Calloway County Bicentennial

Floor Speech

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Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, in 1822, pioneer settlers founded Calloway County in Kentucky's Jackson Purchase. Two hundred years later, in November, the residents of this community are celebrating their bicentennial and paying tribute to the adventurous forefathers who made it possible. Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Calloway County for reaching this impressive milestone.

Like the rest of the Jackson Purchase, Calloway County was bought by the Federal Government from the Chickasaw Indians in 1818. This fertile land, bordered by the Tennessee, Ohio, and Mississippi Rivers, was prime territory for American farmers seeking to move westward from the young Nation's eastern core. Those early settlers poured into Calloway County, on the Purchase's eastern edge, and incorporated the county in 1822, with the early settlement of Wadesboro serving as their county seat.

Calloway County developed like much of the rest of the Purchase, with large farms bolstered by easy access to Kentucky's inland waterways and the urban markets that lay beyond. Calloway's early residents built a one-room, log courthouse in 1823--the first public building constructed in the Jackson Purchase--and founded several towns, including Murray, the current county seat. Calloway quickly grew into a prosperous community with thousands of residents.

By the end of the 19th century, Calloway County formed an integral part of Western Kentucky's commerce, culture, and governance. In recognition of the county's significance, Calloway native Rainey T. Wells started the Calloway Normal College in the 1890s to train teachers. Though that school closed in 1913, Wells secured State funds to construct Murray State Normal School in 1923, now known as Murray State University. Wells became Murray State's second president in 1926 and would go on to practice law in front of the Supreme Court in 1937, before returning to his Calloway County home until his death.

Another important moment in Calloway's history came when the Tennessee Valley Authority dammed the Tennessee River and created Kentucky Lake, a vast reservoir on the county's eastern edge. In addition to supplying hydroelectric power to Calloway County residents, the lake created new recreational attractions for the local community. Today, Kentucky Lake--and the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area that governs its neighboring forest areas--is one of the largest natural attractions in the Commonwealth, bringing millions of tourists to the region every year.

Today, Calloway County is a unique Kentucky community, navigating new pathways in education and recreation while still remaining firmly rooted in its agricultural and historical traditions. Murray is a burgeoning town with nearly 20,000 residents, serving as both a host to thousands of Murray State University students and a gateway to the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area. The county's attractions include museums, parks, Civil War forts, and miles of beautiful rolling hills. It is no surprise that, every year, more and more families decide to call Calloway County home.

Calloway County residents will have much to celebrate in their upcoming bicentennial. They and their pioneer ancestors have built a thriving community, complete with everything prospective newcomers could desire in a new home. Their upcoming celebration will include local civic groups, nonprofits, churches, sports teams, and businesses--a colorful tapestry of every organization that makes Calloway County great.

I want to give special thanks to the Calloway County civic leaders who are working so hard to make this year's bicentennial celebration possible. Through their hard work, their community continues to prosper, even 200 years after its founding. On behalf of the Senate, I share our congratulations with every Calloway Countian and join them in honoring 200 years of proud Kentucky traditions.

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