USA > Ohio > Butler County > Hamilton in Butler County > The centennial anniversary of the city of Hamilton, Ohio, September 17-19, 1891 > Part 4
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THIRD DIVISION,-Industrial. Col. R. C. Mckinney, grand division commander; Col. J. H. Springer, chief of staff; John B. Krocker, adjutant general. This division consisted of tableau wagons and floats, carrying rep- resentations of the various kinds of manufactories and other industries of Hamilton ..
The Agricultural and Civic division was under Chris Rothenbush, grand division commander and the following staff; S. T. Harwood, chief of staff ; Robert M. Elliott, assistant adjutant general; F. M. Hughes, James Reed, Philip J. Faber, majors ; Levi J. Truster, D. L. Tyler, James M. Lewis, James Linn, Nathan C. Flenner, R. M. Billingslea, Robert Long, James M. Carr, A. Morris, Jos. Billingslea, J. W. Sloneker, J. R. Emrick, Wm. Heer- man, P. J. Somers, Thomas J. Hughes, Wm. Allen, Isaac L. Riley, Chas. Fallert, W. H. Jacobs, A. J. Welliver, F. E. Humbach, Wm. Schlosser, Dr. J. J. Roll, John Bender, Jacob Seybold, assistant division marshals ; W. H. Todhunter, Frank Morris, aides-de-camp.
The division was preceded by a band which was followed by the grand division commander and staff. Then came the clergy of the city, and dis- tinguished guests in carriages. Following these were the city and county officers and the municipal boards. After these came citizens generally, township delegations and all bodies not included in the other divisions, and every other person who desired to join in the parade.
Every division was worthy of special mention and presented many features to excite the admiration of the vast multitude that witnessed them.
This was particularly true of the second and third divisions which were from begining to end wonderful exhibitions of the great engenuity, and ad- listic skill both in their conception and execution. This is particularly true
PROF. F. C. MAYER.
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of the Historical and Allegorical floats in the second division.
With music at its head, came this division with its allegorical represen- tations of the times which this celebration calls to our minds.
The first grand tableau wagon, or float represented the ABORIGINES sur- rounding their uncooth home. The buckskin wigwams, with smoke curling from their apex, the black-haired, browned-skinned natives, the medicine man stirring his malarial bitters, the rippling stream of water flowing gently over its bed of gravel-all went to make this a scene of picturesqueness and instructive beauty.
The second tableau represented OLD FORT HAMILTON. This reminded one of former times with its stockade, made of unhewn logs, with the cupola of the old fort towering over its top. Wandering about at their leisure or attending to their military duties were the soldiers dressed in the antiquated uniforms of revolutionary times. Within the stockade could be seen the representation of the old well which is now known as "Sohn's well," on Water street. The whole tableau was permeated with the true spirit of the times as they were one century ago, and, had one of our pioneer settlers been a witness of this representation, he would have gone into ecstacies over its realities.
The third tableau represented THE FIRST PIONEERS, who penetrated the wilderness west of the Alleghanies, braving the inclemencies of the weather, until, amid surrounding forest, they reared a home to be protected by them against the ravages of the wild beasts and the savage attacks of the red man. The old army pump, as it has been used for centuries previous, raising its precious burden of pure, sparkling water. The little girl babe playing at its mother's feet, the house dog, brought from a home far away, the father, in all the sturdiness of his manhood, the sons filled with youthful promise, the sister with tenderness beaming from her eyes-all went to make a lasting impression upon those whose eyes beheld this masterpiece of creative art.
The fourth tableau represented that which was the first symbol of equity and justice in Butler county-THE FIRST COURT HOUSE which was ever erected at this seat of justice. The old logs were worn with time. There were chincks through which the sunbeams playfully crept. In front of the building was a porch, under whose scanty shade the quondam politi- cian and the farmer, transacting business in the town, rested for a few hours to discuss questions of interest. In the second story of this rude structure was our first postoffice. The room was small and with a gothic roof. Into this humble place came the messages of love, the sad news of death, the glad news of prosperity and new-born relatives. Looking at this representa- tion one could see the strides civilization has made, when he beholds the magnificent stone structure within whose portals justice is now decreed.
