City of Taylor Mill, Kentucky

The City of Taylor Mill was incorporated in 1957, but its origins can be traced to 1795 (that is not a typo), when it was part of what was known as Campbell County. In the late 1700s Campbell County included those territories currently identified as Boone, Bracken, Campbell, Grant, Kenton, and Pendleton Counties. The City of Taylor Mill is located within Kenton County approximately seven miles south of Covington.

Taylor Mill’s namesake is General James Taylor, who was a first cousin of our nation’s 12th President, Zachary Taylor. General James Taylor’s family actually resided in Newport, Kentucky, which is 11 miles north of Taylor Mill. General Taylor was not only a superb military strategist, but also a shrewd businessman and politician. He acquired vast land holdings through grants for his military service during the War of 1812, marriage, and his ability to take advantage of his official political position as the Clerk of Campbell County.

One of the first known enterprises in Taylor Mill was a saw and gristmill business built in 1795 and purchased in 1810 by General Taylor. Today, while mostly a rural and residential community, Taylor Mill’s economy includes the full arena of businesses from florists, to farms, to builders, to health care agencies, to swim and golf clubs, to a progressive educational system. Scott High School, situated on a 78-acre campus, is one of Kenton County’s finest high schools. The City is also only minutes away from three major higher educational institutions: Northern Kentucky University, Thomas More College and Gateway Community and Technical College.

Taylor Mill’s road system can also be attributed to General Taylor’s saw and gristmill business. It was located at the southernmost part of the City on Banklick Creek, four miles south of Covington and one-quarter mile west of the Licking River. General Taylor used his political and financial influence to ensure access to his mill by creating a thoroughfare that became known as Taylor Mill Road (aka Route 16). The objective was to get to the top of the hill, seven miles away. Route 16 stretches from present day Decoursey Pike and Madison Pike in Covington to join with Interstate 127, with Louisville its ultimate destination.

However, the settling of the Taylor Mill area is credited more to the Licking River, Decoursey Pike, 3-L Highway, the Kentucky Central Railroad and the Cincinnati and Lexington Railroad in the race to improve the delivery of freight between Cincinnati and Louisville and Cincinnati and Lexington.

Today the City of Taylor Mill encompasses about six square miles with its southernmost lands just a little south of Banklick Creek, on the west an area midway between Old Taylor Mill Road and Madison Pike, its northern boundaries are just above Woodside Cemetery at Vincent Drive, and its eastern boundaries being that of the west bank of the Licking River.

Bibliography

Hammons, Michael J., “History of Taylor Mill, Kentucky,” September 17, 1988

Rafinesque, C.S., Symmes, John Cleves, “James Taylor and Family Papers, 1793-1845,” The Kentucky Historical Society Library Catalog. <http://catalog.kyhistory.org>

Taylor Mill, Kentucky Detailed Profile “Taylor Mill, Kentucky,”
<http://www.city-data.com/city/Taylor-Mill-Kentucky.html>

Scott High School Website “School Report Card 2003 - 2004, Scott High School,” <http://www.education.ky.gov> . pdf

Northern Kentucky Street Map, Spectrum Map Publishing’s

1995 Road Atlas, Rand McNally

Written By
Blanche B. Gaynor
President
Writing Enhancement Services, LLC
P.O. Box 17545
Covington, Kentucky 41017-0545
phone: 859.394.4322
e-mail: gaynor@writinges.com
www.writingenhancementservices.com

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