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Gc 977.102 C49c 436453
PUBLIC LIBRARY FORT WAYNE & ALLEN CO., IND
M. L.
GENEALOGY COLLECTION
GEN
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 02279 6160
GENEALOGY 977.102 C49C
出
: 3K
SKETCHES AND STATISTICS
CINCINNATI IN 1851:
BY CHARLES CIST.
CINCINNATI: WM. H. MOORE & CO., PUBLISHERS, 118 MAIN STREET. 1851.
Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1851, by CHARLES CIST,
In the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the District of Ohio.
E. MORGAN & CO., STEREOTYPERS, PRINTERS AND BINDERS, 111 MAIN STREET.
436453 PREFACE.
I AM well aware that a large proportion of my readers will not deign to read this, or any other preface, but there are those who know, as I do, that it is impossible to derive as much benefit from the volume itself, as it is capable of imparting, unless the reader obtains some general idea of its character and nature, and other attendant circumstances from the preface. These last will, for these reasons, give it a perusal.
Br
Ten years have elapsed since " Cincinnati in 1841," the prede- cessor of these pages, made its appearance. It was received with a degree of favor beyond its merits, and has served, together with kindred publications from other and earlier pens, to render this great western metropolis known not only through our great republic, but in Great Britain and even on the continent of Europe ; more than four hundred copies having been sent across the Atlantic by residents here, to their friends and relatives in the land of their fathers. I trust that the present volume, comprehending, as it does, a wider range of subjects and of greater importance to persons at a distance, will be found as fully in advance of its predecessor as the city which it portrays, is of Cincinnati in 1841. I could ask no more rapid improvement, or higher success.
One great perplexity, in publications of this sort, consists in the difficulty, if not impossibility, of putting it into the shape which the various classes of readers think that it should assume. If some trifle or other has been omitted, in which an individual has a per- sonal, professional, or pecuniary interest, he feels that the value of the volume is greatly impaired, for all such persons find it difficult
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PREFACE.
to comprehend that what is thus of interest to them, probably interests very few others; and that if every topic were presented to public notice, which each individual might deem of importance, no single volume, however large, could embrace the entire subject. If I had not known, in early life, the unreasonableness of individuals on this point, a circumstance that occurred to me a few years since, would have fully enlightened me.
I had been preparing for publication, a directory, and in the pro- gress of the work, called upon an honest German up Walnut street, who was extensively engaged in the manufacture of bratwurst, knackwurst, leber wurst, and sour-krout. I had taken down his address. "When you got dat book out," said he, "you brings me one, and I pays you for it." I promised to do so, accordingly.
By some unaccountable neglect of my transcriber of names, the dealer in wurst and sour-krout was left out of the directory, and having ascertained that fact, I did not trouble myself to deliver a book, which I knew this individual would not take on finding him- self left out, as he readily would by turning to it in search of the name-the universal practice of purchasers.
Several months had elapsed, when one morning rising Main street, and just opposite Ephraim Morgan's store, I discovered my German friend. Stopping short, and in a very angry tone, he accosted me, with " Why you not put my name down in your correctory ?" " Well, I don't know ; is it not down?" was my remark. "No," replied he, very indignantly, " Your correctory not wort one cent. How do people knows where he kits his sour krout ?"
I shall make no further application of the story than to say, that I must expect every man who has his sour-krout left out, will also be apt to pronounce this volume "not worth one cent."
It behooves me, however, to refer to what is in, rather than what has been left out. The articles on Geology and Magnetism, by Professor Locke ; on Medical Topography, by Dr. Drake; on Me- teorology, by Professor Ray ; on Education, and Transportation and Travel, by E. D. Mansfield, as well as articles on the culture of
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PREFACE.
the strawberry and grape by Robert Buchanan, have been obtained from the fountainheads of knowledge in these lines, respectively, and will commend themselves to the reader as of high value. The ar- ticle, Cincinnati-its Destiny, from the pen of S. H. Goodin, of our city, will not fail to make a strong impression upon those who desire to contemplate the great future of Cincinnati. The residue of the volume is, with few exceptions, my own, and claims no higher merit than accuracy, as far as attainable.
One great design of this publication, being to illustrate Cincinnati in whatever aspect it might be contemplated, biographies of indivi- duals who have been selected as types of the industrial and profes- sional classes, constitute one of its features. The subjects of these articles, are persons who have by industry, energy, integrity, perse- verance and business tact, achieved the position-in most cases, at the head of their respective classes-which they now occupy. Many of these individuals have fought the great battle of life, with- out aid or even sympathy in the darkest hour of that struggle, and their history enforces the great lesson to new beginners, that few things are impossible to the resolute will, the patient and untiring purpose, and the direct and straightforward principle.
