History of Cincinnati, Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 96

Author: Ford, Henry A., comp; Ford, Kate B., joint comp
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Cleveland, O., L.A. Williams & co.
Number of Pages: 666

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SEA-GOING VESSELS.

Very early in the century, as we have incidentally noticed in previous chapters, the construction of sailing- vessels, for river and possibly ocean navigation, began upon the upper Ohio. Mr. Devoll, who made the boats which brought the first colonists of the Ohio company to the site of Marietta, was a prominent builder in this line. The voyage of one of his vessels, the Nonpareil, is pleasantly narrated in our chapter on Cincinnati's second decade, in connection with the arrival here of General Mansfield and family. The local papers frequently, for many years, chronicled the arrival and departure of schooners, brigs, and "ships."

So late as thirty to forty years ago, the construction of ocean-going vessels on the river promised to become an important industry. In 1844, a bark was built at Mari- etta and appropriately named the Muskingum, of three hundred and fifty tons burthen, which was loaded at Cincinnati the next fall or winter, and started on her long voyage to Liverpool. Her safe arrival was thus chron- icled in the Times, of that city, of date January 30, 1845:

Arrival direct from Cincinnati .- We have received a file of Cincin- nati papers brought by the first vessel that ever cleared out at that city for Europe. The building of a vessel of 350 tons, on a river seventeen hundred miles from the sea, is itself a very remarkable circumstance, both as a proof of the magnificence of the American rivers and the spirit of the American people. "The navigating of such a vessel down the Ohio and the Mississippi, and then across the Atlantic, would, a few years ago, have been thought impossible. She brings a cargo of provisions; and we trust that the success of this first adventure will be such as to encourage its frequent repetition. The name of the vessel is the Muskingum.

The passage of this vessel by Cincinnati, bound as it was for what then seemed the ends of the earth, natur- ally awakened the liveliest interest. The Gazette of that day thus poetically and dramatically begins an editorial notice of the event:

If one had stood upon the eastern hill-top which overhangs our city, in the early gray of the morning on Saturday, and looked out upon the river, he might have thought a phantom ship was floating upon it. The quick puffing of a steamer was heard, and out beyond it seemingly a full-rigged ship, its masts towering up and all spars set, was evidently looming on and making direct for the landing of the city. Early risers were startled. Even those who knew that certain enterprising men of Marietta were building a sea-vessel were astonished when it unexpect- edly hove in sight. But when it approached nearer and nearer, and bodied itself forth plainly to the naked vision, the cry went up, "a ship! a ship!" with a thrill akin, at least, to that which men and women feel on the ocean shore, when welcoming back the long-absent "sea- homes" of relative and friend. It was an exciting scene.

Several other sea-going vessels were fitted out at vari- ous points on the Ohio. Messrs. John Swasey & Com- pany, of Cincinnati, built three vessels before ,1850, of two hundred to three hundred and fifty tons-one full- rigged brig, the Louisa, and two barks, named respect- ively the John Swasey and the Salem. They were taken in tow of steamers to New Orleans, and there bending sails and shipping a crew, they put independently to sea. One of them made a six months' trading trip to the west coast of Africa, and her sailing and weather qualities were reported to be of the highest order. The Minne- sota, a ship of eight hundred and fifty tons, was built here about the same time by another firm, for a New Orleans owner.

Golus Hhireubatch

35 3

HISTORY OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

IMPORTS AND EXPORTS.

