Cincinnati: The Queen City
An illustrated history of Cincinnati, Ohio, paired up with corporate profiles from local companies that helped to fund the project. First published in 2014 by Lammert Incorporated/HPNbooks. I was responsible for coordinating with the author about the manuscript and photo selection, creating the book layout, photo color correction/touch-up, prepress operations, and coordinating printing and delivery of the book.
An illustrated history of Cincinnati, Ohio, paired up with corporate profiles from local companies that helped to fund the project. First published in 2014 by Lammert Incorporated/HPNbooks.
I was responsible for coordinating with the author about the manuscript and photo selection, creating the book layout, photo color correction/touch-up, prepress operations, and coordinating printing and delivery of the book.
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CINCINNATI<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Queen</strong> <strong>City</strong>,<br />
225th Anniversary Edition<br />
Original text by Daniel Hurley<br />
Updated content by Paul A. Tenkotte<br />
A publication of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Museum Center<br />
HPNbooks<br />
A division of Lammert Incorporated<br />
San Antonio, Texas
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> looking west, Mt. Adams in the foreground. Martin Rogers, “An October Morning,” from National Geographic Magazine (1977). Photograph.<br />
GIFT OF NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE.<br />
Fourth Edition<br />
Copyright © 2014 <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Museum Center<br />
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, without permission in writing<br />
from the publisher. All inquiries should be addressed to HPNbooks, 11535 Galm Road, Suite 101, San Antonio, Texas, 78254. Phone (800) 749-9790, www.hpnbooks.com.<br />
ISBN: 978-1-939300-72-0<br />
Library of Congress Card Catalog Number: 2014951748<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
2<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>: <strong>The</strong> <strong>Queen</strong> <strong>City</strong>, 225th Anniversary Edition<br />
authors: Daniel Hurley<br />
Paul Tenkotte, Ph.D.<br />
cover illustration: <strong>The</strong> Public Landing by Otto Onken (c. 1815-1897)<br />
contributing writer for “Sharing the Heritage”: Joe Goodpasture<br />
HPNbooks<br />
president: Ron Lammert<br />
project manager: Wynn Buck<br />
administration: Donna M. Mata, Melissa G. Quinn<br />
book sales: Dee Steidle<br />
production: Colin Hart, Glenda Tarazon Krouse, Evelyn Hart,<br />
Tony Quinn, Christopher Mitchell<br />
All images in this book, unless otherwise noted, are from the collections of the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> History Library and Archives at <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
Museum Center.
CONTENTS<br />
4 FOREWORD<br />
6 CINCINNATI MUSEUM CENTER<br />
8 CHAPTER 1 Taming the Ohio Wilderness, 1788-1830<br />
30 CHAPTER 2 Of Visions and Dreams, 1830-1880<br />
62 CHAPTER 3 Scramble Up the Hills, 1870-1914<br />
86 CHAPTER 4 New Ways to Cope, 1914-1945<br />
111 CHAPTER 5 My Neighborhood and Our <strong>City</strong>, 1945-1988<br />
130 CHAPTER 6 Return to the River and Our Heritage, 1988-2013<br />
163 FOR FURTHER READING<br />
169 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS<br />
170 INDEX<br />
178 SHARING THE HERITAGE<br />
257 SPONSORS<br />
259 ABOUT THE AUTHORS<br />
C O N T E N T S<br />
3
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
4
FOREWORD<br />
Welcome to the 225th anniversary edition of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>: <strong>The</strong> <strong>Queen</strong> <strong>City</strong>. First published in 1982, and updated in 1988 and 1996,<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Museum Center and our <strong>Cincinnati</strong> History Library & Archives provide in this book a concise historical overview of how our<br />
city and the surrounding region have arrived at the 225th anniversary. <strong>The</strong> narrative story of our region spans over two centuries which<br />
have seen countless economic cycles, various forms of city government, expansions and contractions of physical development, waves of<br />
immigration and migration, cultural and racial struggles, regional competition and impact on a national and international level.<br />
It is our hope that this volume will help you develop a greater insight and understanding and sense of community pride. Readers will<br />
gain a sense of place and an appreciation of how our geography has shaped our economy and continues to be essential to our region’s<br />
livability, both through physical beauty and proximity to great community assets. You will learn the stories of the many people who have<br />
been life-sized heroes, building our region in dedicated and understated ways. You will better understand how our ancestors, as well as<br />
citizens of today, felt a sense of purpose and are committed to making a difference in our neighborhoods, schools, religious organizations<br />
and our region. You will undoubtedly feel a deep sense of history and marvel at our industrial, financial, artistic and civic roots that give<br />
us all a sense of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s staying power. We hope that this look back at our city and her region will inspire the next generation of<br />
entrepreneurs, visionaries and leaders.<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Museum Center is home to the legacy institutions of the Museum of Natural History & Science (founded in 1818) and the<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Historical Society (established 1831), plus a relative upstart, the Duke Energy Children’s Museum (established 1991). All have<br />
joined forces and have adaptively repurposed our iconic <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Union Terminal train station (completed in 1933). <strong>The</strong> role of this<br />
merged organization is to provide world-class learning experiences for children and adults by revealing the richness of our past, present<br />
and future. <strong>The</strong> mission is to inspire people of all ages to learn more about the world through science, regional history, and educational,<br />
engaging and meaningful experiences.<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>: <strong>The</strong> <strong>Queen</strong> <strong>City</strong>, 225th Anniversary Edition features the profiles of over forty companies and organizations that help make this<br />
region successful. It also showcases the depth of the historical collections at the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> History Library & Archives, including historic<br />
photographs, archival documents, books, maps, and other visual materials. <strong>The</strong>se important resources are maintained and preserved for<br />
use by professional and amateur researchers alike, available to classrooms, scout troops, curious individuals, media reporters, college<br />
students, business leaders and national and international researchers.<br />
We hope you will enjoy this fascinating look at 225 years of Greater <strong>Cincinnati</strong> history and understand the remarkable heritage of our<br />
<strong>Queen</strong> <strong>City</strong> of the West.<br />
Douglass W. McDonald<br />
President & CEO<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Museum Center<br />
Paul Briol, <strong>The</strong> Fountain at Night (c. 1935). Photograph.<br />
PAUL BRIOL COLLECTION.<br />
F O R E W O R D<br />
5
CINCINNATI MUSEUM CENTER<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Museum Center is a one-ofa-kind,<br />
multi-museum complex housed in<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Union Terminal, a historic Art<br />
Deco train station and National Historic<br />
Landmark. Museum Center’s major offerings<br />
at Union Terminal include the <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
History Museum, the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> History<br />
Library & Archives, the Duke Energy<br />
Children’s Museum, the Museum of Natural<br />
History & Science and the Robert D. Lindner<br />
Family OMNIMAX ® <strong>The</strong>ater. Museum Center<br />
is the largest cultural institution in the city of<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>, with more than 1.4 million<br />
visitors per year.<br />
Our permanent and temporary exhibits are<br />
supported and complemented by a state-ofthe-art<br />
collections and research facility, the<br />
Geier Collections & Research Center,<br />
educational programs, professional development<br />
programs for teachers, day and<br />
overnight camps, public lectures and<br />
programs, tours of historic sites and<br />
community-wide cultural events. Museum<br />
Center’s collections encompass more than 1.8<br />
million specimens, artifacts, art works, books,<br />
documents, and photographs and are<br />
integrated into our exhibition, research, and<br />
education programs.<br />
In addition, Museum Center has been<br />
working with our collaborative partner, the<br />
Ohio Chapter of the Nature Conservancy, to<br />
protect the Richard and Lucile Durrell Edge<br />
of Appalachia Preserve System for more than<br />
fifty years. <strong>The</strong> Preserve is the largest privately<br />
Top: <strong>The</strong> <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Union Terminal<br />
Rotunda (c. 1940).<br />
CMC PHOTOGRAPH.<br />
Middle: <strong>The</strong> <strong>Cincinnati</strong> History Museum.<br />
CMC PHOTOGRAPH.<br />
Bottom: <strong>The</strong> Eulett Center.<br />
CMC PHOTOGRAPH.<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
6
owned protected natural area in Ohio at<br />
16,000 acres. It provides critical habitats<br />
for more than 100 rare plant and animal<br />
species. <strong>The</strong> Eulett Center is Museum Center’s<br />
research and education facility at the Preserve.<br />
It has increased staff research capabilities,<br />
greatly expanded opportunities for<br />
educational programming and has enhanced<br />
the Preserve’s relationship with the Adams<br />
County community.<br />
In 2012, <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Museum Center grew,<br />
adding <strong>The</strong> National Underground Railroad<br />
Freedom Center to our corporate structure.<br />
<strong>The</strong> National Underground Railroad Freedom<br />
Center sits on the banks of the Ohio River and<br />
since 2004 has positively impacted millions of<br />
people locally and globally, by revealing<br />
stories about freedom’s heroes, from the<br />
era of the Underground Railroad to<br />
contemporary times, and inspiring people to<br />
take courageous steps for freedom today.<br />
In 2009, <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Museum Center<br />
received the National Medal for Museum and<br />
Library Service, the nation’s highest honor for<br />
museums and libraries. <strong>The</strong> award, given by<br />
the Institute of Museum and Library Services,<br />
recognizes institutions for extraordinary civic,<br />
educational, economic, environmental, and<br />
social contributions to their communities.<br />
In 2012, <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Museum Center<br />
achieved accreditation from the American<br />
Alliance of Museums (AAM), the highest<br />
national recognition for a museum.<br />
Accreditation signifies excellence to the<br />
museum community, to governments,<br />
funders, outside agencies and to the museumgoing<br />
public. Of the nation’s estimated 17,500<br />
museums, 778 (only 4.5 percent) are<br />
currently accredited. <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Museum<br />
Center is one of only 16 institutions<br />
nationally honored with both the IMLS award<br />
as well as AAM Accreditation.<br />
Above: <strong>The</strong> Museum of Natural History<br />
& Science.<br />
CMC PHOTOGRAPH.<br />
Bottom, left: <strong>The</strong> Duke Energy<br />
Children’s Museum.<br />
CMC PHOTOGRAPH.<br />
Bottom, right: <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Museum Center<br />
receives more than 1.4 million visitors<br />
per year.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH BY MICHAEL E. KEATING.<br />
C I N C I N N A T I M U S E U M C E N T E R<br />
7
Daniel Boone pointing to the rich and fertile Kentucky wilderness in 1769. James Pierce Barton, Kentucky Landscape (c. 1832). Oil on canvas.<br />
GIFT OF MRS. W. R. THRALL.<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
8
CHAPTER 1<br />
T A M I N G T H E O H I O W I L D E R N E S S , 1 7 8 8 - 1 8 3 0<br />
In the 1780s southwest Ohio lay at the<br />
edge of the Northwest Territory, America’s<br />
newest frontier. <strong>The</strong> frontier has always<br />
excited the American imagination. Dreams<br />
about limitless riches and fears of<br />
terrifying dangers were always just beyond<br />
the next mountain range. On the frontier,<br />
the democratic, self-reliant American<br />
identity was supposedly forged.<br />
In most popular accounts of the<br />
American frontier, the dominant figure is<br />
the lonely pioneer who clears a small farm<br />
in the vast, howling wilderness. In these<br />
versions, cities appear only after years of<br />
rural development as the result of natural,<br />
unplanned population growth at certain<br />
critical locations.<br />
This myth neglects the fact that some<br />
settlers also carried plans for cities into the<br />
wilderness. <strong>The</strong> early Virginians named<br />
their first counties “James <strong>City</strong> County”<br />
and “Charles <strong>City</strong> County.” <strong>The</strong> Puritans<br />
immediately set about laying out and<br />
developing Boston into a seaport city.<br />
Philadelphia’s phenomenal success led<br />
dozens of other city builders to copy<br />
William Penn’s straightforward plan for<br />
laying out whole cities in a grid pattern<br />
years before streets could be built. Cities<br />
were not accidents. <strong>The</strong>y were the<br />
outgrowth of conscious decisions, and<br />
every American frontier attracted men<br />
who planned cities as well as those who<br />
planted wheat and corn. <strong>The</strong><br />
settlers who ventured into southwest Ohio<br />
in 1788 included those who carried this<br />
tradition with them.<br />
At the end of the War for Independence<br />
and the signing of the Peace of Paris in<br />
1783, Americans turned their attention<br />
westward to the newly acquired lands of<br />
the Northwest Territory. Since 1774<br />
settlers had been streaming across the<br />
mountains into Kentucky, and by 1788 it<br />
was already home for 70,000 settlers. Few<br />
ventured north of the Ohio River, however.<br />
This uneven settlement pattern partially<br />
reflected more effective British control of<br />
the area, but more importantly, it resulted<br />
