Paducah in McCracken County, Kentucky — The American South (East South Central)

Fort Anderson

Photographed by Jason Voigt, August 10, 2020

1. Fort Anderson Marker

Inscription.
Union fortification built 1861 and named for Kentuckian Robt. Anderson of Fort Sumter fame. Led by Gen. N.B. Forrest. CSA forces attacked fort on March 25, 1864, seized supplies, and burned wharf. CSA Col. Albert Thompson of Paducah killed. Next day USA troops under Col. S. G. Hicks burned homes to clear area of cover for Confederate soldiers.

Erected 1993 by Kentucky Historical Society & Kentucky Department of Highways, presented by Paducah Hospital Assoc. (Marker Number 828.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Forts and Castles • War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Kentucky Historical Society series list. A significant historical date for this entry is March 25, 1864.

Location. 37° 5.564′ N, 88° 36.183′ W. Marker is in Paducah, Kentucky, in McCracken County. It can be reached from Park Avenue east of North 5th Street. Marker is in front of the parking lot of Paducah Convention Center. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 431 Park Ave, Paducah KY 42001, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Kentucky’s

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Jackson Purchase.

It is also in the American Midwest,

in the South,

in the Upper South,

and in the Ohio River Valley.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

and also the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Battle of Paducah-March 1864 (a few steps from this marker); Grant's Proclamation (a few steps from this marker); A Paducah CSA Hero (within shouting distance of this marker); 8th U.S. Colored Heavy Artillery (within shouting distance of this marker); Death of Albert Thompson (within shouting distance of this marker); Quilt Title: Corona II: Solar Eclipse, 1989 (within shouting distance of this marker); Quilt Title: …And Our Flag Was Still There!, 2013 (within shouting distance of this marker); The Flood Wall / The 1937 Flood (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Paducah.

More about this marker. Unlike some Kentucky Historical Society markers,

Photographed by Jason Voigt, August 10, 2020

2. Fort Anderson Marker

In a grassy area with five other markers

this one repeats on both sides.

Also see . . . Fort Anderson (ExploreKYHistory.gov). More information about Fort Anderson (Submitted on September 8, 2025, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois.)

Credits. This page was last revised on September 8, 2025. It was originally submitted on August 18, 2020, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois. This page has been viewed 1,427 times since then and 81 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 18, 2020, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois.