Portland in Louisville in Jefferson County, Kentucky — The American South (East South Central)

Louisville to Portland Turnpike

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, November 27, 2020

1. Louisville to Portland Turnpike Marker (Side A)

Inscription. By the late eighteenth century, large boats carried people and products to villages dotting the banks of the Ohio River. Yet the boats had to halt at the 26’ drop at the Falls of the Ohio where Louisville is today. Draymen portaged freight to the bottom of the Falls where Portland emerged to service the traffic.

Horse drawn wagons slogged along dirt paths until a plank toll road connected the cities. The 3 mile long Turnpike opened in 1818 and greatly reduced the time it took to make the trip. After the Portland Canal opened in 1830, use of the Turnpike declined and the route eventually became Portland Avenue.

Erected 2018 by Kentucky Historical Society and Kentucky Department of Highways. (Marker Number 2561.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Roads & Vehicles • Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the Kentucky Historical Society series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1818.

Location. 38° 15.744′ N, 85° 46.462′ W. Marker has been damaged. Marker is in Louisville, Kentucky, in Jefferson County. It is in Portland. It is on Portland Avenue south of North 16th Street, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1512 Portland Avenue, Louisville KY 40203, United States of America. Touch for directions.

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Regionally, this marker is in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

and in the Ohio River Valley.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

and also the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this location: Fort-on-Shore (approx. 0.4 miles away); “Bloody Monday” / American (Know-Nothing) Party (approx. half a mile away); The 32nd Indiana Infantry Monument (approx. 0.6 miles away); The Stockade On Corn Island, 1778 (approx. ¾ mile away); Fort Nelson Park (approx. 0.8 miles away); St. Anthony Church (approx. 0.8 miles away); U.S. Marine Hospital (approx. 0.8 miles away); Old Catholic High School (approx. 0.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Louisville.

More about this marker. Marker is broken off the post mount.

Also see . . . Louisville to Portland Turnpike. From Kentucky Historical Society's Explore KY History program. (Submitted on December 4, 2020, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

Louisville to Portland Turnpike Marker (Side B) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, November 27, 2020

2. Louisville to Portland Turnpike Marker (Side B)

Louisville to Portland Turnpike Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, November 27, 2020

3. Louisville to Portland Turnpike Marker

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, April 20, 2023

4. Louisville to Portland Turnpike Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on April 28, 2023. It was originally submitted on December 4, 2020, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 343 times since then and 25 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on December 4, 2020, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 4. submitted on April 28, 2023, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida.