USA > Ohio > Hamilton County > Cincinnati > Centennial history of Cincinnati and representative citizens, Vol. I, Pt. 1 > Part 72
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According to another reminiscential account of the town in 1805, the population, which was about 950 at this time, occupied 172 buildings; four of these were of stone, six were of brick, 109 of frame and 53 were log cabins. The stone buildings were those of Jesse Hunt on Second near Eastern row, Judge Aaron Goforth on Walnut below Fourth, Andrew Lemon on Water street and Joel Williams, also on Water street. Those of brick were the Miami Ex- porting Company's bank building on Front near Main, Judge Burnet's residence on Vine and Third (the site of the present Burnet House). the building of Elmore Williams on Fifth and Main and Nimmo's on Main near Fourth and two others whose narnes are not preserved. Not long after this the office of Liberty Hall and its editor, Rev. John W. Browne, was built at the east end of the lower market house. (John D. Caldwell in Cincinnati Pioneer, No. IV, p. 7.)
MANSFIELD.
E. D. Mansfield, whose name is inseparably connected with the history of the city and whose life of Dr. Drake and "Personal Memories" are among the most valuable treasures of Cincinnati literature, arrived in Cincinnati with his father Jared Mansfield, who had just been appointed surveyor-general, in October, 1805. He was a very small boy and his trip from Marietta and first view of Cincinnati which was the first town he had seen except Marietta were very vividly impressed upon his mind and constituted the first of his memories. His family came down on an ark, an oblong flat-bottomed boat, made of boards,
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with a small cabin at one end fitted up for his mother.
Of Cincinnati he says it was "one of the dirtiest little villages you ever saw. Of course I was not driven around that immense town to sce its splendors but the principal street or settle- ment was Front street and that I saw. The chief houses at that time were on Front street from Broadway to Sycamore; they were two-story frame houses, painted white. One was that of General Findlay, receiver of the Land Office * *
* * and subsequently member of Congress from the Cincinnati district. The Findlays were all of a popular caste of character. They were sanguine, pleasant, genial men. Belonging to the Democratic party, at a time when that party was dominant in nearly all the States, they were readily promoted to political honors. James Findlay may be properly characterized as a gen- tleman-not so common a character as some per- sons suppose. He was easy in manner, kind- hearted, genial, fond of good living, and a very upright man." ( Personal Memories, p. 19.)
A traveler, Josiah Espy, who passed through the town at this time (September 4, 1805), speaks of Cincinnati as a remarkably sprightly, thriving town of about two hundred dwelling houses,- many of these elegant brick buildings.
HILDRETHI.
Curiously enough, Mr. Mansfield's account of his trip does not agree with that of S. P. Hil- dreth, who describes the voyage of a little 70- ton schooner called the "Nonpareil," which left Marietta April 21st, and contained among other passengers General Mansfield and his family. According to Mr. Hildreth, new settlements and improvements were springing up along the bank between Marietta and Cincinnati every few miles, there being no less than 10 towns, some of con- siderable importance, in this distance, 160 miles. The voyage took 17 days and they landed on the 8th of May.
"The enlivening notes of the fife and drum at reveille were no longer heard, and the loud booming of the morning gun, as it rolled its cchoes along the hills and the winding shores of the river, had ceased to awaken the inhabitants from their slumbers. Cincinnati had been from its foundation until within a short period the headquarters of the different armies engaged in the Indian wars; and the continual arrival and departure of the troops, the landing of boats and detachments of packhorses with provisions,
had given to this little village all the life and activity of a large city. Peace was now restored ; and the enlivening hum of commerce was begin- ning to be heard on the landings, while the bustle and hurry of hundreds of immigrants thronged the streets as they took their departure for the rich valleys of the Miamis, the intended home of many a weary pilgrim from the At- lantic States. The log houses were beginning to disappear-brick and frame buildings were supplying their places. Large warehouses had arisen near the water for the storing of groceries and merchandise, brought up in barges and keel- boats from the far distant city of New Orleans." (American Pioneer, Vol. I, p. 98.)
ASHE.