A large share of this publication is taken up with the statistics of manufactured aad industrial products. I cannot persuade myself, however, that the extent of this department is greater than the im- portance of the subject demands, taking into view the great fact which these tables establish, that the products of manufacture here, consti- tute more than one-half the business operations of Cincinnati, and the profits not less than three-fourths of the rewards of industry in all its branches. These tables afford indisputable evidence that the raw material consumed in our manufacturing operations does not as an average exceed 54 per cent, or thirty out of fifty-five millions dollars, the entire value of our industrial products, leaving 46 per cent. or more than twenty-five millions of dollars, as the revenue derived to Cincinnati from this department of business. It is be- lieved that this mode of exhibiting the value of manufactures to a
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PREFACE.
community, at any rate presents the subject in a clearer light than it has heretofore been shown.
I take this opportunity of saying, that my statistics will be found to differ in most points of a corresponding nature, from the national census of 1850, to which I am indebted for nothing but the tables of population and nativities in Cincinnati, and the census table for Ohio. I leave the question, which is more worthy of credit, to the public, simply adding, that this is one great reason why my manu- facturing table enters so largely as it does, into details. Many of the marshals' assistants here, did their duty faithfully, but the stu- pidity or worse, of others, shut out a variety of details necessary to the fullness and accuracy of the aggregate.
CINCINNATI, July 10th, 1851.
TABLE OF SUBJECTS.
I. PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS .- Site - Boundaries and Divi- sions-Geology-Magnetism-Terrestrial Magnetism-Magnetic In- tensity-Medical Topography-Meteorology ... 13
II. PERSONAL STATISTICS .- Population-Census of 1850-Nativities, United States-Nativities, Foreigners-Occupations, Trades and Pur- suits .. ... 44
III. EDUCATION .- Funds-Organization-Buildings-Corps of Teach- ers-Course of Studies-Statistics-Cost of Public Instruction-Cen- tral School-Parochial Schools-Academies and Private Schools- Colleges-Law Schools-Mercantile Schools-Theological Schools- General View of Education in Cincinnati-Fairmount Theological Seminary-Lane Seminary-St Xavier Seminary-Law School-Cin- cinnati Mercantile College-St. Xavier College-Wesleyan Female College -- Woodward College and High School-Herron's Seminary- Cincinnati Female Seminary-R. & H. H. Young's Academy ...... 52
IV. SOCIAL STATISTICS .- Dwelling-houses and Stores-Periodicals- Churches and Religious Societies. .71
V. PUBLIC AUTHORITIES .- Courts of Judicature-Legislative and Executive Departments .84
VI. MONETARY .- Banks and Bankers-Fire, Marine and Life Insurance. 88
VII. WATER AND ARTIFICIAL LIGHT .- City Water Works - Gas Works. 102
VIII. SCIENCE AND LITERATURE .- Observatory-Cincinnati Horticul- tural Society-Medical College of Ohio- Eclectic Medical Institute- Physo-Medical College - Ohio College of Dental Surgery - Ohio Mechanics' Institute-Young Men's Mercantile Library Association- Apprentices' Library .107
IX. THE FINE ARTS .- Arts' Union Hall-Picture Gallery-Artists. . 121 ( vii )
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TABLE OF SUBJECTS.
X. TRANSPORTATION AND TRAVEL .- Natural and Artificial Routes; Rivers, Roads, Canals and Railroads-Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton Railroad Company-Ohio and Mississippi Railroad Com- pany-Little Miami Railroad Company-Sandusky Route-Cleveland Route-Miami Canal-Cincinnati and Whitewater Canal-Forward- ing facilities 136
XI. NECROLOGICAL .- Spring Grove Cemetery-Comparative Mortality Table .. 145
XII. PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS, ETC .- Commercial Hospital and Lunatic Asylum of Ohio-Orphan Asylums-Widows Home-House of Re- fuge-Poorhouse and Farm-Cincinnati Relief Union-Hotel for In- valids-Tract Depository-Benevolent Societies-Temperance Socie- ties-Masonic-Odd Fellows-Public Halls-Hotels-Bathhouses- Fire Department. 149
XIII. MANUFACTURES AND INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS .- Table of Values, and Number of Hands Employed in each Pursuit-Per Cent- age of Raw Materials, Labor, etc. .169
XIV. COMMERCE .- Tables of Imports-Of Exports-Commission Busi- ness. .. 262
XV. MISCELLANEOUS .- Culture of the Grape-Suburbs-Biography, S. P. Chase-Farmers College-Markets and Market-Houses-Biography, A. Morrell, Jr .- Hog and its products-Biography, David T. Disney- Statistics of Strawberries-Biography, Geo. W. Coffin-Medical College of Ohio-Biography, J. D. Jones-The Electro Chronograph-Bio- graphy, O. M. Mitchel-Cincinnati, its Destiny-Biography, George W. Neff-Ship Building on the Ohio-New Public Buildings-St. Peter's Cathedral-Ohio Female College-National Armory in the West-Biography, Nicholas Longworth-Bowlder Pavement-Cin- cinnati Observatory-Coal-Glendale-Census of Ohio. ... 266
CINCINNATI IN 1851.
I. PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS.
SITE.
A WELL-DEFINED circle of hills-three miles in its diameter, and of remarkable regularity of outline, bisected east and west by the river Ohio, and north and south by Mill creek and Licking river- marks the site of Cincinnati, as its precise centre. The Ohio, at this point, makes in its course a bold, abrupt sweep, in the immediate curve of which, and on its northern edge, lies the city, which is, therefore, when approached by water, hardly visible until its entire panorama bursts upon the eye. The territory it embraces, includ- ing its north-east suburb-Fulton-may be not inaptly compared, in shape, to the old-fashioned harp, the curved side of which is formed by the Ohio; the upper edge, by Mill creek ; and the straight edge, by the northern line of the city, brought down at the north-east at an acute angle to the base of the instrument.
Cincinnati is immediately opposite Covington and Newport, in Kentucky .- Its latitude was determined, by Colonel Jared Mans- field, in his topographical surveys, 39º 6' 30" north, and its longi- tude 7º 24' 45" west. It is nearly central between Pittsburgh, at the head of the Ohio, and Cairo, at the junction of that river with the Mississippi, being about 465 miles from each point. Its distance by land traveling is-from Columbus 115; Indianapolis 120; Lex- ington 90; Nashville 270, and Pittsburgh 298 miles. By steam- boat conveyance-from Louisville 138; St. Louis 655; Natchez 1335, and New Orleans 1631 miles. By stage route it is 572 miles from Washington; 551 from Baltimore; 600 from Philadelphia, and, via Lake Erie and the Erie canal, 950 miles from New York.
The upper plane of Cincinnati is 540 feet above tide water at
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BOUNDARIES AND DIVISIONS.
Albany, and 25 feet below the level of Lake Erie: low water-mark of the Ohio river here being 432 feet above tide water at Albany, or 133 feet below Lake Erie. The descent of the upper part of Cincinnati to low water-mark is therefore 108 feet.
The platform of the city was originally formed of three levels or terraces, all sloping from the Ohio northwardly. The first of these extended from the bluff bank of the river to the base of the gravelly hill, which ranged nearly parallel with what is now Third street. The second of these terraces stretched to the hills immediately north of the old Corporation line ; and the third, embraced the yet higher elevations, which comprise the principal part of the XIth and XIIth wards of Cincinnati, and form the city boundary at its northern edge or line. The grade of these terraces has been for years changing, to conform to the general improvement of the city, and now affords the regular and facile ascent and descent required for heavy draughts, as well as to permit the safe discharge of water from the upper table of Cincinnati.
The best views of Cincinnati may be obtained from various points of the hills along its northern edge. Those whose residence on the immediate coast of the Atlantic renders the dashing of its billows along the shore a familiar sound, will recognize at once, while stand- ing on one of these hills, in the sounds of city life blended and har- monized by distance, the peculiar and well known music of ocean waves bursting on the shore,-one of the grandest, and at the same time of the sweetest, among the harmonies of nature.
BOUNDARIES AND DIVISIONS
CINCINNATI is bounded-north and north-east by Mill creek and Fulton townships; the Ohio river forms its southern and eastern boundaries; and Mill creek lies on its west. It is divided into sixteen WARDS, whose limits and boundary lines are as follows :
I .- Beginning at the intersection of Main and Third streets ; run- ning thence eastwardly, along Third to Symmes street; thence north-eastwardly, along Symmes and High streets, to the old Cor- poration line ; thence due west, along said Corporation line, as far as the point of intersection of East Sixth street; thence south- westwardly, along East Sixth street, to Main street; thence south- wardly, along Main street, to the place of beginning.
