River Mile: 473

Population: 4,385

U.S. Census Profile

The land on which the small community of Ludlow sits was granted to Gen. Thomas Sandford for his service in the American Revolution. That land changed hands a few times, at one point belonging to William Bullock, a British traveler, naturalist and antiquarian who hoped to establish a utopian community called Hygeia (Greek for health) on the site. Unable to realize this plan, Bullock sold the land to Israel L. Ludlow in 1830. The town was platted in 1846 and incorporated in 1864. Initially settled by wealthy businessmen and planters, the town thrived with the arrival of the Cincinnati Southern Railroad in the 1870s, and when streetcar service came in the 1890s.

As in much of the area, Ludlow became home to many German and Irish immigrants. The Ludlow Lagoon was a major recreational center between 1894 and 1917. The town’s proximity to Cincinnati has helped spark a recent renaissance in housing and business.