USA > Ohio > Hamilton County > Cincinnati > Cincinnati in 1826 > Part 6
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2,000 Murray's Grammar, 1,500 Family Physician,
14,200 Testaments, Hymn, and Music Books.
There is no Umbrella Factory in this city. Of the suc- cess of an establishment of this kind, there can be no doubt.
The value of Manufactured Articles, or in other words the productive industry of the Artizans and Mechanics of Cincin- nati, for the year 1826, will appear from the following table. Five Steam Engine and Finishing Establish- ments, employing 126 hands; value of manufactured articles, $134,000
Four Iron Foundries, 54 hands,
59,400
Eleven Soap and Candle Factories, 48 hands; (451,000 pounds of soap, and 332,000 pounds of candles,) 51,500
0
Ten Tanneries and Currying Shops, 66 hands, 76,500 F
Thirteen Cabinet Furniture Shops, 104 hands, 67,950
F
CINCINNATI.
65
Four Rope Walks, 31 hands,
23,000
Two Breweries, 18 hands,
20,900
Zeven Hatter Shops, 95 hands,
123,200
Twenty-nine Boot and Shoe Shops, 257 hands, Two Wall Paper Factories, 9 hands,
8,400
T'en Saddlers and Trunk Makers, 66 hands,
41,900
Three Tobacco and Snuff Factories, 28 hands,
21,200
One Brass and Bell Foundry, 4 hands,
3,500
Nine Tin and Coppersmith shops, 39 hands,
48,800
One Oil Mill, 7 hands,
11,700
Two Woolcarding and Fulling Mills, 11 hands,
6,500
Six Chair Factories, 38 hands,
21,973
Three Turners in Wood, 9 hands,
2,925
Eleven Cooper Shops, 48 hands
29,700
One Type Foundry, 23 hands,
20,000
One Clock Factory, 18 hands,
20,000
Three Plough Factories, 11 hands,
10,475
Eight Carriage and Wagon Factories, 37 hands,
26,280
Two Potteries, 8 hands, 4,500
Two Woollen and Cotton Factories, 6 hands,
4,100
Two Boot and Shoe Tree Factories, 5 hands, 1,100
Two Plane Stock, Bit, and Screw Factories, 7 hands, 11,145 Two Comb Factories, 6 hands,
1,600
One Looking-glass and Picture Frame Factory, 7 hands, 2,000
One Seive Factory, 3 hands,
3,400
One Chemical Laboratory,
2,400
Six Book Binderies, 14 hands,
11,971
Seven Silversmith Shops, 17 hands,
8,600
Ten Bakeries, 28 hands,
29,400
One Paper Mill, 40 hands,
22,000
Twenty-one Smith Shops, 92 hands,
48,000
Five hundred Carpenters,
165,000
Thirty Painters,
13,900
Thirty-five Tailors' and Clothiers' Shops, em- ploying 132 men, 467 women,
172,815
Fourteen Brick Yards, 210 hands, (10,000,000 of Brick,)
25,000
One Cotton Spinning and Brass Foundry, 21 hands,
22,000
One Matrass Factory, 3 hands,
1,000
One White Lead Factory, 3 hands,
3,672
Four Stone Cutting Factories, 18 hands,
11,100
0 0
0
0
C
0
88,550
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CINCINNATI.
Three Steam-boat Yards, 200 hands, Nine Printing Establishments, 58 hands, One hundred and ten Brick-layers Stone-masons, and Plaisterers, One Distillery, 2 hands,
105,000 52,000
37,650 4,300
1,682,00€
From the following establishments and artizans no returns have been received: 1 Sugar Refinery; 3 Copper plate Engravers; 3 Portrait and 1 Miniature Painters; 1 Cot- ton and Wool Card Factory ; 1 Steam Saw Mill; 4 Carpet and Stocking Weavers; 2 Steam Flour Mills; 1 Powder Factory ; 2 Crockery and Stone ware Factories; 1 Carver in Wood; 40 Milliner-shops; 2 Brush Makers; 1 Wheat Fan Factory; 1 Pump and Block Maker; 1 Saddle-tree Maker; 4 Chemical Laboratories; 1 Sash Maker; 2 Blacksmiths; 2 Piano Facto- ries; 1 Organ Builder; 5 Shoe-makers; 2 Tailors; 1 Distillery ; 2 Upholsterers; 1 Cutler; 9 Confectionaries; 2 Gun smiths; 3 Lime Kilns; 2 Bakeries.
