Chapter 18: Hawaii

Since the Hawaiian islands are a visible portion of a series of masive volcanoes and the land consists of rugged slopes, sea cliffs and hills, I want to look at Kentucky's topography.

The eastern quarter of the state is dominated by the Cumberland Plateau, on the western edge, the plateau meets the uplands of the Lexington Plain (known as the Bluegrass region) to the notrh and the hilly Pennyroyal to the south. These two regions, which together make up nearly half the state's area, are seperated by a narrow curving plain known as the Knobs because of the shapes of its eroded hills. The most level area of the state consists of the western coalfields bounded by the Pennyroyal to the east and the Ohio River to the north. In the far west are the coastal plains of the Mississippi River; this region is commonly known as the Purchase, having been purchased from the Chickasaw Indians.

Louisville's part of the the valley is located between two plateaus, the karst plateau of Southern Indiana and the Bluegrass plateau of Kentucky, both with an elevation of 900 feet.

The highest point in Kentucky is Black Mountain on the Southeastern boundary in Harlan County, at 4,139 ft (2,162 m). The lowest point is 257 ft  (78 m), along the Mississippi River in Fulton County. The state's mean altitude is 750 ft (229 m). 

Source:  http://www.city-data.com/states/Kentucky-Topography.html

Photo 1: Black Mountain, KY

Photo 2: Rolling Hills in Pikeville, KY

Photo 3: Eastern Kentucky Mountains 

Photo 4: Kentucky Topographic Map

Chapter 16: The North Pacific Coast

Since the north pacific coast is lush green, I thought I would look at the vegetation in Louisville and surrounding areas of Kentucky.

Kentucky is a state of great scenic beauty and natural attraction with a well developed system of state parks visited by thousands of people. Below is a list of the natural vegetation in Kentucky.

• Kentucky Coffeetree
• Tulip Poplar which is the official state tree which is not a poplar but a member of the Magnolia family.
• American Linden
• Sweetgum
• Eastern Hemlock
• Northern Catalpa
• Greenn Ash
• Black Locust
• Sassafrass
• Shingle Oak
• Shagbark Hickory
• Pignut
• Pecan
• Black Oak
• Black Cherry
• Blackgum
• Blue Ash
• Ohio Buckeye and others.

Photo1: The Kentucky state tree: Tulip Popular

Photo2: A tree lined roadway Louisville, KY.

Chapter 15: California

Chapter 15 discusses California, which is bordered by the Pacific Ocean. Louisville may not be bordered by an ocean, but it is bordered by the Ohio River. There are also several lakes nearby the city, with Taylorsville lake being the closest at only 41 miles away. Many people enjoy sailing, fishing and boating in the Ohio River. Many restaurants in Louisville and just across the river in southern Indiana offer waterfront docks where boats can easily tie off and stop in for a meal. There are also several steamboats docked right on the river in downtown that offer day and nighttime cruises. Two of the well known steamboats are the Belle of Louisville and the Star. These two steamboats race before the Kentucky Derby in what is called "The Great Steamboat Race."

Photo 1: Children playing on a dock right outside of the restaurant Joe's Crabshack on the Ohio River, downtown Louisville, KY.

Photo 2: The Star and the Bell of Louisville steamboats docked in downtown Louisville, KY.

Chapter 14: The Southwest Border Area

The Southwest has a culturally diverse American Indian population including the Navajo, Apache, Pueblo, Papago, Hopi and Utes. In Kentucky, early tribes included the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Mosopelea, Shawnee and Yuchi. Most Native Americans were forced to leave Kentucky during the Indian Removals of the 1800's and were moved to Indian reservations in Oklahoma instead. Today there are no federally recognized Indian tribes in Kentucky, but descendents who escaped from the removal can still be found throughout the state.

Photo: The original distribution of the inhabitants in the area that is now Kentucky.

Source: http://500nations.com/Kentucky_Tribes.asp 

Chapter 13: The Empty Interior

Chapter 13 talked a lot about the Mormon population in Utah, Nevada and Arizona. In Louisville, 54.60% of people consider themselves religious. The majority of the population is Protestant and Catholic with the remainder mainly baptist.

Percentage of religion in Louisville, KY:

Protestant: 24.40%

Catholic: 22.63%

Baptist: 16.21% 

Other Christian: 5.64%

Pentecostal: 1.84%

Photo: First Church, Louisville, Ky

Source:

http://www.bestplaces.net/city/Louisville-Kentucky

Chapter 12: The Great Plains and Prairies

Tornado's are a natural hazard that Louisville has to face. They are especially likely in the Spring season when warm moist air from the south mixes with cold air from the north creating unstable and dangerous conditions. Louisville has been experiencing tornado's for as far back as we have record. This is because Louisville is located at the NW edge of tornado alley. Tornado alley is an area where tornado's most occur in North America. Tornado warning systems such as sirens are a very important part of Louisville's tornado preparedness.

