Windows to the Past | Ludlow Storehouse

Windows of the Past is an immersive educational program that explores local history through a series of curated “windows”—visual, interactive, and narrative snapshots that illuminate how people lived, worked, and evolved across different eras within our community. Each window serves as a portal to a distinct moment in time, allowing participants to experience history not as distant facts, but as living stories shaped by real human experiences.

The program weaves together guided storytelling, artifact analysis, multimedia presentations, and hands-on activities to help learners connect modern life with the cultures, innovations, conflicts, and traditions that shaped our town as it exists today. Through these windows, participants witness the progression of society—from the town’s earliest beginnings to industrial growth, from cultural transformation to modern technological change.

By the end of the experience, learners gain a deeper understanding of how the past informs the present. They begin to recognize recurring patterns, appreciate diverse perspectives, and develop a stronger respect for the community and its ongoing journey through time.

Windows of the Past invites participants to step through each window with curiosity, reflection, and a spirit of discovery. We encourage you to get on board and become involved. Whether you have an artifact, a family story, or historical knowledge connected to our community, your contribution matters. Share your history and insights with neighbors, visitors, and audiences across the United States and beyond, helping preserve and celebrate the story of our region for generations to come.

Preservation with hands-on experience

Volunteer's of all ages are capable of visiting and learning a new skillset. From painting, grinding, sanding, cutting or simply researching and archiving everyone gets an experience comfortable to their skillset and enjoyment.

Preservation Through Education

Inspiring future generations by sharing the rich history and technology of railroading through hands-on learning and community engagement

Preserving the Past for Tomorrows Generation

We are committed to heritage, continuity and legacy safeguarding our history, culture and traditions today so that the future generations can learn from, cherish, and build upon them.

Duro Bag Manufacturing

Company Background and Growth

Duro Bag Manufacturing was founded in 1953 in Covington, Kentucky by S. David Shor as a privately owned paper bag company. From its early years, Duro focused exclusively on paper bags, allowing it to specialize, scale efficiently, and steadily expand. Under the leadership of Charles Shor, who became president and chief executive officer in 1987, Duro experienced its most significant period of growth. During this era, the company:

Expanded production capacity across multiple states
Acquired several major competitors, consolidating its position in the paper bag industry
Became the largest paper bag manufacturer in the world prior to its sale

This expansion elevated Duro from a regional Kentucky company into a dominant national manufacturer.

Duro's Presence in Ludlow, Kentucky

Ludlow became one of Duro’s key manufacturing locations due to its strategic advantages. Its proximity to Cincinnati, access to rail lines, and location along the Ohio River made it well‑suited for large‑scale industrial operations.

In Ludlow, Duro:
Provided stable, long‑term employment for hundreds of residents
Anchored the city’s industrial economyfor decades
Integrated deeply into daily life, with many families relying on Duro wages across generations

For Ludlow, Duro was not simply an employer; it was a defining institution that shaped work patterns, neighborhoods, and community identity.

Economic Impact on Ludlow

Duro’s Ludlow operations delivered sustained economic stability during much of the 20th century. Major economic effects included:

Middle‑class job creation, offering reliable wages and benefits
Support for local businesses, as employees spent income within the city
Municipal tax revenue, helping fund schools, infrastructure, and public services
Workforce development, particularly in skilled industrial and manufacturing roles

The plant helped buffer Ludlow against economic volatility that affected many other small industrial towns.

Social & Community Influence

All materials will be made available through the National Railway Historical Society’s webpage, ensuring open access to educators, students, and the public. These include: Curriculums: Structured lesson plans aligned with national education standards. Handouts: Worksheets, diagrams, and project guides for classroom and home learning. Student Handbooks: Age-appropriate guides introducing railway history, preservation practices, and STEAM connections. Poem Books: Collections of student-created poetry celebrating railroads, blending creativity with historical appreciation.

Middle‑class job creation, offering reliable wages and benefits
Support for local businesses, as employees spent income within the city
Municipal tax revenue, helping fund schools, infrastructure, and public services
Workforce development, particularly in skilled industrial and manufacturing roles

The plant helped buffer Ludlow against economic volatility that affected many other small industrial towns.

Acquisition and Corporate Transition

A major turning point occurred in July 2014, when South Carolina‑based Hilex Poly Co. LLCacquired Duro Bag Manufacturing. This ended more than 60 years of private family ownership. Following the acquisition:

Duro became a wholly owned subsidiary of Novolex
Novolex later came under ownership by Apollo Global Management
Charles Shor stepped down as CEO, closing a significant chapter in the company’s history

Despite the ownership change, Duro remained a major paper bag producer, employing over 1,800 workers across 11 facilities in the United States and Mexico, with its corporate office still located in Northern Kentucky.

Long Term Effects on Ludlow

As manufacturing trends shifted and operations evolved, Ludlow experienced the broader challenges faced by many industrial communities. Long‑term outcomes included:

Employment decline as production consolidated or modernized
Economic transition, requiring diversification beyond large‑scale manufacturing
Preservation of industrial heritage, with Duro remembered as a cornerstone of the city’s identity

Even after changes in ownership and production, Duro’s historical presence continues to influence how Ludlow understands its past.