The fifth tableau called to mind many stirring scenes in the early history
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of the Miami Valley. Covered with canvass, peeping out through the rents in which were the scared children of our forefathers, as the Indians in their savageness, rushed upon the helpless emigrants. This was a stirring scene depicted in all its awful realty, and vividly told of the hardships of those to whom we can give thanks that the celebration of our Centennial ever became a possibility.
Following this came the Goddess of Progress seated upon her imperial throne with the word "Hamilton" glistening in bright golden letters from her breast, covered with her silken canopy, and surrounded by all that the pro- gress a century could bestow. At each corner of this allegorical float was seated respectively the Goddess of Science, the Goddess of Art, the Goddess of Industry, and the Goddess of Music, representing her own sphere, how her domains had been extended side by side with the domain of the Goddess of Progress. Nothing of an allegorical nature could tell more vividly of our century's progress than did this float.
The last tableau wagon in this division was a wonderful representation of that beautiful German fairy-tale "Schnaa Wittchen"-Snow White. We have all read the story and never before was it so impressively brought before our minds. The queen in all her splendor and the little creatures from dwarfdom brought back to us vivid recollections of our childhood days.
Never before was there a grander pageant brought before human eyes. Every thing that centuries of art and investigation could produce were brought together to make this division a success. Seven beautiful tableau wagons interspersed with Indians. Revolutionary soldiers, weary emigrants and many pioneer ideas and customs made this one of the most attractive and interesting divisions in the mammoth parade.
In the third division were represented all the great and varied industries of this great manufacturing city. First in size and importance came the Niles Tool Works and Gordon Steam Pump Company with massive floats exhibiting their particular industries followed by their twelve hundred employes marching eight abreast. Then the Black & Clawson Company, the Long, Allstatter Company, the Bentel and Margedant Company, the Hooven, Owens and Rentschler Company, the H. P. Deuscher Company, the Richy and Dyer Company, the F. & L. Kahn & Bros. Stove Works, the Cincinnati Brewing Csmpany, the Eagle Brewing Company, and scores of others with their thousands of employes, making a grand industrial pageant, unequaled in the annals of such displays, while each had numerous floats indicative of their particular line of manufactures. Many of these floats, particularly the Brewing Companies were possessed not only of a high degree of artistic merit but appealed strongly to the thirsty thousands who witnessed them that hot September day.
The Mosler Safe and Lock Company had in this division a magnificent safe upon a wagon drawn by four splendid horses. It attracted universal at-
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CAPT. F. D BRISTLEY.
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tention, not only because of its size and beauty of finish, but because the company presented it to the Centenniai Committee in which to preserve all the records of its proseedings and the history of Hamilton from year to year until the next Centennial Celebration.
The business men of the city vied with the manufacturers in the exhi- bition of their wares.
Large and expensive floats upon which were conducted in many in- stances, their business as carried on daily in their stores.
J. Pabst and Sons' float was business and beauty. It was 18 feet long and Io feet wide and was handsomely decorated with flags, bunting, frieze and flowers. In the center was a large pyramid of bottles representing the various drinks, beers, etc, which the firm bottles. The pyramid was sur- mounted by a large ginger ale bottle. At each corner of the wagon was a pretty young girl in costume and in the center of each side was an artistic- ally painted and decorated cider tub with signs of various articles.
GROTTO AND GNOMES.
The Tile Works float was a beautiful thing. It was the idea and handi- work of Otto Metzner who had employed himself upon it at odd moments for several weeks. The float was the representation of a tile kiln located in the grotto and run by wee, wizened gnomes. The grotto was twenty feet long and sixteen feet high and looked rocky and real. The kiln was in the mid- dle and the gnomes were firing up, and burning small tile, which they threw warm from the furnace, into the crowd. The tile were neat little souvenirs of the Centennial. Volumes of smoke made by a chemical process, poured from the smoke stack of the kiln. There were two tableaux on the float, the one in front representing Columbia and two Greek attendants and the one in the rear being an allegory "Industry." Five heralds in the garb of the sixteenth century and carrying banners preceded the float, and five horses with gay trappins drew it in the procession. There was a man in uniform at the head of each horse. The Tile Works float was universally admired and commented upon and was really one of the most artistic in the parade.
H. J. Earhardt & Co's. float was built upon an elegant new delivery wagon. On the platform and beneath an arched canopy of flowers, flags, and frieze, there was a splendid specimen of a modern anthracite stove. In the rear was a practical tinner, shown in the act of making tin cups. He had all the necessary tools at his side, and as fast as he made the cups he scattered them broadcast among the crowd.
A UNIQUE EXHIBIT.
F. P. Stewart's idea in connection with their monumental works was an excellent one. They were represented in the parade by a huge decorated stone wagon. They showed the progress of the century in monumental architecture. On the wagon was a large beautiful and costly modern monu-
LAZARD KAHN.
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ment-a sarcophagus, of spleedid design and finish, and near]by was the stone memorial tablet of a hundred years ago. The progress of the art was- apparent in the difference.
GROWTH IN MUSIC.
Diehl and Co's. float represented a century of Hamilton's growth in music. On the front part of the float there were Indians in native costume, beating "tom-toms" and singing war songs. In the rear was a Pneumatic Symphony organ. It played difficult and classical music. Among the pieces are 5th Symphony, Bethoven ; Symphony, B. minor, Schubert ; Rhap- sodie Hongroise William Tell overture, etc., etc.
AN EXACT DUPLICATE.
One of the greatest floats in the Third or industrial division was that of Tully & Dowling, the popular High street tailors. Their originality and thoroughness was never displayed to greater advantage than in this parade. The float was simply an elevated tailor shop on wheels. The floor was- 10x20 feet in dimensions. and was the exact representation of their merchant tailoring establishment itself. The float was elaborately decorated and over all, in sweet flowers, was the typical "goose," square and shears of the time honored profession. And there were the counters, over which Jim presided himself. There were the goods, the suitings, the overcoat-ings etc., etc. Jim was just as busy selling them there as if he had been in the store. And there was Tom with his square and shears, the pattern was quickly made, the suit or overcoat. or whatever it was, cut out, transferred to the tailors who were also there, busy with the needles that plied their shining spears quickly in and out, and there was the machine that great invention that did the work as fast as the hand could supply it. In short, from that wonderful wagon, an entire suit was ordered, made, furnished and delivered and with a fit that had the symmetry of the natural cuticle itself. The young and genial gentlemen of the firm, Mr. James Tully and Mr. Tom Dowling, couldn't possibly have thought of a more popular display. They gave an exact re- production of their shop and business methods and in fact simple transferred themselves for a few hours from their shop to the wagon and business went on uninterrupted. They were a most happy and feiecitous factor in the in- dustrial representation.
S. H. Millikin's carpet store made a big and elegant display on their float. It was a hugh affair, drawn by four gaily decorated horses. The animals were covered with flags and bunting and wore fancy dusters, for plumes. The float itself was 9x15 feet in size and was the skeleton of a house, covered entirely with beautiful and expensive carpets, rugs and portieres. Along the sides rolls of carpets were piled in tiers. The front was tastefully hung with portieres, and at the back hung a beautiful and ex- pensive deer rug, 9x12 feet in size and completely covering that end of the float. Along the sides of the float and below the house were various signs
THE NONPAREIL
DICKINSON PHOTO
THOMAS V. HOWELL.
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and announcements. The display was essentially modern and elegant. Salesmen in continental attire, old fashioned suits and powdered wigs formed a part of the display. The plan of this association was to convey the idea of progressiveness.
There was one float that attracted an unusual amount of attention on account of the striking originality and daring of the idea. It was the float of the Panhandle Railroad Company, and was a box car of the size and pro- portions of a regular car. It was built on a frame work and covered with canvas and painted to represent a Union Line car which is the Panhandle Eastern Fast Freight Line. In the parade it was manned by the little son of Yardmaster Welsh. The car was 28 ft. long, 8 ft. wide and 8 ft. high and is marked for a 60,000 lb. capacity which is about the avarage capacity now- adays. The light weight of the car is placed at 1791 pounds and the num- ber of the car 1891, which brings in the centennial. Ticket-agent Ray origi- nated the idea of this float, and afterwards saw that it was carried out. It represented the Panhandle, particularly the freight department and inciden- tally it showed the progress of the last twenty-five years in railroading.