Picture 1: A tornado in Kentucky.

Picture 2: Tornado Alley

Picture 3: Map of tornado activity in the U.S. between 1950 and 1998. Louisville is covered in dark red which is the highest (>25 F3, F4 an F5 tornado's per 3,700 Sq. Mi).

Picture 4: A tornado siren in Louisville, KY.

Chapter 11: The Agricultural Core

The northern half and portions of the west of Kentucky are part of the agricultural core. The manufacturing core overlaps in a small section of north eastern Kentucky. Louisville specifically is nestled in between lots of lush farmland. The picture shows lush green grass. This is because the area receives an average of more than 30 inches of rain each year. Many farms (especially in and around Louisville) focus on raising thoroughbred horses for racing. 

Picture 1: A lush green farm in the morning; Kentucky.

Picture 2: A thoroughbred horse grazing on a farm near Louisville, KY.

Chapter 10: The Southern Coastlands

Tobacco has historically been a very important part of the Kentucky agricultural economy and culture. In fact, Kentucky is the most tobacco dependent state in the U.S. Although North Carolina surpasses Kentucky in tobacco production, tobacco accounts for a larger percentage of Kentucky's agricultural income. In 2005, Kentucky made more than $342.5 million dollars in sales from tobacco. The 2002 U.S. Census of Agriculture accounted for nearly 87,000 farms in Ketucky, with more than 29,000 growing tobacco!

Photo 1: Curing Tobacco in Kentucky.

Photo 2: A tobacco farm in Kentucky.

Sources: 

http://www.ca.uky.edu

http://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Kentucky

Chapter 9: The Changing South

Kentucky today is more Appalachian or Upland South rather than Deep South, but there is confusion on whether it is presently considered the south or midwest. Historically it is part of the south, but today most of Kentucky is a transitional area. Most people living in Kentucky do speak with a southern accent and enjoy southern meals such as fried chicken, cornbread and of course sweet tea!

Early Kentucky history was built on the labor of slavery and it was an integral part of the state. Slave populations were greatest in the central "bluegrass" region of the state, which was rich in farmland. These farms were smaller than the plantations of the Deep South, so ownership of large numbers of slaves was uncommon. Kentucky also exported more slaves than did most states.

*Louisville had the first library in the south open to African Americans: the Louisville Western Branch Library.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_slavery_in_Kentucky

Photo 1: Slave Census 1860 (see Louisville in the top center).

Photo2: Advertisement for the sale of slaves in Lexington, KY 1855.

Chapter 8: Appalachia and the Ozarks

Kentucky produced 125.96 million tons of coal in 2006, compared to the record production of 179.4 million tons set in 1990. Kentucky has been one of the top three coal producers in the United States for the last 50 years.

Kentucky has two distinct coal fields, one in Western Kentucky and one in Eastern Kentucky. Louisville is not one of the main areas in Kentucky for coal mining.

Portions of eastern Kentucky are part of a cultura region termed Appalachia.

Sources:

http://www.kentuckycoal.org

Map 1: West Virginia Rural Health Research Center

Map 2: Appalachian Regional Commission

Chapter 7: The Bypassed East

Louisville has many urban activities to offer including a 100-mile trail called the Louisville Loop that encircles the entire community, and the river front park. The river front park is a 72+ acre park located right on the Ohio River. The city currently has one of the nation's largest parks expansions underway, adding 4,000 new acres of park land.

Most people know Louisville, KY for either the Kentucky Derby which takes place in the city, or for the Louisville Slugger Museum with the worlds largest baseball bat. Every year there is a Derby kick-off celebration with over 70 events including the great hot air balloon race, steamboat race, mini-marathon run, and finally the largest event: Thunder Over Louisville. This is the largest annual fireworks display in all of North America! 

Sources:

http://www.louisvilleky.gov/Visitors/

Photo 1: Women wearing the traditional Derby hat at the Kentucky Derby.

Photo2: Part of the 100-mile trail.

Photo3: The Louisville Slugger Museum.

Photo4: The great hot air baloon race.

Photo 5: Thunder over Louisville.

Chapter 5: The North American Manufacturing Core

Louisville is located in the transitional area in terms of the manufacturing core. The state of Kentucky does not have a major manufacturing region, but that doesn't mean that nothing is manufactured there. Kentucky's primary activity in the manufacturing sector of the economy is the manufacture of transportation equipment (motor vehicles, motor vehicle parts). Other manufactured transportation equipment includes aircraft parts, boat trailers and railroad cars. Ranking second in the manufacturing sector is the manufacture of chemicals (cleaning products, pharmaceutical products, paints, industrial chemicals, industrial gases). The manufacture of machinery (elevators, air filtration equipment, conveyors, heating and air-conditioning equipment, printers, compressors) ranks third.

