1956 Map of Louisville

About this map

Louisville serves as the focal point for this mid-century regional study, showcasing the city's suburban expansion into communities like St Matthews, Shively, and Okolona. The winding course of the Ohio River dictates the landscape, separating the industrial centers of Kentucky from Indiana towns such as Jeffersonville and New Albany. A dense network of transportation infrastructure is evident, with the Louisville and Nashville RR and the Baltimore and Ohio RR converging on the river's banks, while the Jefferson Proving Ground and Fort Knox Military Reservation mark significant federal land use in the post-war years. Beyond the urban core, the map captures the transition to the Bluegrass region, following the Kentucky River through Frankfort and tracing the prominent limestone ridges of Cane Ridge and Pine Ridge. This edition preserves the relationship between the river-and-rail economy and the outlying agricultural towns of Shelbyville and Eminence before modern interstate development reshaped the corridors.