The Cincinnati Hamilton and Dayton Railroad was represented in the Parade by an exact reproduction in minature, of its famous Vestibule Lim- ited, Chicago Passenger Express Train. It was a masterpiece of artistic composition in execution and design.
The Company's summer resort, Woodsdale Island Park, helped swell the parade, and produced great amusement among the children and others, by their donkeys and carts and other amusing features of the famous resort.
Charles Richter's blacksmith shop just behind W. C. Frechtling & Co. was "in the procession" and kept up with it right along. That's a way he has anyhow. He also had his wagon there. There was a horse on the wagon, and a portable forge. There were three of the best horse shoers in the country there, and on the wagon they took the crude iron, molded it skillfully and scientifically into shoes, trimmed the hoofs, applied and swiftly attached the shoe and that horse was as clean shod and correctly right there and then as ever a horse in miles around. The float was one of the most originally decorated in the parade.
HARDWARE AND STOVES.
The Jacobs Bro's, float was a complete exposition of their business in all its branches and received much favorable comment for its general excellence. It was a minature store room and was really a work of art. The roof was covered with slate, so arranged so as to show the sign "Jacobs Brothers 1891" prominently in red, On top was an artistic cresting of galvanized iron and the cornices were also of galvanized iron. Around the sides of the float were appropriate signs in ornamental lettering. In the center of the store room were several magnificent base burners of the most expensive and modern design and finish, around the sides hung hardware, saws, hatchets,
THE MONDARE
GEORGE T. REISS.
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chisels, bits, etc. of the finest quality. On the platform back of the store room were kegs of nails. The exhibit displayed the four branches of Jacobs Bros. business.
A SPLENDID EXHIBITION.
Gilcrest and Millikin had a float indicative of their business. Upon it were wax figures neatly attired in what is latest in the clothing line. The float was nicely decorated and drawn by four magnificent horses.
One of the most attractive floats in the procession was that of the Fisher Canning and Preserve Works on which was an artistically arranged pyramid of canned goods, It attracted general attention and was highly spoken of. Many other beautiful floats representing the different business enterprises of the city were in the procession besides many of the features of great interest such as Indian scouts painted and armed for the war path. Companies of pioneer soldiers dressed in Continental costume as of one hun- dred years ago.
One of the most attractive features of the parade was he Chief of the Second division, Capt. Metzner, dressed as General St. Clair, and all his staff dressed as Continental officers with their long gowns and white uniforms.
The parade of Fairfield Towhship to which was awarded the prize ban- ner for the best exhibition by any township was the best representation of pioneer clearing, log cabin, coon hunting, ox-wagon and old spinning wheel and hand loom weaving ever witnessed in the Miami Valley. It is exceed- ingly doubtful whether an exhibition at the end of the next century will be able to present so many genuine pioneer features.
The parade was reviewed by Governor Campbell and staff, the Grand Marshal and Assistant Marshals and their respective staffs, in front of the court house, when it disbanded and the grand marshal and staff, division commanders and staffs formed in their respective places as soon as the pro- cession had passed the grand stand, and escorted the governor to his head- quarters, and the Great Parade had passed into history.
Promptly at 7:30 that evening was begun the great fire works display. It is unnecessary to attempt to describe it ; language would fail. The pro- gram printed in this book will give some idea, although a faint one of its magnificense. It is sufficient to say that the program was fully carried out in every particular and the wondering multitude returned to their homes satisfied that they had seen the greatest pyrotechnical display ever presented in Ohio. The Centennial Celebration was over. It was a success from every point of view. The men and women too, who made it such, felt fully repaid for all their labors. To organize such an enterprise and to conduct it to such a successful issue, required not only long and continued application, but to a great extent the neglect of private business.
