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ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01898 1784
GC 977.102 C49CU
MORRISSON-REEVES LIBRARY RICHMOND, INDIANA
917,7173 C.P.7
C
WITHDRAWN
CINCINNATI "The Queen City"
from forrisson-Reeves Library Richmond, Indiana
NEWSPAPER REFERENCE BOOK
PUBLISHED BY
THE CUVIER PRESS CLUB CINCINNATI, - OHIO 1914
CUVIER PRESS
GMIN.CO-CINO
THE CUVIER PRESS CLUB CINCINNATI, O.
The Cuvier Press Club
T HE Cuvier Press Club is an amalgamation of the old Cuvier Club and the Pen and Pencil Club, which took place July 1, 1910.
The Pen and Pencil Club's membership was composed of press writers of Cincinnati.
The history of the Cuvier Club is long and highly interesting, dating back to 1871, when ten or twelve gentlemen of Cincinnati organized The Ohio Society for the Protection of Game and Fish, the society having as its object the enforcement of game and fish laws, the education of the people to the great economic value of wild birds, to create a public sentiment for their protection, to establish a free public museum of birds and fishes, and a library of reference on these subjects.
This society changed its name in 1874 to the Cuvier Club, and elected as its first president Colonel Leonard A. Harris, an ex-Mayor of Cincinnati, a brave old army officer, a genuine sportsman and lover of birds and fishes, a devoted advocate of their protection and the conservation of our natural resources of forest and stream. Associated with him was H. C. Culbertson, Alexander Starbuck, John Beezley, P. E. Roach, Thos. Sherlock, H. H. Tin- ker, J. F. Blackburn, Thos. A. Logan, W. B. Smith, E. O. Hurd, J. W. Gano, Benj. Robinson and many others, all devoted to the objects of the club. The organization was successful from its inception and had a large membership. It was organized in an office on Third Street, and shortly afterwards moved to No. 200 West Fourth Street, where it rented a large room in the rear, in which to hold its meetings, and here its museum was started. Lowell Fletcher presented some mounted birds, and a large silverware case was bought from the old jewelry firm of Jenkins & Hatch, then going out of business. This case was the nucleus of the present large and fine collection. Charles Dury was appointed taxidermist and custodian when the club was started, with instructions to secure rare specimens whenever possible. The liberality with which the members contributed money and specimens could not be surpassed. Many prosecutions for violation of the game and fish laws were successful in the conviction of the offenders, and illegal destroyers were driven from the business. Colonel Harris, with a number of others, raised the money to build the present club house, and the club moved into it in 1881.
The bird and fish collections have long served their purpose, and many of the specimens could not be duplicated. They have been largely used for reference and educational purposes. The library, a monument to the liber- ality and energy of Alex. Starbuck, who presented most of the beautifully bound volumes, is yet intact. The original old members have passed away. one by one, until now but three or four remain. The specimens of birds and fishes procured by them remain as silent reminders of their devotion to the cause for which the club was formed.
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FOREWORD
T HIS volume is primarily a publisher's utility book - a work of reference wherein may be found in correct form, the basic facts regard- ing Cincinnati, its institutions, and men of note and substantial achievement, as well as younger men, whose careers are certain, yet still in the making, together with halftones from latest photographs of the above.
Modern newspapers and periodicals attach great importance to illustration; in fact, most editors regard it as of equal importance with news.
Newspapers require pictures of persons and places for reproduction with current happenings. Although they exhaust every resource to secure up-to-date photo- graphs, they often are compelled to reprint old style line cuts or wash drawings, and in the majority of cases have no picture at all.
The facts regarding men are often jumbled owing to the necessity of gathering them from whatever source available, on a moment's notice.
Every precaution has been taken to have the facts in this volume correct in every detail and the photo- graphis of recent date.
The work will be the ready reference book of the newspaper editor, writer and artist.
Copies of it have been supplied free of cost by The Cuvier Press Club to representative newspapers and National periodicals throughout the entire United States.
NEWSPAPER REFERENCE BOOK
5
JOHN CLEVES SYMMES Pioneer
MAJ. GEN. ARTHUR ST. CLAIR A Defender of Early Ohio Settlers
JAMES MCBRIDE Pioneer
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LANDING OF THE PIONEERS AT YEATMAN'S COVE Foot of Sycamore Street, December 28. 1788, or Cincinnati 115 years ago.