II .- Beginning at the intersection of Race and Third streets;
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BOUNDARIES AND DIVISIONS.
running thence eastwardly, along Third street, to Walnut street ; thence southwardly, along Walnut street, to Pearl street; thence east- wardly, along Pearl street to Main street; thence northwardly, along Main street to Seventh street; thence westwardly, along Seventh street to Race street; thence southwardly, along Race street, to the place of beginning.
III .- Beginning at the intersection of Main and Third streets ; running thence eastwardly, along Third street to Symmes street; thence north-eastwardly along Symmes and High streets, to the old Corporation line ; thence east, along said line to the Ohio river; thence down the Ohio river, with the meanders thereof, to the foot of Main street ; thenee northwardly, along Main street, to the place of beginning.
IV .- Beginning at the intersection of John and Third streets; running thence, eastwardly, along Third street to Walnut street ; thence southwardly, along Walnut street to Pearl street; thence eastwardly, along Pearl street to Main street; thence southwardly, along Main street, to the Ohio river; thence down the Ohio river, with the meanders thereof, to the foot of John street; thence north- wardly, along John street, to the place of beginning.
V .- Beginning at the intersection of Western Row and Seventh street ; running thence, eastwardly, along Seventh street to Main street ; thence northwardly, along Main street, to the Miami canal ; thence westwardly, along said Miami canal to Plum street; thence westwardly, along the continuation of South Canal, or Grandin street, to Western Row; thence southwardly, along Western Row, to the place of beginning.
VI .- Beginning at the intersection of Fifth and Smith streets ; running thence, southwardly, along Smith street, to Third street ; thence eastwardly, along Third street, to John street; thience south- wardly, along John street, to the Ohio river; thence down the Ohio river, with the meanders thereof, to the foot of Fifth street; thence eastwardly, along Fifth street, to the place of beginning.
VII .- Beginning at the intersection of Western Row and Liberty street, or the old Corporation line ; running thence east, along said Liberty street, or old Corporation line, to Race street ; thence south- wardly, along Race street, to the Miami canal; thence westwardly, along and across the Miami canal to Plum street ; thence westwardly along the continuation of South Canal or Grandin street, to Western Row ; thence northwardly, along Western Row, to the place of beginning.
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BOUNDARIES AND DIVISIONS.
VIII .- Beginning at the intersection of Baymiller and Catharine streets ; running thence eastwardly, along Catharine street, to West- ern Row ; thenee northwardly, along Western Row, to Liberty street, or the old Corporation line ; thence east, along the said Liberty street, or old Corporation line, to Piatt street ; thence south- wardly, along Piatt street to Clark street; thence eastwardly, along Clark street, to Baymiller street; thence southwardly along Bay- miller street, to the place of beginning.
IX .- Beginning at the intersection of Main and Hunt streets; running thenee eastwardly, along Hunt street, to the Lebanon turn- pike road ; thence north-eastwardly, along the Lebanon turnpike road, to Liberty street, or the old Corporation line; thence east, along Liberty street, or the old Corporation line, to Main street ; thence southwardly, along Main street, to the place of beginning.
X .- Beginning at Race street, where_ it intersects the Miami canal; running thence eastwardly, along the said Miami canal to Main street ; thence northwardly, along Main street, to Liberty street, or the old Corporation line ; thence east, along the said Liberty street, or the old Corporation line, to Race street; thence south- wardly, along Race street, to the place of beginning.
XI .- Beginning at the intersection of Vine street and Liberty street, or the old Corporation line ; running thence east, along said line, to the point where the same is intersected by the west line of Fulton township ; thence north-eastwardly, along the said line, to the northern boundary of the city; thence west, along the said northern boundary line, to the Vine street road : thence south wardly, along the Vine street road, to the place of beginning.
XII .- Beginning at the intersection of Vine street and Liberty street, or the old Corporation line ; running thence west, along said line to Mill creek ; thence up Mill creek, with the meanders thereof, to the northern boundary of the city ; thence east, along the said northern boundary line, to the Vine street road ; thence southwardly, along the said road, to the place of beginning.
XIII .- Beginning at the intersection of Main and Sixth streets ; running thence eastwardly and north-eastwardly, along Sixth street, to the old Corporation line ; thence west, along the said old Corpora- tion line, to the Lebanon turnpike road ; thenee south-westwardly, along the said Lebanon turnpike road, to a point where it intersects Hunt street ; thence eastwardly, along Hunt street, to Main street; thenee southwardly, along Main street, to the place of beginning.
