Centennial history of Cincinnati and representative citizens, Vol. I, Pt. 2, Part 29

Author: Greve, Charles Theodore, b. 1863. cn
Publication date: 1904
Publisher: Chicago : Biographical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1048

USA > Ohio > Hamilton County > Cincinnati > Centennial history of Cincinnati and representative citizens, Vol. I, Pt. 2 > Part 29

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

680

CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF CINCINNATI

were the Western Messenger, Christian Preacher, Precursor, Missionary Herald, Evangelist, West- ern Farmer and Gardener and Rev. J. H. Per- kins' Family Magasine. , There was also a Coun- terfeit Detector.

The churches at this time were quite numerous. The Catholic St. Peter's Cathedral was still on the west side of Sycamore between Sixth and Seventh while the German Catholic Church of the Holy Trinity was on the south side of Fifth between Smith and Park. Christ Church and St. Paul's occupied the sites to which their names are still attached (St. Paul Building). Dr. J. L. Wilson was the pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, still on the west side of Main between Fourth and Fifth, which with the Fourth and Fifth belonged to the Old School General Assem- bly Presbyterian faith. The New School was represented by Dr. Lyman Beecher's church, the Second, on the south side of Fourth between Vine and Race, the Third, Sixth and African Presbyterian. There was also a Reformed Pres- byterian and an Associate Presbyterian. The regular Baptist organizations were the Ninth Street, the First and the African Baptist churches. The Christian Disciples were led by Elder James Challen on the west side of Sycamore between Fifth and Sixth. There were seven Methodist Episcopal churches, headed by Wesley Chapel as well as a Methodist Protestant Church and an Independent Methodist Church. The Friends' meeting houses were two in number,-on the south side of Fifth between Western row and John street. Other churches were three of the - New Jerusalem persuasion, Rev. W. H. Chan- ning's Unitarian Church, Rev. John A. Gurley's Universalist Church and Restorationist Church, the United German, the United German Protest- ant, German Lutheran, United Brethren in Chirist, two Jewish synagogues, two Welsh churches (one Calvinistic and the other Con- gregational) and Bethel Chapel. There was also the Bethel Society and various mission and re- ligious educational societies.

Under the head of charitable institutions were included three orphan asylums,-St. Peter's at Third and Plum. St. Aloysius' at Sixth opposite Jolin, and the Cincinnati Orphan Asylum on Elm near 13th. The first two were Catholic. Other charitable institutions especially mentioned are the Commercial Hospital and Lunatic Asylum of Ohio, the House of Employment for Female Poor and the Charitable Intelligence Office. The Masonic lodges included the old Nova Caesarea Harmony Lodge, No. 2; Miami Lodge, No. 46;

Lafayette Lodge, No. 81 ; Cincinnati Command- ery of Knights Templar; Cincinnati Council, No. 2, of Royal and Select Masters, and the Cin- cinnati Royal Arch Chapter, No. 2. There was also a lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Among other institutions of note was the Cincinnati Savings Institution, of which George W. Jones was president, and various benevolent societies, Caledonian, Scotch, Irish, temperance, anti-slavery, etc. The scientific and literary institutions included the Western Acad- emy of Natural Sciences, Apprentices' Library, and Young Men's Mercantile Library Associa- tion.

The common schools at that time contained about 4,000 pupils and 60 teachers who were accommodated in nine school houses built of brick and containing four rooms each. An il- lustration is given of one of these school houses of the style of architecture familiar to all resi- dents of the city. (This is reproduced in this work.) The Cincinnati College under the presi- ciency of Rev. T. J. Biggs was once more mak- ing an effort to give instruction in classics and mathematics. Woodward College was under the charge of Rev. Dr. Aydelott while St. Xavier College was presided over by Rev. Mr. Elet. Al- though there was not in the proper sense any university, the various schools of the city to sonte extent supplied its place. These schools included Lane Seminary, Western Baptist Theological In- stitute in Covington, of both of which institutions engravings are given and St. Francis Xavier Theological Seminary. There was also the Cin- cinnati Law School in charge of Timothy Walker, the Medical College of Ohio and in the Ohio Me- chanics' Institute were classes in drawing, mathe- matics and the practical arts. There were said to be in Cincinnati at that time 400 pupils re- ceiving university and college instruction in var- ious academics. Lane Seminary, the Medical College of Ohio and the Oliio Mechanics' Insti- tute are discussed at length. The last named which had been formed as heretofore stated in 1828 had wandered from the north wing of the Cincinnati College Building to the old Baptist Church on Walnut street and afterwards to Mrs. Trollope's Bazaar. In 1838 it hield an animal fair for the exhibition of Western manufactures and the encouragement of Western artists, which was repeated in 1839 and 1840. These fairs which commenced on the third Monday in June of each year exhibited every class of manufactures and were very successful. Dr. John Craig, the first president and prime mover in the organization,