EARLY CINCINNATI
(Extract from article by James B. Hendryx in Cincinnati Enquirer)
H ARK back to the closing years of the eighteenth century. The curtain has dropped upon the last scene of the last act of the great drama of the American Revolution. The army was disbanded; officers and men returned to their homes crowned with the success of brilliant achievement, to be con- fronted by the cold facts of neglected farms, of ruined business, of shattered fortunes.
Soldiers still, they responded to the call of necessity with the same grim determination with which they had responded to the call to arms.
While in '75 they had been inspired by the roar of cannon, the blare of trumpets, the beat of drums and the knowledge that the eyes of the world were centered upon them-in '83 they faced a situation equally grave and as bare of glamour as a sun- bleached bone. Harassed by want, saddened by the poverty ot their loved ones and threatened with imprisonment for debt, but never discouraged, these men responded to the call of the West by the thousand and their numbers were augmented by that other class of hardy pioneers in whose bosoms the war had kindled the restless spirit of adventure.
These, then, are the foundations upon which is builded the city of Cincinnati-for a century and a quarter the corner stone of the great commonwealth of the State of Ohio.
And in the building was much of good and much of harm. Piety, heroism and devotion to duty were inextricably inter- woven with depravity, bloodshed and greed of gain. Boisterous hilarity mingled freely with human sadness and despair; humor blended with pathos until the line was lost between a smile and a tear. By such complex farrago of human deeds and emotions is molded the character of a great municipality and nowhere is the iron law of the "survival of the fittest" more aptly demon- strated or more inexorably carried ont.
In August, 1787, Judge John Cleves Symmes and several asso- ciates presented to Congress a petition for a grant of a million acres of military lands fronting on the Ohio River, between the two Miamis, and extending back to a line considerably above the site of the present city of Dayton.
The deal was never consummated, and the syndicate later ac- quired title to some 242,000 acres, for which they paid 66% cents per acre. The land so acquired included all of the Ohio River frontage and practically the southern quarter of the tract de- scribed in the original petition, with the exception of two reserva- tions-one of 15 acres, upon which Ft. Washington was built, and the other a "mineral reserve," which included a high hill now
known as Mt. Nebo, lying some two or three miles west of North Bend.
In January, 1788, one Mathias Denman, a capitalist and specu- lator, purchased from Judge Symmes 800 acres of land lying opposite the mouth of the Licking River.
This purchase included Section 18 and the fractional Section 17, with the west line starting at the foot of Broadway and run- ning north to the intersection of Liberty Street and Reading Road; the east line running from a point on Fourth Street, mid- way between Park and Smith Streets, north to the intersection of Liberty and Central Avenue.
The North Line.
Liberty Street was the north line, and the south extended from the foot of Broadway to the point on Fourth between Park and Smith. The Fractional Section 17 lies between Section 18 and the river.
The purchase price of this tract was five shillings per acre. payable in continental certificates.
Concerning Mathias Denman history has but little to say. We may infer that he was not a speculator who in the present day would have fallen for Mexican rubber plantations, nor Brazil- ian coffee, because after having parted with his first payment he steadfastly refused to sink another continental certificate until after he had saddled his horse and ridden over to look at his property.
From the very landable "show me" attitude of the wily Mathias one might jump to the conclusion that he hailed from Missouri, but nothing-that is, hardly anything-could be further from the truth. Ite lived in New Jersey, and when he mounted his horse to look over his purchase he faced nearly a thousand miles of trace, the greater part of which could boast neither bridge nor tavern.
Arriving some time during the summer, he satisfied himself as to the desirability of the land, and on his return journey stopped at Limestone (now Maysville, Ky.), where he met Col- onel Robert Patterson, of Lexington, whom he interested in the town-site project, and he in turn recommended John Filson, a smveyor-school-teacher-literator of the day. also a resident of Kentucky. Their plans were formulated in August, and the first advertisement of the town site appeared in the Kentucky Gazette, published in Lexington, on September 6. 1788.
