Saturday, November 22, 2008

A few more of Downtown

This used to be Paducah Dry Goods. I had to ask Joe because I couldn't remember.

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I think it is great that it was left like that.

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That must be Santa's place in Paducah. Speaking of Santa, the Christmas parade should be just around the corner. I used to march in it when I was in the high school band. I played the coronet.

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The downtown saloon. Can't say that I have ever been in it and I can definitely say I don't plan on EVER being in it.

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This is Broadway Methodist Church right smack downtown. Isn't it gorgeous?

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This is where my dad used to have his patients dentures, partials or whatever a lab needed to do for a dentist. I loved taking things down there for him. I didn't do it near as often as my brother So, but it always made me feel important for some weird teenage reason. Plus I loved running up the stairs. I know, it didn't take much for me in those days.

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The Irvin Cobb is in the above 2 pictures. It used to be a very fancy smancy hotel. It is now an apartment building for retired/disabled folks. It is really quite grand even now. The apartments have all been remodeled and are very nice. Plus it is very inexpensive for the tenants. It offers a great view of the city and the Ohio River.

As is evident, I really love our downtown area. When we were kids Mom would drop me and my friend Laura off. We would shop, go to the movies (there were 2 theaters, the Columbia and the Arcade) and just mess around like kids do. There was a paperboy on the corner hollering "paaaper" for anyone that needed one. Basically all shopping was done downtown. We felt safe and our parents never worried about us. There was a blind man in the basement of the old courthouse that sold newspapers, candy and such. They say he could tell the monetary value of a bill somehow. I saw him a couple of times that I remember. I was a bit afraid of him but that was just because I had never seen a blind person before. I'm sure he was a kind man.

Kentucky Oaks mall was build in the late 70's and early 80's. Lots of stores left downtown and relocated at the mall. To this day the two anchor stores are still JC Penney's and Sears which both moved from downtown. For a number of years it suffered but thanks to local government and lots of antique stores the downtown area is once again a vital part of Paducah. I am grateful for that since it has so much history and would have been a huge shame to have been left abandoned.

In the summer there is a Downtown after Dinner program on Friday and Saturday evenings where carriage rides are offered, shops stay open late and the streets are blocked off for pedestrian traffic. There are fireworks shot from a barge on the Ohio River on various nights. Every weekend during the after dinner program there are bands that play on the riverfront. The only fee to enjoy the music is a can or two for the local food pantry.

Come on and visit a spell folks. People here are really nice. Really.

11 comments:

Scott W said...

There is a building across from St Francis de Salles church, sorta in the middle of the block, where there was another lab Dad used. It was on the top floor and when I used to take/deliver stuff there the building was practically empty. I wish I could remember the name of the building. Anyway...

Both those labs had the BEST smell! I am sure you could get high just smelling it, whatever it was.

Now down by the Market House, where Cohen's restaurant is was the original Cohen Bros store, where the two old spinster Cohen sisters used to sit in the downstairs every day, but the store wasn't open. Their dog would bark and bark if you looked in the windows. They creeped us all out. I think they lived in the upstairs part.

Then there was Wallerstein's Menswear Store which was my last job in Paducah. It used to be four floors of clothing and was quite the big deal back in the day.

I am glad we have those memories of downtown, it was a nice place back when.

PAY--EEEEE-PER!

MichelleSG said...

Geez it seems as though your town tries really hard to keep itself alive with a multitude of different programs. That is sooo cool! Many small towns refuse to change with the times and consequently die with the stagnancy of it. Beautiful place!

Jen said...

Great shots....

Dan and Betty said...

Great post, TB. I love small towns and I pray God will help them all survive and thrive.

Dan

Syd said...

You inspired me to post photos of where I live and some fun things about it on my blog. Stop by when you can. I'll plan on visiting Kentucky again soon.

photogchic said...

Thanks for stopping by my blog, Equine Mine. I love the tour you gave...I would like to go check out that antique shop:-)

Hula Girl at Heart said...

It really is a great downtown. I love the architecture on the old german bank next to Jeremiah's.

Zanejabbers said...

More grat pictures. It seems so many old downtowns are now Antique Alley's. Recycling at it's best.
Lisa, stop by PrayerGirl - she has a wonderful picture of what I think is a Boxer Puppy. Thought of you the minute I saw it.

BrownEyed Cowgirl said...

My mom could probably tell a few stories about Paducah. ;) She and my dad used to live there.

When we were kids and would go to Alabama to visit, we always stopped at Kenneth Peck's place in Paducah. He had a nice barn and that is the first time I ever got to ride a real, live big, lick Tennessee Walking Horse. I think I was about 12y/o. There was some other people we used to stop and visit there too, Andy Ship. He was a rodeo clown and trained trick horses. First time I ever got to ride in a trick saddle. He wanted me to stay with his family for a summer and learn how to trick ride, but I chickened out.

I may be mistaken on this one...but I think Paducah is also where my mom and dad met and became friends with Mooney and Loretta Lynn. Of course, that was long before Loretta became so famous and moved to Hurricane Mills. I used to love to go to HM in the summer when we were kids-they had an awesome pool with a slide!

Trailboss said...

BE Girl, There was a barn owned by Don Peck that stabled a lot of horses. Unfortunately it burned to the ground a few years ago. Lots of fine horses lost their lives. Very sad.

Paducah is a great town and the people are wonderful. Loretta Lynn was from Kentucky but I thought it was eastern, I might be wrong. She has been here to sing several times at the Executive Inn. My boss used to run sound there and met her and lots of other famous people. He said Loretta Lynn was one of the nicest.

Small world, even in bloggerland.

Bill said...

I love these photos, and it looks like a nice place...very tidy.

I vote that you venture into the Silver Bullet, and report back to us.