1921 William Bridges Hunter Map of Louisville, Kentucky

This is the 1921 edition of William Bridges Hunter’s map of Louisville, Kentucky. This plan, printed in Louisville by the Standard Printing Company, is one of the most detailed early maps of the city we have encountered, far outstripping the atlas maps available from the 19th century and rivaled only by the Mendenhall map of 1906.

Features on the Map

The map uses concentric circles to show the distance, in half-mile increments, from the Louisville courthouse. Streets and important municipal buildings are named on the map itself - including the New Louisville Jockey Club (Chuchill Downs would not be officially incorporated until 1937.) Railways and rail yards are shown in detail, right down to lots with sidings. Central Station is marked. The 14th Street Bridge, the K and I Bridge, and the Big Four bridges are shown spanning the Ohio River. Landowners of many lots are named on the map, in particular those that appear to be open for sale and development. Parks and cemeteries are marked and named as well.

The Guide

The margins are marked with letter and number coordinates to facilitate the location of streets and points of interest listed in the 16-page guide (separate but present.) The guide also contains a detail map of the Louisville business district, which has its own two-page index. Hunter's map was derived from insurance surveys and maps executed for the Louisville Title Company by William Bridges Hunter. Although the first iteration of the survey was published in 1907, the map was regularly updated - this 1921 edition includes data not present even on the 1917 issue.

Publication History and Census

The map is rare. We see no examples in price and auction records, and no other examples of any edition appear on the market. One example each of the 1917, 1921 and 1928 editions appear in OCLC; two examples of the 1936 appear. This edition, the 1921, is held only by the Hagley Museum and Library in Wilmington.