Another view of the town is given by the Englishman, Thomas Ashe, elsewhere referred to, wlio visited it in the following year, 1806. He chose during a part of his travels to act the part of a Frenchman under the name of D'Ar- ville and he assumed the character of a learned man of science. He evolved the theory that the earthworks in Cincinnati were the ruins of an ancient city and, as has already been stated, swindled Dr. Goforth out of his collection of relies. In his account of his travels published after his return to Europe he describes Cincin- nati as follows :
"The town consists of about three hundred houses, frame and log, built on two plains, the higher and the lower, each of which commands a fine view of the opposite shore, the month of Licking, the town of Newport, and the Ohio waters for a considerable way both up and down. The public buildings consist of a court house, prison, and two places of worship; and two . printing-presses are established, which issue pa- 'pers once a week. Cincinnati is also the line of communication with the chain of forts ex- tended from Fort Washington to the westward, and is the principal town in what is called Symmes' Purchase. The garrison end of the town is now in a state of ruin. A land office for the sale of Congress lands at two dollars per acre is held in the town, and made no less than seventeen thousand contracts the last year with persons both from Europe and all parts of the United States. So very great and extensive is the character of the portion of the State of which this town is the fort and capital, that it absorbs the whole reputation of the country. deprives it of its topographical name, and is dis-
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tinguished by that of the 'Miamis.' In Holland, Germany, Ireland, and the remote parts of America, persons intending to emigrate declare that they will go to the 'Miamis.' *
* . "The commerce at present is conducted by the keepers of about thirty stores. * *
* The merchants, however, make an exorbitant profit. Those of four years' standing, who came with goods obtained at Philadelphia and Baltimorc on credit, have paid their debts, and now live at their case. *
"In general the people of Cincinnati make a favorable impression; they are orderly, decent, sociable, liberal, and unassuming; and were I compelled to live in the Western country, I would give their town a decided preference. There are among the citizens several gentlemen of in- tegrity, intelligence, and worth." (Travels in America in 1806, p. 201.)
The ladies he found possessed of comeliness, distinction and taste, of tall, slender and grace- ful figures, with much animation and expression.
Among the gentlemen who particularly won his praisc were Generals Findlay and Gano, Messrs. Dugan and Moore and his dupe, Dr. Go- forth. The amusement of the time consisted he says of balls and amateur plays "the former of which going to literary and humane purposes disposes me to think them both entertaining and good."
The most interesting feature of this account is the mention of the garrison at the end of the town; the troops had been moved across the river a couple of years before, although it was not until 1808 that the fort was entirely dis- mantled. The removal of the soldiers was ob- viously an important event in the life of the set- tlement.
Dr. Hildreth in the quotation already cited re- fers to the importance of the headquarters to the city and the fact that the notes of the fife and drum and the booming of the morning gun were no longer heard. The agitation over the Burr conspiracy, however, must have given again a military appearance to the city for a short time for Mrs. Ludlow in her "Journal" records under date of September 28, 1806, that in conse- quence of the fear of Burr's schemes, cannon had been "planted on the bank and a sentinel sta- tioned on the watch. The light horse commanded by Captain Ferguson have gallantly offered their services, and Captain Carpenter's company of infantry are on the alert. Cincinnati has quite the appearance of a garrisoned town. A tre-
inendous cannonading was heard yesterday, and all thought Burr and his armament had arrived; but it was only a salute to a fleet of flat-boats containing military stores for the different sta- tions on the river." (Garrard's Memoir of Char- lotte Chambers, p. 63.)
SCHULTZ.
In 1807 a German tourist named Schultz made a trip through the Western and Southwestern country. He subsequently published an account of his travels. At Cincinnati he found three hundred houses several of which were "very gen- teel buildings ; it has a bank, market-house, print- ing-office, and a number of storcs well stocked with every kind of merchandise in demand in this country. The markets are well furnished both as to abundance and variety." Flour was but $3.50 to $4.00 a barrel and the country around produced all the necessities of life with but very little labor. He speaks of Fort Wash- ington as still being at the upper end of the town although useless at the time by reason of the increased population of the country. (Trav- els Through Ohio, Vol. I, p. 181.)
CUMING.
