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Louisville,Kentucky Louisville, Kentucky "Louisville", says the Kentucky W.P.A. guidebook of 1939, "is a border metropolis that blends of a Northern city with the Southern city's enjoyment of living". It might have said that Louisville is a big, friendly town notable by outward reputation as the home of the Kentucky Derby, fine bourbon and beautiful women! There are many miles of federal and state highways cutting through Kentucky's lovely scenes invitingly beckoning the vacation-motorist to pause, reflect and enjoy Louisville's famous charm. This city, of the colorful Bluegrass State, is blessed with a rare blend of history, progress and tradition that offers much interest to the visitor. Louisville is situated on the left bank of Ohio River and lies on a low level plain surrounded by low hills in the south and east. In general, Louisville is laid out in the form of the letter "T". Its top is approximately three miles wide, extending nine miles along the River and the stem projects at right angles toward the south into the residential highlands. During the War of Independence, Virginia confiscated the territory that is now the present site of Louisville, from a British supporter, and in 1779 gave this land to Kentucky. General George Rogers Clark, established the first settlement there as an outpost against the British. It was named Louisville as a gesture of appreciation for the aid given by King Louis XVI of France to the Colonists. The falls of the Ohio River determined the location of Louisville and contributed immensely to its early success because Nature, in her wise and providential works, was kind enough to place one of the best harbors in the entire course of River at her disposal. Here, in pioneer days the broad curve of the Ohio River above the falls, enabled upriver and downriver boats to exchange cargoes. Every kind of boat crowded the harbor and the two thousand miles of waterway between Pittsburgh and New Orleans was studded with their pride. Louisville soon assumed the character of a commercial city with the westward expansion and the increasing importance of river traffic. This river port of Kentucky's northern border became the wholesale and distributing center for a growing agricultural and mining area. The construction of the Portland Canal around the falls in 1830 brought on a temporary depression. The profitable portaging business vanished because the government system of locks and dams reduced the falls substantially. They are no longer impressive. In 1929 complete canalization ended permanently a history that made Louisville lucrative to early-day pilots, porters and towline hands. Transportation Facilities Since the flat boat and pack-horse days of its pioneer history, Louisville's transportation has evolved through steamboat and turnpike facilities to the present era of railway, highway, waterway, and airway transportation. Nine railroads serve the city at present namely, the Baltimore and Ohio; the New York Central; the [[image--OHIO RIVER NEAR LOUISVILLE]] Chesapeake and Ohio; the Chicago, Indianapolis, and Louisville; the Illinois Central; the Kentucky and Indiana Terminal; the Louisville and Nashville; the Southern and Pennsylvania Railroads. The American Barge Line and the Mississippi Valley Barge Line handle freight by boat and barge on the Ohio River. Another line provides steamboat, freight and passenger service. Highway and freight service is provided by 110 common carrier truck lines and passenger service by 14 motor bus lines. Federal highways serving Louisville are 31E; 31W; 42; 60 and 150. Kentucky State route 62 is an important highway giving access to Louisville from the eastern and western section of Southern Indiana. American airlines and Eastern Airlines provide passenger, mail and express service via Louisville's municipal air port. Bowman Field on the other hand, provides service from Boston to Los Angeles and from Chicago to Miami. local air service is also provided. Intracity passenger transportation is by street and trolley bus. Industries Louisville is one of the largest commercial and agricultural centres in the South. It is Kentucky's biggest city and, business-wise at least, its most important. The importance of Louisville is largely characterized by the wealth of its surrounding region the principal products of which are tobacco, cereals and livestock. The leading industries, by a wide margin are the manufacture of its famed bourbon whiskey, and the manufacture of cigarettes. Whiskey is manufactured from grains grown in the good soil of Kentucky with large cooperage firms in Louisville supplying the barrels from Kentucky white oak for the aging of its famous brew. Louisville is still one of the country's leading producers of cigarettes, although the Breaks as the market is called, has lost its former importance. Leading the South in pork-processing as well as general food-processing plants and canneries, Louisville is one of the largest meatpacking centers in the Southeastern United States. Flour-milling, the assembly 25
