USA > Ohio > Hamilton County > Cincinnati > Cincinnati, the Queen City, 1788-1912, Volume II > Part 66
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"The whole face of the country, beginning at the brow of the hills and run- ning back over all of Hamilton county, is one large suburb, a continuous land- scape garden."
An adequate treatment of the suburbs and outlying villages around Cincin- nati would require a volume in itself and we can only mention the names of Lin- wood, Westwood, Riverside, Lick Run, Pendleton, Sharonville, Newtown, Cali- fornia, Sedamsville, Ludlow Grove, Rensselaer, Maplewood, Park Place, Hyde Park, Fairview Heights, Mt. Airy, Fairmount, Cheviot, among others.
By act of February 18, 1848 provision was made for annexation to the city of the special road district of Millcreek township. This lay north of the city between Millcreek and the Lebanon turnpike. It extended to the section line a mile north of Liberty to McMillan street. March 22, 1850 an act was passed by which the fraction of section seven in the third township and second frac- tional range between the corporation lines of the city and the town of Fulton was added to the city and township of Cincinnati. This was just east of the Lebanon turnpike and the newly acquired special road district. The limits of the city were established thus: "Commencing at the northeast corner of said section number seven; thence west along the sections numbers seven, thirteen, nineteen and twenty-five, in said third township, to Millcreek; thence down Millcreek with its meanders to the Ohio river, thence eastwardly up the Ohio river, with the southern boundary of the state of Ohio to the east corner of
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fractional range number twelve in the first fractional range; thence west with the south line of the town of Fulton to the southwest corner thereof; thence north- eastwardly with the west line of said town of Fulton to the place of beginning."
The proposal to annex the village of Fulton was submitted to vote October 1854 and was carried. It was erected into the 17th ward in January 1855.
The area of the city which was in 1819 three square miles had increased by 1860 to seven square miles.
September 1869 the annexation took place of all of Storrs township that was not within the limits of the Riverside. This became the 21st ward.
September 1869, the Walnut Hills, Mount Auburn and Clintonville special roads districts were annexed. This formed the 22nd ward to the east and the 23rd ward to the west of Burnet avenue.
Camp Washington and Lick Run were annexed November 1869.
November 12, 1869 a considerable part of Spencer township was annexed, and in May 1870 this was added to the 24th ward.
An effort was made in 1870 to annex Clifton, Avondale, Woodburn, Colum- bia, Cumminsville, Spring Grove, Winton Place, St. Bernard and other suburbs, but it failed at that time.
In 1871, Columbia was annexed and was added to the First ward.
Cumminsville became part of the city in 1873.
Woodburn was annexed in 1873.
The Zoological Garden and vicinity were annexed in 1888.
In 1893, Avondale, Riverside, Clifton, Linwood and Westwood were added. Braggs subdivision and Rose Hill were brought in on January 18, 1898.
December 1902 portions of Delhi township, all of section 6 and the east half of section 12, were added.
October 1903, 160 acres lying between Avondale and Bond Hill were annexed.
In 1903, Winton Place, Evanston, Bond Hill and Hyde Park were incor- porated as part of the city.
March 17, 1904 the portion of Millcreek township between Millcreek and the canal being part of Spring Grove cemetery south of Spring Grove avenue and the territory known as Oklahoma in sections 27 and 28 of Millcreek town- ship were annexed.
In 1911 annexation was in the air. Legislation for the annexation of eight outlying villages was started by the passage of as many ordinances by council. These provided for the submission to the people in the near future of the ques- tion. The villages are Norwood, Oakley, Pleasant Ridge, Hartwell, Elmwood Place, St. Bernard, Cheviot and Fernbank.
In June 1911, College Hill, Mount Washington and Saylor Park were taken in.
In July 1911, Madisonville, Mount Airy and Carthage were annexed.
Across the river in Kentucky, the cities of Covington and Newport belong to the life of Cincinnati though they have no official connection with it, being separate cities and in another state. These cities have grown up side by side with Cincinnati and have shared the same general conditions of prosperity and of growth. A large number of people who do business in Cincinnati live across the river. Since the construction of the bridges and the development of the
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traction lines these towns have been for business and social purposes as one city with Cincinnati.