Overall Significance

Duro Bag Manufacturing connected Ludlow, Kentucky to a national and global manufacturing network while providing decades of economic stability and social cohesion. From its origins as a family‑owned Kentucky company to its acquisition by Novolex and Apollo Global Management, Duro’s story mirrors the broader evolution of American manufacturing.

In summary, Duro’s impact on Ludlow was lasting and transformative—shaping jobs, neighborhoods, and community identity—while its corporate evolution reflects how a local Kentucky manufacturer grew into an industry leader with national reach.

The rise of Ludlow, Kentucky is inseparable from the railroads that passed through it, particularly the Cincinnati Southern Railway, the Cincinnati, New Orleans & Texas Pacific Railway, and later Norfolk Southern. Together, these rail systems transformed a small river settlement into a railroad town and helped build one of the most important north–south freight corridors in the United States, linking the industrial Midwest to the Deep South.

Origins of the Cincinnati Southern Railway

The Cincinnati Southern Railway was conceived in the late 1860s as an ambitious civic project rather than a private venture. The City of Cincinnati financed and owned the railroad to secure a direct rail connection to Southern markets following the Civil War. Construction began in 1869 and was completed in 1880, creating a continuous rail line from Cincinnati to Chattanooga, Tennessee.

This route crossed northern Kentucky immediately south of Cincinnati, where flat riverfront land and access to the Ohio River made the Ludlow area ideal for rail infrastructure. Rail yards, maintenance facilities, and worker housing quickly followed, laying the foundation for permanent settlement.

The Cincinnati Southern Railway’s significance lay in:

Creating a direct Midwest–South rail corridor
Stimulating industrial development along its route
Establishing Cincinnati as a major rail hub despite being outside eastern trunk lines

Formation of Ludlow as a Railroad City

Ludlow emerged directly because of railroad activity. The need for switching yards, roundhouses, and freight handling facilities led to concentrated development along the rail line. Workers settled nearby, businesses followed, and Ludlow incorporated as a city in 1864, growing rapidly once rail operations expanded.

Without the Cincinnati Southern Railway, Ludlow would likely have remained a small river landing rather than a city.

Railroad influence shaped Ludlow’s early character:

Employment was dominated by railroad labor and skilled trades
Neighborhoods formed around yards and depots
Local commerce depended on railroad payrolls and freight traffic

Cincinnati, New Orleans, & Texas Pacific Railway

Operational control of the Cincinnati Southern Railway was leased to private operators, most notably the Cincinnati, New Orleans & Texas Pacific Railway (commonly known as the Queen & Crescent Route). Though Cincinnati retained ownership of the track, the CNO&TP managed daily operations and expansion.

For Ludlow, this meant sustained economic relevance. Rail yards remained busy, employment remained stable, and the city functioned as a critical operational node rather than a mere stop along the line.

Under the CNO&TP:

The line became a high-capacity freight artery
Passenger service linked Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, and Louisiana
Freight traffic included coal, timber, agricultural goods, and manufactured products

Industrial & National Significance

The Queen & Crescent Route became one of the most important north–south rail corridors in the United States.

This strategic importance elevated the railway from a regional connector to a national transportation asset, reinforcing Ludlow’s role within a much larger economic system.

Unlike east–west lines dominated by older railroads, this route enabled direct trade between:

Great Lakes and Ohio Valley industries
Southern ports and agricultural regions
Emerging Gulf Coast markets

Transition to Southern Railway & Norfolk Southern

In the 20th century, the CNO&TP became part of the Southern Railway system, which modernized operations, improved signaling, and expanded freight capacity. Southern Railway emphasized efficiency and integration, keeping the Cincinnati–Chattanooga route central to its network.

In 1982, Southern Railway merged with Norfolk & Western to form Norfolk Southern Railway, one of the largest Class I railroads in North America. This merger marked the transformation of the original Cincinnati Southern vision into a component of a modern national freight system.

Under Norfolk Southern:

The former Cincinnati Southern line remains a core north–south mainline
Ludlow continues to host active rail infrastructure
Freight traffic supports national supply chains, including automotive, energy, and intermodal freight

Lasting Impact on Ludlow & American Railroading

The railroad’s legacy in Ludlow is enduring. The city’s layout, economy, and identity were shaped by rail operations, and its survival through industrial shifts reflects the durability of rail-based development.

Key long-term impacts include:

Establishment of Ludlow as a permanent industrial city
Integration into a national freight network
Contribution to the evolution of American railroads from municipal ownership to Class I systems

Overall Significance

The Cincinnati Southern Railway sparked the creation of Ludlow, the Cincinnati, New Orleans & Texas Pacific Railway transformed it into a vital operational center, and Norfolk Southern carried that legacy into the modern era. Together, these railroads not only built a city but also helped define a national transportation corridor that remains economically essential today.

In summary, Ludlow exists because of the railroad, thrived because of its strategic importance, and endures because that rail line evolved into one of the backbone routes of the American freight rail system.