All Aboard
On May 31, 1887 the Erlanger Land Syndicate recorded in Kenton
County Deed Book 47/64 their intention to create the Erlanger Proper
Subdivision and divide the property into 220 lots. Thus began the
City of Erlanger, Kentucky. The area designated by the Deed Book
included: Graves Ave. being 2112 ft. long and 60 ft. wide extending
from Lexington Turnpike northward to George Bender's land; Commonwealth
Ave. from the Lexington Turnpike northward to George Benders land;
Erlanger Road northward to the Longmoore/Graves land. Elm, Queen
and Lake Streets were to flow in an Eastwardly direction and be
short connectors for the major streets initially proposed. Hulbert
Avenue, Home Street and Cowie Avenue were established three years
later in deed book 66/642.
Timberlake (later to be, Erlanger) like most of the State was barely
touched by the Civil War. With the end of the War, the Northern
Communities were looking for a way to enter the Southern Markets.
When the Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce began discussions of a
Railroad into the area they were reviving an earlier plan from
the 1830's. Louisville was strongly opposed to the route through
the central portion of the state as this would pull southern commerce
away from their city.
The developers of the Southern Railroad, set Chattanooga as the
southern terminus. Many cities set proposals as to the location
of the rails. Early on the cities of Timberlake and Florence began
to set a strategy as to how they could attract the rails into their
communities.
Covington, and Ludlow both offered generous support to gain the
rail route through their city. The heirs of the Ludlow family offered
15 acres for the location of the station in their area. Covington
offered $150,000 for the construction of a bridge and depot in
the city. |
