USA > Ohio > Hamilton County > Cincinnati > Centennial history of Cincinnati and representative citizens, Vol. I, Pt. 2 > Part 34
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Another social event of about this time is in- dicated by the following card of invitation pre- served by the Historical and Philosophical So- ciety of Ohio :
"BACHELOR'S BALL. The pleasure of Your Company is requested at the City Assembly Rooms, on Wednesday Evening, 5th of Feby. Next, at 8 o'clock. Cincinnati, Jany. 29, 1840. J. F. Conover, W. H. Southgate, Jno. Miller, Wm. Dennison, Jr., J. A. D. Burrows, M. F. Neville, Hy. Lawrence, R. B. Bowler, J. Yorke, Wm. Young, D. T. Woodrow, M. J. Blair, R. 1. Southgate, Charles L. Avery, E. Burdsal, C. G. Springer, B. Kelly, D. A. James, Wm. N. Green, J. W. King, L. M. Gwynne, D. P. Strader, Chas. Roe, Jas. Wiles, Wm. Watts, P. A. White, E. Lawrence, Jos. Graliam, J. D. Wheeler, Jno. Buchanan."
Cincinnati's interest in the new President was indicated by an inaugural ball given at the as- sembly rooms on the southwest corner of Wal- nut and Pearl streets on March 4, 1841. The managers were Capt. Joseph Pierce, Col. John Noble, James McCandless, George Graham, W. R. Morris, William Disney, Jr., B. W. Hewson, Thomas H. Yeatman, M. J. Blair, Daniel Rob- inson, William McCammon, W. R. Foster, Isaac Young, Maj. William Oliver, Dr. J. T. Shotwell, Fenton Lawson, Charles Sonntag, George K. Shoenberger, H. H. Southgate, D. T. Wood- row, E. Burdsal, Atherton Thayer, R. W. Cor- wine and Joseph Yorke.
Another invitation of interest that is preserved is as follows :
BUCKEYE BALL.
The pleasure of your Company is requested at the Assembly Rooms on Monday Evening, April 8th, 1844.
MANAGERS.
Geo. P. Torrence, Peyton S. Symmes,
Thos. D. Carneal, Jacob Strader,
Wm. R. Morris, Nathl Reeder,
Wm. Irwin, 11. 11. Southgate,
J. A. D). Burrows, 1 .. M. Gwynne,
A. G. Burt, D. Piatt,
Jno. A. Gano, E. Burdsal,
Dan. Corwin, Maj. Genl. Jno. Snyder,
Win. Oliver,
J. Pitts Harrison,
James Hall,
J. M. Douglass,
N. C. McLean,
M. J. Blair,
Wm. M. Corry,
W. W. Cones,
O. M. Spencer, O. Looker, Jr.,
R. F. L'Hommedieu,
W. C. Thorpe,
Chas. P. James, Griffin Taylor.
LK
WILLIAM WOODWARD.
CHARLES HAMMOND.
MILES GREENWOOD.
GEN. ORMSBY M. MITCHEL.
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THE ELECTION OF HARRISON TO THE PRESIDENCY.
The period from the beginning of the second half century of the city's existence to the war was in many respects the most exciting in the history of Cincinnati. In the first place, lying as it did on the border-land between the North and the South, it was a hotbed of politics. Allied to the North by reason of the large contributions in population that it had received from that sec- tion, by virtue of its fundamental law the cele- brated ordinance of freedom, and, by reason of its growing importance as a manufacturing center, it also was closely associated with the South with which a large part of its trade was carried on and which at the time seemed to a large part of the population its natural friend. In every national election in which the State of Ohio had taken part until 1836 it had cast its vote for the Democratic presidential nominee with one exception, that of the year 1824, when Henry Clay carried the State over Jackson by a plurality of less than 800 votes out of a total of about 50,000. In the following campaign, that of the year 1828, Ohio gave Jackson over Adams 4,000 plurality and in 1832 Clay was beaten in the State by his old antagonist Jackson by a plu- rality of almost 5,000 votes out of a total vote of 155,000. In the campaign of 1836 Cincinnati and the State had a peculiar personal interest in that the candidate of the new Whig party, Will- liam Henry Harrison was a resident of Hamil- ton County. This campaign which was a four- sided contest between Van Buren, Harrison, Judge Hugh L. Wright of Tennessee and Web- ster, was one of great malignancy and Harrison was attacked with particular bitterness as a fail- ure in the field and forum (although he had been general, Territorial Governor and Senator), and a man of most reprehensible morals and char- acter. Although unsuccessful in the national election, the Hamilton County candidate was sec- ond both in the popular and electoral vote and carried his own State by a majority of about 8,000 in a total vote of a little over 200,000.
