Geography of Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky, the largest city in the state and the seat of Jefferson County. It is in the north-central part of the state on the edge of the Bluegrass region. The city spreads out on the southern bank of the Ohio River, with the downtown area lying near the riverfront. Bridges link Louisville with New Albany, Clarksville, and Jeffersonville, Indiana, across the river.
Louisville is Kentucky's chief center of commerce and industry. A wide variety of products are made here, notably processed foods and beverages, particularly whiskey; tobacco products; chemicals and plastics; and machinery. Many tourists visit the city, especially in early May for the annual running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. Louisville is a river port and is served by several airlines, railways, and Interstate highways.
Places of interest include the Kentucky Center for the Arts, which has a variety of facilities for the performing arts and is the home of Louisville's opera, orchestra, and ballet; the J. B. Speed Art Museum, featuring European and American paintings; the Kentucky Derby Museum; the Museum of History and Science; and the Louisville Zoo. Also in Louisville is the American Printing House for the Blind, one of the nation's largest publishers of educational materials for the blind. Popular events held in Louisville include the Kentucky state fair and an annual Bluegrass music festival.
The city's leading institution of higher education is the state-supported University of Louisville, founded in 1798 as a seminary. Other schools in the city include Spalding University and Bellarmine College.
Louisville's location at the foot of the Ohio's falls was a natural portage site. In 1778 George Rogers Clark made it a supply base for his expeditions against the Indians. His men in 1778-79 built Fort Nelson here to protect pioneers. The settlement was called Falls of the Ohio. The name was changed in 1780 to Louisville, honoring Louis XVI of France for his country's aid in the Revolution.
The city was incorporated in 1828. During the Civil War Louisville was loyal to the Union. Some men, however, joined the Confederate forces; a soaring granite shaft honors their memory.
Large-scale industrial development began during World War II. Redevelopment of the riverfront and central city was undertaken in the late 1960's. A pedestrian shopping mall was one of several construction projects. In 1970 a major expressway system was completed. Court-ordered busing to desegregate city and suburban schools brought unrest in the mid-1970's.
Population: 256,231.