These three men, with a few others, proceeded at once to the tract and started to lay ont the town of Losantiville. Trouble
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CUVIER PRESS CLUB
FIRST CABIN BUILT IN LOSANTIVILLE, (CINCINNATI) Erected on the south side of Front, between Main and Sycamore Streets, December 28 and 29, 1788
1
was experienced in the survey, Filson wandered into the woods and disappeared, probably murdered by Indians, and many of the company became discouraged and moved to other points. The enterprise which thus seemed doomed to failure was saved by the appearance of Israel Ludlow, a surveyor, and a man who, by his strength of character, was destined to leave the stamp of his personality forever upon the Queen City.
The Home Builders.
They landed on December 28 and immediately undertook the task of home building. The exact number of persons who took an active part in the building of the first village is not a matter of record. The following names, however, are handed down to us, and it is probable that there were but few others: Noah Badggley, Samuel Blackburn, Thaddeus Bruen, Robert Caldwell, James Carpenter, William Connel, Mathias Denman, John Filson,
Mathew Fowler, Thomas Gizzel, Fran. Hardesty, Ephraim Kirby, Henry Lindray, Israel Ludlow, William McMillan, Samuel Mooney, Robert Patterson, Daniel Shoemaker, Evan Shelby, Jo- seph Thorton, John Vance, Sylvester White, Joel Williams, James Dumont, Fulton, Elija Martin, Isaac Van Meter, David McClever, Davidson, Matthew Campbell, James Monson, James McConnell, James Campbell, Isaac Freeman, Scott Tra- verse, Benjamin Dumont, Jesse Stewart, Henry Bechtle, Richard Stewart, Luther Kithell and John Porter.
Of those buildings erected over a century and a quarter ago not a trace remains. Rude log affairs-clay chinked-with a huge stone fireplace at one end and floors of puncheons eked out with boat planking. Some boasted a second story, access to which was obtained by means of "the ladder," a series of wooden pins driven into the wall beneath the open hatch.
The first cabin to be built was on Front Street, just east of Main. In 1798 Colonel John Bartel opened the first store and
BAGNATI ET
CINCINNATI IN 1802
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NEWSPAPER REFERENCE BOOK
Griffin Yeatman the first tavern, the Hotel de Ville, better known as Yeatman's Tavern. This occupied the northeast corner of Front and Sycamore Streets, the lot having been purchased for $2.
Fort Washington.
In August, 1789, the building of Ft. Washington was com- menced under command of Major Doughty. The fort was an imposing affair, not inartistic in its lines, built in the form of a hollow square encompassing about one acre of ground, with a block house on each corner. It was constructed of hewn logs and whitewashed. It was located upon the military reserve of 15 acres lying to the east of the village, the exact site being ap- propriately marked by a monument on East Third Street, near Ludlow Street, where it stood until it was demolished in 1808.
Busy Years.
The ensuing years were busy ones in the history of the little village. In 1790 came General Arthur St. Clair-he it was who relieved us from living under the opprobrium of that terrible hybrid name "Losantiville" Le os anti ville-one Greek, one Latin and two French syllables-"the town opposite the mouth" in the free translation of its sponsor, but literally "the mouth opposite the town." "Losantiville!" exclaimed the General, "Losantiville! What in hell does that word mean? Call it Cincinnati." And Cincinnati it is-named after the Society of the Cincinnati, of which the General was a member.
In 1792 the first Presbyterian church was built on the corner of Fourth and Main. It was a frame affair, 30 by 40 feet, with a plank floor and logs for seats. Rev. James Kemper was its first pastor. One Lloyd, during the same year, established a school near the public landing, and, according to the testimony of his pupils, few were spoiled by the sparing of the rod. A court was established, with William McMillan as Judge and John Ludlow (a brother of Israel Ludlow) constable. A room in a tavern owned by George Avery and located at the corner of Main and Fifth Streets was used as a court room, and in front of this tavern were ranged the instruments of justice- stocks, pillory, whipping-post, and, when necessary, the gallows. The first person brought before Judge McMillan was one Pat Grimes, who was arrested for stealing cucumbers from the garden of a neighbor. He was convicted and sent to the public whipping-post, where he received 29 lashes upon his bare back. Next to this tavern was the "frog pond," across which was built a log causeway for the accommodation of foot passengers.
First Newspaper.
