USA > Ohio > Hamilton County > Cincinnati > Cincinnati, the Queen City, 1788-1912, Volume II > Part 65
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The Chamber of Commerce was organized October 22, 1839. In 1846 it was united with the Merchants' Exchange, as "The Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce and Merchants' Exchange." For many years its meetings were held at 22 West Fourth street. Later, headquarters were in the Pike building. When the ground at the southwest corner of Fourth and Vine streets was vacated by the postoffice, it was purchased by the Chamber of Commerce. One hundred thousand dol- lars were paid for the site. The noted architect, H. H. Richardson, designed the building erected on that spot for the headquarters of the chamber. The cost was $600,000. Early in 1911 this, handsome building was gutted by fire. The Union Central Life Insurance Company has purchased this site and will erect a million dollar structure.
The officers of the Chamber of Commerce have included many of the most eminent business men of the city. Its membership is very large, and the body has always taken a prominent place in the affairs of the city.
The Manufacturers' Club of Cincinnati was established in 1895, its purpose being the development of the manufacturing interests. It excludes partisan politics. The membership is limited to one hundred.
The Merchants' and Manufacturers' Association was organized in 1887 and incorporated in 1893. It aims to induce business men from other communities to visit the city for commercial purposes. It offers free transportation to mer- chants of the country round about.
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WOMAN'S CLUB, AVONDALE
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The Cincinnati League was the organized hospitality committee of Cincin- nati; it represented a number of the other important organizations of the city in offering the hospitality of the city to conventions. The Cincinnati Industrial Bureau was organized in 1901, with the special aim of securing the location here of new industries. It advertised extensively the advantages of Cincin- nati as an industrial center, and assisted existing plants already here and strove to attract others. The Cincinnati League and Industrial Bureau have been merged with the Cincinnati Commercial Association, and now form one of the most powerful progressive organizations of the city.
The Cincinnati Woman's Club was organized March 26th, 1894. This sessior was held in the rooms of the Historical and Philosophical Society of Ohio, and was called by Mrs. S. P. Mallon, Miss Annie Laws, Mrs. J. J. Gest, Mrs. H. C. Yergason, Mrs. H. B. Morehead, Mar Fayette Smith and Miss Clara C. New- ton. Miss Laws called the meeting to order and was chosen as the first president. Papers were read by Miss Laws, Mrs. Smith and Miss Newton urging and out- lining a club of women. Action was immediately taken to effect an organiza- tion. A rule was passed limiting membership to one hundred and fifty, and it was not long until this number had been almost reached. Early sessions were held in the headquarters of the Cincinnati Society of Natural History. Later and for some years the club met in the Perin building.
In 1897 the Woman's Club was incorporated. In 1899 a stock company was formed, with the object of obtaining a club house. It now has a handsome home of its own. In June, 1911, the club was able to announce that the beauti- ful building was free of debt and furnished tastefully. Two years previously the Cincinnati Woman's Club owned only 465 shares of stock in the clubhouse company ; in 1911 it owned 821 shares, which is something over two thirds of the whole issue. This has been acquired through gift and purchase. It has been the avowed policy to acquire ownership of the club.
The work of the regular departments has attained a high degree of excel- lence of which the club is justly proud. Lecture and entertainment committees supply evening programs with music and lectures of a high order. Among other circles are a Current Events Circle, Egyptian Circle and an Art Study Circle. Plans for the future include a much enlarged membership, an addition to the building of another story containing sleeping apartments for out-of-town guests, a large and perfectly appointed tea room, study rooms and accessories, and an enlargement of the building to admit a pipe organ.
In June, 1911, Mrs. Helen Handy Mitchell became president for the ensuing two years.
One of the most notable meetings of women ever held in Cincinnati was the Tenth Biennial Convention of the General Federation of Women's Clubs, which assembled in Music Hall, May 11th to 18th, 1910. The attendance was very large and the whole city acted as host to representative women gathered from all parts of the land.
The Twentieth Century Woman Suffrage Club is one of the newer organiza- tions, but it is strong in numbers and in influence. The president is Mrs. Sara Drukker; vice president, Mrs. G. Ogden. Under the auspices of this club, the
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famous suffragist leader, Miss Sylvia Pankhurst visited this city, and on Feb- ruary 3, 1911 addressed a large audience in Memorial Hall.
WOMAN'S PRESS CLUB.
