Because more than 62% percent of all land area in Daviess County is considered to be prime cropland, the cost for two acres or more of farmland range from $250,000 to more than $1.1 million. In fact, more than 84% of all land area in the Owensboro/Daviess County area is devoted to agriculture. It ranks first in Kentucky counties in total crop production, first in soybean production and second in the production of corn. The county is also a major source of tobacco. Other major employers, which locally produce commodities including meat products, spaghetti sauce and paper, are the NSA (a Division of Southwire Company), Williamette Industries, Wal-Mart, Field Packing Company and Lipton Company, maker of Ragu spaghetti sauce.
In 1780, the first white settlers came by boat on the Ohio River to what is now Daviess County. William Smeathers staked his claim on a site near the river, which is now St. Elizabeth Street in Owensboro. The town that grew up around Smeathers’ cabin was called “Yellow Banks” in reference to the color of the soil on the banks of the Ohio River. It was selected as the county seat in 1815. Daviess County was named in honor of Colonel Joseph Hamilton Daveiss, a distinguished lawyer and soldier. The city’s name was changed in 1817 to Owensboro after Colonel Abraham Owen.
Today, Owensboro/Daviess County is crisscrossed by a modern highway system. The Audubon Parkway, William Natcher Parkway, US Highways 231 and 431 all provide direct access to the area, including a short commute to the Owensboro/Daviess County Regional Airport.
Easy access is vital to this “City of Festivals,” as thousands of visitors each year partake of delicious home cooking at the two-day International Bar-B-Q Festival. Known for its bluegrass music tradition, Owensboro also hosts the Bluegrass Blast and the Summer Festival over the Fourth of July weekend. The weather is especially accommodating for this events with temperatures rarely dipping below 39.6 degrees in the winter months and rarely soaring above 76.9 degrees in the summer. The average annual rainfall is a mere 44 inches.
Other art and cultural attractions abound in Owensboro. The International Bluegrass Music Museum located in RiverPark Center, a fabulous new performing arts and civic center, and Owensboro Area Museum of Science and History are two of the finest museums in the area. The Owensboro Museum of Fine Art just completed a $1.6 million expansion, which includes an Atrium Sculpture Court, a restored Civil War-era mansion, the Kentucky Spirit galleries and a priceless collection of German stained-glass windows.
Owensboro is a jewel in the South built around the Ohio River’s sparkling waters. It offers a lifestyle rich with past history and the promise of a better tomorrow. Children and adults can earn a good education. Two public school systems, a Catholic school system and several private education institutions, as well as two four-year liberal arts colleges and the Owensboro campus of Western Kentucky University are easily accessed by all.
Young families and the elderly alike enjoy the numerous parks, golf courses, swimming pools, and recreational diversions available. The Owensboro Sportscenter is a spectacular indoor arena and home to a variety of sports teams. From affordable housing and a low cost of living to abundant cultural and recreational choices, Owensboro has it all.