09 Jul Paducah, KY
This post is based primarily on Don's notes, occasionally supplemented with MT's notes from our cruise in July 2025. When information from other sources is added—for further explanation to readers or to satisfy our own curiosity—that is set off in a text box (as this one).
Most of the photos that accompany this post are from Don’s camera (with a caption indicating the time it was taken); those from MT’s iPhone are indicated by “MT” placed at the beginning of the photo caption. Photos from any other source (such as the public domain Wikimedia Commons), occasionally used for clarification, indicate that source in the caption.
Most of the photos that accompany this post are from Don’s camera (with a caption indicating the time it was taken); those from MT’s iPhone are indicated by “MT” placed at the beginning of the photo caption. Photos from any other source (such as the public domain Wikimedia Commons), occasionally used for clarification, indicate that source in the caption.
The Viking Daily newsletter showed today's weather forecast as "Rain Showers 84° F" and "Sunrise: 5:42 AM | Sunset: 8:16 PM."
Don woke at 7:15 am (MT already up).
From 8:00 to 8:30, we walked on the Deck 1 track.
The Viking Daily newsletter said we were to dock in Paducah, Kentucky at 9:00.
The Viking Daily newsletter had
this description of Paducah, Kentucky:
“Located at the confluence of the Tennessee and Ohio rivers, Paducah is one of Kentucky’s hidden gems. A UNESCO Creative City, Paducah is famed for its preserved 19th-century architecture and historic buildings that line the main Street. The city’s Downtown streets are a delight to explore on foot. The National Quilt Museum houses a superb collection of contemporary style quilts by artists from around the globe. Paducah is also famed for its ‘Wall to Wall’ murals, colorful paintings by different artists that document the heritage and history of the city and the region.”
“Located at the confluence of the Tennessee and Ohio rivers, Paducah is one of Kentucky’s hidden gems. A UNESCO Creative City, Paducah is famed for its preserved 19th-century architecture and historic buildings that line the main Street. The city’s Downtown streets are a delight to explore on foot. The National Quilt Museum houses a superb collection of contemporary style quilts by artists from around the globe. Paducah is also famed for its ‘Wall to Wall’ murals, colorful paintings by different artists that document the heritage and history of the city and the region.”
Paducah, Kentucky (pop. 25,024) is a home rule-class
city located halfway between St. Louis. MO and Nashville, TN. It is the most
populace city in the Jackson Purchase region, bounded by the Mississippi River
to the west, the Ohio River to the north, and the Tennessee River to the east.
The name of the region comes from the 1818 purchase by then general Andrew
Jackson of all of Tennessee west of the Tennessee River. In modern usage,
however, it refers only to the Kentucky portion of the purchase. Twenty blocks
of the city’s downtown have been designated as a historic district and listed
on the National Register of Historic Places.
Although local lore long connected the city's name to a Chickasaw chief "Paduke” and his band of “Padukans,” authorities of the Chickasaws have since said there was never a chief or tribe by that name. Instead, historians believe that Clark named the town for Comanche people of the western plains, who were known by regional settlers as the “Padoucas,” from a Spanish transliteration of the Kaw word “Pádoka or the Omaha “Pádonka.”
Paducah was formally established as a town in 1830 and incorporated as a city in 1838. By the time the city charter was drafted in 1838, steam boats were traversing the river system, and it port facilities were important to trade and transportation. Because of its proximity to coalfields further to the east in Kentucky and north in Illinois, Paducah also became an important railway hub.
At the outset of the Civil War, Kentucky attempted to take a neural position. However, when a Confederate force occupied Columbus, a Union force under General Ulysses S. Grant responded by occupying Paducah. Throughout the war, the town served as a massive supply depot for Federal forces along the Mississippi, Ohio, and Tennessee river systems. In 1864, Confederated forces briefly occupied the town in a raid known as the Battle of Paducah.
Although local lore long connected the city's name to a Chickasaw chief "Paduke” and his band of “Padukans,” authorities of the Chickasaws have since said there was never a chief or tribe by that name. Instead, historians believe that Clark named the town for Comanche people of the western plains, who were known by regional settlers as the “Padoucas,” from a Spanish transliteration of the Kaw word “Pádoka or the Omaha “Pádonka.”
Paducah was formally established as a town in 1830 and incorporated as a city in 1838. By the time the city charter was drafted in 1838, steam boats were traversing the river system, and it port facilities were important to trade and transportation. Because of its proximity to coalfields further to the east in Kentucky and north in Illinois, Paducah also became an important railway hub.
