Flowers, chocolate, fancy dinners…Valentine’s Day must be here! Whether you are celebrating with a special someone or taking time to simply romance yourself, the Local History and Genealogy department has collections to inspire the holiday. All images have been pulled from the department’s GeNKY database and archival collections.
Dr. Bernard Southgate was born in Richmond, Virginia about 1828, the son of George Maris Southgate and Elizabeth Bernard. His family arrived in Covington in 1830 but later moved to Nashville, Tennessee where Bernard studied medicine and surgery. Richard Southgate was his father's half-brother so Bernard came to Northern Kentucky to start his practice. He settled in Walton and on March 20, 1856 in Covington he married Eleanor Fleming born 1833 in Cincinnati Ohio. His son, Bernard W. Southgate, Jr was born on February 1868 in Walton, Kentucky and married Lottie M Kennedy in 1897.
From the Baker-Hunt Foundation collection, a valentine from Sidney Scudder to Annie Potter. Sidney was the father of Kate Scudder, the founder of the Baker-Hunt Art and Cultural Center.
This illustration of an anatomical heart comes from our St. Elizabeth Hospital collection. The text is an 1883 edition of Gray’s Anatomy: Descriptive and Surgical.
Fred Donsback was a prominent local government figure in Covington whose work included city planning and design. He and his wife Edna amassed several boxes worth of these “date books” were they collected mementos of their time and travels together.
Written by Casey Blackmore, Archivist, Local History and Genealogy Department at Covington.
Add a little romance to your day and check out a novel inspired by the bluegrass state or written by a Kentucky author.
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