A nonprofit publication of the Kentucky Center for Public Service Journalism

Our Rich History: The 1968 Falmouth tornado — storm moved rapidly, residents got no warning

By Paul A. Tenkotte, PhD Special to NKyTribune Part 1 of a three-part series on the region’s destructive tornadoes I vividly remember Tuesday, April 23, 1968. It was nine days after Easter. The skies were ominously still. Then, the clouds rolled in, and the day turned stormy and foreboding. At 1:40 pm, a tornado slammed into the small town of Falmouth, in Northern Kentucky’s rural Pendleton County....

Our Rich History: Dixie Selden was an accomplished Covington artist, taught by Duveneck, Farny

By David E. Schroeder Special to NKyTribune In honor of Women’s History Month, we offer this encore column that originally appeared in Our Rich History on March 28, 2016. While giving a tour of the art collection at the Kenton County Public Library in Covington, I came across Dixie Selden’s Woman Hanging Laundry. The piece is very familiar to me since it was on display in my office for many years....

Our Rich History: In honor of St. Patrick’s Day — coming up — let’s salute Ludlow’s Irish legacy

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, we offer this encore column that originally appeared in the Northern Kentucky Tribune’s Our Rich History on March 14, 2016. By David E. Schroeder Special to NKyTribune Father Kehoe, pastor, St. James Catholic Church, 1894-1921 (Photo provided) Irish immigration to the United States began in the colonial period. Many of these early immigrants were tradesman from...

Our Rich History: The 15th Amendment — Politics, racism polarized Americans as lively debate raged

By Paul A. Tenkotte Special to NKyTribune (Continued: Part 2 of two parts; See part one) In last week’s column, we learned how racism in Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio made the passage of the 15th Amendment—granting the right to vote to all males regardless of “race, color, or previous condition of servitude”—an uphill battle. Although the legislatures of these three states eventually approved...

Our Rich History: The 15th Amendment — politics and racism polarized Americans

By Paul A. Tenkotte Special to NKyTribune (Part 1 of two parts. In honor of Black History Month, we offer this encore column that originally appeared in Our Rich History on February 25, 2019.) Today, as we look back upon the Civil War and the period of Reconstruction following it, it may be difficult for us to contemplate an era when polarization was deeper and more prevalent than currently. But it...

Our Rich History: The Black Brigade, mistreated heroes of the Siege of Cincinnati

By Steve Preston Special to NKyTribune In honor of Black History Month, we offer this encore column that originally appeared in Our Rich History on February 18, 2019. As the City of Cincinnati mobilized to meet the forthcoming threat of Confederate invasion in late summer 1862 (see previous column), all able-bodied men were expected to help defend the city. African-American men were no exception. They...

Our Rich History: Abraham Lincoln and his connection to Northern Kentucky/Greater Cincinnati

By Paul A. Tenkotte, PhD Special to NKyTribune In celebration of Lincoln’s birthday, we offer this encore column that originally appeared in Our Rich History on October 19, 2015 Abraham Lincoln. Lithograph by Strobridge & Company, Cincinnati. (Courtesy of The Library of Congress) “That [damned] long armed ape,” Edwin Stanton exclaimed within ear’s reach of Abraham Lincoln. It was September...

Our Rich History: The legacy of the Bernstein Family, Betty Blake; Alan named to museum’s Hall of Fame

By Paul A. Tenkotte, PhD Special to the NKyTribune A part of the occasional ORVILLE (Ohio River Valley Innovation Library and Learning Enrichment) Series Rivers in American history have offered life, form, and stability to all of us. From indigenous Americans to the millions of immigrants who settled along the Ohio and Mississippi River watersheds to the teeming cities lining their shores today, rivers...

Our Rich History: There was a time when Cincinnati had parrots and a very large flock, but no more

By Steve Preston Special to NKyTribune Imagine sitting on your porch on a pleasant summer evening in Cincinnati. You’re sipping your favorite beverage and listening to the noisy flocks of parrots settling into the trees for the night. Sound crazy? It wasn’t to the residents of the area in the 1800s. Carolina Parrot, by American artist and naturalist, John James Audubon (1785–1851) One would think...

Our Rich History: Thomas More University Athletics Hall of Fame compendium, part II

By Raymond G. Hebert, PhD Special to NKyTribune Part two of two parts These talented student-athletes round out a remarkable journey of over 100 + years that has brought athletic recognition for VMC/TMC/TMU to rival the institution’s academic accomplishments. Football Mike Woolf (2002): Woolf set the standard by which all future linebackers at Thomas More were judged. One of the most decorated players...

Our Rich History: Taking a deeper look at what King believed; his ideas were unpopular in his time

By David Childs, PhD Special to NKyTribune “I have the audacity to believe that people everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality, and freedom for their spirits.” – Martin Luther King, Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, 1964 Did the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. enjoy the same level of popularity in...

Our Rich History: Thomas More University Athletics Hall of Fame compendium

By Raymond Hebert Thomas More University (Part 1) Thomas More University’s Athletes of note and “Teams of Distinction” are many. While no history can be comprehensive, we wish to thank the herculean efforts by many people to uncover the great stories, successes, and even national, regional, and conference recognitions. Our target was roughly twenty articles that would, as a composite, celebrate...

Our Rich History: 100 years ago, the New Year promised a cautiously optimistic 1924

By Paul A. Tenkotte, PhD Special to NKyTribune New Year’s Day of 1924 in the United States was greeted with cautious optimism. The banner headline of page one of the Cincinnati Post summarized it best: “Roger W. Babson Predicts 1924 Will Be a ‘Fairly Good’ Business Period.” The Babsonchart of Business, “Roger W. Babson Predicts 1924 Will Be a ‘Fairly Good’Business Period,” Cincinnati...

Our Rich History: Ghosts of Christmas Past — a brief history remembering Christmases of long ago

By David Childs Special to NKyTribune Ever since I can remember, I have loved Christmas. I grew up in a very large family and my father (the late Rev. Hezekiah Childs) always made sure that my siblings and I had great Christmases. Even though my family did not have a lot of resources, dad would say “God will provide” and each year miraculously we would have an amazing Christmas. Dad knew all the...

Our Rich History: The Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky ‘Christmas Top Ten’ music and media moments

By John Schlipp Special to NKyTribune Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, NKyTribune readers. Here’s a special gift for you for this holiday season — a revised version of one of our most popular Christmas articles, first published in December 2020. A number of Christmas tunes and holiday-themed movies are tied to personalities and places of the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky region. Some...