Elsmere and Erlanger (Images of America)

Elsmere and Erlanger are sister cities in Kenton County, Kentucky. Both cities had their beginnings as farmland. With the completion of the Queen and Crescent Railroad (now the Norfolk Southern), the population of the cities grew. Developers from Cincinnati and Covington came to Erlanger and Elsmere, called South Erlanger, and formed the Erlanger and the Woodside Land Syndicates in the 1880s. The land syndicates, headed by George C. Bloss, began selling lots in 1887 for $16 per front foot, which included a year of free commuter travel to and from Cincinnati. The images selected for Images of America: Elsmere and Erlanger reflect the rich history and diversity of both towns.