Paducah Kentucky
Paducah was founded on the banks of the Ohio River just below the mouth
of the Tennessee River in the Jackson Purchase region of Western
Kentucky. The seat of McCracken County, General George Rogers Clark
claimed 37,000 acres with a Virginia treasury warrant. The town was
originally called Pekin, and was also claimed by the Porterfield family
with a Virginia military order. The dispute was settled by the Supreme
Court, soon after Clark’s death, and title was transferred to his
younger brother William Lewis of Lewis and Clark fame. William plotted
out a town in 1827. The town was named Chief Paduke of a subtribe of the
Chickasaw Indians. A statue erected in his honor by Lorado Taft in 1909
stands at Jefferson Blvd and 19th Streets today. A duplicate statue can
be seen in a fountain in front of Union Station in Washington D.C. Much
like all the cities and towns in Kentucky, Paducah has great
architecture and historical markers throughout the city.
With approximately 30,000 inhabitants, Paducah is largest city in the
sparsely Jackson Purchase area. It’s river front location led to
exponential growth early on. The influx of manufacturing began with a
barge maker set up shop in 1854 and is still the cities 3rd largest
employer. Many jobs are in the transportation industry currently that is
changing to service sector jobs. In 1948 the U.S. government built a
uranium enrichment plant which still operates today.
Paducah has had it’s share of disasters over the years. Located very
near a fault line which gives them seismic activity now and then, has
been the site of three major earthquake, the last coming in 1895. In
1937 eighteen inches of rain fell over a sixteen day period. The river
rose well past it’s 50 foot flood stage to nearly 69 inched. Residents
abandon their homes and did not return for three weeks as the water
slowly receded. Not all disasters are natural. A horrific schooling
occurred in 1997 just outside of Paducah. Three girls were killed and
five other people were injured by the gun fire.
Murals on the flood wall at the river depict scenes of the area’s
history. Quilting is very popular here. Museums, festivals, conventions
dedicated to quilting are numerous and Paducah is known as the Quilt
Capital of The World in some circles.
Author Ron Stemple
Copyright 2006, Ron Dowell |
