Historical Marker

Louisville to Portland Turnpike

LOUISVILLE TO PORTLAND TURNPIKE By the late eighteenth century, large boats carried people and products to villages dotting the banks of the Ohio River. Yet the boats had to halt at the 26’ drop at the Falls of the Ohio where Louisville is today. Draymen portaged freight to the bottom of the Falls where Portland emerged to service the traffic.

LOUISVILLE TO PORTLAND TURNPIKE Horse drawn wagons slogged along dirt paths until a plank toll road connected the cities. The 3 mile long Turnpike opened in 1818 and greatly reduced the time it took to make the trip. After the Portland Canal opened in 1830, use of the Turnpike declined and the route eventually became Portland Avenue.