Louisville, Kentucky: The Northern Most Southern State

Northerners consider Louisville a southern state and southerners call it the northern most southern state. Wherever your opinions lay, Louisville is a city most notably known for their love of horses, their music and the incredible hospitality. Louisville is also home to some of the best sports teams around. The varius stadiums have been built with the highest tech basketball scoreboards and baseball views.

Louisville was named after King Louis XVI, of France as their troops were helping the Americans during the Revolutionary War against the British. The original site was actually settled due to a geological occurrence. It was the point where people had to stop river travel due to the Falls of Ohio rapids. The settlement grew up around the stopping point and continued to grow as river travel increased.

The Civil War brought the decision to Kentucky’s doorstep and they remained in the Union. This created the requirement for Louisville to be a center for transportation as well as supplies and recruiting. While Louisville only suffered a bit with some minor skirmishes, the face of the city changed when post war confederate soldiers relocated and began to take the lead political roles.

There is no doubt when it comes to the topic of Louisvillians and their passion for their horses. The Kentucky Derby was first held in 1875 and the horse breeds that have been produced in the area are some of the best in the world. Horse ranches are seen throughout the area and one marvels at the beauty,

Throughout its history, Louisville has been hit by many natural disasters, but neither floods nor tornados can deter the people of Louisville from their beloved city. World War II brought the production of a war plant factory to the area. This changed in post war era so that Louisville maintained an industrial edge for tractors and other farm equipment.

The historic regions of Louisville had suffered during the many crisis times, but this slowly changed as the people of the area required as much attention to their history as to the new and modern skyscrapers. The current Belle of Mississippi is considered the oldest steamboat of the Mississippi style that is in operation in the U.S. and can be seen leisurely cruising down the river. The refurnished trolley system is available to take you throughout the downtown area. The development, combined with the influx of so many cultures also lent to a focus on independent music, art and festivals. Louisville bloomed into a center for all things cultural and takes pride in the variety of arts they have available for the visitor to their town. Parks, river areas, biking trails and forest areas open to the public, introduce the visitor to the beauty of the blue grass country.

The people of Louisville are patrons of their sports teams. College basketball, football, golf clubs and even one of the top five skate parks in the country, all have record turn outs at the many stadiums and arenas. The famed Louisville Cardinals basketball team tops the national attendance records at Freedom Hall stadium with local fans packing the stadium at a nearly one hundred percent seating. Fans cheer and focus on the basketball scoreboards as every point is made. Louisville is also host to rousing games of football and baseball, and even have a giant baseball bat as the icon at the Louisville Slugger Baseball museum downtown.

Louisville is a city with a lot of heart and hospitality and opens its doors to those that visit. There is a touch of the south with a blend of the north, so that they have the best of both worlds.

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