At the outset of the Civil War, Kentucky attempted to take a neural position. However, when a Confederate force occupied Columbus, a Union force under General Ulysses S. Grant responded by occupying Paducah. Throughout the war, the town served as a massive supply depot for Federal forces along the Mississippi, Ohio, and Tennessee river systems. In 1864, Confederated forces briefly occupied the town in a raid known as the Battle of Paducah.
Wednesday, July 9, 2025, 8:04 AM - Paducah: the forward end of our ship was tied to a blue line leading to the levee with welcome sign and gate in protective floodwall.
8:04 AM - Paducah: view, from our ship, of sign for "Port of Paducah, KY - Welcome" on the floodwall (telephoto 130 mm).
8:08 AM - Paducah: view, from the forward end of our ship (below the ship's bridge and near where the blue line was secured), to the aft end, where a white gangway and red tent are for disembarking, after which we would walk up the sloping levee to the gate in the floodwall, to the right of the welcome sign.
9:39 AM - Paducah: sign at top of levee for "Historic River Front"; text reads as follows:
"Here the Tenn. River flows into the Ohio. Owen's Island opposite Kentucky Ave. There in 1779 George Rogers Clark's small army landed to prepare for its defeat of the British in the Illinois country. In 1780 Col. John Donelson landed 30 boats with 30 families that had floated down river from east Tenn. After stopover went up Ohio and Cumberland, founded Nashville. Over [text ends there]."
9:39 AM - Paducah: welcome sign at top of levee.
MT 9:34 AM - Paducah: MT by welcome sign.
MT 9:35 AM - Paducah: Don by welcome sign.
9:41 AM - Paducah: view, from welcome sign back down levee to the docked Viking Mississippi.
9:47 AM - Paducah: mural on inside of floodwall, of the city and steamboats docked at the port; this was part of the "Wall to Wall" project.
Paducah Wall to Wall is a public art project painted on
the inside of the floodwall by the renowned Dafford muralists. More than 50
life-size panels depict the historical tales and events that occurred in Paducah, including Native American history, the Lewis & Clark Expedition,
the famous Clark brothers, steamboats, and barges. The project was begun in
1996, and the work of the Dafford team spanned 25 years. Now other artists
repaint and refurbish the murals each year.
MT 9:42 AM - Paducah: MT and Don with mural on inside of floodwall, of people in red jackets welcoming steamboats.
We went on the (included) shore excursion "National Quilt Museum," although there were two other optional excursions.
The National Quilt Museum in
downtown Paducah exhibits fiber art and quilting from all over the US and around
the world. (Fiber art is a fine art whose material consists of natural or synthetic
fiber and other components, such as fabric or yarn.) Opened in 1991, it is the
only museum dedicated to contemporary quilts and quiltmakers. The main gallery
is devoted to a rotating selection from the museum’s collection of over 600
quilts. The museum also has two other galleries that feature rotating fiber art
exhibits throughout the year.
Upon entering the museum, Don and MT went separate ways, seeing and photographing different quilts. Don took the time to take photos of identifying signs. So this post will do Don's photos first and then MT's.
MT 10:20 AM - Paducah: National Quilt Museum - "Floating (Relied Carving in Wood" quilt, which we were told was made of basswood; a small sign at left said "Please do not touch."
10:27 AM - Paducah: National Quilt Museum - "Star Struck, 2011" quilt.
10:27 AM - Paducah: National Quilt Museum - sign for "Star Struck, 2011" quilt.
10:28AM - Paducah: National Quilt Museum - "A February's Dream of Spring, 2024" quilt.
10:28 AM - Paducah: National Quilt Museum - sign for "A February's Dream of Spring, 2024" quilt.
10:31 AM - Paducah: National Quilt Museum - "First Ladies" quilt, with digitized and colorized pictures of the three ladies in the center of a 1920 photo and 20 more on the banner they are holding.
10:31 AM - Paducah: National Quilt Museum - sign for "First Ladies" quilt.
10:31 AM - Paducah: National Quilt Museum - photo of Hillary Clinton in center of bottom line on "First Ladies" quilt.
10:32 AM - Paducah: National Quilt Museum - with list, in alphabetical order by first name, of 162 ladies who were the first of their sex or ethnicity to do things, of whom 23 were pictured on the "First Ladies" quilt; this included "Hillary Rodham Clinton, first woman to be a major party's nominee for president 2016."
10:33 AM - Paducah: National Quilt Museum - "Flowers of the Crown, 2002" quilt; the open book below the picture frame says: "Preakness Win - Derby Triumph - Affirmed Takes Triple with Belmont Win."
