Warsaw

History

Warsaw began as a landing on the Ohio River in 1798 called "Great Landing". In 1805, founder Colonel Robert Johnson surveyed and built a road from this landing to his former home in Scott County, Kentucky. The landing soon became a busy shipping port. In 1814, Colonel Johnson and Henry Yates purchased to establish a river town to be named "Fredericksburg", after Johnson's hometown in Virginia. By 1815, the town plot was complete. The town extended from the river to Market Street and included 172 numbered lots, each . In 1831, the town was renamed as "Warsaw", as the US Postal Service did not want it to have the same name as the Virginia city. The post office was established July 18, 1832, with W.F. Clinton as postmaster. In 1837, the Gallatin County seat was moved from Port William (now Carrollton) to Warsaw. The courthouse is now the oldest operating one in the state. The oldest home in Warsaw is the Henry Yates House, a home built of log construction circa 1809. On December 4, 1868, 80 people died in the Ohio River steamboat collision of the United States and the America near Warsaw. The Warsaw Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. It is roughly bounded by W. High, E. Franklin, Washington, Market, Main, 3rd, 4th and Cross streets. It features Italianate and Gothic Revival architecture.

Geography

Warsaw is located in north-central Gallatin County, along the south bank of the Ohio River. Across the river is the unincorporated community of Florence, Indiana; the closest river crossing is the Markland Dam Bridge, to the west (downstream). U.S. Route 42 passes through the center of town, leading northeast to Covington and southwest along the Ohio River to Carrollton. Kentucky Route 35 leads south from Warsaw to Interstate 71 and the Kentucky Speedway in Sparta. According to the United States Census Bureau, Warsaw has a total area of , of which is land and , or 6.47%, is water.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  1,463
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,436
• Turkey Vulture

  Cathartes aura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,392
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,360
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,200
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  1,152
• Carolina Wren

  Thryothorus ludovicianus (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  1,099
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,077

Largest nearby schools

• Gallatin County High School
  High · Warsaw · 493 students · 17:1 ratio
• Gallatin County Lower Elementary
  Elementary · Warsaw · 423 students · 17.6:1 ratio
• Gallatin County Middle School
  Middle · Warsaw · 326 students · 19.2:1 ratio
• Gallatin County Upper Elementary
  Elementary · Warsaw · 290 students · 14.5:1 ratio