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"Bloody Monday" and American (Know-Nothing) Party
Marker Number 2205
County Jefferson
Location 1011 West Main St., Louisville
Description Election day, Aug. 6, 1855, known as Bloody Monday due to riots led by "Know-Nothing" mobs. This political party was anti-Catholic and nativist. Attacks on German immigrants east of downtown and Irish in the west caused at least 22 deaths, arson, and looting. Catholic Cathedral of the Assumption & St. Martin's Church were threatened with destruction.

(Reverse) This party feared that Catholic immigrants from Germany and Ireland threatened Protestanism and democracy. By 1854, the party claimed a million members nationwide and led Jefferson Co. govt. They split over slavery and by the end of the Civil War they had vanished from politics in Louisville and Jefferson Co.
Subjects Catholic Church , Louisville , Immigrants , Riots
"Nunnlea"
Marker Number 2272
County Jefferson
Location 9316 Hurstbourne Lane, Louisville
Description Nunnlea was built by Peter Funk ca. 1855 for his daughter Harriet Funk Hise. The grounds include the original brick smokehouse & slave quarters. The side wing and front porch were later additions. Once visited by Pres. Herbert Hoover, itwas purchased by the Beautification League of Louisville and Jefferson Co. in 1962 for its headquarters.
Subjects Louisville , Slavery
Birth of Truth in Advertising
Marker Number 1664
County Jefferson
Location First & Main Sts., Louisville
Description The Associated Advertising Clubs of America met at Galt House, on this site, for their fifth annual convention, 1909. Led by Samuel C. Dobbs, the convention took united action to challenge false advertising. This stand began concept of the Better Business Bureau. By 1918, the Louisville Better Business Bureau, third in the nation, received its charter.
Subjects Louisville
Bowman Field
Marker Number 1676
County Jefferson
Location Bowman Field, Taylorsville Rd., KY 155
Description Kentucky's oldest civil airport was first used in 1919. Army Air Corps Reserve unit established three years later. Double hangars (west) housed 325th Observation Squadron. Terminal building, erected in 1929, was used by airlines through 1947. Concrete runways were installed in 1938. Operated by Louisville and Jefferson County Air Board since 1928. Presented by Ky. Aviation Association, Inc.

(Reverse) Bowman Field - Land first owned by pioneer Col. John Floyd, later by German Baron von Zedwitz. Confiscated as alien property during World War I. Local businessman and aviation enthusiast Abram H. Bowman founded flying service with Robt. H. Gast on this site in 1920. Property purchased by City of Louisville in 1928 for development as municipal airport. Presented by Ky. Aviation Association, Inc.
Subjects Airports , Aviation , Floyd, John , Louisville , World War I
Charles H. Parrish, Jr. (1899-1989)
Marker Number 2008
County Jefferson
Location Louisville, U of L, Belknap Campus, Parrish Ct.
Description In 1950-51 University of Louisville campus was integrated. One African American professor came from Louisville Municipal College, where only blacks had previously been enrolled. Charles H. Parrish, Jr., a noted sociologist and a lifelong civil rights activist, became the first black professor at a white southern school. U of L Bicentennial Committee.

(Reverse) Charles H. Parrish, Jr. - In 1959 Parrish became first black department head at U of L, chairing the sociology department. He studied under the noted American sociologist George Herbert Meade at the University of Chicago. His work as an activist yielded friendships with many Civil Rights era luminaries. This place of gathering is named in his honor. U of L Bicentennial Committee.
Subjects African American , Civil Rights , Louisville , University of Louisville
Childhood Home of Dr. Drake
Marker Number 1628
County Mason
Location Main St., May's Lick, Old US 68
Description Dr. Daniel Drake (1785-1852) came to May's Lick with his parents at the age of two. He described this area in Pioneer Life in Kentucky. After studying medicine with Dr. Wm. Goforth (Cincinnati), he was first resident doctor of May's Lick. Drake was a professor at Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia; Louisville Medical Inst.; and Transylvania Univ. Medical Dept.

(Reverse) Pioneer Doctor and Educator - Known as "Father of Medicine" in Cincinnati, Drake founded Medical College of Ohio, Medical Dept. of Cincinnati College and Cincinnati Eye Infirmary. Author of more than seven hundred articles and books of which his Principal Diseases of the Interior Valley of North America is a medical classic. This 40-year collection of data was monumental contribution to medical knowledge.
Subjects Books , Louisville , Transylvania University
Churchill Downs
Marker Number 1885
County Jefferson
Location Ky. Derby Museum, 704 Central Ave., Louisville
Description Organized in 1874 as Louisville Jockey Club by sportsman Col. M. Louis Clark. Track built on land leased from Clark's uncles, John and Henry Churchill. Twin-spired grandstand, a National Historic Landmark, first used in 1895. Col. Matt Winn (1861-1949) assumed management in 1902, saving track from bankruptcy. Under his leadership, Churchill Downs known worldwide as Ky. Derby site.

(Reverse) Kentucky Derby - Referred to as the "Run for the Roses," the first Kentucky Derby was run on this track, May 17, 1875. Black jockey Oliver Lewis rode H. P. McGrath's Aristides to victory. The 11/4 mile race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds is the oldest continuously run stakes race in America, "greatest two minutes in sports," and the first jewel in racing's Triple Crown.
Subjects African American , Horses , Kentucky Derby , Louisville
Civil Rights Struggle, 1954 / Wades: Open Housing Pioneers
Marker Number 2144
County Jefferson
Location Shively, Clyde Drive and S. Crum's Lane, east of I-264 underpass
Description Louisville suburbs were racially segregated when African Americans Andrew and Charlotte Wade moved to Rone Court on May 15, 1954, two days before the Supreme Court condemned school segregation. Neighbors burned a cross and shot out windows, and the Wades endured harassment until June 27, when the house was dynamited.

(Reverse) Amid Cold War fears, the Wades’ civil rights were ignored. Focus shifted to alleged communism of whites Anne and Carl Braden, who had bought, then transferred house after no one would sell to the Wades. A sensationalized sedition trial ensued; street was renamed; culprits were never prosecuted. By 2000, however, 4010 Clyde Dr. was part of diverse neighborhood.
Subjects Civil Rights , Louisville
Confederates Here
Marker Number 522
County Franklin
Location Old Capitol Grounds, Frankfort
Description The Kentucky State Government moved to Louisville before CSA entered Lexington Sept. 2, 1862. Confederate cavalry moved through Sept. 3 on way toward Louisville. Richard Hawes was inaugurated second Confederate Governor October 4. Generals Bragg and Kirby Smith with large CSA force were present. They withdrew and Union forces occupied Frankfort, Oct. 7, 1862.
Subjects Bragg, Braxton , Civil War , Kirby Smith, E. , Louisville
Desegregation of UK
Marker Number 2022
County Fayette
Location UK campus, Administration Circle, Lexington
Description In 1948 Lyman T. Johnson filed suit for admission to UK. In March 1949 Federal Judge H. Church Ford ruled in Johnson's favor, and that summer nearly 30 black students entered UK graduate and professional programs. Undergraduate classes desegregated in 1954. Class of 1999.

(Reverse) Lyman T. Johnson (1906-1997) - Educator and civil rights leader Lyman T. Johnson led the fight for the desegregation of UK. A Tennessee native, he was an educator in the Louisville Public Schools for forty years and served as president of the Louisville NAACP. UK awarded Johnson an honorary degree in 1979. Class of 1999.
Subjects African American , Civil Rights , Louisville , University of Kentucky
Early Fourth Street
Marker Number 1723
County Jefferson
Location Near south entry to the Galleria, Louisville
Description Louisville's earliest map (1779) included Fourth Street. At first a street of residences and churches, it had become by the early 1900s the dominant commercial and social avenue of the city. Here arose prominent landmarks: Kaufman's (1903) and Stewart's (1907); the Seelbach (1905) and the Brown (1923) hotels; Starks Building (1912). Presented by the City of Louisville.

(Reverse) Later Fourth Street - On Fourth Street in 1870s stood a Polytechnic Library and in 1880s a Renaissance Customs House. In 1920s, "Movie Row" grew here with such "palaces" as Mary Anderson, Rialto, and Loew's theaters. Many U.S. presidents have paraded here, including Theodore and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Down Fourth "Avenue" Louisvillians marched to war and celebrated peace. See over.
Subjects Hotels , Library , Louisville , National Register of Historic Places , Railroads
Edward Dudley Brown (1850-1906)
Marker Number 2027
County Woodford
Location Main St., Midway
Description This well known African American horse owner, trainer, developer, and jockey was born into slavery, 1850. Raised as a stable boy near Midway, he was nicknamed "Brown Dick" after the record-setting racehorse of that name. Brown was associated with great horses such as Asteroid, Ducat, and Kingfisher. Presented by City of Midway and the Ky. African American Heritage Commission.

(Reverse) Noted Horseman - "Brown Dick" worked with Kentucky Derby winners Baden Baden (1877), Ben Brush (1896), and Plaudit (1898). He died at a friend's house in Louisville, May 1906, of tuberculosis and was returned to Midway for burial. He was inducted into National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame on August 8, 1984. Presented by City of Midway and the Ky. African American Heritage Commission.
Subjects African American , Derby Winners , Horse racing , Horses , Louisville
Founding of Jefferson Seminary
Marker Number 2007
County Jefferson
Location Louisville, U of L, Belknap Campus, near Grawemeyer Hall, off 3rd St.
Description April 3, 1798, is the university's symbolic founding date. On this date, eight Louisvillians pledged financial support for a new school. The 1798 benefactors were: William Croghan, Alexander S. Bullitt, James Meriwether, John Thruston, Henry Churchill, Richard Anderson, William Taylor, and John Thompson. U of L Bicentennial Committee.

(Reverse) Founding of Jefferson Seminary - From this commitment to higher education came Jefferson Seminary, which evolved into University of Louisville. The Louisville Medical Institute opened 1837; merged in 1846 with Louisville College, an outgrowth of Jefferson Seminary. A law school was added, and the new entity named the University of Louisville in 1846. U of L Bicentennial Committee.
Subjects Louisville , Schools , University of Louisville
Fourth Street
Marker Number 1724
County Jefferson
Location Near north entry to the Galleria, Louisville
Description During Civil War, "Newspaper Row" stood in this area along Green (Liberty) St. On north side was pro-Union Journal; on south side, pro-southern Courier. Union Army Hq. was on west side of Fourth near Walnut. Macauley Theater opened in 1873 near Fourth and Walnut. It hosted Sarah Bernhardt in 1880. Mark Twain spoke in the area, 1885. Presented by the City of Louisville.

(Reverse) A Civil War Compass - From Galleria, all compass points have Civil War personality ties. One block west, Abe Lincoln visited James Speed's law office (1841). One block east is Christ Church, whose rector, Rev. Ashe, married Jeff Davis and Sarah Knox Taylor (1835). One block south, U. S. Grant visited Henry Watterson (1879). One block north, John Wilkes Booth performed on stage (1864). Over.
Subjects Actors , Civil War , Clemens, Samuel Langhorne (Mark Twain) , Courier-Journal (Louisville) , Davis, Jefferson , Episcopal Church , Grant, Ulysses S. , Lincoln, Abraham , Louisville , Newspapers
Frankfort Chosen as Capital
Marker Number 1774
County Franklin
Location Near New Capitol, Capitol Ave.& Todd St., Frankfort
Description After Kentucky became a state, five commissioners were appointed on June 20, 1792, to choose a location for the state capital. They were John Allen and John Edwards (both from Bourbon Co.), Henry Lee (Mason Co.), Thomas Kennedy (Madison Co.), and Robert Todd (Fayette Co.). A number of communities competed for this honor, but Frankfort won by perseverance and, according to early histories, the offer of Andrew Holmes' log house as capitol for seven years, a number of town lots, £50 worth of locks and hinges, 10 boxes of glass, 1500 pounds of nails, and $3000 in gold.

(Reverse) Frankfort Chosen as Capital - Other contenders for the honor of being selected as the permanent seat of Kentucky state government had offered, as was customary, lists of contributions. These hopeful towns were Legerwood's Bend (Mercer County), Delany's Ferry and Petersburg (Woodford County), Louisville, Lexington, Leestown, and Frankfort. After thorough examination of all sites, the commissioners, following a majority vote, met with the legislature in Lexington on December 5, 1792, and gave their recommendation-that Frankfort was the most suitable site for the state capital. See over.
Subjects Capitals , Ferry , Frankfort , Kentucky River , Lexington , Louisville
Gilded Age Mansions / Chateauesque Architecture
Marker Number 2166
County Jefferson
Location 1228 S. Third St., Louisville
Description In the late 1800s, Louisville had gained a reputation as the “City of Beautiful Homes”—many of the city’s prominent citizens making their homes on fashionable Third Avenue. The collection of grand mansions and comfortable homes constitutes one of the richest examples of Victorian domestic architecture in the U.S.

(Reverse) Alongside the impressive examples of Romanesque, Victorian Gothic, Italianate, Queen Anne, Beaux Arts and Eclectic styles found in Old Louisville is Chateauesque, a rare, French-inspired design exemplified by steep-pitched gables, heavy ornamentation & intricate detail. Architects often added Moorish elements & terra-cotta arabesques.
Subjects Architects , Louisville
Governor Thomas E. Bramlette
Marker Number 2234
County Jefferson
Location Cave Hill Cemetery, Louisville
Description Lawyer, legislator, soldier, and governor, he was born on Jan. 3, 1817, in present Clinton County. During Civil War he raised and was colonel of 3rd Ky. Union Inf. In 1862, Pres. Lincoln appointed him US Dist. Attorney for Ky. The next year he became governor after an election rife with Union military interference. Over.

(Reverse) During the war, resisted Confed. guerrillas & Lincoln over black troops, habeas corpus, & civilian arrests. Governor until 1867, he supported pardons for ex-CSA and fought Freedmen's Bureau, 14th & 15th constitutional ammend. Estab. Ag. & Mech. College, forerunner to Univ. of Ky. After term was a Louisville lawyer. Died 1875.
Subjects Civil War , Confederate Army , Governors , Lincoln, Abraham , Louisville , University of Kentucky
Henry Watterson (1840-1921)
Marker Number 1719
County Jefferson
Location 525 W. Broadway, Louisville
Description Born in Washington, D.C., son of a Congressman and editor, Watterson gained wide newspaper experience. He succeeded Prentice as the editor of Louisville Journal, which merged with W. N. Haldeman's Courier and the recently acquired Democrat, 1868. For most of "Marse Henry's" 51-year tenure, the Courier-Journal was at Fourth and Liberty. It attained prominence under Watterson. Over.

(Reverse) Journalist-Politician - Watterson was a major force in Democratic Party. He enlisted in the Confederate Army, but believed in Union; was foe of sectionalism and often blasted it in writings. He opposed prohibition and League of Nations. His style influenced three generations; editorials hailing U.S. declaration of war earned him a Pulitzer Prize, 1917. He retired to "Mansfield" in Jeffersontown, 1919.
Subjects Courier-Journal (Louisville) , Journalists , Louisville , Newspapers , World War I
Home of Arthur Krock
Marker Number 1718
County Barren
Location East Main St., KY 90, at May St., Glasgow
Description Called dean of Washington newsmen, Glasgow's native son (1886-1974) grew up here with his grandparents, Emmanuel and Henrietta Morris. He began his career in journalism with the Louisville Herald, then went to Washington, D.C., as a correspondent for the Times and Courier-Journal. Krock won French citation after his coverage of the Versailles peace conference. Over.

(Reverse) Historic Home - In 1927, Krock joined the New York Times; soon became its Washington correspondent and bureau chief. His column, "In the Nation," was noted for its opinions on public policy. Over his 60-year career, Arthur Krock knew 11 presidents and won four Pulitzer Prizes. Joel Cheek, who also lived here, was one of two founders of the Maxwell House Coffee Company. Over.
Subjects Courier-Journal (Louisville) , Journalists , Louisville , Newspapers
Home of I. Willis Cole
Marker Number 1998
County Jefferson
Location Louisville, 2217 West Muhammad Ali
Description Louisville pioneer in civil rights movement, Cole fought against segregation in public parks and on street cars. Ran for state senate on Lincoln Party ticket in 1922. Black votes provided necessary margin to get 19 bond issues passed which financed founding of Madison and Jackson Junior High Schools and Louisville Municipal College. Presented by Louisville and Jefferson County African American Heritage Committee, Inc.

(Reverse) I. Willis Cole, 1887-1950 - Militant editor and sole owner of The Louisville Leader and I. Willis Cole Publishing Co. (1917-1950). A race paper boasting, "We print your news, we employ your people, we champion your cause." Cole wielded power of the press to combat racism. A noted business and civic leader, devout churchman, and inductee of the National Negro Press Hall of Fame.
Subjects African American , Civil Rights , Germans , Louisville , Newspapers , Schools
Jefferson County Courthouse
Marker Number 1697
County Jefferson
Location Sixth & Jefferson Sts., Louisville
Description Designed by Gideon Shryock in the Greek Revival style. Construction began ca. 1837, and building first used by city and county, 1842. Completed in 1860 by Albert Fink and Charles Stancliff, it housed legislature briefly during Civil War. Structure renovated by Brinton Davis after 1905 fire. Seven U.S. Presidents have spoken here. On National Register of Historic Places, 1972.

(Reverse) City and County Named - Louisville, at the Falls of the Ohio, was founded in 1778 by George Rogers Clark. Site first served as a military outpost; the city which developed was named for Louis XVI. Kentucky Co., Virginia, was divided in 1780 into Jefferson, Fayette, and Lincoln counties. Jefferson County was named for Governor Thomas Jefferson, who signed the first town charter of Louisville. Over.
Subjects Architects , Civil War , Clark, George Rogers , Courthouses , Falls of the Ohio , Kentucky County (Virginia) , Louisville , National Register of Historic Places , Shryock, Gideon
Jennie C. Benedict
Marker Number 2142
County Jefferson
Location 1830 South Third Street, Louisville
Description Noted chef, caterer, and author was born 1860 in Louisville. She began her career in 1893 and in 1900 opened Benedict's restaurant and tearoom on South 4th Street. Entrepreneur Benedict was invited to join Louisville Board of Trade, 1903. Best known as creator of "benedictine," a sandwich spread that remains a Kentucky food specialty.