681

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

had recently been succeeded by Dr. John Locke. At this time Dr. Locke was delivering a course of lectures on natural philosophy on two evenings of each week. On Saturday evenings popular lec- tures were delivered by different gentlemen in the hall of the Institute on Third east of Broadway. In this historic building not only were gathered the apparatus and collections of the Institute but also those of the Western Academy of Natural Sciences, while in the old ball room decorated by Hervieu was a reading room and saloon. The rotunda over the portico in the rear built for paintings was occupied by a drawing class. Here too were held annual fairs which also occupied a part of the vacant lot adjoining. The president of the board at that time was J. P. Foote. This same cultivated gentleman was the president of the Society for the Promotion of Useful Knowl- edge which had been organized in March, 1840, to foster instruction, by lectures and otherwise, in practical teaching, exact and mixed sciences, natural science, practical arts, fine arts, medicine, law, political economy and political science, moral and intellectual philosophy, history, languages, commerce and agriculture, polite literature and statistics. Other officers of this interesting so- ciety were E. P. Langdon, M. T. Williams, E. D. Mansfield, J. H. Perkins and M. Holley. The Eclectic Academy of Music organized in 1834 had about 100 members with a good library of music and an amateur orchestra of 24 instru- ments: Judge Jacob Burnet was the president and Victor Williams, instrumental professor. Another musical society was the Musical Fund Society, organized April 29, 1835, which had re- cently been revived with J. Tosso as leader of the orchestra. A large number of artists and works of art added their influence to the city. The Cincinnati Academy of Fine Arts had just been organized with Godfrey N. Frankenstein as president and Jolin L. Whetstone as secretary. This organization had held an exhibition of 150 pieces at the Mechanics' Institute in 1839 for the purpose of obtaining sufficient funds to pro- cure a collection of casts. They were unsuc- cessful, from a pecuniary standpoint, in the ex- hibition but in 1840 contributions of citizens per- mitted the purchase of such a collection, the first of the kind ever brought to the West. An exhibition open to all Western artists was con- templated for 1841. A great body of Cincinnati artists belonged to the section of the fine arts, one of the departments of the Society for the Promotion of Useful Knowledge.

The old familiar names still appear in the dif- ferent fire companies.

The Cincinnati Water Company had just sold out its plant to the city and Samuel H. Davies was the superintendent of the water works which comprehended at that time 2334 miles of pipe of which four and one-fourth miles were iron and the rest wood.

Eighty-eight steamboats were given as belong- ing to the district of Cincinnati in January, 1841. Among these are several familiar names such as the "General Pike," "Queen of the West," "Pike" and "New Orleans."

The dignity of the United States was upheld by the Federal officers who at that time were J. B. Warren, surveyor and depository of public moneys, Ezekiel S. Haines, surveyor general with offices in the Lytle mansion, and William Burke, postmaster. There were 60 mails arriving at the city each week and the revenue of the office for the year 1840 was $49,815.13.

The officers of the city at that time were Samuel W. Davies, mayor ; James Saffin, mar- shal; Samuel Scott, treasurer ; and Joseph Gest, surveyor. Edward Woodruff was president of the City Council, Nathaniel C. Read, president judge, J. W. Piatt, clerk of the Court of Com- mon Pleas and David K. Este, judge, and Dan- iel Gano, clerk of the Superior Court.

A most valuable section of Mr. Cist's book is taken up with a chapter of "Early Annals" made up of quotations from carly numbers of the Western. Spy and Hamilton Gasette. Mr. Cist was not able to obtain a view of the earlier newspapers which he regarded as probably of lit- tle value !

