Centennial history of Cincinnati and representative citizens, Vol. I, Pt. 2, Part 32

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

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Spring Grove Cemetery, Commercial Hospital and Lunatic Asylum, Cineinnati Orphan Asylum at Elm near 13th, St. Peter's Orphan Asylum on the corner of Third and Plum, St. Aloysius' Orphan Home on the south side of Fourth west of Western row, the German Protestant Orphan Asylum, Asylum for Colored Orphans, the Widows' Home, the newly established House of Refuge, the Poor House and Farm near Car- thage, Cincinnati Relief Union, the Hotel for Invalids and Orthopedic Institution at Broad- way and Franklin streets are among the various publie institutions noted. Another is the Traet Depository in the Melodeon Building at No. 163 Walnut street, where were kept the publications of the American Tract Society, more than 1,200 in number and printed in 10 languages. A num- ber of religious, benevolent and temperanee so- cieties are also recorded. Among the benevolent societies were included the Cincinnati Coloniza- tion Society and the Ohio Anti-Slavery Society. The Masonie Temple at the northeast corner of Third and Walnut and Odd Fellows' Hall at the northwest corner of the same streets are also deseribed. Six public halls are mentioned. The Apollo Hall was and' is at the northwest

corner of Fifth and Walnut. At that time there was located in this familiar structure Wood's Museum, Gundry's Commercial College and Hawkins' Daguerrean Gallery. Bromwell's Building was at the northeast corner of Fourth and Vine. Here were the offices of the Ohio & Mississippi Railroad Company, various da- guerrean rooms and on the fourth story a hall. Center Hall was at Western row and Fifth street. The Cincinnati College was of course on the east side of Walnut between Fourth and Fifth and the hall of this building is well known to citizens of the present time. At this time the city eouneil room and public offices of various description occupied the ground floor of this building while the library and Merchants' Ex- change were on the second floor in front of the hall. The Cincinnati Law School was as for many years afterwards on the third floor. Court Street Hall was on the north side of Court be- tween Main and Walnut. It was at that time occupied by various county offices and court rooms. Melodeon Hall was mentioned as one of the most prominent and elegant buildings in Cincinnati. This it is needless to say was on the northwest corner of Fourth and Walnut. On the ground floor were various drug, music, book and other stores. In the second story was Bartlett's Commercial College and Faris' Da- guerrean Gallery. In the third story was the Public Hall, 100 by 60 feet, and 25 feet in height. This was said to be "fitted up and fin- ished in the most elegant style with stuecoed frieze, cornice and ceiling and in architectural beauty is probably equal to any hall in the country." The building was ereeted by Louis Williams of Philadelphia in 1846 and was much admired for its beauty and simplicity of archi- teeture. Another buiding which was especially mentioned was the newly erected Reeder's Build- ing between Walnut and Vine streets which with six stories on Third and four on Pearl was the largest brick building, with partitions, in Cin- einnati. It included 112 rooms for offices, stores and sleeping chambers and was protected by water tanks and iron shutters.

Nine hotels are mentioned. The Burnet House was said to be undoubtedly the most spacious and probably the best hotel in its interior and domestic arrangements in the world. The oth- ers mentioned were the Gibson House, Dennison House, the Walnut Street House, Pearl Street Honse ( whose Walnut street front was about to be extended to the corner of Third); Wood- ruff llouse, a newly erected buikling on Syca-

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more extending to Hammond between Third and Fourth, the United States Hotel at Sixth and Walnut, Henrie House on the north side of Third between Main and Sycamore and the Waverly House on Main near Court.

The fire department at that time consisted of 18 companies of firemen in addition to two hook and ladder companies and a company of fire guards. The various companies included 1,800 members.

Almost 100 pages are devoted to the descrip- tion of the manufactures and industrial products of the city which included probably every known variety of industry. The aggregate product of the manufacturing and industrial concerns was valued at $55,017,000, of which $29,988,300 rep- resented raw material and $25,028,700 repre- sented labor. Among the largest items are those of alcohol and spirits (six establishments in number), $608,260; bakers (140), $637,662; boot and shoe makers (374), $1,182,650; brew- eries (21), $566,000; butchers (121), $2,850,- 000; carpenters and builders (284), $2,116,000; clothing factories (108), $1,947,500; domestic liquor factories (16), $726,000; feed and flour- ing mills (14), $1,690,000; foundries and engine shops (44), $3,676,500; furniture factories ( 1.36), $1,660,000; iron rolling mills (five), $1,050,000; milliners (60), $820,000; lard oil and stearine (34), $3,015,900; patent medicine factories (14), $660,000; pork, beef and ham cuirers (33), $5,760,000; publishers (12), $1,246;540; sheeting, yarn and candle wick fac- tories (five), $636,000; soap and candle fac- tories (38), $1,475,000; steamboat builders (seven), $488,000; tailors (98), .$832,000; tanners and curriers (30), $965,000; tobacco, cigar and snuff factories (62), $931,000; and whiskey distilleries (38). $2,857,920.

