Paducah, Kentucky
Encyclopedia
Paducah is the largest city in Kentucky
's Jackson Purchase
Region and the county seat
of McCracken County
, Kentucky
, United States
. It is located at the confluence of the Tennessee River
and the Ohio River
, halfway between the metropolitan areas of St. Louis, Missouri
, to the west and Nashville, Tennessee
, to the east. The population was 25,024 at the 2010 census. Twenty blocks of Downtown Paducah have been placed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
Paducah is also the hub for the Paducah Micropolitan Area
and the western Kentucky region, the Paducah micropolitan area includes McCracken, Ballard
, and Livingston
counties in Kentucky and Massac County in Illinois.
Paducah and Chillicothe, Missouri
, are the only two cities named in the world-famous song "Hooray for Hollywood", which opens the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Awards yearly (the Oscars). (Both cities' names were misspelled in the original published lyrics to the song.)
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 20 square miles (51.8 km²), of which 19.9 square miles (51.5 km²) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) (0.52%) is water.
, with an average annual temperature of 57.2°F (14°C). Average annual precipitation is 49.31 inches (125.25 centimeters), and average annual snowfall is 10.6 inches (26.92 centimeters).
Notable snowstorms are the Great Blizzard of 1978
and the Pre-Christmas 2004 snowstorm
. Many snowstorms also hit the area during the very snowy winter of 2002-2003.
Paducah is also prone to ice storms. Two hit the area two weeks apart in February 2008. The crippling and catastrophic January 2009 Central Plains and Midwest ice storm
also struck the area, and was by far, the most devastating.
The highest recorded temperature in Paducah was 106°F (41°C), recorded on June 30, 1952 and July 28, 1952. The lowest recorded temperature was -15°F (-26°C), recorded on January 20, 1985.
and white settlers who were attracted by its location at the confluence of many waterway
s.
According to legend, Chief Paduke, most likely a Chickasaw
, welcomed the people traveling down the Ohio
and Tennessee
on flatboats. His wigwam
, located on a low bluff at the mouth of Island Creek, served as the counsel lodge for his village
. The settlers, appreciative of his hospitality
, and respectful of his ways, settled across the creek.
The two communities lived in harmony
trading goods and services enjoying the novelty of each other's culture
. The settlers had brought horse
s and mule
s which they used to pull the flatboats upstream to farm
s, logging
camps, trading post
s and other settlement
s along the waterways, establishing a primitive, but thriving economy
.
This cultural interaction continued until William Clark, famed leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition
, arrived in 1827 with a title
deed
to the land upon which Pekin sat. Clark was the superintendent of Native American affairs for the Mississippi-Missouri River region. He asked the Chief and the settlers to move along, which they did, offering little resistance probably because the deed was issued by the United States Supreme Court. Though the deed cost only $5.00 to process, it carried with it the full authority of the U. S. Government backed by the United States Army
.
Clark surveyed his new property and laid out the grid for a new town
which remains evident to this day. The Chief and his villagers moved to Mississippi
allowing Clark to continue with the building of the new city which he named Paducah in honor of the Chief. Upon completion of the plat, Clark sent envoys to Mississippi to invite Chief Paduke back to a ribbon-cutting ceremony
, but he died of malaria
in the boat while making the return trip. The settlers had been allowed to purchase tracts within the new grid but most of them moved on to less developed areas.
in 1830, and because of the dynamics of the waterways, it offered valuable port facilities for the steam boats that traversed the river system. A factory for making red brick
s, and a Foundry
for making rail
and locomotive
components became the nucleus of a thriving River and Rail industrial
economy.
After a period of nearly exponential growth
, Paducah was chartered as a city
in 1856. It became the site of dry dock
facilities for steamboat
s and towboat
s and thus headquarters for many barge
line companies. Because of its proximity to coalfield
s further to the east in Kentucky
and north in Illinois
, Paducah also became an important railway hub
for the Illinois Central Railroad
, the primary north-south railway connecting Chicago
and East St. Louis
to the Gulf of Mexico
at Gulfport, Mississippi
. The IC system also provided east-west links to Burlington Northern Railroad
and Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
lines (which later merged to become the BNSF Railway
).
on September 6, 1861, forces under Union
General Ulysses S. Grant
captured Paducah, which gave the Union control of the mouth of the Tennessee River
. Throughout most of the war, US Colonel Stephen G. Hicks
was in charge of Paducah and massive Union supply depot
s and dock facilities for the gunboat
s and supply ships that supported Federal forces along the Ohio, Mississippi and Tennessee River systems.
On December 17, 1862, under the terms of General Order No. 11, thirty Jewish families, longtime residents all, were forced from their homes. Cesar Kaskel, a prominent local Jewish businessman, dispatched a telegram to President Lincoln
, and met with him, eventually succeeding in getting the order revoked.
On March 25, 1864, Confederate
General Nathan Bedford Forrest
raided Paducah as part of his campaign Northward from Mississippi
into Western Tennessee and Kentucky to re-supply the Confederate forces in the region with recruits, ammunition, medical supplies, horses and mules and to generally upset the Union
domination of the regions south of the Ohio River
. The raid was successful in terms of the re-supply effort and in intimidating the Union, but Forrest returned south.
Later, Forrest, having read in the newspapers that 140 fine horses had escaped the raid, sent Brigadier General Abraham Buford back to Paducah, to get the horses and to keep Union forces busy there while he attacked Fort Pillow.
On April 14, 1864, Buford's men found the horses hidden in a foundry as the newspapers reported. Buford rejoined Forrest with the spoils, leaving the Union in control of Paducah until the end of the War.
at Paducah rose above its 50-foot flood stage on January 21, cresting at 60.8 feet on February 2 and receding again to 50-feet on February 15. For nearly three weeks, 27,000 residents were forced to flee to stay with friends and relatives in higher ground in McCracken County or in other counties. Some shelters were provided by the American Red Cross
and local churches. Buildings in downtown Paducah still bear plaques that highlight the high water marks.
With 18 inches of rainfall in 16 days, along with sheets of swiftly moving ice the '37 flood was the worst natural disaster
in Paducah's history. Because Paducah's earthen levee was ineffective against this flood, the United States Army Corps of Engineers
was commissioned to build the flood wall
that now protects the city from the ravages of flooding.
selected Paducah as the site for a new Uranium enrichment Plant. Construction began in 1951 and began operations in 1952. The plant, originally operated by Union Carbide
has changed hands several times to Martin Marieta, Lockheed-Martin, and is now operated by the United States Enrichment Corporation
. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), successor to the AEC
, remains the owner.
On April 25, 1991, the American Quilter's Society
located its Museum - MAQS in downtown Paducah. Each spring, during the Dogwood
season, quilt
enthusiasts from all over the world flock to Paducah for the Society's annual event. The Quilt Show is one of Paducah's largest events of the year and draws large revenue in tourism. Hotels for miles around the city fill up months in advance of the show.
The museum was honored in May 2008 when the congressional designation as The National Quilt Museum of the United States was bestowed. May Louise Zumwalt, Executive Director of the Museum, said recently “Though it does not mean we will receive national funding, it does recognize that we are a quilt museum with national significance.” This designation brings additional attention and helps increase the number of visitors. The Museum currently averages 40,000 visitors per year from across the country and at least 25 foreign countries.
affiliate, hold an annual telethon to raise money for local charities. The money raised over the past 49 years has totaled more than $18,000,000 as of 2005. Talent throughout the years has been very diversified including:
program was begun by Louisiana
mural artist Robert Dafford
and his team on the floodwall in downtown. The over 50 murals cover a number of subjects, including Native American history
, industries such as river barge
s and hospitals, local African-American heritage, the old Carnegie Library
on Broadway St., steamboats
, and local labor unions. In May 2003 photographer Jim Roshan documented painting on the Lewis and Clark Expedition
mural during the America 24/7
project. One of the images was used in the book Kentucky24/7 published in 2004. By 2008 the project was in mainly a maintenance phase, with muralist Herb Roe
returning to town each year to repaint and refurbish the panels. Roe is the only muralist associated with the project to have worked on all of the panels. A new mural was added to the project by Roe in the summer of 2010. It shows the 100 year history of the local Boy Scout
troop. Troop 1 is one of only a handful of troops who share their centennial with the centennial of the national scouting organization itself. The dedication for the mural was held on National Scout Sunday, February 6, 2011.
In August 2000, Paducah’s "Artist Relocation Program" was started to offer incentives for artist
s to relocate to its historical Downtown and Lower Town areas. The program has become a national model for using the arts
for economic development
, and has been awarded the Governors Award in the Arts, The Kentucky Chapter of the American Planning Association Distinguished Planning Award, The American Planning Association
National Planning Award, and most recently Kentucky League of Cities' Enterprise Cities Award.
Lower Town, home of the Artist Relocation Program, is the oldest neighborhood in Paducah. As retail commerce moved toward the outskirts of town, efforts were made to preserve the architectural stylings, restoring the historic Victorian
structures in the older parts of the city. The program helped that effort and became a catalyst for revitalizing the Downtown area. The Luthor F. Carson Center for the Performing Arts was also constructed.
