USA > Ohio > Hamilton County > Cincinnati > Centennial history of Cincinnati and representative citizens, Vol. I, Pt. 2 > Part 78
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HOSPITALS.
Cincinnati's first hospital, established by act of Legislature dated January 22, 1821, was due to the efforts of Dr. Drake, as was also its first medical school. It was called the "Commercial Hospital and Lunatic Asylum for the State of Ohio," and was erected in 1823. The following description is taken from the Western Medical Gasetle of 1832: "The site is a four-acre out- lot (No. 59) of the original plat of Cincinnati, bounded on the east by the Miami Canal, and is within one mile of the Ohio River, and cost the township $4,000. The principal building is of brick, 53 feet front, facing southwardly, and 42 feet deep, four stories high, including the base- ment, which is eight feet high, and the others nine and one-half feet clear, and over these is a- convenient operating theatre, with seats for about one hundred spectators. This building is divided into 18 apartments, with a hall and stair- case in the centre, and neatly furnished through- out. It was built in 1823, and cost $10,000 in depreciated bank paper estimated to be worth, at that time, about $3,500. The inclosures, ad- ditions and furniture have cost $7,877. The principal addition is a wing of brick, 44 feet long and 28 feet wide, two stories high, with a cellar under the whole; it is divided into 22
apartments, II on each floor, adapted to the safe- keeping of lunatics, etc .; those on the first floor for males and those on the second for females; and was built in 1827. The whole lot is inclosed with a close board fence; about two and a half acres of the west part of the lot is in grass, where the male inmates are permitted to walk; about one acre is cultivated as a vegetable garden, where the females are permitted to resort for airing and recreation; the residue of the lot is divided into convenient yards." An additional wing, 24 by 53 feet, was built in 1833. The base- ment of the new wing was divided into three rooms, one of which was for the apothecary shop, one for the lodging room of the resident physician and apothecary, and the third for the heating apparatus. Above the basement were three stories, cach containing a ward 24 by 53 feet. The capacity after the addition of the second wing was 150, exclusive of paupers and lunatics. Up to 1861 the staff was composed ex- clusively of professors in the Medical College of Ohio. The name was changed in 1861 to the "Commercial Hospital of Cincinnati," and in April, 1868, to the "Cincinnati Hospital." The old building was razed in December, 1866, and the present edifice was occupied on January 7, 1869, having a capacity of 500 beds.
The "Pest House," as it was called, for con- tagious diseases was first located on the present Music Hall lot, then where Lincoln Park is now, then on Rohs Hill, near McMillan street and Clifton avenue, and later on the present site as the "Branch Hospital." The following are some of the internes who served in the "old" hospital, who later attained prominence in their profession :
J. P. Judkins 1838-39
J. H. Tate 1840-41
F. C. Roelker 1841-42
C. S. Muscroft 1842-43
John Davis 1843-44
J. A. Murphy 1846-47
Il. E. Foote 1847-48
W. W. Dawson
1850-51
W. H. Taylor
1858-59
J. S. Billings 1860-61
It is generally supposed that special hospitals are of recent date, but it seems that Cincinnati had as early as 1827 an institution called the "Cincinnati Eye Infirmary," of which Dr. Drake was physician and surgeon and Dr. Jedediah Cobb, consulting surgeon. It was located on Third street between Main and Walnut. Again in 1828 we find the "Western Eye and Ear In-
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firmary," of which Elijah Slack was president, Daniel Gano and T. S. Goodman, vice-presi- dents, and J. H. Groesbeck, treasurer.
The private hospital also seems to be of early origin, as in 1829 there was the "Cincinnati In- firmary," belonging to Dr. L. M. Johnson, on Front street near the Cincinnati Hotel, north- east corner of Front and Broadway.
The Good Samaritan Hospital, with 20 beds, was opened on November 15, 1852, by the Sis- ters of Charity in a building at the corner of Broadway and Franklin streets, with the faculty of the newly organized Miami Medical College as its medical staff. Three years later they re- moved to the corner of Plum and Third streets, where for more than 11 years "St. John's Hos- pital" was maintained, with accommodations for 75 patients. During the war its capacity was taxed to the utmost, and, as the scene of much of Dr. Blackman's work, its reputation was wide- spread. In 1866 its name was again changed to "The Hospital of the Good Samaritan" and it was removed in 1867 to its present location at Sixth and Lock streets, when its medical staff was chosen exclusively from the Medical Col- lege of Ohio. In connection with this hospital should be mentioned Sister Anthony, who for many years while it was at Third and Plum streets and later was the sister superior and the most noted "nurse" Cincinnati had; and it was largely due to her that the hospital so flour- ished.
