Brent/Coney Island Station
Brent is an area along Kentucky 8 and the Ohio River just south of the I-275 bridge. The area may best be known for the Brent Ferry which carried passengers to Coney Island Ohio from Coney Island Station, the original name for Brent, for years prior to the opening of the I-275 bridge.
The citizens wanted the community to be known
as South Parker's Grove, but the Post Office refused that name. During
Colonel Philip Brent
Spence's tenure as postmaster of Newport, federal postal officials told
Spence to pick a new name for the small community along the Ohio River in
Campbell County called Coney Island Station. A ferry operated from there
to the Coney Island amusement park, which was just across the river on the Ohio
side. Both Coney Island, Ohio and Coney Island Station, Ky. however, had
post offices and the similarity of names was causing confusion. Philip
chose Brent, the name of his son and father, Brent Spence, a native of Ireland
and the first to come to America.
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HOW BRENT KENTUCKY WAS NAMED
The Kentucky Post, 18 Nov 1914, page 2
Two towns with conflicting names-Coney Island O and Coney Island Station KY. a Government trying to expedite the working arrangements of the mailing system and a loving father are responsible for the place near Ft Thomas being known as Brent instead of Coney Island Station.
In 1884 when Philip B Spence was Postmaster of Newport, the
Government had considerable trouble with mail for the Ohio town becoming
confused with that of the Kentucky municipality and as a result asked Postmaster
Spence to suggest a short and pleasant name for the town then known as Coney
Island Station. Fatherly love then exercised its influence and as a result
Attorney Brent Spence of Newport, has as his namesake one of Kentucky's thriving
little villages.
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Brent Elementary School-was a one room frame school located on a hillside overlooking Coney Island and the Ohio River. In operation in 1894, it was closed and sold 1940.
Brent School 1923-1924 Grades 1-8
Brent School 1924-1925 Grades 1-8
Brent School 1925-1926 Grades 1-8
Brent School 1926-1927 Grades 1-8
Brent School 1927-1928 Grades 1-8
Brent School 1928-1929 Grades 1-8
Brent School 1929-1930 Grades 1-8
Brent School 1930-1931 Grades 1-8