The Cincinnati Woman's Press Club is the only purely literary club in the city, as well as one of the oldest and most conservative in the state. It was organized in 1888 and federated in 1890. Miss Sara M. Haughton, past president, has compiled data for the scrap book of the club's library, that is interesting for its accuracy and for reference. According to the constitution of the club no per- son is eligible for membership who has not written for publication poems, essays, lectures, and has to present to the committee on credentials one or more articles, according to these specifications, that have been published in standard publica- tions and been paid for. These are criticised by the credential board and if not up to highest standard are rejected and the applicant is not accepted.
Consequently all members now belonging have done something worth while. A partial list is interesting. Miss Sara Haughten is the author of three Christ- mas booklets, "The Christ Child," "The World Doth Not Forget" and "Yet Hath the Starry Night Its Bells." She was for some years editor of The Chil- dren's Record of the Children's Home and has been a contributor to several mag- azines devoted to children's interests and several papers.
Mrs. Mary Watts of Walnut Hills has written two books, "Nathan Burke" and "The Legacy," which have at once brought her fame. Her special line is fiction and reviews.
Mrs. Alice Williams Brotherton has written many years and so is regarded as the nestor of the press club. Her specialty is poems, but she is especially fine in Shakespeare lore, lecturing before schools and clubs. She is one of the few poetesses who can write to order from a limerick to an epic.
Mrs. Amoretta Fitch is a versatile writer of poems, essays, lectures or char- acter sketches, or feature stories and motto cards. At present she conducts the "Woman's Interests" column and women's club department in one of the leading daily newspapers in Cincinnati.
Miss Pearl Carpenter conducts the children's page in a magazine and tells stories at clubs and kindergartens, and is president of the Story Tellers' League and officer of the National Story Tellers' League.
Mrs. Gail Donham Sampson writes children's stories, Miss Alice A. Folger has a volume of poems on the market, Miss Anna Rossiter edits a trade journal Miss Clara Jordan has a text book on the study of Latin that is the standard now in use in the Cincinnati schools, Mrs. James C. Ernst writes articles and re- cently made her debut as a monologist with success, Miss Alma S. Fick writes ethical and historical articles and is an authority on literature, Mrs. Frances Gibson writes poems in Scottish dialect as well as in pure Anglo-Saxon, Miss Berta Harper is a poet as well as an editor of a Sunday school paper, Miss Cath- erine Winspeare Moss has written a book, "The Thousand Ledgers," as well as many poems, Miss Margaret Nye has the distinction of being an able Ger- man translator, while Miss Martha Allen writes and plays interpretations of the most classical music, Miss Alice Hallam has the same musical gifts and
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HYDE PARK COUNTRY CLUB BUILDING DESTROYED BY FIRE IN 1910
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knowledge, and their afternoons are always a treat to the literary members, as well as the musical ones,
Being a purely literary club no question of politics or philanthropy is entered into by the club as a club. Moreover, nearly every individual member is doing philanthropic work in other clubs and in various places, so it is entirely super- fluous to bring these things into the literary work of the club. The club has been a stepping stone for many aspiring authors, for it exists only for the pur- pose of aiding by experience and example those who are young in literary life. The loyalty of the Woman's Press Club to one another is proverbial and their programs are widely commented upon for the themes and the professional hand- ling of the same. Every number on a program being strictly original and new makes the meetings full of excited interest as to what is to be heard, like a "first night" in the theater. Character is the first requisite, then ability and no feeling of jealousy exists, each being proud of one another's success in their chosen line of work.
The Cuvier-Press Club was created in 1911 by a union of the Cuvier Club and the Pen and Pencil Club. The Cuvier Club was founded in 1874, having for its purpose the protection of fish and game, the enforcement of laws bearing on them, and the advancement of out-door sports. It owned a fine collection of specimens in ichthyology and ornithology. Its banquets have been famous. The Pen and Pencil Club was an organization of journalists and artists. The two are now merged. Charles Hodges is the president, Edward B. Innes, who had been secretary and treasurer of the Cuvier Club fills the same offices in the new organization ; Clyde Allen, who had been secretary of the Pen and Pencil Club is assistant secretary of the merged clubs.
