Ludlow Blooms

The construction of the railroad and the addition of extensive repair shops and a roundhouse brought many other industries to Ludlow, creating jobs that caused the population to boom from 817 in 1870 to 2469 by 1890. Many newcomers were German and Irish immigrants who found work in the railroad shops and related industries, changing the area from a more rural community into a bustling working-class city. Their arrival also led to the establishment of St. Boniface Catholic Church for Germans and St. James Catholic Church for Irish residents in 1886, and population growth expanded the city’s public and parochial schools with several new buildings for increasing numbers of pupils. Businesses also flourished during this era, and in 1894 the construction of Highway Avenue between Covington and Ludlow, along with a streetcar line to Ludlow, helped open many new businesses along Elm after it replaced Ash Street as the city’s main corridor.

Ludlow, Kentucky · United States