Louisville, Kentucky City Guide
For over 20 years, Pamela Lanier's Louisville, Kentucky Travel Guide has been your connection to Louisville's tourism community with invaluable details on local attractions, restaurants, shopping, museums, history, outdoor recreation and more.
History of Louisville
 Pioneer Daniel Boone spent several years paving the way down the Wilderness Road for the first settlers in Kentucky. Forts were built to protect the settlers from Indian attacks and the oncoming of the Revolutionary war, but the first permanent settlement wasn't built until the late 1700’s at the request of Colonel George Rogers Clark, said to be the founder of Louisville. In 1780 the residing Governor, Thomas Jefferson, approved the town charter of Louisville and soon after, hundreds of settlers arrived to the area. By 1803 many of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark's expeditions across America originated at the Falls of Ohio in Louisville. Soon after, the course of the city changed when Steamboats replaced Keelboats and by 1859, the railroad was completed, giving way to the shipping and cargo industry. In 1875 the grandson of William Clark, Meriwether Lewis Clark, brought about a new and exciting event in the history of Louisville, the first Kentucky Derby. In the years that followed the city survived an F4 tornado, "The Great Flood of 37" and suburban development. Today, Louisville has redeveloped the downtown and waterfront areas to meet the growing needs of an ever expanding population. The city's economy thrives on its tourism industry, shipping, health care, and the production and distribution of bourbon whiskey. Louisville is the birthplace to numerous influential people in American history from President Zachary Taylor to inventor Thomas Edison and actor Tom Cruise to name a few. |
