USA > Ohio > Hamilton County > Cumminsville > History of Cumminsville, Ohio, 1792-1914 > Part 7
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DR. WILLIAM MOUNT. born in Armstrong County. Penn., came to Cincinnati in 1812. He was a student apprentice in 1817-18 and took
JACOB HOFFNER Loaned by W. S. Turrill
TIMOTHY KIRBY From Cincinnati. Past and Present.
one course of instruction in the famous Transylvania University at Lexington, Ky. In 1826 he graduated from the Ohio Medical College. Beginning practice at Newtown, and afterwards in Dayton, he soon came to Cumminsville, where he became famous as the pioneer physi- cian. For several years he had charge of the Hamilton County Lunatic Asylum in Liek Run, was a trustee of the Medical Department of the Cineimati College. and a director of the Commercial Hospital (now Cincinnati Hospital). Dr. Mount was a man of exceptional ability and had great love for his chosen profession. He counted among his close friends Drs. Daniel Drake of Cincinnati and Sammel D. Gross of Philadelphia. the greatest surgeon of his day. It was on one of his
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Souvenir "History of Cumminsville"
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periodical visits east to study in the hospitals and clinics the new things in medicine, and while a guest of Dr. Gross, in 1866, that he was injured by a street vehicle, resulting in his death. Dr. Mount had more than a local reputation for skill and learning, and was regarded by Dr. Gross as a most remarkable man and physician.
JACOB HOFFNER, born August 4, 1799, in Mercersburg, Penn., came to Cincinnati in October of 1805, crossing the Alleghenies by wagon-a six-week's trip. With his parents he passed over McHenry's Ford in 1805 on his way to Mt. Pleasant, where the parents remained. Young Hoffner then went back to the growing town and engaged in
Photo by H. W. Felter, M. D.
HAMILTON AVENUE GATES OF HOFFNER GROUNDS
the bakery business (1819 to 1830), one of his early occupations being to supply the gardeners and farmers who went to town with produce with fresh rolls and coffee. When the Hutchinson-Cummins embroglio was in the courts he frequently attended the sessions as an interested listener, this leading him finally to purchase nearly 50 acres of the Hutchinson farm and convert the Tavern of the Golden Lamb into a residence-long famous as the "Hoffner Home." This was in 1834 and he occupied the house in 1836. Having gained a competence he retired from business. In time he beautified about six acres of the
ground around his house, making one of the finest landscape gardens of the country. Statuary adorned the walks, the greenhouses were rich in rare exotics, and a picturesque rock-girt pool in front of the house received the waters of the famous historic spring. The gate- ways, with their sculptured lions and eagles, were attractive features, and gave to the grounds the appearance of a public park. Mr. Hoffner traveled widely and was a great collector of plants, curios, and works of art. As a leading citizen he was one of the committee to personally receive LaFayette, whose historie visit to Cincinnati in 1824 was the great event of that year. This, to him, was a memory of the greatest satisfaction. Generous to a fault, Mr. Hoffner's philanthropic deeds and benefactions were large-the extensive grounds for the Orphan Asylum, the site for Hoffner Lodge, and the donation of the bell for the Presbyterian Church (though he himself never attended church), are but suggestions of his benevolences. Jacob Hoffner passed from earth April 8, 1894, and the whole community mourned his passing.
TIMOTHY KIRBY, born at Middletown, Conn., November 7, 1797, came to Cincinnati in the early 20's, and becoming agent for the United States Bank came into possession of a large tract of land-a portion of the Hutchinson farm-through the failure of Hutchinson to repay the bank a loan of about $9,000. Of this farm Mr. Hoffner had purchased forty-seven acres of the choicest part, including the tavern. Mr. Kirby accepted a deed for the balance as payment for his services in settling the affair. This splendid investment grew great in value as the years passed. In 1843 Mr. Kirby built the brick house which crowns the beautifull knoll, then sloping down to the pond, now facing Chase Avenue, west of Pitts. In his youth Timothy Kirby learned the art of making broadcloth. He became a teacher, then a lawyer, and finally agent for the bank. He was a man of great business sagacity, had a keen knowledge of law, and a love for scientific studies. Some of his contributions appeared in Silliman's Journal, at one time the leading scientific periodical of the day. He was especially a deep student of geology, and once drilled a well over 600 feet deep purely for the satisfaction of a scientific study of the Cincinnati geologic formation. The value of this venture has been tardily recognized by scientists. At various levels gas was struck, and for a short time a column of gas giving a flame forty feet high illumined the fields round about. This well was located about 125 feet north of Hanfield and sixty feet west of Gordon Streets. An attempt was made by another in the 80's to develop this gas supply, but the venture failed. This will recall a similar "gas boom" that aroused Cumminsville in the 80's when a gas well was struck upon the Hoffner property. A company was formed, money invested by a great number of citizens, but the supply of gas gave out and nothing was realized bv the speculation. In 1872 Mr. Kirby generously donated the site on Kirby
Souvenir "History of Cumminsville"
Way and a large eash contribution for the building of St. Philip's Episcopal Church, and the first Kirby Road School was built upon ground acquired from him. He was a pioneer and prominent man of affairs in Cumminsville very early, lived here the greater part of his life, and died January 10, 1876.
