City of Fort Wright, Kentucky

Incorporated in 1941, Ft Wright is a suburb in northern Kenton County. The city annexed neighboring South Hills in 1960, and later merged with the communities of Lookout Heights and Lakeview. Ft Wright takes its name from an earthen fort that was located there which was a part of the several that made up the Cincinnati perimeter defense system of the civil war.

The fort was named in honor of Maj. Gen. Horatio Gouverneur Wright, an engineer from Connecticut who completed the Washington Monument in our nation's capital. Wright also helped design northern Kentucky's military defenses. The installations were occupied by hundreds of local militia in response to fear of Confederate invasion in the summer of 1862.

With the exception of the U.S. 25 area, Ft Wright remained largely rural into the 20th century. Oelsner's Tavern is noted as being a popular dining spot in the 30's, and a favorite of Cincinnati Reds players. The nearby Lookout House embraced gambling and casino type entertainment. A state raid in 1951 of the establishment netted 18 arrests and $20,000 worth of gambling equipment. The building was later destroyed by fire in 1973.

Residential development began in Fort Wright around 1940 and continued into 1960's. The city experienced rapid growth through annexation of adjoining communities. Attempts to annex nearby Park Hills failed. A twenty year dispute with Covington over annexed land ended in 1980 with Fort Wright owing Covington $250,000 in loss tax revenue.