Southgate in Campbell County, Kentucky — The American South (East South Central)

Samuel Bigstaff

December 1, 1845 – August 18, 1912

— Evergreen Cemetery Tour —

Samuel Bigstaff Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by J. J. Prats, July 19, 2025

1. Samuel Bigstaff Marker

Inscription. Walk down to the road behind this sign and you will find the Webster crypt. Samuel Bigstaff, husband of Mary Alice Webster, is entombed here. As a 17-year-old Confederate soldier, Samuel Bigstaff was taken prisoner by the Union army and brought to Newport. However, he was charming, out- going and smart. After his release, he married Mary Alice Webster, daughter of a prominent Newport attorney. He became one of the most respected men in Northern Kentucky. He convinced General Sheridan to build a post in Ft. Thomas and to move the Newport Barracks there. He helped expand the streetcar lines to connect Northern Kentucky with Cincinnati and had a hand in the Central and Shortway Bridge projects. He developed several hotels and a golf course in Fort Thomas and contributed to the growth of Newport, Bellevue, and Fort Thomas.

Erected by Evergreen Cemetery. (Marker Number Stop 6.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Communications • Industry & Commerce.

Location. 39° 4.061′ N, 84° 28.104′ W. Marker is in Southgate, Kentucky, in Campbell County. It can be reached from the intersection of Alexandria Pike (U.S. 27) and the Evergreen Cemetery entrance, on the right

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when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 25 Alexandria Pike, Newport KY 41071, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Kentucky’s Outer Bluegrass. It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

and in the Ohio River Valley.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

and also the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Brent Spence (a few steps from this marker); James Taylor Jr. (within shouting distance of this marker); Brigadier General George Baird Hodge (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Major David Leitch Monument (about 300 feet away); William H. Horsfall (about 300 feet away); Major David Leitch (about 300 feet away); William Horsfall (about 300 feet away); In Memory of the Civil War Veterans Buried in Soldiers Lot (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Southgate.

Also see . . . The “Napoleon of Promoters” was Early Fort Thomas Developer and Major Influencer. 2017 article by Chuck Keller in LINK nky. Excerpt:

Samuel Bigstaff ran away from his Bath County, Kentucky home to join the Confederate army when he was sixteen years old. He was captured, escaped, was shot in battle, captured again, and eventually sent to the Newport Barracks at the junction of the Ohio and Licking Rivers in current Newport. Chuck Taylor describes Bigstaff, “He was a Confederate prisoner of war, was captured twice, and finally wound up at Newport Barracks.
Photographed by J. J. Prats, July 19, 2025

2. Samuel Bigstaff Marker
He must have been a charmer because he had free run of the Newport Barracks.”

(Submitted on July 31, 2025.)

Samuel Bigstaff (1845–1912) image. Click for full size.

(Public Domain) via Find a Grave

3. Samuel Bigstaff (1845–1912)

Credits. This page was last revised on August 1, 2025. It was originally submitted on July 31, 2025, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. This page has been viewed 136 times since then and 24 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on July 31, 2025, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.

Editor’s want-list for this marker. A photo of the Webster crypt. • Can you help?