Product Description

Named for King Louis XVI of France in appreciation for his assistance during the Revolutionary War, Louisville was founded by George Rogers Clark in 1778. While its initial growth was slow, the advent of the steamboat in the early 1800s sparked booming industrial development, and by 1830 Louisville had secured its place as the largest city in Kentucky.

During the Civil War, Louisville was an important Union base of operations and a major military supply center. In the postwar era, the city emerged even more prosperous than before, with merchant princes and manufacturers shaping the new economy. Owing to its strategic location at the Falls of the Ohio, Louisville was a major commercial center. River transportation was supplemented by the construction of the Louisville & Nashville Railroad, which was chartered in 1850 and operated more than 1,800 miles of line in the state by 1920. Joseph E. Seagram and Sons opened the world's largest distillery in Louisville following the repeal of prohibition. Thanks to companies such as Dupont, the city became the world's largest producer of synthetic rubber during World War II.

Louisville was also a city of firsts. In the reform-minded progressive era of the 1880s, the city was the first in the nation to introduce the secret ballot, significantly reducing vote fraud. It was the first city in Kentucky to adopt zoning and planning measures to control and shape urban growth. Home of the first bridge designed exclusively for motor vehicles to cross the Ohio River, Louisville was also the birthplace of Mary Millicent Miller, the first woman in the United States to receive a steamboat master's license.

The city has been home to a number of men and women who changed the face of American history. President Zachary Taylor was reared in surrounding Jefferson County, and two U.S. Supreme Court Justices, including Louis D. Brandeis, the first Jewish Justice, were from the city proper. John James Audubon was a local shopkeeper in the early years of his career, drawing birds in his spare time. Second Lt. F. Scott Fitzgerald, stationed at Camp Zachary Taylor during World War I, was a frequent presence at the bar in the famous Seelbach Hotel, immortalized in the novel The Great Gatsby. Muhammad Ali, perhaps the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time, was born in Louisville and won six Golden Gloves tournaments in Kentucky.

For more than 125 years, the world's attention has turned to Louisville for the annual running of the Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday in May. Louisville Slugger bats still reign supreme in major league baseball. The city was also the birthplace of the famed Hot Brown and Benedictine spread, and the cheeseburger made its debut at Kaelin's Restaurant on Newburg Road in 1934. The song “Happy Birthday to You” had its origins in the Louisville kindergarten class of sisters Mildred Jane Hill and Patty Smith Hill.

With more than 1,800 entries ranging from Helen Abell (historic preservationist) to Sebastian Zorn (twice president of the Louisville Water Co.), The Encyclopedia of Louisville is the ultimate reference for Kentucky's first city.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #369442 in Books
• Published on: 2000-12-04
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 1024 pages

James C. Klotter
“An absolute must for anyone interested in Kentucky, regional, or urban history.”

Lexington Herald-Leader
“Should serve as a model for city encyclopedias to follow.”

Louisville Courier-Journal
“Scholars and laypersons alike will sing the praises of this encyclopedia. . . . Will entertain, instruct, and inspire generations to come.”

Customer Reviews

Encyclopedia of Kentuckiana
This one-volume encyclopedia not only covers Jefferson County, but also Bullitt County, Oldham County, Clark County, Floyd County, Harrison County, and Scott County, making it in actuality an Encyclopedia of Kentuckiana. Subjects range from big topics, to the history of various subjects in Louisville (railroads, blacks), to even the mundane (hot browns) and the trivial (when certain famous people visited Louisville). If you want a single resource for object related to the Louisville area, this is the book to obtain.

Louisville - A City Without Limits
The Encyclopedia of Louisville is an incredible reference guide and history of the city from its beginnings to the year 2000.The information on African-American life in Louisville is vast and interesting.I encourage anyone who loves or lives in the city to purchase this book. You will not be disspointed.

A Must For Every Louisvillian
While growing up in Louisville, I did not have any interest in my "little hick town". I dreamt of leaving for the big city. At 22 I left, for the west coast, eventually hitting the big cities of Dallas and Detroit, on my way back home. Now here, I find this the perfect place for raising my children. This book completes my journey, and brings me home. This is the most interesting book I have ready in years!