from fierce Indian resistance to white<br />
encroachment. Kentucky settlers termed<br />
southwest Ohio the “Miami<br />
slaughterhouse.” Already angry over the<br />
loss of their hunting grounds in Kentucky,<br />
the Miami, Shawnee, Wyandot and<br />
Delaware Indians were determined that<br />
they would not be pushed farther west by<br />
new waves of white settlers.<br />
<strong>The</strong> people of the United States and<br />
the new government, operating under the<br />
Articles of Confederation, were equally<br />
determined that these new lands would<br />
become an integral part of the emerging<br />
American empire. Since 1763 British<br />
policy had kept the trans-Allegheny West<br />
closed to American settlement in an effort<br />
to keep peace with the Indian tribes long<br />
loyal to the French. But thousands of<br />
residents of the seaboard states saw<br />
wealth and opportunity in the richness of<br />
the West; the impoverished American<br />
government saw the opportunity to raise<br />
much-needed revenue to cancel its<br />
Revolutionary War debts.<br />
<strong>The</strong> equal determination of white<br />
Americans to settle the West and of native<br />
Americans to protect their hunting and<br />
home lands propelled the nation into yet<br />
another chapter of what had already<br />
become a familiar and tragic story. At first<br />
the United States government attempted to<br />
dictate to the Indian tribes on the grounds<br />
that, as allies of the defeated British, they<br />
had forfeited all rights to their lands<br />
between the Allegheny Mountains and the<br />
Mississippi River. <strong>The</strong> government was<br />
willing, however, to allow them to<br />
withdraw behind a treaty line that<br />
would immediately open most of Ohio to<br />
white settlement. Yet, as Pennsylvania<br />
William Louis Sonntag (attr.), View of the Ohio River at Maysville, Kentucky (c. 1850). Oil on canvas.<br />
GIFT FROM THE ESTATE OF HELEN S. KNIGHT.<br />
C H A P T E R 1<br />
9
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> is at the location of the Bever Ponds on John Mitchell’s Map of the British and French Dominions in<br />
North America (London, 1755), plates 2 and 6.<br />
EUGENE F. BLISS FUND PURCHASE.<br />
Congressman James Duane, serving as<br />
chairman of the Committee on Indian<br />
Affairs, pointed out, any line was only<br />
temporary. It was assumed that the Indians<br />
would continue to retreat as white<br />
settlements advanced, and that their<br />
numbers would decline as they were<br />
exposed to new, “white-man” diseases such<br />
as cholera and smallpox. But, if the Indians<br />
blocked the path west, new treaties would<br />
remove them so Americans could settle all<br />
the lands to the Mississippi.<br />
Under this harsh policy, three treaties<br />
were dictated to the Indians of the<br />
Northwest Territory between 1784 and<br />
1786. <strong>The</strong> refusal of many of the Indians<br />
to participate in making these treaties<br />
and their immediate, violent resistance<br />
soon demonstrated that military action<br />
would be necessary to support the policy.<br />
To a government burdened with debt<br />
and able to field an army of only 700, this<br />
was a sobering prospect. In 1787 an<br />
alternative policy began to emerge. Its goal<br />
of clearing all the land for white settlement<br />
remained unchanged, but its methods<br />
were different. Abandoning the theory that<br />
the Indians had lost their claims to the<br />
land through defeat, the government now<br />
proposed to pay them for it. In the long<br />
run it was presumed that this policy would<br />
be cheaper. This subtle shift in tactics<br />
made no impression on the Indians. <strong>The</strong>y<br />
would resist.<br />
In the spring of 1786, Benjamin Stites, a<br />
Revolutionary War veteran from New<br />
Jersey, left Redstone (now Brownsville),<br />
Pennsylvania, and floated down the<br />
Monongahela and Ohio rivers with a<br />
boatload of supplies to the young<br />
settlement of Limestone (Maysville),<br />
Kentucky, to trade with the settlers. From<br />
Limestone he traveled southwest to<br />
Washington, where he found the settlers<br />
excited after an Indian raid in which they<br />
had lost their best horses. Stites formed a<br />
posse and chased the Indians across<br />
Kentucky, over the Ohio River and up the<br />
Little Miami Valley. Nearing the headwaters<br />
of the Little Miami, the posse abandoned<br />
the chase and proceeded west, crossing the<br />
plateau to the Great Miami River. Working<br />
its way down the river, the posse reached<br />
the Ohio and turned toward home.<br />
Stites was impressed by the rich, fertile<br />
lands of southwest Ohio. He soon traveled<br />
to New York, where the Continental<br />
Congress was in session, to interest land<br />
speculators in Ohio. He captured the<br />
attention of John Cleves Symmes, a war<br />
veteran and member of Congress from<br />
New Jersey. In the fall, Symmes floated<br />
down the Ohio as far as Louisville to see<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
10
Miami Land Warrant No. 1. Issued by John Cleves Symmes to Benjamin Stites on December 17, 1787.<br />
GIFT OF MRS. HAROLD V. ORR.<br />
John Cleves Symmes after a portrait by<br />
Charles Willson Peale. Oil on canvas.<br />
PERMANENT LOAN FROM HAMILTON COUNTY.<br />
for himself the beautiful Ohio Valley that<br />
Stites had described. Symmes returned<br />
with a dream of establishing a trade center<br />
on the banks of the water highway and of<br />
amassing a fortune through the sale of the<br />
surrounding land. He immediately set<br />
about organizing a land company and<br />
negotiating for the purchase of the Miami<br />
territory from the government. After<br />
opening offices in several eastern cities, he<br />
began to advertise the strategically located<br />
Ohio land.<br />
Symmes’ efforts were timely. Even<br />
while a new constitution was being<br />
drafted in Philadelphia in July 1787,<br />
Congress adopted the Northwest<br />
Ordinance that, among other provisions,<br />
facilitated the sale and settlement of the<br />
lands between the Alleghenies and the<br />
Mississippi. People were streaming into<br />
the lands bordering the Ohio River in ever<br />
larger numbers. Between February and<br />
June 1788, almost 5,000 people came<br />
down the Ohio in search of new land. In<br />
April of that year, the Ohio Company<br />
brought 58 settlers to the site of Marietta,<br />
where they established the first permanent<br />
white settlement north of the Ohio River.<br />
On October 15, 1788, Congress granted<br />
Symmes a charter to develop the tract of<br />
land referred to as the Miami Purchase. It<br />
lay between the Great and Little Miami<br />
Rivers, bounded on the south by the Ohio<br />
River and a yet to be determined line<br />
between the rivers on the north. Symmes<br />
immediately began selling pieces of the<br />
tract, which he erroneously believed<br />
would encompass one million acres, to<br />
other investors—including 20,000 acres<br />
along the Ohio and Little Miami rivers to<br />
Benjamin Stites.<br />
Stites organized a party of 26 settlers<br />
from New Jersey and Pennsylvania<br />
and led them west. On November 18,<br />
1788, they stopped at a site about one<br />
mile west of the mouth of the Little Miami<br />
River, near present-day Lunken Airport,<br />
where the settlers hastily built a<br />
blockhouse and several log cabins. <strong>The</strong>y<br />
named this first settlement in the Miami<br />
country “Columbia.”<br />
A second settlement in the territory<br />
was organized by Matthias Denman,<br />
Colonel Robert Patterson (the founder of<br />
Lexington, Kentucky) and John Filson (a<br />
surveyor and historian). Denman was a<br />
New Jersey speculator who had been<br />
interested for years in the Northwest<br />
Territory. Based only on what he could<br />
learn from a map, Denman selected a tract<br />
of 747 acres directly across from the<br />
mouth of the Licking River that flowed<br />
north out of Kentucky into the Ohio<br />
River. After making an initial survey and<br />
J O H N<br />
C L E V E S<br />
S Y M M E S<br />
( 1 7 4 2 - 1 8 1 4 )<br />
John Cleves Symmes was born<br />
in Southold, Long Island. An<br />
ambitious person, he quickly rose<br />
through the ranks of colonial society.<br />
He served with the New Jersey militia<br />
in the Revolutionary War, as associate<br />
judge of the Supreme Court of New<br />
Jersey and as a member of the<br />
Continental Congress. In 1788,<br />
Symmes was appointed a judge for<br />
the Northwest Territory and began<br />
negotiations to buy one million acres<br />
of land between the Great and Little<br />
Miami Rivers north from the Ohio<br />
River. In his haste to settle the<br />
purchase, Symmes often sold land<br />
before establishing legal claim. Most<br />
of his personal property was<br />
eventually sold to satisfy suits filed<br />
over disputed titles. He died<br />
penniless and disillusioned.<br />
contributing the name “Losantiville” to<br />
the site, Filson disappeared into the<br />
wilderness and was never seen again.<br />
Israel Ludlow replaced Filson both as<br />
surveyor and partner in the venture.<br />
C H A P T E R 1<br />
1 1
F R O N T I E R S M E N<br />
<strong>The</strong> adventures and dangers of frontier life intrigued people living in more established<br />
communities along the east coast and in Europe. In 1832 Karl Bodmer, a young Swiss artist<br />
who later became well known for his etchings and treatment of natural life, visited the<br />
United States with Maximilian of Neuwied. During their tour, Bodmer sketched scenes<br />
depicting stories he heard of Ohio and Kentucky frontier life.<br />
Among the most famous of the frontiersmen was Simon Kenton (1755-1836), who<br />
fled west in 1771 from his native Virginia believing he had killed a rival in a love<br />
affair. He used the name Simon Butler and worked as a scout for more than 10 years<br />
before learning that his boyhood antagonist was living. Bodmer sketched an adventure<br />
in Kenton’s life while he was still using the name of Butler. It depicts Kenton’s capture,<br />
in 1778, by the Indians for stealing their horses. As part of his torture, Kenton was<br />
Simon Kenton. Oil on canvas.<br />
GIFT OF ROBERT CLARKE.<br />
Karl Bodmer, Simon Butler (1852). Lithograph.<br />
EUGENE F. BLISS FUND PURCHASE.<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
12
strapped, facing backward, on an unbroken horse. <strong>The</strong> Indians<br />
freed the horse, which then raced through heavy underbrush<br />
trying to dislodge its rider.<br />
In another sketch Bodmer illustrated the story of the capture of<br />
Elizabeth and Frances Callaway (daughters of Richard Callaway)<br />
and Jemima Boone (daughter of Daniel Boone) on July 14, 1776.<br />
Together with Jean Francois Millet, Bodmer prepared a lithograph<br />
of the sketch for publication in an edition of <strong>The</strong> Last of the<br />
Mohicans. <strong>The</strong> creators of the lithograph were French. Hence,<br />
the foliage and clothing of the girls were not authentic. An<br />
unknown American artist based his painting, Young Girls Fleeing<br />
From Indians, on the Millet-Bodmer lithograph.<br />
Young Girls Fleeing From Indians (after Karl Bodmer). Oil on canvas.<br />
GIFT OF PETER G. THOMSON.<br />
C H A P T E R 1<br />
1 3
A General Map of the River Ohio from Victor Collot’s A Journey in North America...Atlas. (Paris, 1826), plate 10.<br />
EUGENE F. BLISS FUND PURCHASE.<br />
On December 28, 1788, a party of 11<br />
families and 24 men led by Patterson<br />
arrived at Losantiville. Israel Ludlow, in<br />
an effort to bring an element of eastern<br />
order to the frontier town, laid out streets<br />
on the Philadelphia grid plan. He drew up<br />
lots for houses, vegetable gardens and<br />
cornfields, and the settlers began the hard<br />
and hazardous business of carving a town<br />
out of the Ohio frontier.<br />
Little more than a month later, the party<br />
of John Cleves Symmes pulled ashore at a<br />
spot east of the mouth of the Great Miami<br />
River. By this time cold weather had<br />
arrived in earnest. Symmes and his family<br />
spent an uncomfortable winter living in a<br />
shed that opened to the south and faced a<br />
continuously burning fire. During these<br />
months Symmes laid out the town of<br />
North Bend at the site of his landing.<br />
<strong>The</strong> lives of the early settlers in these three<br />
villages revolved around the basic tasks of<br />
clearing land and providing food and shelter<br />
for their families. From the beginning, too,<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
14<br />
protection against the Indians was a primary<br />
concern. Although no concerted attack came<br />
that first year, sporadic raids kept the threat<br />
alive. Symmes described the effect on the settlers:<br />
“I am mortified to see people running<br />
away from these settlements, merely because<br />
no care is taken by their superiors to save<br />
them and their families from the rage of the<br />
savages—they feel themselves abandoned<br />
to destruction.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> backers of each settlement shared<br />
another common concern: they wanted to<br />
establish the supremacy of their village over<br />
the other two. At first Columbia grew faster<br />
than Losantiville or North Bend. Based on<br />
the ample yields of the fertile lands of Turkey<br />
Bottom, Columbia became the granary and<br />
trading center of the area. Columbia,<br />
however, had a fatal flaw—it lay on such low<br />
ground that it flooded regularly. Many of its<br />
settlers soon abandoned the settlement.<br />
Symmes harbored grand visions for<br />
North Bend. He believed that its closeness<br />
to the Great Miami would enable it to<br />
control the trade of the rich farmland of the<br />
interior, which Symmes considered the<br />
“Egypt on the Miami.” Symmes attempted<br />
to gain control of the trade of both the Great<br />
Miami and the Ohio rivers by laying out a<br />
second town, Miami, that would connect<br />
North Bend across a 1½-mile strip of land<br />
to the banks of the Great Miami River. Like<br />
Columbia, natural limitations checked<br />
North Bend’s potential. <strong>The</strong> hilly character<br />
of the town site prevented easy expansion.<br />
Losantiville, the middle village, had<br />
certain advantages over the others. As in<br />
Columbia and North Bend, the riverfront<br />
offered the hope for controlling the trade of<br />
the Ohio. Losantiville, however, was like a<br />
giant amphitheater. <strong>The</strong> flatland along the<br />
river, the “bottom,” stretched back 800 feet<br />
to approximately where Third Street in<br />
An American Log-house from Victor Collot’s A Journey in North America...Atlas. (Paris, 1826), plate 16.
