Daviess County Bicentennial

Like Covington, Daviess County is also marking its bicentennial in 2015.

Aloma Dew said the county has a rich agricultural history, and barbecue that can’t be beat. “We have probably the best barbecue in the world, and we think everyone should know about that.”

Lee Dew said people made their living from the land in the 1800s and early 1900s. “And it was some of the richest land in the country, “he said. “Still is.”

The county seat, Owensboro, developed on the banks of the river, but many communities grew along roads that were developed from old buffalo traces in the Green River and Ohio River valleys.

The Bicentennial Committee, co-chaired by Lee and Aloma Dew, published the first history of the rural areas of the county since 1883, “Daviess County, Kentucky: Celebrating Our Heritage 1815-2015.” It has also collected photographs, maps, and more on its website, www.daviess200.org.

Among those recognized in the year’s events was a 97-year-old African-American man whose grandfather enlisted in the Union Army (among the several hundred enslaved African American men in Daviess County who did so.) The Bicentennial Committee unveiled a historical marker on the courthouse square this year honoring their service.

According to Lee Dew, the county remains a beacon to many in western Kentucky as well as southern Indiana, said Lee Dew, for medical care, education, and entertainment.

This segment is part of Kentucky  Life episode #2102, which originally appeared on November 21, 2015. Watch the full episode.