The people of Hamilton with but few exceptions deserve all praise for their aid and encouragement ; and to the daily press of the city the News and
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the Democrat, all honor is due. These papers and also the Hamilton Herald and Volks Stimme, used their columns freely to advertising all the prelimi- naries, and the first day crowned their journalistic enterprise by their reports and illustrations of the celebration itself.
In the early part of the preparations it was determined to preserve and perpetuate the whole proceedings in book form, for the benefit of future generations. Isreal Williams, Rev. Edward W. Abbey and John F. Neilan of the Centennial Committee were appointed by that committee to prepare the matter for this book, with full power to arrange all the details and have it published. The committee has performed the labor assigned it and the re- sult is before the readers. The articles : The Courts, Transportation and Communication by rail and otherwise, Hamilton in Literature, Hamilton in. Politics, and others were presented by Mr. Williams.
The Historical Introduction, and The History of the Centennial and De- scription of the Celebration, Parade, and Fire Works were prepared by Mr. Neilan.
The other portions of the book were compiled by various church officers- and others and were edited by Hon. D. W. McClung, of Cincinnati, Ohio, a former well known citizen of Hamilton.
This description of the parade and the different manufacturers and busi- ness firms having floats therein is necessarily incomplete, because composed mostly from memory, a long time after the event had passed and was almost forgotten. Provision had been made by the Committee for a complete his- tory of the celebration and parade at the time by an eye witness, but for some. reason it was not done. This will account for any failure to note all the at- tractive features of the parade as it is impossible to remember at this time all the parts of that immense procession. :
OLD CIRCUS DAY PARADE IN HAMILTON.
REV. FRANCIS F. VARELMAN.
PART II.
ADDRESSES AND ORATIONS ·BY- Prominent Speakers and Citizens.
HAMILTON, OHIO.
THOMAS MILLIKIN
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OPENING ADDRESS.
BY THOMAS MILLIKIN.
Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen :
IT WAS a noble and laudable public sentiment that prompted this celebra- - tion. We are here without distinction of political party, of religious opinion, of age, or sex, or race or nationality to perform a great public duty. We are here to perform a filial as well as a patriotic duty-a filial duty we owe to our forefathers who risked their lives and their fortunes in subduing the wilderness and its savage inhabitants, and in laying strong, wide and deep the foundations of our great civilization-a patriotic duty we owe to our government for the great ordinance of 1787-for its wise laws, for its patriotic and efficient public rulers and for its military aid.
The cession in 1785 and 1786 of the Great Northwest Territory to the Congress of the United States imposed upon it the duty of extinguishing the Indian title and protecting the inhabitants from a merciless Indian war- fare. For this purpose Fort Washington at Cincinnati was built and garri- soned, and Arthur St. Clair was appointed Governor of the Territory and Commander of its armies.
In August, 1791, General St. Clair determined to erect another Fort on the east bank of the Great Miami River. He ordered Major Ferguson to mark out the ground for a small Fort to be enclosed with pickets and bastions-to employ all the men that could be spared for that purpose in cutting down pickets and carrying them to the place where they were to be put up. He suggested that it would require twelve hundred pickets-that they must be twenty feet long-straight-from nine to twelve inches in diameter-they were to be butted at one end, and sharpened at the other, and placed firm and upright in the trench, and close together- a thin piece of timber called a ribband to be run around the whole near the top of the . pickets to which it should be fastened with wooden pins.
There were, besides, inside pickets, one between every two of the others -a bastion on the east and another on the west on which platforms were erected to scour the country east of the Fort with artillery, and to command the ford and the river for some distance up and down. There were barracks for one hundred men-a guard room-two store houses for provisions and barracks for the officers inside.
The Fort was completed in about fourteen days. The work was done almost entirely by the labor of men. In performing this labor he suggested that three men could easily cut down, butt and point five pickets, and that seven men (six of whom with handspikes) could carry them to the ground-
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SCENE IN PARADE.
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that working parties should be divided into squads of ten (in every one of which there should be three good axemen) and furnished with poles of the exact length the pickets were to be cut.
These were the simple instructions for building the Fort. The im- plements used in performing the work were the cross cut saw, the auger and the axe. The Fort was completed September 30th, 1791, and then named "Fort Hamilton."
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