Princeton, Kentucky

Princeton, Kentucky, is a welcoming city with a relaxed atmosphere. Originally named Princetown in 1817 in honor of an early settler, William Prince, the spelling was later changed to Princeton. The city is the county seat of Caldwell County, located at the junction of U.S. Route 62 and KY 91, just south of the Western Kentucky Parkway.

Princeton has a notable past. In 1838, city residents witnessed the forced march of much of the Cherokee Indian Nation along the Trail of Tears through Princeton. During the Civil War, Princeton was subject to raiding and foraging parties of both Confederate and Union armies.

The city was also a center for fire-cured tobacco and violence during the Black Patch War, and now celebrates the harvest of dark tobacco with the annual Black Patch Festival each autumn.

Princeton Hosiery Mills opened in 1918 and the Princeton area remained an important transportation center for western Kentucky as interstate highways and the Western Kentucky Parkway were built. The transportation network led to an expanding of industries. Goods manufactured in Princeton include commercial bakery products, flatbed semi-trailers, race car products, metals and limestone products.

The city continues to further the interests of local businesses and residents. Princeton was named a 2010 Innovation Award Winner in Community Development by the National Association of Development Organizations.

Where history lives
The city has a variety of quaint shops, antique malls, and restaurants.

Princeton is home to the Adsmore, western Kentucky’s premier historic house and gardens. The Glenn Martin Genealogy Library has extensive files on family trees, court records, periodicals, newspapers, maps, veteran lists, early settlers and more.

Also located in Princeton is the University of Kentucky Research and Education Center (UKREC), which has been recognized at the local, state and national levels for its excellence in agricultural research, education, leadership and service to the Commonwealth. UKREC holds a unique position as part of the Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station and the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service.

Innovative and efficient operations
The Princeton Electric Plant Board is a community-owned enterprise committed to improving the economic and environmental quality of the community in partnership with its customers, providing reliable electric power at the lowest rates achievable through innovation, efficiency and professional operations.

The Princeton Electric Plant Board was named a Reliable Power Public Provider (RP3) program recipient by the American Public Power Association (APPA), receiving Platinum designation for 2012-13. RP3 is recognition for providing consumers with the highest degree of reliable and safe electric service.

As a member of AMP, Princeton participates in a number of AMP programs and projects that assist in providing reliable energy and other benefits to the community and its citizen-owners. These include:

• Meldahl/Greenup, which includes the run-of-the-river hydroelectric generating facility currently under construction at the Captain Anthony Meldahl Dam on the Ohio River and the existing generating facility at the Greenup Dam, also on the Ohio River
• Phase 1 Hydro, which includes the run-of-the-river generating facilities currently under construction at the Cannelton, Smithland and Willow Island dams on the Ohio River
• Other AMP Service Group (OASG)

For more information, please visit princeton.ky.gov