(Reverse) A founder of Louisville's Business Women's Club by 1899; published Blue Ribbon Cookbook 1902. As social reformer for women and the poor, Benedict collaborated with Jennie Casseday in founding King's Daughters & Sons Training School for Nurses at City Hospital; and an infirmary for women.
Subjects Hospitals , Louisville , Women
John B. Castleman-Soldier
Marker Number 1629
County Jefferson
Location Near Gen. John B. Castleman monument, Cherokee Rd., Louisville
Description Castleman, one of Morgan's men, led attempt in 1864 to free CSA prisoners at Camp Morton. He was imprisoned until end of the war, exiled, then pardoned by President Johnson. A native of Fayette Co., he came here in 1867. Colonel, Louisville Legion, lst Regt., Ky. State Guard, reorganized in 1878. Served with lst Regt. as Brigadier General in Puerto Rico, 1898-99.

(Reverse) John B. Castleman-Citizen - After the Civil War, Castleman studied law and graduated from University of Louisville in 1868. Known as Father of Louisville Park System, he was responsible for Cherokee, Shawnee, Iroquois and Central parks. Castleman also organized and was president of American Saddle Horse Assn., 1892. Appointed Adjutant General by both governors Knott and Beckham.
Subjects Beckham, J.C.W. , Camps , Civil War , Knott, J. Proctor , Louisville , Morgan's Raiders , University of Louisville
John F. Day (1913-1982)
Marker Number 1736
County Fleming
Location Courthouse lawn, Flemingsburg
Description A native of Fleming County, this prize-winning journalist began his career with the Lexington Leader; later worked with Washington Bureau of Louisville Courier-Journal. Director and Vice President of CBS News, 1955-61, where he won two Emmy awards. Wrote Bloody Ground, 1941, on Eastern Kentucky. John Day spent his last years in England publishing a weekly newspaper.
Subjects Books , Courier-Journal (Louisville) , Lexington , Louisville , Newspapers
Lewis and Clark in Kentucky
Marker Number 2258
County Jefferson
Location Wharf at 4th Street, Louisville
Description Louisville- Louisville & Falls of the Ohio played key role in 1803-06 Lewis & Clark Expedition to the Pacific. William Clark and first members enlisted here; Lewis & Clark met in Louisville Oct. 14, 1803; left area Oct. 26, 1803 & returned to Louisville Nov. 5, 1806. Over.

(Reverse) William Clark (1770-1838)- Born in Va.; bro. of Geo. Rogers Clark; came here in 1785. In Ky. Militia & US Army, where he met Meriwether Lewis. Together they led 1803-1806 mission to Pacific. Stayed in govt. service; moved to St. Louis in 1808. Over.
Subjects Clark, George Rogers , Clark, William , Falls of the Ohio , Lewis and Clark Expedition , Louisville , Lewis, Meriwether
Lewis and Clark in Kentucky- Field Brothers
Marker Number 2210
County Jefferson
Location 11311 Mitchell Hill Rd., Louisville
Description Joseph and Reuben Field were two of the most important members of the 1803-1806 Lewis and Clark Expedition to the Pacific Ocean. Born in Virginia, they were raised in the present Okolona, Fairdale, and Valley Station areas. Over.

(Reverse) Two of the first three recruits of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, they were two of the best hunters and received special praise from Meriwether Lewis for their service. Reuben returned to Ky. after the journey. Joseph was killed in 1807. Over.
Subjects Lewis and Clark Expedition , Louisville
Lewis and Clark in Kenucky - York
Marker Number 2119
County Jefferson
Location Louisville, at end of Fourth St. on the Wharf
Description This enslaved African American, who lived most of his life in Louisville, went on Lewis and Clark Expedition to the Pacific, 1803-6. York was the first African American to cross the U. S. coast to coast and made important contributions to the success of the expedition.