In September 2004 plans jelled to highlight Paducah's musical roots
through the redevelopment of the South side of Downtown. The centerpiece of the effort is the renovation of Maggie Steed's Hotel Metropolitan, where legends such as Louis Armstrong
, Duke Ellington
, Cab Calloway
, Chick Webb
's orchestra, B.B. King, Bobby "Blue" Bland, Ike and Tina Turner and other R & B and Blues
legends polished their craft along what has become known as the Chitlin' circuit
. Using this genre as a foundation, supporters hope to advertise Paducah's role in the history of American music.
Another mainstay and regional attraction is the annual OMGcon
, an anime
and gaming
convention
held in Paducah since 2006, drawing in attendees from across the United States.
, the greatest selling Christian
artist of all time. Rockabilly Hall of Fame artists Ray Smith, whose recording of Rockin' Little Angel was a hit in 1960 and Stanley Walker, who played guitar for Ray Smith and others. Terry Mike Jeffrey
, who has been showcased on national television is a resident of Paducah.
The local community boasts an"underground" musical environment, with acts finding some success due to the recent promotion of musical growth in the city with the new Middletown project. The plan is similar to the Lowertown Artist District. The focal point of Middletown will be the Metropolitan Hotel, where many blues and jazz musicians played during the mid-20th century.
The town celebrates its local musicians many times in the year, but most notably during its annual Summer Festival and the Rock The Vote
-sponsored Paducahpalooza festival. The Luther F. Carson Four Rivers Center is a beautiful new addition to downtown Paducah, hosting various musical artists, theater productions and local musical acts.
Paducah is one of only two cities named in the world-famous song "Hooray for Hollywood" that opens the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Awards (The Oscars). The 1937 song, with music by Richard Whiting and lyrics by Johnny Mercer, contains in the second verse: "Hooray for Hollywood! That phony, super Coney, Hollywood. They come from Chilicothes and Padukahs..."
Both cities were misspelled in the original published lyrics, though that may have been the fault of the publishers rather than Mercer, who was famous for the sophistication and attention to detail he put into his lyrics. The correct spellings are, of course, "Chillicothe" and "Paducah".
See also: Urban planning
, Gentrification
, MyNetworkTV affiliate WDKA
, Fox affiliate KBSI
, and regional daily newspaper The Paducah Sun
, both owned by Paxton Media Group
. Six radio stations call Paducah home with half of the stations owned by Bristol Broadcasting Company
, while weekly newspapers the West Kentucky News and Lone Oak News also enjoy significant readership. A National Weather Service
Forecast Office is based in Paducah, providing weather information to western Kentucky, southeastern Missouri
, southern Illinois
, and southwestern Indiana
. A bi-monthly magazine by the name of Paducah Life (http://www.paducahlife.com/) debuted in 1994 and continues publication today. The magazine features articles about life and residents in and around Paducah. Paducah Parenting and Family Magazine, a monthly publication distributed throughout Western Kentucky, Southern Illinois, and parts of Missouri and Tennessee, debuted in 2004(http://www.paducahparenting.com/). In 2009 PaducahLIVE.com (http://www.paducahlive.com/) became the first video based online presence to offer features, entertainment, and information about the area
of 2010, there were 25,024 people, 11,462 households, and 6,071 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,251.0 people per square mile (483.0/km²). There were 12,851 housing units at an average density of 642.5 per square mile (248.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 70.99% White
(69.66% non-Hispanic
), 23.67% African American
, 0.22% Native American
, 1.02% Asian
, 0.02% Pacific Islander
, 1.07% from other races, and 3.01% from two or more races
. Hispanics or Latinos
of any race were 2.68% of the population.
There were 11,462 households out of which 26.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.5% were married couples
living together, 16.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 47.0% were non-families. 41.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.09 and the average family size was 2.84.
The age distribution was 21.8% under 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 27.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.2% who were 65 or older. The median age was 41.4 years. For every 100 females there were 85.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.2 males.
Income data for Kentucky locations in the 2010 Census has not yet been released. As of the 2000 Census, the median income for a household in the city was $26,137, and the median income for a family was $34,092. Males had a median income of $32,783 versus $21,901 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $18,417. About 18.0% of families and 22.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.8% of those under age 18 and 16.8% of those age 65 or over.
and the Paducah & Louisville Railway has its headquarters in Paducah.
operates public schools serving most of the City of Paducah. Three K-5 elementary schools, Clark Elementary School, McNabb Elementary School, and Morgan Elementary School, serve sections of the city. All district residents are zoned to Paducah Middle School and Paducah Tilghman High School
.
Parts of the city are instead served by the McCracken County Public Schools
. Depending on location, elementary students in those areas may be zoned into Concord, Farley, Lone Oak, or Lone Oak–Hendron Elementary School; middle school students into Heath, Lone Oak, or Reidland Middle School; and high school students into Heath
, Lone Oak
, or Reidland High School. In 2013, the three high schools will consolidate at the new McCracken County High School. The Paducah city district will not participate in this consolidation.
(WKCTC) is a member of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System and is a public, two-year, degree-granting institution serving the Western Region of Kentucky. There are 2000-2500 students enrolled at the college. The University of Kentucky
and Murray State University
have branch campuses there. The college is also the site for the Challenger Center for Space Science Education
and the WKCTC technology center.
on the west side of the city, near Interstate 24
. This is also the site of the Kentucky Oaks Mall
.
This is retail sales per capita of cities in Kentucky:
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
's Jackson Purchase
Jackson Purchase
The Jackson Purchase is a region in the state of Kentucky bounded by the Mississippi River to the west, the Ohio River to the north, and Tennessee River to the east. Although technically part of Kentucky at its statehood in 1792, the land did not come under definitive U.S. control until 1818, when...
Region and the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of McCracken County
McCracken County, Kentucky
McCracken County is a county located in the Jackson Purchase, the extreme western end of the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 65,514. The county seat, largest city, and only incorporated community is Paducah....
, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is located at the confluence of the Tennessee River
Tennessee River
The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately 652 miles long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other names...
and the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
, halfway between the metropolitan areas of St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, to the west and Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, to the east. The population was 25,024 at the 2010 census. Twenty blocks of Downtown Paducah have been placed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
Paducah is also the hub for the Paducah Micropolitan Area
Paducah micropolitan area
The Paducah Micropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of four counties – three in the Jackson Purchase region of Kentucky and one in southern Illinois – anchored by the city of Paducah, Kentucky....
and the western Kentucky region, the Paducah micropolitan area includes McCracken, Ballard
Ballard County, Kentucky
Ballard County is a county located in west of the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was created by the Kentucky State Legislature in 1842, and is named for Captain Bland Ballard, a soldier, statesman, and member of the Kentucky General Assembly. He was one of the few Kentucky volunteers to survive the...
, and Livingston
Livingston County, Kentucky
Livingston County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 9,804. Its county seat is Smithland. The county is named for Robert R. Livingston...
counties in Kentucky and Massac County in Illinois.
Paducah and Chillicothe, Missouri
Chillicothe, Missouri
Chillicothe is a city in and the county seat of Livingston County, Missouri, United States. The population was 9,515 at the 2010 census. The name "Chillicothe" is Shawnee for "big town", and was named after their Chillicothe, located since 1774 about a mile from the present-day city.Chillicothe is...
, are the only two cities named in the world-famous song "Hooray for Hollywood", which opens the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Awards yearly (the Oscars). (Both cities' names were misspelled in the original published lyrics to the song.)
Geography
Paducah is located at 37°4′20"N 88°37′39"W (37.072226, -88.627436).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 20 square miles (51.8 km²), of which 19.9 square miles (51.5 km²) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) (0.52%) is water.
Climate
Paducah has a humid subtropical climateHumid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a climate zone characterized by hot, humid summers and mild to cool winters...
, with an average annual temperature of 57.2°F (14°C). Average annual precipitation is 49.31 inches (125.25 centimeters), and average annual snowfall is 10.6 inches (26.92 centimeters).
Notable snowstorms are the Great Blizzard of 1978
Great Blizzard of 1978
The Great Blizzard of 1978 was a historic blizzard which struck the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes from January 25–27, 1978. The 28.28 inches barometric pressure measurement recorded in Cleveland, Ohio was the lowest non-tropical atmospheric pressure ever recorded in the mainland United States...
and the Pre-Christmas 2004 snowstorm
Pre-Christmas 2004 snowstorm
An historic snowstorm struck the Ohio Valley of the United States, as well as Ontario in Canada, on December 22 and December 23 and is not the same storm that led to snow in Texas on Christmas Eve. It lasted roughly 30 hours, and brought snowfall amounts up to 37 inches to portions of...
. Many snowstorms also hit the area during the very snowy winter of 2002-2003.
Paducah is also prone to ice storms. Two hit the area two weeks apart in February 2008. The crippling and catastrophic January 2009 Central Plains and Midwest ice storm
January 2009 Central Plains and Midwest ice storm
The January 2009 ice storm was a major ice storm that occurred over parts of Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, West Virginia, and Kentucky. The storm produced widespread power outages for over 2 million people due to heavy ice accumulation...
also struck the area, and was by far, the most devastating.