Another important contribution is the letter of John Cleves Symmes written to Jonathan Day- ton from North Bend in May, 1789, which gives a very complete account of the settlement of the purchase. Another section of the book is de- voted to "Census Sketches," which are highly eulogistic in their character. Some of his com- ments make amusing reading at the present day. From his point of view there were few places in the United States which more favorably in- pressed a stranger reaching it by water- the usual avenue-than Cincinnati. "His eye " glances upon that superb quay-our Public "Landing, a space of ten acres, nearly, and a " front of almost one thousand feet-with " which our Eastern cities have nothing of the "kind to compare, in beauty and convenience. " He surveys it, along its whole front, encnn- " bered with packages of every description and

682

CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF CINCINNATI

" to an immense amount-the foreign imports, or " the domestic produce of the valley of the Mi- " amis-concentrating constantly at this point. " The hurried arrival and departure, singly and " in squads, of a whole battalion of drays; the " unremitting and active labor of hands, loading " and unloading the vessels in port ; the incessant " ringing of bells, as signals to passengers or the " crews of the boats; the brief and abrupt inter- " change of business among the clerks on board, " and those belonging to the mercantile houses of "the city; with a great variety of sights and " sounds of subordinate interest, forcibly-per- " haps unduly-impress the mind of a stranger, " by the value set upon time, and the constant ex- "ercise of industry around him, as a fact, that " he has landed at a place where business is car- " ried on upon a large scale, and among a people, " who have neither the leisure nor the disposi- " tion to be idle."

Having disposed of the Public Landing, Mr. Cist takes his traveler along the line of Broad- way to Fourth street from which point after casting his eye castwardly to its termination along a row of modern palaces he takes him to the west along the whole course of that delight- ful street. "He cannot fail to notice the broad, " well paved and thoroughly ventilated streets; "the number, variety and beauty of the public " buildings; the taste and spirit which leave " spaces between the private edifices for borders " and sidewalks, and furnish an avenue to be- " hold the garden attractions in the rear of the "houses, the verdure of the grass plats, and " fragrance of the shrubbery which decorate the " front of the dwellings, and the exhibition of " flower vases in the windows of those who liave " no space except the rear of their buildings to " cultivate. He will then mature the first judg- " ment he formed, and say to himself, or to his "traveling companion,-'These people have taste "to improve and spirit to enjoy, as well as in- " dustry to acquire.'"

If this be not enough to impress the traveler he is invited to extend his walks to the suburbs which in those days were to the north and west where he will find sources of enjoyment inde- pendent of fashion and wealth. Mr. Cist points a contrast with the approach of Pittsburg where "a dense cloud of darkness and smoke visible for some distance before he reaches it hides the city from the traveler's eyes until he is in its midst although half this volume of smoke is produced by household fires, coal being the only fuel of the place. The whole city ( Pittsburg) is under the

influence of steam and smoke. The surface of the houses and streets of that city are so discol- ored as to defy the cleansing power of water and the soot partakes of the bituminous character of the coal, and falling-color excepted-like snow- flakes, fastens on the face and neck, with a ten- acity which nothing but the united agency of soap, hot water, and the towel can overcome. Coal and the steam-engine are the pervading in- finence of the place, and over the whole city the seal and impress is-'Great is Vulcan of the Pittsburgers.' How different," says Mr. Cist, "is all this from Cincinnati where the manufac- tures, with the exception of a few, are either set in motion by the water of the canal or are in the literal sense, manufactures-works of the hand. These last embrace the principal share of the pro- ductive industry of our mechanics, and are carried on in the upper stories, or in the rear shops of the warerooms, in which they are exposed for sale, in a variety and to an extent which can only be realized from a visit to the interior of those es- tablishments."

Pages of description could not give a better idea of the contrast between the Cincinnati of 18441 and the Cincinnati of to-day than this in- genuous comparison.

Among the industries which are particularly commented upon by Mr. Cist are those of bell making, philosophical and mathematical instru- ment making and the manufacture of hollow ware, saddlery and cotton spinning machines. Another of the most important industries and one which reflected great light on the character of the business of the city at that time was the manufacture of steam vessels of which 33 of the total tonnage of 5,361 tons were built in Cincin- nati in 1840 at a cost of $592,500.

Almost a million books, valued at a quarter of a million dollars, were published in the city during the preceding year.

In view of the recent sales of property in the city, Mr. Cist's comments on values at that time are of special interest. He states that in 1802 Ethan Stone paid Joel Williams for the three lots at the northeast corner of Fourth and Vine, extending 150 feet on Vine by 200 feet on Fourthi, the sum of $220. Stone afterwards sold this property and in 1839 he repurchased a part of it lying above the corner, Go feet front on Vine by ,200 fect in depth. He was obliged to pay for this $150 a front foot or $0,000 for the lot which would make the value of his original lots, estimating the corner lot at the same price, as much as $45,000. Samuel Stitt in 1800 pur-