(Reverse) York - York, a Clark family slave born ca. 1772, moved with them to Jefferson Co. from Va. in 1785. Inherited by Wm. Clark from father John in 1799. After return from expedition to the West, York lived in Louisville and worked as a wagon driver. Freed after 1815. Clark reported that York died in Tenn. before 1832. Sponsored by The Filson Historical Society and the African American Heritage Foundation.
Subjects African American , Clark, William , Lewis and Clark Expedition , Louisville , Slavery
Locust Grove:1-1/2 miles, Northwest
Marker Number 835
County Jefferson
Location US 42 & Blankenbaker Ln., Louisville
Description Home of Gen. George Rogers Clark from 1809 until his death, 1818. William and Lucy Clark Croghan built it about 1790. Visited by Presidents Monroe, Jackson, Taylor. Clark and his 175 frontiersmen defeated British-Indians during Revolution: won Northwest for U.S. He built first outpost at Falls of Ohio, 1778. Founder of Louisville.
Subjects Clark, George Rogers , Falls of the Ohio , Jackson, Andrew , Louisville , Taylor, Zachary
Louisville Bar Association
Marker Number 2051
County Jefferson
Location Louisville, Courthouse lawn
Description Roots traced to 1871, with meetings of lawyers advocating legal reform. Those efforts led to state law guaranteeing that a witness could not be barred from testifying on basis of race or color. Officially established on January 13, 1900, the LBA is Kentucky's oldest, continuously operating bar association. Presented by Louisville Bar Association.

(Reverse) Louisville Bar Association - The LBA, with the Louisville Women's Club, was instrumental in establishing Louisville's Legal Aid Society in 1921, to provide legal aid for the poor. The LBA was also active in securing passage of the judicial article of 1975, which article barred non-lawyers from serving as judges and created a unified court system. Presented by Louisville Bar Association.
Subjects Louisville
Louisville Cemetery
Marker Number 1992
County Jefferson
Location Eastern Pkwy. at Poplar Level Rd., property owned by Louisville Cem.
Description Original 31 acres incorporated Mar. 23, 1886, by prominent black citizens Bishop W. H. Miles, H. C. Weeden, J. Meriwether, A. J. Bibb, W. P. Churchill, William H. Gibson, Sr., and Felix Johnson. Buried here are Dr. Robert B. Scott, cofounder of Louisville Red Cross Hospital; educator Atwood S. Wilson; blues guitarist Sylvester Weaver; and community activist Bessie Allen.

(Reverse) William Walker, Sr. (1860-1933) - Born a slave in Woodford County, jockey William "Uncle Bill" Walker won 1877 Kentucky Derby on Baden-Baden. Churchill Downs' leading rider between 1875 and 1878, he retired from saddle in 1896. An expert on Thoroughbred pedigree in America, Walker was instrumental in developing modern racehorse. Presented by Louisville and Jefferson County African American Heritage Committee, Inc.
Subjects African American , Cemeteries , Horse racing , Horses , Kentucky Derby , Louisville
Louisville City Hall
Marker Number 1704
County Jefferson
Location Sixth & Jefferson, Louisville
Description This building, a merger of the French Second Empire and Italianate style, was erected, 1871-73, from plans of John Andrewartha. Mansard clock tower designed by Henry Whitestone to replace one that burned in 1875. The Annex was added in 1909; its architect was Cornelius Curtin. Louisville City Hall Complex was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, 1976. Over.

(Reverse) Sixth and Jefferson - This area has been Louisville's civic center since 1784, when log courthouse was begun on south side of Jefferson near Sixth. In 1788 it was replaced by a stone structure. Brick courthouse stood here, 1811-1837. Across Sixth Street was "gaol," whipping post and pillory. Abraham Lincoln visited Pirtle and Speed law offices nearby in summer of 1841.
Subjects Architects , Lincoln, Abraham , Louisville , National Register of Historic Places
Louisville Free Public Library
Marker Number 1654
County Jefferson
Location Fourth & York Sts., Louisville
Description Louisville Library Company founded in 1816 by Mann Butler and 4 others but failed, 1822. Later library attempts: Franklin Lyceum, 1840; Public Library of Ky., 1871, and the Polytechnic Society, 1876. Louisville Free Public Library was founded, 1903. Building on York St. given by Andrew Carnegie opened, 1908. North Building opened, 1969. Presented by Friends of the Library.

(Reverse) Representative Louisville Authors from Ky. Collection - John Mason Brown, Madison Cawein, Joseph Seaman Cotter, Mrs. George Madden Martin, Clark McMeekin, Alice Hegan Rice, Cale Young Rice, Henry Watterson, Annie Fellows Johnston, Robert Emmett McDowell, Gwen Davenport, John Jacob Niles, Eleanor Mercein Kelly, Abraham Flexner and Amelia B. Welby. Presented by Friends of the Library.
Subjects Authors , Library , Louisville , Poets
Louisville Legion
Marker Number 1589
County Jefferson
Location Near Gen. John B. Castleman monument, Cherokee Rd., Louisville
Description The founding of this Legion dates to 1837, when a company was formed as the "Louisville Guards." The next year three more companies were organized. They were the "Washington Grays." These military organizations were combined into the Louisville Legion by a charter enacted by the Kentucky Legislature in 1839.

