The name Fort Wright was derived from the town's strategic location during the Civil War. Just south of Cincinnati, Fort Wright was one of the highest points in Northern Kentucky in 1862. As the Confederate Army marched to attack Cincinnati, Gen. Horatio Wright, the city's namesake, commanded region-wide volunteers who built fortified positions that repulsed the attack. In the 1900s, development on the Lexington Turnpike (today's Dixie Highway) brought gambling, Frank Sinatra, and even Pres. Richard Nixon to Fort Wright. Neighborhoods grew, the city incorporated in 1941, and the fire department was founded. Fort Wright merged with two cities, annexed one, talked about a merger with two more, and was publicly coveted by another, earning the enviable nickname "City of Cities." After 150 years, the city continues to live up to its motto of "Neighbors Helping Neighbors."