10:33 AM - Paducah: National Quilt Museum - sign for "Flowers of the Crown, 2002" quilt.
10:35 AM - Paducah: National Quilt Museum - "Adventure Awaits, 2012" quilt.
10:35 AM - Paducah: National Quilt Museum - sign for "Adventure Awaits, 2012" quilt.
10:36 AM - Paducah: National Quilt Museum - "Trek Series" quilts.
10:37 AM - Paducah: National Quilt Museum - signs for "Trek Series" quilts; text of both reads the same:
"In Trek, each piece is an exploration of a more abstracted nature, with movement as its intention. Not only can each 59" x 59" quilt stand alone, but together, there is an opportunity to search for movement, space, and unity among the entirety of the journey."
10:37 AM - Paducah: National Quilt Museum - magnetic pieces with invitation to "Design Your Own Quilt!" near the Trek Series.
10:39 AM - Paducah: National Quilt Museum - Miniature Bed Quilts in glass case near entrance; the small sign reads as follows:
"Miniature Bed Quilts - Pat Kuhns - Lincoln, NE
"I'm an award-winning miniature quilter from Lincoln, NE. When I started quilting in 1995, I made several large quilts. Then I saw an exhibit of miniature quilts and I was intrigued. I was introduced to miniatures by my mentor, Ann Bade. I instantly knew that I wanted to make miniatures. I was very fortunate that I was able to take several trips to the annual American Quilter's Society quilt show with Ann. I was given an opportunity to see the award-winning miniatures on display. I began to think about making a miniature for competition. I made my first competition miniature in 2003. I began competing in both national and international competitions in 2005. I competed from 2005 to 2016, and entered more than 50 contests. I've won top prizes in most of the prestigious contests in the US. I made six competition miniatures. They are now in the collection of the National Quilt Museum in Paducah, KY. I also have an exhibit of eleven of my miniature beds in the NQM. I have collected small beds in all sizes from miniature to larger doll size beds for many years. I enjoy making miniature quilts and small doll quilts to display on them. I also have a large collection of these beds on exhibit at the Missouri Quilt Museum in Hamilton, MO."
Meanwhile, MT took the following photos during her separate tour of the museum. Since their paths crossed only once, she had no photos of any of the same quilts Don had photographed.
MT 10:22 AM - Paducah: National Quilt Museum - colorful quilt.
MT 10:26 AM - Paducah: National Quilt Museum - another colorful quilt.
MT 10:26 AM - Paducah: National Quilt Museum - quilt.
MT 10:27 AM - Paducah: National Quilt Museum - quilt.
MT 10:27 AM - Paducah: National Quilt Museum - quilt.
MT 10:28 AM - Paducah: National Quilt Museum - two quilts.
MT 10:28 AM - Paducah: National Quilt Museum - quilt.
MT 10:30 AM - Paducah: National Quilt Museum - quilt (the sign at the left was not about this quilt).
MT 10:30 AM - Paducah: National Quilt Museum - quilt.
MT 10:31 AM - Paducah: National Quilt Museum - quilt.
MT 10:31 AM - Paducah: National Quilt Museum - quilt.
MT 10:31 AM - Paducah: National Quilt Museum - quilt.
MT 10:31 AM - Paducah: National Quilt Museum - six small quilts.
MT 10:33 AM - Paducah: National Quilt Museum - four small quilts.
MT 10:34 AM - Paducah: National Quilt Museum - quilt.
MT 10:34 AM - Paducah: National Quilt Museum - quilt.
MT 10:34 AM - Paducah: National Quilt Museum - quilt.
MT 10:34 AM - Paducah: National Quilt Museum - quilt.
MT 10:35 AM - Paducah: National Quilt Museum - quilt.
MT 10:35 AM - Paducah: National Quilt Museum - quilt.
MT 10:36 AM - Paducah: National Quilt Museum - quilt.
MT 10:37 AM - Paducah: National Quilt Museum - Don with 4-part quilt.
MT 10:37 AM - Paducah: National Quilt Museum - MT and Don with quilt; the sign at left identified this as "The 4 Year Term" by an Australian quilter.
MT 10:41 AM - Paducah: National Quilt Museum - quilt.
MT 10:41 AM - Paducah: National Quilt Museum - quilt.
Back near the entrance, Don met up with MT again. Don asked her is she had seen the nearby large display of "Trek Series" quilts. Since she had not, Don showed her to it.
