![]() ![]() They destroyed bridges across the Barren River, the railroad depot, and other important buildings that could be used by the enemy. Grant, the Confederates began to withdraw from Bowling Green. On February 14, 1862, after receiving reports that Fort Henry on the Tennessee River and Fort Donelson on the Cumberland River had both been captured by Union forces under Ulysses S. In November 1861, the provisional Confederate government of Kentucky chose Bowling Green as its capital. The Confederates fortified surrounding hills to secure possible military approaches to the valuable river and railroad assets. The city's pro-Union feelings surprised the Confederate occupiers. On September 18, 1861, around 1300 Confederate soldiers arrived from Tennessee to occupy the city, placed under command of Kentucky native General Simon Bolivar Buckner. The majority of its residents rejected both the Confederacy and the Lincoln administration. Because of its prime location and resources, however, both the Union and Confederacy sought control of the city. In 1859, the Louisville and Nashville Railroad (currently CSX Transportation) laid railroad through Bowling Green that connected the city with northern and southern markets.īowling Green declared itself neutral in an attempt to escape the Civil War. that corn in this country grows so fast that if you look at it the next, it has grown a foot higher that the "little hickory twigs" growing in the barrens have roots as large as his legs. says that he has seen a turnip this fall that measures thirty-two inches around, and has a beet that weighs sixteen pounds and a half. A visitor to Bowling Green noted the boasting of a tavern proprietor named Benjamin Vance: ![]() Mules pulled freight and passengers to and from the city on the tracks.ĭespite rapid urbanization of the Bowling Green area in the 1830s, agriculture remained an important part of local life. In 1832, the first portage railway connected the river to the location of the current county courthouse. Canal locks and dams on the Barren River made it much more navigable. Growth in steamboat commerce and the proximity of the Barren River increased Bowling Green's prominence. 19th century īy 1810, Bowling Green had 154 residents. According to the Encyclopedia of Kentucky, the name was derived from Bowling Green, Virginia, from where early migrants had come, or the personal "ball alley game" of founder Robert Moore. The city refers to the first county commissioners' meeting (1798), which named the town "Bolin Green" after the Bowling Green in New York City, where patriots had pulled down a statue of King George III and used the lead to make bullets during the American Revolution. Some controversy exists over the source of the town's name. Present-day Bowling Green developed from homesteads erected by Robert and George Moore and General Elijah Covington, the namesake of the town near Cincinnati. By 1778, settlers established McFadden's Station on the north bank of the Barren River. The first Europeans known to have reached the area carved their names on beech trees near the river around 1775. Bowling Green is also home to Western Kentucky University and the National Corvette Museum. The Bowling Green Assembly Plant has been the source of all Chevrolet Corvettes built since 1981. In the 21st century, it is the location of numerous manufacturers, including General Motors, Spalding, and Fruit of the Loom. As of the 2020 census, its population of 72,294 made it the third-most-populous city in the state, after Louisville and Lexington its metropolitan area, which is the fourth largest in the state after Louisville, Lexington, and Northern Kentucky, had an estimated population of 179,240 and the combined statistical area it shares with Glasgow has an estimated population of 233,560. ![]() Founded by pioneers in 1798, Bowling Green was the provisional capital of Confederate Kentucky during the American Civil War. The Warren County Justice Center is the center of the local court system.īowling Green is a home rule-class city and the county seat of Warren County, Kentucky, United States. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |