History of Cincinnati, Ohio
Encyclopedia
John Cleves Symmes
John Cleves Symmes was a delegate to the Continental Congress from New Jersey, and later a pioneer in the Northwest Territory. He was also the father-in-law of President William Henry Harrison .-Early biography:He was the son of the Rev...
and Colonel Robert Patterson
Colonel Robert Patterson
Colonel Robert Patterson was a soldier and settler who helped found the cities of Lexington, Kentucky, and Cincinnati, Ohio, then moved to Dayton, Ohio....
. Surveyor John Filson
John Filson
John Filson was an American author, historian of Kentucky, pioneer, surveyor and one of the founders of Cincinnati, Ohio.-Biography:...
(also the author of The Adventures of Colonel Daniel Boon (siq) Daniel Boone
Daniel Boone
Daniel Boone was an American pioneer, explorer, and frontiersman whose frontier exploits mad']'e him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. Boone is most famous for his exploration and settlement of what is now the Commonwealth of Kentucky, which was then beyond the western borders of...
) named it "Losantiville"http://www.filsonhistorical.org from four terms, each of different language; meaning "The city opposite the mouth of the (Licking) River," "ville" is French for "city," "anti" is Greek for "opposite," "os" is Latin for "mouth," and "L" was all that was included of "Licking River."
Early history
Cincinnati began as three settlements between the Little Miami and Great Miami riversGreat Miami River
The Great Miami River is a tributary of the Ohio River, approximately long, in southwestern Ohio in the United States...
on the north shore of the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
. Columbia was on the Little Miami, North Bend on the Great Miami. Losantiville, the central settlement, was opposite the mouth of the Licking River
Licking River (Kentucky)
The Licking River is a tributary of the Ohio River in northeastern Kentucky in the United States. The river and its tributaries drain much of the region of northeastern Kentucky between the watersheds of the Kentucky River to the west and the Big Sandy River to the east.-Origin of name:The Native...
.
In 1789 Fort Washington
Fort Washington, Cincinnati, Ohio
Fort Washington was a fort in the early history of Cincinnati, Ohio. The location is marked by a plaque at the Guilford School building, at 421 E 4th St, Cincinnati, which now occupies the site...
was built to protect the settlements in the Northwest Territory
Northwest Territory
The Territory Northwest of the River Ohio, more commonly known as the Northwest Territory, was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 13, 1787, until March 1, 1803, when the southeastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of Ohio...
. The post was constructed under the direction of General Josiah Harmar
Josiah Harmar
Josiah Harmar was an officer in the United States Army during the American Revolution and the Northwest Indian War. He was the senior officer in the Army for seven years....
and was named in honor of President George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
. http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=719
In 1790, Arthur St. Clair
Arthur St. Clair
Arthur St. Clair was an American soldier and politician. Born in Scotland, he served in the British Army during the French and Indian War before settling in Pennsylvania, where he held local office...
, the governor of the Northwest Territory
Northwest Territory
The Territory Northwest of the River Ohio, more commonly known as the Northwest Territory, was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 13, 1787, until March 1, 1803, when the southeastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of Ohio...
, changed the name of the settlement to "Cincinnati" in honor of the Society of the Cincinnati
Society of the Cincinnati
The Society of the Cincinnati is a historical organization with branches in the United States and France founded in 1783 to preserve the ideals and fellowship of the American Revolutionary War officers and to pressure the government to honor pledges it had made to officers who fought for American...
, of which he was president. The society gets its name from Cincinnatus
Cincinnatus
Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus was an aristocrat and political figure of the Roman Republic, serving as consul in 460 BC and Roman dictator in 458 BC and 439 BC....
, the Roman
Roman Republic
The Roman Republic was the period of the ancient Roman civilization where the government operated as a republic. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, traditionally dated around 508 BC, and its replacement by a government headed by two consuls, elected annually by the citizens and...
general and dictator, who saved the city of Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
from destruction and then quietly retired to his farm. The society honored the ideal of return to civilian life by military officers following the Revolution rather than imposing military rule. To this day, Cincinnati in particular, and Ohio in general, is home to a disproportionately large number of descendants of Revolutionary War
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
soldiers who were granted lands
United States Military Lands
The United States Military Lands were land grants given to Continental Army servicemen by the United States Congress for service in the American Revolutionary War, in lieu of giving them pay or pensions. Beginning in 1796, Congress provided 2.6 million acres of land to Army soldiers and officers,...
in the state. Cincinnati's connection with Rome still exists today through its nickname of "The City of Seven Hills" http://www.cincinnati.com/local/atoz/upsanddowns.html (a phrase commonly associated with Rome) and the town twinning program of Sister Cities International
Sister Cities International
Sister Cities International is a nonprofit citizen diplomacy network that creates and strengthens partnerships between United States and international communities. More than 2,000 cities, states and counties are partnered in 136 countries around the world...
.
Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, a series of six artillery batteries
Artillery battery
In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit of guns, mortars, rockets or missiles so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems...
were built along the Ohio River to protect the city. Only one, Battery Hooper, now the James A. Ramage Civil War Museum
James A. Ramage Civil War Museum
The James A. Ramage Civil War Museum seeks to tell the untold story of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky's involvement in the American Civil War. Although there were no major battles set there, the people of the area resisted a strong push by the Confederate army in 1862. This museum is set on one...
in Fort Wright, Kentucky
Fort Wright, Kentucky
Fort Wright is a city in Kenton County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 5,723 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Fort Wright is located at ....
is open to the public.
'Porkopolis' and other nicknames
In 1802, Cincinnati was chartered as a village, and in 1819, it was incorporated as a city. The introduction of steam navigation on the Ohio River in 1811 and the completion of the Miami and Erie Canal helped the city grow to 115,000 citizens by 1850. The nickname Porkopolis was coined around 1835, when Cincinnati was the country's chief hog packing center, and herds of pigs traveled the streets. Called the "Queen of the West" by Henry Wadsworth LongfellowHenry Wadsworth Longfellow
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was an American poet and educator whose works include "Paul Revere's Ride", The Song of Hiawatha, and Evangeline...
(although this nickname was first used by a local newspaper in 1819), Cincinnati was an important stop on the Underground Railroad
Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was an informal network of secret routes and safe houses used by 19th-century black slaves in the United States to escape to free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists and allies who were sympathetic to their cause. The term is also applied to the abolitionists,...
, which helped slaves escape from the South.
Cincinnati was the site of many historical beginnings. In 1850 it was the first city in the United States to establish a Jewish Hospital
Jewish Hospital, Cincinnati, Ohio
Jewish Hospital, located in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, was the first Jewish hospital in the United States. The hospital was initially established in 1850 as a result of a cholera epidemic for treating the affected Jewish population of Cincinnati...
. It is where America's first municipal fire department was established in 1853. Established in 1867, the Cincinnati Red Stockings (a.k.a. the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
) became the world's first professional (all paid, no amateurs) baseball team in 1869. In 1935, major league baseball's first night game was played at Crosley Field
Crosley Field
Crosley Field was a Major League Baseball park located in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was the home field of the National League's Cincinnati Reds from 1912 through June 24, 1970, and the original Cincinnati Bengals football team, members of the second and third American Football League...
. Cincinnati was the first municipality to build and own a major railroad
Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific Railway
The Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific Railway is a railroad that runs from Cincinnati, Ohio, south to Chattanooga, Tennessee, forming part of the Norfolk Southern Railway system. The rail line that it operates, the Cincinnati Southern Railway, is owned by the City of Cincinnati and is...
in 1880. In 1902, the world's first re-inforced concrete skyscraper was built, the Ingalls Building
Ingalls Building
The Ingalls Building, built in 1903 in Cincinnati, Ohio, was the world's first reinforced concrete skyscraper. The 15 story building was designed by the Cincinnati architectural firm Elzner & Anderson and was named for its primary financial investor, Melville E. Ingalls...
.
"The Sons of Daniel Boone
Sons of Daniel Boone
The Sons of Daniel Boone was a youth program developed by Daniel Carter Beard in 1905 based on the American Frontiersman. When Dan Beard joined the Boy Scouts of America in 1910 as one of their National Scout Commissioners, he merged his group into the fledgling BSA.Boys were organized into "Forts"...
", a forerunner to the Boy Scouts of America
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
, began in Cincinnati in 1905. Because of the city's rich German heritage, the pre-prohibition era allowed Cincinnati to become a national forerunner in the brewing industry. During experimentation for six years (until 1939), Cincinnati's AM radio station, WLW
WLW
WLW is a clear channel talk radio station located in Cincinnati, Ohio, run by Clear Channel Communications. The station broadcasts locally on 700 kHz AM...
was the first to broadcast at 500,000 watts. In 1943, King Records
King Records (USA)
King Records is an American record label, started in 1943 by Syd Nathan and originally headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio.-History:At first it specialized in country music, at the time still known as "hillbilly music." King advertised, "If it's a King, It's a Hillbilly -- If it's a Hillbilly, it's a...
(and its subsidiary, Queen Records) was founded, and went on to record early music by artists who became highly successful and influential in Country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
, R&B, and Rock
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
. WCET-TV was the first licensed public television station, established in 1954. http://www.cetconnect.org/50/index.asp#documents Cincinnati is home to radio's WEBN
WEBN
WEBN is a commercial radio station serving Greater Cincinnati, airing an album-oriented rock format. The station pioneered the concept of album-oriented rock, and is in fact the longest running AOR-formatted station in the United States, first airing this format in 1967. The station is owned...
102.7 FM, the longest-running album-oriented rock station in the United States, first airing in 1967. In 1976, the Cincinnati Stock Exchange became the nation's first all-electronic trading market.
