6 Fun Facts About Ft. Mitchell

Ft. Mitchell is one of the many communities that make up the area known as Northern Kentucky, sometimes called “the southern side of Cincinnati.” The community sits between I-75 and I-275, bordered by Fort Wright, Villa Hills, Crescent Springs, and Edgewood. Here are six fun facts about Ft. Mitchell. 

1. The city was planned in 1892 

Although folks were living in the area since the late 18th century, it wasn’t until 1892 that an organized community started taking shape. That year, Buckeye Molding, Sand, Brick and Quarry Company. Inc. starred buying up and subdividing land. Other companies got in on the action as well, and within a decade, it was a thriving little village. The incorporation of the village was finalized on Valentine’s Day, 1910. The new town claimed 127 residents, two more than needed to incorporate under Commonwealth law. 

2. It’s named for a Union soldier

Ft. Mitchell, the actual fort, was built in 1862 as one of seven such fortifications to protect Cincinnati and Southern Ohio from rebel forces during the Civil War. The Mitchell in the name comes from General Ormsby M. Mitchel (with one “L”), a professor at Cincinnati College (now the University of Cincinnati) who designed the fortifications. He was also a noted astronomer.

3. Ft. Mitchell fought I-75

Ft. Mitchell, the town, didn’t see any battles, but in the late 1940s, residents did clash with highway planners over what was then called the Greater Cincinnati Airport Highway. That road later became I-75. Property owners contended that the freeway would reduce property values and cut the community in half. According to reports at from a 1949 meeting, about 13 persons would have been affected by having the highway cut across or cut through their property.

4. It has the world’s only ventriloquism museum

The Vent Haven Museum is the world’s only museum dedicated to the art of ventriloquism. Its collection features over a thousand ventriloquist figures from twenty countries as well as hundreds of photographs and other pieces of memorabilia related to ventriloquism. The museum’s curator appeared on the Cincy Shirts Podcast in 2021.

5. The dead outnumber the living by a wide margin 

Over 120,000 people are buried in the city’s three cemeteries. The living population of Ft. Mitchell is around 8,700. The town’s first cemetery was St. John's, which opened in 1867. Highland, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, opened in 1869. St. Mary's cemetery opened the following year. St Mary's was previously located in Devou Park. Why two Catholic cemeteries? One was for the German Catholics (St John's), and the other was for the Irish Catholics (St. Mary's).

6. Cincy Shirts' third location will be in Ft. Mitchell, opening July 2022.

The city is home to Cincy Shirts’ newest location! The store is located at 2501 Dixie Highway, near the corner of Orphanage Rd. The store features all the most popular Cincy Shirts designs as well as many Kentucky-focused tees.

Photo credit: Nyyten via Wiki Commons Media