Historical Markers in
Jefferson County, Kentucky

Abraham Lincoln Aero Club of Louisville Alice Virginia Coffin (1848-88) Alonzo "Lonnie" Clayton Artist of Confederacy Augustus E. Willson (1846-1931) Bank of Louisville Bashford Manor Beargrass Baptist Church Beechland Belknap Campus Berrytown Berrytown Cemetery Birth of Truth in Advertising "Bloody Monday" and American (Know-Nothing) Party Bottled Bourbon Bowman Field Bowman Field-East Bray Place Brennan House Brown-Forman Established Cabbage Patch Settlement Calvary Baptist Calvary Episcopal Church Camp Zachary Taylor Campaign to End Racial Segregation in Louisville Cathedral of the Assumption Cedar Creek Baptist Church Center Street C.M.E. Church (Chestnut St. C.M.E. Church) Central High School Charles H. Parrish, Jr. (1899-1989) Charles W. Anderson, Jr. 1907-1960 Chenoweth Massacre Chickasaw Park Christ Lutheran Church Churchill Downs Churchill Downs City of Audubon Park Civil Rights Struggle, 1954 / Wades: Open Housing Pioneers Clarke & Loomis Architects/ Levy Brothers Building Col. Frederick Geiger/ Early Butchertown Col. Richard Taylor/ George Rudy Columbia Gym Conrad-Caldwell House Conrad-Seaton House Croghans of Locust Grove Douglas Park Racetrack Dr. James Bond (1863-1929) Early Blacksmith Shop Early Fourth Street Early Jewish Congregations Enid Yandell (1869-1934) Evan Williams 1755-1810 Falls City Jeans & Woolen Mills/Kentucky Jeans Farmington Farnsley-Moremen House Father Herman Felhoelter Fenley Family & Cemetery Fern Creek High School First Louisville Slugger Bat First Lutheran Church First Unitarian Church Floyd's Station Forest Home Cemetery Fort Southworth Fort William Fort-on-Shore Founding of Jefferson Seminary Fourth Street George Rogers Clark Gilded Age Mansions / Chateauesque Architecture Gilman's Point Gov. Lawrence W. Wetherby Governor Thomas E. Bramlette Grabfelder-Handy Mansion Grave of Steamboat Captain Green Street Baptist Church Griffytown Grotto & Garden of Our Lady of Lourdes Harrod's Creek Hayfield Hazael Tucker Farm Henry Watterson (1840-1921) Highland Mothers Club Highland Park Highlands Neighborhood History of Eastern Cemetery Home of Anne & Carl Braden Home of Founder Home of I. Willis Cole Home to Campaigns for Racial Justice/Carl Braden Memorial Center Immanuel Baptist Church/First Christian-Lampton Baptist Church Irene Dunne (1898-1990) Iroquois Amphitheater Isaac Hite's Home James Guthrie (1792-1869) Jefferson County Jefferson County Courthouse Jennie C. Benedict Jerome Clarke ("Sue Mundy") John B. Castleman-Soldier John Floyd's Grave Jug Band Pioneer Kentucky Fugitives to Canada Kentucky Railway Museum Kentucky Southern College Kenwood Drive-In Knights of Pythias Temple Kosmosdale- Est. 1905 Lakeland Asylum Landmark Civil Rights Victory Lewis and Clark in Kentucky (replaces marker #1451, Lewis & Clark Expedition) Lewis and Clark in Kentucky - Locust Grove Lewis and Clark in Kentucky - Mulberry Hill Lewis and Clark in Kentucky - Trough Spring Lewis and Clark in Kentucky- Field Brothers Lewis and Clark in Kenucky - York "Little Africa" Locust Grove:1-1/2 miles, Northwest Long Run Massacre Louis D. Brandeis (1856-1941) Louis D. Brandeis Home Louis Dembitz Brandeis, 1856-1941 Louisville and Nashville Railroad Louisville Bar Association Louisville Cemetery Louisville City Hall Louisville Convention, 1845 Louisville Cotton Mill Louisville Free Public Library Louisville Girls High School Louisville Legion Louisville Medical College Louisville Municipal College Louisville to Portland Turnpike Louisville Water Company Louisville Western Branch Library Louisville's Steamboat Era Low Dutch Station Lyndon Memorial Auditorium Merriwether House Montgomery Street School Muhammad Ali's Home Site Murray Atkins Walls - Civil Rights Pioneer Nathaniel Wolfe Naval Ordinance Plant "Neighborhood House" Noted School Site "Nunnlea" Old Catholic High School Optimist International Our Lady Church Oxmoor-1790 Pennsylvania Run Presbyterian Church and Cemetery Perryville Prelude Petersburg Prentice School Presbyterian Community Center Presentation Academy Preston & St. Catherine Streets Historic District Preston Park Seminary Rebecca Rosenthal Judah; National Council of Jewish Women Red Cross Hospital 1899-1976 Restoration Project Rev. William H. Sheppard Rosa Phillips Stonestreet 1859-1936 Roscoe Goose House / Golden Goose, 1891-1971 Rotary Club of Louisville Ruff Memorial - Wheelmen's Bench Russell Neighborhood Saddler Sergeant Otto Voit Saint Joseph Infirmary Samuel M. Plato, 1882-1957 Samuel M. Plato, Architect Schnitzelburg / Dainty—A Schnitzelburg Street Game Scottish Rite Temple Second African Baptist Church Seelbach-Parrish House Shelby Park Neighborhood Shelby St. Streetcar Barn Simmons University Since 1842 Sister Emily Cooper Slave Trading in Louisville Slavery Laws in Old Kentucky Smoketown Soldier's Retreat Soldier's Retreat Southern Parkway/ Iroquois Park Spring Fort Built Before 1782 St. Andrew's Catholic Church St. Boniface Parish St. Frances of Rome Catholic Church St. James Court St. John's Evangelical Church St. Joseph Catholic Church St. Matthew Church St. Vincent De Paul Parish St. Vincent Orphanage and Infirmary Sturgus Station Susan Look Avery The Discovery of the Ohio River The Fair Grounds 1853-73 The Filson Club Historical Society The Galt House The Good Shepard Order The Kentucky Soldiers' Home The Little Loomhouse Thomas Edison Butchertown House Thomas Merton (1915-68) Trainer and Jockey Tyler Settlement U.S. Marine Hospital Ursuline Sisters & Academy Virginia Avenue Colored School Water Filtration Experiments Water Works Pumping Station Whiskey Row Wilderness Road Wisertown / St. Andrew's Church Road Wolf Pen Corridor Woodlawn Race Course Youngland Zachary Taylor Home Zachary Taylor Home Zachary Taylor National Cemetery Zion Baptist Church
The town of Elizabethtown, Kentucky, was the birthplace of Colonel Harland Sanders, the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC).
Kentucky random facts
Jefferson County, Kentucky has a rich and diverse history dating back thousands of years. The region was originally inhabited by Native American tribes, including the Cherokee and Shawnee, who relied on the fertile lands along the Ohio River for sustenance and trade. European settlement began in the late 18th century, with the establishment of forts and trading posts along the river. In 1780, Louisville, the county seat of Jefferson County, was founded by George Rogers Clark and named in honor of King Louis XVI of France.