St. Mary's Hospital was opened in 1858 by the Sisters of St. Clara of the order of St. Francis in a building on Fourth street between Central avenue and John street, and one year later re- moved to the present location on Betts street.
MEDICAL JOURNALS.
The first medical journal published here was the Western Quarterly Reporter of Medicine and Surgery and Natural Science in 1822 and edited by Dr. John D. Godman. B'ut six numbers ap- peared. This was also the first medical journal in the West.
The next to appear was the Ohio Medical Re- pository, a semi-monthly, in April, 1826, edited by Drs. Guy W. Wright and James M. Mason. After an existence of one year, Dr. Drake suc-
ceeded Dr. Mason, and its name was changed to the Western Medical and Physical Journal. One year later Dr. Drake became the sole owner and again the name was changed to the Western Journal of the Medical and Physical Sciences.
There were associated with Dr. Drake,-James C. Finley, William Wood, S. D. Gross and Har- rison. When Dr. Drake removed to Louisvillle, this journal was consolidated with the Louisville Journal of Medicine and Surgery. In 1832 the faculty of the Medical College of Ohio started the Western Medical Gazette, but it only ap- peared for nine months.
Quite a number of journals appeared from time to time for a few numbers only, and it was not until 1842, when the Western Lancet ap- peared, edited by L. M. Lawson, that a journal of any permanency was founded. This, pub- lished under various names, Lancet and Ob- server, Lancet and Clinic, and Lancet-Clinic, is still in existence. The Clinic. which appeared in August, 1871, and afterwards united with the Lancet, was the first medical weekly in the West. Some of those connected with these pub- lications as editors are: John Eberle, J. Moor- head, John Locke, Jedediah Cobb, J. T. Shot- well, T. D. Mitchell, J. M. Staughton, Bailey, J. L. Vattier, Warder, George Mendenhall, John Alexander Murphy, E. B. Stevens, William H. Mussey, E. Williams, and A. H. Baker.
The Eclectic Medical Journal was one of the earlier publications, appearing in 1849. Alto- gether Cincinnati had 31 journals before 1860.
MEDICAL LIBRARIES.
Many medical libraries have been projected in Cincinnati, that of the Cincinnati Medical So- ciety in 1819 probably being the first. The Med- ical College of Ohio in 1820 had a library of 500 volumes and in 1847 it had increased to 2,000 volumes, costing $6,500. In 1851 was founded the Cincinnati Medical Library Asso- ciation, which only lasted two years and secured but few books.
Cincinnati has thus had the first medical stu- dent in the West to receive the degree of Doctor of Medicine, the first hospital in Ohio, the first medical journal, and the first weekly journal, and the first eye clinic in the West.
CHAPTER L.
THE CITY AND ITS GOVERNMENT SINCE 1861
ANNEXATIONS AND TERRITORIAL CHANGES -THE CHARTER - THE MAYORS -THE LEGISLATIVE BOARDS -- THE ADMINISTRATIVE BOARDS - THE COURTS OF THE COUNTY AND CITY - THE COURT HOUSE - THE FEDERAL COURTS -- THE POLICE DEPARTMENT - THE FIRE DEPART- MENT - THE WATER WORKS -THE NEW WATER WORKS - THE PARKS - TRUSTEES OF THE SINKING FUND- SOME FIGURES ABOUT THE CITY'S FINANCES-THE SEWERS -THE STREETS- THE GOVERNMENT BUILDING AND ITS OCCUPANTS.
ANNEXATIONS AND TERRITORIAL CHANGES.
The total area of the city of Cincinnati, which at the time of its incorporation in 1819 was ap- proximately three square miles, had increased by annexations prior to the war to seven square miles. Since that time the sentiment in favor of including, under one government the entire popu- lation of Hamilton County, of which the city is the real business, social and intellectual center, has resulted in the annexation of a large number of the outlying villages and suburbs to such an extent that the area of the city in the spring of 1904 has increased to 42.50 square miles.
The year 186( was the first of several years of annexations.
By ordinance of September 10, 1869, there was annexed to the city of Cincinnati all of Storrs township not included within the corporate limits of the village of Riverside (three and one-eighth square miles). This lay west of the city be- tween Mill creek and the meridian west of Price Hill and was erected about 1835. Within this township was the first house built by General Harrison in the Western country before his re- moval to North Bend; it was a little west of Mill creek near Gest. This became the 21st Ward.
On September 10, 1869, the Walnut Hills, Mount Auburn and Clintonville special road dis- tricts were annexed to the city as a result of the vote of the electors both of the city and of the property to be annexed ( Ordinance of March 5, 1870). This territory (one and three- fourths square miles in area) included the so- called village of Vernonville which was that ter- ritory lying between Burnet avenue and the Lebanon road and the south line of the village of Avondale. By the agreement of annexation made by the commissioners on behalf of the city, -Charles F. Hassaurek and H. H. Tatem,-and those on behalf of the village,-A. D. Bullock. Charles Reakirt and W. S. Scarborough,-the annexed property was to be divided into two wards with Burnet avenue as a dividing line. This resulted in the 22nd Ward to the east and the 23rd Ward to the west of Burnet avenue.
By ordinance of November 12, 1860, Camp Washington and Lick Run were annexed to the city. This territory is described as follows: "Beginning at the southwest corner of section 31, Mill Creek township; thence east with the south line of sections 31 and 25 to the west line of the city of Cincinnati; thence north with said last named line to the southwest corner of section 20; thence cast with the south line of sec-
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tion 20 to the west line of Corryville voting pre- cinct; thence north with said last named line . to the south line of the incorporated village of Clifton; thence west and north with said last named line, to the boundary of the incorporated village of Cumminsville; thence west with said boundary of Cumminsville to Mill creek; thence southwardly, with Mill creek and the boundary of said Cumminsville, to the north line of sec- tion 26; thence west along the north line of sec- tions 26 and 32 to the east line of Green town- ship ; thence south along said east line of Green township, to the place of beginning." By a sub- sequent ordinance of September 21, 1870, the territory known as the election precinct of Camp Washington was added to the 18th Ward and the election precinct of Lick Run was added to the 21st Ward and the newly added territory in Spencer township (see below) was added to the 24th Ward. Camp Washington was the locality in the Mill creek valley upon both sides of the Colerain pike between the old Brighton House site and Cumminsville where the First and Sec- ond Ohio regiments camped at the outbreak of the Mexican War in 1846. Lick Run lay a little west of Fairmount. In the territory annexed at this time were also included Fairmount, Mount Harrison, Barrsville, Forbesville, Spring Gar- den, St. Peter's and Clifton Heights. It in- cluded an arca of five and one-eighth square miles.
Another ordinance of November 12, 1869, pro- vided for the annexation of all that portion of Spencer township lying within the following de- scribed boundaries : "Beginning at the north- cast corner of the corporation of Cincinnati as at present constituted; thence west with the north line of Cincinnati as at present constituted to the southeast corner of the incorporated vil- lage of Woodburn, the said southeast corner being also a point in the west line of section 32 ; thence north with the east line of Woodburn and said west line of section 32 to the north- west corner of section 32; thence east on the section line between sections 32 and 33 and 26 and 27, to the northeast corner of section 26; thence south on the section line between sections 20 and 26, to the north line of the present ter- ritory of the incorporated village of Columbia ; thence west with said north line of Columbia as at present constituted to the northwest corner of the incorporated village of Columbia ; thence west along a straight line from the northwest corner of the present territory of the incorporated village of Columbia to the northeast corner of the
city of Cincinnati, as at present constituted, and the place of beginning" (being two and a half square miles). Proceedings were had before the county commissioners on May 9, 1870, which completed the annexation of this territory, which was added to the 24th Ward.
On April 16, 1870, an act of the Legislature was passed authorizing an election on May 16th on the question of the annexation .of Clifton, Avondale, Woodburn, Columbia, Cumminsville, Spring Grove, Winton Place, St. Bernard, Riv- erside and other suburbs. The annexation car- ried but the courts heid the act unconstitutional as being a special act conferring corporate pow- ers.
The incorporate village of Columbia (in area onc and one-eighth square miles) by virtue of ordinances of September 10, 1871, and December 13, 1872, and the election held on April 3, 1871, became a part of the city and was added to the First Ward, under the new ward subdivision.
The incorporate village of Cumminsville (two and three-eighths square miles) also became a part of the city under the name of the 25th Ward by virtue of ordinances of September 6, 1872, and March 12, 1873, while the so-called village of Woodburn (a square mile) passed into the terri- tory of the city and the First Ward as a result of ordinances of September 6, 1872, and March 29, 1873. The question of the annexation of both Cumminsville and Woodburn was passed upon by the voters of the respective territories.
