on the busiest commercial waterway in the US, The Ohio River..
The City offers barge service and warehousing here and is a key
transportation hub for the rest of the county. An excellent highway
system around the city of over 53,000 has also helped provide steady
growth in recent years.
Owensboro has become the industrial hub of Western Kentucky. The city
actively promotes economic development and has attracted major
manufacturers to the area. Aluminum, distilling, coal mining, steel, and
natural gas join transportation as the major industries in Owensboro and
Daviss County. Other products produced locally include chewing tobacco,
paper products, office furniture, wire, truck frames, spaghetti sauce
and small electric motors. This diversity makes Owensboro a hot
commodity, and the land around it. Aggressive annexation insures
stability, and the city co-ordinates with area business in developing
land around the city The Carter Road/Airport Corridor is a perfect
example of city government working with business to benefit the citizens
of the community. A 40 million dollar airport expansion is another that
helps serve the citizens, aid business, and attract new business and
retain existing business. This helps keep unemployment down in the area,
and it is on par with the national and state averages.
Owensboro is known to some as the city of churches to some. More than
150 Protestant churches, 18 Catholic churches and a synagogue serve the
communities of Daviss County.
Owensboro is a city that likes it’s leisure time. There are festivals
year round. One of the biggest is the Motor Sports Festival, held each
August, and goes on for 10 days. Owensboro has produced six NASCAR
drivers, more that anywhere else in the world. Another can’t miss
festival is the International Bar B Que Festival in May. 80,000 people
attend the two day event at which 10 tons of mutton, 1500 gallons of
burgoo and 5,000 chickens are prepared as teams compete for the honors
of best Bar B Que.
Author Ron Stemple
Copyright 2006, Ron Dowell |
