Broadway Street | Market House Museum

Alben Barkley was an adept politician. Of that most of us are aware. But he may have more than one claim to fame, that being an unusual childhood occurance. Barkley's father was visiting with family and neighbors inside their home, which sat upon a raised foundation, in the early 1890's. The family's free range chickens were underneath the house, making such a racket that the elder Barkley sent his son under the structure to run the fowls out. Barkley was bitten by a Copperhead snake as a result of this foray. He of course, survived, but later commented that if there is a lot of squawking going on, there is probably a good reason why! Barkley was born at Wheel (near Lowes) Kentucky, in 1877, and served as Vice President of the United States under Harry S. Truman. The Market House Museum has an extensive exhibit of Barkley currently on display, including memorabilia and his Inaugural tophat. Many more Barkley family mementoes have been entrusted into the care of the Market House Museum, and will be exhibited in the future, at the new museum to be built within the next few years. One such treasure is Barkley's 1890 'surrey with the fringe on top,' used to court his first wife, Dorothy. After having survived a fire many years ago, the surrey has been restored to its original glory by local Amish.


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	Archive Photos Broadway in Paducah during the height of the 1937 flood looking east, toward the river. The flood came on the end of a terrible ice and sleet storm. The river was a whopping seven miles wide at its highest point. A dock was built at 28th and Broadway to unload all who were evacuated from the city. » Thumbnail	Alben Barkley was an adept politician. Of that most of us are aware. But he may have more than one claim to fame, that being an unusual childhood occurance. Barkley's father was visiting with family and neighbors inside their home, which sat upon a raised foundation, in the early 1890's. The family's free range chickens were underneath the house, making such a racket that the elder Barkley sent his son under the structure to run the fowls out. Barkley was bitten by a Copperhead snake as a result of this foray. He of course, survived, but later commented that if there is a lot of squawking going on, there is probably a good reason why! Barkley was born at Wheel (near Lowes) Kentucky, in 1877, and served as Vice President of the United States under Harry S. Truman. The Market House Museum has an extensive exhibit of Barkley currently on display, including memorabilia and his Inaugural tophat. Many more Barkley family mementoes have been entrusted into the care of the Market House Museum, and will be exhibited in the future, at the new museum to be built within the next few years. One such treasure is Barkley's 1890 'surrey with the fringe on top,' used to court his first wife, Dorothy. After having survived a fire many years ago, the surrey has been restored to its original glory by local Amish.