HISTORY

     The original town of Fort Mitchell was incorporated in March of 1910 and at that time included the area between the Dixie Highway (then called the Lexington Pike) on the east and the present site of the Fort Mitchell County Club on the west, and between Saint John's Cemetery on the north and Maple Avenue on the south. In May, 1927, the residents to the south of the original town chose to incorporate as the town of South Fort Mitchell. Through subsequent annexations, the two towns became contiguous and, forty years later, during the general election of 1966, their electorate approved a merger, with the combined towns to be known as the City of Fort Mitchell.

     The City was named after "Fort Mitchel" (through an oversight, the name of the town was spelled with two L's). The exact location of Fort Mitchel is believed to be on the hill between the end of Summit Lane and Barrington Road near the Dixie Highway. One of twenty-three such Civil War forts manned by the Union armies and located on the hills and ridges of Northern Kentucky, its function was to protect the City of Cincinnati from invasion by Confederate armies. Cincinnati was extremely important to the Union because it was the largest meat packing, manufacturing, and river harbor city in this part of the nation. It was common during the Civil War to name encampments after the living as well as the dead. Fort Mitchel was named after General Ormsby MacKnight Mitchel, a general in the Union army. General Mitchel was born in Goss, Kentucky, and received his training at West Point, graduating fifth in a class which included Robert E. Lee.

     In addition to a distinguished military career, Mitchel was a professor of mathematics and philosophy at Cincinnati College and was instrumental in helping to establish Cincinnati College's Law School. In 1836, he established Ormsby MacKnight Mitchel's Institute of Science and Language, located on the corner of Broadway and Third Street in Cincinnati. Sometime between 1842 and 1845, he founded the Cincinnati Observatory, which at the time of its founding on Mt. Adams housed the second largest telescope in the world.

     Following the outbreak of the Civil War, he accepted the rank of brigadier general in the Union Army and was involved in organizing the Northern Kentucky defenses of Cincinnati. In 1862, he led his forces from Shelbyville, Tennessee, to Huntsville, Alabama, where they surprised and captured the city and gained control of the Memphis and Charleston Railroad. After this campaign, he was promoted to major general and was transferred to South Carolina, where he took command of 4,500 Union soldiers. Unfortunately, his command was decimated by yellow fever. General Mitchel died while serving at a second Fort Mitchel, also named for him and located in South Carolina inside Hilton Head Plantation.

The flag of Fort Mitchell was designed by Joyce (Hubbell) Brophy in 1976.

FORT MITCHELL WALL OF HONOR

Nominations are accepted each spring for inclusion on the Fort Mitchell Wall of Honor. Those chosen for this honor will have their names engraved on the granite wall in front of the Fort Mitchell City Building. Nominees must have served the City of Fort Mitchell as either an employee, volunteer, or elected official. While length of service is a factor, contributions to the good and welfare of the City and its citizens are more important. If you would like to nominate someone, please include the department, committee, office held, or other exact position with the city, a description of the contributions made, and the dates served. Obviously, there can be more than one position held. Consideration will be given to nominees from prior years who have not been inducted. Nominations may be dropped off or mailed to the City of Fort Mitchell, Attn: Wall of Honor, 2355 Dixie Highway, Fort Mitchell, KY 41017-0157. For 2008 all nominations must be received by Friday, April 18th at 4:00 p.m.  An induction ceremony will be held during the Memorial Day weekend. Please contact Council Member Vicki Boerger at (859) 341-7344 with any questions. To date 49 individuals have been named on the Wall of Honor.

2002 Inductees: Gen. Ormsby Mitchel, William H. Boehmer, Thomas E. Holocher, Howard A. Pauly, Paul E. Redenheimer, William M. Zeidler, Charles A. Bogenschutz, John H. Schroder, John W. Menzies, Charles Frost, Joseph C. VonLehman, Carl R. Schmidt, Charles Schmidt, Lee J. Morand, William H. Goetz, Vincent P. Gohs, Robert J. Lubrecht, Denis H. Schrand, John D. Seifried, Ronald P. Becker, Raymond H. Becker, Rev. William Blees, Cyril C. Hollenkamp, Roy J. Moser, Anita Hergott

2003 Inductees: Victor W. Dietz, Timothy W. Hollenkamp, Wilbert L. Ziegler, Hamon Lynn, Richard S. Nelson

2004 Inductees: Jack Holman, Matthew P. Hehman, Steve Brandner, Richard Willman, William Race, Edward Legg

2005 Inductees: Patricia Becker, Thomas Becker Sr., George E. Engle, Clarence B. "Duna" Kleier, Juanita D. Kroger

2006 Inductees: Jerry Bogenschutz, Edward J. Elliott, Rich Hergott, David E. Jansing

2007 Inductees: Paul Allgeyer, Patty Gohs, Gene Hitter, David Schrand

2008 Inductees: Wallace B. Allen, George Schrand, Jr.

2009 Inductees:  Thomas Lewin

2010 Inductees:  Alexander Greer Simrall, Frank D. VanWinkle