This chapter is concluded with a quotation from Horace Greeley published in the New York Tribune in 1850:

"It requires no keenness of observation to per- ceive that Cincinnati is destined to become the focus and mart for the grandest circle of manu- facturing thrift on this continent. Her delight- ful climate; hier unequaled and ever-increasing facilities for cheap and rapid commercial inter- course with all parts of the country and the world; her enterprising and energetic popula- tion; her own elastic and exulting youth; are all elements which predict and insure her electric progress to giant greatness. I doubt if there is another spot on the earth where food, fuel, cot- ton, timber, iron, can all be concentrated so

cheaply-that is, at so moderate a cost of human labor in producing and bringing them together -as here. Such fatness of soil, such a wealthı of mineral treasure-coal, iron, salt, and the finest clays for all purposes of use-and all cropping out from the steep, facile banks of placid, though not sluggish, navigable rivers. How many Californias could equal, in per- manent worth, this valley of the Ohio!"

The largest number of hands employed was in the foundries,-4,695 ; pork, beef and ham cur- ing factories,-2,450; tobacco factories,-1,310; furniture factories,-1, 158; and boot and shoe- making business,-1,760; while the carpenters and builders numbered, 2,320. It is apparent from this enumeration that in those days as to- day, pork, whiskey, stoves, shoes, beer and clotlı- ing were staple Cincinnati manufactures.

Elaborate tables are given showing the imports and exports of Cincinnati during six years be- ginning with 1845. Naturally the principal item of imports is pork in bulk, which for the year 1850-51 aggregated 14,348,204 pounds. The importations of corn for the same period amount- ed to 443,746 bushels ; of flour, 434,359 barrels ; and whiskey, 199,248 barrels. There were also 102,39I head of hogs. The exports for the same year included 4,742,405 pounds of pork and bacon in bulk, and 11,958 barrels, 18,849 tierces and 27,300 hogsheads. During the same time there were exported 188,873 barrels of whiskey and 347,471 barrels of flour.

A subject of particular interest at this time was the culture of the grape to which many prominent citizens, including Mr. Longworth and Mr. Buchanan, were devoting their attention. Within a circle of 20 miles there were over 300 vineyards, aggregating 900 acres and producing 120,000 gallons of wine.

Mr. Cist notes the growth of the surrounding .suburbs which the improving methods of travel, notably better roads, omnibuses, stages and rail- road cars, were bringing nearer to the city. Among those mentioned were the towns of Indus- try, 10 miles west, whose principal access was to be by the canal ; Caledonia, near the mouth of the Little Miami, and Camden, at the intersection of the Little Miami Railroad with the river of that name. These towns were mentioned as de- signed to afford cheap lots to those who desired homes of their own. Another class of citizens whose business was in the city but who proposed to reside outside the corporate limits to escape taxation resided in Covington, Newport, Fair- mount, Mount Auburn and Prospect Hill. In

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Fairmount about 150 acres had been platted to suit purchasers and extensive sales had been al- ready made. In the northern section of the city east of Freeman, George Hatch was endeavoring to start a settlement of the best class. At the northeast on the outer edge of the city was Mount Auburn in contiguity to which was Burnet and Reeder's subdivision and the property on Pros- pect Hill of Dr. William Price. It was expected that these sites which were just being opened np would be occupied by residences only.

There were at this time six new market houses in the city,-Lower Market, Canal, Pearl, Fifth, Sixth and Wade. The special feature of the markets was the parade of stall-fed meat on Christmas Day, which was in charge of the butchers of the city. This on the previous Christmas had been especially fine. It was held at the Fifth street market where 66 bullocks, 125 sheep, 350 pigs, 10 bears and a buffalo calf weighing 500 pounds, all of the finest variety and greatest weight, were displayed side by side. Over 99,000 pounds of beef were sold in the mar- ket that day. One piece of nine ribs weighing 120 pounds was sent to the Astor House, New York, and a roasting piece of 66 pounds to David T. Disney, the Congressman at Washington. The average retail price of this was eight cents a pound. The market house was illuminated by chandeliers and torches and over the stalls hung oil portraits in gilt frames of Washington, Jack- son, Taylor, Clay and other public characters loaned by various artists and owners. The butchers in special charge were Vanaken and Daniel Wunder, John Butcher, J. and W. Gall and Francis and Richard Beresford.

