Covington is a home rule-class city in

Kenton County Kenton County is a county located in the northern part of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 169,064, making it the third most populous county in Kentucky (behind Jefferson County and Fayette County). It ...

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

, United States, located at the confluence of the

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

and

Licking Licking is the action of passing the tongue over a surface, typically either to deposit saliva onto the surface, or to collect liquid, food or minerals onto the tongue for ingestion, or to communicate with other animals. Many animals both gro ...

Rivers.

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

, lies to its immediate north across the Ohio and Newport, to its east across the Licking and

Ludlow Ludlow () is a market town in Shropshire, England. The town is significant in the history of the Welsh Marches and in relation to Wales. It is located south of Shrewsbury and north of Hereford, on the A49 road which bypasses the town. The ...

to its west. Covington had a population of 40,640 at the time of the 2010 U.S. census, making it the largest city of

Northern Kentucky Northern Kentucky is the third-largest metropolitan area in the U.S. Commonwealth of Kentucky after Louisville and Lexington, and its cities and towns serve as the de facto "south side" communities of Cincinnati, Ohio. The three main counties ...

and the fifth-most populous city in the state.Covington, Kentucky QuickFacts
U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved March 11, 2013. It is one of its county's two

seats A seat is a place to sit. The term may encompass additional features, such as back, armrest, head restraint but also headquarters in a wider sense. Types of seat The following are examples of different kinds of seat: * Armchair, a chair eq ...

, along with

Independence Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the statu ...

Name

When it was laid out in 1815, it was named in honor of Gen. Leonard Covington,. who was killed at the

Battle of Crysler's Farm The Battle of Crysler's Farm, also known as the Battle of Crysler's Field, was fought on 11 November 1813, during the War of 1812 (the name ''Chrysler's Farm'' is sometimes used for the engagement, but ''Crysler'' is the proper spelling). A Brit ...

during the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...

History

In 1814, John Gano, Richard Gano, and Thomas Carneal purchased The Point, of land on the west side of the Licking River at its confluence with the Ohio, from Thomas Kennedy for $50,000, and laid out the settlement of Covington the next year.Our History
City of Covington. Retrieved March 11, 2013. The town was formally incorporated by the

Kentucky General Assembly The Kentucky General Assembly, also called the Kentucky Legislature, is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Kentucky. It comprises the Kentucky Senate and the Kentucky House of Representatives. The General Assembly meets annually in ...

a year later and raised to city status in 1834. The city prospered as an emporium for Kentucky's

tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...

and cigar production. In 1862, Stewart Iron Works was established; for a time, it was the largest iron fence maker in the world and still exists today as part of the Huseman Group of Cincinnati. There were also

distilleries Distillation, or classical distillation, is the process of separating the components or substances from a liquid mixture by using selective boiling and condensation, usually inside an apparatus known as a still. Dry distillation is the heat ...

glassworks Glass production involves two main methods – the float glass process that produces sheet glass, and glassblowing that produces bottles and other containers. It has been done in a variety of ways during the history of glass. Glass container ...

, and

stove A stove or range is a device that burns fuel or uses electricity to generate heat inside or on top of the apparatus, to be used for general warming or cooking. It has evolved highly over time, with cast-iron and induction versions being develope ...

factories. Like nearby Cincinnati, Covington's factories and businesses were particularly staffed by

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

and German immigrants. Its Catholic church was eventually raised to the level of a

diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, pro ...

. By 1900, Covington was the second-largest city and industrial region in Kentucky. At the time, its population of almost 43,000 was about 12% foreign-born and 5%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...

. By this time, it was connected to the Chesapeake & Ohio and

Louisville & Nashville The Louisville and Nashville Railroad , commonly called the L&N, was a Class I railroad that operated freight and passenger services in the southeast United States. Chartered by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1850, the road grew into one of the ...

railways Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

, and companies offered

steamboat A steamboat is a boat that is marine propulsion, propelled primarily by marine steam engine, steam power, typically driving propellers or Paddle steamer, paddlewheels. Steamboats sometimes use the ship prefix, prefix designation SS, S.S. or S/S ...

service to other ports on the Ohio River. Its factories had expanded to include cotton goods, machinery, and cordage. Covington even boasted a

Federal League The Federal League of Base Ball Clubs, known simply as the Federal League, was an American professional baseball league that played its first season as a minor league in 1913 and operated as a "third major league", in competition with the e ...