The highest recorded temperature in Paducah was 106°F (41°C), recorded on June 30, 1952 and July 28, 1952. The lowest recorded temperature was -15°F (-26°C), recorded on January 20, 1985.
| Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures | ||||||||||||
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rec High °F | 70 | 77 | 84 | 90 | 94 | 103 | 102 | 104 | 100 | 89 | 83 | 74 |
| Norm High °F | 41.9 | 48 | 58.1 | 68.4 | 76.9 | 85.2 | 88.6 | 87.4 | 81.2 | 70.8 | 57.2 | 46.3 |
| Norm Low °F | 23.9 | 28.2 | 37.1 | 45.6 | 55 | 63.8 | 67.7 | 64.9 | 57.1 | 45.2 | 36.5 | 27.5 |
| Rec Low °F | -15 | -8 | 11 | 24 | 35 | 44 | 52 | 44 | 35 | 24 | 10 | -10 |
| Precip (in) | 3.47 | 3.93 | 4.27 | 4.95 | 4.75 | 4.51 | 4.45 | 2.99 | 3.56 | 3.45 | 4.53 | 4.38 |
| Source: WeatherByDay.com | ||||||||||||
The story of Pekin (Paducah)
Paducah, originally called Pekin, began around 1815 as a mixed community of Native AmericansNative Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
and white settlers who were attracted by its location at the confluence of many waterway
Waterway
A waterway is any navigable body of water. Waterways can include rivers, lakes, seas, oceans, and canals. In order for a waterway to be navigable, it must meet several criteria:...
s.
According to legend, Chief Paduke, most likely a Chickasaw
Chickasaw
The Chickasaw are Native American people originally from the region that would become the Southeastern United States...
, welcomed the people traveling down the Ohio
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
and Tennessee
Tennessee River
The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately 652 miles long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other names...
on flatboats. His wigwam
Wigwam
A wigwam or wickiup is a domed room dwelling used by certain Native American tribes. The term wickiup is generally used to label these kinds of dwellings in American Southwest and West. Wigwam is usually applied to these structures in the American Northeast...
, located on a low bluff at the mouth of Island Creek, served as the counsel lodge for his village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
. The settlers, appreciative of his hospitality
Hospitality
Hospitality is the relationship between guest and host, or the act or practice of being hospitable. Specifically, this includes the reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers, resorts, membership clubs, conventions, attractions, special events, and other services for travelers...
, and respectful of his ways, settled across the creek.
The two communities lived in harmony
Harmony
In music, harmony is the use of simultaneous pitches , or chords. The study of harmony involves chords and their construction and chord progressions and the principles of connection that govern them. Harmony is often said to refer to the "vertical" aspect of music, as distinguished from melodic...
trading goods and services enjoying the novelty of each other's culture
Culture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
. The settlers had brought horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
s and mule
Mule
A mule is the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse. Horses and donkeys are different species, with different numbers of chromosomes. Of the two F1 hybrids between these two species, a mule is easier to obtain than a hinny...
s which they used to pull the flatboats upstream to farm
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
s, logging
Logging
Logging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...
camps, trading post
Trading post
A trading post was a place or establishment in historic Northern America where the trading of goods took place. The preferred travel route to a trading post or between trading posts, was known as a trade route....
s and other settlement
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
s along the waterways, establishing a primitive, but thriving economy
Economy
An economy consists of the economic system of a country or other area; the labor, capital and land resources; and the manufacturing, trade, distribution, and consumption of goods and services of that area...
.
This cultural interaction continued until William Clark, famed leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition
Lewis and Clark Expedition
The Lewis and Clark Expedition, or ″Corps of Discovery Expedition" was the first transcontinental expedition to the Pacific Coast by the United States. Commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson and led by two Virginia-born veterans of Indian wars in the Ohio Valley, Meriwether Lewis and William...
, arrived in 1827 with a title
Title
A title is a prefix or suffix added to someone's name to signify either veneration, an official position or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may even be inserted between a first and last name...
deed
Deed
A deed is any legal instrument in writing which passes, or affirms or confirms something which passes, an interest, right, or property and that is signed, attested, delivered, and in some jurisdictions sealed...
to the land upon which Pekin sat. Clark was the superintendent of Native American affairs for the Mississippi-Missouri River region. He asked the Chief and the settlers to move along, which they did, offering little resistance probably because the deed was issued by the United States Supreme Court. Though the deed cost only $5.00 to process, it carried with it the full authority of the U. S. Government backed by the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
.
Clark surveyed his new property and laid out the grid for a new town
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
which remains evident to this day. The Chief and his villagers moved to Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
allowing Clark to continue with the building of the new city which he named Paducah in honor of the Chief. Upon completion of the plat, Clark sent envoys to Mississippi to invite Chief Paduke back to a ribbon-cutting ceremony
Ceremony
A ceremony is an event of ritual significance, performed on a special occasion. The word may be of Etruscan origin.-Ceremonial occasions:A ceremony may mark a rite of passage in a human life, marking the significance of, for example:* birth...
, but he died of malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
in the boat while making the return trip. The settlers had been allowed to purchase tracts within the new grid but most of them moved on to less developed areas.
Incorporation, steamboats and railroads
Paducah was incorporated as a townTown
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in 1830, and because of the dynamics of the waterways, it offered valuable port facilities for the steam boats that traversed the river system. A factory for making red brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
s, and a Foundry
Foundry
A foundry is a factory that produces metal castings. Metals are cast into shapes by melting them into a liquid, pouring the metal in a mold, and removing the mold material or casting after the metal has solidified as it cools. The most common metals processed are aluminum and cast iron...
for making rail
Rail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
and locomotive
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
components became the nucleus of a thriving River and Rail industrial
Industry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
economy.
After a period of nearly exponential growth
Exponential growth
Exponential growth occurs when the growth rate of a mathematical function is proportional to the function's current value...
, Paducah was chartered as a city
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
in 1856. It became the site of dry dock
Dry dock
A drydock is a narrow basin or vessel that can be flooded to allow a load to be floated in, then drained to allow that load to come to rest on a dry platform...
facilities for steamboat
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
s and towboat
Towboat
Not to be confused with the historic boat type with the same name, also called horse-drawn boat.A towboat is a boat designed for pushing barges or car floats. Towboats are characterized by a square bow with steel knees for pushing and powerful engines...
s and thus headquarters for many barge
Barge
A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats...
line companies. Because of its proximity to coalfield
Coalfield
A coalfield is an area of certain uniform characteristics where coal is mined. The criteria for determining the approximate boundary of a coalfield are geographical and cultural, in addition to geological...
s further to the east in Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
and north in Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, Paducah also became an important railway hub
Transportation hub
A transport hub is a place where passengers and cargo are exchanged between vehicles or between transport modes. Public transport hubs include train stations, rapid transit stations, bus stops, tram stop, airports and ferry slips. Freight hubs include classification yards, seaports and truck...
for the Illinois Central Railroad
Illinois Central Railroad
The Illinois Central Railroad , sometimes called the Main Line of Mid-America, is a railroad in the central United States, with its primary routes connecting Chicago, Illinois with New Orleans, Louisiana and Birmingham, Alabama. A line also connected Chicago with Sioux City, Iowa...
, the primary north-south railway connecting Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and East St. Louis
East St. Louis, Illinois
East St. Louis is a city located in St. Clair County, Illinois, USA, directly across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, Missouri in the Metro-East region of Southern Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 27,006, less than one-third of its peak of 82,366 in 1950...
to the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
at Gulfport, Mississippi
Gulfport, Mississippi
Gulfport is the second largest city in Mississippi after the state capital Jackson. It is the larger of the two principal cities of the Gulfport-Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, Mississippi Combined Statistical Area. As of the...
. The IC system also provided east-west links to Burlington Northern Railroad
Burlington Northern Railroad
The Burlington Northern Railroad was a United States-based railroad company formed from a merger of four major U.S. railroads. Burlington Northern operated between 1970 and 1996....
and Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often abbreviated as Santa Fe, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The company was first chartered in February 1859...
lines (which later merged to become the BNSF Railway
BNSF Railway
The BNSF Railway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. It is one of seven North American Class I railroads and the second largest freight railroad network in North America, second only to the Union Pacific Railroad, its primary...
).
Paducah in the Civil War
During the American Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
on September 6, 1861, forces under Union
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
General Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
captured Paducah, which gave the Union control of the mouth of the Tennessee River
Tennessee River
The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately 652 miles long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other names...
. Throughout most of the war, US Colonel Stephen G. Hicks
Stephen G. Hicks
Stephen G. Hicks Stephen G. Hicks Stephen G. Hicks ( 22 Feb 1809 - 14 Dec 1869 (or 1866) American soldier, born in Jackson County, Georgia, and active during the American Civil War with the 40th Illinois Infantry Regiment. He enlisted on the July 22, 1861, and was honorably discharged on the July...
was in charge of Paducah and massive Union supply depot
Distribution center
A distribution center for a set of products is a warehouse or other specialized building, often with refrigeration or air conditioning, which is stocked with products to be redistributed to retailers, to wholesalers, or directly to consumers. A distribution center is a principal part, the order...
s and dock facilities for the gunboat
Gunboat
A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies.-History:...
s and supply ships that supported Federal forces along the Ohio, Mississippi and Tennessee River systems.
On December 17, 1862, under the terms of General Order No. 11, thirty Jewish families, longtime residents all, were forced from their homes. Cesar Kaskel, a prominent local Jewish businessman, dispatched a telegram to President Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
, and met with him, eventually succeeding in getting the order revoked.
