Explore Boone County, Kentucky
Tour Description
Boone County, formed in 1798 from Campbell County, and named after Colonel Daniel Boone, is located in the northern most part of the state.
It is bordered by the Ohio River to the north and west for a little over 39 miles, which has helped lend to the rich history to be found here.
The county seat, Burlington, has a charming, historic downtown that welcomes residents and visitors alike.
Boone County has a fascinating history to explore from being the birthplace of American paleontology to once having the largest distillery in the state.
We hope that you will enjoy exploring Boone County’s history through the use of this app and our historical markers.
Locations for Tour
Abner Gaines House
Historical Marker #1765 in Walton commemorates the Abner Gaines House, which was used as an inn and stagecoach stop on the first stagecoach line that ran between Cincinnati and Lexington.
A member of the prominent Gaines family, Abner Gaines (b.…
Big Bone Lick, Three Miles
Historical Maker #32 in Union describes the importance of the most famous landmark of the Big Bone area, Big Bone Lick, which is now the site of a state park. Extraordinarily large bones of mammoths and mastodons were found in the swamps around the…
Boone County, 1798
Historical Marker #1253 at I-75 in Boone County recognizes the history of the county. It was formed from part of Campbell County and named for Daniel Boone, renowned Kentucky pioneer-explorer. Boone County is the northernmost county in Kentucky.…
Bullittsburg Baptist Church
Historical Marker #2367 in Petersburg highlights the history of Bullittsburg Baptist Church. In 1794, the church was organized by Elders Joseph Redding and John Taylor along the north bend of the Ohio River. The congregation consisted of eight…
Center of Population of U.S. in 1880
Historical Marker #1640 in Erlanger identifies the exact center of the population of the United States in 1880. The location was north latitude 39o, 4', 8" and west longitude 84o, 39', 40", which was within a few hundred yards of…
Crash of TWA Flight 128
Historical Marker #2344 in Hebron remembers the victims of TWA Flight 128. On Monday, November 20th, 1967, TWA Flight 128 departed Los Angeles bound for Boston Logan Airport. It had scheduled stops at Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. The flight had been…
From Craig's Camp to Burlington
Historical Marker #2421 in Burlington marks the county seat of Boone County. In June 1799, Boone County’s first court was set on 74 acres at the headwaters of Allens Fork. Known as Craig’s Camp, the county seat was named after early settler John…
Dr. George Speri Sperti
Historical Marker #2475 in Burlington, commemorates the life of Dr. George Speri Sperti, a man responsible for many of the advancements in health and nutrition that we take for granted today. Dr. Sperti was born in nearby Covington on January 17,…
Hopeful Lutheran Church
Historical Marker #2368 in Florence commemorates the Hopeful Lutheran Church, one of two Boone County branches of the Hebron Evangelical Lutheran Congregation of Madison County, Virginia. On October 8, 1805, the Rouse, Zimmerman, Tanner, Hoffman,…
John Uri Lloyd
Historical Marker #2540 in Florence commemorates pharmacist and novelist John Uri Lloyd. Born in New York in 1849, his family moved to Florence, Kentucky in 1853.
John Uri Lloyd was the first of three sons to Nelson and Sofia Lloyd. His two younger…
Lewis and Clark in Kentucky
Historical Marker #2124 at Big Bone Lick State Park in Union commemorates Lewis and Clark’s contributions to American Vertebrae Paleontology.
In October, 1803 Meriwether Lewis traveled to Big Bone Lick on his way to join William Clark and the men…
Piatt's Landing
Historical Marker #1646 notes Piatt’s Landing. Located at East Bend Bottoms, Piatt's Landing is the area associated with members of the Piatt Family.
The Piatt family was a large and prominent family not only in Boone County but the entire…
Mary Ingles
Historical Marker #859 in Union marks where Mary Draper Ingles, most likely the first white woman in Kentucky, made her escape from the Shawnees. Most of what is known about Mary Ingles' escape from Indian captivity comes from a narrative…
Petersburg Distillery and Lewis Loder
Historical Marker #2459 in Petersburg remembers the Petersburg Distillery and longtime resident Lewis Loder.
The Petersburg Steam Mill Company was established in 1817 by a North Carolinian named John James Flournoy. The business was transformed…
Richwood Presbyterian Church
Historical Marker #1387 commemorates Richwood Presbyterian Church which was founded in 1834 by Reverend Joseph Cabell Harrison, who was first cousin to President William Henry Harrison. The church was the first Presbyterian congregation in the county…
Skirmish at Florence
Historical Marker #550 in Florence commemorates The Skirmish at Florence.
On September 17, 1862, a clash occurred between Union and Confederate forces on the streets of Florence. The Confederate forces under the command of General Henry Heth had…
Skirmish at Snow's Pond
Historical Marker #2023 just north of Walton marks one of only two incidents in which Confederate and Union troops engaged in Boone County during the Civil War.
This skirmish took place on September 25, 1862 when the Confederate forces, led by…
Tanner's Station, 1789
Historical Marker #999 in Petersburg recognizes Tanner's Station as the first settlement in Boone County, Kentucky. In 1791, Baptist Reverend John Tanner and John Taylor bought 2000 acres along the Ohio River from John Woolpur of Philadelphia.…
The Dinsmore Homestead
Historical Marker #2420, recognizes the Dinsmore Homestead located along a rural stretch of Burlington Pike. The Dinsmore Homestead is a living document of the life of a prosperous and cultured Boone County farm family in the 19th century. In 1839…
Anderson Ferry/ 1937 Flood
Marker #2393 in Constance, Kentucky, commemorates the Anderson Ferry and the 1937 Flood in Boone County.
On March 3, 1817, a ferry bond was issued to George Anderson to operate a ferry across the Ohio River. That year, Anderson bought the ferry and…
John Hunt Morgan Escape Route
Historical marker #2394 in Boone County commemorates a daring prison escape made by Confederate cavalryman John Hunt Morgan. In November 1863, Morgan escaped from the Ohio State Penitentiary and crossed into Boone County, Kentucky.
On July 31, 1863,…
Crash of TWA Flight 694
Historical Marker #2380 in Boone County commemorates the Crash of TWA Flight 694, which crashed two minutes after takeoff.
Trans World Airlines Flight 694 departed Greater Cincinnati Airport en route to Cleveland, Ohio, at 9:02 a.m. on January 12,…
Major John P. Gaines
Historical Marker #1194 in Boone County recognizes the home site of John Pollard Gaines, a War of 1812 veteran who became governor of Oregon Territory.
Born in Virginia, Gaines moved to Kentucky when he was a child. While little is known about…