For the two hundred year period of the 19th and 20th centuries the Ludlow name was well-known, associated with the founding of southwestern Ohio and northern Kentucky, and linked to the rich history of the Northwest Territory and the Ohio River Valley. Colonel Israel Ludlow was present at the origin of the city of Cincinnati, and his role as a pioneer and founding father of the region became legendary. The Ohio cities of Hamilton and Dayton were also born of his energy and vision. Perhaps there are those who would discount any comparison between Col. Ludlow and contemporaries such as Daniel Boone or Simon Kenton. Yet like these men, who are rightfully esteemed in American history, Ludlow also traversed wild forests and meadows previously unexplored by men of European descent and opened new frontiers for settlement. Both Boone and Kenton were fortunate to have lived long lives, and both received some recognition during their lifetime for their contributions to our country's history and heritage. Alas, for Ludlow, it was not meant to be, as he was taken by death in 1804 at the young age of 38. He was mourned and remembered as a great man who was well respected by his superiors, recognized as a great leader among the early settlers and his peers; and a trusted friend to the Native American people with whom he dealt fairly and justly. Undoubtedly, his children and grandchildren were told of his adventures. Even years after his death, the life and legends of Col. Ludlow were told in stories, poetry and song. His extensive knowledge of the area, obtained through his travels as a surveyor, allowed him to acquire his choice of valuable lands. Within fifty years, Cincinnati had rapidly grown, becoming America's sixth largest city by 1840, and the sale of those lands provided the basis of his family's wealth. But beyond any inheritance of wealth or fame, Col. Israel Ludlow, and his wife Charlotte, left to their descendants an even more important legacy. They were devoted to their visions for the future, and provided examples for their children of lives well-lived, although at the cost of hardship and great personal sacrifice. They left the comforts of a well-established society to face the dangers and difficulties of an untamed wilderness; sought to improve the conditions of the less fortunate; treated all equally with compassion and respect; and taught their children that education and faith are important in life and society. Neither Israel nor Charlotte were to see the results their labor. If they had been granted long lives, they would have witnessed Cincinnati's growth into a major center of commerce and trade and watched their children become charitable and influential leaders of society and outspoken advocates for equality and freedom. Over the following generations, the Ludlow family has continued to serve and lead in various ways, such as through the military and in the realm of politics; religion and industry; as artists and authors; inventors and architects and athletes; lawyers, doctors, teachers and more. It is that spirit and desire to serve and lead which is truly the Ludlow legacy. This book provides historical, biographical and genealogical information about the Ludlow family. Also includes ancestry notes; source documentation; name index and photographs.