On March 25, 1864, Confederate
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
General Nathan Bedford Forrest
Nathan Bedford Forrest
Nathan Bedford Forrest was a lieutenant general in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. He is remembered both as a self-educated, innovative cavalry leader during the war and as a leading southern advocate in the postwar years...
raided Paducah as part of his campaign Northward from Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
into Western Tennessee and Kentucky to re-supply the Confederate forces in the region with recruits, ammunition, medical supplies, horses and mules and to generally upset the Union
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
domination of the regions south of the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
. The raid was successful in terms of the re-supply effort and in intimidating the Union, but Forrest returned south.
- Forrest's report: "I drove the enemy to their gunboats and fort; and held the town for ten hours, captured many stores and horses; burned sixty bales of cotton, one steamer, and a drydock, bringing out fifty prisoners."
Later, Forrest, having read in the newspapers that 140 fine horses had escaped the raid, sent Brigadier General Abraham Buford back to Paducah, to get the horses and to keep Union forces busy there while he attacked Fort Pillow.
On April 14, 1864, Buford's men found the horses hidden in a foundry as the newspapers reported. Buford rejoined Forrest with the spoils, leaving the Union in control of Paducah until the end of the War.
1937 flood
In 1937, the Ohio RiverOhio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
at Paducah rose above its 50-foot flood stage on January 21, cresting at 60.8 feet on February 2 and receding again to 50-feet on February 15. For nearly three weeks, 27,000 residents were forced to flee to stay with friends and relatives in higher ground in McCracken County or in other counties. Some shelters were provided by the American Red Cross
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...
and local churches. Buildings in downtown Paducah still bear plaques that highlight the high water marks.
With 18 inches of rainfall in 16 days, along with sheets of swiftly moving ice the '37 flood was the worst natural disaster
Natural disaster
A natural disaster is the effect of a natural hazard . It leads to financial, environmental or human losses...
in Paducah's history. Because Paducah's earthen levee was ineffective against this flood, the United States Army Corps of Engineers
United States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...
was commissioned to build the flood wall
Levee
A levee, levée, dike , embankment, floodbank or stopbank is an elongated naturally occurring ridge or artificially constructed fill or wall, which regulates water levels...
that now protects the city from the ravages of flooding.
The Atomic City
In 1950, the U.S. Atomic Energy CommissionUnited States Atomic Energy Commission
The United States Atomic Energy Commission was an agency of the United States government established after World War II by Congress to foster and control the peace time development of atomic science and technology. President Harry S...
selected Paducah as the site for a new Uranium enrichment Plant. Construction began in 1951 and began operations in 1952. The plant, originally operated by Union Carbide
Union Carbide
Union Carbide Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company. It currently employs more than 2,400 people. Union Carbide primarily produces chemicals and polymers that undergo one or more further conversions by customers before reaching consumers. Some are high-volume...
has changed hands several times to Martin Marieta, Lockheed-Martin, and is now operated by the United States Enrichment Corporation
United States Enrichment Corporation
The United States Enrichment Corporation, a subsidiary of USEC Inc. , is a corporation that contracts with the United States Department of Energy to produce enriched uranium for use in nuclear power plants.-History:...
. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), successor to the AEC
United States Atomic Energy Commission
The United States Atomic Energy Commission was an agency of the United States government established after World War II by Congress to foster and control the peace time development of atomic science and technology. President Harry S...
, remains the owner.
Quilt City, USA
Museum of the American Quilter's Society
The National Quilt Museum, formerly the Museum of the American Quilter's Society, is located in Paducah, Kentucky. The museum houses a large collection of quilts, most of which are winning entries from the American Quilter's Society festival and quilt competition held yearly in April...
located its Museum - MAQS in downtown Paducah. Each spring, during the Dogwood
Dogwood
The genus Cornus is a group of about 30-60 species of woody plants in the family Cornaceae, commonly known as dogwoods. Most dogwoods are deciduous trees or shrubs, but a few species are nearly herbaceous perennial subshrubs, and a few of the woody species are evergreen...
season, quilt
Quilt
A quilt is a type of bed cover, traditionally composed of three layers of fiber: a woven cloth top, a layer of batting or wadding and a woven back, combined using the technique of quilting. “Quilting” refers to the technique of joining at least two fabric layers by stitches or ties...
enthusiasts from all over the world flock to Paducah for the Society's annual event. The Quilt Show is one of Paducah's largest events of the year and draws large revenue in tourism. Hotels for miles around the city fill up months in advance of the show.
The museum was honored in May 2008 when the congressional designation as The National Quilt Museum of the United States was bestowed. May Louise Zumwalt, Executive Director of the Museum, said recently “Though it does not mean we will receive national funding, it does recognize that we are a quilt museum with national significance.” This designation brings additional attention and helps increase the number of visitors. The Museum currently averages 40,000 visitors per year from across the country and at least 25 foreign countries.
Annual telethon
Local Chapters of Paducah's Lions Club and WPSD, the local NBCNBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
affiliate, hold an annual telethon to raise money for local charities. The money raised over the past 49 years has totaled more than $18,000,000 as of 2005. Talent throughout the years has been very diversified including:
- Hugh DownsHugh DownsHugh Malcolm Downs is a long time American broadcaster, television host, news anchor, TV producer, author, game show host, and music composer; and is perhaps best known for his role as co-host the NBC News program Today from 1962 to 1971, host of the Concentration game show from 1958 to 1969, and...
(1959) - Betty WhiteBetty WhiteBetty White Ludden , better known as Betty White, is an American actress, comedienne, singer, author, and former game show personality. With a career spanning seven decades since 1939, she is best known to modern audiences for her television roles as Sue Ann Nivens on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and...
(1959) - Doc Severinson (1966)
- Leonard NimoyLeonard NimoyLeonard Simon Nimoy is an American actor, film director, poet, musician and photographer. Nimoy's most famous role is that of Spock in the original Star Trek series , multiple films, television and video game sequels....
(1967) - Count BasieCount BasieWilliam "Count" Basie was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. Basie led his jazz orchestra almost continuously for nearly 50 years...
(1971) - Melissa Sue AndersonMelissa Sue AndersonMelissa Sue Anderson is an American-Canadian actress. She played the role of Mary Ingalls on the NBC television series Little House on the Prairie. She starred on the show from 1974 until 1981, leaving after Season 7, but later appeared in 2 episodes of Season 8 in late 1981. She won an Emmy...
(1976) - Tom T. HallTom T. HallThomas "Tom T." Hall is an American country music singer-songwriter. He has written 11 #1 hit songs, with 26 more that reached the Top 10, including the pop crossover hit "I Love", which reached #12 on the Billboard Hot 100...
(1976) - Carl PerkinsCarl PerkinsCarl Lee Perkins was an American rockabilly musician who recorded most notably at Sun Records Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, beginning during 1954...
(1979) - Bill Anderson (1980)
- Peter Marshall (1983)
- Ed Begley, Jr.Ed Begley, Jr.Edward James "Ed" Begley, Jr. is an American actor and environmentalist. Begley has appeared in hundreds of films, television shows, and stage performances. He is best known for his role as Dr. Victor Ehrlich, on the television series St...
(1984) - Todd BridgesTodd BridgesTodd Anthony Bridges is an American actor. He is best known for his childhood role as Willis Jackson on the NBC/ABC sitcom Diff'rent Strokes, and for his recurring role as Monk on the UPN/CW sitcom Everybody Hates Chris...
(1984) - Bobby VeeBobby VeeRobert Thomas Velline , known as Bobby Vee, is an American pop music singer. According to Billboard magazine, Vee has had 38 Hot 100 chart hits, 10 of which hit the Top 20.-Career:...
(1988) - * JD Sumner and the Stamps (1993)
- Juice Newton (2002)
- Pam TillisPam TillisPamela Yvonne "Pam" Tillis is an American country music singer-songwriter and actress. She is the daughter of country music singer Mel Tillis....
(2004) - Terry Mike JeffreyTerry Mike JeffreyTerry Mike Jeffrey is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, musical director, arranger and actor.-Biography:Born in Paducah, Kentucky, Jeffrey was singing on stage by the age of three. Throughout childhood he mastered the guitar, piano, sax, and drums. During high school he made...
(several appearances) - Lew JettonLew JettonLew Jetton is an American blues guitarist and singer, who also spent many years as a meteorologist and local television personality...
& 61 South (several appearances) - Barbara MandrellBarbara MandrellBarbara Ann Mandrell is an American country music singer best known for a 1970s–1980s series of Top 10 hits and TV shows that helped her become one of country's most successful female vocalists of the 1970s and 1980s...
(several appearances) - Steve Wariner (several appearances)
- Ralph Emery (as emcee - many years)
- Other various NBC soap opera stars
- Players and coaches from the St Louis Cardinals
Contemporary Paducah
In 1996, the Paducah Wall to Wall muralMural
A mural is any piece of artwork painted or applied directly on a wall, ceiling or other large permanent surface. A particularly distinguishing characteristic of mural painting is that the architectural elements of the given space are harmoniously incorporated into the picture.-History:Murals of...
program was begun by Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
mural artist Robert Dafford
Robert Dafford
-Life and work:Robert Dafford is a current resident of Lafayette, Louisiana. Dafford has painted over 300 murals across the United States, Canada, France, Belgium, and England. He has been painting murals, signs and fine art paintings for 35 years...
and his team on the floodwall in downtown. The over 50 murals cover a number of subjects, including Native American history
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, industries such as river barge
Barge
A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats...
s and hospitals, local African-American heritage, the old Carnegie Library
Carnegie Library
Carnegie Library, Carnegie Public Library, Carnegie Free Library, Carnegie Free Public Library, Andrew Carnegie Library, Andrew Carnegie Free Library or Carnegie Library Building may refer to any of the following Carnegie libraries:- California :*Carnegie Library , listed on the National Register...
on Broadway St., steamboats
Paddle steamer
A paddle steamer is a steamship or riverboat, powered by a steam engine, using paddle wheels to propel it through the water. In antiquity, Paddle wheelers followed the development of poles, oars and sails, where the first uses were wheelers driven by animals or humans...