In the following year F. Cuming of Phila- delphia visited the settlement. The houses he found were many of them all brick and all in general well, built and well painted with that air of ncatness so conspicuous in Connecticut and New Jersey. Some of the new brick houses were of three stories with flat roofs and one of four stories was then building. He particularly men- tions the handsome brick house beautifully sit- uated just outside the west end of the town be- longing to Jacob Burnet, "an eminent lawyer." Of the old fort he observed no remains. His visit was in May and the sale had taken place a couple of months before and evidently the work of demolition had been complete.
CUTLER'S PICTURE, "CINCINNATI IN 1809."
In the well known picture called "Cincinnati in 1809" is found the earliest contemporary representation of the town-At the extreme right beyond the space which had been occupied by the military reservation was the post office kept by Major Ruffin. On the northwest corner of Broadway and Front was a small building, one of the oldest in the city, crected by Captain Bartle and finished and occupied by Charles Vattier. Next to it was a three-story house
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known as Smith's Tavern, the headquarters of General Harrison in the War of 1812 and the residence of his family during his absence with the army. At the corner of Sycamore and Front streets was Yeatman's Tavern. In the stone stable in the rear of this were held the amateur dramatic performances in which took part Ethan Allen Brown, afterwards Governor of the State, General Findlay and Mr. Sill, both mem- bers of Congress, Mr. Totten, afterwards gen- eral in the engineers' department, Mr. Rollings and Mr. Wade, attorneys, Colonel Cutler, Capt. John Mansfield and Nicholas Longworth. The proceeds of this performance were intended to be given for the foundation of a public library but they were eventually devoted to the crection of a market house Lower Market street. On Front street a little west of Sycamore was a three-story building occupied by the Miami Ex- porting Company.
The original picture made by Lieut. Jervis Cutler, who is said to have been stationed for a time at Newport Barracks, is contained in "A Topographical Description of the State of Ohio, Indiana Territory and Louisiana, etc., by a late officer of the United States Army" published in Boston, 1812. This curious view of Cincinnati in 1809 is designated by Mr. Thompson in his bibhography as the first engraved. Practically the same vicw is reprinted in "Shaffer's Business Directory for 1840," where it is entitled "Cin- cinnati in 1800 from a picture in possession of D. A. Shaffer drawn by Capt. E. Cutler." The view known as Cincinnati in 1810 is apparently taken from a section of this picture. This is the one usually printed. John D. Caldwell re- published a portion of it in the "Cincinnati Pioneer" for September, 1873, which includes only so inuch of the river bank as that portion occupied by the Public Landing extending from Broadway to Main. It shows the Court House at Fifth and Main in the background. The picture reproduced in this volume is from the Cutler plate.
L'HOMMEDIEU.
We have several descriptions of the city as it appeared in 1810. S. S. L'Hommedieu, presi- dent of the Pioneer Association, in his inaugural address April 7, 1874, describes it as it appeared at the time of his arrival in that year. In the summer of 18to three families, the Fosdicks, Rogers and L'Hommedieus, left Sag Harbor on Long Island for the West. They sailed by boat to New York City without encountering anything
in particular except the falling overboard of two of the party, one of whom was Samuel Fosdick. From Philadelphia they traveled in the old style Conestoga wagons until they reached Pittsburg, from which point they came to Cincinnati on kecl-boats. Cincinnati was reached October 21st, after a journey of 63 days from New York.
"Cincinnati was then a village, containing about two thousand people. The houses were mostly frame or log cabins, located generally on the lower level, below what is now Third street. The principal street was Main, and was pretty well built upon as high as Sixth or Seventh street, the latter being the northern boundary of the village. It had its Presbyterian meeting house, a frame building on the square between Fourth and Fifth, Main and Walnut streets; its graveyard, Court House, jail, and publie whip- ping-post, all on the same square. Upon this same ground between the Court House and meet- ing house, bands of friendly Indians would occa- sionally have war-dances, much to the amuse- ment of the villagers; after which the hat would be handed around for the benefit, it may be, of the pappooses.
"And here I may mention the fact that the pews and pulpit sounding-board of that same old pioneer meeting house, built in the years 1792-93. whose pulpit was, in 1810, occupied by that able, fine-looking, hospitable, brave old Kentucky, preacher Dr. Joshua L. Wilson, are still in use in a small German Lutheran Church, on the river road, within the present corporate limits of our city.