An interesting chapter is given to "the hog and its products." The want of ready and cheap access to foreign markets is assigned as the ex- planation why the settlers of the Western States turned their attention to raising hogs and distill- ing whiskey as a convenient means of taking corn,-their great staple,-to market. The pork packing industry had sprung into importance for the first time about 1833 and the business had increased rapidly until in 1848 almost a half a million hogs had been packed in Cincinnati alone. A full description of the process of slaughtering and packing at the 10 slaughter houses of the city occupies about a dozen pages of this work.

Another industry which is discussed at some length is the raising of strawberries for which Cincinnati had a high reputation. The entire

product of the strawberry for the year 1848 ag- gregated 7,000 bushels.

The new public buildings in process of erec- tion that are mentioned by Mr. Cist are the Medical College of Ohio, the German Protestant Orphan Asylum and the Widows' Home on Mount Auburn, an engine house and various school buildings, hotels at Sixth and Walnut and Front and Broadway, two Episcopal churches,- one on Sycamore north of the canal and the other at the southeast corner of Seventh and Plum,-and two Presbyterian churches,-the new First Presbyterian on Fourth and Main and the Seventh on Broadway between Fourth and Fifth. The new City Hall was also soon to be erected on Plum between Eighth and Ninth and the new Custom House at the southwest corner of Fourth and Vine. The new county Court House was also in process of erection. St. Peter's Cath- edral had just been completed and was justly re- garded as the finest building in the West and the most imposing cathedral in the United States,- a description that will very nearly hold true to- day.

Other points of special mention are the new De Golyer boulder pavements, the Cincinnati Observatory and the increasing use of coal in the city. The coal at that time came from mines in Meigs and Lawrence counties, the Peach Orch- ard field of Virginia, the cannel coal fields on the Kanawha and those on the Monongahela and Youghiogheny. Eight million bushels was the annual consumption at that time.

An extensive article on "Cincinnati's Destiny" by S. H. Goodin concludes with the statement that Cincinnati is the grand centre of the United States,-"the centre of the forces and influences, which, when readjusted after the introduction of the great disturbing canse, the railroad, mist settle and determine the destiny and relative posi- tion of the various cities or centres, which are now struggling for supreme ascendency on this continent." Unfortunately Mr. Goodin over- looked the fact that the same influences, that is the railroads, which were to do so much for Cin- cinnati would be at work in other communities. The fact remains that Cincinnati's relative growth was greatest when she made the most of hier nat- ural advantages, the water-ways.

The book contains a mimber of biographies of the prominent citizens of the time, including those of Salmon P. Chase, A. Morrell, David T. Disney, George W. Coffin, J. D. Jones, O. M. Mitchel, George W. Neff and Nicholas Long- worth.

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It is illustrated with a number of interesting engravings. Its frontispiece is a fine view of the newly erected Burnet House. Other pictures are those of St. Peter's Cathedral, Fort Wash- ington, the buildings of Niles & Company and Milward & Odershaw's pork house (in Coving- ton), the establishments of Tyler Davidson & Company and Dodd & Company on Main street below Fourth, the Medical College of Ohio, the Ohio Female College, the Wesleyan College, the Hotel for Invalids, Reeder's Building, the Woodruff House, the Baptist Theological Sem- inary, Farmers' College and portraits of promin- ent citizens, including those whose biographies are given as well as a number of others.

JUST BEFORE THE WAR.

The third and last of Mr. Cist's invaluable works on Cincinnati is "Cincinnati in 1859." Al- most half of this book is made up of the valuable "Early Annals," from which so many quotations have been made for this work.

The population of the city is estimated at 225,- ooo and the prediction is made that the census of 1860 if correctly taken will show a population of 250,000; the population in fact at that census was 161,044.

The courts then sitting in the city were the District Court, the Court of Common Pleas, the Superior, Probate and Police courts.