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Photo by H. W. Felter, M. D LOCATION OF KIRBY'S POND, CHASE STREET AND PITTS AVENUE,
JOSEPH F. LAKEMAN, at the time of his death the oldest resident of Cumminsville, was born at Ipswich, Mass., September 19, 1813, and came to Cumminsville in 1837. For three-quarters of a century he was identified with the business, civic, and social life of the community. A wagon maker by trade he was established in that business here as early as 1846, for, in partnership with William Tozzer, he made wagons for Government use in the first year of the Mexican War. Later he embarked in the coal business. Mr. Lakeman served as village trustee and clerk, was postmaster for fifteen years, president of the village Board of Education for eighteen years, and mayor of Cumminsville from 1869 to 1871. He was also a director of the County Infirmary. His long public service, his sympathy for and kindness to the poor, and his sterling worth as a citizen, entitle him to grateful remem- brance. He died full of years and honors March 11, 1900, aged eighty-seven years.
CALEB F. LINGO, born in Worcester County, Maryland, March 23, 1806, came, with his parents, to Cincinnati in 1810. Their course was from Baltimore by boat, thence to Pittsburgh by team, and then down the Ohio by flatboat. At an early age he became a dry goods clerk in Cincinnati and bought his partner out in 1831. In 1839 he began the manufacture of doors, sashes, and blinds. In 1844, with his brother Josiah, he came to Cumminsville and purchased a saw-mill near by which they successfully operated for twelve years. In 1859 they established the planing mills at Lingo Street and Hamilton Pike, where they turned out doors, sash, and blinds until in the early 90's, when the mill was partly destroyed by fire. It was afterward dis- mantled to make way for a business block. Mr. Lingo was an exem- plary citizen, an ardent supporter of the Methodist Church, and con- tributed largely to the development of Cumminsville. He died January 3, 1885.
MERWIN SHERMAN TURRILL, son of Dr. Herman Bassett Turrill. came to Cumminsville on December 1, 1851. He was born at Pleasant Ridge, Hamilton County, Ohio, February 8, 1831. In 1846 he entered Farmers College at College Hill, graduating in the class of 1851. He became a country school teacher-that class from which so many public and business men of prominence have sprung. In 1853 he was appointed principal of the Union Graded School of Cumminsville, and later, when other schools were added, he was made Superintendent. With but one or two minor changes, he remained in charge of the schools for nearly thirty-two years. Under the guidance of this master teacher and administrator the schools grew into excellent educational institutions, and hundreds of Cumminsville's citizens received their preparatory education, many to become an honor and credit to this early training. Two of Mr. Turrill's assistant principals and one teacher became educators of note, and have filled important positions in the educational department of our city-John C. Heywood. prin- cipal of the Sixteenth District School since 1888 and still in active service ; Isaac H. Turrill, deceased, who was the first principal of Kirby Road School, and later principal of the School at Fulton; and Edward S. Peaslee, the present principal of Kirby School, who has been the head of that institution for many years. Mr. Turrill has heen foremost in the educational, civic, social, and religious work of Cumminsville. He has traveled from California to Switzerland and from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. For twelve years he accompanied teachers to conventions at Put-in-Bay, and for eighteen years made annual pilgrimages to Chautauqua. To his pleasurable and profitable habit of traveling, added to a naturally good constitution, Mr. Turrill attributes his excellent life-long health. He was one of the earliest to engage in the work of the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific
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Cireles, organizing and maintaining in Cumminsville the second one formed in this city. He has been census taker, assessor, notary public, and conveyancer; is active in Masonry and the work of the Presby- terian Church. This educator and citizen, still with us, has seen with open eyes the village grow from small beginnings until it has become a beautiful suburban accession to the great Queen City of
the West. To him, more than to any other, is due the fact that so much of historie record has been preserved concerning our community. Mr. Turrill was married Christmas eve, 1862, to Mary L. Lingo (died 1896). He is the only living charter member of Hoffner Lodge, F. and A. M.