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...

team, the

Covington Blue Sox The Covington Blue Sox were a Federal League baseball club in Covington, Kentucky, in 1913. The team was also referred to as the Covington Colonels or Covington Federals in contemporary newspaper reports. The team was moved to Kansas City in Jul ...

, during the 1913 season. The present-day circuit courthouse is located at the site of its former grounds, Federal Park, which is thought to have been the smallest stadium ever used by a professional baseball club. It declined in importance during the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

and the middle 20th century. The city has undergone some redevelopment during the late 20th and early 21st centuries as the most populous city in Kenton County.

Neighborhoods

Covington claims 19 distinct neighborhoods, ranging in population from several hundred to 10,000 people. Many of the neighborhoods are located in 12 historic districts that are predominantly found in the northern portion of the city, but Covington annexed many areas to the south in the late 20th and early 21st centuries to significantly enlarge its land area. Most of the neighborhoods have active resident associations or block watches that are dedicated to involving residents in strengthening their neighborhoods, improving safety, housing, and beautification.

Geography

The city is on the south bank of the

Ohio River The Ohio River is a long river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing southwesterly from western Pennsylvania to its mouth on the Mississippi River at the southern tip of Illino ...

with

Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

across the river to the north. The Licking River forms the eastern boundary with Newport in the adjacent Campbell County. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, Covington has a total area of , of which is land and (3.88%) is covered by water.

Climate

Covington is located within a climatic transition zone; it is nestled within the southern end of the

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...

zone and the northern periphery of the

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

of the

Upland South The Upland South and Upper South are two overlapping cultural and geographic subregions in the inland part of the Southern and lower Midwestern United States. They differ from the Deep South and Atlantic coastal plain by terrain, history, econom ...

, with hot, humid summers and cool winters. Evidence of both a humid subtropical and humid continental climate can be found here, particularly noticeable by the presence of plants indicative of each climatic region; for example, the southern magnolia ''(

Magnolia grandiflora ''Magnolia grandiflora'', commonly known as the southern magnolia or bull bay, is a tree of the family Magnoliaceae native to the Southeastern United States, from Virginia to central Florida, and west to East Texas. Reaching in height, it is a ...

)'' from the subtropics and the

blue spruce The blue spruce (''Picea pungens''), also commonly known as green spruce, Colorado spruce, or Colorado blue spruce, is a species of spruce tree. It is native to North America, and is found in USDA growing zones 1 through 7. It is found naturall ...

from cooler regions are successful landscape plants in and around Covington.

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2000, 43,370 people, 18,257 households, and 10,132 families resided in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was 3,301.3 people per square mile (1,274.4/km). The 20,448 housing units averaged 1,556.5 per square mile (600.8/km). The

racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...

of the city was 87.05% White, 10.14% African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.34% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.63% from other races, and 1.57% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 1.38% of the population. Of the 18,257 households, 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.3% were married couples living together, 16.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.5% were not families; 36.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 3.08. The age distribution was 25.9% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 33.3% from 25 to 44, 19.0% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.0 males. The median income for a household in the city was $30,735, and the median income for a family was $38,307. Males had a median income of $31,238 versus $24,487 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $16,841. About 15.5% of families and 18.4% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 25.0% of those under age 18 and 13.4% of those age 65 or over. Covington has some of the least expensive real estate in Kentucky; the median house price in Covington is around $95,430, while the median house price for Kentucky as a whole is $124,100.

Transportation

U.S. Route 25 U.S. Route 25 (US 25) is a north–south United States Highway that runs for in the southern and midwestern US. Its southern terminus is in Brunswick, Georgia, from where it proceeds mostly due north, passing through the cities of Augusta, Georg ...

Interstate 71 in Kentucky Interstate 71 (I-71) is a north–south Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes/Midwestern and Southeastern region of the United States. Its southern terminus is at an interchange with I-64 and I-65 (the Kennedy Interchange) in Louisville, ...

and

Interstate 75 in Kentucky Interstate 75 (I-75) runs from near Williamsburg to Covington by way of Lexington in the US state of Kentucky. I-75 enters the Cumberland Plateau region from Tennessee, then descends into the Bluegrass region through the Pottsville Esca ...

serve downtown Covington. Bus transit is served by the

Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky The Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky (TANK) is the public transit system serving the Northern Kentucky suburbs of Cincinnati, Ohio, located in Kenton County, Boone County and Campbell County. TANK was founded in 1973 when the privately f ...

(TANK). Covington Union Station served Chesapeake and Ohio and Louisville and Nashville passenger trains into the 1960s. The final train making stops at the station was the L&N's '' Pan-American'' (Cincinnati-New Orleans) in 1971. The L&N's ''

Humming Bird Hummingbirds are birds native to the Americas and comprise the biological family Trochilidae. With about 361 species and 113 genera, they occur from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, but the vast majority of the species are found in the tropics aro ...

'' (Cincinnati- Memphis and New Orleans) also served the station. C&O trains included the ''

Fast Flying Virginian The ''Fast Flying Virginian'' (''FFV'') was a named passenger train of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway. The ''FFV'' was inaugurated on May 11, 1889, and ran until May 12, 1968; this was the longest running C&O named passenger train. The train oper ...

,'' ''

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

'' and '' Sportsman.'' The C&O dropped Union Station from its trains' itineraries in 1966.

Air

Covington is served by

Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport is a public international airport located in Hebron, Kentucky, United States. It serves the Cincinnati tri-state area. The airport's code, CVG, is derived from the nearest city at the time o ...

(CVG), which is the largest airport in the state, and is hub to passenger airline

Delta Air Lines Delta Air Lines, Inc., typically referred to as Delta, is one of the major airlines of the United States and a legacy carrier. One of the world's oldest airlines in operation, Delta is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline, along w ...

and headquarters of its

Delta Private Jets Delta Private Jets, Inc. was an airline of the United States. Its corporate headquarters was on the property of Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport in Boone County, Kentucky. It operated jet aircraft as a subsidiary of Delta Air Lin ...

. The airport is one of DHL Aviation's three superhubs, serving destinations throughout the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Asia, making it the seventh-busiest airport in the U.S. based on cargo operations. CVG is also a focus city for Frontier Airlines and is the largest O&D airport and base for

Allegiant Air Allegiant Air (usually shortened to Allegiant) is an ultra low-cost U.S. carrier that operates scheduled and charter flights. It is a major air carrier, the fourteenth-largest commercial airline in North America. Allegiant was founded in 1 ...

, along with home to a maintenance for

American Airlines American Airlines is a major airlines of the United States, major US-based airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is the Largest airlines in the world, largest airline in the world when measured ...

subsidiary

PSA Airlines PSA Airlines is an American regional airline headquartered at Dayton International Airport in Dayton, Ohio, United States. The airline is a wholly owned subsidiary of the American Airlines Group and it is paid by fellow group member American Ai ...

and

subsidiary

Endeavor Air Endeavor Air is an American regional airline that operates as Delta Connection for Delta Air Lines. The airline was founded as Express Airlines I in 1985 and was renamed Pinnacle Airlines in 2002. In 2012, Pinnacle's parent company filed for Chap ...

Economy

Principal employers

According to Covington's 2019 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the principal employers in the city are:

Education

Public education within much of Covington is provided by Covington Independent Public Schools, the largest independent school district in Kentucky. Its high school,

Holmes Junior/Senior High School Covington Holmes Junior/Senior High School in Covington, Kentucky, is the oldest public high school in Kentucky, founded as Covington Central High in 1853. It is a vital part of the Covington Independent Public Schools. Its boundary includes mu ...

, is the oldest public high school in the state. Southern portions of the city are in the

Kenton County School District The Kenton County School District (the definite article is part of the district's official name) is a local education agency headquartered in Ft. Wright, Kentucky and is the public school system for Kenton County outside of those cities who ha ...

. The

Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington The Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington ( la, Dioecesis Covingtonensis) is a Roman Catholic diocese in Northern Kentucky, covering 3,359 square miles (8,700 km2) that includes the city of Covington and the Kentucky counties of Boone, Kento ...

operates two high schools in the city,

Covington Latin School Covington Latin School is a co-educational Catholic college-preparatory high school in Covington, Kentucky, USA, offering a classical education. Since its inception in 1923, the school has operated under the Diocese of Covington; it is located nex ...

and Holy Cross High School. Two Catholic high schools, the all-boys'

Covington Catholic High School Covington Catholic High School (abbreviated CCH or CovCath) is a private, Roman Catholic, high school for boys in Park Hills, Kentucky, United States. It was founded in 1925 by Bishop Francis William Howard and Brother George Sauer, and is part ...

and all-girls' Notre Dame Academy, moved to neighboring Park Hills in the 1950s. Calvary Christian School, a Baptist school, is also located in Covington.

Law enforcement

In 1817, the Town of Covington created the position "Captain of Patrol," and assigned two "Patrollers" under his supervision. The patrol area included the Town and eight miles of surrounding territory. In 1833 the first full time Town Marshall was appointed. An act of the Kentucky General Assembly in 1834 incorporated Covington as a city, and in 1842, the City of Covington appointed its first "Police Commissioner." Covington City Ordinance created the “Voluntary Night Watch" in 1843, which consisted of seventy-one reputable persons invested with police authority. In 1856 a regular citizen's police force was established. The department is Led by Colonel Robert Nader, Lieutenant Colonel of Operations Brian Steffen, and Lieutenant Colonel of Services Patrick Swift. The department is currently staffed by 114 sworn officers, each assigned to one of 4 bureaus. Though several substations exist, most personnel operate out of the central headquarters, located at 1 Police Memorial Drive. The department maintains accreditation through the Kentucky Association of Chiefs of Police as well as the

Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA) is a credentialing authority (accreditation), based in the United States, whose primary mission is to accredit public safety agencies, namely law enforcement agencies, trai ...

Historic churches

* Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption in Covington * Holy Cross Roman Catholic Church * Latonia Christian Church * Mother of God Parish * Saint Augustine Catholic Church *Saint John the Evangelist Catholic Church in the Lewisburg Historic District * Trinity Episcopal Church * Eastside Church of the Nazarene * First Christian Church Covington * Madison Avenue Christian Church

Notable people

* Mike Battaglia,

NBC Sports NBC Sports is an American programming division of the broadcast network NBC, owned and operated by NBC Sports Group division of NBCUniversal and subsidiary of Comcast. The division is responsible for sports broadcasts on the network, and its d ...

analyst and long-time Kentucky Derby announcer, was born in Latonia. *

Gary Bauer Gary Lee Bauer (born May 4, 1946) is an American civil servant, activist, and former political candidate. He served in President Ronald Reagan's administration as Under Secretary of Education and Chief Domestic Policy Advisor, and later became p ...

, former

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

presidential hopeful, was born in Covington. *

Daniel Carter Beard Daniel Carter "Uncle Dan" Beard (June 21, 1850 – June 11, 1941) was an American illustrator, author, youth leader, Georgist and social reformer who founded the Sons of Daniel Boone in 1905, which Beard later merged with the Boy Scouts of Am ...

, youth leader, his life-sized bronze statue, created by sculptor Kenneth Bradford, stands in town. *

Adrian Belew Robert Steven "Adrian" Belew (born December 23, 1949) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. A multi-instrumentalist primarily known as a guitarist and singer, he is noted for his unusual and impressionistic approach to ...

, musician, vocalist and guitarist of

King Crimson King Crimson are a progressive rock band formed in 1968 in London, England. The band draws inspiration from a wide variety of music, incorporating elements of classical, jazz, folk, heavy metal, gamelan, industrial, electronic, experime ...

since early 1980s, was born in Covington. * Harry Berte, a Major League Baseball infielder *

Gail Borden Gail Borden Jr. (November 9, 1801 – January 11, 1874) was a native New Yorker who settled in Texas in 1829 (then still Mexico), where he worked as a land surveyor, newspaper publisher, and inventor. He created a process in 1853 to make sweet ...

, inventor of condensed milk, lived in Covington during his childhood. * Chuck Bradley, football player * Mary Jane Goodson Carlisle (1835-1905), Acting First Lady of the United States *

Steve Cauthen Steve Cauthen (born May 1, 1960) is a retired American jockey. In 1977 he became the first jockey to win over $6 million in a year working with agent Lenny Goodman, and in 1978 he became the youngest jockey to win the U. S. ...

, U.S. Racing Hall of Fame

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual ...

, was born in Covington. * Jamour Chames, visual artist, was born in Covington."Interview with Artist Jamour Chames"
Noragouma.com. Retrieved on October 16, 2016. * Bob Charles, Australian politician, member of the

Australian House of Representatives The House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the upper house being the Senate. Its composition and powers are established in Chapter I of the Constitution of Australia. The term of members o ...

, was born in Covington. * Martha Jane Knowlton Coray, the first female member of the

Brigham Young Academy Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day ...

Board of Trustees, was born in Covington. *

Byrd Spilman Dewey Byrd "Birdie" Spilman Dewey (née Julia Bird Spilman; February 16, 1856 – April 1, 1942) was an American author, land investor, and co-developer of the Town of Boynton. She lived in Florida from 1881 until her death in 1942. Her best known ...

, author and Florida pioneer * Asa Drury, educator, Baptist minister, and first superintendent of Covington public schools *

Frank Duveneck Frank Duveneck (né Decker; October 9, 1848 – January 3, 1919) was an American figure and portrait painter. Early life Duveneck was born in Covington, Kentucky, the son of German immigrant Bernhard Decker. Decker died in a cholera epidemic whe ...

, realist painter, was born in Covington. *

Mitch English Mitch English (born October 2, 1969) is an American morning talk show host, comedian, actor, reporter and weatherman. He is best known for being the host of the nationally syndicated morning television show, '' The Daily Buzz'', and was the last r ...

, national television personality, a host of ''

The Daily Buzz ''The Daily Buzz'' (occasionally abbreviated ''"theDBZ"'') is a nationally syndicated news and infotainment program. The show premiered as a 3-hour weekday morning television show on September 16, 2002, initially airing on 10 stations owned and ...

'' also featured in theatrical releases and other television programs, was born in Covington. * Henry Forrest, U.S. Racing Hall of Fame

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...

racehorse trainer, was born in Covington. *

Frederick William Franz Frederick William Franz (September 12, 1893 – December 22, 1992) was an American religious leader who served as president of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, the legal entity used to administer the work of Jehovah's Witn ...

, religious leader and theologian, fourth president of the

Jehovah's Witnesses Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The group reports a worldwide membership of approximately 8.7 million adherents involved in ...

, was born in Covington. * Loyd Gentry Jr., Thoroughbred racehorse trainer, born in Covington. *

Haven Gillespie James Lamont Gillespie (February 6, 1888 – March 14, 1975) pen name Haven Gillespie, was an American Tin Pan Alley composer and lyricist. He was the writer of "You Go to My Head", "Honey", "By the Sycamore Tree", "That Lucky Old Sun", " Breezi ...

, songwriter, remembered primarily for "

Santa Claus Is Coming to Town "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" is a Christmas song featuring Santa Claus written by J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie. The earliest known recorded version of the song was by banjoist Harry Reser and his band on October 24, 1934. It was then ...

", was born in Covington. * Rickard D. Gwydir, Superintendent of Public Works and city auditor (19th century) *

Joe Heving Joseph William Heving (September 2, 1900 – April 11, 1970) was a professional baseball player. Heving played as a pitcher for the New York Giants, Chicago White Sox (1933–34), Cleveland Indians (1937–38 and 1941–44), Boston Red Sox (1938� ...

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

player * Daniel Henry Holmes, businessman and founder of D.H. Holmes in 1849 in

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

; department store was largest in South at his death; he built Holmesdale, a 32-room mansion, in Covington and lived here part-time. * David Justice, Major League Baseball player, graduated from

. *

Durward Kirby Homer Durward Kirby (August 24, 1911 – March 15, 2000), sometimes misspelled Durwood Kirby, was an American television host and announcer. He is best remembered for ''The Garry Moore Show'' in the 1950s and ''Candid Camera'', which he ...

, television personality, best known as co-host of '' Candid Camera'', was born in Covington. *

Jared Lorenzen Jared Raymond Lorenzen (February 14, 1981 – July 3, 2019) was an American football quarterback and administrator who played in the National Football League (NFL) for four seasons with the New York Giants. He played college football at Kentucky ...

, professional football quarterback, backup to Eli Manning for Super Bowl XLII champion New York Giants, was born in Covington. * Clarence Lushbaugh - pathologist and radiobiologist at

Los Alamos National Laboratory Los Alamos National Laboratory (often shortened as Los Alamos and LANL) is one of the sixteen research and development laboratories of the United States Department of Energy (DOE), located a short distance northwest of Santa Fe, New Mexico, ...

and

Oak Ridge Associated Universities Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) is a consortium of American universities headquartered in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, with offices in Arlington, Virginia, Arvada, Colorado, Belcamp, Maryland, Cincinnati, Ohio and staff at other locations acro ...

Randy Marsh Randall Gilbert Marsh (born April 8, 1949) is an American former umpire in Major League Baseball who worked in the National League from 1981 to 1999 and throughout both major leagues from 2000 to 2009. Marsh wore the uniform number 30. Major Lea ...

, Major League Baseball umpire, graduated from Covington Holmes High School. *

Una Merkel Una Merkel (December 10, 1903 – January 2, 1986) was an American stage, film, radio, and television actress. Merkel was born in Kentucky and acted on stage in New York in the 1920s. She went to Hollywood in 1930 and became a popular film ...

, film and Tony Award-winning stage actress, was born in Covington. *

Lee Roy Reams Lee Roy Reams (born August 23, 1942) is an American musical theatre actor, singer, dancer, choreographer, and director. Early life and career Born in Covington, Kentucky, Reams earned a Master of Arts degree and was awarded an honorary doctorate ...

, Broadway actor, was born in Covington. * George Remus, lawyer and bootlegger during the Prohibition era. *

Jack Roush Jack Roush (born Jackson Earnest Roush on April 19, 1942) is the founder, CEO, and co-owner of Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing, a NASCAR team headquartered in Concord, North Carolina, and is chairman of Roush Enterprises. Roush Enterprises is the ...

, champion

NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and hi ...

owner of

Roush Fenway Racing Roush is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: Politics *Glenn Roush (1934–2020), American politician in Montana * J. Edward Roush (1920–2004), United States Representative for Indiana, namesake of: ** J. Edward Roush Lake, a re ...

team, was born in Covington. * Pat Scott,

All-American Girls Professional Baseball League The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) was a professional women's baseball league founded by Philip K. Wrigley which existed from 1943 to 1954. The AAGPBL is the forerunner of women's professional league sports in the Uni ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...

, was born in Covington. * Robert F. Schulkers, writer of children´s books, was born in Covington *

William Wright Southgate William Wright Southgate (November 27, 1800 in Newport, Kentucky – December 26, 1849 in Covington, Kentucky) was a Kentucky State and United States politician. He was the son of Richard Southgate and Ann Winston Hinde. He married Adaliza Keene ...

, northern Kentucky Congressman *

Dorothy Spencer Dorothy Spencer (February 3, 1909 – May 23, 2002), known as Dot Spencer, was an American film editor with 75 feature film credits from a career that spanned more than 50 years. Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Film Editing on four oc ...

, film editor, four-time Oscar nominee, was born in Covington. *

John W. Stevenson John White Stevenson (May 4, 1812August 10, 1886) was the List of Governors of Kentucky, 25th governor of Kentucky and represented the state in both houses of the United States Congress, U.S. Congress. The son of former Speaker of the United St ...

, Governor and Senator * Tom Thacker, NCAA and NBA champion basketball player, top pick of 1963 NBA draft, was born in Covington. *

Paul Walther Paul P. Walther (March 23, 1927 – December 21, 2014) was an American basketball player. Life Walther was a native of Covington, Kentucky and a graduate of Covington Catholic High School. He was a 6'2" guard/ forward at the University of Tenn ...

, professional basketball player, was born in Covington. * Bernart T. Wisenall, architect, lived in Covington. *

Ron Ziegler Ronald Louis Ziegler (May 12, 1939 – February 10, 2003) was the 13th White House Press Secretary and Assistant to the President, serving during United States President Richard Nixon's administration. Early life Ziegler was born to Louis Daniel ...

, White House Press Secretary during President

Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...

's administration, was born in Covington.

Gallery

Image:CovingtonKY JARoeblingBridge.jpg,

John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge The John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge (formerly the Cincinnati-Covington Bridge) is a suspension bridge that spans the Ohio River between Cincinnati, Ohio, and Covington, Kentucky. When opened on December 1, 1866, it was the longest suspension ...

Image:Trinity Episcopal Church Covington Kentucky.jpg, Historic Trinity Episcopal Church File:MotherOfGod.jpg, Mother of God Catholic Church File:EmeryRow.jpg, Emery Row File:MainStrasseHD.jpg, MainStrasse Village File:MutterGottesHistoricDistrict.jpg, Mutter Gottes Historic District

References

Citations

Notes

Bibliography

* *

External links

City of Covington official website

''Covington Journal,''
Google news archive. —PDFs of 873 issues, dating from 1849 to 1876. {{Authority control Covington, Kentucky, Cities in Kentucky Cities in Kenton County, Kentucky 1815 establishments in Kentucky Populated places established in 1815 County seats in Kentucky