Tommy's Corner: The Legacy of Policeman Tommy Harris
The corner of Fifth and Scott Streets in Covington has two relics dedicated to the past.
This chase started with a plaque on the side of a parking garage on Scott Street across from Kenton County Public Library. The plaque, "Let Glasgow Flourish," is a remnant of the Glasgow Flats apartment building that once occupied the site.
Another plaque next to it also caught my attention, commemorating policeman Tommy Harris.
Covington's First District School once stood near the site of the current parking garage. Tommy Harris, a beloved crossing guard, served the school children at Scott and Fifth streets. This corner was affectionately known as "Tommy's Corner."
Tommy diligently worked at this corner, stopping traffic to ensure the children's safety. Until tragedy occurred.
Newspapers reported that the officer, who suffered from heart disease, collapsed at his post, dying suddenly in 1926. He was 42 years old.
The children were shattered. They raised enough money (well, $59.57) to buy a plaque in his memory.
This plaque was originally installed in 1926 in the sidewalk at the southwest corner of Fifth and Scott.
At the dedication, Tommy’s memory was immortalized by a poignant poem:
"I cannot say and will not say
That he is dead, but just away,
With a cheery voice and wave of hand,
He has passed into an unknown land
And left us dreaming how very fair
It needs must be as he lingers there
And you and you who so proudly yearn
For the old-time step of his glad return
Think of him faring on as dear
In the land of there as the land of here
Think of him always as the same, I say
He is not dead; he is just away"
Tommy's children, Helen and George, placed a wreath on his memorial in the sidewalk. The dedication ceremony included heartfelt words:
"And so, we lay the tablet that marks the spot of this dedication of the memorial to Tommie Harris, where the children of today can say to their children of tomorrow:
Here is the tablet placed many years ago to mark the spot where our beloved friend stood; here is the plate of love and memory for Tommie, our friend and champion."
After a 1970s sidewalk reconstruction, the plaque was kept in storage for 30 years.
At some point, an 85-year-old former student (last name O’Neal) asked what had happened to the plaque. O'Neal remembered Harris treating all children equally regardless of their color, and suggested at a city meeting that the plaque be reinstalled. He was successful.
At the rededication of Tommy’s plaque on May 21, 1992, Russell Nance (a former student) and Police Chief Joe Rieskamp were present.
The First District School, pictured circa 1910, suffered from a fire in 1930 and general deterioration due to its age. Plans to replace the building culminated in a new structure built in 1938.
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_720,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F338442be-41ac-4b08-a710-e284e983c4bd_2393x1989.png)
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_720,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0df8de77-1f8e-4133-8b68-547354d1a25b_2956x2380.png)
Tommy’s plaque was almost lost again in 2002, when the city constructed a new parking garage at Fifth and Scott.
Thanks to a preservation-minded person or persons, we can still see Tommy’s plaque today. Although, Clive the Alien gets more attention.
Amid modern structures and changing times, the memory of Tommy’s Corner remains.