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General Information History In 1878 Louis Nawatny, a Polish immigrant, bought forty acres of homestead land for ninety dollars, under a grant signed by President Rutherford B. Hayes. He platted the land, named the area Louisville after himself, and proceeded to sell lots to incoming coal miners. The new town of Louisville grew to a population of two hundred by 1879. Those who had bought Louisville lots from Nawatny built modest homes as soon as they had saved enough from their wages at the Welch - Louisville coal mine. Small kitchen gardens began to green the area; their produce kept mining families going during the summer months, slack time at the mines. Incorporation for Louisville was a slow process because some of the residents feared it, but the first mayor was elected in 1882. Louisville greeted the twentieth century with more streetlights, the telephone, ice cream cones, and soda pop. The forty-four streetlights in Louisville gave the town a settled look despite its dusty, unpaved roads. The height of sophistication, telephone service, came to Louisville in 1903. Three years later, 119 Louisville residents had telephones. Life in the early days of Louisville was not always characteristic of quiet, small town living. A violent mine strike and one mine explosion added a tragic sequel to the town's history. During the Long Strike (so-called because it lasted from 1910 to 1915) the Hecla mine, on the northeast edge of Louisville was the scene of a miniature battle, resulting in several injuries and one death. Due to violent conditions erupting at various mines, 128 state militia arrived in Louisville to keep the peace. They were replaced by the Twelfth United States Cavalry and were well accepted by the battle -weary residents. At the end of 1914 President Wilson called for federal mediation and the union movement was thwarted. This would weaken the force of the miners' demands to the coal operators. In the early morning hours of January 20, 1936 ten miners were completing the graveyard shift at the Monarch mine when an explosion occurred. Eight miners lost their lives. It was later determined that the coal dust which lay five and six inches thick on the mine floor, had combined with a pocket of methane gas and was touched off by a spark, perhaps from a trolley. The operators were found negligent. Louisville's colorful past has now transitioned into the age of technology. Manufacturing and high- tech industry have provided a solid economic base for Louisville, bringing with it stores, restaurants and other amenities for residents to enjoy. Resources from: "Once a Coa/ Miner..." by Phyllis Smith Photos courtesy of Louisville Historical Museum and Louisville Public Library 25