The first newspaper, "The Sentinel of the Northwest Ter- ritory," four pages, 81/2 by 101/2, was printed November 9, 1793, by William Maxwell. The office was located at the corner of Front and Sycamore Streets. A log jail was built in 1793, and proved to be one of the most flourishing of the early enterprises.
In 1794 Abner Dunn opened the first postoffice, in his resi- dence, at the corner of Butler and Columbia (now Second Street). In those days Broadway was a "two pole alley," known as Eastern Row. The east side of lower Broadway was known as Battle Row; Walnut Street was Cider Street; Central Avenue was Western Row; Second Street was Columbia, and Seventh Street was Northern Row and the limit of settlement. Fifth Street was first known as the main cross street; later it was called Market, and was named Fifth Street by an ordinance passed February 12, 1814. Beyond Seventh the virgin forest lay unscarred, teeming with game and prowling savages, and pierced only by the extension of Main Street, an almost im- passably muddy road, which threaded its way to the hills, where it split. One trail, known as the Hamilton Road, skirted the foot of the hills, entered the Millcreek Valley at the Brighton House (corner of Harrison and Colerain) and continued up the valley by the way of Ludlow's Station (Cumminsville) and White's Station (Carthage) and on to Hamilton. The other trail was known as the Mad River Road and ascended Mt. Auburn.
As early as the year 1800 there were in the village at least three schools, besides a singing schocl, dancing school and a teacher of French. The band from the fort gave concerts, and horse racing furnished the principal amusement of the day.
In 1795 a log courthouse was built on the corner of Main and Fifth. Before its bar was heard the eloquence of such legal stars as Judge Goforth, Jacob Burnet, John Cleves Symmes, William McMillan, General St. Clair and a host of others. They had a way in those days of getting down to the merits of a case and dealing out justice-with the bark on. Truly, they were no respectors of persons, for we find that Ensign William Henry Harrison had a warrant sworn out against him for "punching the head" of one Daniel Ryan. The Deputy Sheriff who attempted to serve the warrant was set upon by Harrison and knocked down, whereupon the future President went over to the court and gave himself up. He received a severe judicial scold- ing and was locked up in McHenry's tavern for 24 hours, where, we are told, he put in the time "in jollification with some boon companions."
So this is the beginning of Cincinnati history!
FORT WASHINGTON Stronghold of early Cincinnati settlers.
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JUNCTA
JUVANT
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NEWSPAPER REFERENCE BOOK
CINCINNATI SKY LINE.
THE NEW CINCINNATI
"THE QUEEN CITY"
T HE city of Cincinnati has a population of 398,452.
The industrial district of Cincinnati, embracing the cities of Cincinnati, Norwood, and numerous suburbs, together with Covington and Newport, directly opposite on the Kentucky side of the Ohio River, all forming one community physically, have a population of about 600,000.
Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County, Ohio.
As a market center it is within twenty-four hours of 76,- 000,000 people.
It is the largest center of hardwood lumber in the world.
Only city in the United States owning a steam railroad, viz .: the Cincinnati Southern Railway, leased to the "Queen & Cres- cent" Road.
Leads the world in the manufacture and quality of machine tools.
Leads the world in the manufacture of wood-working ma- chinery.
Produces more soap than any other city in the United States. Has the largest and most complete bottle factory in the world.
Leads the world in the manufacture of prisons and orna- mental iron.
Has the largest office furniture factory in the world.
Center of the largest soft coal producing fields in the world. Has the largest tannery under one roof in the world.
Has the largest trunk factory in the United States.
Ranks first also in the manufacture of acids, bookcases, field musical instruments, playing cards, printing inks, laundry machinery,
Has a greater variety of factories than any other city in the country.
Ranks third in the manufacture of "Tailor to the Trade" clothing.
Greatest lithographing center in the United States.
First compressed yeast factory in the United States.
Ranks second in the production of women's cloaks and men's caps.
Leading market in the country for medium priced clothing.
Leads in the export of special pianos built in special designs for tropical and other countries.
Center of the greatest carriage district in the country.
Largest distributing center for whisky in the world. Leads in the production of cigar boxes.
Is a leading shoe manufacturing center.
Ranks third in the manufacture of electrical machinery.
Makes more playing cards than any other city in the world.
Has the largest leather supply house and the largest harness factory.
Has the second largest factory in the world for the manu- facture of baseballs and baseball supplies.
