Goodness, I’m trying to figure out how I am just getting to writing this post from a visit we made at the end of Summer 2025. But, here I am, just getting to it. If you’re one of my followers, you’ve read my posts about Ruby Laffoon’s Cabin, Adsmore House, Rose Hill, and LBL. Paducah was the final stop of our Western Kentucky tour last Summer.
As always, I didn’t know Paducah’s history. I had no plans, other than to explore the historic area. I was floored when the first historic sign I read included George Rogers Clark and William Clark. I was clueless that they had been over in Westerm Kentucky. I know, I should have known, but I didn’t. So, before I get into our explorations, let me tell you about the Clark brothers and their connection to Paducah.
The Clark Brothers
In May, 1778, George Rogers Clark landed on Corn Island, just off shore of present-day Louisville, KY. He had traveled down the Ohio River from western Pennsylvania with about ten boats, 10-20 families, and his Virginia Militia. With orders from Governor Patrick Henry, Clark and his militia would continue their trek down the Ohio River to the Illinois Territory, but the stop at Corn Island allowed him time to set up camp (a blockhouse and cabins were built) and train his men for the upcoming campaign.
General George Rogers Clark / Image Credit: Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
“His [George Rogers Clark] public orders from the legislature—to protect the Kentucky frontier. His secret instructions from Governor Henry—to operate against the British-controlled posts of French inhabitants at Kaskaskia and Cahokia in the Illinois country and Vincennes on the Wabash River. These were stepping stones to Clark’s ultimate objective, the capture of Fort Detroit.
George Rogers Clark National Historical Park
In June, 1778, with men who had arrived from the Kentucky and Tennessee regions, Clark was ready to move his army further down the river. He left the families that had traveled with him on Corn Island, and headed out on flat boats. Four days later, Clark and his army made a brief stop on Owen’s Island, along the Illinois shore when they reached the mouth of the Tennessee River.1 It was then that “[t]he site of present day Paducah was first acknowledged by Europeans.”2
In 1795, George Rogers Clark “claimed” the land he had first laid his eyes on in 1778. Even though the land that would become Paducah was still a part of Chickasaw Territory, Clark had been given two land grants totaling 73,962 acres. These land grants came from Virginia as payment to Clark for his military service.
Just 8 years later, in 1803, General Clark’s brother, William Clark stopped in this same area. He, along with Meriwether Lewis and their Corps of Discovery camped on the Kentucky side in what would become McCracken County.
“While still in the Ohio River Valley, the Corps of Discovery briefly made camp near where Paducah would be established years later by William Clark. It was also near Paducah—albeit on the Illinois shore—that the party acquired the important services of Charles Drouillard, a half Shawnee half French interpreter, hunter, and trapper.”
Kentucky Historical Society
Captain William Clark of the 1804-1806 Lewis and Clark Expedition / Image Credit: Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
In May, 1827, after the Jackson Purchase, George’s brother, Captain William Clark purchased 37,000 acres of land in Western Kentucky for $5.00. The land he purchased had been a part of General G.R. Clark’s Revolutionary War land grant and the future site of Paducah. (General George Rogers Clark had died in 1818.)
Before William Clark
The Jackson Purchase had taken place in 1818, but European Americans had been on the land prior to that purchase. In 1815, the town of Pekin had been settled on the confluence of the Ohio and Tennessee rivers. The town included a mix of Native Indians and Eurpoean Americans who traded goods and services with one another.
By 1825, Kentucky was ready to break down larger counties in the Western region into smaller sizes. On January 15, 1825, McCracken County was formed, and Wilmington was chosen as the county seat.