Fort Washington Garrison. <strong>The</strong> selection of Losantiville as the site for a fort helped the settlement eclipse those<br />
nearby. Initially built in 1789 and garrisoned with 300 soldiers, the fort was the site of training of soldiers for Indian<br />
battles. Following the Treaty of Greenville in 1795, the security provided by the fort was a less significant factor in<br />
the community’s growth. <strong>The</strong> garrison was moved across the river in 1804 and the fort itself was dismantled in 1808.<br />
Oil on canvas.<br />
GIFT OF CLIFFORD A. WILTSEE.<br />
In the “Trenton Circular,” John Cleves Symmes<br />
advertised land for sale in Ohio prior to Congressional<br />
approval of his purchase. John Cleves Symmes, To the<br />
Respectable Public (Trenton, N.J., 1787), p.1.<br />
downtown <strong>Cincinnati</strong> is today. At that<br />
point, the ground rose sharply to the “hill,”<br />
a 4.5-square-mile, semi-circular plateau<br />
above the flood plains. Losantiville also sat<br />
immediately across from the mouth of the<br />
Licking River, an important artery flowing<br />
out from the more developed territory of<br />
Kentucky. It was this strategic location that<br />
persuaded the government late in 1789 to<br />
erect Fort Washington at Losantiville. <strong>The</strong><br />
fort was obviously important in providing<br />
security, but even more importantly, during<br />
the next six years of warfare with the<br />
Indians, it stimulated trade in the village.<br />
On January 2, 1790, General Arthur St.<br />
Clair, governor of the Northwest Territory,<br />
arrived to inspect Fort Washington.<br />
Although he approved of the fort and the<br />
village surrounding it, he did not like the<br />
name Losantiville. He soon changed it to<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> in honor of the Society of the<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>, an organization of Revolutionary<br />
War officers to which he belonged.<br />
Between 1790 and 1795, Fort<br />
Washington provided the operational base<br />
for campaigns against the Indian tribes of the<br />
Northwest Territory. During the first three<br />
years, these campaigns were disastrous. Both<br />
in numbers and training, the armies that<br />
operated out of Fort Washington were<br />
inadequate for the task. In addition, their<br />
commanders were not equal to the leader of<br />
the Indians, the Miami chief, Little Turtle. In<br />
the span of 13 months—from October 1790<br />
to November 1791—Little Turtle won two<br />
major battles against his white foes.<br />
In the fall of 1790, General Josiah<br />
Harmar set out from Fort Washington with<br />
320 army regulars and 1,133 Kentucky<br />
volunteers. <strong>The</strong> army marched to the<br />
headwaters of the Maumee River and<br />
burned several deserted Indian villages and<br />
the surrounding fields of nearly ripe corn.<br />
Believing that the Indians outnumbered his<br />
forces, Harmar began a retreat to<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>. However, he permitted Colonel<br />
John Hardin with 400 men to pursue the<br />
Indians. <strong>The</strong> Indians attacked and defeated<br />
Hardin’s forces before they could rejoin<br />
Harmar for the retreat south.<br />
<strong>The</strong> following fall, St. Clair set out with<br />
a force of 2,700 men. By the time the army<br />
reached the headwaters of the Wabash<br />
River, desertions had reduced its ranks to<br />
1,400. On November 4, 1791, Little Turtle<br />
attacked and killed 613 whites and<br />
wounded 237 others. This was the heaviest<br />
level of casualties ever inflicted on a U.S.<br />
army by Indians. <strong>The</strong> Indians remember<br />
this victory as “the Battle of a Thousand<br />
Slain.” <strong>The</strong> defeat shook the leadership of<br />
the Miami Purchase and the United States<br />
government. On January 12, 1792, in<br />
reporting the news of the defeat, Symmes<br />
wrote Elias Boudinot, his business partner:<br />
I had no Idea that our army would<br />
have been destroyed in the course of three<br />
hours, for it was impossible for anyone to<br />
suppose that the army was at any time to<br />
be crowded together on a few acres of<br />
ground and liable to be surrounded by<br />
half their number of Indians, whose every<br />
shot could not fail of killing or wounding<br />
three or four of our men; while our platoons<br />
in returning their fire, three times in<br />
four, saw not an Indian they being hid<br />
behind trees, but still our men fired on<br />
mechanically at they knew not what.<br />
After this defeat, St. Clair was replaced as<br />
commander of the army by General “Mad<br />
Anthony” Wayne. Wayne, convinced that<br />
C H A P T E R 1<br />
1 5
N A M I N G<br />
C I N C I N N A T I<br />
Victor Zappenfeld, Cincinnatus At His Plow. Oil on canvas.<br />
GIFT OF THE CINCINNATUS ASSOCIATION.<br />
Revolutionary War Scene: Soldier Calling a Farmer from His Plow (c. 1876). Strobridge and Company<br />
chromolithograph.<br />
GIFT OF MRS. GILBERT BETTMAN.<br />
General Arthur St. Clair, the first governor<br />
of the Northwest Territory, came to inspect<br />
Fort Washington and the settlement of Losantiville<br />
one year after the town was established.<br />
He objected to the odd name that John Filson,<br />
a partner and surveyor for the development,<br />
had given to the town. Losantiville was a<br />
pedantic compilation of Latin and French syllables.<br />
From Latin, Filson drew “os” meaning<br />
“mouth” and “anti” meaning “across from.”<br />
From French he drew “ville” meaning “town.”<br />
“L” represented either the French definite article<br />
or the first letter of the Licking River. <strong>The</strong><br />
composite name meant “town opposite the<br />
mouth of the Licking.”<br />
General St. Clair renamed the settlement<br />
“<strong>Cincinnati</strong>” in honor of the Society of the<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>, a newly established association<br />
of Revolutionary War officers. He was a<br />
founding member of the society and the current<br />
president of the state society of Pennsylvania.<br />
<strong>The</strong> society had taken its name from<br />
Cincinnatus, the citizen soldier whom the<br />
idealistic and peace-loving officers adopted<br />
as a role model.<br />
Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus was a patrician<br />
farmer of ancient Rome who was<br />
pressed into military leadership to save the<br />
republic upon two occasions. Both times, he<br />
refused to continue as dictator at the war’s<br />
end, returning instead to civilian life.<br />
<strong>The</strong> image of Cincinnatus at the plow appears<br />
frequently as a symbol for the city in<br />
civic and commercial art of the 19th century.<br />
<strong>The</strong> name was adopted in 1920 by the<br />
Cincinnatus Association, the voluntary organization<br />
of “<strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s Citizen Crusaders,”<br />
which was formed to analyze and<br />
recommend possible solutions to significant<br />
civic problems. <strong>The</strong> Society of the <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
continues as an organization in the state and<br />
nation. Its members are descendants of<br />
Revolutionary War officers.<br />
another defeat would be disastrous, insisted<br />
that the army be thoroughly prepared<br />
before again engaging the Indians. For 18<br />
months Wayne trained his troops, bolstered<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
16<br />
the size of the army, laid in supplies and<br />
planned strategy. It was during this time of<br />
preparation that William Henry Harrison, a<br />
young ensign and heir to one of the leading<br />
families of Virginia, who had joined the<br />
army, was assigned to Wayne’s command.<br />
He quickly rose to the rank of lieutenant<br />
and became an aide-de-camp.
Arthur St. Clair.<br />
A R T H U R<br />
S T . C L A I R<br />
( 1 7 3 4 - 1 8 1 8 )<br />
St. Clair was a major general in the<br />
Continental Army during the<br />
Revolutionary War, delegate from<br />
Pennsylvania to the Continental<br />
Congress and President of Congress<br />
in 1787. He was appointed governor<br />
of the Northwest Territory in 1787.<br />
In 1790 he came to Fort Washington<br />
and in 1791 was recommissioned in<br />
the army to lead an attack on the<br />
Indians. <strong>The</strong> battle, held near the<br />
Maumee River in November 1791,<br />
ended in the worst defeat suffered by<br />
the army against the Indians. When<br />
he was removed as governor of the<br />
territory in 1802, St. Clair returned<br />
to Pennsylvania disgraced and<br />
financially ruined.<br />
Jacket, at the Battle of Fallen Timbers near<br />
the present site of Toledo. He then pulled<br />
back to his base camp at Fort Greenville.<br />
Over the next several months he brought<br />
in all of the major Indian chiefs to sign<br />
the Treaty of Greenville. <strong>The</strong> document<br />
drew a line of demarcation that opened<br />
most of Ohio and southern Indiana to<br />
white settlement. <strong>The</strong> Indians were given<br />
restricted lands, paid for their losses<br />
and allowed to retain their right to<br />
hunt north of the Ohio River. However,<br />
the federal government now proposed<br />
that the Indians be taught to farm,<br />
since farming took less land than hunting.<br />
<strong>The</strong> government reasoned that the<br />
Indians would benefit through<br />
civilization and the whites would benefit<br />
by purchasing from the Indians all the<br />
“excess” land. Meanwhile, the close<br />
contact with white society would<br />
continue the process of reducing the<br />
Indian population through diseases.<br />
<strong>The</strong> peace achieved at Greenville could<br />
not solve the Indian question<br />
permanently. <strong>The</strong> land policy of the white<br />
settlers and the government, particularly<br />
as it was administered under Harrison as<br />
territorial governor of Indiana, constantly<br />
pushed the Indians farther west. This<br />
pressure would lead, in 1811, to a new<br />
round of Indian wars.<br />
For southwest Ohio, however, the<br />
Treaty of Greenville provided a lasting<br />
resolution of the Indian problem. In 1804<br />
the garrison moved from Fort<br />
Washington across the Ohio to Newport,<br />
Kentucky. Newport Barracks became the<br />
army’s western arsenal. In 1808 Fort<br />
Washington was torn down.<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> turned its energies to its<br />
internal development. As one of its<br />
leading citizens, Jacob Burnet, wrote<br />
many years later, there was much to do:<br />
“Prior to the Treaty of Greenville, which<br />
established the permanent peace between<br />
the United States and the Indians, but few<br />
improvements had been made, of any<br />
description, and scarcely one of a<br />
permanent character.” Although Ludlow<br />
had given the village an orderly<br />
beginning, in 1795 <strong>Cincinnati</strong> was a mere<br />
Finally, in October 1793, Wayne<br />
marched his troops from Fort<br />
Washington. He built Fort Greenville, 75<br />
miles north of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, where the army<br />
spent the winter. After building additional<br />
forts to protect his supply lines, Wayne<br />
marched north on July 28, 1794. On<br />
August 20 he met and defeated the<br />
Indians, led by the Shawnee chief, Blue<br />
Treaty of Greenville, August 3, 1795. Manuscript. From the Dandridge Papers.<br />
GIFT OF MARY DANDRIDGE.<br />
C H A P T E R 1<br />
1 7
Anthony Wayne.<br />
A N T H O N Y<br />
W A Y N E<br />
( 1 7 4 5 - 1 7 9 6 )<br />
Wayne succeeded St. Clair as<br />
commander of the western army with<br />
the rank of major general. He began<br />
his distinguished military service<br />
in the Revolutionary War where he<br />
won the sobriquet “Mad Anthony.”<br />
Wayne came to Fort Washington in<br />
1792 and prepared for a campaign<br />
against the Indians. He remained<br />
commander of the army after the<br />
successful Battle of Fallen Timbers<br />
and died in Erie, Pennsylvania.<br />
collection of rude log structures. For its<br />
first several years it had been a garrison<br />
town. <strong>The</strong> presence of the military<br />
introduced the chaos of soldiers on the<br />
frontier but also stimulated the local<br />
economy. In fact, between the demands of<br />
the armies and the new settlers, little<br />
agricultural surplus remained for<br />
commerce beyond the region.<br />
<strong>The</strong> end of the Indian wars brought<br />
more settlers who produced ever larger,<br />
more marketable surpluses. Still, for<br />
several years the economy remained<br />
primitive. It depended largely on barter<br />
or credit arranged through millers and<br />
merchants for the exchange of produce<br />
and goods.<br />
Despite the unsophisticated level of<br />
economic exchange, from the beginning<br />
producers and settlers recognized that the<br />
key to the development of the Miami<br />
Purchase lay in learning to exploit the<br />
commercial advantages offered by<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s strategic location along the<br />
Ohio River—the most important water<br />
route connecting seaboard cities and<br />
states with the interior of the new nation.<br />
In the late 18th and early 19th<br />
centuries, the cheapest and most common<br />
means of transportation on the Ohio was<br />
the flatboat, or Kentucky boat. <strong>The</strong><br />
flatboat was simply a raft with sides. For<br />
the settlers entering the area, it became a<br />
floating homestead and provided some of<br />
the lumber necessary for a first house. For<br />
the established farmer, the flatboat was<br />
easy to construct and could carry between<br />
40 and 50 tons of produce downstream<br />
to market. Although the flatboat served<br />
well for travel downstream, it could not<br />
go upstream. When the farmer reached<br />
market, the boat could be sold for<br />
lumber or fuel, but the farmer had to<br />
walk home. If his trip had taken him all<br />
the way to New Orleans, the return trek<br />
could take months.<br />
<strong>The</strong> keelboat was a slight improvement<br />
over the flatboat. With a shallower draft and<br />
a four-inch keel to protect its bottom, a<br />
keelboat could be poled upstream by a crew<br />
of men, although the work was difficult. By<br />
1815 keelboats provided regular service<br />
between <strong>Cincinnati</strong> and Pittsburgh, with<br />
the round trip taking a month.<br />
<strong>The</strong> arrival of the steamboat New<br />
Orleans on the Ohio River in 1811,<br />
transformed <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s future. Since<br />
1802, Robert Livingston and Robert Fulton<br />
had been experimenting with and<br />
introducing steamboats onto America’s<br />
inland waterways. <strong>The</strong>y decided that the<br />
Ohio River was suited for this use, and they<br />
had the New Orleans built. After passing by<br />
In the May 17, 1794 issue of <strong>The</strong> Centinel of the<br />
North-Western Territory, an ad appeared which<br />
offered bounties for Indian scalps, (Vol. 1, No. 27, p.3).<br />
PURCHASE.<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
18
Israel Ludlow, one of the original proprietors of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, planned the town of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> and surveyed the Miami<br />
Purchase. Israel Ludlow (attr). <strong>The</strong> Town of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, capital of the Western Territory (c. 1792). Manuscript.<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> on October 27, 1811, the New<br />
