Maysville, Kentucky Camaraderie and History on the Ohio River Feature by Emily Fagan Photos by Emily and Mark Fagan
Standing on the banks of the Ohio River in Aberdeen, Ohio, my husband and I looked across the water to Kentucky and were enchanted by what we saw: a picturesque town filled with historic brick buildings and pretty church steeples. We hastily set up camp in Lively Lady Campground and crossed the suspension bridge over the river to see what this place was. A huge sign said, “Welcome to Maysville.” Little did we know that we’d love this town so much we’d stay for nearly three weeks. A series of colorful murals by the public parking lot told the history of Maysville, a story shaped by the Ohio River. In the 1700s, the first settlers came down the river on flat boats, which they dismantled for lumber to build homes and create a settlement. Daniel Boone was one of the town’s founders, and he had a tavern on the water’s edge near modern-day Limestone Landing Park. By the 1800s, paddleboats plied the river, connecting Maysville to other towns up and downriver. Later in the century, trains ran along the riverbanks, further facilitating commerce. By the early 1900s, commerce was king in Maysville as the town evolved into a major hub for tobacco farming, warehousing, auctioning,
Downtown Maysville.
and shipping. The land and climate were ideal for growing burley tobacco, which gives cigarettes their flavor, and the river made shipping the product a breeze. As cigarette smoking swept the nation from the 1920s to the 1970s, Maysville’s economy boomed. Everyone for miles around was involved in tobacco production in one way or another. However, when cigarette smoking fell out of fashion in the 1990s, demand for tobacco all but vanished. The town of Maysville was devastated. This wasn’t the first time Maysville had faced disaster, however. As we followed the historical murals to Limestone Landing Park on the waterfront, we met city worker Terry Stamper who explained that all the fabulous murals
A public mural depicting the Limestone Landing in the 1700s.
A public mural depicting the Sutton’s Landing in the 1800s.
MAYSVILLE, KENTUCKY
COAST TO COAST MAGAZINE SUMMER 2024 | 22
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