During the 19th century, Jefferson County experienced rapid growth and became a center of industry and commerce. The completion of the Louisville and Portland Canal in 1830 allowed for increased river traffic and helped establish Louisville as a major inland port. The city became a hub for the tobacco and bourbon industries, with numerous distilleries and warehouses operating within the county. In addition to its economic growth, the county also played a significant role in the Civil War, serving as a strategic location for both Union and Confederate forces.

The 20th century brought further development and modernization to Jefferson County. The Louisville Municipal Bridge, now known as the George Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge, was completed in 1929, connecting the city to southern Indiana and facilitating interstate travel. The county also experienced significant changes in demographics and urbanization, as the population grew and diverse communities emerged. Notably, the African American population in the county expanded during the Great Migration, leading to the establishment of vibrant neighborhoods such as Russell and Parkland.

Today, Jefferson County continues to be a vibrant and thriving county. With a population of over 770,000, it is the most populous county in Kentucky. The county is home to a diverse range of industries, including healthcare, manufacturing, and tourism. Additionally, Jefferson County is known for its rich cultural heritage, with numerous museums, galleries, and cultural events that celebrate the county's diverse history.

This timeline provides a concise overview of the key events in the history of Jefferson County, Kentucky.

  • 1780- Jefferson County established as an original Kentucky county.
  • 1785- Louisville, the county seat, officially founded.
  • 1803- The Methodist Episcopal Church establishes its first church in Louisville.
  • 1838- Construction of the Louisville and Portland Canal begins.
  • 1855- The Louisville Free Public Library opens.
  • 1861- The American Civil War begins, and Louisville becomes a key Union supply base.
  • 1875- The Southern Exposition, a world's fair-style event, is held in Louisville.
  • 1905- Churchill Downs hosts the first Kentucky Derby.
  • 1937- The Ohio River flood causes widespread devastation in Jefferson County.
  • 1946- The Louisville Cardinals basketball team wins the National Invitation Tournament.
  • 1956- The Kentucky Kingdom amusement park opens in Louisville.
  • 1974- The Muhammad Ali Center, a museum dedicated to the famous boxer, opens in Louisville.
  • 1984- The Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts opens in Louisville.
  • 1996- The Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory opens.
  • 2013- The KFC Yum! Center, a sports and entertainment arena, opens in Louisville.