The Cincinnati Commercial Association is a new organization made up of a merger of the Industrial Bureau and the Convention League. Its purposes are to advertise Cincinnati and to bring conventions of various kinds to this city. Charles De Honey is the secretary-manager. This organization conducted an advertising journey on a large scale through West Virginia in the spring of 1911. One hundred Cincinnati business men went by special train through West Vir- ginia, exploiting everywhere the advantages of their city, inviting West Virginians to seek the Queen City as a market for selling and buying. This association, a little later, inaugurated a campaign to increase its membership, aiming at first at one thousand; this being reached their ambitions enlarged and a movement was successfully pushed for fifteen hundred or more.
There is a large number of fraternal societies, some secret, some public. There are some two thousand of these. The Catholic Knights of America have numerous branches, as do the Catholic Knights of Ohio, and the Catholic Order of Foresters.
There are nearly two hundred trades unions.
Free Masonry was established here in the latter part of the Eighteenth century. The Nova Caesarea Harmony Lodge, No. 2, was formed December 27, 1794. The charter for this lodge was obtained from the grand lodge of New Jersey August 8, 1791, but as Dr. Burnet, who obtained the charter, was absent the organization was not effected until 1794. The charter members were Dr. William Burnet, master; John S. Ludlow, S. W .; Dr. Calvin Morrell, J. W.
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The first officers elected were Edward Day, master; Dr. Morrell, S. W .; Gen- eral John S. Gano, J. W. Judge William McMillan, a member of this lodge, gave it by will in 1804 the lot numbered one hundred and thirty-five, on the old plat. Considered valueless at the time it was sold for taxes. It was later re- deemed, and the Masonic temple now stands upon it. Previous to the erection of this temple, there had stood on that site two Masonic halls, one built in 1818, the other in 1846.
Numerous lodges and chapters of Masons assemble in the Masonic temple. Three commanderies gather at the Scottish Rite cathedral. There are also more than twenty other masonic lodges and chapters in the city. There is a Masonic Employment Bureau, a Masonic Library Association and a Masonic Relief As- sociation.
The Nobles of the Mystic Shrine hold their sessions at the Scottish Rite cathedral, as of course do the orders of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Free Masonry.
There are several Masonic bodies here composed of colored men.
Ohio Lodge, No. I, the first lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows established in Ohio, was organized in Cincinnati December 23, 1830. In 1841 there were one thousand, four hundred and twenty Odd Fellows in this state. Since that date they have gained rapidly in numbers in this city, as well as else- where.
There are several organizations of the Ancient Order of Hibernians. There is a grove of Druids. There are many lodges of the Ancient Order of United Workmen.
The Independent Order of B'nai B'rith has several lodges, as does the In- dependent Order of B'rith Abraham.
The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks is strongly represented, and there is one lodge of this order composed of colored men.
The Independent Order of Red Men and the Improved Order of Red Men have several lodges.
The Knights of Honor and the Knights and Ladies of Honor have each about a dozen chapters, in addition to several lodges composed of colored people.
The Knights of Pythias have numerous chapters. There are in addition several organizations of the Uniform Rank, and one of the Improved Order of Knights of Pythias, and several lodges of colored men.
The Sons of Temperance and the Royal Arcanum are represented.
Colored people have the following organizations : United Brothers of Friend- ship, Independent Order of Good Samaritans and Daughters of Samaria of North America, United Order of True Reformers, the International Order of Twelve.
There are lodges of the National Union, the Knights of the Maccabees and the Ladies of the Maccabees, the Knights of the Ancient Essenic Order and the Essenic Army, the Tribe of Ben Hur and the Independent Order of Foresters.
The Junior Order of United American Mechanics and the Daughters of America are strongly represented.
There are chapters of the Order of the Sons of St. George, the American Benefit Club Fraternity, Fraternal Mystic Circle, Knights and Ladies of the Golden Eagle, Protective Home Circle, Sons of Benjamin, United Commercial
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Travelers, Order of Mutual Protection, Daughters of Liberty, Knights of Joseph, Home Guards of America, Fraternal Order of Eagles, Knights of Columbus, Order of the Iroquois, Royal League, Fraternal Order of America, Order of Hercules, and others.
The Grand Army of the Republic is represented by numerous posts. The Ladies of the G. A. R. and Women's Relief Corps have posts. There are posts of the Union Veteran Legion, of the Sons of Veterans and Daughters of Veterans.
The Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States is prominently represented. The Sons of the Revolution, the Sons of the American Revolution, the Society of the War of 1812, Daughters of the Revolution, Daughters of the American Revolution, the Society of Colonial Dames, Society of Colonial Wars, Society of Mayflower Descendants and other similar organizations are well represented.