"CUMMINSVILLE FALLS" Photo by Walter Webster.
WEST FORK OF MILL CREEK
Photo by Win. Koss
HISTORY OF CUMMINSVILLE, 1873 -- 1914 By William F. Ray
ANNEXATION OF CUMMINSVILLE.
On September 6, 1872, an ordinance providing for an election to vote on the question of annexing the village of Cumminsville to the city of Cincinnati was passed by the village council. In October of the same year the electors of the two munici- palities decided the question, and on March 12, 1873, the village of Cumminsville was accepted as part of the city of Cincinnati.
Mr. Albert Williamson was the first Alderman and Messrs. Morris H. Spillard and John C. Bruckmann were the first members of Council. Messrs. Chas. W. Whiteley and Oliver Brown were the first school trustees.
The village had become the Twenty-fifth Ward of the city of Cincinnati, and was destined to become a great factor in the muni- cipal life of the city.
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TRANSPORTATION.
Means of transportation are the main factors in the development of any region. Looking back towards the year 1876, one hundred years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence of the United States, we find the territory adjacent to Cincinnati, on the northwest, in a state of rebellion against the existing conditions.
An inhabitant of Cumminsville, if he were a daily visitor to the downtown section, had the privilege of riding at certain specified times on such trains as might stop at the old station on the C. H. & D. R. R. for about five cents per visit. He was thereby delivered at Fifth and Hoadley, or Sixth and Baymiller Streets, and allowed to ride further uptown for a cash deposit of five cents, or a four-cent ticket.
Similar accommodations could be had on the B. & O. R. R., then called the Marietta & Cincinnati, or the C. C. C. & I. Ry., each of which delivered its passengers in the old Plum Street Depot.
But the above privileges were not as cheap for the occasional traveler, who had to pay fifteen cents.
However, there was little complaint about the steam railway accommodations. The main complaint was as to street cars. The Avenue Rail Co. operated a one-horse car line from Harrison Avenue to Spring Grove Cemetery, the terminal for Cumminsville being at Dorman Street, and the fare ten cents straight, or a ticket calling for fourteen rides for one dollar. These cars, running between two rows of silver poplar trees on each side of Spring Grove Avenue, made a journey pleasant, if not as cheap or as rapid as at present. Having reached Harrison Avenue the passenger was privileged to continue on the Cincinnati cars for a four-cent ticket.
Traveling accommodations were not well developed then, and in winter the railway cars were heated by coal stoves. The street cars were only heated in the summer, but the proprietors of the Avenue line supplied an abundance of straw into which the passengers would imbed their frosty feet during very, very cold weather. The writer remembers being on a car when a colored passenger brought in his owur hot brick wrapped in rags which soon began to scorch. Although it was nearly zero weather, the few passengers preferred to retire to the platform.
There was no all-night car in those good old days, but the last car left Harrison Avenue at a quarter past midnight, and if he knew who had journeyed to the city, old Eli would delay the midnight special until the passengers arrived. The conductors on the old Avenue line were more popular than the proprietors, Bates and Hopple. Many remember Bill Hamel, Lou Strickland, Lee Stevenson, Elijah Turner, Alex and Sam Van Zandt, Win. Anson, Lon Holman, Jack
DeSerisy, and Mat Fels. The latter drove the last horse ear on the cemetery end in December, 1895.
About 1880 the Cincinnati Street Railway Co. bought the Avenne line and extended its Clark Street line to Knowlton's Corner, having a turntable at that point. Cars ran through to Fountain Square on December 1, 1881, at one full fare.
During the next year or so an agitation to get more accommoda- tions downtown was commenced, the result of which was the estab- lishment of the Liberty and Elm Street route (Route 18), which Isaac J. Miller and his associates designed to run out Elm Street to Liberty, and via Colerain Avenue to a point opposite to Blue Rock Street on Colerain Avenue. The fare was to be seven tickets for twenty-five cents, or thirty-one for a dollar. After the Cincinnati Street Railway Co. acquired possession of the route, there was an almost endless delay in completing it. For a long time the ronte terminated at Hopple Street, then called Centre Street. Then there came a proposal to change the line to a cable road, and some of the conduits were actually hauled out on the line to begin work.