From the best data which can be obtained, the value of the articles produced in these Factories and Shops is not less than In addition to the above may be added Pugh and Teater's Glass Works, at Moscow; Du- val's Paper Mills, at Mill Grove; and 3 Cotton Spinning Factories, all of which are owned by citizens of Cincinnati, and the manufactured articles from which, are sold in this city. The value of the products from these establishments may be safely estimated at 68,00€
100,000
$1,850,000
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CINCINNATI
CHAPTER IX.
CAPACITY OF CINCINNATI FOR MANUFACTURES.
or the following article we are indebted to the politeness of a Gen- tleman, whose general intelligence and accurate knowledge in regard to manufactures, entitle his opinions to the confidence of the community.
The first thing that strikes an observer in Cincinnati, after aving become acquainted with its relative locality, is the omparatively little attention which has been paid to the rection of Manufactures. Commanding the trade of a dis- rict of country, which extends at least one hundred miles, every direction, and much farther in some , it would seem to e destined to occupy a prominent stand, amongst the manu- acturing cities of the Union; and yet, for years past, this act has been as little noticed as if "the queen of the West" ad been located in a desert, and held no intercourse with the est of mankind. It is not very difficult, however, to account or this singular state of things, and those who lived here efore the halcyon days that immediately succeeded the late O ar with England, are probably the best able to explain it. f their wealth and enterprize had not been alike destroyed, y the dreadful revolution in the affairs of the West, that vas produced by the too great anxiety on the part of the Bank of the United States to encourage large loans, there zas.a class of men in Cincinnati, who would long since, have iven a different turn to the business of this country. Their xperience, and acquaintance with the capacity and wants of he west, gave them full power to appreciate the importance f manufacturing institutions, and they had made important reparations to embark in this interesting operation, when he storm burst, that involved them in one general ruin, and nade room for a new race of men, equally enterprizing, qually valuable, but who were not sufficiently acquainted vith facts, to induce them to enter upon an untried theatre of perations. The new population was composed of men of ommercial habits, and flattered by the immediate prospects f realizing immense profits in their business, which required
00
68
CINCINNATI.
no preparation, and involved no loss of time, they devoted themselves at once to mercantile pursuits. Their success bas answered their most sanguine expectations; but this success was based on a state of things that could not last; it was in short, owing to that kind of monopoly which the un- dertakers of every new business, must necessarily enjoy. Merchandise, in consequence of the general destruction of the old men of business, in Cincinnati, afforded a complete monopoly to those who entered on business here, during the last seven or eight years. But success created competition. and competition has been attended with the usual result Exclusive profits are no longer to be derived from this spe cies of business, and even the steam boat speculations, which may fairly be viewed as the concomitant of the mercantile monopoly, no longer present the brilliant perspective which they did, two or three years ago. Competition has beer equally busy here, with similar results. This latter business however, has been attended with much more advantage to this district of country, than the other; it has employed a great amount of foreign capital, in this city, corrected much of the exhaustion, produced by the mercantile mania, and given employment to a vast quantity of labour, the only legitimate use to which wealth can be applied.