, and local labor unions. In May 2003 photographer Jim Roshan documented painting on the Lewis and Clark Expedition
Lewis and Clark Expedition
The Lewis and Clark Expedition, or ″Corps of Discovery Expedition" was the first transcontinental expedition to the Pacific Coast by the United States. Commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson and led by two Virginia-born veterans of Indian wars in the Ohio Valley, Meriwether Lewis and William...
mural during the America 24/7
America 24/7
America 24/7 was a book published by DK in 2003 about culture and life in the United States. It is a photographic book, i.e. every page contains a picture depicting life of Americans from every U.S. State.-Collecting:...
project. One of the images was used in the book Kentucky24/7 published in 2004. By 2008 the project was in mainly a maintenance phase, with muralist Herb Roe
Herb Roe
Herb Roe is a painter of large scale outdoor murals and classical realist oil paintings. After attending the Columbus College of Art and Design in Columbus, Ohio for a short time, he apprenticed to mural artist Robert Dafford. After 15 years with Dafford Murals, he left to pursue his own art...
returning to town each year to repaint and refurbish the panels. Roe is the only muralist associated with the project to have worked on all of the panels. A new mural was added to the project by Roe in the summer of 2010. It shows the 100 year history of the local Boy Scout
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
troop. Troop 1 is one of only a handful of troops who share their centennial with the centennial of the national scouting organization itself. The dedication for the mural was held on National Scout Sunday, February 6, 2011.
In August 2000, Paducah’s "Artist Relocation Program" was started to offer incentives for artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
s to relocate to its historical Downtown and Lower Town areas. The program has become a national model for using the arts
ARts
aRts, which stands for analog Real time synthesizer, is an audio framework that is no longer under development. It is best known for previously being used in KDE to simulate an analog synthesizer....
for economic development
Economic development
Economic development generally refers to the sustained, concerted actions of policymakers and communities that promote the standard of living and economic health of a specific area...
, and has been awarded the Governors Award in the Arts, The Kentucky Chapter of the American Planning Association Distinguished Planning Award, The American Planning Association
American Planning Association
The American Planning Association is a professional organization representing the field of city and regional planning in the United States. The APA was formed in 1978 when two separate professional planning organizations, the American Institute of Planners and the American Society of Planning...
National Planning Award, and most recently Kentucky League of Cities' Enterprise Cities Award.
Lower Town, home of the Artist Relocation Program, is the oldest neighborhood in Paducah. As retail commerce moved toward the outskirts of town, efforts were made to preserve the architectural stylings, restoring the historic Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
structures in the older parts of the city. The program helped that effort and became a catalyst for revitalizing the Downtown area. The Luthor F. Carson Center for the Performing Arts was also constructed.
In September 2004 plans jelled to highlight Paducah's musical roots
Roots revival
A roots revival is a trend which includes young performers popularizing the traditional musical styles of their ancestors. Often, roots revivals include an addition of newly-composed songs with socially and politically aware lyrics, as well as a general modernization of the folk sound.After an...
through the redevelopment of the South side of Downtown. The centerpiece of the effort is the renovation of Maggie Steed's Hotel Metropolitan, where legends such as Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong , nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana....
, Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
, Cab Calloway
Cab Calloway
Cabell "Cab" Calloway III was an American jazz singer and bandleader. He was strongly associated with the Cotton Club in Harlem, New York City where he was a regular performer....
, Chick Webb
Chick Webb
William Henry Webb, usually known as Chick Webb was an American jazz and swing music drummer as well as a band leader.-Biography:...
's orchestra, B.B. King, Bobby "Blue" Bland, Ike and Tina Turner and other R & B and Blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
legends polished their craft along what has become known as the Chitlin' circuit
Chitlin' circuit
The "Chitlin' Circuit" was the collective name given to the string of performance venues throughout the eastern and southern United States that were safe and acceptable for African-American musicians, comedians, and other entertainers to perform during the age of racial segregation in the United...
. Using this genre as a foundation, supporters hope to advertise Paducah's role in the history of American music.
Another mainstay and regional attraction is the annual OMGcon
OMGcon
OMGcon is an anime and gaming convention held in Paducah, Kentucky. First held in June 2006, the convention has been located at the same venue throughout its history and has steadily increased in attendance every year, finally reaching over 1,000 during its fourth year in 2009, an increase of over...
, an anime
Anime convention
An anime convention is an event or gathering with a primary focus on anime, manga and Japanese culture. Commonly, anime conventions are multi-day events hosted at convention centers, hotels or college campuses. They feature a wide variety of activities and panels...
and gaming
Gaming convention
A gaming convention is a gathering that centered on role-playing games, collectible card games, miniatures wargames, board games, video games, or other types of games. These conventions are typically two or three days long, and often held at either a university or in a convention center hotel...
convention
Fan convention
A fan convention, or con , is an event in which fans of a particular film, television series, comic book, actor, or an entire genre of entertainment such as science fiction or anime and manga, gather to participate and hold programs and other events, and to meet experts, famous personalities, and...
held in Paducah since 2006, drawing in attendees from across the United States.
Music in Paducah
The town of Paducah has given birth to artists from various genres. The top mainstream artist is Steven Curtis ChapmanSteven Curtis Chapman
Steven Curtis Chapman is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, actor, author, and social activist.After starting his career in the late 1980s as a singer/songwriter of contemporary Christian music, Chapman has since been recognized as one of the most prolific singers in the genre,...
, the greatest selling Christian
Contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music is a genre of modern popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith...
artist of all time. Rockabilly Hall of Fame artists Ray Smith, whose recording of Rockin' Little Angel was a hit in 1960 and Stanley Walker, who played guitar for Ray Smith and others. Terry Mike Jeffrey
Terry Mike Jeffrey
Terry Mike Jeffrey is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, musical director, arranger and actor.-Biography:Born in Paducah, Kentucky, Jeffrey was singing on stage by the age of three. Throughout childhood he mastered the guitar, piano, sax, and drums. During high school he made...
, who has been showcased on national television is a resident of Paducah.
The local community boasts an"underground" musical environment, with acts finding some success due to the recent promotion of musical growth in the city with the new Middletown project. The plan is similar to the Lowertown Artist District. The focal point of Middletown will be the Metropolitan Hotel, where many blues and jazz musicians played during the mid-20th century.
The town celebrates its local musicians many times in the year, but most notably during its annual Summer Festival and the Rock The Vote
Rock the Vote
Rock the Vote is a non-profit organization in the United States of America whose mission is to engage and build the political power of young people....
-sponsored Paducahpalooza festival. The Luther F. Carson Four Rivers Center is a beautiful new addition to downtown Paducah, hosting various musical artists, theater productions and local musical acts.
Paducah is one of only two cities named in the world-famous song "Hooray for Hollywood" that opens the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Awards (The Oscars). The 1937 song, with music by Richard Whiting and lyrics by Johnny Mercer, contains in the second verse: "Hooray for Hollywood! That phony, super Coney, Hollywood. They come from Chilicothes and Padukahs..."
Both cities were misspelled in the original published lyrics, though that may have been the fault of the publishers rather than Mercer, who was famous for the sophistication and attention to detail he put into his lyrics. The correct spellings are, of course, "Chillicothe" and "Paducah".
See also: Urban planning
Urban planning
Urban planning incorporates areas such as economics, design, ecology, sociology, geography, law, political science, and statistics to guide and ensure the orderly development of settlements and communities....
, Gentrification
Gentrification
Gentrification and urban gentrification refer to the changes that result when wealthier people acquire or rent property in low income and working class communities. Urban gentrification is associated with movement. Consequent to gentrification, the average income increases and average family size...
Media
Local media in Paducah includes NBC affiliate WPSD-TVWPSD-TV
WPSD-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station for Western Kentucky's Jackson Purchase, Southern Illinois, and the Missouri Bootheel. Licensed to Paducah, Kentucky, the station broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 32 from a transmitter in Monkeys Eyebrow, Kentucky...
, MyNetworkTV affiliate WDKA
WDKA
WDKA is the MyNetworkTV-affiliated television station for the Jackson Purchase area of Western Kentucky, Southern Illinois, and Southeastern Missouri that is licensed to Paducah, Kentucky. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 50 from a transmitter in Vienna, Illinois...
, Fox affiliate KBSI
KBSI
KBSI is the Fox-affiliated television station for the Missouri Bootheel, Southern Illinois, and Western Kentucky's Jackson Purchase. Licensed to Cape Girardeau, Missouri, it broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 22 from a transmitter in rural Cape Girardeau County north of the...