(Reverse) Louisville Legion - This organization served the nation under various designations. They participated in many conflicts, among which were: the Mexican War, 1846-47; the Civil War, 1861-64; Spanish-American War, 1898-99; Mexican Border, 1916; World War I, 1917-19; World War II, 1942-45; and Vietnam War, 1968-69. Legion is now represented by Hqs. XXIII Corps Arty. and 138th Arty. Group.
Subjects Civil War , Louisville , Mexican War , Spanish-American War , Vietnam War , World War II , World War I
Louisville Medical College
Marker Number 1737
County Jefferson
Location Louisville, 101 West Chestnut St.
Description Founded in 1869, the college was one of four medical institutions in city which merged with Medical Dept. of University of Louisville, 1908. College built this limestone Richardsonian Romanesque structure 1891-1893. Building was designed by firm of Clarke and Loomis. It housed U of L School of Medicine, 1909-1970. Listed on National Register of Historic Places, 1975.
Subjects Architects , Louisville , National Register of Historic Places , Schools , University of Louisville
Louisville Municipal College
Marker Number 2020
County Jefferson
Location Louisville, 7th & Ky. Sts.
Description Located on original site of Simmons University and Bible College, a black institution. Opened on Feb. 9, 1931, as the segregated branch of University of Louisville in response to black political activism. It was third municipally supported college for blacks in the U.S., offering liberal arts and pre-professional programs. Presented by Louisville & Jefferson County African American Heritage Committee, Inc.

(Reverse) Louisville Municipal College - University of Louisville trustees voted to desegregate university in April 1950, closing Louisville Municipal College in 1951. One faculty member, Dr. Charles H. Parrish, Jr., son of president of Simmons University, joined U. of L. as first black faculty member of a white university in the south. Presented by Louisville and Jefferson County African American Heritage Committee, Inc.
Subjects African American , Louisville , Schools , University of Louisville
Louisville Water Company
Marker Number 2317
County Jefferson
Location Reservoir & Frankfort Ave., Louisville
Description Filtration Plant- In the late 1800s, Louisville Water Company pioneered research in the filtration of drinking water. The Crescent Hill Filtration Plant opened in July 1909 as a result of the work of Chief Engineer Charles Hermany & George Warren Fuller, who developed “rapid sand filtration.” Fuller is known as the “father of sanitary engineering.”

(Reverse) Reservoir and Gatehouse- In 1879, Louisville Water Company opened the Reservoir & Gatehouse as the first step to develop the purification process for drinking water. The Reservoir allowed sediment from the Ohio River water to naturally settle. Inside the Gothic-style Gatehouse are valves that controlled the flow of water into and out of the Reservoir.
Subjects Louisville , Ohio River
Louisville Western Branch Library
Marker Number 1545
County Jefferson
Location 604 South Tenth St., Louisville
Description This Carnegie-endowed library was one of the first in the nation to extend privileges to the black community. The library was first in William M. Andrews' residence at 1125 West Chestnut, now gone. The present library was designed by the architectural firm of McDonald and Dodd and was opened in October of 1908.

(Reverse) Louisville Western Branch Library - Thomas F. Blue (1866-1935), a theologian by training, joined the branch in 1908 as librarian. He designed a training program for blacks in library science which was instituted on a national scale. The library has served also as a community and cultural center for many years.
Subjects African American , Architects , Library , Louisville
Louisville's Steamboat Era
Marker Number 1681
County Jefferson
Location At the Wharf, 4th St., Louisville
Description River navigation in 18th century was by flatboat and keelboat. First steamboat, NEW ORLEANS, arrived in Louisville in autumn of 1811. City soon became steamboat center with six lines operating here. Hundreds of these boats were built in area. Wharf teemed with traffic through Civil War. Eight U.S. presidents arrived on this wharf or "levee." Presented by The Louisville Historical League.

(Reverse) Visitors at Louisville Wharf

  • James Monroe - June 1819
  • Andrew Jackson - June 1819
  • Alexis de Tocqueville - Dec. 1831
  • Washington Irving - Sept. 1832
  • Abraham Lincoln - Sept. 1841
  • Charles Dickens - Apr. 1842
  • Walt Whitman - Feb. 1848
  • Ralph Waldo Emerson - June 1850
  • Oliver W. Holmes - Sept. 1855
  • Herman Melville - Jan.1858

Presented by Bellarmine College Alumni Association.