Covington is the largest of these cities. It is the second largest city in Ken- tucky and is the county seat of Kenton county. The suspension bridge which connects Covington with Cincinnati was built in 1865-7. The traffic over this bridge by traction lines, vehicles of all kinds as well as foot passengers is very extensive. Covington has about forty-five miles of streets, many handsome private residences, a public library, a splendid city hall, a federal building of imposing size, Gothic in style, many charitable institutions and a cathedral which is one of the finest church structures in the west. The industrial and manu- facturing interests of Covington are very important, among these are tobacco, whiskey, vinegar, furniture, stoves, tinware, brick, tiles, pottery and cordage. It is supplied water from works built thirteen miles above on the Ohio river. The town was settled in 1812, chartered as a city in 1834, and has now a popula- tion of about fifty thousand.
Newport, Ky., is the county seat of Campbell county. It ranks third in population in Kentucky, having about thirty thousand inhabitants. It is con- nected with Cincinnati by the Cincinnati and Newport and the L. & N. bridges and with Covington by two Licking river bridges. Electric cars run regularly over these four bridges and also to Bellevue, Dayton and Fort Thomas. The city has a number of important mercantile and manufacturing establishments. The first settlement was made in 1791, the town was incorporated in 1795 and the city in 1850.
Norwood, which is considering annexation at present, 1911, and will prob- ably be annexed in the near future, is the largest city outside of Cincinnati, which it adjoins on the north, in Hamilton county. Its population is about twenty thousand. It was incorporated as a village in 1888, and as a city in 1902. It takes in portions of Columbia and Millcreek townships. The railroad facilities and natural advantages Norwood possesses have caused very large industries to locate therein. It is divided into South, East, West and Central Norwood, Norwood Heights, Norwood View and Elsmere. It has four public, two paro- chial schools and a high school. It has churches of almost every denomination and a public library.
As the city grew, there arose from time to time villages lying at a distance from the corporate limits. These, several dozens of them, all had their distinct history and individuality. Now, houses and streets have connected most of them with the city by almost continuous settlement.
Avondale became a village in 1866 and in 1893 was annexed to the city. It is a hilltop suburban part of the city on the north and lies east of Clifton. Avon- dale is among the handsomest of the suburbs and has a profusion of fine homes, wide lawns, and is in general park-like in appearance.
Clifton is situated to the northward of Burnet woods, and was named for the Clifton farm, which contained twelve hundred acres of hills and dales. Clifton is noted for its numerous magnificent residences and the exceeding beauty of its situation. It was annexed in 1903. It has more than twenty-five miles of avenues.
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College Hill began to be settled in 1855, when a number of Cincinnati people sought country homes there. The village was incorporated in 1866. The situa- tion is one of the highest in the county. College Hill is eight miles northward from Fountain Square. Alice and Phoebe Cary lived in this place. The beauty of the scenery about College Hill is famous. The Ohio Female College was founded in what is now College Hill in 1848; its buildings are now occupied by a sanatarium. Cary's Academy and Farmers College, founded in 1832, was after- wards changed to Belmont College and is now the Ohio Military Institute. The village was annexed to the city in June 1911.
Walnut Hills, as a settlement, had its beginnings in the house and block- house built by the Rev. James Kemper, in the days when defenses against In- dians were still needed. It is that part of the city that is north of Eden Park and east of Mt. Auburn and Avondale. It has 75,000 population, fine hotels and club houses and active business centers. Walnut Hills is the seat of the noted Lane Theological Seminary. This suburb was the home of Dr. Lyman Beecher and his family and the place where Harriet Beecher Stowe lived while she was gathering materials for Uncle Tom's Cabin. This handsome and flourishing community became part of the city in 1869. East Walnut Hills and Woodburn sprang from the community of Walnut Hills proper.
Carthage is about eight miles from Fountain Square and contains 3,618 population. It is the seat of the Longview Insane Hospital and the city and county infirmaries. It was annexed in the autumn of 1910.
Hartwell was laid out in 1868 by the Hamilton County Building Association. The village was named after John W. Hartwell, who was vice president of the Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton railroad when the station was located. It is the seat of St. Clara's Convent, and the Provincial House and Novitiate of the Sisters of the Poor of St. Francis. There are Methodists, Presbyterian and Episcopal churches.
Lockland, twelve miles from the city, is an old town and notable for its manufactures, having several large and important factories. It lies east of the C. H. and D. railway.
Wyoming, on the west side of the C. H. and D. railway, is in one of the loveliest portions of the Millcreek valley. Among the earliest settlers was the Pendery family who came in 1805. Wyoming is a residence suburb, with wide streets and many beautiful homes.
Columbia, the second settlement in Ohio, is situated on the Ohio river, a mile below the mouth of the Little Miami river. The first Protestant church (Baptist) in the Northwest Territory was erected here. Columbia became part of the city in 1871.