The Town of Paducah
When General William Clark arrived in the town of Pekin in 1827, with a title deed to the land issued by the US Supreme Court in his hand, he offered to sell the land to the settlers.3 It seems the settlers did not take him up on his offer, so Clark platted out the town and renamed it Paducah in honor of the Padouca Indians, the largest nation of Native Indians ever to roam North America. It is thought that as the Superintendent of Indian Affairs for the Mississippi and Missouri Region, General William Clark, and Meriwether Lewis, would have made aquaintances with many Padouca Indians while on their western expedition.4
Padouca Indians
The Padouca Indians are said to have occupied the Central Plains from the Black Hills region of South Dakota to the Arkansas River and beyond, reaching almost to New Mexico. The Padouca were a large nation of non-nomadic people. They built large villages that included large permanent houses, some with 150 houses and 30+ people per home. They planted crops and were acquainted with silver. They made knives of fire-stone and had hatchets of various sizes for different jobs. They were known to travel by horseback for 2-3 days to hunt, then return to the village upon completion. In 1719, M. DuTissenet, a Canadian explorer, spoke of the Padouca as “a brave and warlike tribe.”5
While the Padouca name was familiar for about 100 years, it eventually fell out of use sometime after Lewis & Clark’s Expedition from 1804 to 1806. There are a few possible explanations for the name disappearance. 1. The Padouca Indians were broken down into smaller tribes with different names. 2. The French explorers incorrectly used the Padouca term when referring to the Apache or the Comanche tribes. 3. The Padouca had been “decimated by European contact,”6 by way of fighting or disease.
“The evidence is not conclusive as to who were the Padouca, but
George B. Ginnell
it convinces me that the Padouca were not Comanche and I am
disposed to regard them as Apache.”
A Thriving River Town
Clark’s town of Paducah was 50 miles upstream from the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, 20 miles downstream of the Cumberland and Ohio rivers, and just past the confluence of the Tennessee and Ohio rivers. It was the perfect spot for a river port town.
Within three years of its founding, Paducah was a thriving town due to port facilities along the water that were used by steamboats. In addition, dry dock facilities were built for both steamboats and tow boats, adding to the town’s economy.
“Founded in 1827, Paducah served as a major stop along the riparian trade route linking the Upper Midwest with the Southeast during the Age of Steam. The charming 19th-century architecture lining the streets of the historic downtown reflects the wealth accrued in this vital inland port during this era.”
Paducah Convention & Visitor Bureau
Growth continued to take place, when a red brick factory was established and the town became the headquarters for bargeline companies.
The town was incorporated in 1830, and the county seat was moved from Wilmington to Paducah in 1832. (Side note: Wilmington, KY, no longer exists.) The town saw rapid growth in the late 1800s. By 1850, there was a boat making business, an exchange bank, multiple churches, and even a private school – St. Mary’s – had been established. By 1902, Paducah was a second-class city, serving as a major trade center. When the era of locomotives arrived, the city rolled with it. Foundry businesses opened making rail and locomotive parts, and Paducah became a railway hub for the Illinois Central Railroad due to its close proximity to coal fields in Kentucky and Illinois.
Paducah continues to experience growth today in the area of major industrial investments.
“In 1937, the Ohio River at Paducah rose over its 50-foot flood stage. The flood was considered to be the worst natural disaster in Paducah’s history. As a result of the flood,
Paducah, Kentucky Government
the United States Army Corps of Engineers built a flood wall to replace the earthen levee
that had once been in place.
Other significant events in the community’s history include the selection of Paducah in 1948 for the development of a new Uranium Enrichment Plant, and the development of the Museum of the American Quilter’s Society (MAQS) in Paducah in 1991,
which draws quilters from around the world.”
Our Visit
As I stated in the beginning of this post, I really didn’t have a plan for Paducah other than to explore its historic downtown, so when we left the area of Kentucky Dam that morning, I put in the address for downtown and followed my Google directions all the way there. About 30 minutes later, we pulled into the public parking lot on the water front.
I was immediately enamored by the flood walls mentioned in the quote above. Not because I had never seen flood walls, I mean Louisville has them too, but because of the murals painted all along the walls. I put the car in park, jumped out, and headed straight for the art work.
“On the Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail, roads to downtown Paducah take you along three blocks of magnificent paintings on the City’s floodwall. Paducah Wall to Wall is public art painted by renowned Dafford muralists. 50+ life-size images, including the Lewis & Clark Expedition, famous Clark brothers, and American Indian scenes, make history come alive in this UNESCO creative city. At the confluence of the Ohio and Tennessee rivers, the riverfront attraction boasts bronze interpretive panels telling the story of each painting, spot lighted when the sun goes down. Visitors and locals alike experience an appreciation of art and history 24/7. As a tourism attraction, the portraits of Paducah’s past inspire both young and old like icing on the cake for this charming western Kentucky river town.”