"The village also had its stone Methodist meeting house, built in 1805-06, situated on East Fifth street, a little west of Eastern row, then the eastern boundary of the village, now Broad- way. It also had its post office, on the corner of Lawrence and Front streets, and its Davis Embree brewery, on the river bank, below Race street." (Cineinnati Pioncer, No. III, p. 11.)
President L'Hommedieu in his address to the Pioneer Association April 7, 1874, suggested a few contrasts between the Cincinnati of 1810 and the time of his speaking. In 1810 the latest news from Europe was from sixty to ninety days old. In 1870 the news published in the London Times at six in the morning could be read in the Cincinnati dailies at the same hour of the day. At an earlier date a journey from New York to Cineinnati by a vessel to Phila- delphia, Conestoga wagon to Pittsburg and a keel-boat down the Ohio took 60 days while in
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1870 it could be made in less than 30 hours. The time of course has been still more shortened in the last few years. 'The trip to New Orleans by barge, keel-boat or broadhorn and return on horseback through the Indian country in 1810 occupied from three to four months. In 1870 by steamboat the trip required 15 days and four days by railroad. A trip to Columbus in 1810 occupied six to eight days according to the season and depth of mud as against three hours at present, while that to Dayton took from two to four days. In 1810 the streets during a large portion of the year were covered with dust about six inches deep and at other times much deeper so that there were but two or three points at which Main street could be crossed by foot pas- sengers. In 1870, says Mr. L'Hommedieu, the foot passenger could cross at any point with- out soiling his stockings "if he wear boots or high shoes." In 1810 preachers gave sermons from one and a half hours to two hours long and sometimes took an intermission for fifteen min- utes and then went on with their discourses. In modern times over half an hour in delivery is not generally acceptable. Fashionable parties at the earlier dates were given in the afternoon from five to nine o'clock; at present between ten in the evening and two in the morning. In 1810, says Mr. L'Hommedieu, public officers, con- tractors, councilmen, aldermen, Congressmen and Senators were generally honest while in 1870, says he, "for contrast see the newspapers of all parties all over the country." A rather pessimis- tic comparison. (Cincinnati Pioneer, No. III, p. 22.)
DRAKE'S "NOTICES CONCERNING CINCINNATI."
By far the most complete description of the city at this time however is the contemporaneous one made by Dr. Daniel Drake in "Notices Con- cerning Cincinnati," the first book published con- cerning the city. Much of this description has already been given in another chapter.
"About two-thirds of the houses are in the 'Bottom,' the rest on the 'Hill.' It is in squares of 396 feet. The streets, except Broadway (which is 100) are sixty-six feet wide. They intersect each other at right angles, and the meridional lines vary 17 deg. W. from N. This cannot be considered so favorable to ventilation as an eastern variation, for our prevalent winds are in a line running from S. W. to N. E. None of the streets are paved. Alleys are not numer- ous. There is no permanent common, except an inconsiderable one between Front street and the
river (the Public Landing). Along some of our sidewalks trees are planted, but they are not suffi- ciently numerous. The absurd clamor against the caterpillar of the Lombardy poplar, caused many trees of that species to be cut down; and at present the white flowering locust very justly attracts most attention; it should be cultivated still more generally.
"The number of dwelling houses is about 360. They are chiefly built of brick and wood; a few are of stone. Scarcely any are so constructed as to afford habitations for families beneath the sur- face of the ground; and not many are built with porches.
"The town contains two cemeteries. One is for the interment of the deceased of all denom- inations. It lies between Fourth and Fifth streets, nearly in the center of the Hill popula- tion. It has been a common receptacle for the town, for strangers and for the troops in Fort Washington previous to the erasement of that garrison since the first settlement here. Its area is something less than half a square. The other place of sepulture is designed for the use of the Methodist society. It was established about five years ago, in the N. E. quarter of the town, on the Hill.
"There are eight brick yards. They lie in the western part of the Bottom, near the second bank, which is the lowest portion of the site of the town. They abound in pools, the water of which has Been drained from almost every part of the town.
"The shambles of our butchers are fixed on the bank of Deer creek, to the N. and N. E. of the town. The tanneries are in the same direc- tion.
