Covington Kentucky
Covington Kentucky is located in the Northern Kentucky region of the
state. Kenton, Boone, and Campbell Counties make up region. Covington is
the largest city in the region, and is in Kenton County. Covington
has 43,370 inhabitants, and is on the Banks of the Ohio River directly
across from Cincinnati Ohio. Founded in 1815 and named for General
Leonard Covington, who was killed in the War of 1812. In 1826 the city
had only 404 residents until the cotton factory opened the next year and
the population more than tripled by 1834. Land in Covington was being
sold at public auction, and by 1930 was sold out to investors and
speculators.
Being a northern boarder city in a northern border state in pre-Civil
War 1856 caused some problems that are remembered today by a historical
marker at 6th and Main St. commemorating the Slave Escape where
seventeen slaves escaped a small farm outside of Covington, and crossed
the frozen river to freedom in Ohio. Most made it to the Ohio
underground railroad, but Margret Garner and her family were not so
fortunate. Covington officials tracked them to Cincinnati and when the
police arrived shots were exchanged. After finally making entry to the
locked cabin Officers found a grizzle site. Rather than return her four
children to slavery she had cut the throat of her three year old and
injured two of her other children. A political custody battle ensued,
and Covington felt the weight of the Governor of Ohio bearing down on
it.. Though the ending to the story varies with Margret Garner and her
children dying in on a sinking ship or jumping overboard, the slave
escape of 1856 put Covington in the national spotlight, even being
debated on the floor of the 1856 Democratic national convention. Social
conscience in the area was jolted and the incident brought about some
positive change in Northern Kentucky.
The city which began as 150 acres, now covers nearly 7,700 acres. The
city became a popular residential location for German and Dutch
Immigrants, and people looking to escape the faster paced life in
Cincinnati.
Economic development is very important to the revitalization of the
Downtown area of Covington. The Brownfield Initative targets small areas
in the city for clean up or demolition, and helps business make the
properties useful again by improving the city, broadening the tax base
and providing jobs. The area also has a large concentration of historic
buildings in this area and incentives to develop those properties are
turning the river front and downtown around nicely. Several other groups
are working to bring prosperity to Covington. An alliance with the other
two counties in the Northern Kentucky Region, and another one with 8
counties in Kentucky Ohio and Indiana are determined to bring high
paying jobs back to the region. $412,000,00 in capital investments in
2005, and 3,000 new jobs In Northern Kentucky is impressive, and what is
more impressive is the $54,000 average annual salary the bring with
them, topping already lofty goals by $11,000. Plans for 41 new project
in the coming year is primed for a comeback.
Author Ron Stemple
Copyright 2006, Ron Dowell |