In 1819 the Master Carpenters' and Joiners' Society was in existence. Rich- ard L. Coleman was president, Isaac Poinier vice president, John Tuttle secre- tory, John Wood treasurer, Edward Dodson and William Crossman trustees, and Peter Britt, John Tuttle, John Stout and R. L. Coleman measurers of work.
At the same period there was in this city the Mutual Relief Society of Jour- neymen Hatters; James Smith was president and William Nikerson secretary.
The Society of Master Tailors was organized in 1818. William Lynes, senior, was president, James Comly vice president, Thomas Tueder secretary, and Israel Byers treasurer.
The Union Benevolent Society of Journeymen Tailors had as president James Masten, Nehemiah Russel vice president and William Atkin secretary.
Of the Journeymen Cabinet Makers' Society the president was John Fuller, vice president, James McLean, and treasurer, George G. Rosette.
At the celebration of the Fourth of July, 1821, thirty-one societies of me- chanics were in the procession.
During a similar celebration in 1834 there were forty-five of these organiza- tions in the parade.
In 1829, the Franklin Typographical Society of Cincinnati was organized.
A large branch of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers exists in Cin- cinnati, the organization having been formed in 1855.
March, 1874, the Expressman's Aid Society was established.
A number of other guilds existed from a very early date in this city. The labor unions of the present have taken the place of most of these. The unions of today are centered in the Central Labor Council.
The Cincinnati Historical Society was organized August, 1844. James H. Perkins was its first president. In 1849 the Historical and Philosophical Society of Ohio was transferred from Columbus to Cincinnati and was united with the Cincinnati organization. It had been before the Columbus Society that General W. H. Harrison made his noted address on the Aborigines of the Ohio valley. The first president of the combined societies was William D. Gallegher, and among its officers were James H. Perkins, E. D. Mansfield, Robert Buchanan, A. Randall, John C. Wright, John P. Foote and David K. Este.
The society's constitution was remodelled in 1850. Its chief purpose was declared to be "research in every department of local history, the collection, pre-
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servation and diffusion of whatever may relate to the history, biography, litera- ture, philosophy and antiquities of America, more especially of the state of Ohio, of the west and of the United States."
After a career of considerable enthusiasm followed by some years of desue- tude, having had among its members some of the most eminent men of the city and having issued important treatises on local history, having transferred its documents from place to place, in May 1868, Julius Dexter, Robert Clarke and Eugene F. Bliss interested themselves, with the few surviving members, in re- organizing the society. The library of seven hundred bound volumes and 1,250 pamphlets was placed in the rooms of the Literary Club. Robert Buchanan was chosen president, Judge Force became the corresponding secretary, Charles E. Cist recording secretary and John D. Caldwell librarian. In 1871 the library was taken to the college building on Walnut street, where it remained for four- teen years. In 1885 it was removed to West Eighth street. After sixteen years it was placed in the Van Wormer Library on the grounds of the University of Cincinnati. Its collections are invaluable, especially on local history.
The Cincinnati Pioneer Association was organized November 23, 1856 at the Dennison House. The meeting was composed of representatives of the old families of the city and county. Its purposes were declared to be to preserve the memories of the past and "to promote a social feeling favorable to the early emigrants." William Perry, who had come to Cincinnati July 2, 1805, was the first president. J. L. Vattier, born in this city in 1805, was made secretary. At first only such persons as had lived in Ohio previous to 1812 were eligible for membership; later, 1815 was made the date for eligibility; and again a residence of fifty-five years was regarded as satisfactory.
Regular meetings were held for almost forty years. During most of that period, John D. Caldwell was the secretary. At the celebration of the eighty- sixth anniversary of the settlement of the Northwest Territory, in 1874, Mr. Caldwell said: "We had an excursion to Columbus, at the dedication of the new state house, to Cleveland by facilities furnished by the railroads, and a formal reception and entertainment by the Forest City municipal authorities. Through the courtesies of Messrs. Sherwood and Pierce, the association was conveyed on the magnificent steamer United States, and were most hospitably feted at Louisville, Kentucky, by its citizens and council. We were, by the courtesy of our public spirited citizen, Hon. George H. Pendleton, in control of the Kentucky Central railroad, conveyed to Lexington, Kentucky, where true southern hospitality was extended to us. We were royally provided for in a railroad excursion to Marietta, the pilgrim home of the buckeye pioneers, and there we renewed our earnest devotion to the memory of the brave and good of auld lang syne days, who made Washington county a brilliant example as the pioneer county of the territory and state. Courtesies were extended to the as- sociation in a visit to the state fair at Springfield; and the trip we made to the Soldiers' Home, near Dayton, will long be remembered as the reunion of the Montgomery, Butler and Hamilton county pioneers.