Cumminsville is the site on which in 1790 was established Ludlow Station, the nearest military post north of Fort Washington. In 1791 the army of St. Clair camped here on its way to defeat. The lands on which Cumminsville stands were the property of Colonel Israel Ludlow. The postoffice was established in 1844 and the name of the place was changed from Ludlow Station to Cummins- ville. The village was merged in the city in 1873.
Reading is a prosperous town, with a population of 3,985 and is for the present content without considering becoming a part of the city.
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It is said that Cincinnati affords the only instance of two municipalities sur- rounded on all sides by a city. This is the case with St. Bernard and Elmwood, which are bounded on all sides by Cincinnati. They have not an inch to expand in any direction. St. Bernard is a city, and Elmwood Place is a village. It is said that the sentiment in Elmwood is in favor of annexation, while St. Bernard has been against it, but its practical isolation within the city will, it is declared, ultimately lead the sentiment there to change in favor of annexation. St. Ber- nard and Elmwood have a population between them of about 8,000.
St. Bernard has a large Catholic cemetery and fine Gothic Catholic church. The town was originally built up chiefly by Germans but now has also a good proportion of people of other nationalities.
Mt. Auburn was for a long time almost the only suburb of the city. It was at first called Keys' Hill, after an old settler, and this name was used until 1837. By 1826 a number of prominent citizens had taken up residence there. Only about half of it was in the city before 1870. Later all was annexed. It is about north of Fountain Square and is two miles distant from that point. It is the seat of the Cincinnati Orphan Asylum, German Protestant Orphan Asylum, Christ's Hospital, Bodmann Widows' Home and the German Deaconess Home.
Bond Hill was the result of an effort of men of moderate means to obtain suburban homes. It was founded and chartered in 1870 and organized the fol- lowing February as the "Cooperative Land and Building Association No. I, of Hamilton County." The work of erection of homes proceeded rapidly and the village soon became a flourishing one.
James C. Wood, in 1809, was the first settler of Pleasant Ridge. The village was established as a post town in 1832. It was the mustering place and drill ground of local troops during the Mexican war. It now has a population of 1,769, and is considering annexation.
Oakley is five miles from the courthouse, on the Madisonville road. It lies about the center of the amphitheater formed by the surrounding hills. Until about 1870 this was a farming district.
Madisonville was founded before 1866, when the Marietta and Cincinnati railroad,-showed few signs of prosperity, but from that time onward it grew rapidly. The town was originally called Madison, in honor of Madison, who was president when the village began its existence. In 1826 the postoffice was named Madisonville, to avoid confusion in the mails. Town lots were laid out in 1810. It now has a population of 5,193 and was annexed in the autumn of 1910.
Madeira is eighteen miles from the city. Part of the village was laid out in 1871. Before this time the place was known as a post town, and was called for John Madeira who owned a large tract of land in the vicinity. Madeira is about three miles from Madisonville, and two and a half miles from Montgomery. The situation is picturesque.
Montgomery is one of the oldest settlements in the county, almost contem- poraneous with Columbia. A log cabin was the first tavern of the community ; this was a resting place for teamsters and travelers on the main road. The num- ber of travelers and the amount of drinking can be judged by the fact that in 1809 fifty barrels of whiskey did not supply the demand. In 1806-7 a number of people from Montgomery in New York state settled around this point for
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trade and farming, and named the village for their former home. The Mont- gomery Academy, a classical school, was founded and flourished some years later. Montgomery is a pleasant and progressive town.
Symmes Station is on the Little Miami river and in the midst of picturesque scenery. It at one time was a rendezvous for travelers, and not far from it was an Indian trial.
Loveland was laid out in 1848 by Col. William Ramsey who then owned most of the land in the neighborhood. The town lies on the Little Miami river. One of the earliest settlers was Thomas Paxton, who came to this vicinity in 1794. His son Samuel Paxton made several trips to New Orleans, sometimes bringing back his flatboat. On one of his return trips he realized $7,000. The elder Paxton had been commander of the advanced guard of Wayne's army on its march through this region. He was so delighted with the country that he came back with his family and settled here the next year. In 1806 a number of im- migrants came from New Jersey.
North Bend is fifteen miles from the city. It was the home of General Wil- liam Henry Harrison, a former president of the United States and one of the greatest figures in the early days in this region. It has 540 inhabitants. North Bend is the location of the grave of John Cleves Symmes and the grave of Wil- liam Henry Harrison.
Glendale, fifteen miles from the city,'on the C. H. & D. railway, is considered "one of the most delightful suburban villages in the United States." It is the seat of the Glendale Woman's College. This village was the home of Robert Clarke, Samuel J. Thompson and other distinguished men of an earlier genera- tion. The churches, in the order of their organization, are the Presbyterian. the Catholic, Swendenborgian, Episcopal and Methodist.
Corryville was named for the Corry heirs. The original owners of part of the land were Jacob Burnet and William McMillan. William Corry, first mayor of Cincinnati, purchased from the McMillan heirs most of their share.
Cleves is sixteen miles from the city, and is a prosperous community.
Springdale was in 1820 the most important and wealthy village in the county. In 1851 the C. H. & D. railroad was built a couple of miles distant and drew trade and travel to other villages. Since that time it has not grown, but it is an interesting place on account of its associations and its pleasant and cultivated people. It is in the midst of a very rich and prosperous farming community. Springdale has been the birthplace and early home of quite a number of dis- tinguished persons, the Hon. O. P. Morton, Capt. John Brownson, U. S. A. Caleb Crane, Dr. John R. Hunt lived there and practiced medicine for many years, and his son Judge Samuel F. Hunt was born and grew up there. The Presbyterian church of the town was founded in 1796.
In regard to Delhi, which was annexed in 1910, the Times Star, June 20th of that year said :
Delhi, the pretty suburban village just annexed to Cincinnati, came very close to being a city of celebrity. It was in the territory now divided into Delhi, Sayler Park, Fernbank and Addyston, that John Cleves Symmes, in 1789, projected the city of South Bend and predicted a glorious future for the infant hamlet. It flourished for a few years and then Uncle Sam selected Cincinnati as a better
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site for a military post, and South Bend relapsed into innocuous desuetude. Later the same name was taken by the city in northern Indiana.
Delhi was first platted in 1866 by Peter Zinn, the attorney who became famous through his connection with the Kentucky Central railroad litigation. It was incorporated as a hamlet July 29, 1885, and James S. Wise was elected president. The village government was elected in 1890 and the first mayor elected was John Wentzel.
"Brighton, as a factor in history, was one of the rudiments in the making of Cincinnati." Colonel John Riddle, a New Jersey immigrant, was the first settler of Brighton. Early in 1790 he secured employment shoeing horses in the gar- rison at old Fort Washington. Later in the same year he purchased of Judge Symmes a section of land two miles northwest of the village. One corner of the tract purchased by Riddle was near the site of the old Brighton House. In 1793, Riddle built a house on what is now Alfred street. Brighton proper of the early days was located at the intersection of Harrison and Colerain avenues, where a number of small houses comprised the settlement. "The early forties," declare the authors of "Historic Brighton," "witnessed the crude beginning of what afterward developed into the great pork packing industry that thrived in this locality. Brighton gave Cincinnati the name of 'porkopolis,' and it was the little Clearwater creek that afforded the opportunity for this section to become famous as the greatest hog and cattle killing locality in the country. What may properly be called Cincinnati's first waterworks was located in this locality. While not a part of the municipal government it was a sort of quasi-
public institution. The traditions of the Millerites have to do with the history of Brighton back in the early forties. About the middle of the nineteenth century Brighton boasted of four of the largest distilleries in the country. Most of the corn used by these distilleries was shipped by boat on the canal. About 1855 the Brighton stock yards were established by a company. The Brighton of today is a revelation. A few years have wrought wonderful changes. It is now the undisputed beehive of the Queen City of the West."
Addyston is a village about thirteen miles out on the Baltimore and Ohio railroad and on the Big Four. It contains the largest iron pipe works in the country ; it has also vitrified brick works. It has 1,543 population.
Bellevue, Ky., was incorporated as a town in 1870, and has a population of 6,000. It is three miles from Fountain Square, and its citizens are principally persons who do business in Cincinnati.
Dayton, Ky., is composed of what were two villages, Brooklyn and James- town, which in 1867 were consolidated. Its population is about 8,000. It is three miles from Fountain Square.
Mt. Healthy, often called Mt. Pleasant, is on the Hamilton Pike, ten miles from Fountain Square, and has a population of 1,799.
Mt. Lookout is an attractive suburb, four miles northeast from Fountain Square. It is the location of the observatory of the university.
Mt. Washington has 984 population and was annexed in 1910. It lies north- east from Cincinnati, and is on the Little Miami.
Price Hill lies to the westward and overlooks the Ohio river. The situation is of great beauty and the town contains many fine residences. 7
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