Louisville

History

The community was founded in 1857 by Robert Wilson as Rock Post. The area was once part of the Potawatomi Hunting grounds and a large majority of the settlers were either associated with the Pottawatomie Indian Reservation or commerce on the Oregon Trail. Louisville was named for Robert Wilson's son, Louis, and for Louis Vieux, a successful businessman in the area. The town was a contender for county seat of Pottawatomie County but lost to St. George in 1861 and Westmoreland in 1882. was a prominent citizen of Louisville who operated a trail crossing across the Vermillion River. He was born in 1809 in Wisconsin to Angelique Roy, a Potawatomi woman, and Jacques Vieux, a Canadian-French trader. Vieux and his wife, Sha-Note, moved first to Cedar Bluffs, Iowa in 1832 until moving to Indianola, Kansas (northwest of Topeka along Soldier Creek) in 1846. Sha-Note died in 1857 and Vieux moved to the Vermillion River near present-day Louisville. Vieux began his trail crossing business and worked as a caller for the U.S. Government working the pay station in St. Mary's and he also served on the tribal council and made trips to Washington, D.C., on behalf of the Pottawatomies. Vieux also signed the treaty that split the Pottawatomies into two separate tribes-the Prairie Band and Citizen Potawatomi Nation. Vieux died in 1872 and left behind a 200-page will leaving half the town of Louisville, all of Belvue and other personal property to his wife and children. About three miles east of Louisville was the Vermillion Crossing of the Oregon Trail operated by Louis Vieux. Vieux is buried in the Vieux Family Cemetery on top of a hill. Nearby, on the banks of the river, is a cholera cemetery from 1849, which is estimated to contain at least fifty graves, although only two…

Geography

Louisville is located between Wamego and Westmoreland on K-99. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,788
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,531
• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  1,458
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  1,428
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  1,297
• American Goldfinch

  Spinus tristis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,276
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  1,216
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,184

Largest nearby schools

• Wamego High
  High · Wamego · 507 students · 11.8:1 ratio
• Rock Creek Middle School
  Middle · St. George · 424 students · 15.1:1 ratio
• Central Elem
  Elementary · Wamego · 407 students · 13.1:1 ratio
• St George Elem
  Elementary · St George · 397 students · 14.2:1 ratio
• Rock Creek High School
  High · St George · 379 students · 16.5:1 ratio
• Wamego Middle School
  Middle · Wamego · 360 students · 11.6:1 ratio
• West Elem
  Elementary · Wamego · 356 students · 13.7:1 ratio
• Wamego High School Virtual School
  High · Wamego · 11 students

Most recent

• M 2.5 — 2026-07-31
  4 km NW of Ramona, Kansas
• M 2.6 — 2025-12-13
  6 km NW of Ramona, Kansas
• M 2.7 — 2025-10-27
  7 km SE of Enterprise, Kansas
• M 3.5 — 2025-05-15
  5 km NNW of Herington, Kansas
• M 3.5 — 2024-10-10
  6 km WSW of Woodbine, Kansas
• M 2.7 — 2024-05-27
  3 km SSE of Solomon, Kansas