"The population of Cincinnati and its suburbs is 2,320 souls, of which number 1,227 are males, 1,013 females and eighty are negroes. The num- ber of children under sixteen years is 1,051. The number of persons over forty-five years is 184. The number who have attained to the scriptural limit of human life, three score and ten, is not known ; but as men who have passed sixty years of age do not often emigrate to new and distant countries, instances of great longevity are not to be expected here. Indeed, from the recent settlement of this place, few or none of its adult inhabitants are its natives. They have emigrated from every State in the Union, and from most of the countries in the west of Europe, more es- pecially Ireland, England, Germany and Scot- land. The American emigrants have been sup- plied principally by the States north of Virginia.
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"A population derived from such distant sources,' and so recently brought together, must necessarily exhibit much physical as well as moral diversity. The climate and soil have not yet in- troduced a uniform constitution of body ; nor customs, manner and laws a uniform moral char- acter. The inhabitants are generally laborious. By far the greatest number are mechanics. The rest are chiefly merchants, professional men and teachers. Wealth is distributed more after the manner of the Northern, than Southern States ; and few, or none, are so independent as to live without engaging in some kind of business.
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"A great portion of the inhabitants are tem- perate. There are not a few, however, who daily, but quietly, become intoxicated, and no very inconsiderable number have been known to fall victims to that habit., Whisky is in uni- versal, but not exclusive, use, among the intem- perate ; beer and cider are generally drunk by those of more sobriety. Well water is generally drunk in the summer, and used otherwise by a few throughout the year. But the water of the river, drawn up in barrels, is employed for all do- mestic purposes by far the greatest number, and is drunk throughout half the year by at least half the inhabitants.
"The use of tobacco among the male sex is much too general. It is not confined to those who might derive benefit or comfort from it, but extends, with the usual number of exceptions, to all ages, from ten years old, upwards.
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"The diet of the inhabitants is similar to that of the people of other Middle and Eastern States. Green tea and coffee are in general and exten- sive use. Fresh meats are eaten in great quan- tities. Beef, more especially in the summer and autumn, is used to the exclusion of most other meats, in a great many families. The market is well supplied with culinary vegetables. Fer- mented wheat bread is in very 'general use. It is commonly eaten fresh, but hot bread is much seldomer served up here, than in the Southern States. Indian corn bread is by no means un- common. Rye is almost unknown as an article of food. Fish are not a principal article of diet, though the river affords many.
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"The dress of our inhabitants is similar to that of the other inhabitants of the Middle States. The females injure their health by dressing too thin, and both sexes by not accommodating the quantity of clothing to the changes of the weather. The amusement of balls and other evening parties, so defective to female health in
all parts of the United States, are engaged in here, but not to remarkable excess.
"No natural or artificial mineral waters are used here in the summer, nor are there any arti- ficial baths. Bathing in the river is practiced by some, but is less regular and general than it ought to be." ( Notices Concerning Cincinnati : By Daniel Drake, Cincinnati: Printed for the Author, At the Press of John W. Browne & Co., 1810; p. 29-This is the rarest book relat- ing to Cincinnati. Mr. Thompson in his "Bibli- ography of Ohio" says that he can trace the ex- istence of but three copies. There are several copies in the different local libraries.)
MELISH.
John Melish, an Englishman, visited Cincin- nati in 1811 and subsequently published two volumes about his travels. He speaks of Cincin- nati and its manufactures as follows :
"This is, next to Pittsburgh, the greatest place for manufactures and mechanical operations on the river, and the professions exercised are nearly as numerous as at Pittsburgh. There are masons and stonecutters, brick-makers, carpenters, cab- inet-makers, coppersmiths, tinsmiths, silver- smiths, gunsmiths, clock and watchmakers, tan- ners, saddlers, boot and shoemakers, glovers and breeches-makers, cotton-spinners, weavers, dyers, taylors, printers, bookbinders, rope-makers, comb- makers, painters, pot and pearl ashmakers.
"These branches are mostly all increasing, and afford good wages to the journeymen. Carpen- ters and cabinet-makers have one dollar per day and their board, masons have two dollars per one thousand for laying bricks and their board ; when they board themselves they have about four dollars per one thousand. Other classes have from one to one dollar twenty-five cents per day, according to the nature of the work.
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