683

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

chased of Col. John Riddle a lot on the Public Landing, 60 feet front, where the Exchange Hotel stood for so long a time, for the sum of $1,200. In 1833 he leased this property on perpetual lease for $1,200 a year. Mr. Cist, writing in 1841, regarded the tract as worth $3,000 per annum as a permanent ground rent. In 1836 John H. Groesbeck paid for the Cincinnati Hotel prop- erty at the northwest corner of Front and Broad- way the sum of $5,200. He subsequently leased the tract for 10 years to Joseph Darr for $4,000 per annum. Darr made some alterations in the building and rented it for $7,600 per year, being at the rate of six per cent on a valuation of more than $126,000. Lot 77 at the northeast corner of Front and Main was sold in 1789 for $2 and in 1793 Colonel Gibson offered to sell it for $100. At the time of Mr. Cist's writ- ing the property was renting for $14,250,-six per cent interest on $237,500. A one-sixth part of Yeatman's Tavern lot on the east side of Sycamore above Front street was renting at that time for $2,860 on a valuation of $47,667, making the original lot 27 worth $286,000. Com- mercial Row, a block of eight buildings belong- ing to George W. Jones fronting 100 feet on Main by 60 feet on Front and Water streets at the west end of the Public Landing, rented in 1841 for $6,500 per annum, being six per cent interest on $108,067. This occupied about one- fourth of the original lot which in the early days sold for $2. Lot 51 at the northwest corner of Front and Sycamore rented at the same time for $10,200 per annum,-a six per cent invest- ment on $137,000. Attention has already been called to lot 135 on the northeast corner of Third and Walnut, the site of the present Ma- sonic Temple. This was willed by William Mc- Millan in 1804 to the Nova Caesarea Lodge and was regarded as of such slight value as to be allowed to be sold for taxes. It rented in 1841 for $2,400 a year. Lot ITO at the northwest cor- ner of Third and Main was sold in 1804 by Moore, who paid $2 for it, for $800. It was subsequently sold in 1814 in two parts for the aggregate amount of $4,900. The south half sold in 1814 for $4,000, two years later for $6,000, and in 1828 for $15,000. In 1839 the corner reduced to 20 by 26 feet was leased for 10 years for $2,000 per annum. Mr. Cist, were he living to-day, would be as much surprised at the later change in relative values of these dif- ferent pieces of property as he was at the in- crease during the first half century of the city's

existence ; that was the day of three and four- story buildings, this the day of sky-scrapers.

Among the public buildings contemplated at that time was the new Roman Catholic Cathedral (St. Peter's), which was to be built on Eighth street between Plum and Western row. At that time a hospital at the western end of the lot was contemplated, which, however, was never built.

Another side-light on the city life is given by the discussion on fuel which at that time was principally wood. Mr. Cist advances five argu- ments in favor of the use of coal: It is more portable and convenient both to receive and store away; it is much cheaper, coal being 121/2 cents a bushel and wood $3.50 per cord; it is safer both in burning by day and keeping alive by night; it requires less care and attention ; and lastly is more easily rekindled in the morn- ing after being covered up in the night. The sales in coal yards during the year 1840 were 930,000 bushels.

In the appendix a contributor, J. W. Scott, writes elaborately to sustain the proposition that within 100 years from that time, that is to say in 1941, Cincinnati will be the greatest city in America and that in the year 2000 the greatest city in the world. The arguments adduced which were regarded by Mr. Cist as unanswer- able are certainly interesting; the reader is re- ferred to the book for them.

Interesting features of this series of most valuable books are the illustrations. The frontis- piece gives a view of the Public Landing taken from the Main street end. Another engraving is that of the Pearl Street House on the north- cast corner of Walnut and Pearl. With its recessed porticoes overhanging its entrance and the ornamental iron balcony surrounding it and tall pilasters on its Walnut street front, it was a very imposing structure. The Foote residence at the northeast corner of Third and Vine forms the subject of a very interesting picture. To the left across Vine street is the old Burnet residence and grounds subsequently occupied as Shires' Garden. East of the Foote residence is the Odd Fellows' Hall in which building was located the Post Office.