-Kentucky is the 4th largest producer of cars and trucks in the U.S. 

-10.1 percent of all cars and trucks in the U.S. are produced in Kentucky.  

-With that said,  Ford Motor Co. which manufactures cars, trucks, SUV's and other vehicles is located in Louisville and the top-selling truck in the U.S., the ford F-Series pickup is manufactured there.

Sources: 

http://www.netstate.com/economy/ky_economy.htm

http://www.ky.gov

photo: Louisville's Ford Plant

Chapter 4: Megalopolis

Site: Louisville is located on the south bank of the Ohio River, about 377 miles from its confluence with the Mississippi River. Beargrass Creek and its south fork divide the city into two sectors with different types of topography. Louisville's eastern portion, with an elevation of 565 feet, is hilly, while the western part, lying in the flood plain of the Ohio River, is flat, with an average of 465 feet.

Position: One of the great things about Louisville is that it is located close to many major cities. I have made a list of some major cities and their distance to Louisville to give you an idea of just how many cities are close. (I bolded the cities that are in the top 50 cities by population and rank).

Frankfort, KY: 51 miles

Lexington, KY: 75 miles

Evansville, IN: 96 miles

Cincinnati, OH: 96 miles

Indianapolis, IN: 110 miles

Dayton, OH: 138 miles

Nashville, TN: 151 miles

Knoxville, TN: 186 miles

Columbus, OH: 194 miles

Fort Wayne, IN: 200 miles

Chattanooga, TN: 220 miles

Charleston, West Virginia: 225 miles

Springfield, IL: 232 miles

South Bend, IN: 239 miles

St. Louis, MO: 243 miles

Huntsville, AL: 247 miles

Asheville, NC: 254 miles

Toledo, OH: 266 miles

Chicago IL: 270 miles

Ann Arbor, MI: 300 miles

Sources:

http://www.city-data.com/us-cities/The-South/Louisville-Geography-and-Climate.html

http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/distances.html?n=413

Photo: Downtown Louisville at night. (As viewed across the Ohio River from southern Indiana).

Chapter 3: Foundations of Human Activity

Louisville's growth as a city:

The history of Louisville has been influenced by it's geography and location. The rapids at the Falls of the Ohio created a barrier to river travel, and as a result, settlements grew up at this stopping point.  The city's early growth was influenced by the fact that river boats had to be uploaded and moved downriver before reaching the falls. By 1828, the population had swelled to 7,000 and Louisville became an incorporated city.  

Sources: 

www.hellolouisville.com 

www.wikipedia.org

Photo: Falls of the Ohio with downtown Louisville in the background. Present day.

Chapter 2: The Physical Environment

Louisville is part of the interior lowlands and has a humid subtropical climate. The city experiences four distinct seasons.

The winter can get very cold and snow storms are frequent with an average of 16.4 inches of snowfall per year. January is the coldest month on average with highs of 41 degrees Fahrenheit and lows of 25 degrees Fahrenheit. The city averages approximately 87 days a year with temperatures below freezing.  The wettest seasons are spring and fall, although rain is fairly constant year round. Autumn brings a kaleidoscope of colors. Severe weather is not uncommon with occasional tornado outbreaks in the region.  Summer is typically hazy, hot, and humid with long periods of 90-100 degree temperatures and drought conditions at times. The average annual rainfall averages around 44 inches and the mean annual temperature averages around 56 degrees Fahrenheit.

Sources:

http://www.weather.com/outlook/driving/interstate/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USKY1096?from=36hr_bottomnav_driving

Photo 1: Lush summer, Louisville, KY

Photo 2: Spring flowers, Louisville, KY

Photo 3: Cherokee Park in autumn, Louisville, KY

Photo 4: Horse pasture in winter, Louisville, KY

Chapter 1: Regions

Louisville, KY is located at the northern most part of Kentucky, along the Ohio River which borders southern Indiana. This location along the area was very desirable geographically and attracted many settlers. The first notable Anglo-American settler was George Rogers Clark in 1778. Louisville is part of the argicultural core, but it also borders the line of the changing South.  There seems to be less agreement about whether the Louisville region is part of the South, and the book even mentions this. Louisville is often considered part of the midwest, is located just above regions considered South, and just west of the appalachia region. This accounts for the uniqueness of the city.

Fun Facts from the US Census:

LOUISVILLE
Latitude: 38.254N Longitude: -85.759W.
Time Zone: Eastern Standard

Elevation: 466 feet.
The estimated population in 2003: 248,762.

Sources:

www.census.gov