Louisville, Kentucky was built at the Falls of the Ohio River.  The falls were the only disruption in the navigation of the Ohio River, so a town grew here to handle the passengers and cargo of the river traffic.

The city was named for King Louis XVI of France in gratitude for French aid during the Revolutionary War.  By the mid-1800's Louisville was among the twelve largest cities in the United States.  It was also a major southern center of culture and arts and with the establishment of the L  & N Railroad, the major rail-head for the south.

In the early 1900's Louisville was still among the largest cities, larger than Los Angeles, Atlanta, Dallas, or Houston.  Growth continued into the 1920's but with the Great Depression in the following decade things began to slow down.  This was followed by a flood in 1937 when over 200,000 people had to evacuate their homes.

Other natural disasters have stricken the city.  Another flood (although not as severe) occurred in 1964.  A tornado in 1974 destroyed homes and businesses and uprooted trees in the parks.

The population of the city began to shrink in the 1960's.  During this time, Louisville became less of a manufacturing city and more service oriented.  It has become nationally known as a center for medicine, especially for it's research using artificial hearts.

The tradition of supporting the Arts continues today with the Louisville Orchestra, Louisville Ballet, Actor's Theater of Louisville,  Kentucky Opera, Louisville Bach Society, and the Speed Art Museum.  Other attractions include Churchill Downs, the Belle of Louisville (a paddlewheel riverboat), Louisville Science Center, Louisville Slugger Museum, and Kentucky Kingdom.

One last thing...it's called Loo-a-vul, not Lou-is-ville and not Lou-ee-ville. If you don't call it Loo-a-vul, expect the question, "You aren't from around here, are you?"