In 1826 the principal imports to the city of Cincinnati were as follows:

Bar, steel, and spike iron, one thousand four hundred and fifty tons, valued at one hundred and eighty-one thousand two hundred and fifty dollars; castings, three hundred and fifty tons, value twenty-one thou- sand dollars; pig-iron, seven hundred and sixty-eight tons, worth twen- ty-three thousand and forty dollars; nails, seven thousand kegs, value sixty-three thousand dollars; lead and shot, five hundred and sixty thou- sand pounds, thirty-seven thousand five hundred dollars; copper, tin plate, and glassware, eighty thousand dollars; coal, two hundred thou- sand bushels, twenty thousand dollars; lumber, boards, five million feet; shingles, three million five hundred thousand; joists and scantling, four hundred thousand feet; timber, one hundred and twenty-two thou- sand feet; total value, sixty-four thousand dollars; indigo, twenty-fivethou- sand dollars; coffee, one million one hundred thousand pounds, one hundred and ninety-eight thousand dollars; tea, two hundred and twenty thousand pounds, two hundred and eight thousand dollars; sugar, eighty thousand dollars; fish, three thousand barrels, twenty thousand dollars; liquors, spices, etc., two hundred thousand dollars; dry goods, one million one hundred and ten thousand dollars. Total value of imports, two million, five hundred and twenty-eight thousand five hundred and ninety dollars. The exports for the same period were: Flour, fifty-five thousand barrels, worth one hundred and sixty-five thousand dollars; whiskey, fourteen thousand five hundred barrels, one hundred and one thousand five hundred dollars; pork, seventeen thousand barrels, one hundred and two thousand dollars; lard, one million two hundred and eighty thousand pounds, sixty-four thousand dollars; hams and bacon, one million four hundred and twenty-five thousand pounds, fifty-seven thousand dollars; feathers, three hundred and two thousand pounds, seventy-eight thousand five hundred and twenty dollars; beeswax seventy-eight thousand eight hundred and twenty-five pounds; cheese' seventy-five thousand pounds, five thousand three hundred and twenty- nine dollars; butter, five thousand kegs, seventeen thousand five hun- dred dollars; ginseng, ninety-five thousand five hundred pounds, sixteen thousand two hundred and thirty-five dollars; beans, one thousand barrels, three thousand dollars; tobacco, one thousand five hundred kegs, eighteen thousand two hundred and twenty-five dollars; linseed oil, one thousand two hundred barrels, twenty thousand four hundred dollars; bristles, two thousand pounds, seven hundred and sixty dollars; hats, seventy-five thousand dollars; cabinet furniture, forty-seven thousand dollars; candles and soap, thirty thousand dollars; type and printing materials, nineteen thousand dollars; beer and porter, seven thousand dollars; clocks, etc., fifteen thousand dollars; clothing, fifty thousand dollars; hay, oats, corn, cornmeal, apples, dried fruit, castings, coopers' ware, window glass, tinware, plows, wagons, stills, horses, poultry, cigars, etc., one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Total value of exports, one million and sixty-three thousand five hundred and sixty dollars, showing a nominal "balance of trade" against Cincinnati, for the present, of one million four hundred and sixty-five thousand and thirty dollars.

The volume of commercial business, however, for the period, and twenty years before a single railway was in full operation into the city, must have been regarded as eminently satisfactory. The exports might also have properly included the steamboats built at Cincinnati, but owned abroad. About one hundred flatboats were brought every year down the Great Miami, and about thirty down the Little Miami, with an aggregate burden of thirty-three thousand five hundred barrels of flour, val- ued at about one hundred thousand dollars, which was less than three dollars a barrel.

It was estimated at this time that probably one-third of the imports into Cincinnati were re-exported-a busi- ness which had greatly increased within three or four years; and it was remarked that it would be conducted on a much larger scale if the local merchants had capital equal to their enterprise. The figures formerly given, therefore, do not represent the true balance of trade against them. If proper allowances were made, it was

thought that the exports would equal imports, and there would be no balance of trade.

