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Louisville sewer explosions

1981 disasters in the United States1981 in KentuckyDisasters in KentuckyExplosions in 1981February 1981 events in the United States
Fires in KentuckyHistory of Louisville, KentuckyIndustrial fires and explosions in the United StatesInfrastructure in Louisville, KentuckyRalston PurinaSewerageUse mdy dates from February 2021

On February 13, 1981, a series of explosions destroyed more than 13 miles (21 km) of sewer lines and streets in the center of Louisville in Kentucky, United States. The explosions resulted in extensive damage to property and infrastructure; there were no fatalities, but four people were injured.The blasts were caused by the ignition of hexane vapors which had been illegally discharged from a soybean processing plant owned by Ralston-Purina and located on Floyd Street. The plant had been a processing facility for cottonseed or soybeans since at least 1900.Repairs to the sewers and streets took about two years. Ralston-Purina paid $18 million to the Louisville Metropolitan Sewer District, about $9 million to about 17,000 plaintiffs in a lawsuit settled in 1984, $4 million to the city, and $2 million to affected members of the public that did not sue the company. The company admitted that it had released hexane into the sewers, but initially did not accept responsibility for the blasts and continued to deny negligence for years until eventually pleading guilty to four counts of violating federal environmental laws and paying the maximum possible fine, $62,500.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Louisville sewer explosions (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors).

Louisville sewer explosions
South 12th Street, Louisville

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N 38.227416666667 ° E -85.775166666667 °
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South 12th Street 1500
40210 Louisville
Kentucky, United States
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Old Louisville
Old Louisville

Old Louisville is a historic district and neighborhood in central Louisville, Kentucky, United States. It is the third largest such district in the United States, and the largest preservation district featuring almost entirely Victorian architecture. It is also unique in that a majority of its structures are made of brick, and the neighborhood contains the highest concentration of residential homes with stained glass windows in the U.S. Many of the buildings are in the Victorian-era styles of Romanesque, Queen Anne, Italianate, among others; and many blocks have had few or no buildings razed. There are also several 20th-century buildings from 15 to 20 stories. Old Louisville consists of about 48 city blocks and is located north of the University of Louisville's main campus and south of Broadway and Downtown Louisville, in the central portion of the modern city. The neighborhood hosts the renowned St. James Court Art Show on the first weekend in October. Despite its name, Old Louisville was actually built as a suburb of Louisville starting in the 1870s, nearly a century after Louisville was founded. It was initially called the Southern Extension, and the name Old Louisville did not come until the 1960s. Old Louisville was initially home to some of Louisville's wealthiest residents, but saw a decline in the early and mid-20th century. Following revitalization efforts and gentrification, Old Louisville is currently home to a diverse population with a high concentration of students and young professionals.

St. James Court Art Show
St. James Court Art Show

The St. James Court Art Show, colloquially called the St. James Art Fair, or just St. James, is a popular free public outdoor annual arts and crafts show held since 1957 in the Old Louisville neighborhood of Louisville, Kentucky, in the St. James-Belgravia Historic District. Mostly situated to the south of Central Park, the show is normally held on the first weekend in October, and includes more than 700 artisans from various locations throughout the Americas. The show draws nearly 300,000 people, one-third from out of state, each year. The show is put together by a group of various neighborhood associations in Old Louisville.The art and item selection at the show runs from the mundane to the sublime, and the inexpensive to the very expensive. Booths featuring such items as furniture, pottery, jewelry, glassworks, photography and paintings are lined up on streets and sidewalks with ample walk spaces between them to handle large crowds. Booths with the highest showcase quality are situated on St. James Court, Belgravia Court and Magnolia Avenue, while booths on Fourth and Third Streets tend to purvey more consumer-oriented artistic items. The 19th century mansion Conrad-Caldwell House, on St. James Court, is open for tours during the show. In addition to the various items for sale, the show attracts various state and local politicians, charities, churches, radio stations and publishers who take the opportunity to promote themselves to the public. The event is sponsored by various corporate donors. There are various awards given out for "Best of Show," "People's Choice," the poster contest and several scholarships. The show has been ranked #1 in the nation by Sunshine Artist Magazine.Being held in the neighborhood Old Louisville has a particular significance because the St James Art show was founded in order to produce revenue and sustain the surrounding area. Old Louisville at the time the St James Art Show was created was in a financial decline; however, today it is known as one of the most popular areas of Louisville. Old Louisville became a historic district in 1975, and also has the United States largest collection of Victorian style homes. The art show is almost exclusively outdoors.The 2020 show went virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the 2021 show resumed in person.