A rural town located in Northern Kentucky, Burlington has functioned as the miniature capital city of Boone County since 1799. As the county seat, Burlington hosts all of the functions of county government, along with the businesses, schools, and churches that make it a vibrant community. Burlington now lies at the heart of one of the fastest growing counties in the nation, which has seen unprecedented growth over the last two decades. Even so, many of the elements that make Burlington such a wonderful example of a rural county seat remain evident today. The images presented here express the rich history of Burlington, which is unique in many ways but also reminiscent of a typical American small town. Collected for the first time are photographs of the institutions, places, and events that have defined life in Burlington for more than 200 years. Most important are the people who quickly left their mark on this hard-working farming community, including Kentucky's first woman sheriff, a celebrated Kentucky folk artist, and three inventors, one of whom was known as "Burlington's Cornfield Edison" and who left behind many enduring photographs of this Kentucky county seat.
Working on behalf of the Boone County Historic Preservation Review Board, this volume's authors come from different walks of life. Laurie Wilcox is a genealogist and reference associate with the Boone County Public Library. Robert Schrage is a public administrator and collector of vintage manuscripts. Matthew E. Becher is Boone County's historic preservation officer. Michael D. Rouse is a local historian and co-author of Arcadia's Images of America: Boone County, Kentucky.