Orleans proceeded to Louisville but<br />
returned a month later. <strong>The</strong> distance of 180<br />
miles took only 45 hours against the<br />
current, a feat that caused a great stir<br />
among the residents of the city. For the next<br />
few days, the New Orleans gave people<br />
short trips up and down the river. For the<br />
first time, travel upstream had become as<br />
easy as traveling downstream.<br />
<strong>The</strong> steamboat’s impact on commerce<br />
was immediate and dramatic. In 1815 it<br />
cost approximately $1.50 to ship a barrel<br />
of flour from <strong>Cincinnati</strong> to New Orleans.<br />
By 1821 the rate had fallen to $1 a barrel,<br />
and then to about 50 cents by 1831.<br />
Upstream shipping rates declined even<br />
more rapidly so that by 1826 they<br />
equaled downstream rates.<br />
<strong>The</strong> steamboat did not instantly drive<br />
earlier forms of transportation off the river.<br />
<strong>The</strong> flatboat continued to be popular, and<br />
the number constructed increased each<br />
year. It remained cheaper for farmers to<br />
float with their goods downriver on a<br />
flatboat, dispose of them and return via<br />
steamboat, thus avoiding the long walk.<br />
<strong>The</strong> steamboat was important to<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s growth not only because it<br />
facilitated trade, but also because it<br />
provided the city one of its earliest<br />
industries. <strong>Cincinnati</strong> became the second<br />
most important center for steamboat<br />
construction. <strong>The</strong> first steamboat built in<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> was the Vesta, launched in<br />
1817. By 1827, 48 of the 143 steamboats<br />
operating on the western rivers were built<br />
by <strong>Cincinnati</strong> boatyards.<br />
Because it lay at the midpoint of the most<br />
important water artery of the American<br />
West, by 1820 it was clear that <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
was fortuitously situated. <strong>The</strong> city boasted a<br />
population of nearly 10,000. But even more<br />
remarkably, <strong>Cincinnati</strong> was surrounded by<br />
excellent farmland that already supported<br />
150,000 settlers.<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> was established at the same<br />
time settlers were pouring into the<br />
Northwest Territory and into the future<br />
states of Mississippi, Alabama and<br />
Louisiana. <strong>The</strong> northern settlers<br />
demanded goods from the merchants of<br />
the city and provided produce from the<br />
rich Miami Valley. <strong>The</strong> Southerners,<br />
feverishly establishing cotton plantations<br />
built on slave labor, provided rapidly<br />
expanding markets for the produce of the<br />
north. With the development of the<br />
steamboat, <strong>Cincinnati</strong>ans could exploit<br />
Sketch of a Flat bottom Boat; such as are used to descend the Ohio and the Mississipi [sic] from Victor Collot’s<br />
A Journey in North America...Atlas (Paris, 1826), plate 7.<br />
C H A P T E R 1<br />
1 9
W I L L I A M H E N R Y H A R R I S O N<br />
( 1 7 7 3 - 1 8 4 1 )<br />
William Henry Harrison (1773-1841), the ninth president of the United States and the<br />
first candidate to campaign actively for the office, rose to national prominence because of<br />
his role in the development of the Northwest Territory.<br />
Born on a Virginia plantation, young Harrison came to Fort Washington in 1791. Here<br />
he served as commandant of the fort and as aide-de-camp to General Anthony Wayne. In<br />
1795 Harrison married Anna Symmes, daughter of John Cleves Symmes, resigned from the<br />
army and moved to the village of North Bend near the Ohio-Indiana border. He became<br />
involved in important <strong>Cincinnati</strong> business enterprises including the Miami Exporting<br />
Company, Branch Bank of the United States, a distillery and a foundry.<br />
Harrison embarked upon a long and successful political career in 1798 when<br />
President John Adams appointed him secretary of the Northwest Territory and<br />
subsequently governor of the Indiana Territory. As governor, Harrison worked aggressively<br />
to remove Indians through treaties and wars. His 1809 Treaty of Fort Wayne met<br />
with unrelenting opposition from Tecumseh and the Prophet, Shawnee warriors and<br />
brothers. Assembling an army of 800 men, Harrison defeated the Indian forces at<br />
Tippecanoe in 1811. In 1813, as commander of the Army of the Northwest during the War<br />
of 1812, Harrison defeated the Indians and their British allies in the Battle of the Thames.<br />
James Henry Beard (attr.), William Henry<br />
Harrison (c. 1840). Oil on canvas.<br />
LOANED BY MRS. DUDLEY V. SUTPHIN.<br />
<strong>The</strong> center picture of this 1840 presidential Campaign Handkerchief shows William Henry Harrison on horseback,<br />
surrounded by vignettes depicting his career. Fabric.<br />
GIFT OF FANNIE MAE SCOVILL.<br />
Campaign ribbon.<br />
WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON PAPERS.<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
20
Tecumseh was killed, and the dream of a great Indian confederacy<br />
died with him.<br />
Leaving the military once again, Harrison returned to the<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> area in 1814 to settle his father-in-law’s complicated<br />
estate. He reestablished business and social ties to the city and<br />
accepted prestigious volunteer assignments, serving as vestryman<br />
of Christ Church, trustee of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> College and president of<br />
the Hamilton County Agricultural Society.<br />
In the next two decades, the “Farmer of North Bend” ran<br />
for various political offices, winning some, losing others. He<br />
served briefly in the state legislature, House of Representatives<br />
and U.S. Senate. During the Jacksonian era, he was forced to<br />
accept the comparatively humble office of clerk of court for<br />
Hamilton County.<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> was political headquarters for Harrison’s five-year<br />
campaign for the presidency. He was the compromise candidate<br />
for the Whigs in 1840, engaging in a campaign which brought a<br />
new, carnival-like style to American politics. Although Harrison<br />
was manor-born, incumbent president Martin Van Buren’s<br />
aristocratic affectations allowed Old Tippecanoe to appear the<br />
homespun candidate of the common man.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Panic of 1837, the continued depression and a tactical error<br />
by a Democratic newspaper set the stage for Harrison’s victory. <strong>The</strong><br />
opposition press had sneered that if one were to give the candidate<br />
“a barrel of hard cider, and settle a pension of $2,000 a year on<br />
him... he will sit the remainder of his days in his log cabin.” Whig<br />
propagandists gleefully turned this characterization to their<br />
candidate’s advantage. <strong>The</strong> Log Cabin and Hard Cider campaign<br />
produced a wealth of political mementos based on these motifs.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y are remarkable examples of early 19th century advertising art,<br />
and in their numbers and variety attest to the extent to which this<br />
campaign captured the popular imagination.<br />
William Woodruff, North Bend and residence of the late President Harrison, from the Ladies’ Repository (July 1841), p. 193. Engraving.<br />
EUGENE F. BLISS FUND PURCHASE.<br />
C H A P T E R 1<br />
2 1
the river more efficiently and completely<br />
than could have been imagined at the<br />
time of its founding in 1788.<br />
<strong>The</strong>se natural and historical<br />
advantages—one might even say<br />
“accidents”—provided only the potential<br />
for making <strong>Cincinnati</strong> a great metropolis.<br />
It remained for men, individually and<br />
cooperatively, to transform these<br />
opportunities into achievements. For those<br />
with vision and a keen sense of public<br />
responsibility, it became necessary to<br />
cooperate with like-minded people on an<br />
array of public projects that would develop<br />
the city and would benefit everyone. <strong>The</strong>se<br />
men were urban “boomers” or “boosters.”<br />
Every 19th century city had its<br />
boomers who devised, sponsored and<br />
directed a host of projects to move their<br />
city forward. At the root of their ideology<br />
was an assumption of the need for<br />
constant growth. <strong>The</strong>y perceived the great<br />
and potentially great cities of America as<br />
being in a fierce conflict for urban empire.<br />
<strong>The</strong> failure of any city to press its<br />
advantages and grow rapidly meant<br />
stagnation and decline. In a country that<br />
seemed to possess no geographical limits,<br />
these visionaries perceived all limits as<br />
signs of weakness and decay.<br />
Young <strong>Cincinnati</strong> was blessed with an<br />
array of boomers as fruitful in their ideas<br />
and as energetic in their pursuit of those<br />
ideas as any city in the United States.<br />
Timothy Walker, a young Harvardeducated<br />
lawyer and recent arrival in the<br />
city, described the outlook of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s<br />
boomers by ascribing to them the motto<br />
Flatboat. Model built by Charles E. Mappes, 1972.<br />
GIFT OF CHARLES E. MAPPES.<br />
River Scene Showing Flatboat and Two Keelboats from Leland D. Baldwin’s <strong>The</strong> Keelboat Age on Western<br />
Waters (Pittsburgh, 1941).<br />
REPRINTED, BY PERMISSION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH PRESS.<br />
B O A T M E N<br />
You hear the boatmen extolling their prowess in pushing a pole, and you learn the received opinion, that a “Kentuck” is the best man at a pole,<br />
and a Frenchman at the oar... You are told when you embark, to bring your “plunder” aboard, and you hear about moving “fernenst” the stream...<br />
<strong>The</strong> manners of the boatmen are as strange as their language. <strong>The</strong>ir peculiar way of life has given origin not only to an appropriate dialect, but<br />
to new modes of enjoyment, riot, and fighting. Almost every boat, while it lies in the harbour has one or more fiddles scraping continually aboard,<br />
to which you often see the boatmen dancing. <strong>The</strong>re is no wonder that the way of life which the boatmen lead... generally plentiful as it respects<br />
food, and always so as it regards whiskey, should always have seductions that prove irresistible to the young people that live near the banks of<br />
the river.<br />
- Timothy Flint, Recollections of the Last Ten Years (Boston, 1826), p. 15.<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
22
Construction of the New World was completed at <strong>Cincinnati</strong> in early 1849. <strong>The</strong> boat operated mainly<br />
between <strong>Cincinnati</strong> and New Orleans, with occasional trips to Pittsburgh and St. Louis. Captain William T.<br />
Chamberlin served as her master until his death in December 1849. <strong>The</strong> New World was retired from service in<br />
1856. Broadside.<br />
GIFT OF MRS. FRANK CALLAHAN.<br />
First Boat Built on the Western Waters, 1812 from James T. Lloyd’s Lloyd’s Steamboat Directory (<strong>Cincinnati</strong>,<br />
1856), p. 42.<br />
Possunt quia posse videntur—”they can<br />
prevail because they think they can.”<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> became a “hotbed of projects.”<br />
To one observer, it seemed that “three<br />
citizens never meet but one or other<br />
immediately offers a book and a pen for<br />
subscription to some new project.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> goal of the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> boomers<br />
was to make the city the urban center of a<br />
rich and heavily populated Miami Valley.<br />
To accomplish this, an effort was made to<br />
develop the area in a balanced fashion by<br />
keeping in mind the needs of farmers,<br />
merchants, and manufacturers.<br />
Agriculture was the first and most<br />
important reason for the area’s health. <strong>The</strong><br />
first generation of farmers in the Miami<br />
Valley produced a variety of products for<br />
sale including flour, bacon, lard, pork,<br />
whiskey, butter, beef, wool, feathers,<br />
beeswax, and linseed oil. <strong>The</strong> boomers<br />
attempted to attract farmers to <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
through such projects as building a series<br />
of city-owned marketplaces.<br />
But even more important than<br />
marketplaces, the boomers pushed a host<br />
of transportation schemes to allow the<br />
farmers of the Miami Valley to move their<br />
goods cheaply and efficiently to<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> where their produce could be<br />
processed and shipped to the South and to<br />
other markets. <strong>The</strong> building of more and<br />
better roads was one manifestation of this<br />
drive for better transportation. Six main<br />
roads radiated from <strong>Cincinnati</strong> to<br />
Columbia, Lebanon, Dayton, Hamilton,<br />
Lawrenceburg and North Bend. Even<br />
though federal law returned three percent<br />
of the money raised from the sale of land<br />
to the state for road building, the resulting<br />
$343,000 yielded between 1804 and 1830<br />
proved inadequate. <strong>The</strong> boomers therefore<br />
promoted the organization of private<br />
turnpike companies.<br />
<strong>The</strong> real energy of the boomers,<br />
however, was directed at developing<br />
better water transportation routes to the<br />
interior of the state. <strong>The</strong> Great and Little<br />
Miami Rivers were navigable for only<br />
short distances. Moreover, they<br />
encouraged farmers to bypass <strong>Cincinnati</strong>.<br />
C H A P T E R 1<br />
2 3
Ephraim Cutler, View of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> in 1809. Woodcut.<br />
Jacob Burnet.<br />
J A C O B<br />
B U R N E T<br />
( 1 7 7 0 - 1 8 5 3 )<br />
Born in Newark, New Jersey, Jacob<br />
Burnet moved to <strong>Cincinnati</strong> in 1796<br />
where he practiced law. He served as<br />
judge of the Northwest Territory and<br />
of the Ohio Supreme Court, and was<br />
an author of the state’s first<br />
constitution. Burnet was a cultural<br />
booster who served as president of<br />
such diverse institutions as the<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> College, Colonization<br />
Society, Astronomical Society and the<br />
Society for the Cultivation of Sacred<br />
Music. An account of his frontier<br />
experience, Notes on the Early<br />
Settlement of the North-western<br />
Territory, was published in 1847.<br />
Glimpse on the Little Miami (from a painting by J. H. Hine). Engraving.<br />
GIFT FROM THE ESTATE OF ELIZABETH WILLIAMS.<br />
<strong>The</strong> solution was both ancient and<br />
common to many growing cities in the<br />
nation: building canals to augment the<br />
Ohio’s tributaries and to concentrate the<br />
shipment of goods on <strong>Cincinnati</strong>.<br />
One of the earliest efforts at building<br />
canals focused not on <strong>Cincinnati</strong> but,<br />
rather, on a canal around the Falls of the<br />
Ohio at Louisville. Although steamboats<br />
could go over the falls when the river was<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
24<br />
high, a portage around the falls was<br />
required most of the time. <strong>The</strong> falls<br />