National Park Service
As you can see from my photos, the murals run all the way down the flood wall telling the history of Paducah. This is where I received the first glimpse of the Clark Brothers that I discussed in the beginning. I personally could have walked th entire wall taking pictures of every mural, but my daughter said no. 🤣 Instead, we stepped through a break in one of the walls to view the beautiful Ohio River and take a picture with the Welcome sign.
Once I finished with my history infatuation, it was time to turn our attention to the shopping, which is what my daughter loves the most! The historic district was just a few steps away from the river, so we walked over and jumped right in.
While my girl enjoyed the boutiques, I enjoyed the architecture! I loved catching the markings of the historic floods on the wall along Broadway Avenue.
Now, when we were at Adsmore House the day before, we had received a recommendation from Wayne, the adminitrator of the home, to visit Kirchoff’s Bakery. So of course, we did!
Kirchoff’s Bakery & Deli
💚 Kirchhoff’s Bakery started in 1873 when a young Prussian immigrant opened a bakery in a small building in downtown Paducah. Franz and Hannah Baumer Kirchhoff used Old World methods, a wood-fired oven, and family recipes to bake bread and other goods that Franz would take to the riverbank to sell to travelers.
💛 The Kirchhoff’s customers were locals and travelers alike. In those early days, riverboat travelers came to town on the Ohio River. When the steamboat whistle blew, Franz knew it was time to head for the river to sell his wares. Over time, the business grew, and the family traditions continued with Franz’s son and grandson playing a role.
Today, Kirchhoff’s Bakery and Deli is still owned and operated by the family, and they are still baking bread, pastries, and cookies daily. They have also added delicious sandwiches, soups, and salads to their menu.
On the day we stopped in, my daughter and I tried their fun and quite colorful homemade cookies; hers in the shape of a hamburger and mine, of course, in the shape of Kentucky. (My daughter says I’m obsessed with Kentucky, but I think it’s just pride in my home state. What’s wrong with that?)
Regardless, the cookie was delicious, and I loved supporting a family-owned business with deep roots in Paducah. If you are ever out that way, make sure to stop in and grab something yummy. I’m so glad we did!
Reflection
There is so much history in Paducah that I didn’t even touch on – the Battle of Paducah during the Civil War, the 1937 Flood, a visit from Clara Barton, and its 2013 designation as a UNESCO Creative City, just to name a few. In addition, the city boasts several wonderful museums that we did not visit: The National Quilt Museum, the William Clark Market House Museum, the River Discovery Center, and the Lloyd Tilghman House & Civil War Museum.
Now, if I hadn’t already “historied” my daughter for over a day and a half, I would certainly have visited the museums mentioned above. Y’all know how it is with your kids. You have to balance your wants and their wants. In Paducah, I exchanged my wants of more history with my daughter’s wants of shopping, and I honestly didn’t mind it at all. We had a fantasitc time in the bakery and shops. We found lovely gifts for family members and stickers for our laptops. We simply enjoyed a wonderful afternoon together making memories, and I wouldn’t change that for the world.
If I am ever in Paducah again, I will certainly take in the museums. I’ve heard fabulous things about the quilt museum!
Sadly, our time had run out on our 2-day weekend trip to Western Kentucky. It was time to hit the road. A three-and-a-half-hour trip lay ahead of us, so we grabbed a Starbucks on our way out of town and waved good-bye to Paducah and Western Kentucky.
If you ever get the chance to visit this beautiful side of our state and the city of Paducah, I highly recommend that you do!
Until next time…
Happy Travels!
- https://history.ky.gov/markers/clarks-land ↩︎
- chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://paducahky.gov/files/Short%20History%20of%20Paducah%2012-12%20Nathan%20Lynn.pdf ↩︎
- https://www.paducahky.gov/history-city-paducah ↩︎
- https://explorekyhistory.ky.gov/items/show/386 ↩︎
- https://www.jstor.org/stable/660741 ↩︎
- https://gamblershouse.wordpress.com/2012/01/09/who-were-the-padouca/ ↩︎