Louisville History

See the Louisville History Timeline

An illustrated, historical overview of the City of Louisville

history_of_louisville_timeline_poster

Available as a beautiful poster

Famous and infamous characters like Muhammad Ali, Daniel Boone, Lewis & Clark, Victor Hammer, Diane Sawyer, George Rogers Clark, Frederick Law Olmstead, Prince Madoc of Wales and Zachary Taylor have all been a part of Louisville’s colorful story.

Louisville Shirts

Subway-style Louisville Bus Map

Louisville’s TARC bus system in the style of a subway map

Louisville Souvenirs & Gifts

Louisville Transit Map tote bag

View or print a detailed version of the map

Louisville Shirts

Louisville Souvenir Shop

Shirts, stickers, coffee mugs, cups, tumblers and souvenirs online

Louisville Souvenirs & Gifts
Louisville Shirts

Profiles in Louisville History


Wright Tower

William Wesley Peters designed a unique office tower for Louisville, based on projects by his old boss and father-in-law, Frank Lloyd Wright.


Encyclopedia of Louisville

The story of John Kleber’s journey to compile Louisville’s definitive historical reference book


King Louis XVI

Louisville was named for Marie Antoinette’s executed husband French King Louis the 16th.


René Robert Cavalier

Sieur de La Salle of France and Prince Madoc of Wales


50 Mayors of Louisville

The complete list of all fifty of Louisville’s mayors


Famous Louisvillians

A big list of notable people from Louisville and a few who lived here temporarily

Louisville Shirts

Louisville: The Biggest City In Kentucky

Louisville: BIggest City In Kentucky Hoodie

Louisville is indisputably the Biggest City In Kentucky. No other municipality can make this claim, nor does any other city in America have the same convenient location. Show your pride in these facts by sporting this official hooded sweatshirt. It’s available as a hoodie in many colors and as a short sleeve t-shirt.

Louisville Shirts

Victor Hammer’s Louisville Seal

The City of Louisville commissioned legendary Austrian typographer Victor Hammer to design an official seal for the city in 1949.

Louisville coffee cup

Hammer was the designer of the popular typeface American Uncial, a font very similar to both the letterpress face used in the Louisville seal and his earlier typestyle Hammer Uncial. Many of his typefaces remain in widespread use today, more than forty years after his passing.

Although the city replaced his revered seal on the occasion of the city-county merger in 2003, we are pleased to offer Victor Hammer’s classic City of Louisville insignia on a number of great items.

Choose from a coffee mug, blank journal, ceramic tile coaster, lapel-pin buttonceramic ornament and even a wall clock!

Louisville Shirts

Did you know?

The National Spelling Bee originated in Louisville.

The Courier-Journal started the contest in 1925 with just nine contestants.

This vintage photo shows the very first group of finalists posing at the White House in 1925.

The publishing house Scripps took it over in 1941 and they still run the annual spelling competition today.


Did you know?

Disruptive exhaust systems, car stereos, and car alarms are against the law in Louisville.

99.02 UNLAWFUL CONDUCT.

(A) It shall be unlawful for any person within Louisville Metro to make, continue, or cause to be made or continued, any unreasonably loud, harsh or excessive noise which either annoys, disturbs, injures, or endangers the comfort, repose, health, peace, or safety of others…

(B) The following acts are hereby declared to be unreasonably loud, harsh or excessive noises in violation of this ordinance, but the enumeration shall not be deemed to be exclusive:

(1) The sounding of any horn or other such audible signaling device on any automobile, motorcycle or other vehicle on any right-of-way, parking lot or other public place…

(2) The use or operation of any radio, stereo, or other machine or device for the producing, reproducing or amplification of sound in any vehicle in such a manner as to create an unreasonably loud, harsh, or excessive noise, that disturbs the peace, quiet or comfort of others;

– Excerpt from Lou. Metro Am. Ord. No. 212-2003


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