, and regional daily newspaper The Paducah Sun
The Paducah Sun
The Paducah Sun is a daily newspaper in Paducah, Kentucky owned by the family-run Paxton Media Group. The paper was formerly known as the Paducah Sun-Democrat. The publisher is Jim Paxton. Gary Adkisson is the general manager. Duke Conover is the executive editor.The Sun is the most-read newspaper...
, both owned by Paxton Media Group
Paxton Media Group
Paxton Media Group of Paducah, Kentucky, is a privately held media company with holdings that include newspapers and a TV station, WPSD-TV in Paducah. David M. Paxton is president and CEO....
. Six radio stations call Paducah home with half of the stations owned by Bristol Broadcasting Company
Bristol Broadcasting Company
"Bristol Broadcasting Company" is a radio station chain operating 21 stations in three Southern United States markets: the Tri-Cities area of upper-east Tennessee and southwest Virginia ; Paducah, Kentucky; and Charleston, West Virginia.In each market it operates a country music station with a rabbit...
, while weekly newspapers the West Kentucky News and Lone Oak News also enjoy significant readership. A National Weather Service
National Weather Service
The National Weather Service , once known as the Weather Bureau, is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States government...
Forecast Office is based in Paducah, providing weather information to western Kentucky, southeastern Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, southern Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, and southwestern Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
. A bi-monthly magazine by the name of Paducah Life (http://www.paducahlife.com/) debuted in 1994 and continues publication today. The magazine features articles about life and residents in and around Paducah. Paducah Parenting and Family Magazine, a monthly publication distributed throughout Western Kentucky, Southern Illinois, and parts of Missouri and Tennessee, debuted in 2004(http://www.paducahparenting.com/). In 2009 PaducahLIVE.com (http://www.paducahlive.com/) became the first video based online presence to offer features, entertainment, and information about the area
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2010, there were 25,024 people, 11,462 households, and 6,071 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,251.0 people per square mile (483.0/km²). There were 12,851 housing units at an average density of 642.5 per square mile (248.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 70.99% White
White American
White Americans are people of the United States who are considered or consider themselves White. The United States Census Bureau defines White people as those "having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa...
(69.66% non-Hispanic
Non-Hispanic Whites
Non-Hispanic Whites or White, Not Hispanic or Latino are people in the United States, as defined by the Census Bureau, who are of the White race and are not of Hispanic or Latino origin/ethnicity. Hence the designation is exclusive in the sense that it defines who is not included as opposed to who is...
), 23.67% African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, 0.22% Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, 1.02% Asian
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
, 0.02% Pacific Islander
Pacific Islander American
Pacific Islander Americans, also known as Oceanian Americans, are residents of the United States with original ancestry from Oceania. They represent the smallest racial group counted in the United States census of 2000. They numbered 874,000 people or 0.3 percent of the United States population...
, 1.07% from other races, and 3.01% from two or more races
Multiracial American
Multiracial Americans, US residents who identify themselves as of "two or more races", were numbered at around 9 million, or 2.9% of the population, in the census of 2010. However there is considerable evidence that the real number is far higher. Prior to the mid-20th century many people hid their...
. Hispanics or Latinos
Hispanic and Latino Americans
Hispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...
of any race were 2.68% of the population.
There were 11,462 households out of which 26.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.5% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 16.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 47.0% were non-families. 41.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.09 and the average family size was 2.84.
The age distribution was 21.8% under 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 27.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.2% who were 65 or older. The median age was 41.4 years. For every 100 females there were 85.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.2 males.
Income data for Kentucky locations in the 2010 Census has not yet been released. As of the 2000 Census, the median income for a household in the city was $26,137, and the median income for a family was $34,092. Males had a median income of $32,783 versus $21,901 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $18,417. About 18.0% of families and 22.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.8% of those under age 18 and 16.8% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
Dippin' DotsDippin' Dots
Dippin' Dots is an ice cream snack, invented by Southern Illinois University Carbondale graduate Curt Jones in 1987. The confection is created by flash freezing ice cream mix in liquid nitrogen; consequently, Dippin' Dots contain less air than conventional ice cream...
and the Paducah & Louisville Railway has its headquarters in Paducah.
Top employers
According to Paducah's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city were:| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Western Baptist Hospital | 1,965 |
| 2 | Lourdes Hospital Catholic Health Partners Cincinnati-based Catholic Health Partners operates more than 100 healthcare organizations in Ohio and Kentucky.- Hospitals and healthcare facilities :CHP's regional health systems are organized within two divisions:... |
1,415 |
| 3 | Walmart | 1,130 |
| 4 | Paducah Public Schools Paducah Public Schools Paducah Public Schools is a school district located in Paducah, Kentucky. The district serves most, but not all, of the city of Paducah; significant areas within the city limits lie in the surrounding McCracken County school district.... |
694 |
| 5 | West Kentucky Community and Technical College West Kentucky Community and Technical College West Kentucky Community and Technical College , located in Paducah, KY, is one of 16 two-year, open-admissions colleges of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System . It was formed by the 2003 consolidation of Paducah Community College and West Kentucky Technical College... |
500 |
| 6 | City of Paducah | 395 |
| 7 | Commonwealth of Kentucky Kentucky The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth... |
338 |
| 8 | Paxton Media Group Paxton Media Group Paxton Media Group of Paducah, Kentucky, is a privately held media company with holdings that include newspapers and a TV station, WPSD-TV in Paducah. David M. Paxton is president and CEO.... |
290 |
| 9 | LYNX Services | 214 |
| 10 | VMV Paducahbilt National Railway Equipment Company National Railway Equipment Company is a railroad equipment rebuilding and leasing company, headquartered in Mt. Vernon, Illinois. NREC sells rebuilt locomotives to railroad companies worldwide, with an emphasis on the North American market.... |
131 |
Air service
- Barkley Regional AirportBarkley Regional AirportBarkley Regional Airport is a public use airport located 12 nautical miles west of the central business district of Paducah, a city in McCracken County, Kentucky, United States. It is owned by the Barkley Regional Airport Authority...
serves the area offering jet service to Chicago-O'hare with two round trips daily connecting Paducah to 150 domestic and 19 international destinations.
Current
- Interstate 24Interstate 24Interstate 24 is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. It runs diagonally from Interstate 57 to Chattanooga, Tennessee, at Interstate 75....
is a four-lane remote freeway that routes west to St. Louis and east to Nashville. The highway has a business loop that runs through downtown Paducah.
Future
-
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Interstate 66Interstate 66 (west)The U.S. Department of Transportation had plans to extend Interstate 66 westward across the country to California. However, Interstate 66 west of Wichita, Kansas, has been postponed, with the Nevada and California sections cancelled...
is planned to enter the city from the south and follow I-24 east to Eddyville, where I-66 will then follow the existing Western Kentucky ParkwayWestern Kentucky ParkwayThe Wendell H. Ford Western Kentucky Parkway is a controlled-access highway running from Elizabethtown, Kentucky to near Eddyville, Kentucky. It intersects with Interstate 65 at its eastern terminus, and Interstate 24 at its western terminus. It is one of nine highways that are part of the...
. -
.svg.png)
Interstate 69Interstate 69 in KentuckyInterstate 69 is a freeway that overlaps Interstate 24 from Calvert City to Eddyville, and the Western Kentucky Parkway from Eddyville to the Breathitt-Pennyrile Parkway at Madisonville. Eventually, I-69 will pass through the western part of the U.S. state of Kentucky...
will follow the route of the existing Purchase ParkwayPurchase ParkwayThe Julian M. Carroll Purchase Parkway is a controlled-access highway running from Fulton, Kentucky to Calvert City, Kentucky, near Kentucky Dam, for a length of 52 miles...
to the south and east of Paducah, joining I-24/66 about 15 minutes east of Paducah. Once completed, it will connect the city north to Indianapolis and south to Memphis.
US highways
-
US 60 is a major east-west highway that runs through the Paducah business district. -
US 45 enters the city from the north via the Irvin S. Cobb BridgeIrvin S. Cobb BridgeThe Irvin S. Cobb Bridge is a ten-span, steel deck , narrow two-lane truss bridge that carries U.S. Route 45 across the Ohio River in the U.S. states of Illinois and Kentucky. It runs from Paducah, Kentucky north to Brookport, Illinois.The bridge is named after Irvin S. Cobb, an author and...
from Brookport, Illinois and runs south down to Mayfield. -
US 62
Education
Paducah Public SchoolsPaducah Public Schools
Paducah Public Schools is a school district located in Paducah, Kentucky. The district serves most, but not all, of the city of Paducah; significant areas within the city limits lie in the surrounding McCracken County school district....
operates public schools serving most of the City of Paducah. Three K-5 elementary schools, Clark Elementary School, McNabb Elementary School, and Morgan Elementary School, serve sections of the city. All district residents are zoned to Paducah Middle School and Paducah Tilghman High School
Paducah Tilghman High School
Paducah Tilghman High School is a public secondary school in Paducah, Kentucky, and is the only high school of the Paducah Independent School District....
.
Parts of the city are instead served by the McCracken County Public Schools
McCracken County Public Schools
McCracken County Public Schools is a school district headquartered in Hendron, unincorporated McCracken County Kentucky.The district serves all of McCracken County except for most of the area within the city limits of Paducah, which is served by its own school district...
