The 'Ville

 

 

WELCOME to the 'Ville!!! 

You're welcome here - any way you say it!
Just don't say LOUIS-ville or you may get laughed outta town!
So kick off your shoes, stay a while, and enjoy your time hirrr
(here, if you want to be politically correct ~ smile!).

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Some fun facts about Louisville:

• The City of Louisville was founded in 1778 by George Rogers Clark and is named after King Louis XVI of France.
• Louisville's First Town Charter was signed in 1780 by Thomas Jefferson, Governor of Virginia.
• Zachary Taylor (1784-1850), 12th President of the U.S., grew up in Louisville and is buried in Zachary Taylor National Cemetery on Brownsboro Road.
• Muhammad Ali, world recognized Louisvillian and Kentucky's Athlete of the Century, was a three-time heavyweight boxing champion
• The University of Louisville, founded in 1798, is the oldest city-supported college in the United States.
• Since 1875, Churchill Downs has been the home of the Kentucky Derby, the first leg of the Triple Crown of thoroughbred horse racing.
• There are 554 roses used in the garland of roses presented to the winner of the Kentucky Derby
• 100,000 Mint Juleps are poured during the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky

 

 

 

 

 

• The Louisville Slugger baseball bat was made by Andrew "Bud" Hillerich in his father's woodworking shop in Louisville in 1884. The brand name "Louisville Slugger" was first used in 1893.
• Famous Louisvillian Pee Wee Reese was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1984.
• The replica of Babe Ruth’s 34-inch Louisville Slugger bat weighs 68,000 pounds, is made of steel, stands 120 feet tall and is located at Louisville Slugger Museum
• The Hot Brown originated at The Brown Hotel in downtown Louisville in the 1900s. The open-faced turkey and bacon sandwich is topped with a rich cheese sauce.
• The Cheeseburger originated at Kaelin's Restaurant on Newburg Road. In 1934, Margaret Kaelin's husband asked her to put a slice of American cheese on his hamburger and the legend was born.

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• Built in 1914, the Belle of Louisville is the oldest operating Mississippi-style sternwheeler steamboat in existence today.She will be 100 years old this year!
• The Ohio River stretches 981 miles and is one of the major rivers of North America.
• "Happy Birthday to You" was written by sisters Mildred and Patty Hill in their Louisville kindergarten class. Originally called "Good Morning to You," it was later changed to this tradition birthday anthem.
• Louisville's Main Street has the second largest collection of cast-iron storefronts facades, only New York City has more.
• The Old Louisville neighborhood near downtown is the largest Victorian neighborhood in America.
• 95% of the world’s bourbon is produced in Kentucky
• 90% of the United States’ disco balls are produced in Louisville each year
• 60 tons of firework shells used each year at Thunder Over Louisville, North America’s largest annual pyrotechnics show

 

 

 

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Famous Faces of the 'Ville