The town that is now Louisville began with the 1879 incorporation of Louis Nowatny’s own farmland, situated directly over the area that became the Northern Coalfields of Boulder County. Many Europeans moved to the area and either worked the mines or the trades they brought with them. Although The Acme Coal Mine operated under the original town until 1928, the economy was generally depressed, so most residents had family gardens and did odd jobs to make ends meet. The demand for coal lessened after World War II, and the coalmines closed in the 1950s. The influence of those early Europeans remains a vital part of Louisville today, such as the world famous Blue Parrot Italian Restaurant. Louisville is home to Storage Technology Corporation and other large employers. It boasts a large commercial center, the municipal Coal Creek Golf Course, and one of the largest shopping centers in Colorado, Flatirons Mall, is nearby. Town administrators in the 1970s and 1980s had the foresight to preserve the borders, and today Louisville is surrounded by over 1700 acres of open space. Homes in Louisville range from wonderful old Victorians in Old Town, to well appointed townhomes near the new city recreation center, to custom homes around the ponds and greens of the Coal Creek Golf Course. For more years than anyone can remember, Louisville has held yearly picnics and festivals for everyone, and parades summer and winter in celebration of their earlier heritage.