. Depending on location, elementary students in those areas may be zoned into Concord, Farley, Lone Oak, or Lone Oak–Hendron Elementary School; middle school students into Heath, Lone Oak, or Reidland Middle School; and high school students into Heath
Heath High School (Kentucky)
Heath High School is a secondary school operated by the McCracken County Public Schools district in the rural community of West Paducah, unincorporated McCracken County, Kentucky, near the largest city in the state's far-western Purchase region, Paducah. Established in 1910, the school serves...
, Lone Oak
Lone Oak High School (Kentucky)
Lone Oak High School is a public secondary school located in Lone Oak, Kentucky, a community served by the post office of nearby Paducah. Its nickname is Purple Flash, and its school colors are purple and gold, although some athletic teams, such as the marching band and football team, are...
, or Reidland High School. In 2013, the three high schools will consolidate at the new McCracken County High School. The Paducah city district will not participate in this consolidation.
Higher education
West Kentucky Community and Technical CollegeWest Kentucky Community and Technical College
West Kentucky Community and Technical College , located in Paducah, KY, is one of 16 two-year, open-admissions colleges of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System . It was formed by the 2003 consolidation of Paducah Community College and West Kentucky Technical College...
(WKCTC) is a member of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System and is a public, two-year, degree-granting institution serving the Western Region of Kentucky. There are 2000-2500 students enrolled at the college. The University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
and Murray State University
Murray State University
Murray State University, located in the city of Murray, Kentucky, is a four-year public university with approximately 10,400 students. The school is Kentucky’s only public university to be listed in the U.S.News & World Report regional university top tier for the past 20 consecutive years...
have branch campuses there. The college is also the site for the Challenger Center for Space Science Education
Challenger Center for Space Science Education
' is a nonprofit educational organization with its headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia, and an international network of Challenger Learning Centers. The organization was founded in April 1986 by the families of the astronauts who died in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster on January 28,...
and the WKCTC technology center.
Retail
The major retail center is concentrated along U.S. Route 60U.S. Route 60
U.S. Route 60 is an east–west United States highway, running from the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast in Virginia to western Arizona. Despite the final "0" in its number, indicating a transcontinental designation, the 1926 route formerly ended in Springfield, Missouri, at its intersection...
on the west side of the city, near Interstate 24
Interstate 24
Interstate 24 is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. It runs diagonally from Interstate 57 to Chattanooga, Tennessee, at Interstate 75....
. This is also the site of the Kentucky Oaks Mall
Kentucky Oaks Mall
Kentucky Oaks Mall is an enclosed super-regional shopping mall in Paducah, Kentucky, USA. Managed by Cafaro Company, the mall includes more than 90 inline stores. Its anchor stores comprise Sears, JCPenney, Best Buy, Elder-Beerman, a Dillard's store divided into two sub-stores, and Dick's Sporting...
.
This is retail sales per capita of cities in Kentucky:
| City | Sales |
|---|---|
| Paducah | 41,223$ |
| Bowling Green Bowling Green, Kentucky Bowling Green is the third-most populous city in the state of Kentucky after Louisville and Lexington, with a population of 58,067 as of the 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Warren County and the principal city of the Bowling Green, Kentucky Metropolitan Statistical Area with an estimated 2009... |
23,069$ |
| Jeffersontown | 20,876$ |
| Henderson Henderson, Kentucky Henderson is a city in Henderson County, Kentucky, United States, along the Ohio River in the western part of the state. The population was 27,952 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Evansville Metropolitan Area often referred to as "Kentuckiana", although "Tri-State Area" or "Tri-State" are more... |
17,503$ |
| Richmond Richmond, Kentucky There were 10,795 households out of which 24.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.2% were married couples living together, 12.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 48.6% were non-families. Of all households, 34.7% were made up of individuals and 8.8% had... |
17,102$ |
| Owensboro | 15,968$ |
| Hopkinsville | 15,351$ |
| Lexington Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region... |
14,895$ |
| Frankfort Frankfort, Kentucky Frankfort is a city in Kentucky that serves as the state capital and the county seat of Franklin County. The population was 27,741 at the 2000 census; by population it is the 5th smallest state capital in the United States... |
12,280$ |
| Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
12,148$ |
| Covington Covington, Kentucky -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 43,370 people, 18,257 households, and 10,132 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,301.3 people per square mile . There were 20,448 housing units at an average density of 1,556.5 per square mile... |
7,203$ |
Notable residents
Paducah was the birthplace or residence of the following notable people:- Charles "Speedy" AtkinsCharles "Speedy" AtkinsCharles "Speedy" Atkins is an American folk figure. Not much is known about his life. He was born in Tennessee and moved to Kentucky to find work. He settled in downtown Paducah, Kentucky as an hourly employee at a plant with ties to the tobacco industry. He gained the nickname "Speedy" because of...
, whose mummified body was on display at a local funeral home from 1928 to 1994. - Vice PresidentVice President of the United StatesThe Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
Alben W. BarkleyAlben W. BarkleyAlben William Barkley was an American politician in the Democratic Party who served as the 35th Vice President of the United States , under President Harry S. Truman....
spent much of his life in Paducah, and has a lakeLake BarkleyLake Barkley, a reservoir in Livingston, Lyon, and Trigg counties in Kentucky and extending into Stewart and Houston counties in Tennessee, was impounded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1966 upon the completion of Barkley Dam. Both the lake and the dam are named for Vice President Alben...
, an airportBarkley Regional AirportBarkley Regional Airport is a public use airport located 12 nautical miles west of the central business district of Paducah, a city in McCracken County, Kentucky, United States. It is owned by the Barkley Regional Airport Authority...
, and other landmarks named after him in the area. His historic home, Angles, is a private residence. One can visit Whitehaven, a mansion-turned-welcome-center off Interstate 24, where some of his memorabilia is displayed. - Julian CarrollJulian CarrollJulian Morton Carroll is a politician from the US state of Kentucky. A Democrat, he is presently a member of the Kentucky Senate, representing Anderson, Franklin, Woodford, and part of Fayette counties. From 1974 to 1979, he served as the 54th Governor of Kentucky, succeeding Wendell H. Ford, who...
, Governor of KentuckyGovernor of KentuckyThe Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is the head of the executive branch of government in the U.S. state of Kentucky. Fifty-six men and one woman have served as Governor of Kentucky. The governor's term is four years in length; since 1992, incumbents have been able to seek re-election once...
from 1974 to 1979 - Steven Curtis ChapmanSteven Curtis ChapmanSteven Curtis Chapman is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, actor, author, and social activist.After starting his career in the late 1980s as a singer/songwriter of contemporary Christian music, Chapman has since been recognized as one of the most prolific singers in the genre,...
, contemporary Christian musicContemporary Christian musicContemporary Christian music is a genre of modern popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith...
star - Irvin S. CobbIrvin S. CobbIrvin Shrewsbury Cobb was an American author, humorist, and columnist who lived in New York and authored more than 60 books and 300 short stories.-Biography:...
, humorist - Russ CochranRuss CochranRussell Earl Cochran is an American professional golfer on the Champions Tour who has played on the PGA Tour and the Nationwide Tour. He is one of eight left-handed players to win a PGA Tour event....
, Champions Tour golfer - Pierre DuMainePierre DuMaineRoland Pierre DuMaine is an American Roman Catholic bishop. He was the Bishop of San José in California for the first 18 years of the diocese. Bishop DuMaine attended St. Joseph College, Mountain View, California, and St. Patrick Seminary in Menlo Park, California. Bishop DuMaine was ordained...
, Roman Catholic bishop - Steve FinleySteve FinleySteven Allen Finley is a former Major League Baseball outfielder.-Early life:Finley, who grew up in Paducah, Kentucky, attended Paducah Tilghman High School and Southern Illinois University, where he earned a degree in physiology and played for the baseball team from 1984–87.-College, Team USA,...
, a longtime Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player, was born in West TennesseeWest TennesseeWest Tennessee is one of the three Grand Divisions of the State of Tennessee. Of the three, it is the one that is most sharply defined geographically. Its boundaries are the Mississippi River on the west and the Tennessee River on the east...
, but grew up in Paducah. - Clarence "Big House" GainesClarence GainesClarence Edward "Big House" Gaines, Sr. was a college men's basketball coach with a 47-year coaching career at Winston-Salem State University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.-Early years:...
, Hall of FameBasketball Hall of FameThe Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States, honors exceptional basketball players, coaches, referees, executives, and other major contributors to the game of basketball worldwide...
basketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
coach - Dr. Robert H. GrubbsRobert H. GrubbsRobert Howard Grubbs is an American chemist and Nobel laureate.As he noted in his official Nobel Prize autobiography, "In some places, my birthplace is listed as Calvert City and in others Possum Trot [NB: both in Marshall County]...
, a 2005 NobelNobel PrizeThe Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
Laureate in ChemistryNobel Prize in ChemistryThe Nobel Prize in Chemistry is awarded annually by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences to scientists in the various fields of chemistry. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Alfred Nobel in 1895, awarded for outstanding contributions in chemistry, physics, literature,...
, grew up in Paducah. - Eddie HaasEddie HaasGeorge Edwin Haas is a former outfielder, coach, manager and scout in American Major League Baseball. Haas spent many years as a skipper in the farm system of the Atlanta Braves and replaced Joe Torre as Atlanta’s manager after the 1984 season...