The trip from New Orleans to Cincinnati was now made in twelve to fourteen days, by steamer. The Mis- sissippi and Ohio rivers were still, of course, the great highways by which all passengers and freight along their borders obtained access to the north. And at that time Cincinnati enjoyed peculiar advantages of situation, as to roads and water-courses, so that persons travelling from the south and southwest to the north could scarcely avoid it. But most dry goods and lighter articles of trade were still brought from New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore, over the mountains to Wheeling and Pittsburgh, and thence transported down the river. The heavy arti- cles, groceries, queensware, and the like, were brought up from New Orleans. Iron, in the larger quantities, came in principally from Pittsburgh, and from the Sandy and Licking rivers, upon which there were extensive iron works. The Paint creek and Brush creek regions, in this State, especially the latter, furnished most of the castings imported. Nails were brought from Pittsburgh and else- where-"a striking commentary," say Drake and Mansfield, very truly, "upon the deficiency of our manufactures.' Lead came from Missouri; salt from the Conemaugh works, Pennsylvania, and the Kanawha works, Virginia; most of the timber and boards imported was floated in rafts from near the sources of the Alleghany, chiefly from the great forests then still existing about Olean Point, New York.

The exports from Cincinnati went mainly to the West Indies and South America; but the pork and whiskey to Atlantic cities. Lard was shipped to Cuba and parts of South America, where it was used as a substitute for butter. The lower Mississippi region consumed much of the produce of the Miami country. And there was already a considerable bulk of supplies furnished annu- ally from this quarter to the United States army.

THE LAST HALF CENTURY.

In round numbers, the commerce of Cincinnati for the year 1832 was estimated at $4,000,000; for 1835 at some- thing more than $6,000,000. The steamer arrivals of this year numbered two thousand two hundred and thirty- seven. Among the imports were ninety thousand barrels of flour and fifty-five thousand of whiskey.

By 1840 the capital invested in foreign trade and gen- eral commercial business had increased to $5,200,000. There were invested in the retail dry goods trade, in hardware, groceries, and the related lines of trade, $12,- 877,000. The lumber business alone occupied twenty- three yards, with seventy-three hands, and an investment of $133,000. Their sales for this year reached $342,500. In January, 1841, eighty-eight steamers were owned in the district of Cincinnati, whose aggregate tonnage was eleven thousand seven hundred and thirteen. There were then upon the Western waters four hundred and thirty-seven vessels of this class-seventy of thirty to one hundred tons' burthen; two hundred and twelve of one hundred to two hundred; one hundred and five of two hundred to three hundred; twenty-four of three hundred

354

HISTORY OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

to four hundred; eight of four hundred to five hundred; five of five hundred to six hundred; four of six hundred to seven hundred; one of seven hundred and eighty-five tons.

With the immense growth of population between 1840 and 1850, came a corresponding increase in trade and commerce. One Cincinnati house was transacting com- mercial business at the rate of $1,200,000 a year, and making more than half its shipments to Great Britain. The next year the commerce of the city was roundly put at thirty-six millions annually, one-fourth of which was a business for home consumption.

By this time the importation of coal to the city had greatly developed. The number of bushels locally con- sumed in 1851 was seven millions seven hundred and eighty-five thousand bushels, against one million nine hundred and fifty thousand and fifty in 1841. In 1859 the consumption had increased to fifteen millions of bushels, and there were sixty eight coal yards in the city.

The last annual report of the Chamber of Commerce furnishes the following valuable statistics:

"The aggregate, annual, approximate value of the im- ports and exports, respectively, at Cincinnati, from 1854- 55 to 1879-80, inclusive, appears in the following table:"

YEARS.

Imports.

Exports.

1854-55.

$ 67,501,34I $ 38,777,394

1855-56.

75,295,90I

50,809, 146

1856-57.

77,950,146

55,642, 172

1857-58.

83,644,747

52,906, 506

1858-59

94,213,247

66,007,707

1859-60

103,347, 216

77,037, 188

I860-61

90, 198, 136

67,023, 126

1861-62.

103,292,893

76,449,862

I862-63.

144, 189,213

102,397,17I

I863-64

389,790,537

239,079, 825

1864-65.

3º7,552,397

1865-66.

362,032,766

I866-67

335,961,233

280,063, 948

144,262, 133

I868-69.

283,927,903

163,084, 358

I869-70.

312,978,665

193,517,690

1870-71

283,796,219

179,848,427 200,607,040

1872-73.

326,023,054

213,320,768

1873-74

331,777,955,

221, 536, 852

1874-75.