In the summer of 1888, the Colerain Avenue line was equipped with electricity from Brighton to Centre Street in Camp Washington. Later it was extended to the B. & O. R. R. erossing. The bridge over Mill Creek was not deemed strong enough to carry heavy cars. and a demand was made of the Ohio Legislature in March, 1889, for a modern bridge to take the place of the covered wooden truss bridge, which had done duty for almost a century, having been built in 1822.
All these changes required the hardest and most persistent work. most of which was accomplished through the medium of a volunteer organization, meeting mainly at Reichrath's Hall and called the "25th Ward Improvement Association." Many meetings were held. attended by James T. MeHugh, Chas. W. Whiteley, Ed. S. Havens, Gabriel Dirr. Armand DeSerisy, Henry Weber, Henry Diekmeier. Frank Reichrath. all of whom have since passed away, as well as many who are still at work for the good of the community. Delegation after delegation stormed the Board of Public Works in the old City Hall on Central Avenue and Eighth Street. So numerous and industrious were the committee that waited on the Board that John E. Bell. its president, begged the Association not to come in such overwhelming numbers, "that a small committee was all that was needed." and so on. But the members of the Association were earnest and believed that many hands made light work.
Finally the Mill Creek Bridge having been accomplished. and Colerain Avenue and Spring Grove Avene in Cumminsville paved with granite, the first complete eleetrie street car line in Cincinnati was put into full operation.
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Right here it may be recalled that during the building of the Mill Creek Bridge at Colerain Avenue a temporary bridge was in- stalled on private property, the entrance being through Dickmeier's yard. Subscriptions to pay for the bridge were taken and tickets were issued entitling the subscriber to the use of the temporary bridge. Many harsh words were spoken, but the temporary structure was paid for in that way. The question arose, "Why not use the Spring Grove Avenue during the building of the Colerain Avenue bridge ? The Spring Grove Avenue was owned by a private corporation, toll being exacted of all who used the Avenue, and colleetors were placed at the Spring Grove Avenue bridge as soon as the old bridge on Colerain Avenue was removed.
A temporary injunction was also secured before Judge Wm. H. Taft in the Superior Court against the building of the temporary
bridge, and the contractor fined $15 for not quitting the work at once. However, the injunction was dissolved.
Later Spring Grove Avenue was acquired by the city, the street paved with asphalt, and a new bridge replaced the old wooden com- panion of the Colerain Avenue relic.
There quickly followed the extension of the Clark Street line out the Avenue to Spring Grove Cemetery first and afterward to Chester Park.
All these successive events are easily chronicled, and the diseom- forts of the past are easily forgotten in the possession at the present of four street car routes, as well as the many local trains on the steam lines.
The College Hill line via Clifton and Elm Street ineline was started in 1894, and the College Hill-Main line in 1895.
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CUMMINSVILLE TURN VEREIN IN THE 80's
Photo loaned by Mrs. Ph. Seibert.
SEWERS.
One of the familiar sights in Cumminsville was the town pump. The most prominent was at Knowlton's Corner, and it was the boast that this particular pump never failed to give water to thirsty man or beast. But beginning in 1880 sewers were commenced and projected on all the principal streets. These soon dried up all the wells, and the suspicious citizen blamed the sewers for bringing back the water in the shape of floods.
In February, 1883, occurred the first high water we need to note, followed in almost exactly a year with another, when the record showed 71 feet 3/4 inch above the river low water mark. This water covered almost all the space from the B. & O. R. R. on the east to Blue Rock Street on the west, being four feet deep on the C. H. & D. R. R. tracks. Many times since has the town been visited, but not in such quantities, and we trust will not be.
STREET PAVING.
Previous to the year 1875 there had been no granite or other permanent pavements laid in Cincinnati, except boulders. In Cum- minsville the streets were paved with macadam, and the main thoroughfares, Spring Grove Avenue and Colerain Pike, were the best. The citizens now crossing over any of these streets after a hard rain can hardly realize the condition of the streets as they were in 1875. In the summer they were covered with dust several inches deep, and in winter they were seas of mud. However, these conditions did not prevail south of the Mill Creek bridge on Spring Grove Avenue, or north of Dane Street. Upon these stretches the Spring Grove Avenue Company maintained the roadway in fine condition and had a force of men constantly repairing the surface. Spring Grove Avenue was noted all over the United States as a speedway, the street car tracks being on each side, and the rows of trees making it a delightful place for horse owners to speed their trotters.
