About Kenton County


History

Kenton county, named after General Simon Kenton, was formed in 1840. It is located in the northern Kentucky area and covers 165 square miles. Neighboring counties are Hamilton Co, OH to the north, Campbell Co, KY to the east, Pendleton Co, KY to the southeast, Boone Co, KY to the west, and Grant Co, KY to the southwest.

Kenton County has two county seats - Covington, which is located on the banks of the Ohio River directly across from Cincinnati, Ohio, and Independence, which is located on KY 17 about ten miles south of Covington. Independence was formed in 1840 and named to mark independence from Campbell county. Earlier post offices at or near the site were Everetts Creek (1837), Crews Creek (1837-1838), and Bagby (1838-1840).

Early Kenton County History

Population

Kenton county's population has grown to almost 9 times what is was during the 1850 census. Much of the current population resides in the northern half of the county while the southern half is mostly rural.
YearPopulationYearPopulation
185017,038193093,534
186025,467194093,139
187036,0961950104,254
188043,9831960120,700
189054,1611970129,440
190063,5911980137,058
191070,3551990142,031
192073,4532000151,464


More local history for the county as well as individual cities and towns can be found at the Community History Project at the Kenton Co. Library and at KentonCounty.org.


Early Kenton Countians

The families listed here were some of the earliest in the area, many before Kenton's 1840 founding. To submit info on your family stop by here.

Mann Family by David Mann
 Surnames: Timberlake,Griffith, Tarvin, Adams, Crisler,Taylor, Stevens and Muirhead

The Martin Family
    submitted by Bill Martin

The Winston Family by Glenn Winston
SURNAMES: Adams, Allen, Asbury, Bittle, Boone, Clark, Fowler, Grant, Grosvenor, Holliday, Horsfall, Hughes, Lawton, Lemond(Lamond), Marshall, Martin, Mayo, Moon, Moseby(Mosby), Noble, Seitner, Sellars, Simmons, Smith, Stevenson, Sweeney, Watts, Wilson, Winston

James Drew, born 1837
    submitted by Cindy Gant Sopko

John Armstrong & wife Martha, md. 1832
    submitted by Patrick Kenney

Aquilla Jennings Wilson
    submitted by Jason McDaniel