The program celebrates Paducah’s historic connection to Lewis and Clark’s 1803 expedition, known as the Corps of Discovery expedition.
In order to qualify for this designation, the National Park Service requires that a community demonstrate its connection to the Corps of Discovery and that the connection is showcased and celebrated in a public way.
Riverfront "Wall to Wall" murals by the Dafford Murals Team weave the story of Paducah's past including the intersection with the Lewis & Clark expedition.
The William Clark Market House Museum, housed in one of Paducah's architectural landmarks, presents artifacts from Paducah's storied past, and a Lewis & Clark Trail of Discovery tribute stands on the lawn of the National Quilt Museum.
The Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, administered by the National Park Service, is more than 4,900 miles long, traverses sixteen states and many tribal lands, along the historic route of the expedition.
The Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail was designated by Congress in 1978 to commemorate the 1803 to 1806 Corps of Discovery expedition.
As a community partner, Paducah will act as a steward in growing the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Geotourism project.
In Paducah’s application to participate in the program, Laura Oswald, Director of Marketing for the Paducah Convention & Visitors Bureau noted: “Paducah's significant American heritage can be traced to the city's strategic location at the confluence of the Ohio and Tennessee rivers."
With its designation as a Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Sustainable Community Partner, Paducah will receive tourism marketing support and resources to help educate visitors and residents about the community’s connection to the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail.
Paducah will also be featured on the Trail’s tourism promotion website, www.LewisandClark.Travel.
“The Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail provides an opportunity for people from across the country and around the world to follow in the footsteps of the most iconic explorers of the American frontier,” says Dan Wiley, Chief of Integrated Resources for the Trail. “The new community partnership program showcases those communities along the Trail where visitors can learn about the historic expedition and the legacy which helped make these towns the communities they are now.”
The epic journey contributed significant scientific knowledge and profound political, social, economic, cultural, and environmental changes to the peoples and landscapes of the North American continent.
On the Net:
Lewis and Clark Travel website