, former Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
outfielder, coach, manager and scout. - Callie KhouriCallie KhouriCallie Khouri is an American screenwriter and film director. In 1992 she won the Academy Award for Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen for the film, Thelma & Louise.-Biography:...
, who won an Oscar for her screenplay to Thelma and LouiseThelma and LouiseThelma & Louise is a 1991 film co-produced and directed by Ridley Scott and written by Callie Khouri, the film's plot revolves around Thelma and Louise's escape from their troubled and caged lives. It stars Geena Davis as Thelma and Susan Sarandon as Louise, and co-stars Harvey Keitel as a...
, lived in Paducah for most of her childhood. - Fate MarableFate MarableFate Marable was a jazz pianist and bandleader.Marable was born in Paducah, Kentucky, and learned piano from his mother. At age 17, he began playing on the steam boats plying the Mississippi River...
, jazzJazzJazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
pianist and bandleader - Matty MatlockMatty MatlockJulian Clifton "Matty" Matlock was an American Dixieland jazz clarinettist, saxophonist and arranger born in Paducah, Kentucky...
, DixielandDixielandDixieland music, sometimes referred to as Hot jazz, Early Jazz or New Orleans jazz, is a style of jazz music which developed in New Orleans at the start of the 20th century, and was spread to Chicago and New York City by New Orleans bands in the 1910s.Well-known jazz standard songs from the...
clarinettist, saxophonist and arranger - Kenny PerryKenny PerryJames Kenneth Perry is an American professional golfer who currently plays on both the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour, for which he became eligible following his 50th birthday.-Early years:...
, PGA Tour golfer, graduated from Lone Oak High SchoolLone Oak High School (Kentucky)Lone Oak High School is a public secondary school located in Lone Oak, Kentucky, a community served by the post office of nearby Paducah. Its nickname is Purple Flash, and its school colors are purple and gold, although some athletic teams, such as the marching band and football team, are...
just outside Paducah, although he spent most of his childhood in Franklin, KentuckyFranklin, KentuckyAs of the census of 2000, there were 7,996 people, 3,251 households, and 2,174 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,074.7 people per square mile . There were 3,609 housing units at an average density of 485.1 per square mile...
. - Boots RandolphBoots RandolphHomer Louis "Boots" Randolph III was an American musician best known for his 1963 saxophone hit, "Yakety Sax"...
, saxophonist - Corey RobinsonCorey RobinsonCorey Lee Robinson is a college football quarterback for the Troy Trojans. He set a national high school record with 91 thouchdown passes in a single season. As a freshman at Troy, he threw for 3,726 yards to rank among the top 10 among all Division I FBS players.-Early years:Robinson attended...
, Starting Quarterback, Troy University Trojans Football, 2010-Present - Phil RoofPhil RoofPhillip Anthony Roof is an American former professional baseball player, coach and minor league manager. He played for 15 seasons as a catcher in Major League Baseball in and from to , most notably for the Kansas City/Oakland Athletics and the Minnesota Twins...
, a former Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player and coach and minor league baseballMinor league baseballMinor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
manager. - Vernon Carver Rudolph, the founder of Krispy KremeKrispy KremeKrispy Kreme is the name of an international chain of doughnut stores that was founded by Vernon Rudolph in 1937 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The parent company of Krispy Kreme is Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc...
, was involved with a Broad Street doughnutDoughnutA doughnut or donut is a fried dough food and is popular in many countries and prepared in various forms as a sweet snack that can be homemade or purchased in bakeries, supermarkets, food stalls, and franchised specialty outlets...
shop in Paducah purchased by his uncle. Rudolph turned the company’s assets and the rights to a secret yeast-raised doughnut recipe into Krispy Kreme in Winston- Salem, NC. Ironically, Paducah has never had a franchised Krispy Kreme. Local doughnut shops have served similar doughnuts in Paducah since World War II - Actress Jeri RyanJeri RyanJeri Lynn Zimmermann Ryan is an American actress best known for her roles as the liberated Borg, Seven of Nine, on Star Trek: Voyager; Tara Cole on Leverage; and Veronica "Ronnie" Cooke on Boston Public. She was also a regular on the science fiction show Dark Skies and the legal drama series...
(Star Trek: VoyagerStar Trek: VoyagerStar Trek: Voyager is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe. Set in the 24th century from the year 2371 through 2378, the series follows the adventures of the Starfleet vessel USS Voyager, which becomes stranded in the Delta Quadrant 70,000 light-years from Earth while...
, Boston PublicBoston PublicBoston Public is an American drama television series created by David E. Kelley and broadcast on Fox. It centered on Winslow High School, a fictional public high school located in Boston, Massachusetts. The show was named for the real public school district in which it takes place...
, SharkShark (TV series)Shark is an American legal drama created by Ian Biederman that originally aired on CBS from September 21, 2006 to May 20, 2008. The series stars James Woods.-Synopsis:...
) spent her teenage years in Paducah. - John Scopes, of Scopes TrialScopes TrialThe Scopes Trial—formally known as The State of Tennessee v. John Thomas Scopes and informally known as the Scopes Monkey Trial—was a landmark American legal case in 1925 in which high school science teacher, John Scopes, was accused of violating Tennessee's Butler Act which made it unlawful to...
fame, is buried in Paducah - Terry ShumpertTerry ShumpertTerrance Darnell Shumpert is a former Major League Baseball utility player. He is an alumnus of the University of Kentucky....
, a former Major League Baseball player. - Roy SkinnerRoy SkinnerRoy Gene Skinner was an American basketball coach who was best known for his time as head coach of the Vanderbilt Commodores men's basketball where he holds the record for most wins as coach and helped break the racial barrier by recruiting the first African American athlete to play varsity ball...
(1930–2010), Vanderbilt Commodores men's basketballVanderbilt Commodores men's basketballThe Vanderbilt Commodores men's basketball team represents Vanderbilt University in the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference . The Commodores have won three SEC regular season titles . They have competed in ten NCAA Tournaments, making it to the Elite Eight once and the Sweet 16 six times...
head coach. - William SleddWilliam SleddWilliam L Sledd is a YouTube internet celebrity, made famous by his online videos and blogs, which include the popular "Ask A Gay Man" series...
, notable YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
celebrity - ConfederateConfederate States ArmyThe Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
General Lloyd TilghmanLloyd TilghmanLloyd Tilghman was a railroad construction engineer and a Confederate general in the American Civil War, killed at the Battle of Champion Hill...
lived in Paducah for a number of years. The only public high school in the Paducah Public SchoolsPaducah Public SchoolsPaducah Public Schools is a school district located in Paducah, Kentucky. The district serves most, but not all, of the city of Paducah; significant areas within the city limits lie in the surrounding McCracken County school district....
district, Paducah Tilghman High SchoolPaducah Tilghman High SchoolPaducah Tilghman High School is a public secondary school in Paducah, Kentucky, and is the only high school of the Paducah Independent School District....
, is named in honor of General Tilghman's wife Augusta Tilghman - Paul TwitchellPaul TwitchellPaul Twitchell was an American spiritual writer, author and founder of the group known as Eckankar. He is accepted by the members of that group as the Mahanta, or Living ECK Master of his time. He directed the development of the group through to the time of his death...
, author and founder of ECKANKAREckankarEckankar is a new religious movement founded in the United States in 1965, though practiced around the world long before with a solid following in China. It focuses on spiritual exercises enabling practitioners to experience what its followers call "the Light and Sound of God." The personal... - Marcy WalkerMarcy WalkerMarcy Lynn Walker , also known as Marcy Smith, is an American actress known for her roles on daytime soap operas. Her most famous roles are those of Liza Colby on All My Children, which she played from 1981–1984 and again 1995–2005, and as Eden Capwell on Santa Barbara 1984–1991.- Personal life...
, Liza Colby on All My ChildrenAll My ChildrenAll My Children is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 5, 1970 to September 23, 2011. Created by Agnes Nixon, All My Children is set in Pine Valley, Pennsylvania, a fictitious suburb of Philadelphia. The show features Susan Lucci as Erica Kane, one of daytime's most... - Col. JD Wilkes, musician and visual artist, who still lives in Paducah
- Hoyt Hawkins, a member of The JordanairesThe JordanairesThe Jordanaires are an American vocal quartet, which formed as a gospel group in 1948. They are best known for providing vocal background for Elvis Presley, in live appearances and recordings from 1956 to 1972...
who gained international fame for singing background for Elvis Presley, was born in Paducah in 1927 - Rumer WillisRumer WillisRumer Glenn Willis is an American actress, the oldest daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore and the stepdaughter of Emma Heming and Ashton Kutcher.-Personal life:...
, actress and daughter of Bruce WillisBruce WillisWalter Bruce Willis , better known as Bruce Willis, is an American actor, producer, and musician. His career began in television in the 1980s and has continued both in television and film since, including comedic, dramatic, and action roles...
and Demi MooreDemi MooreDemi Guynes Kutcher , known professionally as Demi Moore, is an American actress. After minor roles in film and a role in the soap opera General Hospital, Moore established her career in films such as St...
, was born in Paducah while her father was there making a film - George WilsonGeorge Wilson-Arts and entertainment:* George Wilson , British actor* George Balch Wilson , American composer, Professor Emeritus at the University of Michigan* George Washington Wilson , pioneering Scottish photographer...
NFL safety for the Buffalo Bills