311,072,639

201,404,023

1875-76.

294,214,245

190, 186,929

1876-77

260,892, 540

191,486,831

1877-78

223,237, 157

186,209,646

1878-79

208, 153, 301

192,338,337

1879-80

256, 137,902

253,827,267

In the year 1858, the year following the crisis of 1857, the prosperity and progress of Cincinnati was well marked. The growth of the city was manifested, not on- ly by the territorial extension of its population and busi- ness, but the erection of some of the finest buildings, public and private, then in the country. Commerce grew rapidly. Imports in coffee increased during the year eleven per cent ; of sugar, thirty per cent ; of molasses, sixty per cent. About one-sixth of all the sugar and one- seventh of all the molasses made in Louisiana that year came to Cincinnati, with one-eighth of all the Brazilian coffee product. Nor was importation of these staples in excess of the demand. Imports of wool increased one hundred and fifty-five per cent ; of potatoes two hundred and sixty-nine per cent; of manufactured tobacco, nine- ty-six per cent; and so on.

Exports increased in quite surprising ratio-horses, one hundred and forty-one per cent; dried fruits, one hun- dred and sixty per cent ; furniture, eighty-nine per cent ; molasses sixty-one per cent. Decrease of exports was only observable in minor articles, as green apples, alco- hol, butter, eggs, and the like. In flour, however, there was a decrease, but only a slight one-seven per cent.

In 1869, the river trade of this city, as compared with other cities on the river, made a very excellent showing. It was one hundred and sixty-nine million five hundred thousand dollars, against one hundred and fifty mil- lion dollars of imports and exports for Pittsburgh, one hundred and fifteen million dollars for Louisville, thirty million dollars for Wheeling, and forty million dollars for Paducah. This year crackers were exported to China, and candies to Greece. An immense volume of exports of provisions and breadstuffs was made to the Atlantic coast, but the largest export trade was still maintained with the South. Manufactured articles went mainly to the West and Southwest. Even houses were made here and exported in wholesale quantities to the Far West. The facilities for commercial intercommunication di- rectly tributary to Cincinnati were calculated at one hun- dred miles of canal, five hundred miles of railroad, one thousand six hundred of turnpike roads, and one thou- sand six hundred of common roads.

The local commerce for 1873, about five hundred and forty million dollars, was nearly half of the commerce of the United States. The completion of the new Louis- ville and Portland canal, around the Falls of the Ohio, two or three years after, as also the removal of obstruc- tions from the river and the introduction of a light-house system, helped the commerce of Cincinnati. There was also a large reduction in the cost of wharfage at this city, and of tolls on the canal at Louisville. The law of Con- gress passed July 14, 1870, allowing direct importation of goods from abroad to Cincinnati, has greatly facilita- ted foreign transactions. A merchant here may now give his order for merchandise to be imported, and if his di- rections are followed with care, he will next hear of the order by the report of his goods through the Cincinnati custom-house. Under this arrangement the amount of imports and of duties paid has steadily increased from year to year. The total of direct importations entered at the port of Cincinnati in the fiscal year 1877-8 was six hundred and thirty-two thousand five hundred and twenty-eight dollars; in 1878-9 it was eight hundred and ninety-six thousand five hundred and forty-nine dollars ; for 1879-80, nine hundred and ninety-eight thousand three hundred and seventy-two dollars, showing an in- crease of one hundred and one thousand eight hundred and thirty-one dollars, or nearly twelve per cent in favor of the last. The duties paid on direct importations in the three years successively, were two hundred and seventy- one thousand five hundred and ninety dollars and forty- three cents, three hundred and seventy-four thousand eight hundred and sixteen dollars and seventy-eight cents, four hundred and twenty-one thousand six hundred and seven dollars and seventeen cents. Besides the direct imports, there were also appraised at other ports, for

1871-72.

