COMMUNITY PROFILE: Campbellsville and Taylor County

Fishing, Furniture and Fun
There are many reasons why more than a million tourists visit yearly

How many areas can boast of an unspoiled Civil War battlefield; one of America’s southernmost muskie lakes; and more than 20 manufacturers of handmade cherry furniture?

We can think of just one: Taylor County, Ky.

Today, Campbellsville serves as something of a crossroads for business, not just in Kentucky, but in the eastern United States. The Amazon.com facility in Taylor County ships books, CDs and other merchandise all around the world.

But 140 years ago, Campbellsville was the crossroads for two opposing armies. Sitting right in the middle of the invasion route used by both Union and Confederate troops in the Civil War, Taylor County has a rich history that beckons to visitors.

“The Tebbs Bend Battlefield is dear to my heart,” said Marilyn Clarke, executive director of the Taylor County Tourist Commission. “One of our prominent citizens, Betty Jane Gorin-Smith, has developed the driving tour at the battlefield and has researched the information about it.”

According to Clarke, the Tebbs Bend Battlefield has changed little since troops wearing the blue and the gray faced off against one another on July 4, 1863. Under Gorin-Smith and Clarke’s leadership, county officials have developed a scenic, well-marked, three-mile-long driving tour along Tebbs Bend Road, south of Campbellsville, detailing the running fight between Confederate raiders led by Gen. John Hunt Morgan and Michigan troops commanded by Col. O.H. Moore.

But there’s more to Taylor County than just its history.

“Our main attraction here is Green River Lake,” Clarke said. “A fishing tournament, the Muskie Cabin Fever Challenge is held here every other year. This is a beautiful and clean place to fish and boat. Also, this October, the Kentucky Bass Federation Championship will be held at Green River Lake.”

More accustomed to colder climates, the muskie is a long, toothy fish with sharp teeth. Larger specimens of the fish can weigh well over 30 pounds. “They really can put up a fight,” Clarke said. “But Green River Lake has its share of largemouth bass as well.”

Opened upon the completion of a nearby dam in 1965, Green River is an 8,200 acre impoundment. Adjacent to the lake is Green River Lake State Park, which offers camping, boating and recreational facilities. Along with its sandy lakeside beach, the park offers fishing (of course), 28 miles of hiking and biking trails, mini-golf and playgrounds along with 156 campsites. Its 1,331 lakeside acres draw more than a million tourists each year to Taylor County.

Green River Lake is 33 miles long within a 250-mile shoreline. Having an average depth of 50 feet, the lake is a mile wide at its broadest point.

The lake is also home to two impressive marina facilities. The Emerald Isle Resort and Marina has luxury two- and three-bedroom condominiums for rent to area visitors. The condominiums are professionally decorated and furnished with fully-equipped kitchens. Each comes with its own boat slip. Pontoon and fishing boats are available for rental at the resort, which has a marina with both covered and uncovered slips.

The Green River Marina has houseboat and two- and three-bedroom boathouse rentals. All rental boats and boathouses come fully equipped as well, with kitchen utensils, deck chairs, linens, grills and other amenities.

“One of the things many people associate with Campbellsville is the fine cherry furniture made here,” Clarke said. “It all started back in the 1940s with the McMahan company and now there are more than 20 companies and individuals that hand-make fine furniture here. While most people order cherry furniture, I’ve always ordered the walnut furniture they make – that’s what I asked for when I got married a few years ago.”

Located in and around Campbellsville, a directory to many of Campbellsville’s fine furniture makers can be found at the Team Taylor County offices on Broadway.

While visitors will agree that almost any day in Taylor County is a good day to visit, the area has several events to help put both tourists and residents in a festive mood.

The Taylor County Fair is usually held the third week of June in Campbellsville each year. The town also hosts an old-fashioned Fourth of July celebration and the first weekend in September marks the Tebbs Bend Flea Market. At Taylor County High School, the regionally recognized Green River Holiday Arts & Crafts Festival takes place in mid-November.

One of the best-known landmarks in Campbellsville is the elegant Jacob Hiestand House, built of hand cut stone by German immigrants in 1823. Now a museum, the house is one of only a dozen stone houses in Kentucky that was built in the German style.

“There is really no reason to ever get bored in Campbellsville,” Clarke said. “You’ve heard the expression, ‘Nice place to visit, but don’t want to live there.’ Well, here in Taylor County it’s different. People say, ‘Nice place to visit and you might want to stay there!’”

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