Firsts
Cincinnati has been a pioneer city in many respects, including:- 1796 - First city in the Northwest TerritoryNorthwest TerritoryThe Territory Northwest of the River Ohio, more commonly known as the Northwest Territory, was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 13, 1787, until March 1, 1803, when the southeastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of Ohio...
to print a book, engraved by William MaxwellWilliam Maxwell (engraver)William Maxwell was the first engraver to publish a newspaper in Cincinnati, Ohio. The paper was called the Centinel of the Northwest Territory, and the first issue was published on Saturday, November 9, 1793. The motto of the paper was "Open to all parties–but influenced by none"... - 1835 - First bag of airmail, which was lifted by a hot air balloonhttp://www.gccc.com/pdf/living/firsts.pdf
- 1849 - First city in the U.S. to hold a municipal song festival, named Saengerfest http://www.gccc.com/pdf/living/firsts.pdf
- 1850 - First city in the U.S. where a Jewish hospital was founded http://www.gccc.com/pdf/living/firsts.pdf
- 1850 - First city in the U.S. where greeting cards were published http://www.gccc.com/pdf/living/firsts.pdf
- 1853 - First practical steam fire engine. First city to establish a municipal fire department and first fire pole.http://www.gccc.com/pdf/living/firsts.pdf
- 1868 - First city west of New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to have a company that used a steam powered printing pressPrinting pressA printing press is a device for applying pressure to an inked surface resting upon a print medium , thereby transferring the ink...
(Ehrgott, Forbriger & Co.Ehrgott, Forbriger & Co.Ehrgott, Forbriger & Co. was a manufacturer of American Civil War lithography portraits and other documents, such as diplomas and maps, established in 1856 by Peter E. Ehrgott and Adolphus F. Forbriger in Cincinnati, Ohio...
). - 1869 - First weather bureauNational Weather ServiceThe National Weather Service , once known as the Weather Bureau, is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States government...
. - 1869 - First professional baseball team - the Cincinnati Red StockingsCincinnati RedsThe Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
. - 1870 - First municipal university - the University of CincinnatiUniversity of CincinnatiThe University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....
- 1870 - First city to hold annual industrial expositions http://www.gccc.com/pdf/living/firsts.pdf
- 1875 - First city where a Jewish theological college, Hebrew Union CollegeHebrew Union CollegeThe Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion is the oldest extant Jewish seminary in the Americas and the main seminary for training rabbis, cantors, educators and communal workers in Reform Judaism.HUC-JIR has campuses in Cincinnati, New York, Los Angeles and Jerusalem.The Jerusalem...
, was established.http://www.gccc.com/pdf/living/firsts.pdf - 1880 - First city in which a woman, Maria Longworth Nichols StorerMaria Longworth Nichols StorerMaria Longworth Nichols Storer was the founder of Rookwood Pottery of Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, a patron of fine art and the granddaughter of the wealthy Cincinnati businessman Nicholas Longworth .-Biography:Born Maria Longworth on March 20, 1849 to Joseph Longworth, Maria was born in...
, began and operated a large manufacturing operation, Rookwood Pottery.http://www.gccc.com/pdf/living/firsts.pdf - 1880 - First and only city to build and own a major railroad.http://www.gccc.com/pdf/living/firsts.pdf
- 1902 - First reinforced concreteReinforced concreteReinforced concrete is concrete in which reinforcement bars , reinforcement grids, plates or fibers have been incorporated to strengthen the concrete in tension. It was invented by French gardener Joseph Monier in 1849 and patented in 1867. The term Ferro Concrete refers only to concrete that is...
skyscraperSkyscraperA skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...
- the Ingalls BuildingIngalls BuildingThe Ingalls Building, built in 1903 in Cincinnati, Ohio, was the world's first reinforced concrete skyscraper. The 15 story building was designed by the Cincinnati architectural firm Elzner & Anderson and was named for its primary financial investor, Melville E. Ingalls...
.http://www.gccc.com/pdf/living/firsts.pdf - 1905 - Daniel Carter BeardDaniel Carter BeardDaniel Carter "Uncle Dan" Beard was an American illustrator, author, youth leader, and social reformer who founded the Sons of Daniel Boone in 1905, which Beard later merged with the Boy Scouts of America .-Early life:...
founded the Sons of Daniel BooneSons of Daniel BooneThe Sons of Daniel Boone was a youth program developed by Daniel Carter Beard in 1905 based on the American Frontiersman. When Dan Beard joined the Boy Scouts of America in 1910 as one of their National Scout Commissioners, he merged his group into the fledgling BSA.Boys were organized into "Forts"...
, later known as the Boy Scouts of AmericaBoy Scouts of AmericaThe Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
.http://www.gccc.com/pdf/living/firsts.pdf - 1906 - First university to offer cooperative education, University of CincinnatiUniversity of CincinnatiThe University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....
.http://www.gccc.com/pdf/living/firsts.pdf - 1935 - First Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
night game.http://www.gccc.com/pdf/living/firsts.pdf - 1952 - First heart-lung machine- makes open heart surgery possible. Developed at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical CenterCincinnati Children's Hospital Medical CenterCincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center is a 523-bed pediatric hospital located in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is currently ranked the third-best pediatric medical center in the United States by US News and World Report...
.http://www.gccc.com/pdf/living/firsts.pdf - 1954 - First licensed public televisionPublic broadcastingPublic broadcasting includes radio, television and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service. Public broadcasters receive funding from diverse sources including license fees, individual contributions, public financing and commercial financing.Public broadcasting may be...
station - WCET.http://www.gccc.com/pdf/living/firsts.pdf