317,646,608

193,790,3II 201, 850,055 192,929,317

I867-68

355

HISTORY OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

transportation to Cincinnati, goods to the value of eighty- three thousand two hundred and sixty dollars, sixty-eight thousand and seventy-three dollars, and ninety-three thousand nine hundred and ninety-four dollars, for the three years, respectively, with duties severally thirty-three thousand four hundred and fifty-one dollars and twenty- nine cents, thirty-eight thousand one hundred and sixty dollars and thirty-two cents, and fifty-three thousand three hundred and seventy-five dollars and eighty-five cents.

The following table, for which we are also indebted to Superintendent Maxwell's last report, exhibits the receipts of flour and grain at Cincinnati, each year for the last quarter of a century :

YEARS.

Flour Barrels.

Wheat Bushels.

Oats Bushels.

Barley Bushels.

Rye Bushels.

Corn Bushels.

1856 ..

546,727

1,069,468

4º3,920

244,792

158,220

978,5II

1857 ..

485,089

737,723

534,312

381,060

113,818

1, 673,363

1858 ..

633,318

1,2II,543

598,950

400,967

64,285

1,090,236 ;

1859 ..

558, 173

1,274,685

557,70I

455,73I

82,572

1, 139,922

1860 ..

517,229

1,057,118

894,515

352,829

131,487

1,346,208

I86I ..

490,619

1,129,007

838,45I

493,214

157,509

1,340,690

I862 ..

588,245

2, 174,924

1,338,950

323,884

247,187

1,708,292

1863 ..

619,710

1,741,49I

1,312,000

336, 176

138,935

1,504,430

1864 ..

546,983

1,650,759

1,423,813

379,432

137,852

1,817,046

1865 ..

671,970

1, 678,395

2,358,053

542,712

190,567

1,262, 198

1866 ..

659,046

1,545,892

1,331,803

891,833

406,188

1,427,766

1867 ..

577,296

1,474,987

1, 246, 375

673,806

409, 17I

1,820,955

1868 ..

522,297

780,933

912,013

602,813

218,385

1,405,366

I869 ..

571,280

1,075,348

1, 125,900

853,182

385,672

1, 508,509

1870 ..

.774,344

1,195,34I

1,470,075

836,33I

237,885

1,979,645

I872 ..

582,930

762, 144

1,160,053

1, 177,306

357,309

1,829,866

1873 ..

765,469

860,454

1, 520,979

I,228,245

420,660

2,259,544

I875 ..

697,578

I, 135,388

1,323,380

1, 109,693

336,410

3,695,561

1876 ..

636, 504

1,052,952

1,441,158

1,551,944

500,515

4, 115,564

1877 ..

540,128

1,436,85I

1,096,916

1,258,163

427, 145

4,559,506

1878 ..

606,667

3,495, II3

1,467,010

1,597,481

374,637

4,321,456

1879 ..

613,914

3,834,722

1,398,572

1, 180,652

489,780

4,359,549

1880 ..

771,900

4,289, 555

1, 534,40I

1, 555, 107

573,925

5,744,246

Totals |15,468,911 38, 662, 428 29,987, 558 20, 322, 842

7,242,023 58, 311, 493

THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

This body, one of the most important and influential of its kind in the world, was organized October 22, 1839, to promote the amicable settlement of differences among the business men of the city. It then met but monthly, in the rooms of the Young Men's Mercantile library. The first board of officers was elected January 14, 1840, and was follows: Griffin Taylor, president; R. G. Mitch- ell, Thomas J. Adams, John Reeves, S. B. Findley, Peter Neff, Samuel Trevor, vice-presidents; B. W. Hew- son, treasurer; Henry Rockey, secretary. The presidents of the chamber since have been Lewis Whiteman, R. G. Mitchell, Thomas J. Adams, James C. Hall, N. W. Thomas, R. M. W. Taylor, James F. Torrence, Joseph Torrence, J. W. Sibley, Joseph C. Butler, George F. Davis, Theodore Cook, S. C. Newton, John A. Gano, Charles W. Rowland, S. F. Covington, C. M. Holloway, Benjamin Eggleston, John W. Hartwell, William N. Hobart, H. Wilson Brown, and Henry C. Urner. Its present objects are defined as to offer an occasion and place for the discussion of all leading questions of mer- cantile usage, of matters of finance, and of topics affect- ing commerce; also to collect information in relation to commercial, financial, and industrial affairs that might be of general interest and value; to secure uniformity in commercial laws and customs; to facilitate business in-

terests and promote equitable principles, as well as the adjustment of differences and disputes in trade.

