Bowling Green is the seat of Warren County and has a population of roughly 60,600, making it the third most populous city in the state. It began its existence as “McFadden’s Station,” a small pioneer settlement on the north bank of the Barren River. It was founded by pioneers in 1798 and served as the provisional capital of Confederate Kentucky during the Civil War.
The origins of the town’s name are somewhat controversial, with some claiming that it was inspired by the Bowling Green in New York City where patriots destroyed a statue of King George III and used the lead to manufacture bullets and others saying it was named for the Bowling Green in Virginia or even just early homesteader Robert More’s fondness for a certain “ball alley game.”
Manufacturing is a big deal in Bowling Green, with numerous high-profile companies assembling or producing their products there. Manufacturers currently based in or producing out of Bowling Green include household names such as Fruit of the Loom and General Motors. The latter utilizes the specialized Bowling Green Assembly Plant, which originally produced air conditioners, but has been the source of all Corvettes manufactured since 1981. It is consistently top-ranked for product quality among GM plants and is a popular travel destination for Corvette owners and enthusiasts, who come from all over to visit the National Corvette Museum.
Early in its life, Bowling Green relied on its proximity to the Barren River to increase its stature, prioritizing the creation of canal locks and dams on the river to make it more navigable and capitalize on the then-thriving steamboat commerce. The introduction of a portage railway and railway connecting the town to northern and southern markets made it a prime location for commerce and, ultimately, a target for co option and control by both Union and Confederate forces in the Civil War.
Bowling Green declared neutrality in the war but most of its residents sided with the Confederacy and didn’t mind when Confederate General Simon Bolivar Buckner occupied the city and when, ultimately, the provisional Confederate Government chose the town as its capital.
After the war’s end, the business district in Bowling Green grew exponentially. An economy previously reliant on agriculture gave way to the present-day manufacturing hub and new developments like the 1868 construction of the city’s first waterworks system and 1989 introduction of mule-drawn streetcars (soon replaced by electric ones) modernized the town.
Present-day visitors to Bowling Green have dozens of options when it comes to recreation, including museums where the town’s rich history can be explored, like the Kentucky Museum, housed on the beautiful, hill-top campus of Western Kentucky University.
Inside, visitors will find permanent exhibits relating to the local perspective on the Civil War, an extensive quilt and textile collection, ancient archaeological artifacts like Egyptian sarcophagus and information about and artifacts from more recent archaeological sites, like Log House displays, building techniques and the furniture, tools and clothing from the 1810s, and changing galleries based in community and university projects.
The University is also home to a world-class symphony, which provides locals and visitors with year-round access to contemporary and classical offerings, ranging from celebrations of classical titans like Beethoven and Brahms to Jazz legends like Ellington and Gershwin.
Mammoth Cave National Park is home to several underground tunnels and routes connected by river ways, making it an exciting and adventurous place for canoeing and other water recreation.
Bowling Green KY News 