Did you know that Ludlow had an amusement park? And did you know that the tower in Fort Thomas was not a Civil War lookout?
Well, you can learn all about that and much more during the first annual NKY Regional History Weekend.
This weekend, historical societies and museums across Northern Kentucky are hosting events that showcase their unique histories.
President of the Ludlow Historic Society, John Hall, told LINK nky that the idea for this weekend came about following discussions around regional collaboration.
Hall has been in his position as president for four years, during which time he said, “I found that there’s a lot of things happening in the region within local history, but it all felt very siloed.”
Last spring, Hall said they had a “convening” of people from local historical societies to give other advice and support and build out the idea of regional history.
One idea that emerged from this was the regional history weekend, a way to cross-promote all the history these varied societies preserve.
Hall mentioned that a story LINK nky reported in 2023 about the aging population of historic societies partly inspired the convening. “It felt like there was a need. It felt like there was an opportunity to work together and spread the word about what we’re doing locally, but also trying to get more involvement and a regional focus as well.”
Hall said it has been a great opportunity for collaboration and for the people running these groups across the region to step out of their comfort zones. ” Some of the folks have been very used to just doing their own thing in their own community, and it’s cool to be able to work together and talk about different ways that we can promote and market opportunities.”
In Ludlow, this year’s NKY Regional History Weekend is kicking off with a scream on Saturday with the Ludlow Lagoon Legacy Festival. This festival celebrates the history of the Ludlow Lagoon amusement park, which operated in the city from 1895 to 1918.
Built by the Cincinnati, Newport and Covington Railway, at the end of one of the streetcar lines the amusement park was, in essence, a way to get people to ride the streetcar.
“They had acts from across the country, across the world, that would come in,” said Hall. “They had an early Ferris Wheel. They even had an early roller coaster.”
Attendees to the festival can enjoy live music, circus performances, kids games food trucks and exhibits. The lecture series cost $10 a ticket and the guided walking tours are $25 but those are the only ticketed events over the weekend, everything else is free.
On Sunday, over at the Fort Thomas Military and Community History Museum attendees can participate in a guided walking tour of “the fort.” Learning about the history of the area that is now Tower Park, private homes, VA Medical Center and the Midway business district but was originally a military fort.
“We’re a hidden gem,” museum director Deanna Beineke told LINK nky. “People don’t know we’re here.”
Besides teaching people about the unique history of Fort Thomas and getting more awareness to the museum and other region historic societies, she hopes to teach people one very important thing.
“No, it’s not a lookout tower,” Beineke said in reference to the 102-foot-tall stone tower at the front of what is now Tower Park. The tower, which has become an emblem for the city, has been rumored and believed by many to be a lookout tower during the Civil War. “It’s there because a 100,000-gallon water tank is ugly, so they put a stone covering around it.”
The tower was built in 1890, 25 years after the end of the Civil War, and Beineke is very interested in dispelling the rumor.
She also wants to teach people about how the Midway district, the sections of businesses on South Fort Thomas Avenue that run along what was the military fort, came about.
“The Midway grew up at the same time as the fort was being built,” said Beineke. “Because around any military bases, there are always vendors who are looking for opportunities to make a buck.”
By the 1890s, Beineke said the Midway had a grocer, baker, goldsmith, jeweler, florist, two trailers plus a slew of bars, restaurants, taverns and saloons.
“There was constant conflict between them and the command at the fort,” said Beineke. One of the saloons even had one of the first amplified phonographs in the area, causing many noise complaints.
The name “Midway” came from a soldier, Sergeant Devereux, who described the area as the Midway to the Kentucky Post and Beineke said, somebody from the Post had been to the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893 and the Midway is the name of the entertainment district at the World’s Fair.
So, between the two references and the entertainment, which ranged from drinking to shooting galleries to dancing to rooms for rent by the hour above the saloons, the name stuck.
While Beineke is excited to share her boundless knowledge, she is also very interested in getting the word out about the museum and bringing people in to see all the unique pieces of history they have collected over the years.
Museum attendance dropped dramatically during and after COVID, and things have been slowly picking back up. Beineke said she hopes the regional history weekend helps spread the word about what all the NKY history societies are doing.
NKY Regional History Weekend schedule
Saturday
“Driftwood” – The Life of Harlan Hubbard | 10:30 a.m.–Noon
Join Behringer-Crawford Museum curator Jason French for a guided tour of an exhibit on artist and writer Harlan Hubbard, featuring rare artifacts and stories about his life.
Located at 1600 Montague Road, Covington – Free parking
Lagoon Legacy Festival | 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Celebrate the history of the Ludlow Lagoon amusement park with guided tours, lectures, exhibits, live music, circus acts, kids’ games and food trucks. Festival is free; walking tours/lectures require tickets.
Located at 808 Elm St., Ludlow – Free parking nearby
Erlanger & Elsmere Historical Society
Train Depot Museum Open House | 5 – 7 p.m.
Explore WWII exhibits, vintage uniforms, and community history. Refreshments provided.
Located at 3319 Crescent Ave., Erlanger – Free parking
Sunday
Fort Thomas Military & Community Museum
Walking Tour of the Fort and Midway | 10:30 a.m.–Noon
Learn about the 19th-century military buildings and the Midway business district.
Tour starts at The Mess Hall in Tower Park, 801 Cochran Ave., Fort Thomas – Free parking
Learn more about the weekend and purchase tickets at preserveludlow.org.