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GEOLOGY.
XIV .- Beginning at the intersection of Smith and Third streets ; running thence eastwardly, along Third street, to Race street ; thence northwardly, along Race street, to Seventh street; thenee westwardly, along Seventh street to John street ; thence southwardly, along John street, to Sixth street; thence westwardly, along Sixth street, to Smith street ; thence southwardly, along Smith street, to the place of beginning.
XV .- Beginning at the intersection of Catharine street and Bay- miller street ; running thenee southwardly, along Baymiller street, to George street; thence sonth from George street to Sixth street ; thence westwardly, along Sixth street, to the Whitewater canal; thenee southwardly, along the Whitewater canal, to the crossing of Fifth street ; thence eastwardly, along Fifth street to Smith street ; thenee northwardly, along Smith street, to Sixth street; thence eastwardly, along Sixth street, to John street ; thence northwardly, along John street to Seventh street; thence eastwardly, along Seventh street, to Western Row ; thence northwardly, along West- ern Row, to Catharine street ; thence westwardly, along Catharine street, to the place of beginning.
XVI .- Beginning at the foot of Fifth street; running thence east- wardly, along Fifth street to the Whitewater canal ; thence north- wardly, along the said Whitewater canal, to Sixth street ; thence eastwardly, along Sixth street, to a point south of Baymiller street, where it interseets George street; thenee north to George street ; thence northwardly, along Baymiller street, to Clark street; thence westwardly, along Clark street, to Piatt street ; thence northwardly, along Piatt street, to the old Corporation line; thence west, along said line, to Mill creek ; thence down Mill creek, with the meanders thereof, to the Ohio river ; thence up the Ohio river, with the mean- ders thereof, to the place of beginning.
GEOLOGY.
CINCINNATI is situated in that part of the "geological column " of roeks commonly known, among the learned, under the name of the " Lower Silurian Formation," a place in general below, but nearly contiguous to, the coal-measures, but in particular at Cincinnati, considerably removed from the coal by the interposition of several layers of different sorts of rocks. Our blue limestone at Cincinnati is, however, very different in its character from the Silurian Forma-
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GEOLOGY.
tion of England, being infinitely more abundant in fossils, most of which are of a different species. The country in the immediate vicinity of Cincinnati seems, in a remote period of geological history, to have been a level terrace about 600 feet above low water of the Ohio, and nearly 1200 feet above the Atlantic ocean. This terrace, now modified by the valleys or channels excavated by the streams, is composed of alternate layers of blue clay-marl, and a blue or lead- colored fossiliferous limestone. The stone is nearly pure carbonate of lime, but sometimes passing more or less into a soft shale or slate. The marl contains lime and is effervescent with acids, but still exhibits the external characters of a tough clay somewhat indurated. Through these strata the streams appear to have worn their present channels to the depth of five to six hundred feet, having left, at various heights above their present beds, their ancient alluvion of clay, sand, and gravel, often inclosing logs of wood and not unfre- quently the remains of elephants and mastodons. The larger streams are now found meandering through alluvial plains called " bottom lands," extending from half of a mile to four miles in width. These alluvions present at the surface a rich, black, fertile mold, from six inches to two or three feet deep, well wrought in the native condi- tion, by the natural cultivators, the earth-worm and the mole. Beneath this mold are several feet, eight to twelve, perhaps, of amber-colored clay-loam, supported often by a substratum of clay, sand, or granitic gravel. The black mold and amber loam above described, extend over the high terrace, but often with a diminished thickness, and without the gravelly substratum, resting immediately on the limestone in situ. It constitutes a soil of proverbial fertility, but from the quantity of clay which it contains, it is adhesive when too wet, and stiff and impenetrable when too dry. This amber- colored loam imparts its tinge to the waters of the Ohio during its floods, and has given origin to the poetical name of the " Amber Stream." The descents into the valleys, although steep, are gener- ally rounded and covered with fertile soil. As the rocks, although they sometimes " crop out," never form high cliffs, the waved and hilly outline seen from below is rather beautiful than picturesque.
Cincinnati itself is built on an ancient alluvial plain, lying in two levels called the " upper and lower bottoms." The lower level, fifty to sixty feet above extreme low water of the Ohio, presents a deep loam ; the upper level, seventy or eighty feet higher than the lower one, beside the black mold and amber loam, has a substratum
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