In 1840 General Harrison at that time clerk of the Court of Common Pleas of Hamilton County was again the candidate of the Whigs for the presidency, having been nominated over Clay and Scott at Harrisburg as a result, it is claimed, of a trick played upon the convention by Thaddeus Stevens. The campaign as is well known was most extraordinary. The effort of Van Buren's adherents to belittle Harrison by the charge that he lived in a log cabin and
drank hard cider was taken up as a campaign war cry and the Harrison homestead at North Bend, quite an imposing country residence for the time, converted into a small hut covered with coon- skins by the imagination of campaign orators, did good service. The campaign in Cincinnati as well as elsewhere was a very active one and during the summer of 1840 but little else occu- pied the attention of the citizens.
Mrs. Steele in her "Summer Journey in the West," gives a brief side-light on the condi- tion of affairs at this point :
"Sixteen miles below Cincinnati is the resi- dence of General Harrison, the candidate for the presidency. It is said he lived in a log cabin ; but it was a neat country dwelling, which, how- ever, I dimly saw by moonlight. To judge from what we have seen upon the road, General Har- rison will carry all the votes of the West, for every one seems enthusiastic in his favor. Log cabins were erected in every town, and a small one of wicker-work stood upon nearly all the steamboats. At the wood-yards along the rivers it was very common to see a sign bearing the words, 'Harrison wood,' 'Whig wood,' or 'Tip- pecanoe wood,' he having gained a battle at a place of that name. The Western States, in- deed, owe him a debt of gratitude; for he may be said to be the cause, under Providence, of their flourishing condition. He subdued the In- dians, laid the land out in sections, thus open- ing a door for settlers, and, in fact, deserves the name given him of 'Father of the West.'"
In spite of the violent attacks made upon him, Harrison was gloriously triumphant and carried the country by a popular majority of almost 150,- 000 votes and the majority of 174 in the Electoral College. The State of Ohio gave her first Presi- dent a majority of almost 24,000 votes to which Hamilton County largely contributed.
In the fall of 1841 the entire Loco Foco ticket carried Hamilton County by a majority of about 300. The Whigs carried the city by a little less than 1,000 with the Locos carrying the country by a little over 1,300. The name of James J. Faran headed the successful ticket, defeating Oliver M. Spencer for the Senate.
In 1839 the Whigs had carried the city but were defeated in the county and the same thing had been true in 1840.
In the early part of the year 1841 the man who had been so prominent a figure in the history of the community as commandant at Fort Washington, Secretary of the Territory, Representative in Congress, general of the army
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and Senator from the State, left the city to take up a new life as chief magistrate of the nation. The late Judge Joseph Cox described the scene of his departure in a paper delivered before the Cincinnati Literary Club as follows :
"The scene of his departure was most affect- ing. Old men who had shared with him the toils of the campaigns among the Indians, their wives and children, his old neighbors, the poor, of whom there were many who had shared his bounty, gathered to witness his departure, cheer- ing for his triumph while their cheeks were wet with tears. The boat on which he was to pass up the river lay at the foot of Broadway, in Cincinnati. The wharves, streets, and every surrounding vessel and house were filled with spectators. Standing on the deck of the steamer, with a clear, ringing voice he recalled to the mind of the people that forty-eight years before he had landed on that spot a poor, unfriended boy in almost an unbroken wilderness to join his fortunes with theirs, and that now, by the voice of a majority of the seventeen millions of people of this free land, he was about to leave them to assume the Chief Magistracy of the greatest Na- tion of the earth. He assured them that he was (levoted to the interests of the people, and al- though this might be the last time he would look upon them, they would find him in the fu- ture true to the old history of the past. Pro- plietic vision! Nevermore was it given to him to look on the faces of those who this day cheered him on to his high goal. Before visiting Washington, he went to the old homestead on the James River, and there, in the room of his mother ( then dead many years), composed his inaugural address as President."