In the new Union Central Life Insurance Company building, Cincinnati boasts of the largest office building of any inland city in the world, it being thirty-four stories high.
It has one of the finest municipal hospitals in the world, just completed, costing $2,000,000.
Has voted bonds for a $350,000 tuberculosis hospital.
Census figures show that Cincinnati with its new $12,000,000 water works has the lowest typhoid fever death rate of any American city.
In one year has increased the park acreage of the city 159 per cent, one thousand acres added.
Has voted bonds for mammoth new Convention Hall.
Has voted $3,000,000 bonds for new sewer system.
Has three of the finest hotels in the whole world.
Has new baseball park costing $400,000.
Has financed a new Permanent Manufacturers' Exhibit Building.
In the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, numbering 85 players, Cincinnati boasts one of the greatest. if indeed not the greatest. musical organizations in the whole world.
A city old in years, but young in spirit, a city founded on the solid rock of commercial integrity and industrial efficiency. a city roused to a realization of its splendid strategic position at the very heart of the country's distribution of population, a gateway between the North and the South, a natural transporta- tion center, on a great waterway highway to the Panama Canal: a city that has overthrown old conditions and is today making splendid strides toward very first rank among American com- mmmities.
City Enjoys Great Credit.
Cincinnati today enjoys a better credit than nearly any other municipality, through its ownership of the Cincinnati Southern Railroad, the only railroad owned by a city in the United States. and by reason of other valuable municipal assets. It has always been a solid city financially and has never suffered seriously from panies or financial depressions.
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A New School System.
Within the last five years Cincinnati has rebuilt practically its entire school system and has stepped from an undesirable position in the matter of education to very first rank as an edu- cational center. It is the only city in the United States having a public school system ranging from the kindergarten at one end to the municipal university at the other, the first city to establish a co-operative engineering course and the first city to adopt the German idea of continuation schools, through which factory apprentices who otherwise would be denied educational help beyond minor grades are enabled to supplement their frag- mentary education.
Many New Skyscrapers.
All the skyscrapers in the downtown business district of Cincinnati with one exception have been built since 1900. Build- ing construction in the past ten years was twice as much as the record of the previous decade and in one year building construc- tion showed an increase of 523 per cent over that of 1900. Millions have been spent by the railroads for new improvements. Millions have been invested in new factories. Whole industrial communities have been developed. Within ten years the bank clearings have increased 65 per cent, manufactured output 58 per cent, postoffice receipts 93 per cent and property values 145 per cent. Cincinnati is developing a great system of parks, boulevards and playgrounds that, taking advantage of its nat- urally picturesque location, will make it one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It has taken over the unused end of the old Miami and Erie Canal and is going to make it into a boulevard and subway entrance for interurban roads, which improvements,
including the interurban entrance, will cost from eight to ten million dollars.
Millions in Public Improvements.
Within the past two years eleven million dollars have been spent or contracted to be spent for public improvements, including $2,500,000 for a new courthouse, $1,750,000 for parks, $550,000 for the University of Cincinnati and $600,000 for street improvements.
3,000 Factories in Cincinnati.
Practically every human want can be supplied in Cincinnati either from among the products of its nearly 3,000 factories or from the jobbing houses established here by reason of Cin- cinnati's great advantages as a distributing center. There is perhaps no city in the United States that is so solidly established as a manufacturing center and whose prosperity depends so little upon any one particular industry.
In Cincinnati's factories nearly 100,000 people are employed and the manufactured output according to the factory census of 1910 was $260,000,000.
Ideal as a Shipping Point.
A study of the map of the United States with special reference to the distribution of population and the location of leading centers will show that Cincinnati is almost ideal as a shipping point. The location is enviable for many good reasons. Cincinnati is the center of 200,000 miles of first-class railways, is located on the Ohio River and is only 100 miles distant from the center of population. The consuming markets of the country are within easy reach. A manufacturer located in Cincinnati
UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT BUILDING.
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NEWSPAPER REFERENCE BOOK
can reach a larger number of consumers in less time and at less average expense for freight and express charges than from any other industrial center. As a jobbing center, Cincinnati has a great many large and strongly established houses, espe- cially in dry goods, millinery, clothing, shoes and groceries, these being the staple lines, and in addition having houses handling practically every sort of merchandise.
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