In the advertising pages is given an illus- tration of the "Emigrants' Office" of Thomas Emery, real estate and money agent at No. 11 East Fourth street, just beyond Main. Almost 100 pages of advertising in which are many well known names conclude the book. Among the most familiar are those of Truman & Smith,

684

CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF CINCINNATI

publishers ; Sellew & Company, Brittania ware; E. B. Hinman, gloves ; T. Bradford & Company, millstones; W. Teasdale, dye house; Lotze & Lohn, furnaces; W. M. Corry, attorney; F. & C. Andress, wall paper; Procter & Gamble, soap and candle manufacturers; W. E. Wiswell, picture frames; John Britting, pianos; Jones & Rammelsberg, cabinet ware; Sidney S. Jack- son, nurseryman; Resor's Foundry; A. H. Ernst, nurseryman; M. Dodsworth, coal; U. P. James, books; Mitchell & Moore, furniture; Baker & Von Phul, lamps; George W. Coffin & Company, brass foundry ; I. & B. Bruce, car- riages; Miles Greenwood, Eagle Foundry ; Joseph & James Hopple, tobacco and snuff ; Storer & Bond, attorneys; John Justis, tailor; Nathan Baker, tailor; S. Menken, cutler; Peter Gibson, plumber ; Townsend, Hills & Company, white lead; P. Wilson, saddler; Joseph Jonas, broker; C. W. Dury & Company, pianos; C. Bakhaus, druggist; F. Lawson & Brothers, cop- per and tin; Mitchell, Moore & Company, chairs ; and Dr. J. H. Pulte. Even the artists conde- scended to advertise and in the list are given J. H. Beard, G. N. Frankenstein, W. P. Brannan, A. Baldwin, T. W. Whittridge, S. S. Lyon, John Cranch, J. B. Flagg, T. Dawson, T. V. Peticolas, J. O. Gorman and Thomas Campbell.

GROWTH IN POPULATION.

At the beginning of the second half century of Cincinnati's life, the city was a growing and prosperous community standing seventh among the cities of the country and bidding fair to gain a more important relative position in the im- mediate future. The State of Ohio which at the census of 1800 had ranked 18th in order had IO years later advanced to the 13th position and by 1820 was the fifth in the order of States. At this time Virginia, which had previously been the first State in population, yielded to New York and dropped to second place. Pennsyl- vania was third and North Carolina fourth. During the following decade Ohio moved up one place, passing North Carolina which dropped to fifth place. During the same space of time Pennsylvania had passed Virginia. In 1840 Ohio displaced Virginia and took the third place being surpassed in population by New York and Pennsylvania alone. This relative position was maintained by the State until the census of 1890, when Illinois, a part of the Northwest Territory, displaced Ohio, which is now the fourth state in the Union in point of popula- tion. The population of the State in 1840

was 1,519,467. Hamilton County was much the largest county in the State, having a population of 80,165. Its nearest competitors were Rich- land County, with a population of a little over 44,000, and Columbiana County 'with a popula- tion of a little over 40,000. Of this vast com- munity Cincinnati was the commercial, political and social center and in fact its preeminence extended throughout the entire West. The only city in the Western country that surpassed it in population was New Orleans which had a pop- ulation of a little over 100,000. Cincinnati's rate of increase had been surprising. In 1800 its population was 750; this had increased in 1810 to 2,540. In 1820 the census showed about 9,600 inhabitants, in 1830 24,831 and in 1840 46,382 (46,338). Of course the rate of in- crease during the first few years of the city's existence was greatest. As the numbers were so small at the outset a comparison of percent- ages should not include the first few decades. The percentage of increase from 1810 to 1820 was, approximately, 278; during the following decade it was 158 and from 1830 to 1840,-87. Such a large percentage of gain was never shown again in the history of the city, excepting in the decade from 1840 to 1850, during which time the city added to its population over 69,000 people, giving it a total population in 1850 of over 115,000, a gain of 150 per cent. In the (lecade closing with 1860, 45,606 people were added to the population, an increase approxi- mately of 40 per cent, so that during the period under discussion in this chapter the city in- creased from a little over 46,000 in population to 161,044, adding during the 20 years about 115,000 inhabitants or more than one-third of the present total population of the city. It must be remembered that during this whole time con- siderable territory was added, including Fulton and the section of Mill Creek township between Liberty and McMillan streets, so that this period unquestionably represents the time of Cincin- nati's gicatest actual, if not relative, increase. During no other two decades of the city's life were so large a number of people added to its population, by natural increase and annexation.

The annexation of Fulton took place in 1854. According to the census of 1850, Fulton town- ship contained a population of 3.323. This sec- tion it will be remembered consisted principally of one long street lying between the hills and the river just east of the original city limits. It was included for a time in what was known as the Eastern liberties and the village was

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Centennial history of Cincinnati and representative citizens, Vol. I, Pt. 2, Part 29

Author: Greve, Charles Theodore, b. 1863. cn Publication date: 1904 Publisher: Chicago : Biographical Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1048

Author: Greve, Charles Theodore, b. 1863. cn
Publication date: 1904
Publisher: Chicago : Biographical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1048