His absence from his home county unfor- tunately was of but brief duration for shortly after reaching Washington his health which had been for some time quite feeble broke down com- pletely and he died of pneumonia on April 4, 1841. His death was so sudden that his wife who had delayed her departure from North Bend was unable to reach his bedside in time to see him alive. On June 16th a committee appointed. by the citizens and the City Council of Cincin- nati composed of Judge Jacob Burnet, J. C. Wright, T. D. Carneal, Charles S. Clarkson, Ed- ward Woodruff, L. Whiteman, A. Dudley, D. A. Powell, A. McAlpin, John Reeves and Rufus Hodges, having first obtained the permission of the Harrison family, presented themselves at Washington for the purpose of removing the remains of the late President to the State of
Ohio and shortly afterwards this purpose was accomplished and General Harrison's body was laid to rest near his old home.
Judge Cox in the paper already quoted from speaks as follows :
"The funeral services took place at the White House, after which the body, accompanied by a large civic and military procession, was taken to the Congressional burying ground and de- posited in the receiving vault, to await the ar- rangements of his family. The nation was shrouded in mourning, and the ensuing sixteenthi of May was set apart as a day of fasting and prayer, upon which, in nearly every town and city, the people met in honor of the illustrious dead.
"In the meantime preparations had been made to inter the remains on a beautiful hill just west of his home at North Bend, and under the guid- ance of committees of Congress and of the prin- cipal cities of the country, they were, in July, 1841, escorted from Washington. Arriving in Cincinnati, the body lay in state at the house of his son-in-law, Colonel W. H. H. Taylor, on the north side of Sixth street, just cast of Lodge, and was visited by thousands of his old friends and fellow citizens. It was then, after suitable religious services, placed on a bier on the side- walk, and the citizens and military filed past it. The funeral procession, under charge of George Graham, Esq., still living, then marched to the river; the corpse was placed on a magnificent catafalque on board a steamer, which, with two others lashed side by side and loaded with mourners, slowly, with solemn dirges and tolling bells, moved to North Bend. Arriving there, a long procession followed the remains to the summit of the mound, where they were de- posited in the vault, beneath a low-built struc- ture covered with turf. There have they lain for nearly thirty years.
No marble rears its head to mark The honored hero's dust ; Nor glittering spire, nor cenotaph, Nor monumental bust, But on the spot his manhood loved llis aged form's at rest ; And he built his own proud monument Within a nation's breast."
The land on which this tomb was placed was afterwards deeded by General Harrison's son to the State of Ohio on condition that it should be kept in proper repair. It can hardly be said that this condition has been complied with.
William Henry Harrison was so conspicuous in the history of the country that a sketch of his
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life seems to be almost unnecessary. He was born in Berkley, Virginia, on February 9, 1773, the son of Benjamin Harrison, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and Governor of Virginia. He first studied medicine and sub- sequently under the express patronage of Wash- ington entered the army which he joined at Fort Washington in 1791. He served through Wayne's campaign after which he took com- mand of the fort at Cincinnati. While at this point he married Anna Symmes, daughter of Judge Symmes, during a temporary absence of the latter from home as the Judge had refused his consent to the match. He subsequently re- signed his commission and was appointed Sec- retary of the Northwest Territory. In 1799 he was elected delegate to Congress and two years later was made the first Governor of Indiana Ter- ritory which office he held until 1813. During this time he was superintendent of Indian af- fairs and made 13 important treaties with dif- ferent tribes during the course of his adminis- tration. He commanded at Tippecanoe and dur- ing the War of 1812, receiving a major-general's commission on March 2, 1813. In the following year by reason of a slight put upon him by the Secretary of War, Harrison, at this time the most prominent military figure in the country, terminated his connection with the army. For two years he was engaged as commissioner to complete treaties with the Indians. In 1816 he became a member of Congress from the Cincin- nati district, serving for three years. While in Congress he was charged as to the misuse of the public funds by a dissatisfied contractor but he was completely exonerated after investigation. The bitter oppositions which seem to have pur- sued him throughout his life prevented him from receiving a gold medal in 1816 for his victory at the Thames. Two years later, however, the reso- lution to award this medal was passed unan- imously. In 1819 he was chosen a member of the Ohio Senate. In 1822 he was defeated for Congress by James W. Gazlay after a very bitter campaign. Two years later he was a presidential elector and voted for Clay. In this same year he was sent to the United States Senate where he succeeded Andrew Jackson as chairman of the committee on military affairs. He resigned in 1828 to accept the position of United States Min- ister to the United States of Colombia. Upon Jackson's election, he was recalled and retired to North Bend. He was subsequently made clerk of the Court of Common Pleas of Hamilton County. As already stated he was nominated to
the presidency in 1836 and 1840. His wife Anna survived him for some years, dying December 25, 1864. Her body rests by the side of her hus- band.
