The Owensboro Times

How concrete trees and bold vision transformed Owensboro’s riverfront

By John Kirkpatrick

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June 28, 2026 | 12:15 am

It’s hard to imagine now, but before fountains danced along Veterans Boulevard and children swarmed one of the nation’s most acclaimed playgrounds, Smothers Park was little more than a sloping bank with a modest playset and a boat ramp.