Subjects Jackson, Andrew , Lincoln, Abraham , Louisville , Steamboats
Memorial Auditorium
Marker Number 1692
County Jefferson
Location Fourth & Kentucky Sts., Louisville
Description Construction began in 1927 as a tribute to Louisvillians who died in First World War. Architect of the Greek Revival building was Thomas Hastings, assisted by E. T. Hutchings. On Decoration Day, May 30, 1929, the War Memorial Auditorium was dedicated. Within its walls Louisville's cultural life flourished, despite the dismal years of the Great Depression.

(Reverse) Performers at Memorial

  • Sergei Rachmaninoff - Nov. 1931
  • Ignace Paderewski - Mar. 1933
  • George Gershwin - Feb. 1934
  • George M. Cohan - Feb. 1935
  • Helen Hayes - Mar. 1935
  • Ethel Barrymore - Oct. 1935
  • Marian Anderson - Dec. 1939
  • Artur Rubinstein - Feb. 1948
  • Mikhail Baryshnikov - Nov. 1978
  • The Peking Opera - Oct. 1980

Presented by Bellarmine College Students.

Subjects Actors , Louisville , World War I
Presentation Academy
Marker Number 1702
County Jefferson
Location 861 S. Fourth St., Louisville
Description The city's first Catholic school and Louisville's oldest existing school, founded 1831, by Mother Catherine Spalding. Recognized as co-founder of Sisters of Charity of Nazareth with Bishop J. B. David, she began a hospital and city's first orphan asylum at school's original site on Fifth St. during the 1830s cholera epidemic. In Memory of Joe Valla by Marlene Valla Bohn.

(Reverse) Presentation Academy - The actress Mary Anderson attended classes at Presentation Academy in the 1870s. In 1892, the Sisters bought Thomas Jacobs house on this site. The new Presentation, erected in 1893 and designed by D.X. Murphy in Richardsonian Romanesque style, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It observed school's sesquicentennial in 1981. In Memory of Joe Valla by Marlene Valla Bohn.
Subjects Actors , Cholera , Louisville , National Register of Historic Places , Orphanages , Schools , Sisters of Charity of Nazareth
Russell Neighborhood
Marker Number 2017
County Jefferson
Location 21st & Chestnut, SW corner, Louisville
Description Named, 1926, for Harvey C. Russell, Sr. (1883-1949), prominent African American educator. Boundaries extend from 9th to 31st, between Broadway and Market Sts. For generations, Russell neighborhood was the center of African American business and professional and social life around Louisville. Presented by African American Heritage Foundation.

(Reverse) Russell Neighborhood - By the 1830s, free blacks began buying property west of 9th St. African Americans began moving west of 21st St. after World War I. Predominantly black by the 1930s, Russell includes a large number of Victorian mansions, antebellum churches, Western Branch Library, businesses, and historic schools. Presented by African American Heritage Foundation.
Subjects African American , Library , Louisville
Schnitzelburg / Dainty—A Schnitzelburg Street Game
Marker Number 2162
County Jefferson
Location 1000 Goss Ave., Louisville
Description Once part of Germantown, area’s growth occurred after completion of 1891 Goss Texas Ave. streetcar loop. Part of Alexander Spotswood 1000-acre land grant; region platted 1866 by D.H. Meriwether. Landmarks include Louisville Cotton Mills, St. Elizabeth’s Church, Heitzman’s Bakery. #1 Citizen honored annually.

(Reverse) Introduced to Louisville in 1800 by German immigrants, Dainty is played with a 5” stick, and a 3’ stick. The 5” stick is placed on the ground, hit with the longer, then hit, airborne, as far as possible. Game revived in 1971 by George Hauck & Charlie Vettiner. The World Championship Dainty Contest is celebrated each July.
Subjects Louisville
Water Works Pumping Station
Marker Number 1689
County Jefferson
Location Near entrance to water tower, off River Rd. & Zorn Ave., Louisville
Description Louisville Water Co. incorporated in 1854. Its first pumping station, in Classical Revival style, blends beauty and utility. The classic structures were designed and built by Theodore R. Scowden and his assistant, Charles Hermany. Built 1857-60, it could pump 12 million gallons in 24 hours. Site was away from industry, well elevated, with good landing for coal boats. Over.

(Reverse) Water Tower - The 169-foot tower encloses a water standpipe. It represents a Roman column in the Doric order. The base is surrounded by Corinthian columns, nine topped by Greek classical figures and one by an American Indian. Tower damaged by a tornado in 1890. The station and its water tower were named National Landmarks in Nov. 1971. Presented by Friends of the Water Tower.
Subjects Louisville
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