Their son, John Scott Harrison, was a man of prominence and fine education and served in Congress for two years. One of the most hor- rible episodes in the city's history was the find- ing of the body of this distinguished son of one President and father of another by the latter in the dissecting room of a Cincinnati medical col- lege. The horror-stricken son was Benjamin Harrison, twenty-third President of the United States. A daughter of Gen. W. H. Harrison became the wife of the well known citizen of Cincinnati, David K. Este, and another married Col. W. H. H. Taylor.
THIE CINCINNATI HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY
Was organized at the house of Robert Buchanan in February, 1843, by Robert Buchanan, A. H. Ernst, M. Flagg, S. C. Parkhurst, J. B. Russell, Henry Probasco, V. C. Marshall, John Locke, George Graham and Thomas Winter. Its pur- pose was to increase interest in horticulture, in- troduce new fruits and flowers to the community and incidentally to give semi-annual exhibitions which were to arouse interest in horticultural matters. Mr. Buchanan became the first presi- dent and a number of committees on fruits, flowers, vegetables and entomology, as connected with insect depredations on fruit and shade trees, were appointed. During the year 1843 the society met almost every Saturday in the lower room of the building on Third street between Walnut and Vine formerly occupied as the Post Office. Its membership increased rapidly and its cor- respondence with various kindred organizations throughout the Union resulted in arousing a general interest in the subject. Its exhibitions of flowers in the spring and fruits and American wine in the autumn were very successful. In 1845 it was regularly incorporated and after that time it prospered beyond the fondest anticipa- tions of its most ardent supporters. Mr. Cist tells us that in 1851 it had nearly 700 members and that its receipts for the year were over $19,000 and expenditures almost the same. A large part of this amount was paid out in premiums for fruits and flowers and horticultural designs and decorations. Its president at that time was A. HI. Ernst. Other officers included William Resor, M. S. Wade, N. B. Shaler, John A. War- den, George Graham, John P. Foote, S. S. Jack- son, Joseph Longworth, M. McWilliams and
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CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF CINCINNATI
others. In 1859 it numbered 860 members. Its receipts for the year were over $3,000. It had by that time accumulated a library of 450 volumes. Its president was then S. W. Haseltine. It is claimed for this organization that among its achievements was a great improvement in the size and quality of strawberries for which at this time Cincinnati was one of the principal markets. Specimens five inches in circumference and in some cases almost six inches were exhibited at its meetings. The interest however in the organization finally died away and for some years it was practically quiescent. It was finally reorganized and carried on for a time, about twenty years. .
During the late "fifties" at a time when the local news of the city papers was still of the most meagre character, the meetings of this or- ganization and its various exhibitions were re- ported with the greatest regularity and fidelity. For weeks there would be no other local news in the papers and if we were to judge from their columns this society was the only matter of in- terest to the community.
This was not entirely without reason for the grape culture here and that of strawberries had attracted national attention, dividing interest with the porker himself.
GRAPE CULTURE.
.
A little before the middle of the 19th century the culture of the grape was introduced into the neighborhood of Cincinnati and for many years it was thought that Hamilton County was des- tined to be a great wine country. Nicholas Long- worth is principally entitled to the credit for the endeavor to add this attractive product to the list of those successfully harvested here. He had for many years given much attention to the cul- tivation of the grape with the view of making wine. . His first efforts were confined to the ac- climatization of foreign vines. He tried about 40 varieties before the idea occurred to him of testing our indigenous grapes. He met with such success that in 1828 he withdrew from the prac- tice of the law and commenced experimenting more elaborately upon the production of wine from the native grapes. Two of these varieties, the Catawba and the Isabella, seemed to him to possess the. best qualities for wine and to be best adapted to the climate and soil. He soon cul- tivated large vineyards and built extensive wine vaults where he stored the wines manufactured from his own grapes as well as those purchased from others. As a result Cincinnati became
world famous as the center of a wine region and thousands of wine growers flocked to it, causing the vine-clad hills to become famous the world over. In 1851 Mr. Longworth had 115 acres in grapes, almost exclusively Catawba. He had grafted within the few years preceding more than 120 kinds of native grapes. He had at that time a wine house and cellar, 44 by 135 feet, four and one-half stories high. The bottom of the cellar was 25 feet below the surface and the top 12 feet above. He had bottled during that season 75,000 bottles. In addition to Mr. Longworth a German wine merchant, Z. Zimmerman and a French wine merchant, Corneau, and his son, all experienced in the business, were preparing to engage extensively in the production of wine. The Isabella grape was used for ladies' wine and was of a delicate flavor. Another wine pro- ducer of some success was Robert Buchanan. By 1859 the wine industry of Cincinnati had become of great importance. Other successful raisers of the vine were G. and P. Bogen near Carthage, M. Werk and Thomas H. Yeatman. Not less than 800 persons were employed in the culture and the product in favorable years was valued at $600,000. Mr. Longworth at that time had a stock of 200,000 bottles of Catawba on hand, half of which was still wine and half, spark- ling. In the cellars of Longworth, Bogen and Werk there was said to be an average stock of 400,000 bottles. As a result of this new industry, much of the hill lands on the Ohio River which had been regarded as too steep for cultivation came into use; property which had sold at $40 an acre within eight years increased to $1,000 and $1,200 an acre. Unfortunately even at this time complaints were made that the past few seasons had been unpropitious. It was thought that this was owing to unusual conditions but eventually it became apparent that the vine cul- ture was not adapted to this locality and the vine- clad hills along the banks of the beautiful river have long since become a thing of the past.