Directly after the city of Cincinnati commeneed to improve their downtown streets with granite, the city aequired Spring Grove Avenue and improved it with asphalt from Harrison Avenue to the Mill Creek Bridge, and with asphalt from Knowlton's Corner to the north corporation line, which was then Spring Grove Cemetery. The asphalt paving did not last ten years, and immediately after the assessments due on the first paving were paid a movement was started to relay the street with granite. This was not finally finished until 1911, which indicates how slowly improvements are to be had.
Colerain Pike, afterwards changed to Colerain Avenue, was
paved with granite from Brighton to the Mill Creek Bridge in 1890. and is now due for a reconstruction.
Most of the streets in Cumminsville now are paved with brick. except Colerain Avenue and Spring Grove Avenue, which are granite.
Chase Street, from Dane Street to Virginia Avenue, is paved with wood blocks, and for the few years (not over five) that it has been laid, it seems to be the smoothest and most satisfactory of all for light travel. The durability is yet to be deeided.
SCHOOLS.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
In 1875 the public schools of Cumminsville consisted of the Kirby Road School, the Langland Street School, and the Dirr Street branch. Along in December, 1882, the Board of Education of Cincinnati pur- chased about one and one-fourth aeres of ground on Chase Street at the corner of Apple Street for $10,000, and began the erection of the Salmon P. Chase School. This was followed in 1897 by the Garfield School on Elmore Street. The town still continued to grow faster than the provisions which had been made for schools. This led to a movement in 1905 for a larger and better sehool to be built to take the place of the Kirby Road School, and to take care of the increased population north of Chase Street. Quite a contention was had be- tween the property owners having plots of ground large enough to accommodate a school of the desired size, and it was finally decided to build the new school at the corner of Kirby Road and Brnee Avenne, where a plot of ground 332 feet front and 558 feet deep was purchased. Here was erected a most magnificent building, in which all the grades of the schools can be aecommodated up to the high school. There are indoor playgrounds for both boys and girls. kindergarten for the smaller children, and gymnasium for the larger. In the large school lot in the rear there is ample room for baseball, basket ball and soccer football games. The school is situated on almost the highest part of the town and can be seen at a great distance. It is really a show place, and is a eredit to the town.
In 1875 there were 500 pupils in the publie schools, and in 1914 2,000 pupils.
PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS,
In 1875 there were two parochial sehools, one, St. Boniface, con- taining 160 pupils, and the other, St. Patrick's, containing 200. Now there are three parochial schools, viz: St. Boniface, on Blue Rock and Lakeman Streets, with fifteen rooms and 580 pupils; St. Patrick's, on Cherry Street, with eight rooms and 265 pupils; St. Pius. on Borden and Dreman Avenues, with ten rooms and 225 pupils.
Souvenir "History of Cumminsville"
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"NEW" KIRBY ROAD SCHOOL
GARFIELD SCHOOL
SALMON P. CHASE SCHOOL
ST. BONIFACE SCHOOL
ST. PATRICK'S SCHOOL
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ST. PIUS PAROCHIAL SCHOOL
II. PLACKE, W. LOWRY, W. McCLOY, W. SHADDINGER, W. L. COUNT, J. HIRST.
LADDER CO.Nº 5.
FIRE CO Nº 20,
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AHRENS-FOX
"TWENTIES"
Engine Co. No. 47 Cincinnati, O. 1909
SOUTHSIDE FIRE COMPANY No. 47
FIRE DEPARTMENT.
In 1875 the Fire Department of the city of Cincinnati was very crude in appearance to that which they now have. Engine Company No. 20 had a small house (formerly a church) on Delaney Street near Blue Rock. Captain Daniel Twohig was placed in charge of this company in 1875, and for many years the company consisted of a hose wagon and a wagon equipped with a Babcock Fire Extinguisher. In 1889 the engine house on Chase Street at the corner of Turrill was dedicated, and it now contains an up-to-date automobile fire engine, a hose wagon, and full equipment of ladders. In 1910 the city built an engine house at Powers and Borden Streets, and the company there, No. 47, is equipped with fire engine and hose wagon.
PARKS.
Cumminsville is credited with having the largest park area in its territory of any part of the city. However, the general public would not be able to distinguish the change from 1875 up to the present time. About 1908 the Park Board purchased thirty-two acres of ground from Alexander L. Parker and others. This property was formerly called Parker's Woods and had been used by the general public gratuitously for many years previous.
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