LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Founded in 1778, Louisville is home to a lot of old places and institutions. But only some claim the title "oldest."
Local author Kevin Gibson is featuring their stories in his newest book "Oldest Louisville," released last month.
"It's just one of those novel concepts. It made me think, and by me writing it I can make other people think about 'what is the oldest Catholic cemetery, what is the oldest park, what is the oldest golf course,' no one thinks about that," he said. "Cherokee by the way."
WHAS11 met with Gibson at one of the sites featured in the book, Life-Saving Station #10, now docked next to the Belle of Louisville.
"It was the only inland life-saving station in America," Gibson said.
The station was first put into use in the late 1800's, addressing the dangers of the Falls of the Ohio.
In addition to the station's unique position in American history, Gibson said the people who worked on it had a story all their own.
"They would rescue people, they would rescue boats and there were three guys in particular who became knowns as the heroes of the falls," he said.
Safe access to the Falls, Gibson points out, was a crucial part of the development of the city.
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"If those falls were 90 miles west, I think we'd all be living in Evansville," he said.
Today, Life-Saving Station #10 serves as office space for the Belle, a bit of history Gibson doesn't want people to miss when visiting along the Ohio.
"The past gets lost in the present, if you want to put it that way, gets swallowed up," he said.
Gibson also took us to Baxter Square, in the Russell Neighborhood. The city's oldest municipal park also has a deeper history.
"It is built also on the city's first cemetery," Gibson noted. "They've cleared away headstones but left the bodies, so this was still a cemetery and the locals called it 'skeleton park.'"
Built in 1880, a tornado outbreak nearly destroyed Baxter Square just 10 years later in 1890. Today, broken off fence posts buried in the foundation of the park still mark its perimeter.
Gibson said the twist of fate from nature stirred up a movement in the city to create a planned and purposeful park system.
"They said we're going to bring in an outside consultant and it was someone by the name of Olmsted," he said. "This little park started everything. Now we have one of the best parks systems in the world."
Today, the city is in the process of renovating and expanding a community center next to the park.
The story of the park is just one example Gibson's book provides for why telling Louisville's stories matters, especially the ones hiding out of sight.
"You don’t realize how much history is around you anywhere you go," Gibson said.
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