"On our lists of the living or dead are names of the worthiest in war or peace-territorial, state and national-who have been identified with the Miami valley. We buried the daughter of John Cleves Symmes, the patentee of the
CINCINNATI BUSINESS MEN'S CLUB, 1911
QUEEN CITY CLUB, SEVENTH AND ELM STREETS
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whole Miami purchase and wife of General William Henry Harrison, whose name as defender of the homes of the west is dearer to us than even his na- tional fame as president of the United States. We still have on our rolls the name of Hon. John Scott Harrison, son of these sainted worthies.
"The name of the father of General Grant is inscribed on the roll of our deceased members. Our list included those of the family of Benjamin Stites, also of General John Stites Gano, who were pioneer settlers and proprietors of Columbia ; and of the Pattersons and Israel Ludlow, proprietors of the townsite of Cincinnati. We had enrolled with us the names of Governor Tod, Governor Thomas Corwin, Governor Brownlow, of Tennessee, and some of the families of Governors Tiffin, Trimble, Looker, Brown and Dennison.
"Governors Hayes and Noyes have been hearty cooperators with us in sev- eral meetings, and only imperative public business prevented Governor William Allen from being with us today.
"The early newspapers have all been represented ; the first paper in the North- west territory, the Centinel, by the son of William Maxwell; but Joseph Car- penter, of the Spy and Freeman's Journal; Samuel J. Browne, of the old Liberty Hall, also of the Emporium; William J. Ferris, S. S. L'Hommedieu, Sacket Reynolds, William B. Stratton, E. D. Mansfield, and William D. Gallegher, of the Cincinnati Gazette; and S. S. Smith, of the Independent Press.
"Of the five hundred and forty members enrolled, one third have passed away; three hundred and sixty survive, many of them aged and feeble. The kindest remembrances and cordial sympathies are extended to those unable to be present.
"Six of the presidents of this association are numbered with the one hundred and eighty members dead; namely, William Perry, Nicholas Longworth, Colonel John Johnston (a pioneer Indian factor and agent, one of the noble in fidelity of public men), Stephen Wheeler, Samuel J. Browne, and Daniel Gano.
"Ten of our past presiding officers still survive,-the venerable John Whet- stone, very feeble; William B. Dodson, blind for several years; Jacob Hoffner, Eden B. Reeder, John Ludlow, Robert Buchanan, Thomas Henry Yeatman, Joseph S. Ross, Rees E. Price, Judge D. K. Este."
This organization has done much to awaken and maintain interest in the history and people of early Cincinnati. The minutes from the foundation of the society up to December 1889 are the property of the Historical Society, and contain much valuable material.
There is a large number of clubs in addition to those mentioned; The Ad- vertisers, The Automobile, Avondale Golf, Cincinnati Art, Gun, Whist,-indeed too many to mention, as these are the usual ones found in any large city.
CHAPTER XXII.
SUBURBS AND NEIGHBORING VILLAGES.
SUBURBS OF CINCINNATI HER CROWNING GLORY-NO ANNEXATIONS TO THE CITY UNTIL 1848-COVINGTON AND NEWPORT ACROSS THE RIVER-ST. BERNARD AND ELMWOOD SURROUNDED ON ALL SIDES BY CINCINNATI-NORTH BEND HOME OF GENERAL WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON.
James Parton, in an article in the Atlantic in 1869, declared that "no inland city in the world surpasses Cincinnati in the beauty of its environs." When the Prince of Wales, afterward Edward the VII, was here in 1860, he and his com- panions said the suburbs of this city were the finest they had seen.
Colonel Sidney Maxwell has declared: "The suburbs of Cincinnati are its crowning glory. . The environs of Cincinnati are its distinguishing beauty. They present as striking a combination of the picturesque and acces- sible as can be found in the world; and the topographical features are such as to peculiarly favor, in the development of the landscape, the most artistic plans. The eligible locations are almost innumerable, and their capacity for improve- ment unlimited.
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