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

William Clark

Photographed by Brandon D Cross

1. William Clark Marker

Inscription. Wiliam Clark, 1770 - 1838, a soldier, explorer, Superintendent of Indian Affairs, and Governor of Missouri Territory, is best known for the Lewis and Clark voyage of discovery up the Missouri River in 1804. William got title to the 37,000 acre site at Paducah on October 13, 1827, from the Kentucky courts. Clark sent his agent, George Woolfolk, to displace squatters from the site of Paducah and to survey it. Previously, the contested site had been called Pekin. The Clark plat of the town was entered into McCracken County records on June 18, 1830. The Clark claim was not clear until 1844 when the Porterfield Script case was heard before the U.S. Supreme Court. The rival claim was based on a military warrant, which usually superseded treasury warrants however, the Clark claim was upheld. The first lots were sold in 1830.
Sponsored by Charles Ferguson Hank & Hank Brothers Hardware

Erected by Charles Ferguson Hank & Hank Brothers Hardware.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Exploration • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1804.

Location. 37° 5.302′ N, 88° 35.651′ W. Marker is in Paducah, Kentucky, in McCracken County. It is at the intersection of South Water Street and

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Broadway Street, on the right when traveling north on South Water Street. The marker is located along Paducah’s waterfront below a mural of William Clark. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 100 S Water St, Paducah KY 42001, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Kentucky’s 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: George Rogers Clark (here, next to this marker); Robert S. Davis (here, next to this marker); First House in Paducah, Kentucky (a few steps from this marker); First Frame House in Paducah, Kentucky (a few steps from this marker); Paducah 1873 "Bird's Eye View" (a few steps from this marker); First Log Cabin / First Frame House (a few steps from this marker); Paducah's Architecture (a few steps from this marker); Federal Occupation of Paducah (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Paducah.

Also see . . .
1. William Clark Biography. (Submitted on June 30, 2024, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida.)
2. Paducah Wall to Wall. (Submitted on June 30, 2024, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida.)

Photographed by Brandon D Cross

2. William Clark Marker

Paducah Wall to Wall Portraits of the Past Mural image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Brandon D Cross

3. Paducah Wall to Wall Portraits of the Past Mural

Credits. This page was last revised on July 1, 2024. It was originally submitted on June 30, 2024, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. This page has been viewed 193 times since then and 16 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on June 30, 2024, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. • J. J. Prats was the editor who published this page.