The error, however, which has been committed in the employment of capital, has been felt; there is, at particular seasons, a general complaint among the business men, tha business is dull Now, it is impossible that this can be true or that it is not increasing every day. The facts presented in this book, afford abundant proof of the unexampled in crease of the business facilities of this section of country The solution is to be found in the great multiplication o commercial houses, and the consequent division of the trad of the place A remedy is to be sought, and luckily, it i simple and plain; it will be found in the establishment o that kind of manufactures, in which this district is so pecu liarly calculated to succeed; and for which. as yet, no othe portion of the west, has established an exclusive reputation Iron and Glass, may, with propriety, be left to Pittsburgh; ij those articles, that city must ever remain unrivalled. Bu in Cotton and Woollens if these are to succeed in America Cincinnati must, at no very distant day, stand pre eminent and lucky will it be for those whose capital is first embarked in them.
69
CINCINNATI.
'The report of the Secretary of the Treasury, Mr. Rush, ntains the interesting fact, that one-fourth of the Cotton .ised in the United States, is manufactured at home! The 'eatest portion of this has been done in the Eastern States. e have no data before us for the last year, but for 1824 e have; the whole amount exported during that year was 12.369,663 pounds; it cannot then, be very wide of the ark to place the amount manufactured by the United States upwards of 45,000,000 of pounds. This is more than the hole amount exported during any one year previous to the :riod of 1810, and is nearly equal to one-half exported to reat Britain and Ireland for the year 1824. Now, to en- ge so very extensively in business, proves at once, that it ust be a most prosperous one. Our astute and judicious untrymen to the east of the Hudson, were the first to dis- ver the importance of this fabric, and for several years ey have been reaping a rich harvest of monopoly. At e time, about the year 1818, it was calculated that the est alone owed them upwards of $500,000 for Domestic Cot- ns, besides the amount which had been paid for! What use has existed, or does still exist, for suffering this mo- poly of a most lucrative business? It is time that our citi- ns should awake to the importance of this subject. Cin- nati is situated just far enough above the line of demarca- on, between the cotton and grain growing regions, to ensure healthy location; the raw material is brought to her harves, much cheaper than to any other manufacturing rtion of the United States; she has the largest and most rtile district in America, immediately dependent on her for pplies,-a district, too, increasing in population more pidly, than any other part of the Union; the Ohio river is er ready to carry to the East, to the South, and to the de spreading population of the Upper Mississippi and Mis- uri, the manufactured article, at a regular and encouraging ofit. The Canals will shortly afford additional facilities : spreading the article through the state of Ohio; and entucky will never buy from the East, when her own pro- ce will command what they want in the West.
The only objection that has, with any plausibility, been ged against the erection of Cotton or Woollen Manufac- res in this vicinity, is the want of water power, or if steam resorted to, the high price of fuel, compared with the ttsburgh prices. To this, it can fairly be answered, that
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But ca nt
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CINCINNATI.
certain calculations are made upon the Canal which is to g through this place, affording, in a few months, ample wate power for the purposes of Manufacturing. But allowing this to fail, and steam to be resorted to, even in this event the advantages are greatly in favour of the west. Fuel, a treble the Pittsburgh prices, would still be more economica than any water power to the east, taking into consideratio the first cost, repairs, &c .; now, when the coal trade is mad a regular and certain business, as it is fast becoming, it wil be afforded at little more than double the Pittsburgh rate This item, then, giving to it its utmost influence, woul amount to little more than one of those contingent difference which a thousand trifling circumstances produce between the operations of different countries, and are much more tha counterbalanced by the other facilities connected wit such establishments, in this district of our country.
The imports to this city, for its own consumption, and the of the towns dependent on it for supplies, may be fairly est mated at $2,500,000. It is difficult to arrive at the exa( amount of exports that go to pay for this large item of in port; but we cannot place the amount of produce take from this port alone, at quite $1,200,000. Now, to plac the exportations of a manufacturing district in fair relief, l us contrast this statement with one derived from a neigl bouring city, devoted to Manufactures. We have no guid by which to form an estimate of the imports into the city Pittsburgh, but they cannot amount to near a million. Th amount of manufactured articles produced in that plac during the year 1825, is estimated at $2,600,000, leaving balance at least beyond $1,000,000 in favour of the industr of that flourishing town. What is the result! There is r complaint about the dull times-money is plenty, and th cheerful sound of industry is heard from every quarter.
One or two hundred thousand dollars, vested in the mal ufacture of Wool and Cotton, would produce a wonderf change, not only in the prosperity of Cincinnati, but in th speculations of our citizens. By this means, two or thre hundred thousand dollars would annually be brought back t (or what is the same thing,) retained in, this country, in a dition to what is already made by the ordinary employme of the population. The operations of the country wou become certain and fixed; a consumption would be create for the products of the soil, and agriculture, thus encourage
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CINCINNATI.
would rise into respectability. Such a state of things is devoutly to be wished for;" and from the spirit which is ast gaining strength among us, it is but fair to assert, that efore another year passes by, the Spindle and the Loom vill be important items in the business of Cincinnati.
CHAPTER X.
COMMERCE.
The commerce of Cincinnati is co-extensive with steam- boat navigation on the western waters, and its trade, with st a he interior, is expanded and ramified over an extended tract of country on both sides of the Ohio. It is the imme- liate place of shipment for the produce of nearly the whole ke ac Miami Country, and a small district of Indiana. It is also he point of importation and distribution for most of the goods which supply that part of Ohio west of the Muskin - gum, nearly the whole of Indiana, large portions of Ken- lucky, and Missouri, and even still more distant regions. Goods are frequently sent from this place to Zanesville, Urbanna, Indianopolis, Kaskaskia, St. Genevieve, and Flor- carence, besides numerous places, which are less remote .- This mercantile intercourse has been greatly increased within a few years, and Cincinnati promises to become the th Mlepot of supply, to nearly all the West. To meet the de- mand for importation from an immense interior, and to com- mand the profits of the carrying trade, nearly all of its dis- AMposable capital has, heretofore, been invested in commercial fu pursuits. Large mercantile firms have been established, blwhich have transacted business on an extended scale : two of e these import directly from Europe. To facilitate such im- to portations, an effort is now making in Congress to render ad Cincinnati a Port of Entry. At the distance of nearly seven- teen hundred miles from the Coast, to speak of the arrange- ments of a Sea-port, seems idle speculation; but if ever the el ocean is successfully navigated by steam-boats, this measure · ed may be both necessary and convenient. g
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tio ad
te
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CINCINNATI.
The navigation of the Ohio was, until 8 or 10 years since carried on almost entirely in barges, keel, and flat boats. The two former are now almost superseded by steam-boats the smaller class of which, have lately been so constructed as to continue running at the driest seasons of the year.
STEAM-BOATS.
The first Steam-boat launched upon the waters of they west, was built at Pittsburgh, in 1811. The first one built a Cincinnati, was the Vesta, launched in 1816. It was not however, till 1817, that steam boat building was actively and extensively pursued in the west. Since that time, they have come into general use, and have employed much of the ras labour, skill, and capital of the chief towns above the mouth of the Ohio. In this business, Cincinnati has been conspicu. ously engaged, and in number of boats, has exceeded any other place in the west: Indeed, it is doubtful whether any one place in the world has built more. The history of western boat building shows, that, like every other species en of business, it has undergone great and sudden fluctuations. Within the last two years, a very large number have been ast phe built here, and elsewhere, and it is rational to conclude, that in succeeding years, money and enterprise will, for a time. be diverted into new channels. It must, nevertheless, al- ast T ways afford profit and employment. The extended and remote connections of the immense water courses which tra- verse the valley of the Mississippi, and the increasing quan- jer hi he tities of goods and produce borne upon their bosoms, will render steam navigation, forever an object of industry and a source of wealth. Since its introduction here, it has wrought a change in the appearance and nature of commer- cial transactions, which the most active fancy could, a few years since, have scarcely conceived; and this change is progressing with every addition to population and capital.