There were 16 public school buildings in addi- tion to the two high schools. The number of pupils enrolled during the year 1858 was 17,685, of whom 10,493 were in regular attendance. There were 278 teachers. In the parochial schools were 7,750 children in attendance under 78 teachers. There were also a large number of private schools and academies with 150 teachers and 4,000 pupils. Among the private institu- tions especially mentioned were the Wesleyan Fe- male College on Vine street in charge of Prof. P. B. Wilber ; the Cincinnati Female Seminary at the southwest corner of Seventh and Mound, in whose faculty were such well known person- ages as T. A. Burrowes, Milton Sayler and Vic- tor Williams ; the Mount Auburn Young Ladies' Institute in charge of Rev. E. A. Crawley ; Her- ron's Seminary for Boys on Seventh between Walnut and Vine, where in addition to the prin- cipal the faculty included Maxwell P. Gaddis, James E. Sherwood, Charles Aiken, Tosso and others; and Mr. Rickoff's English and Classical School at Ninth and Ehm. The faculty of the Cincinnati Law School still included Judge Til- den and Mr. Curwen, and Bellamy Storer had

been added to it. The only other college "prop- erly so called" was St. Xavier on Sycamore be- tween Sixth and Seventh, of which Rev. M. Oak- ley, S. J., was the president. Six medical col- leges were enumerated, the Medical College of Ohio, Cincinnati College of Medicine and Sur- gery, Eclectic Medical Institute, Eclectic College of Medicine, Physio-Medical College and the Ohio College of Dental Surgery. In the faculties of these institutions were included a large num- ber of the most prominent physicians of the city. Another institution mentioned is Newton's Clin- ical Institute. This building, still standing at the southeast corner of Sixth and John is de- scribed as one of the most spacious and most pleasant buildings in the city furnished in the most modern style with bells, gas, hot and cold water and with bath rooms with cold and warm water. Its fine airy location is especially men- tioned ! Another well known institution at the northeast corner of Third and Walnut was Bart- lett's Commercial College.

One hundred and eight churches and religious societies are enumerated as well as six Jewish synagogues. Bishop Purcell was still at the head of the Roman Catholic Church which included 24 churches. Dr. K. Goddard was the rector of Christ Church. Of the nine churches belonging to the Presbyterian Old School, the most prom- inent pastor was Dr. Samuel R. Wilson. The New School had nine churches; the pastorship of the Second Church was vacant. There were seven Reformed Presbyterian churches, seven Baptist, four Disciples, 21 Methodist, three United Brethren, eight Lutheran, three German Reformed. two Friends, two Unitarian and two Universalist organizations. Among the prom- inent ministers of the city were Rev. Joseph Em- ery, Rev. R. S. Storrs, Elder William P. Strat- ton, Elder Thomas J. Melish, Bishop Thomas A. Morris of the Methodist Church who resided in the city at that time and Rev. G. W. Eisenlohr. The minister of the First Congregational Church at the southwest corner of Fourth and Race street was the well known Moncure D. Conway. Rab- bi Lilienthal and Rabbi Isaac M. Wise were in charge of the two principal Jewish congregations and were among the most prominent citizens of the community at that time and for many years afterwards.

Fifty-three periodicals are mentioned as being published in the city ; of these seven were dailies, -the Cincinnati Gazette and Liberty Hall, En- quirer, Times. Commercial, Volksblatt, Folks- freund and Republikaner. Babb and Smith. were

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the editors of the Gazette, J. J. Faran of the En- quirer, J. W. Ward and E. M. Spencer of the Times, M. D. Potter of the Commercial, Klau- precht of the Volksblatt, Hemann of the Volks- freund and August Willich of the Republikaner. There was also Hall's Penny Press and Warden's Law and Bank Bulletin. Other journals were distributed among the various religious, medical and business and literary interests.

Sixteen local insurance companies are given and a very large number of agencies of foreign companies.

Among the banks were still the Commercial and the Lafayette as well as Groesbeck & Com- pany, Gilmore, Dunlap & Company, Evans & Company, J. R. Morton & Company, James F. Meline & Company, C. F. Adae & Company and Van Hamm's Bank of Savings.

The railroads were the Little Miami, Marietta & Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton, Cincinnati & Indianapolis and Ohio & Mississip- pi. The Little Miami road announced three trains daily, one of which was provided with a slecping car.

In the list of suburbs College Hill and Glen- dale are especially mentioned.

The manufactures and industrial products are again considered at great length. Since 1851 the value of these products had more than doubled, that for 1859 being given as $112,254,400 of which $58,000,000 represented raw material and $54,000,000 the labor and interest on capital in- vested. The product of pork and beef packing was valued at $6,300,000 and foundry castings at about the samc. Made up clothing is given as $15,000,000. This was the largest business carried on in the city, comprehending 48 whole- sale and 86 retail establishments. Whiskey was represented by $5,318,730 and wine by $500,000; boots and shocs $1,750,450; alcohol and spirits of winc, $2,260,000; and ale and beer, $1,500,000.

