History: Burlington was founded in 1798 when Boone County separated from Campbell County. The area that is now Burlington was close to the center of the new county, which made it ideal for the location of a county seat. John Craig and Robert Johnson each donated property totaling 74 acres.
The city was first called Craig's Camp, and remained unincorporated for several years. Around 1815, the city was functioning as a county seat and was renamed Wilmington. Later, it was renamed Burlington.
In 1824, Burlington was officially incorporated into a city. According to historic documentation, though, the city charter was somehow allowed to expire at some point, and the county seat was again an unincorporated area. The town, one of only two unincorporated towns in Kentucky, still functions as a city.
In 1939, Burlington High School was built. The change showed the growth of the town, and also allowed for more buyers to move into the city. The site of the old high school is now that of Burlington Elementary School.
Location: Burlington is located approximately 22 miles southwest of Cincinnati, and is bordered by Hebron to the north and Union to the south.
Population: 10,779
Government: (Burlington has no city government, but utilizes the Boone County government)
Transportation: Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky
Highways:
Rail: CSX System
Air: Burlington is approximately six miles from the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport.
Utilities: Electric/Gas: Cinergy & Union Light, Heat, & Power.
Telephone: Cincinnati Bell Telephone
Water: Northern Kentucky Water District
Sewer: Sanitation District #1/Boone County
Schools:
Public: Students in Burlington attend Burlington Elementary School, Stephens Elementary School, Kelly Elementary School, and Ockerman Middle School and Boone County High School in Florence.
In the early 1950s, residential areas started to develop and the Industrial Park was established. Later, the airport began to expand and I-75 was built. In 1976, Florence Mall opened and the city has grown at a rapid pace since then.
Population: 23,551
Location: Florence is 10-12 miles southwest of Cincinnati, and is bordered by Union to the south, and Burlington to the north.
City Government:
Mayor: Diane E. Whalen
Vice Mayor: Dr. Julie Metzger
Council Members: Ted Bushelman, Mel Carroll, Melodee Merrell, David A. Osborne, Dale Stephens
Transportation: Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky, CSX Rail System.
Highways: I-275, I-71/75, US 42, US 25.
Air: Florence is approximately four miles Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.
Utilities:
Electric/Gas: Cinergy/Union, Light, Heat & Power
Telephone: Cincinnati Bell
Water: Northern Kentucky Water District
Sewer: Sanitation District #1/Boone County
Cable: Insight Communications
Schools: St. Paul Elementary School, Northern Kentucky Christian School, Florence Elementary School, Hillard Collins Elementary School, A.M. Yealey Elementary School, Rector A Jones Middle School, Ockerman Middle School, Erpenbeck Elementary School, Heritage Academy, Boone County High School.
Parks: Florence Nature Park, Stringtown Park, Lincoln Woods Park, Orleans Park, South Fork Park, US 42 Park, Walnut Creek Park, Florence/Boone County Skate Park.
History: A bit of mystery surrounds the origins of Hebron. What is known is that the town we know as Hebron today was founded in the mid-19th century, though a specific date is not recorded.
Before it was called Hebron, the area transitioned through many names: Briar Thicket, Briar Patch, or Tailholt. Ultimately, the town was named after the Hebron Lutheran Church, which was established in 1854 by more than a dozen German immigrant families. This was one of the oldest Lutheran congregations west of the Alleghenies.
In the early 19th century, the Johnson and Garnett families of Virginia owned most of the land south of Hebron. Joel and Catherine Garnett came to own 1,000 acres but by the mid-1850's they divided and sold the property and moved to Missouri.
By 1880 Hebron boasted 86 residents n the second-largest community what was the Taylorsport magisterial district.
Utilized largely as farmland Hebron farmers raised tobacco, corn wheat, oats, and hay, as well as livestock. Truck farmers Alfred and Dora Dolwick grew fruits and vegetables for the Cincinnati market and Hubert Conner, president of the Hebron bank, raised Holstein cattle.
Post World War II was a time of growth for Hebron. The airfield n what is currently the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport n was developed. And people seeking out suburban living began building homes in and around Hebron. The continued growth of the airport has guaranteed ongoing growth for the area.
Location: In the northern portion of Boone County, north of Burlington, the county seat of Boone. Hebron is just south of the Kentucky borders with Ohio and Indiana.
Population: 7,899
Government: Hebron is unincorporated. It falls under the auspices of Boone County's Fiscal Court government structure.
Transportation:
Highway: I-75, I71; I-275; US 42; US 18.
Air: Cincinnati/N.KY. International Airport is located in Hebron. It is serve by 12 carriers: Delta, Comair, TWA, Northwest/KLM, AirTran, United/Lufthansa, US Air/British Airways, Continental Express, American Eagle, Northwest Airlink, Delta/Swissair and U.S. AirExpress.
Utilities:
Gas/Electric: Union Light, Heat, & Power; Owen Electric.
History: Records indicate that Union may have existed in some form from as far back as the late 1700's. The exact date of its founding is undetermined, but much of the land was originally owned by a settler named Benjamin Piatt Fowler. The Fowler family farm was located in what is now the northern area of the city.
Union began to function as a city around 1833, but was not incorporated until 1838. The name Union was most likely chosen because the city bridged a gap between Florence and Big Bone Lick. Now a national park, Big Bone Lick was once a site for salt manufacturing. The salt was then brought to Union for distribution.
By 1850, a post office had been established. By 1870, the city also boasted a millinery shop and the Union Presbyterian Church. At the beginning of the 1900s, the city's corporation lapsed because its government body was not fully staffed. Nonetheless, a bank and a large general store were built around this time.
Union was reincorporated in 1969, when the population was around 230. Since then, the city has tripled in size, from one square mile to three square miles. There are currently an estimated 850 households and is one of the fastest growing cities in Kentucky.
Location: Union is located near the geographical center of Boone County. It is approximately 25 miles south of Cincinnati, and is bordered by Burlington to the south and on the northeast by Florence.
Population: 2,893
Government:
Mayor: Don Kirby
Commissioners: Jonathan Jennings, Wayne McClellan, Gary McCormick, Warren S. Moore.
Transportation: Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky
Highways:
Rail: CSX System
Air: Union is approximately five miles from the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport.
Utilities: Electric/Gas: Cinergy & Union Light, Heat, & Power.
Telephone: Cincinnati Bell Telephone
Water: Northern Kentucky Water District
Sewer: Sanitation District #1/Boone County
Schools:
Public: Erpenbeck Elementary School, Ockerman Elementary School, New Haven Elementary School, Gray Middle School, Ryle High School.
