An Atlas of Boone, Kenton and Campbell Counties, Kentucky

Detailed atlas of three counties in northern Kentucky, just south of Cincinnati.

This incredible atlas provides a thorough overview of Kentucky’s Boone, Kenton, and Campbell counties in the late 19th century. The area represented within is situated on the southern banks of the Ohio River and today constitutes a large portion of Cincinnati’s southern suburbs, including Covington, Newport, Bellevue, and Fort Thomas.

A double-page outline plan of the three counties shows each divided into precincts; with settlements, the transportation network, and prominent geographic features labeled. This is followed by 14 double-page and 22 single-page precinct maps and city plans. The majority of these provide information on land ownership, property divisions, public areas (parks, cemeteries, etc.), and important buildings. Also included are state maps of Kentucky and Tennessee, a map of America, and maps of the Eastern and Western Hemisphere (all by Frank Gray).

Numerous sheets include business directories and indexes of local patrons. This likely refers to the list of residents who ‘subscribed’ to the publication of the atlas by providing funds up-front to defray the costs. This was a common method of publishing county atlases in the late-19th century. For a set fee, subscribers were among the first to receive the finished work and often had the opportunity to pay extra for custom additions. As a result, many examples of county atlases include portraits of individual patrons, views of personal residences and businesses, and even images of prize farm animals!

The surveys for the maps were performed by B.N Griffing, with engraving performed by William Bracher. Printed by F. Bourquin and published in Philadelphia in 1883 by D.J. Lake & Co.