In the years 1857-58 the value of the imports rcached $74,348,758, and exports $47,497,095, both of which represented a falling off from the previous year of nearly three million in imports and eight million in exports. Comment is made on the fact that during the crisis of 1857 Cincin- nati suffered less than any other large city in the Union, only one wholesale house and a few re- tail houses having succumbed to the pressure of the times.

Public institutions and buildings are practically

those mentioned in the previous issues. Among the new buildings mentioned are the National Theatre, Pike's Opera House, the Central Presby- terian Church at the northwest corner of Barr and Mound, Masonic Temple, Carlisle Building and Shillito's store on Fourth street. These last are regarded as with but few rivals in their line in any of the Eastern cities. The newly erected Custom House and Post Office at Fourth and Vine, Hughes High School and the Marine Hos- pital at Sixth and Lock arc also especially men- tioned.

The pipes of the gas company laid in the strects were said to measure 55 miles and the number of consumers were 1,659. The reorganization of the fire department largely due to the efforts of James H. Walker and Miles Greenwood is spc- cially commented upon. Special mention is made of a new style of building of both private and public edifices, which had been introduced by the architects greatly to the improvement of the pub- lic taste. The buildings particularly mentioned are the Seventh and Central Presbyterian churches ; Vachcel Worthington's fine mansion on Pikc street ; Robert Burnct's house on Seventh and Vine; and stores and business blocks known as the Baker Buildings on Walnut street; Taylor Block on Second; Perin, Gould & Company's building on Front; those of Moore, Wilstach, Keys & Company and Mitchell & Rammelsberg on Fourth, and those of Albert, Day & Matlack and Stadler on Pearl; the Trinity Methodist Church on Ninth, Roman Catholic Institute on Vine; W. K. Nixon's at Fourth and Vine and Heidelbach & Seasongood's on Third and Vine; the private residence of J. Netter on Eighth, and of Messrs. Dickson and Parker on Ninth street. Most of these were the work of Walter & Wil- son. James W. MeLaughlin is credited with the designs of the residence of Edmund Dexter on the northeast corner of Fourth and Broadway and of Judge Este on Fourth near Park, the Derby Building at the southwest corner of Third and Walnut, the Shillito Building on Fourth, Masonic Temple on Third, the Firemen's Insurance Company Block at Front and Main, and the Na- tional Theatre. He was engaged at the time on the new office of the Commercial at Fourth and Race, two fine five-story stores for Elsas & Com- pany on Pearl near Race and three for A. & J. Wolf on Vine as well as two Roman Catholic churches. He also furnished designs for a new

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and spacious City Hall which it was expected would be commenced shortly. Isaiah Rogers had designed the Burnet House, Lunatic Asylum at Carthage, the county jail and the Smith Building on Fourth, west of the Carlisle Building. An- derson & Hannaford furnished designs for R. A. Whetstone's residence in Clifton, the two storcs of George H. Browne on Main street, stores of Miner & Andrews and Thomas D. Carneal on Main ; a block of warehouses for John Hall on Second and a number of residences, including those of Charles E. Matthews on East Walnut Hills, Lewis Mehner on Eighth near Freeman and J. F. Mills on Richmond near Frecman.

With reference to the grape culture, the sad fact is chronicled that within the last three or four years, the grape crop in the Ohio Valley had been much injured by mildew and rot, discascs which are incident to bad scasons or sudden at- mospheric changes. Despite this fact 2,000

acres yielding an average of 200 gallons an acre were devoted to vineyard culture in the neigh- borhood of Cincinnati. This little note, how- ever, shows the beginning of the end, for the grape culture very shortly afterwards was aban- coned in this part of the country.

The consumption of coal is given during the year just closing at about 15,000,000 bushels.

The illustrations of the work include a view of the city taken from West Covington as well as views of the new Masonic Temple, Mount Au- burn Female Institute, the Ohio Female College at College Hill and Hughes High School.

In the advertising pages are shown a number of views of prominent buildings including the Glendale Female Seminary, Newton's Clinical Institute, Eclectic Medical Institute and the in- terior of the well known book store of Rickey, Mallory & Company at No. 145 Main street. Most of these buildings are still standing.

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Centennial history of Cincinnati and representative citizens, Vol. I, Pt. 2, Part 32

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