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Built before the turn of the century, the Johnson building was home to a number of well-suited business enterprises. One of the first occupants of the building was Loeb, Bloom and Company, distillers and dealers of fine Kentucky bourbon. In 1878 A.M. Laevison bottled soda water, fruit juice and ciders and distributed Schlitz beer. After the flood of 1913 Second Street became one of the most popular locations for wholesale service and supplies in Paducah. For most of the 1920's the spacious building was occupied by Merit Manufacturing, a clothing company. During the Depression and early 1940's the structure was home to Spradling Auto Top Company and Gardner's furniture warehouse. The AF of L Boot and Shoe Workers Local 38 used the space as a union hall during the 1950's and early 60s. By 1963 the so-named Johnson building housed both Johnson Auto Parts and Johnson Real Estate Company. Most recently the building was used as a furniture warehouse.
Adding to the enchanting atmosphere and historical value of the Restaurant interior, John Harris elected to integrate another Grand Antique-a Hand-Carved bar. Built in 1863, the elaborate solid Mahogany bar measures 24 feet long and 9 feet high with an opulent serving back bar and a polished brass foot rail. Carvings of gallant Indian heads and classic hunting scenes are incorporated as part of the complex design. The bar is also well traveled having been brought up on a barge via the Mississippi River from New Orleans, Louisiana to Cairo, Illinois. From Cairo it was moved to a Brookport, Illinois roadside tavern. General Ulysses S. Grant reportedly "bellied up to this very bar" while in Cairo during the Civil War. Members of the "Catch Crew" invite you to enjoy our beautifully restored, historic setting, the casual, New Orleans ambiance and fine dining that can only be experienced at Whaler's Catch Restaurant. |
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Located in the Historic Johnson Building on Second Street, Paducah, Kentucky, Whaler's Catch Restaurant has a rich and varied past. Commonly known as "Whaler's" by local Paducahans, the first-of-its-kind fresh seafood restaurant and fish market was started in 1977 by Roberta Shelby Morse. In 1991 the restaurant was purchased by John Harris who carried on Roberta's traditional fare offering daily fresh seafood selections. In early 1996 the 59 year old building that housed Whaler's Catch burned, causing major structural damage. As a result John Harris opted to move the restaurant to its present location in historic downtown Paducah.
Though more than a century has passed, the three story Johnson building retains a notable amount of ornamental devices that were commonly used to distinguish grid-like facades of nineteenth-century commercial buildings. On the facade the weathered brick wall is supported by an embellished, cast-iron post-and-lintel contrasting color storefront.