PADUCAH, KY - Each summer muralist Herb Roe comes from Lafayette, Louisiana to refurbish the paintings on Paducah's floodwall. He is assisted by various Lower Town artists. Roe has researched and painted portions of all 54 images on the downtown floodwall and he's totally painted some on his own. Currently he is working on the Labor Day celebration mural located in the block adjacent to the Carson Center, near the Locomotive 1518 caboose.

Repainting the Labor Day mural is expected to be complete in time for the annual parade and festivities on September 3rd.

The original design and painting of the mural were done eight years ago, and needed work sooner than most of the other murals. "It's usually 10-12 years before maintenance is required," Roe explained. "Temperature, moisture and location of panels when originally painted make a difference in how long the image lasts until it needs to be touched up or totally repainted. We inventory each panel in the fall in preparation for touch-ups or repairs the following spring. Sometimes there are surprises during winter weather. This past winter was mild, which reduced damage."

The Dafford Mural Wall to Wall project started in 1996. The three city block project shares Paducah's history and is one of the most popular and frequently visited attractions downtown. The quality of the bigger than life size project amazes onlookers. History truly does "come alive" when standing in front of the massive paintings.