For the first time in the history of the city two natives of the county were candidates for the office of mayor in 1843,-Henry E. Spencer and Henry Morse. Mr. Spencer was elected. This year too has the honor of ushering into exist- ence the Cincinnati Commercial which was pub- lished for the first time by Messrs. Curtiss and Hastings on November 2nd. Among the first things of importance to be recorded by the paper was the opening of the White Water Canal, which occurred on November 28th. This canal extended from a point near Pearl and Plum to
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the village of Harrison, 25 miles away, where it joined the White Water Canal of Indiana. A freshet in 1846 damaged it quite materially and a year later it was relocated at its Harrison terminus upon higher ground. It was finally abandoned in 1863 and its bed, euphoniously called the "ditch," is the entrance for trains using the Central Union Station at Central avenue and Pearl as well as the freight depot just below that point.
Another event of the year was the death three days before Christmas of one who had been one of the most prominent citizens, both in business and political circles,-ex-Mayor Samuel W. Davies.
Thirty miles of the Little Miami Railroad were opened to traffic during this year.
PUGH & ALVORD'S FIRE.
A distressing occurrence of the year 1843 hap- pened on the 28th of February. About five o'clock in the morning a fire broke out in a smoke house at the corner of Walnut street and the Canal, which belonged to Pugh & Alvord's pork packing establishment. The smoke house was connected with the main building by a narrow passage way through which the meat was usually wheeled. As the fire started in the smoke house at some distance from the main building, it was thought that it could be confined by closing up the various openings and thereby excluding the air. In a short time how- ever the smoke and gas invaded the principal building and when the flames finally ate their way through the little wooden door which connected the two buildings the gas was instantaneously ignited. A tremendous explosion followed which lifted the whole roof into the air and threw it into the street. The walls on all sides were blown out, those on the east being completely destroyed and the building was converted imme- diately into a mass of smoke and ruins. The explosion is said to have been awful in its appear- ance but far more awful were the results to the onlookers. Eight or nine citizens were killed in- stantly and a dozen or more, including Mr. Al- vord, one of the proprietors, were severely wounded. A fortunate circumstance which saved many lives was the settling of the smoke which took place shortly before the explosion and made the Canal and Walnut street fronts impassable. As a result the crowd had drawn back from the point where the greatest force of the explosion was felt. On the following morning which was' Sunday a special meeting of the Council was
called and the mayor issued a proclamation re- questing the citizens to suspend business on Mon- day, the 2nd of March, the day of the funerals, which should be a day of general mourning. On that day the courts adjourned, business houses were closed and the bells of the churches and city tolled and the whole city was given up to mourning for the unfortunate victims.
THE CINCINNATI OBSERVATORY.
The indefatigable energy of one man, Ormsby M. Mitchel, and the public spirit of another, Nicholas Longworth, made possible an institu- tion in which the city has always felt great pride, -the Cincinnati Observatory. In 1842 Mitchel organized the Cincinnati Astronomical Society before which he delivered a course of lectures on astronomy for the purpose of interesting citi- zens to such an extent as to make possible the equipping of an observatory with proper instru- ments. Mr. Longworth's gift of four acres on what is now known as Mount Adams determined the location of the institution whose corner- stone was laid by ex-President John Quincy Adams on November 9, 1843. During Mr. Adams' stay, a "Martha Washington Tea Party" was given at Shires' Garden on the site of the old Burnet homestead.
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