tended to make Louisville, rather than<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>, the commercial focus of the<br />
Ohio Valley. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s merchants and<br />
boomers were determined to remove this<br />
advantage of their rival city.<br />
Beginning as early as 1804, the Indiana<br />
and Kentucky legislatures began<br />
chartering companies to build a canal at<br />
Louisville. In every instance <strong>Cincinnati</strong>ans<br />
strongly supported the efforts. Lack of<br />
capital, construction difficulties, and state<br />
and urban rivalries all delayed the project.<br />
Finally, in 1825 the Louisville and<br />
Portland Canal Company renewed its<br />
charter and began construction. <strong>The</strong><br />
project cost $1 million (of which about<br />
$230,000 came from the federal<br />
government) and was completed in 1831.<br />
Meanwhile, <strong>Cincinnati</strong>ans promoted<br />
the most ambitious of all the internal
Chester Harding, Timothy Walker. Oil<br />
on canvas.<br />
GIFT OF ANNIE WALKER.<br />
T I M O T H Y<br />
W A L K E R<br />
( 1 8 0 2 - 1 8 5 6 )<br />
Born in Wilmington, Massachusetts.<br />
Timothy Walker arrived in <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
in 1830 with a Harvard degree and<br />
training in its law school. In 1833 he<br />
helped establish the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Law<br />
School, and in 1843 he became the first<br />
editor of the Western Law Journal. One<br />
of the city’s most prominent lawyers, he<br />
contributed to making <strong>Cincinnati</strong> a<br />
center for legal reform in the West.<br />
Walker’s Introduction to American Law<br />
was initially published in 1837 and<br />
quickly became the standard text for<br />
beginning law students across the<br />
United States continuing through an<br />
eleventh edition in 1905, fifty years<br />
after his death.<br />
Francis D’Avignon, Daniel Drake (c. 1850).<br />
Lithograph from a daguerreotype by Philip Haas.<br />
D A N I E L<br />
D R A K E<br />
( 1 7 8 5 - 1 8 5 2 )<br />
Dr. Daniel Drake was born in New<br />
Jersey but migrated to Mayslick, Kentucky,<br />
near Maysville in 1788. In 1800<br />
his family sent him to <strong>Cincinnati</strong> to<br />
study medicine with Dr. William Goforth.<br />
He supplemented his training by<br />
attending the University of Pennsylvania.<br />
In 1819 he obtained a charter and<br />
founded the Ohio Medical College<br />
(now the Medical College of the University<br />
of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>). During his adult life<br />
he lived intermittently in <strong>Cincinnati</strong> and<br />
was among the city’s major promoters.<br />
He helped found a circulating library,<br />
museum, debating club, hospital, medical<br />
journal, lunatic asylum, grocery<br />
store and apothecary shop. Drake’s Picture<br />
of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, published in 1815, illustrated<br />
his enthusiasm for furthering<br />
the commercial, intellectual and cultural<br />
growth of the city.<br />
Micajah Terrell Williams (1819). Oil<br />
on canvas.<br />
GIFT OF MRS. TERRELL THOMAS AND MRS. A. F. PERRY.<br />
M I C A J A H<br />
T E R R E L L<br />
W I L L I A M S<br />
( 1 7 9 2 - 1 8 4 4 )<br />
Micajah Terrell Williams, a native of<br />
North Carolina, came to <strong>Cincinnati</strong> in<br />
1812 where he reportedly became one<br />
of the city’s “greatest ornaments.” He<br />
was editor of the Western Spy<br />
newspaper and served as <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
township trustee, 1817-21, at which<br />
time he entered the state legislature. A<br />
boomer for physical and cultural<br />
improvements, Williams authored the<br />
report that led to construction of the<br />
Miami Canal. In 1828, along with<br />
Nathan Guilford and Samuel Lewis, he<br />
engineered the amendment to the city<br />
charter that provided tax revenue to<br />
establish and maintain a public school<br />
system. Williams was regarded as one<br />
of the most influential and reliable<br />
politicians in the state.<br />
improvement projects, a canal system<br />
linking the Ohio River to the Great Lakes.<br />
Popular enthusiasm during the early<br />
1820s forced the Ohio legislature to order<br />
surveys of possible canal routes. In 1825<br />
it authorized the building of the Ohio<br />
Canal from Portsmouth to Cleveland and<br />
the Miami Canal from <strong>Cincinnati</strong> to<br />
Dayton. Extension of the Miami Canal<br />
from Dayton to Toledo was discussed, but<br />
it was not authorized until 1831.<br />
Predictably, the state representative from<br />
Hamilton County, Micajah T. Williams, and<br />
other civic leaders lobbied strongly for building<br />
canals. Promoters viewed canals principally<br />
as transportation links that would<br />
provide a way for <strong>Cincinnati</strong> to get raw<br />
C H A P T E R 1<br />
2 5
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> and Dayton was completed in<br />
3½ years at a cost of $76,582. Soon after it<br />
opened in January 1829, newspaper editors<br />
declared the canal a success. <strong>The</strong>y pointed<br />
out that it had reduced freight rates and<br />
increased the volume of produce brought<br />
into <strong>Cincinnati</strong> not only from the<br />
immediate vicinity but from the whole<br />
Miami Valley. According to one local<br />
newspaper, in one week more than 575<br />
tons of produce were brought to the city:<br />
<strong>The</strong> cost of transporting the whole<br />
amount for a distance not exceeding 25<br />
miles was $2,800 and it only took 10<br />
boats, 60 men, and 30 boys three days to<br />
do the job. By comparison, to bring a similar<br />
amount by wagon the same distance,<br />
it would take 575 wagons, 2,340 horses,<br />
and 575 men. And the cost would have<br />
been $7,200.<br />
materials from the agrarian interior of the<br />
state. Initially they would bolster the city’s importance<br />
as a commercial center where agricultural<br />
and eastern manufactured products<br />
would be exchanged. More gradually the<br />
agricultural products and commercial activity<br />
would fuel <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s growth as a manufacturing<br />
center as well.<br />
In July 1825 groundbreaking<br />
ceremonies for the Miami Canal were held<br />
in Middletown. <strong>The</strong> canal connecting<br />
Canal boat. Model built by Charles E. Mappes, 1971.<br />
GIFT OF CHARLES E. MAPPES.<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
26<br />
Pleased with the results of the Miami<br />
Canal, <strong>Cincinnati</strong>ans sought the construction<br />
of a second canal that had not been included<br />
in the earlier transportation<br />
proposals. But its purpose was the same—<br />
promoting trade with the interior. <strong>The</strong><br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Whitewater Canal, chartered in<br />
1837, was 25 miles long and joined <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
to Indiana’s Whitewater Canal that ran<br />
through the rich agricultural area along the<br />
Whitewater Valley from Lawrenceburg to<br />
Cambridge. <strong>The</strong> canal opened in 1843, and<br />
farmers used it to ship flour, hams, hogs and<br />
grain to <strong>Cincinnati</strong>. Floods along the Whitewater<br />
Valley seriously damaged the canal in<br />
1846 and in 1847. Despite low toll receipts,<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> boosters never doubted that the<br />
city would benefit from this trade.<br />
Boomers also promoted the development<br />
of manufacturing. Before 1812 the<br />
frontier lacked sufficient capital and cheap<br />
labor to support the development of<br />
industry. Land speculation and trade<br />
offered easier and less risky ways of making<br />
a profit. <strong>The</strong> manufacturing that did exist<br />
was carried on in small shops by artisans<br />
who produced items needed by the new<br />
settlers setting up households and farms.<br />
By 1806, for example, the 81 artisans<br />
working in <strong>Cincinnati</strong> included tanners,<br />
hatters, tailors, shoemakers, blacksmiths,<br />
printers, brewers, and bricklayers.<br />
<strong>The</strong> first substantial development of<br />
industry in <strong>Cincinnati</strong> occurred in<br />
connection with the chaos caused by the
PURCHASE.<br />
Martin Baum. Oil on wood.<br />
M A R T I N<br />
B A U M<br />
( 1 7 6 5 - 1 8 3 1 )<br />
A Maryland resident of German<br />
ancestry, Martin Baum arrived in<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> in 1795. He established the<br />
city’s first bank, iron foundry and steam<br />
mill, and recruited German craftsmen<br />
from eastern cities to work in the new<br />
manufactories. He was perhaps the first<br />
to comprehend the extent to which the<br />
development of local industries would<br />
benefit the city. Baum suffered financial<br />
reverses in the Panic of 1818-19, and<br />
could not afford to move into the<br />
mansion, now the Taft Museum, which<br />
he had constructed to be his home.<br />
Bank notes issued by the Miami Exporting Company and the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> and Whitewater Canal Company. Engravings.<br />
GIFTS OF THE OHIO MECHANICS’ INSTITUTE.<br />
110 feet on Front Street between Ludlow<br />
and Broadway. <strong>The</strong> mill, powered by a 70-<br />
horsepower Evans steam engine, was<br />
capable of producing 20,000 barrels of<br />
flour, 500 barrels of whiskey and 1,000<br />
pieces of cloth annually. <strong>The</strong> mill burned<br />
in 1823, was rebuilt in 1826, but was<br />
finally destroyed by fire in 1835.<br />
<strong>The</strong> development of early banking<br />
services also facilitated <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s<br />
Napoleonic wars raging in Europe from<br />
1807 to 1812. <strong>The</strong> warfare diverted<br />
European manufacturing from traditional<br />
goods to the supply of the troops. President<br />
Thomas Jefferson’s desire to remain clear of<br />
the war resulted in an embargo on<br />
American shipping that encouraged<br />
Americans to produce for themselves.<br />
One of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s earliest examples of<br />
manufacturing capability was its steam<br />
mill. This massive stone structure rose out<br />
of the Ohio River nine stories to a height of<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> (c. 1835) with the Steam Flour Mill at the extreme right.<br />
GIFT OF PHILIP HINKLE.<br />
C H A P T E R 1<br />
2 7
N I C H O L A S<br />
L O N G W O R T H<br />
( 1 7 8 2 - 1 8 6 3 )<br />
Nicholas Longworth provided the antebellum West one of its most spectacular rags-to-riches<br />
stories. He came to the city about 1803 with little more than the clothes on his back. He built<br />
a law practice and, engaging heavily in real-estate speculation, became a leading landowner in<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> at a time when property values were destined to rise dramatically. He was one of the<br />
wealthiest men in the United States while still in his 40s paying the second highest property<br />
taxes in the nation.<br />
Longworth was one of the early boomers who believed that cultural growth was as important<br />
to a city as material growth. In the years before the Civil War, his name and fortune were associated<br />
with nearly every arts and educational institution that appeared.<br />
Longworth was exceptionally supportive of individual artists. A contemporary noted that<br />
“there was never a young artist of talent who appeared in <strong>Cincinnati</strong> and was poor and needed<br />
help, that Mr. Longworth, if asked did not willingly assist him.” His most famous protéges were<br />
Robert Duncanson and Hiram Powers. Duncanson, a fine landscape and genre painter, was<br />
commissioned to do a series of classical landscape murals in the entrance hall of Longworth’s<br />
home, “Belmont.” Duncanson was black and his success as an artist was extolled by members Nicholas Longworth (1782-1863) from Charles<br />
of the anti-slavery movement.<br />
Cist’s Sketches and Statistics of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> in 1851<br />
Hiram Powers was working at the Western Museum in the 1820s when Nicholas Longworth (<strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 1851), facing page 333.<br />
discovered his exceptional talents. He financed the young sculptor’s residency in Washington, D.C.,<br />
and together with fellow boosters, Jacob Burnet and William Henry Harrison, put Powers in contact with members of the political elite. President<br />
Andrew Jackson, John Marshall, Martin Van Buren and John Quincy Adams all commissioned portraits by Powers. Executed in the trenchant<br />
realism that typified his American years, they created a sensation in Washington.<br />
In 1837 Longworth and several eastern backers sent Powers to Florence, Italy,<br />
to study and work. Powers’ ability to capture a likeness was tempered by the<br />
classicizing influence of his environment. He became one of the most famous<br />
American artists of the age. For the next three decades, <strong>Cincinnati</strong> was one of the<br />
principal markets for his work. He never returned to <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, but some years<br />
later his son came at the urging of Nicholas Longworth’s granddaughter to instruct<br />
a class for the Women’s Art Museum Association.<br />
industrial growth. By 1807 the Miami<br />
Exporting Company, which had been<br />
founded by Martin Baum, was operating<br />
exclusively as a bank. Others soon followed:<br />
the Farmers and Mechanics Bank was<br />
founded in 1812, the Bank of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> in<br />
1814, and a private bank run by John H.<br />
Piatt in 1815. With the chartering of the<br />
Second Bank of the United States in 1816, a<br />
group of local merchants lobbied for a<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> branch. Early in 1817 it was<br />
organized with a board of directors<br />
composed of the town’s leading citizens.<br />
Jacob Burnet was elected president and<br />
Gorham Worth came to <strong>Cincinnati</strong> from<br />
New York to administer the bank as cashier.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Second Bank of the United States<br />
became notorious for unsound banking<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
28<br />
practices that allowed the irresponsible<br />
expansion of credit. Its foolish practices<br />
and the economic contractions after the<br />
War of 1812 led to the collapse of the<br />
nation’s economy in the Panic of 1819.<br />
Many of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s leading men were<br />
ruined financially, at least temporarily.<br />
Martin Baum, William Henry Harrison,<br />
John Piatt and Jacob Burnet were among<br />
those who had to sell most of their land in<br />
order to satisfy the bank’s claims.<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s economy stagnated in the<br />
aftermath of the bank’s closing in 1820.<br />
But it recovered rapidly. After the worst of<br />
the crises had passed in 1820-1821,<br />
production began to expand. For example,<br />
pork packing increased so that by 1825<br />
bacon production was up 400 percent over<br />
Improved Mantel Clocks…by L. Watson from<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Annual Advertiser, Annexed to<br />
the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Directory, for the year 1829<br />
(<strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 1829).