The Zoological Garden and contiguous terri- tory (one-fourth of a square mile in area) were added December 7, 1888.
By virtue of an act of April 13, 1893, the matter of annexation of the villages of Avon- dale, Riverside, Clifton, Linwood and West- wood and their school districts was submitted to the voters of the city and villages and Judge C. D. Robertson, W. B. Melish, and L. C. Robinson were appointed annexation commissioners by the Court of Common Pleas. The annexation was carried by a large majority and as a result the report of the commissioners went into effect about midnight of December 30, 1895. This (adding ft square miles) made the arca of the city 3514 square miles.
On January 18, 1898, 96 acres of land, lying just cast and north of the northeast corner of Avondale and known as Bragg's Subdivision and Rose 1lill, were added to the city. On December 17, 1902, all of section 6 and the east half of section 12 in Delhi township were also taken into the city limits, adding one and one-half square
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miles. This annexation is the last addition to the city prior to the end of the year 1902, the centennial year of its history, and it was with reference to the city at that time that the bound- aries given in an earlier chapter of this work apply. Since that time, however, another fever of annexation has taken possession of the author- ities and the public which has resulted in a con- siderable addition to the Queen City's territory. On October 17, 1903, a little strip of land, 160 acres or a quarter of a square mile in extent lying between Avondale and Bond Hill, became a part of Cincinnati and in November of the same year the villages of Winton Place, Evans- ton, Bond Hill and Hyde Park (aggregating four and eighty-five-hundredths square miles) were annexed. On March 17, 1904, that part of Mill Creek township lying between Mill creek and the canal being the part of Spring Grove Ceme- tery south of Spring Grove avenue (in area seven-hundredths of a square mile) and the territory known as Oklahoma in sections 27 and 28 of Mill Creek township (forty-three-hun- dredths square miles in area) were also added. These various villages and strips of territory have increased the total area of the city to 4212 square miles. They were incorporated into the existing wards as no new wards were created at this time.
The territory of the city at the time of the beginning of the Civil War was divided into 17 wards, the last in number being the newly an- nexed corporation of Fulton. From time to time new ward divisions were made to accommo- date the growing population and the additional territory. In 1864 an 18th Ward was carved out of the old 12th, while in 1868 the 19th and 20th were created out of parts of the 11th. In the same year a new arrangement threw part of Fulton into the 20th Ward. The annexations beginning in 1869 added several new wards. Storrs township became the 21st and the Wal- nut Hills, Mount Auburn and Clintonville special road districts became the 22nd and 23rd, the dividing line being Burnet avenue. The 24th Ward was the property lying east of the old eastern corporation line and the village of Co- lumbia. In 1873 a new arrangement of wards, 24 in number, was made and the addition of Cumminsville added the 25th. By 1888, the cen- tennial year of the settlement, the city was divided into 30 wards as the result of an entire rear- rangement. The annexation of Avondale, Clif- ton and other territory added the 31st Ward in 1896. By virtue of the new code passed in
1902 a new ward arrangement became necessary and that code went into effect in 1903 with 24 wards which is the present arrangement of the city. This has not been changed by the addition of the territory annexed in 1904.
THIE CHARTER.
The code of 1852 was amended and supple- mented by 184 acts prior to the adoption of the code of 1869. By the act of May 7, 1869, a new municipal code was adopted for the municipal corporations of. the State. By virtue of this act the officers of cities of the first class, under which classification Cincinnati continued, were a mayor, solicitor, treasurer, street commissioner, Police judge, prosecuting attorney of the Police Court, clerk of the Police Court all of whom were to be elected, a fire engineer, superintendent of markets, civil engineer and chief of police. to be appointed by the mayor with the assent of the Council and a clerk and auditor to be elected by the Council. The legislative authority was vested in a Council consisting of two members from each ward. By an act passed February 10, 1870, the legislative power was vested in a Board of Aldermen and Board of Councilmen which together formed the Common Council of the said city. The Board of Aldermen consisted of one alderman to be elected from each ward in the city and the Board of Councilmen was a continuation of the Council, which had been known for so many years as the City Council.
The charter of 1869 was amended and re- amended in its details but continued the basis of the city government for many years. The revision of the statutes of Ohio in 1880 to some extent changed the general provisions of the municipal code, but the general fabric of the governnient was about the same. A curious controversy arose in 1800. In accordance with the act of March 13, 1890, a Board of Public Improvements consisting of five members was appointed by Governor Campbell. Subsequently Governor Campbell desired to replace this board by another and for that purpose called an ex- traordinary session of the Legislature, which convened October 14, 1890, and passed on October 24, 1890, an aet abolishing the Board of Public Improvements and providing for the election by the electors of the city at the suc- ceeding (April, 1891) election of a Board of City Affairs. The mayor was given authority to appoint a Board of City Affairs to serve until the election of the new board.
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A movement for a new charter resulted in an act of March 26, 1891, which although entitled a supplementary and emendatory act was in effect in many particulars an entirely new code and has been so generally regarded. By this code, which took the place of the code of 1869 already practically legislated and amended out of existence, the legislative power in cities of the first grade and first class was vested in a Board of Legislation which took the place of the Board of Council. The Board of Legislation was to consist of two members from each ward. It was also provided by this act that there should be a mayor, auditor, treasurer, clerk of the Police Court and corporation counsel who should be chosen by the electors, a prosecuting attorney of the Police Court appointed by the mayor and a city clerk elected by the Board of Legislation. The elective officers were given a term of three years and the mayor was made ineligible to elec- tion for two successive terms. There was also provided by the act a Board of Administration, whose members were required to devote their en- tire time and attention to the duties of the office and in person to supervise generally the cleaning, repairing and improvement of the streets and public places of the city. At the same time a Board of Fire Trustees was elected to take charge of the fire department. This as well as the Board of Administration was to be ap- pointed by the mayor, who was the real head of the city government. A new board and the most important feature of the act was known as the Board of Review, which consisted of six mem- bers to be appointed by the Superior Court and was to be non-partisan. The non-partisan feature applied in fact to all the boards. The Board of Review was to exercise the duties of the Board of Tax Commissioners, Board of Revision, An- nual Board of Equalization and the Decennial Board of Equalization. It was in fact a super- visory board and had the power of removing any of the officers of the city except the prosecuting attorney of the Police Court upon charges pre- ferred and after a summary hearing. This act also prohibited anv officer or employee of the city from taking part in any political convention at which municipal officers were to be nominated upon pain of removal by the mayor.
Every subsequent session of the Legislature has brought new changes in the code govern- ing the city. These changes particularly have af- fected the various boards and more sepecially the executive board in charge of the streets and pub- lic places of the city. Each change has resulted
in what was called a new charter, although the amendments have been usually mere matters of detail without really altering the general conduct of affairs.
Certain decisions' of the Supreme Court of Ohio, delivered in the early part of the year 1(02, seemed to make necessary a revision of the municipal code of the State and thereupon Gov- ernor Nash summoned the Legislature in an ex- traordinary session which began at Columbus, August 25, 1902. As a result a new municipal code was passed October 22, 1902, under which officers were elected at the spring election of 1903. This code divided the municipal corpora- tions into cities and villages and gave a general system of government for all cities throughout the State. The legislative power of cities was vested in a Council board, all of whose members are elected, in part by wards and in part at large. For the purposes of this act the city was resub- divided into 24 wards. The Council's powers are merely legislative. It has no administration duties and no power of appointment except in certain limited cases. The power of veto is given to the mayor. The executive power is vested in a mayor, president of Council, auditor, treasurer, solicitor, Department of Public Serv- ice and Department of Public Safety. The mayor is elected for a term of two years as is the presi- dent of the Council. In the absence of the mayor from the city, the president of the Council is acting mayor and in case of death, resigna- tion or removal of the mayor the president of the Council becomes mayor. The term of the auditor is three years, that of treasurer and so- licitor two years,-the latter is also prosecuting attorney of the Police Court. The Department of Public Service is under the control of a board of five members known as the Board of Public Service, whose directors are chosen for a term of two years by the electors of the city. This board also constitutes the Platting Commis- sion. It has charge of all municipal water, light- ing and heating plants, parks, baths, market houses, cemeteries, crematories, sewage-disposal plants and farms, as well as all public buildings and the property of the corporation generally. It manages the houses of refuge and correction. work house, city farm schools, infirmaries, hos- pitals, pest houses and all other charitable and reformatory institutions of the city. The De- partment of Public Safety is composed of four directors appointed by the mayor with the ad- vice and consent of the Council for terms of four years. The Board of Public Safety is a
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