In 1846, a superintendent was appointed for the Mer- chants' Exchange, which was formed that year, and with which the chamber of commerce was consolidated; and his labors, especially in the preparation of annual reports, have been of great value to the united bodies. Mr. A. Peabody was the first superintendent, 1846-9; then came Richard Smith, 1849-54; William Smith, 1854-71 ; and Colonel Sidney D. Maxwell, 1871 to date. This office is filled most capably and acceptably by Colonel Maxwell, whose reports are replete with statistics, and are accounted among the most valuable issued anywhere.

The chamber was chartered in 1850. It has for a long time occupied rooms at No. 22 West Fourth street, near the room of the board of trade and transportation. The Government building at the corner of Fourth and Vine streets has been purchased by the chamber and exchange for one hundred thousand dollars, and will be occupied as soon as vacated by the post-office, custom-house, and other Federal institutions now in it. The association has a reserve fund of forty thousand dollars in United States bonds. When Mr. James A. Frazer, a prominent mem- ber, died, he bequeathed five thousand dollars to the building fund of the chamber.

The chamber co-operates with the board of trade and the Mechanics' Institute in sustaining the annual In- dustrial Exposition, and is represented on the board of Exposition commissioners. It subscribes liberally to the guarantee fund, and in 1875 offered a special premium of three hundred dollars in gold for the best display of leaf tobacco at the Exposition of that year. Its charities have also been liberal. It gave a large sum to the Chicago sufferers ; June 8, 1877, subscribed one thousand dollars for the relief of the inhabitants of Mount Carmel, Illinois, which was destroyed by a tornado ; and, September 22, 1876, gave five thousand dollars for the yellow fever sufferers at Savannah, besides individual subscriptions.

It is justly considered a very high honor to be elected an honorary member of the chamber. So far only ten honorary members have been chosen: Robert Buchanan (died April 20, 1879), Henry Probasco, Miles Green- wood, John H. Gerard, David Sinton, Reuben R. Springer, James F. Torrence, George Graham (died March 1, 1881), Charles W. West, and William Procter.

OTHER EXCHANGES.

In 1835, long before a railroad era came for Cin- cinnati, a Canal Produce exchange was established, mainly through the exertions of Reuss W. Lee. Josiah Lawrence was president; Henry Rockey, secretary. Its original meetings were held in the brick store owned by Major Daniel Gano, on the corner of Mound and Court streets, in which their quarters were rent-free after John Thompson bought the store. The Exchange was main- tained two years, and then declined, as its location was considered too far up town. It was closed for a year, and then revived and re-established, this time in the College building, on Walnut street, near Fourth.

The Cotton Exchange occupies one of the rooms of

187I ..

705,579

866,459

1,215,794

809, 088

289,775

2,068,900

1874 ..

774,916

1,221,176

1, 372,464

1,084, 500

385,934

3,457,164

356

HISTORY OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

the Chamber of Commerce, to which all its members be- long. It was founded in 1871.

The Grocers' Exchange holds its meetings monthly in the room of the board of trade and transportation.

The Furniture Exchange is not far distant, meeting in Room No. 48, Pike's Opera house.

A Coal Exchange has also been organized by the Cin- cinnati dealers in "black diamonds."

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History of Cincinnati, Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 96

Author: Ford, Henry A., comp; Ford, Kate B., joint comp Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Cleveland, O., L.A. Williams & co. Number of Pages: 666

Author: Ford, Henry A., comp; Ford, Kate B., joint comp
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Cleveland, O., L.A. Williams & co.
Number of Pages: 666