In Mayfield you’ll find the kind of Western Kentucky charm indicative of the entire region. It is here you can take a trip into the past. Journey through a canopy of tree-lined country lanes, over one-laned bridges, past wandering creeks and lush pastures in Graves County’s countryside. The hometown of novelist Bobbie Ann Mason, Mayfield also claims bragging rights in agriculture, history, politics and arts. As one of Kentucky’s largest counties boasting 557 square miles, Graves’ history of legends and leaders includes a US Vice President, four US Congressmen, famous and infamous heroes, singers and songwriters, noted writers and a legacy of historic sites.
A trip from Paducah and Interstate 24 takes travelers down beautiful four lane Highway 45 lined with a mixture of commerce and industry and lush farmland into Mayfield and is a fitting introduction to Graves County. Downtown Mayfield features a historic district with antique era light fixtures and renovated sidewalks with brick inserts. Mayfield is an all-American town where “Glory Days” is still celebrated on the main thoroughfare on the Fourth of July.
Regional artisans’ work is on display in the local Ice House Art Gallery in the“Arts in the Community” art show every August. Nothing less than the humble gourd is celebrated every fall with the gourd art in the October show of “All About Gourds.” Adventure into the Western Kentucky Museum featuring artifacts of the historic production of the dark-fired tobacco industry and woolen mills which is housed along with the Art Guild in the Ice House.
Explore any of the thirteen Historical Markers commemorating events from the 1861 Convention held in Mayfield to secede from the Union to Alben Barkley’s birthplace in Wheel to Bayou de Chine Church - oldest congregational church organized in 1826 and used as a hospital during the civil war. Search through Camp Beauregard and see the Civil War monument and cemetery. One of the most interesting sites is the renowned Wooldridge Monuments in Maplewood Cemetery.
Edana Locus is a stately 14 room mansion with walnut woodwork built in 1926 by a local bank owner, Ed Gardner. The philanthropist 1958 net worth of 12.5 million left a trust that continues as the Annie Gardner Foundation that is used to feed, clothe, house and educate the county’s poor and needy. Once used as the county’s library for nearly 30 years, it is used as the Commerce Center today to house the Chamber of Commerce, Tourism Commission and the Local Development Corporation. 201 East College Street.
One of the most interesting tourist attractions in Mayfield is the renowned Wooldridge Monuments in Maplewood Cemetery. The 18 figure group of sandstone and Italian Marble monuments, “The Strange Procession That Never Moves,” has been rated the best in the nation. Henry G. Wooldridge, a local horse trader who moved to Mayfield around 1840, chose to commemorate his family, pets and himself with life-sized statues grouped around his tomb. His tomb and a memorial shaft of the Wooldridge family complete the unusual group.
The Art Guild, located in Mayfield’s historic Ice House, supports and promotes the arts through educational programs and events, and its Ice House Gallery features as many as ten new exhibits in a variety of media each year. Also take time to visit the Art Guild Gift Shop where unique, hand crafted items and artwork by well-known regional artists will interest collectors and those shopping for one-of-a-kind “Made in Kentucky” gifts.
A great way to spend the afternoon while visiting Graves County is to visit the Western Kentucky Museum. Tobacco was very much a part of the local economy over the years and Graves County has a rich history of the dark-fired and dark-air-cured leaf tobacco used in smokeless tobacco farming. Here you will find artifacts from the tobacco industry such as brass and copper stencils used in stamping brands on tobacco “bales,” tobacco sales ledgers from the warehouses, farmer’s sales tickets and hauling carts. Artifacts from the early Mayfield Woolen Mills that started operation prior to the civil war and continued to grow with the men’s clothing market are on display. This represents only a sampling of the rich legacy of Mayfield and Graves County.
Just west of Mayfield, the Fancy Farm picnic held the first Saturday of August is the premier political and social event in the region. If a Kentucky politician doesn’t speak at the Fancy Farm picnic, rumor has it- he doesn’t have a prayer come election time. Local sponsors serve up over 10 tons of delicious barbequed chicken and pork to thousands of attendees. There is a variety of lively music and scores of fun filled games and events. State and national political hopefuls view Fancy Farm as a critical campaign appearance. The annual gathering began in 1834, was suspended during the Civil War and resumed in 1880 as a prime chance for politicians to “stump” before Election Day.