The Heritage Park High School Class of 2018 has recently completed a project in which students researched the history of the Owensboro / Daviess County community, its people and places.
The project focused on exploring how industrialization and urbanization have affected the growth of our community over time. The nine-week project began with research on 15 topics and locations around the area, utilizing local resources and historians such as Adam Paris, who provided valuable information through his work as moderator of the “History of Owensboro, KY” Facebook page and as a member of the newly reorganized Owensboro-Daviess County Historical Society.
HPHS social studies teacher Joshua Scherrer said the project continued with a sightseeing and fact-finding tour of the city and county. Students visited locations associated with each of the topics being researched for the book. Leslie McCarty, who serves as manager of the Kentucky Room at the Daviess County Public Library, accompanied the students and staff on this tour, serving as a historical guide. Students took photographs and wrote descriptions about what they saw at each of the sites. Based on these experiences and the research they had completed, each student wrote a chapter exploring his or her assigned topic, and these chapters were then compiled into a book of local history.
Topics addressed in the book include
- the founding of Owensboro;
- the Rudy Mine and coal mining in Daviess County;
- early banking systems in Owensboro;
- the Owensboro Wagon Company;
- Union Station and the influence of the rail system;
- Seven Hills Chautauqua Park;
- Owensboro Milling and Owensboro Grain;
- Temple Adath Israel;
- Stirman’s Folly, which is now Haley-McGinnis Funeral Home;
- the growth of Owensboro Municipal Utilities;
- Mount St. Joseph;
- early education in Owensboro and Daviess County;
- the F.A. Ames automobile manufacturing company;
- and the Kentucky Electrical Lamp Company, later known as Ken-Rad and now owned by General Electric.
Students have also created presentations for each chapter of the book as part of their “Exhibition of Learning” for this project. The public is invited to visit Heritage Park High School at 3361 Buckland Square between 9:30 and 11 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 14.
Copies of the book may be purchased for $5 or orders may be placed by contacting HPHS at 270-852-7200.
All proceeds from the sale of the books will go to the Owensboro-Daviess County Historical Society. These books make a perfect Christmas gift for anyone interested in local history.
Books may be picked up at the school weekdays until noon Friday, Dec. 16.
