timeline
1776
Kentucky County, Virginia formed
1778
Linn Station was formed as more settlers
traveled into the area that is now known as Jefferson County.
George Rogers Clark establishes a fort
on Corn Island.
1779
The "Plan of the Town of Louisville on
the Ohio" was made by
early trustees. Lots would occupy both
sides of Main Street.
1780
Jefferson County was Chartered
Louisville was named for Louis XVI because
of the aid given to the
American Colonies by the country of France.
1783
Louisville's first General Store opened.
1785
The first log courthouse was built at
a cost of $309.79.
1789
Louisville's first brick house was built.
1790
The first house of Worship was begun
at 12th and Main Streets.
1792
Kentucky was formally admitted to the
Union on June 1st.
1795
The first Louisville post office opened
on 5th and Main Streets.
1800
The first oceangoing ship came to Louisville
with 720 barrels of flour.
Population of Jefferson County: 8,754
1801
The first newspaper, "Farmer's Liberty"
was published.
1808
The first theatre was built, "City Theatre".
1813
Main Street was paved between 3rd and
6th streets.
1816
Year of "No Summer", cold temperatures
allowed no crops to be harvested.
1817
The first hosipital, Louisville Marine
Hospital was begun.
1818
Death of George Rogers Clark at Locust
Grove.
1825
Horse races were held at the foot of
Main and 16th streets.
1826
Penn's "Advertiser" became the first
daily newspaper.
1828
The city was incorporated with a population
of 7,063
1829
The first public school was opened.
1832
The Louisville Hotel was built.
1834
Bourbon Stockyards opened.
1835
The first Galt House Hotel opened
at 2nd and Main streets.
1838
The Louisville Gas Company was incorporated.
1839
Louisville became the first city in the
West to light its streets with gas lamps.
1842
The state institute for the Blind was
established.
1846
The University of Louisville was incorporated.
1847
Telegraph services began in Louisville
on December 29th.
Cave Hill Cementary was dedicated.
1850
Louisville was the 10th largest city
in the United States.
1854
The Louisville Water Company was created.
The YMCA was founded.
1855
The rails were laid for the Louisville
/ Nashville Railroad.
1858
The Fire Deparment was organized.
1859
The first train departed from Louisville
and arrived in Nashville 10 hours later.
1861
The Civil War began.
Louisville Transfer Company (yellow cabs)
began operation using carriages.
1865
The first recorded game of Baseball was
played here with Louisville
winning 20-5 over Nashville.
1866
The National Tobacco Fair was held
in Louisville.
1867
The Macauley Theatre was erected.
1868
"Louisville's Journal" and "Courier Democrat"
joined to form the "Courier-Journal" newspaper.
1871
The beginning of the Louisville Free
Public Library.
1873
The first african-american school was
opened.
1874
Churchill Downs was established.
1875
The first Kentucky Derby was held
with Aristides as the winner.
1876
Electricity was first used for a commercial
project.
1877
Work began on the Crescent Hill reservior.
1878
American Printing House for the Blind
was completed.
1879
The Edison Telephone Company was organized
on 3rd Street.
1881
Two public parks opened: Phoenix Hill
and Riverside
1884
The Filson Club, named for Kentucky's
first historian, is founded.
1885
The first "super market" of its day opened
on Market Street.
1886
The "Daisy Line" streetcar opened its
line serving Kentucky and New Albany by way on the Kentucky and Indiana railroad bridge.
1887
The first Louisville free kindergarten
opened.
1888
934 Buildings were erected , including
the Seelbach.
1890
Louisville first skyscraper was built,
the Columbia Building, standing 10 stories high.
1891
Union Station opened and the Metropolitan
Opera presented its first concert.
1896
Louisville was the largest Tobacco
market in the world.
1898
The first electrically-powered automobiles
appeared in Louisville.
1902
The first "Kentucky Fair" was held at
Churchill Downs.
1904
The first moving picture house was built,
called the "Dreamland", it was the third picture house in the United States.
1908
The Fairground opened with the largest
livestock pavilion in the world.
1911
The Majestic Theatre enlarged to become
one of the first Palace Movie Houses.
1913
Louisville Gas and Electric Company merged.
1915
The first local transportation began
with "jitney" buses for 5 cents a ride.
1919
The first motor truck freight line in
the state was established.
1922
WHAS Radio went on the air on July 18th,
the first radio station in Kentucky.
Louisville was the 24th largest city
in the United States.
1924
Kosair Hospital opened.
1925
J.B. Speed Art Museum opened.
1926
The Yellow Taxi Airline Company
flew its first passengers to Cincinnati.
1928
Bowman Field was purchased by the
city for an airport.
1929
The George Rogers Clark bridge was dedicated.
1931
The Great Depression began.
1932
Camp Knox (Fort Knox) was made a permanent
military post and the national depository for gold bullion.
1934
WAVE Radio Station was established.
Regular air mail service began.
1941
Attack on Pearl Harbor and war was declared
on Japan.
Land for Standiford Field was acquired.
1948
The Kentucky Exposition Center was chartered.
WAVE-TV aired its first televison program:
the Male/Manual football game.
1949
Louisville adopted its official flag.
1950
The Chamber of Commerce was organized
1953
City Hospital opened.
1956
Black students attended classes with
white students in public schools.
1957
Waterson Interstate Highway system began.
1961
Interstate 64 was opened between Frankfort
and Louisville.
1962
Jefferson County purchased the Belle
of Louisville
The Sherman Minton Bridge opened.
1972
The new Galt House Hotel was erected.
1973
The River City Mall opened as a pedestrial
walkway.
The First National Tower, then the city's
tallest skyscraper was erected.
The Belvedere, a public plaza, was built
overlooking the Ohio River.
1974
The Transit Authority of River City (TARC)
acquired the mass transit system.
1978
Walnut street was renamed Muhammad Ali
Boulevard in honor of the Louisville native.
1982
The Galleria, a downtown shopping center,
opened with 88 shops and restaurants.
1983
The Kentucky Center of the Arts was erected
on Main Street.
1985
The Humana Building was erected using
granite from 5 countries.
1987
Gene Snyder Freeway was completed.
1992
The Aegon Center, standing at 35 Stories,
became the tallest skyscraper in the State of Kentucky.
1998
Construction of the Landing at Riverside
began.
2003
The city of Louisville and Jefferson
County merge to form, Metro Louisville.
