Historical Marker
The Walker Expedition
Doctor Thomas Walker led first expedition of record from Virginia into eastern Kentucky and camped at present site of Paintsville in 1750. Here, June 7, 1750, he discovered French cabins at mouth of Paint Creek and named river Louisa, honoring daughter of King George II and sister of Duke of Cumberland for whom Walker named the Cumberland River and the Gap.
The famous horse race, the Kentucky Derby, has been held annually at Churchill Downs in Louisville since 1875.