Rick Bell History Lecture Series at PlayPort Schedule
Sunday, July 12, 2026 2:00pm-3:00pm
Louisville Waterfront and the story of the Park – PlayPort is part of the award-winning Waterfront Park, which for the past thirty years has opened access to our riverbanks. We will trace the early history of the Louisville waterfront and how it became a beloved public park.
Sunday, August 9, 2026 2:00pm-3:00pm
Transportation history of Louisville – Louisville is a crossroads of American commerce and industry. We will discuss the rise of steamboats, railroads and highways and their impact on this community over time.
Sunday, September 13, 2026 2:00pm-3:00pm
Prohibition in Louisville – No community in America was more negatively impacted by the Prohibition era (1922-1933). Twenty-five distilleries, fifteen breweries and countless saloons went out of business, leaving 10,000 Louisvillians out of work, and speakeasies and bootleggers raised the crime rate.
Sunday, October 11, 2026 2:00pm-3:00pm
Photos from the Herald-Post 1925-1936 – This newspaper, a Republican opponent of the Courier-Journal, featured powerful images of local buildings and people. This era saw the development of Fourth Street entertainment, industrial development and a changing population.
Sunday, November 15, 2026 2:00pm-3:00pm
Portland 1852 – The pivotal year in the community’s story. In 1852 Portland was annexed by the City of Louisville, becoming a neighborhood, instead of a separate town. It was also the year which saw the construction of one of the greatest steamboats, the Eclipse, on the Portland Wharf. The U.S. Marine Hospital, Portland Cemetery and Elementary School, the oldest school building in town, were opened to the public.
Sunday, December 13, 2026 2:00pm-3:00pm
Louisville in the American Revolution – the city will celebrate its Semiquincentennial in 2028, and no American city’s founding was more closely impacted by the successful conflict to separate from England. George Rogers Clark, Richard Chenoweth, William Christian, Richard Taylor and James Patten were key individuals in the local struggle.
Sunday, January 10, 2027 2:00pm-3:00pm
The United States Marine Hospital – A local National Historic Landmark, this impressive structure is the only surviving example of the seven federal boatmen hospitals on the “Western Waters.” It was designed by Robert Mills, the first American-trained architect and creator of the Washington Monument. The Marine Hospital operated from 1852 until 1933 and was the forerunner of today’s U.S. Public Health Service.
Sunday, February 21, 2027 2:00pm-3:00pm
Historic Ohio River Floods – Throughout recorded history, damaging high waters have wreaked havoc on the people of the Ohio Valley. The 1832 flood wrecked the river town of Shippingport, and the years 1882, 1883 and 1884 saw rare examples of One-Hundred-Year floods. We will look at the impact of the record-breaking 1937 flood from its genesis in Pittsburgh to its final destination at Cairo, Illinois.
Sunday, March 14, 2027 2:00pm-3:00pm
Historic Galt House hotels – In 1835, the first Galt House Hotel, located at Second and Main streets opened and set the standard for Western hotels of that era. Charles Dickens, in his 1842 book about his American travels, praised the hotel for its excellence. From 1862 until 1919, the second Galt House was at First and Main. In 1969, businessman Al Schneider opened the current hotel, the largest in Kentucky, at the corner of Fourth and Main streets. Stories from early travelers, Civil War dramas and social status are all part of the Galt House story.
Sunday, April 11, 2027 2:00pm-3:00pm
The Belle of Louisville – The nation’s last true operating steamboat started life in 1914 in Pittsburgh as the Idlewild, with its name changing in 1948 to the Avalon. In 1962, she was purchased by Jefferson County for $34,000 and rechristened the Belle of Louisville. Since 2005 it has been operated by Belle of Louisville Riverboats, part of the Waterfront Development Corporation. It has become one of the most visible symbols of Louisville and a world-class attraction during its seasonal touring season.
This schedule and topics are subject to change.
