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.