Hometown America Louisville Kentucky.

Add a dash of Kentucky Fried Chicken, sprinkle in a lot of horses, mix in Kentucky Derby parties, stir it with a Louisville Slugger baseball bat, and you get our hometown, Louisville (LOO-ee-vihl), Kentucky.

Each year, on the first Saturday in May, Louisville hosts the world's most famous horse race, the Kentucky Derby. Just as New Orleans has its yearly Mardi Gras tradition, Louisville has its Kentucky Derby, called "the most exciting two minutes in sports!"

The Derby began in 1875. Today, it is the one thoroughbred race that every horseman wants to win. But the fun of the Derby isn't just limited to the race itself. There are two weeks of parties and events, including a spectacular fireworks show, Thunder Over Louisville.

Dramatic Growth

Louisville lies on the southern bank of the Ohio River. The explorer George Rogers Clark founded Louisville in 1778, leading a group of pioneers to settle here. Louisville was named after King Louis XVI, in gratitude for France's help during the Revolutionary War.

When Louisville was founded, Kentucky was still part of Virginia. Kentucky joined the Union in 1792 and became the first Western star on the American flag.

The arrival of the first steamboat to Louisville in 1811 signaled a new age of growth. A large influx of German and Irish immigrants in the 1840s dramatically increased the city's population. By 1850, Louisville had more people than Chicago!

Slavery was a tragic fact of life in this city. When the Civil War began in 1861, slaves made up nearly 8 percent of Louisville's population. But Kentucky remained part of the Union.

The Louisville Slugger

Have you ever seen a baseball bat more than 120 feet tall? You can find one at the Louisville Slugger Bat Museum. More than 60 percent of Major League Base bail players use Louisville Sluggers.

Louisville is the hometown of several famous athletes, including the boxing great Muhammad Ali and baseball star Harold "Pee Wee" Reese.

Ali grew up in Louisville as Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. He became the most famous boxer ever, winning a gold medal at the 1960 Olympics, and four heavyweight titles. You'll be able to learn about his life and achievements at the Muhammad Ali Center, scheduled to open in 2005.

Pee Wee Reese played shortstop for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1984.

Still More to Do

There are many cool things to do in Louisville. You can start by visiting the Louisville Science Center. Then, explore the Louisville Zoo's Gorilla Forest.

Take time to relax at Six Flag's Kentucky Kingdom. From fast to ferocious, Six Flags has a roller coaster for you!

Hungry? How about some Kentucky Fried Chicken? Louisville even has a museum dedicated to Colonel Sanders, who founded KFC.

Today, Louisville's modern waterfront area is bringing new life to downtown. Louisville is a city rich in history with the promise of a great future. But it will always be our "Old Kentucky Home." JS

A Taste of Kentucky

For a taste of Kentucky, try our recipe for Derby Pie[R]!

2 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter melted and cooled
  to room temperature
1 six-ounce package chocolate
  chips
1 cup pecans firmly packed

Preheat oven to 325[degrees]F. In a large bowl, beat eggs until foamy. Beat in sugar, brown sugar, and flour until well blended. Blend in melted butter, and stir in chocolate chips and pecans. Pour into pie shell and bake for 1 hour.

--Chelsea Johnson