St. Matthews

History

Dating the arrival of American Indians to present-day Kentucky remains controversial, with estimates ranging from 40,000 to 10,000 years before the present. As with later European cultures, indigenous cultures were often divided near the falls of the Ohio River, which marked a transition zone in travel and settlement. During the late Woodland period ( century), this area was between the Ohioan Hopewell culture and the Illinois Crab Orchard culture that extended to the west. Later (), it was the boundary between the Mississippian and Fort Ancient cultures. During the 18th century, the area was claimed by various Indian tribes, including the Shawnee from the northwest and the Iroquois to the east; based in New York and Pennsylvania, the Iroquois used the Ohio Valley as a hunting ground by right of conquest. The area eventually known as St. Matthews was first settled by European Americans in 1779 during the American Revolutionary War by Col. James John Floyd of Virginia. He had conducted an important survey of the Jefferson County area in 1774, and bought of land from Virginia and other colonial veterans who had been awarded the parcels for their service in the French and Indian War (known as the Seven Years' War in Europe). He arrived overland on November 8, 1779, bringing several family members and a black slave. They built cabins and a stockade, which came to be known as "Floyd's Station". During the early 19th century, the area held several plantations and was known as the "garden of the state". As with most areas of the Inner Bluegrass Region, the area was settled by many migrants from Virginia, who brought slaves for labor. The major crops were labor-intensive tobacco and hemp; breeding livestock, primarily horses, was also important to the economy. There were…

Geography

St. Matthews is located in north-central Jefferson County at (38.249931, −85.642613). It is east of downtown Louisville. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which , or 0.36%, are water. The present boundaries of St. Matthews are roughly Cannons Lane to the west, I-264 to the south and east, and several subdivisions off Brownsboro Road to the north. These include Bellewood, Brownsboro Village, Maryhill Estates, and Windy Hills. Farther east, St. Matthews is bordered by Woodlawn Park, Graymoor-Devondale, Lyndon, and Norwood. The separately incorporated cities of Richlawn, Beechwood Village and Norbourne Estates are enclaves within St. Matthews.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• Marion C. Moore School
  High · Louisville · 2,320 students · 18.3:1 ratio
• Eastern High
  High · Middletown · 2,036 students · 18.2:1 ratio
• Pathfinder School of Innovation
  Other · Louisville · 2,030 students · 28.2:1 ratio
• Ballard High
  High · Louisville · 2,014 students · 18.6:1 ratio
• Louisville Male High
  High · Louisville · 1,991 students · 21.2:1 ratio
• duPont Manual High
  High · Louisville · 1,929 students · 18.2:1 ratio
• Fern Creek High
  High · Louisville · 1,688 students · 15.6:1 ratio
• Atherton High
  High · Louisville · 1,461 students · 18.3:1 ratio