Downtown Louisville Live Cam

Downtown Louisville is the heart of Louisville, Kentucky, and has a rich history that dates back to the city's founding in the late 18th century. Here are some key events and developments that have shaped the area's history:

• Founding: Louisville was founded in 1778 by George Rogers Clark, who named the city after King Louis XVI of France. The city was strategically located at the Falls of the Ohio, where the Ohio River narrowed and became more easily navigable.
• Early development: In the early years of Louisville, the downtown area was primarily residential, with many of the city's early leaders living in the area. The first courthouse and jail were built downtown in the 1790s, and the city's first newspaper, The Kentucky Gazette, was published there in 1787.
• Commerce and transportation: As Louisville grew, downtown became a hub for commerce and transportation. The first steamboat arrived in Louisville in 1811, and by the 1830s, the city was the largest inland port in the country. The Louisville and Portland Canal was completed in 1830, allowing boats to bypass the Falls of the Ohio and making Louisville an even more important transportation hub.