Paducah

15 April:  Named for the large Padouca tribe of Native Americans in the prairie and plains region, Paducah, Kentucky, is situated where four historically important rivers meet.  The Tennessee and Cumberland rivers flow into the Ohio River a short way upstream from the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers.  In 1827 Capt. William Clark (of Lewis and Clark fame) is said to have purchased a large tract of land there for $5, a bargain compared to the $20 paid for the Newfoundland dog Seaman, who accompanied the 1804-1805 Corps of Discovery expedition to Oregon and back.  After the 50-ft flood in 1937, a flood wall was built along the Paducah waterfront and it now features several excellent large murals depicting important places, people, and events throughout Paducah’s history, accompanied by tablets with engraved descriptions.

Although business stagnated for a while after the interstate highway was put in, Paducah gained renewed prominence since it began hosting the internationally famous American Quilter’s Society week and contest in 1985.  The National Quilt Museum in Paducah, opened in 1991, displays many superb quilts, including several award winners of the annual AQS competition.  The quilt museum was our focus for our day in Paducah, and we were not disappointed.  The museum does not just attract quilters and women—the artistry and craftsmanship of the quilts on display is impressive indeed.  No longer just a time-honored craft, quilting has become the chosen medium for some very creative contemporary artists.

In the evening we met Emily, her son Thad, and fiancée Chris at a very nice local restaurant with a Caribbean theme, and then they showed us the house they are about to move into.  Emily is Lowry’s age and her parents, Dick and Sonia, used to bring her cross-country skiing and hiking with our family before she grew up and moved from Maine into the South.