The steam-boats built at Cincinnati, afford, it may be con- fidently asserted, as fine models as those of any other place. In the wood work, a superiority is generally confessed, by those who are conversant with the business; and in regard to the engines, no superiority is either claimed or admitted in favour of other places, except that which may arise from a greater contiguity to the coal and iron of the upper country. This, however, regards cheapness alone, and is an advan- tage more than counterbalanced, by the superior quality and
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CINCINNATI.
ts ind of our timber, necessary in their construction. The ack locust, which is here so abundant and excellent, is not ed und in the neighborhood of Pittsburgh, and cannot be taken iere, except at an enormous expense. The durability of e boats built upon the Ohio, has, in some instances, even rpassed that of boats constructed in the east, from the Jer- h a y oak, which is there in high repute, for ship building. speed, the western boats generally excel those of the ot stern states; and those built at Cincinnati, are unsurpassed, that particular, by any boats upon the waters of the Mis- e ssippi. If, in the decoration of our boats, there is less "ass, marble, and tinsel work, than in those of the Atlantic th ates, it still cannot be conceded, that our finish is not qually conformable to good taste and elegance ;* while, in gard to their construction and substantial conveniences, te palm of superiority, from the concurrent testimony of ofir own observations, and those of many intelligent gentle- e en, must, in general, be awarded to the boats built upon the hio. Taking the cost of those boats which were built in the en ast and sent round upon the western waters, as examples, he fact is conclusively established, that steam-boats can be e uilt at less expense upon the Ohio, than in any of the astern cities ..
d The whole number of steam boats, which have navigated a-le western waters, since their first introduction, is 233. A. ery small number of these, were built at New-York and hiladelphia ;- the rest were launched upon the waters of ne Ohio.
The following table will show the number built in each iccessive year, from the construction of the first :
In 1811,
1
In 1820, 10
1814,
1
1821,
5
1815,
2
1822,
13
1816,
3
1823,
15
1817,
7
1824,
16
1818,
25
1825,
27
1819,
34
1826,
56
Of the whole number of steam-boats built in the west, O have been lost or destroyed in the following manner, viz: 8 struck on snags; 6 were burnt; 1 stove by the ice; 1
*The Figure Heads and other sculptured ornaments, with whick ur steam-boats are decorated, and which are so justly admired, are, made by Messrs. Sims and Shepherd of this city.
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CINCINNATI.
sunk by another boat; and the remainder worn out. There are now 143 steam-boats, carrying about 24,000 tons, run. ning upon the western waters: of these, 48 were built a1 Cincinnati; 35 at Pittsburgh; 10 at New-Albany ; 7 at Ma- rietta; 5 at Louisville; 4 at New-York, and the residue a various points on the Ohio, the engines for which have near Jy all been furnished by Cincinnati and Pittsburgh.
The following is a list of all the steam boats which have been built at Cincinnati, with their tonnage, engine, and age as nearly as could be ascertained by the most accurate enquiries.
Name.
Year.
Tons.
Remarks.
Vesta,
1816
100
Worn out 1821.
Comet,
1817
154
Cincinnati,
Struck a snag.
Be
Eagle,
1818
120
Struck a snag and lost, 1826 31
Gen. Pike,
1818
180
Destroyed in 1823.
Hecla,
1818
120
Worn out in 1823.
Be
Br
Perseverance,
1818
50
Burnt in the Ohio in 1820.
Vulcan,
1819
258
Worn out in 1824.
Tennessee,
Struck a snag in 1823.
Gen. Greene,
1820
306
Osage,
Struck a snag in 1824.
Paragon,
1819
350
Low.
Eliza,
1821
65
High.
Nashville,
1822
200
High.
Miami,
1822
50
High.
Andrew Jackson,
1823
270
High.
Belle Creole,
66
160
Low.
Rob Roy,
66
240
High.
American,
1824
50
High.
Caledonia,
66
350
Low.
Highland Laddie,
66
80
High.
Lawrence,
122
High.
Mexico,
66
109
Low.
Atalanta,
1825
148
Low.
Ariel,
66
80
High.
Cavalier,
66
180
Low.
Columbia,
200
Low.
Caravan,
220
High.
Gen. Marion,
66
75
Dewitt Clinton,
66
132
Low.
Geo. Washington,
360
High.
Helen McGregor,
340
High.
Ohio,
66
80
High.
Patriot,
66
258
High.
Pioneer,
66
200
High.
Te
A
Struck a snag in 1823.
Ge
G
Henderson,
1818
124
Worn out in 1825.
Struck a snag in 1823.
Struck a snag in 1826.
G
P
Velocipede,
125
Low.
122
Low.
Magnet,
416
144
Cin
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CINCINNATI,
nœbus,
80
High.
lotary,
66
30
High.
Courtland,
1826
212
High.
Cincinnati,
66
272
Iercules, tow-boat.
66
275
High.
'lanter,
66
130
Low.
Philadelphia,
325
High.
Opelousas,
133 High.
robert Burns,
60
125
High.
Led River Packet,
66
212
High.
'uscumbia,
66
122
Low.
Amazon,
66
300
Low.
Just Finished,
Albion,
66
50
Jen. Hamilton,
158
Ben. Franklin,
165
Mongrel. do
'lorida,
230
High .- 100 pounds to inch,
Beaver,
1827
148
Mongrel. Now Finishing.
Brandywine,
1827
140
0
Total. 60 boats, 11,225 Tons .*
The amount of capital belonging to the citizens of Cin- innati, now invested in steam boats, is about five hundred housand dollars.
We shall leave this subject by simply subjoining the fol- owing list of steam-boats, with the amount of their tonnage which arrived at, and departed from the port of Cincinnati, between the 5th and 12th of Feb. 1827.
George Washington,
360 Columbus, 350
iberator,
300
Fame,
350
Patriot,
258
Caledonia, 350
Philadelphia,
325
Commerce, 250
Lady Washington,
150
Atalanta,
150
Mexico,
125
Belle Creole,
120
Gen. Pike,
120
Franklin,
165
Phœbus,
80
Tell,
100
Marion,
75
Velocipede,
109
Crusader,
170
Bolivar,
150
Josephine,
60
High.
'ecumseh,
210
High.
Virginia,
frampus, tow-boat, 1827
290
Now Finishing.
.
Total Number, 21. Total Tonnage, 4,117. Comment upon the above statement is wholly unnecessary. speaks volumes in regard to the trade and commercial prosperity of Cincinnati, and the surrounding country.
*For much of the information contained in the above list, we are ndebted to the politeness of Mr. Ephraim Robins, of the Protection nsurance Office.
100
High.
žen. Carrol,
120
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CINCINNATI,
IMPORTS AND EXPORTS.
Upon this subject, it is impossible to obtain either full or minute information, but what is here offered, may be consid- ered as substantially correct, as far as it extends, and may serve as the basis of estimates for the immense trade of the city.
Of the Imports into Cincinnati, most of the Dry Goods, and lighter articles, are brought from New-York, Philadel- phia, and Baltimore, over the mountains to Wheeling, or Pittsburgh, and thence down the river. The Groceries, Queensware, and other heavy articles, are brought up from New-Orleans., The Iron, of which large quantities are consumed here, and sold to the surrounding country, is principally brought from Pittsburgh; Sandy and Licking . rivers, in Kentucky; and from Paint and Brush creeks, in Ohio. The Bar Iron of Sandy, is esteemed, by those who use it, equal in quality to any other; that of Licking also sustains a high reputation.
The Castings come principally from Brush-creek, and those of that place bear a higher price in market than any others. Nails come from Pittsburgh and Boston,-many from the latter place-a strong comment upon the deficiency of our manufactures.
Lead is brought from Missouri; Salt from the Conemaugh works, in Pennsylvania, and those upon the Kenhawa, in Virginia.
The pine Timber and Boards used here, are floated down in rafts, from near the sources of the Alleghany river,- chiefly from the immense forests of pine around Olean Point. in New-York. No pine of any consequence is found on the Ohio, though locust, oak, black walnut, and other valuable kinds of timber are in the greatest abundance.
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