Hiram Powers (1805- 1873), Robert Todd Lytle<br />
(1833). Lawyer and political leader Robert Todd Lytle<br />
was born in 1804. After serving in the Ohio Legislature<br />
he was elected to the U.S. Congress in 1832. When he<br />
was defeated for re-election in 1834, Andrew Jackson<br />
appointed him Surveyor-General of the Northwest<br />
Territory. His political career was cut short by his death<br />
in 1839. Marble.<br />
GIFT OF THE LYTLE FAMILY.<br />
1819 and land production doubled.<br />
Moreover, the city’s traditional industries<br />
of flour milling and pork packing were<br />
joined in these years by the production of<br />
cotton cloth, machine tools and engines.<br />
By 1826 <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s factories produced<br />
almost $1,850,000 worth of goods and its<br />
population had reached 16,230—up 68<br />
percent from 1820.<br />
By 1830 <strong>Cincinnati</strong> had reached a<br />
benchmark in its development. It was no<br />
Hiram Powers, George Washington<br />
(1834-35). Marble.<br />
GIFT OF THE ESTATE OF PETER G. THOMSON.<br />
longer a frontier settlement in the<br />
wilderness but had become an important<br />
western river town with a great deal of<br />
promise. <strong>The</strong> concerns of the first settlers—<br />
basic survival against the elements and the<br />
threat of Indians—had long since passed.<br />
Now, the efforts of the city’s leaders were<br />
directed at establishing <strong>Cincinnati</strong> not<br />
merely as the leading city of the Miami<br />
country but of the Ohio Valley and the<br />
entire West. <strong>The</strong> land was cleared and was<br />
being populated rapidly; the steamboat<br />
dominated the river; the canals threaded<br />
the produce of the hinterland to markets<br />
along and beyond the Ohio River through<br />
the hands of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> merchants; and a<br />
Hiram Powers, right, with William Cullen Bryant<br />
in Florence (c, 1870). Photograph.<br />
GIFT OF ANNIE WALKER.<br />
primary industrial foundation had been<br />
established. <strong>Cincinnati</strong> was already being<br />
called “<strong>Queen</strong> of the West.”<br />
C I N C I N N A T I I N 1 8 2 6<br />
<strong>The</strong> first thing that strikes an observer in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, after having become acquainted with<br />
its relative locality, is the comparatively little attention which has been paid to the erection of<br />
Manufactures. Commanding the trade of a district of country, which extends at least one<br />
hundred miles, in every direction, and much farther in some, it would seem to be destined to<br />
occupy a prominent stand, amongst the manufacturing cities of the Union; and yet, for years<br />
past, this fact has been as little noticed as if the “queen of the West” had been located in a<br />
desert, and held no intercourse with the rest of mankind.<br />
- Benjamin Drake and Edward D. Mansfield, <strong>Cincinnati</strong> in 1826 (<strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 1827), p. 67.<br />
Plane and Brush Manufactory from <strong>The</strong><br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Annual Advertiser, Annexed to the<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Directory, for the year 1829<br />
(<strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 1829).<br />
C H A P T E R 1<br />
2 9
John Caspar Wild (d. 1846), Public Landing (1835). Swiss artist, John Caspar Wild, came from Paris to Philadelphia in the early 1830s where he established a reputation as a landscape<br />
painter and lithographer. Coming to <strong>Cincinnati</strong> in 1835, Wild painted two views of the city from Kentucky, the Public Landing and four scenes along residential Third and Fourth<br />
Streets. He stayed no longer than two years, returning to Philadelphia. Later he traveled to St. Louis and, finally, to Davenport, Iowa. Gouache on paper.<br />
GIFT OF MRS. CHARLES GRAHAM.<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
30
CHAPTER 2<br />
O F V I S I O N S A N D D R E A M S , 1 8 3 0 - 1 8 8 0<br />
<strong>The</strong> first four decades of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s<br />
history brought spectacular development<br />
that, in turn, generated a sense of pride in<br />
the residents. Beginning in the mid-1820s,<br />
observers began to refer to <strong>Cincinnati</strong> as<br />
the “<strong>Queen</strong> <strong>City</strong> of the West.” In the minds<br />
of the city’s many visitors and boosters,<br />
however, what had occurred prior to 1830<br />
was simply prelude. Steamboats on the<br />
river and the opening of canals provided<br />
the foundation upon which a truly great<br />
city could be built. <strong>Cincinnati</strong> had become<br />
a good city for people with big dreams,<br />
and some already envisioned <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
in terms of world leadership. In 1841<br />
one <strong>Cincinnati</strong> booster, Jacob Scott,<br />
predicted “that within one hundred years<br />
from this time, <strong>Cincinnati</strong> will be the<br />
greatest city in America; and by the year of<br />
our Lord two thousand, the greatest city in<br />
the world.”<br />
For most of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s residents, the<br />
dreams were more personal. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s<br />
expansive economy offered plenty of<br />
opportunity for those with limited means.<br />
It was a place to get rich. Such dreams<br />
held particular meaning for the thousands<br />
of immigrants who streamed to America<br />
between 1830 and 1860. And while the<br />
newcomers quickly discovered that<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> was not utopia, many found the<br />
reality was an acceptable substitute.<br />
<strong>The</strong> most ambitious visions of<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s boosters would never be<br />
realized. For the first 20 years of this<br />
period, between 1830 and 1850, the<br />
dreams seemed to be coming true.<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> was America’s boom town. Her<br />
population grew faster than any other<br />
American city. She became the country’s<br />
second largest industrial center and the<br />
recognized leader of the world in certain<br />
categories. <strong>The</strong>n, just as <strong>Cincinnati</strong>ans<br />
were becoming accustomed to believing<br />
that their city was destined for<br />
unparalleled greatness, the world shifted.<br />
<strong>The</strong> city’s rate of growth slowed while<br />
other cities spurted ahead, overtaking<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>. In the 1860s the source of her<br />
strength, the Ohio River with its tributaries<br />
and canals, seemingly became her<br />
weakness as railroads transformed the<br />
nation’s transportation routes. <strong>The</strong> new<br />
conditions facing <strong>Cincinnati</strong> challenged<br />
her leaders during the 1870s and 1880s.<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>ans had to reformulate their<br />
sense of who they were and where their<br />
city fit in the world.<br />
In the early 19th century, <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
was a city built on commerce. <strong>The</strong> Ohio<br />
River and the steamboat were the bases of<br />
her greatness. During the 1820s industry<br />
had begun to develop, but initially this was<br />
perceived as secondary to and supportive<br />
of trade. From 1830 to 1860 <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s<br />
industrial development accelerated and<br />
redefined the character of the city.<br />
<strong>The</strong> industry most responsible for<br />
bringing about this change during the<br />
second quarter of the century was pork<br />
John Caspar Wild (d. 1846), View of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> from Covington, Kentucky (1835). Gouache on paper.<br />
GIFT OF MRS. CHARLES GRAHAM.<br />
C I N C I N N A T I I N T H E 1 8 3 0 S<br />
<strong>The</strong> inhabitants are already consulting as to where the Capitol shall stand, whenever the<br />
nation shall decree the removal of the General Government beyond the mountains. If it were<br />
not for the noble building at Washington, this removal would probably take place soon,<br />
perhaps after the opening of the great Southern rail-road.<br />
- Harriet Martineau, Retrospect of Western Travel (London, 1838), v. 2, p. 240.<br />
C H A P T E R 2<br />
3 1
packing. It grew naturally out of the city’s<br />
close relationship with the rich agricultural<br />
region surrounding <strong>Cincinnati</strong>. From its<br />
earliest days, <strong>Cincinnati</strong> served as one of<br />
many local centers for hog slaughtering and<br />
packing. But it was not until the 1820s that<br />
it was possible to transport pork products<br />
rapidly and in large quantities to consumer<br />
markets and to acquire a regular supply of<br />
salt—primarily from the Kanawha Valley of<br />
Virginia—for the packing process. In<br />
addition, an important shift towards crop<br />
and livestock specialization in the region<br />
provided a large supply of hogs. Early<br />
farming in the area was diversified and<br />
generally for subsistence. Many farmers<br />
raised a few hogs because they could be left<br />
to roam freely in the local forests and<br />
required little care. In the 1820s farmers in<br />
the Scioto and Miami valleys grew larger<br />
amounts of corn which they fed to hogs.<br />
This increased the number of hogs raised,<br />
and by feeding corn to the hogs, farmers<br />
produced fatter animals with a higher<br />
quality of meat.<br />
Each fall drovers from all over<br />
southwestern Ohio and eastern Indiana<br />
herded thousands of hogs over roads—and<br />
others were transported on canal boats—<br />
to <strong>Cincinnati</strong>. By 1835 <strong>Cincinnati</strong> had<br />
become the nation’s chief packing center.<br />
Ten years later it surpassed Cork and<br />
Belfast in Ireland for the leadership of the<br />
world by slaughtering and processing a<br />
quarter-million hogs. <strong>The</strong> lack of artificial<br />
means of refrigeration confined<br />
slaughtering and packing to the period of<br />
November to mid-March; still, by 1854<br />
this work provided seasonal employment<br />
for 2,450 workers.<br />
As the pork-packing industry rapidly<br />
expanded, it received a good deal of<br />
comment by the city’s boosters. One of<br />
them, George Jones of the <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
branch of the Second Bank of the United<br />
States, wrote so enthusiastically to a<br />
Liverpool correspondent about the<br />
prospects of the industry that he was sent<br />
two papier-mache models of hogs with<br />
the inscription: “To George Jones, as the<br />
worthy representative of Porkopolis.”<br />
Milward and Oldershaw (1851). In 1850 this<br />
large pork and beef house, located in Covington,<br />
Kentucky, packed 11,746 hogs and 3,000 heads of cattle<br />
primarily for European markets. Hogs were driven up a<br />
ramp, visible at the right of the illustration, to pens on<br />
the roof. Otto Onken lithograph.<br />
GIFT FROM THE ESTATE OF CLIFFORD M. STEGNER.<br />
Durham Bull (1839). Miami Valley farmers also bred and raised cattle for sale to meat packing firms. Broadside.<br />
GIFT FROM THE ESTATES OF MR. AND MRS. CHARLES AMORY BLINN.<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
32
Robert S. Duncanson, <strong>Cincinnati</strong> From Covington, Kentucky (1848-1850). By mid-century <strong>Cincinnati</strong> had grown<br />
to a population of over 115,000 and was the nation’s sixth largest city. Duncanson (1817-22 to 1872) was <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s<br />
first notable black artist. Born in New York and raised in Canada, from the early 1840s he spent most of his time in<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>. He also worked in Detroit and traveled extensively, including several trips to Europe. Oil on canvas.<br />
CHALMERS HADLEY MEMORIAL FUND PURCHASE.<br />
Advertisements for lard oil, a by-product of<br />
pork packing. From the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Business<br />
Directory (1853).<br />
Prior to 1850 the slaughtering and<br />
packing processes were functionally and<br />
geographically divided. Draymen transported<br />
carcasses from slaughterhouses in<br />
the Deer Creek Valley on the eastern edge<br />
of the city to packing houses located near<br />
the riverfront. After 1850 companies<br />
combined these functions into the same<br />
buildings as the industry relocated along<br />
the Miami-Erie Canal. <strong>The</strong>se new<br />
slaughterhouses became world famous for<br />
their efficient use of labor in the<br />
“disassemblage process.” <strong>The</strong> hogs were<br />
first driven up ramps to the top floor of the<br />
slaughterhouses, many of which were three<br />
or four stories high. As they entered the<br />
building, the pigs were knocked<br />
unconscious with a sledgehammer and<br />
suspended from a moving hook. As they<br />
passed down the line, the hogs were bled,<br />
scalded, the hair scraped from their hides,<br />
then gutted and cleaned before being sent<br />
to cooling chambers. <strong>The</strong> butchering,<br />
rendering and salting processes were<br />
performed later but with equal efficiency.<br />
Pork packing fostered other industries.<br />
Economical <strong>Cincinnati</strong>ans utilized every<br />
part of the animal. <strong>The</strong> bristles were used<br />
as binding in plaster, in the manufacture of<br />
brushes and in the furniture industry. <strong>The</strong><br />
city’s tanneries used the hides. Two byproducts<br />
of rendering lard were the bases<br />
for several important <strong>Cincinnati</strong> firms—<br />
sterine was used in the manufacture of<br />
lamp oil and candles, while cracklings were<br />
used for producing soap.<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s identification as<br />
“Porkopolis” became so strong that many<br />
commentators subsequently have given<br />
the impression that pork packing and its<br />
related industries dominated local<br />
manufacturing. Actually, in 1855 meat<br />
packing accounted for only 15 percent of<br />
the total value of goods produced in the<br />
city. By this time <strong>Cincinnati</strong> had developed<br />
a manufacturing base much broader than<br />
pork packing.<br />
J. W. Hill, <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, Covington & Newport (1853). Harrison P. Diehl began manufacturing fireworks in the early<br />
1850s and built a wooden structure on Mt. Adams from which to display them. <strong>The</strong> Pyro Garden lasted only a few years<br />
but Diehl’s company was in business in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, and later Reading, Ohio, until 1890. Lithograph.<br />
GIFT OF ROBERT CLARKE.<br />
C H A P T E R 2<br />
3 3
Arrival of Hogs at <strong>Cincinnati</strong> from Harper’s<br />
Weekly (February 4, 1860), p. 72. Engraving.<br />
ELIZABETH HAVEN APPLETON FUND PURCHASE.<br />
<strong>The</strong> iron and metalworking industries<br />
were second in importance to pork<br />
packing. By 1850 <strong>Cincinnati</strong> had 44<br />
foundries, one-third of which<br />
concentrated on the production of stoves.<br />
Other products included iron railings,<br />
mantels, burial cases, castings, steam<br />
engines and boilers. Miles Greenwood<br />
settled in <strong>Cincinnati</strong> in 1829, later bought<br />
the Eagle Iron Works and built the<br />
company into the second largest iron<br />
manufactory in the West. It made heavy<br />
machine castings as well as an array of<br />
items for the home—pulleys, shutter lifts<br />
and catches, sash weights, spittoons,<br />
teakettles, and tailor shears.<br />
Five Thousand Hogs Wanted!! from <strong>The</strong> Daily <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Republican, and Commercial Register (November<br />
28, 1835), p. 3.<br />
<strong>The</strong> production of steamboat engines<br />
was one of the most important branches of<br />
the metalworking industry. By 1841 five<br />
shipbuilding yards employed 306<br />
workers, making <strong>Cincinnati</strong> second only<br />
to Pittsburgh as a western steamboat<br />
manufacturing and repair center. This<br />
industry trained <strong>Cincinnati</strong> workers with<br />
skills that would later be employed in the<br />
machine-tool industry.<br />
<strong>The</strong> availability of fine woods spurred<br />
the development of an important furnituremanufacturing<br />
industry in the <strong>Queen</strong> <strong>City</strong>.<br />
From surrounding forests came cherry,<br />
walnut, maple, sycamore and poplar; pine<br />
came from Pittsburgh and mahogany from<br />
New Orleans. <strong>The</strong> industry boomed with<br />
the introduction of steam power, which<br />
Journey to the Slaughter-House from Harper’s<br />
Weekly (February 4, 1860), p. 72. Engraving.<br />
allowed manufacturers to cut prices by a<br />
third compared to the costs of handwork.<br />
By 1841 census taker Charles Cist reported<br />
48 cabinetware factories and 11 chair<br />
H O G S<br />
I am sure I should have liked <strong>Cincinnati</strong> much better if the people had not dealt so very largely in hogs. <strong>The</strong> immense quantity of business done<br />
in this line would hardly be believed by those who had not witnessed it. I never saw a newspaper without remarking such advertisements as<br />
the following:<br />
“Wanted, immediately, 4,000 fat hogs.”<br />
“For sale, 2,000 barrels of prime pork.”<br />
But the annoyance came nearer than this; if I determined upon a walk up Main-street, the chances were five hundred to one against my reaching<br />
the shady side without brushing by a snout fresh dripping from the kennel; when we had screwed our courage to the enterprise of mounting a<br />
certain noble-looking sugar-loaf hill, that promised pure air and a fine view, we found the brook we had to cross, at its foot, red with the stream<br />
from a pig slaughter-house; while our noses, instead of meeting “the thyme that loves the green hill’s breast,” were greeted by odours that I will not<br />
describe, and which I heartily hope my readers cannot imagine; our feet, that on leaving the city had expected to press the flowery sod, literally<br />
got entangled in pigs’ tails and jaw-bones: and thus the prettiest walk in the neighbourhood was interdicted for ever.<br />
- Frances Trollope, Domestic Manners of the Americans (London, 1832), v. 1, pp. 120-121.<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
34
P O R K<br />
P A C K I N G<br />
Frances Trollope. Engraving.<br />
F R A N C E S<br />
T R O L L O P E<br />
( 1 7 8 0 - 1 8 6 3 )<br />
We entered an immense low-ceiled room and followed a vista of dead swine, upon their<br />
backs, their paws stretching mutely toward heaven. Walking down to the vanishing point, we<br />
found there a sort of human chopping-machine where the hogs were converted into commercial<br />
pork. A plank table, two men to lift and turn, two to wield the cleavers, were its component<br />
parts. No iron cog-wheels could work with more regular motion. Plump falls the hog upon the<br />
table, chop, chop; chop, chop; chop, chop, fall the cleavers. All is over. But, before you can say<br />
so, plump, chop, chop; chop, chop; chop, chop, sounds again. <strong>The</strong>re is no pause for admiration.<br />
By a skilled sleight of hand, hams, shoulders, clear, mess, and prime fly off, each squarely cut<br />
to its own place, where attendants, aided by trucks and dumbwaiters, dispatch each to its<br />
separate destiny—the ham for Mexico, its loin for Bordeaux. Amazed beyond all expectation<br />
at the celerity, we took out our watches and counted thirty-five seconds, from the moment<br />
when one hog touched the table until the next occupied its place. <strong>The</strong> number of blows required<br />
I regret we did not count.<br />
- Frederick Law Olmsted, writing about his visit to <strong>Cincinnati</strong> in A Journey Through<br />
Texas… (New York, 1857), p. 9.<br />
Frances Trollope came to the<br />
United States in 1827 to make a<br />
fortune. Soon after her arrival in<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> in 1828, she built a<br />
“Bazaar” on Third Street which<br />
contained a shop, a ballroom and<br />
exhibition gallery. Her Bazaar was a<br />
failure, and Mrs. Trollope returned to<br />
England in 1831.<br />
industry also illustrated the city’s close ties<br />
with the South, which supplied the cotton<br />
and bought much of the finished work. In<br />
the mid-1850s, between 5,000 and<br />
6,000 seamstresses worked in miserable<br />
conditions for extremely low wages in the<br />
clothing industry. When they attempted to<br />
organize, even the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Enquirer,<br />
which normally opposed worker causes,<br />
editorialized in the women’s favor.<br />
Technology more than agitation produced<br />
the increase in wages that followed the<br />
introduction of sewing machines in the<br />
late 1850s.<br />
In an amazingly short amount of time,<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> had become a major<br />
manufacturing center. This could not have<br />
occurred had <strong>Cincinnati</strong> not built excellent<br />
manufacturers producing $515,600 worth<br />
of goods. A decade later he counted 136<br />
shops employing 1,158 workers who<br />
were producing $1,660,000 worth of<br />
furniture. As the market for <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
furniture expanded throughout the<br />
Mississippi Valley, manufacturers<br />
discovered it was more economical to ship<br />
their wares in pieces for assembly on<br />
location. By mid-century, <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
furniture graced homes and hotels<br />
throughout the Midwest and South.<br />
<strong>The</strong> manufacture of clothing was a<br />
fourth important industry in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>.<br />
During the 1850s the value of locally<br />
produced clothing jumped from<br />
approximately $2 million to approximately<br />
$15 million. In 1860 <strong>Cincinnati</strong> produced<br />
one-half of all the ready-made clothing<br />
available in the western markets. <strong>The</strong><br />
Henry Farny, <strong>The</strong> Disassembly Line. Among the first places that assembly-line principles were applied was the<br />
meat-packing industry. Lithograph.<br />
GIFT OF MR. AND MRS. FRED HEINZ.<br />
C H A P T E R 2<br />
3 5
Niles and Company, founded in 1834, manufactured sugar mills, stationary engines, machine tools and rolling mills<br />
for southern markets. Production of locomotive engines began in 1851 and continued in their new shop on Congress Street<br />
near Butler from 1852 until 1858. Lithograph from Charles Cist’s Sketches and Statistics of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> in 1851<br />
(<strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 1851), facing p. 193.<br />
transportation facilities, developed thriving<br />
commerce and generated sufficient capital<br />
to finance new growth. Nor could<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> have built industries so rapidly<br />
without an ample labor supply.<br />
Traditionally, American labor was scarce<br />
and, therefore, expensive. Between 1830<br />
and 1850, however, <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s booming<br />
economy attracted thousands of newcomers<br />
who made the <strong>Queen</strong> <strong>City</strong> the fastest<br />
growing urban center in the United States.<br />
<strong>The</strong>se people not only transformed the size<br />
and appearance of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, they<br />
fundamentally changed its religious and<br />
ethnic composition.<br />
During <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s earliest years,<br />
settlers came from many places, but the<br />
vast majority were native-born Americans<br />
of English and Scottish ancestry. In the<br />
1830s and 1840s the bulk of the new<br />
arrivals came from Germany. A few<br />
Germans had lived in <strong>Cincinnati</strong> since its<br />
founding, and some had risen to positions<br />
of prominence and influence. David<br />
Ziegler, for example, was born in 1748 in<br />
Heidelberg, Germany, immigrated to<br />
Pennsylvania before the Revolution and<br />
came to Fort Washington in 1790. When<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> was incorporated as a village in<br />
1802, Ziegler was elected president of<br />
From 1836 to 1863 black furniture-maker Henry<br />
Boyd produced superior bedsteads made of sycamore,<br />
maple, cherry, black walnut and mahogany for local,<br />
southern and south-western markets. Robinson and<br />
Jones’ <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Directory for 1846. (<strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
1846), p.466.<br />
council and served two terms. Similarly,<br />
Martin Baum, who was of German<br />
parentage, rose to great prominence<br />
through his diverse business interests and<br />
was elected mayor in 1807 and 1812. In<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
36
Major David Ziegler from Henry Howe’s<br />
Historical Collections of Ohio... (<strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 1908),<br />
v. 1, p. 846.<br />
1825 the German community consisted<br />
of only 64 persons, and in 1830 amounted<br />
to only 5 percent of the city’s populace.<br />
Ten years later Germans constituted<br />
30 percent of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s population,<br />
prompting the city council to publish<br />
ordinances in German as well as in<br />
English. Although the German-born<br />
population more than doubled between<br />
1840 and 1850, Irish immigration during<br />
the same years reduced the German<br />
proportion to approximately one-fourth—<br />
but of a city whose total population<br />
had exploded from 46,382 to 115,435 in<br />
that decade.<br />
In <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, as in other midnineteenth<br />
century cities, the poorer<br />
people and the new arrivals tended to live<br />
on the periphery, while the wealthier and<br />
more prominent residents occupied the<br />
center. Thus, the thousands of Germans<br />
who flooded into <strong>Cincinnati</strong> settled away<br />
from the center of the city in an area north<br />
and east of the Miami-Erie Canal. This area<br />
was never exclusively German, but their<br />
predominance gave the region such a<br />
Germanic flavor that it became known as<br />
“Over-the-Rhine.” <strong>The</strong> district evolved<br />
into a web of streets and alleys lined<br />
with closely built, neat rows of residences<br />
and shops.<br />
Henry Mosler, Canal Street Market (1860). <strong>The</strong> Canal Street Market, located between Vine and Walnut at present<br />
day Court Street, was typical of several that operated in mid-nineteenth century <strong>Cincinnati</strong>. Oil on canvas.<br />
EUGENE F. BLISS FUND PURCHASE.<br />
U.S. Agricultural Fair. <strong>The</strong> Hamilton County Agricultural Society began holding fairs near Carthage in 1853. <strong>The</strong>ir<br />
fair was supplemented in 1860 by another, the eighth annual fair of the United States Agricultural Society, held September<br />
12-20 at the <strong>Queen</strong> <strong>City</strong> Trotting Park near Winton Place. Lithograph.<br />
GIFT FROM THE ESTATE OF GRACE F. SPIEGEL.<br />
Like immigrants in any time, these<br />
Germans faced an array of problems. Many<br />
suffered extreme hardships, especially in<br />
their early years while establishing<br />
themselves and looking for jobs. Collectively,<br />
however, German immigrants possessed<br />
advantages over other groups. Many of them<br />
were skilled tradesmen and craftsmen who<br />
could find work as bakers or tailors, or in the<br />
rapidly developing industries. <strong>The</strong>ir<br />
mechanical skills and the training some<br />
brought with them established the<br />
foundation for <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s development as<br />
a printing and machine-tool center.<br />
Based in Over-the-Rhine, the <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
Germans developed a rich subculture. <strong>The</strong>y<br />
founded organizations and institutions<br />
which helped cushion the impact of the<br />
American environment for themselves and<br />
others from the “Fatherland” while making<br />
lasting contributions to the quality of life in<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>. Churches, schools, breweries<br />
and beer gardens sprang up throughout the<br />
area. <strong>The</strong> immigrants preserved their<br />
C H A P T E R 2<br />
3 7
Isaac Mayer Wise. Reprinted with permission<br />
from <strong>Cincinnati</strong> in Bronze (<strong>Cincinnati</strong>, c. 1959),<br />
p. 14.<br />
I S A A C M A Y E R W I S E<br />
( 1 8 1 9 - 1 9 0 0 )<br />
In the 1840s German Jews<br />
heatedly debated proposals to reform<br />
Judaism. Isaac M. Wise came to<br />
America from Bohemia in 1846<br />
convinced of the need for reform and<br />
hoping that American society would<br />
foster the necessary experimentation.<br />
After a stormy eight years in Albany,<br />
New York, Wise came to <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
in 1854 to begin a lifelong<br />
collaboration with the K. K. Bene<br />
Yeshurun (Children of God)<br />
synagogue. Over the next 46 years,<br />
Wise refined and promoted his ideas<br />
about reform and developed<br />
institutions to support them. A<br />
new prayerbook, the Minhag America,<br />
a conference of reform Jewish<br />
congregations and a Hebrew College<br />
to train an indigenous rabbinate were<br />
the principal elements of his plan.<br />
Through Wise’s influence, <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
became known, and remains, the<br />
center of reform Judaism.<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
38<br />
language in their homes, churches and<br />
schools. In 1836 the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Volksblatt<br />
began publication. By 1850 <strong>Cincinnati</strong> had<br />
four German-language newspapers.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Germans also formed special-interest<br />
societies. Between 1836 and 1860, four<br />
German militia units were formed, which<br />
became the basis for the Ohio Ninth<br />
Regiment during the Civil War. Numerous<br />
savings societies were organized to help with<br />
financial needs. <strong>Cincinnati</strong> also became the<br />
home of the first American Turnverein.<br />
Organized by Frederick Hecker, a hero of<br />
the ill-fated 1848 revolutions in Europe, the<br />
Turnverein sought to develop a “refined<br />
humanity” in its membership through<br />
physical exercise and intellectual pursuits.<br />
Perhaps the organizations that had the most<br />
enduring impact on <strong>Cincinnati</strong> life were the<br />
German singing societies. In 1838 the<br />
first German male chorus was formed,<br />
and by mid-century there were dozens<br />
of bands, orchestras and singing societies.<br />
In 1849 many of them joined to hold<br />
the first German music festival in the city,<br />
the Saengerfest.<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Germans represented many<br />
different backgrounds and outlooks. One<br />
of the most important subgroups was the<br />
large number of German Jews who<br />
immigrated to <strong>Cincinnati</strong>. Prior to 1830<br />
no more than 150 Jews, mostly English in<br />
background, lived in the city. Over the<br />
next three decades, between 8,000 and<br />
10,000 new Jews, mostly from Germany,<br />
streamed into <strong>Cincinnati</strong>.<br />
Jewish residents before 1830<br />
worshipped in an orthodox fashion in two<br />
synagogues. <strong>The</strong> arrival of the German<br />
Jews brought new influences. <strong>The</strong> German<br />
Jewish leadership who came to <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
pressed for “modernization” of Jewish laws<br />
and ritual to conform them to the larger<br />
American culture. Under the leadership of<br />
rabbis Max Lilienthal and Isaac M. Wise,<br />
who arrived in <strong>Cincinnati</strong> in the mid-<br />
1850s, the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Jewish community<br />
became a prominent center for the reform<br />
movement in America. Reforms included<br />
the dropping of certain holy days, the<br />
introduction of organ music and choirs<br />
Citizenship certificate issued to Gerhard Jacobs.<br />
with men and women, an end to the<br />
custom of wearing hats during services<br />
and, most importantly, the reform of the<br />
prayer book. <strong>The</strong> ideas of these men and<br />
their collaborators were communicated<br />
through the Israelite, which began<br />
publishing in <strong>Cincinnati</strong> in 1854, and<br />
through rabbinical training at Hebrew<br />
Union College, founded in 1876.<br />
Beginning in 1846 a potato blight drove<br />
thousands of Irish from their homeland.<br />
Many of them comprised the second group<br />
of immigrants to reach <strong>Cincinnati</strong>. Like the<br />
Germans, the Irish organized to meet their<br />
needs. <strong>The</strong>y formed several militia units,<br />
which became the core of the Ohio l0th<br />
Regiment in the Civil War, and, in 1849,<br />
the Hibernian Society to assist the Irish<br />
here and those left behind. Unlike the<br />
Germans, the Irish were mostly of peasant<br />
backgrounds. <strong>The</strong>y did not bring the skills<br />
and experience that would allow them<br />
rapid adjustment to American and urban<br />
life. Consequently, the Irish were poorer<br />
and less secure than the Germans.<br />
<strong>The</strong> native-born residents watched this<br />
influx of new people closely and fearfully,<br />
with newspapers regularly reporting<br />
immigration statistics. <strong>The</strong>se foreign people<br />
seemed to carry the threat of labor unrest,<br />
intemperance, illiteracy, pauperism and<br />
crime. <strong>The</strong> response of the immigrants to
their new surroundings often fed such<br />
suspicion. German and Irish customs<br />
sometimes conflicted with those of the<br />
Americans. Native-born <strong>Cincinnati</strong>ans<br />
found the way immigrants observed the<br />
Sabbath particularly aggravating. Yet, the<br />
newcomers thought the American<br />
Protestant Sunday—with no entertainment,<br />
no saloons and no theaters—was drab and<br />
oppressive. Americans mistakenly<br />
concluded that the complex of ethnic<br />
societies showed that the immigrants<br />
wanted to share in the wealth of America<br />
without becoming “American.”<br />
Many Americans also viewed as<br />
dangerous the loyalties of the immigrants to<br />
their homeland and to European<br />
institutions—especially the Roman Catholic<br />
Church. This distrust was expressed in<br />
several ways. Judge Bellamy Storer required<br />
Irish Catholics who were applying for<br />
citizenship to swear on and kiss the<br />
Protestant Bible. Officeholders routinely gave<br />
native-born Americans preference when<br />
hiring for publicly financed construction<br />
jobs. Individual immigrants regularly found<br />
themselves the objects of violence.<br />
Such anti-foreign sentiment reached its<br />
peak in the early 1850s, poisoning the city’s<br />
political climate. In 1854 one newspaper<br />
ridiculed the Democratic Party with a<br />
mock “Holy Church Democratic State<br />
Ticket” slating Pope Pius IX for “Supreme<br />
Judge” and Bishop John Baptist Purcell for<br />
the board of public works. In April 1855<br />
an effort to elect city officials resulted in<br />
three days of violence. <strong>The</strong> nativists<br />
imported 300 Kentucky toughs to “protect<br />
the polls.” <strong>The</strong>se men seized the ballot<br />
boxes in the predominantly German 11th<br />
Ward and tried to do the same in the<br />
Ninth. Violence continued into the<br />
following day when German militias<br />
barricaded the bridges into Over-the-<br />
Rhine. <strong>The</strong> nativists stormed the barricades<br />
at night yelling such rallying cries as “Kill<br />
the Dutch,” but the trained militia easily<br />
repulsed them. <strong>The</strong> anti-Catholic and antiforeign<br />
sentiment—which had surfaced in<br />
many American communities at the same<br />
time—soon subsided in the face of the<br />
T H E U N D E R G R O U N D R A I L R O A D<br />
In the years after the Civil War, stories of the underground railroad that helped<br />
runaway slaves travel north to safety and freedom came to rank among the most<br />
popular elements of local legend. <strong>The</strong>y were also among the most exaggerated,<br />
misunderstood and difficult to document.<br />
Contrary to legend, no tunnels burrowed under the Ohio River and no highly<br />
organized institution existed to spirit runaways northward. Most importantly, the idea<br />
that runaways were helpless cargo in the caring hands of highly principled and<br />
fearless whites distorted reality.<br />
Runaways found assistance principally from fellow blacks, who rarely trusted even<br />
well known abolitionists with news that a new group of slaves was passing through.<br />
In 1837 James G. Birney, publisher of the abolitionist newspaper <strong>The</strong> Philanthropist,<br />
speaking of runaways passing through <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, commented that “I know nothing<br />
of them generally till they are past.” Certainly some whites in <strong>Cincinnati</strong> assisted<br />
escaping slaves, such as Levi Coffin, the reputed “president” of the underground<br />
railroad. While probably more developed in <strong>Cincinnati</strong> than in most northern<br />
cities, the underground railroad remained an informal network primarily by blacks,<br />
for blacks.<br />
Owners advertised in local newspapers for the<br />
return of runaway slaves. Liberty Hall (September 26,<br />
1810), suppl. p. 2.<br />
EUGENE F. BLISS FUND PURCHASE.<br />
rising national controversy with the South<br />
over the extension of slavery.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Ohio River formed the border<br />
between the slave South and the free North.<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> lay along the path for thousands<br />
of freed blacks and runaway slaves escaping<br />
the South before the Civil War. Most blacks<br />
traveled farther north, possibly as far as<br />
Canada, but some settled in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>.<br />
Generally, between 1820 and 1870, the<br />
black proportion of the city’s population<br />
amounted to only a modest 2½ percent. On<br />
Charles T. Webber (1825-1911), Slave Auction.<br />
Oil on canvas.<br />
PURCHASE.<br />
several occasions, however, that percentage<br />
increased significantly. At the end of the<br />
1820s it rose to 9.6 percent and in 1840 to<br />
4.8 percent.<br />
C H A P T E R 2<br />
3 9
C. Foster, Lane <strong>The</strong>ological Seminary, Walnut Hills. Lithograph from Charles Cist’s <strong>Cincinnati</strong> in 1841: Its<br />
Early Annals and Future Prospects (<strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 1841), following p. 120.<br />
T H E B E E C H E R S A N D<br />
T H E A N T I S L A V E R Y M O V E M E N T<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> was the birthplace of an antislavery movement with nationwide<br />
repercussions. In the 1830s the Reverend Lyman Beecher, the most powerful preacher of<br />
his day, was persuaded to come to the city to head Lane <strong>The</strong>ological Seminary and several<br />
of his talented children accompanied him.<br />
In this border city, the issue of slavery was subject to ongoing debate. While Lyman<br />
Beecher was opposed to slavery, he favored gradual emancipation and colonization over<br />
immediate abolition. Nonetheless, for a time he allowed Lane to serve as a center for<br />
antislavery agitation and uplift programs for free blacks living in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>.<br />
Reverend Lyman Beecher’s reform-minded daughters, Harriet and Catharine, participated<br />
fully in the intellectual and cultural life of the<br />
city, moving in circles which included Daniel<br />
Drake and Salmon P. Chase. <strong>The</strong>y were<br />
knowledgeable of the latest thinking on such<br />
diverse topics as theology, geography and<br />
home economics, and they were particularly<br />
interested in efforts to improve the conditions<br />
of women and children.<br />
In <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, Harriet Beecher married<br />
Calvin Stowe, a Lane Seminary theology<br />
professor, and bore six children. When her<br />
youngest baby fell victim to the cholera<br />
epidemic of 1849, she was struck by the<br />
similar sorrow experienced by slave women<br />
who had their children torn from them.<br />
Inspired to write a novel of life in slavery, in<br />
1852 she produced Uncle Tom’s Cabin, one of<br />
the most effective propaganda pieces for the<br />
antislavery movement. Although it was <strong>The</strong> first edition of the controversial Uncle Tom’s<br />
written and published shortly after she left Cabin, published in 1852, was later printed in<br />
the city for Maryland, Uncle Tom’s Cabin was numerous English and foreign language editions.<br />
based upon her <strong>Cincinnati</strong> experience.<br />
GIFT OF MR. AND MRS. JOHN J. EMERY.<br />
Professors at Lane Seminary, 1840-1850. Left<br />
to right: Calvin E. Stowe, Lyman Beecher, and Diarca<br />
Howe Allen. Photograph.<br />
GIFT OF THE REVEREND JAMES C. WHITE.<br />
Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896). Engraving.<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
40
This third stream of “outsiders”<br />
troubled the native white citizens of<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>. <strong>The</strong> problems that confronted<br />
the foreign immigrants were compounded<br />
for blacks. <strong>The</strong>y were forced to occupy the<br />
worst housing, particularly in the<br />
infamous “Bucktown” (or “Little Africa”)<br />
area that lay between Sixth and Seventh<br />
Streets from Broadway to Culvert.<br />
Conditions were appalling. Visitors spoke<br />
of courtyards filled with garbage, one<br />
water hydrant to serve 300 people, and<br />
several open sewers. <strong>The</strong> area drew the<br />
poorest and most disreputable elements of<br />
the city’s population, including some poor<br />
whites—mostly Irish. <strong>The</strong> predominance<br />
of blacks in the area led many<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>ans to associate the reputation<br />
of Bucktown with that of the black<br />
community. Bucktown became a code<br />
word for vice and crime, and this<br />
reputation affected all blacks in the city.<br />
Blacks faced difficulties in securing jobs<br />
as well. Although a few blacks amassed<br />
small fortunes, most were forced into<br />
menial, low-paying positions. Before 1840<br />
black women found work easier to obtain<br />
than did black men. Jobs as chambermaids,<br />
washerwomen and domestic servants were<br />
open to them. After 1840, however, labor<br />
shortages caused by the economic boom<br />
became serious enough to open the<br />
mainstream of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s economy to<br />
black men—particularly on the riverfront,<br />
where many found work as roustabouts<br />
and deckhands.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Civil War disrupted even these<br />
modest gains. <strong>The</strong> loss of southern<br />
markets and the closing of the river trade<br />
markedly reduced the availability of work<br />
on the river. Keen competition for the<br />
remaining positions resulted, particularly<br />
between the blacks and the Irish. <strong>The</strong><br />
growing tension came to a head in July<br />
1862. Lexington, Kentucky, faced a<br />
possible invasion by Confederate troops<br />
under John Hunt Morgan. <strong>The</strong> danger<br />
prompted <strong>Cincinnati</strong> to send a contingent<br />
of 120 of the city police force to Lexington,<br />
leaving too few policemen to deter<br />
lawlessness in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>. Violence broke<br />
out on July 10 and continued for a week.<br />
Blacks on the riverfront or in Bucktown<br />
were in the path of the mobs, whose<br />
numbers swelled each night. Many blacks<br />
left the city for the safety of the<br />
surrounding hills, while others armed and<br />
barricaded themselves in Bucktown.<br />
<strong>The</strong> city’s history had been punctuated<br />
by earlier race riots in 1829, 1836 and<br />
1841—all coinciding with peaks of black<br />
residency. But the 1862 riot marked an<br />
important turning point. <strong>The</strong> advances in<br />
employment which black men had<br />
achieved over the preceding 20 years were<br />
steadily reversed. In 1860 employment of<br />
blacks in the mainstream of the<br />
commercial and industrial activity of<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> had reached 33 percent of the<br />
Negro labor force. By 1870, this figure had<br />
dropped in half.<br />
Despite these hardships, blacks in<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> achieved something unique in<br />
the United States before the Civil War. In<br />
1852 they won from the state legislature<br />
the right to organize and operate the<br />
Independent Colored School System. <strong>The</strong><br />
proceeds from taxes on black property<br />
financed the system, and a black school<br />
board elected by the black community<br />
administered it. This institution had a farreaching<br />
impact. <strong>The</strong> black community<br />
gained political experience and developed<br />
leadership far superior to almost any other<br />
place in the country. <strong>The</strong> more than 60<br />
graduates of Gaines High School in the 10<br />
years after it opened in 1866 provided a<br />
base for the emerging black middle class,<br />
as well as winning a reputation for<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> wherever the graduates taught.<br />
<strong>The</strong> independent black school board was<br />
abolished in 1874, weakening the power<br />
base of the black politicians. Yet the<br />
success of the black community in<br />
running the system helped to undermine<br />
the racial stereotypes held by whites and<br />
helped build pride and confidence.<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s burgeoning population<br />
and its expanding industries made the city<br />
not only bigger but more complex.<br />
Municipal government was inadequate<br />
to cope with the changes. When<br />
T H E U N I T E D S T A T E S<br />
S A N I T A R Y C O M M I S S I O N<br />
<strong>The</strong> United States Sanitary<br />
Commission, a citizens’ group devoted<br />
to preventing disease and alleviating<br />
suffering among Union soldiers and<br />
sailors, carried out its mission by<br />
acquiring goods and funds through<br />
contributions and fairs. <strong>The</strong> <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
branch, formed in 1861, aided in<br />
establishing a soldiers’ home, eight<br />
hospitals in <strong>Cincinnati</strong> and Covington,<br />
one at Camp Dennison and a burial<br />
ground in Spring Grove Cemetery. Its<br />
Great Western Sanitary Fair, December<br />
22, 1863-January 6, 1864, took place<br />
at the Fifth and Sixth street markets and<br />
Mozart and Greenwood halls. <strong>The</strong><br />
“Refreshment Saloon” was at the Palace<br />
Garden on Vine Street. Citizens<br />
sponsored exhibits of relics, war<br />
memorabilia and a tour of the Niles<br />
Works where two gunboats were being<br />
constructed. <strong>The</strong> sale of handmade<br />
articles, produce, flowers, as well as<br />
paintings, prints, original letters and<br />
poems donated by artists, politicians<br />
and authors netted nearly $250,000 for<br />
the relief fund.<br />
C H A P T E R 2<br />
4 1
C I N C I N N A T I D U R I N G T H E C I V I L W A R<br />
In the early 1860s, <strong>Cincinnati</strong> was in the middle of the United States’ great fratricidal struggle.<br />
As the nation drifted towards civil war, <strong>Cincinnati</strong>ans realized they had much to lose. Although<br />
direct rail ties to the East had weakened its traditional economic link to the South, <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
merchants still looked primarily to the river and their southern markets. Also, as a prosperous<br />
northern city on the border of the slave South, <strong>Cincinnati</strong>ans knew their city could become a<br />
prized pawn in a full-scale military confrontation. In the frantic days following Abraham Lincoln’s<br />
election to the presidency, <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s politicians searched for an acceptable compromise.<br />
<strong>The</strong> attack on Fort Sumter, South Carolina, on April 12, 1861, transformed the mood of the<br />
city. Militia companies that already existed quickly became the core of fighting regiments. <strong>The</strong><br />
Rover Guards, Zouave Guards and Lafayette Guards became companies of the Ohio Second<br />
Regiment. Over 1,000 <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Germans rallied around the Turner unit to form the Ohio<br />
Ninth Regiment, while the city’s Irish residents became the backbone of the Ohio l0th Regiment.<br />
Those who did not join active fighting units formed home guards to protect the city. In this same<br />
spirit, the black community attempted to form a unit called the “Attucks Blues” in honor of the<br />
ex-slave who became the first American killed in the Revolution during the Boston Massacre in<br />
1770. However, they were forcibly stopped and informed that they were to keep out of this<br />
“white man’s war.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> first 18 months of the Civil War hit <strong>Cincinnati</strong> hard. <strong>The</strong> river trade collapsed, banks<br />
failed, and farm surpluses glutted the markets. According to one visitor, “<strong>The</strong> trade of<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> was paralyzed for a time... and there was much poverty, I was told, among the<br />
working classes.” In addition, the war went badly for the Union. It seemed Confederate<br />
troops could move at will. On August 30, 1862, at Richmond, Kentucky, seasoned<br />
Confederate troops under General Kirby Smith routed an inexperienced Union army.<br />
10th Ohio Battery! <strong>The</strong> 10th Ohio Volunteer<br />
Infantry, recruited under the command of Colonel<br />
William Haines Lytle, was mustered into three years’<br />
service in 1861. <strong>The</strong> regiment campaigned in West<br />
Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee, taking part in the<br />
Battle of Chickamauga in which Lytle lost his life.<br />
GIFT OF MRS. LEROY SAUNDERS.<br />
Alfred E. Mathews, <strong>The</strong> 73rd Reg’t. Illinois Vol., Crossing the Pontoon Bridge, at <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, Friday Sept. 12, 1862. When <strong>Cincinnati</strong> seemed threatened by General Kirby<br />
Smith’s Confederate forces, Major General Lew Wallace organized the defense of the city and northern Kentucky. To reach Kentucky, a pontoon bridge was hastily constructed. Middleton,<br />
Strobridge and Company lithograph.<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
42
View of Camp Dennison, 16 miles northeast of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, Ohio (1865). A vast tract near Madisonville was arranged for military instruction. Middleton, Strobridge and<br />
Company lithograph.<br />
GIFT OF HENRY M. PINKVOSS.<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>, all but defenseless, was exposed to direct attack. Smith sent General Henry Heth, with 8,000 Confederate soldiers, northward<br />
to <strong>Cincinnati</strong>. Although the Confederacy could not have held the city for an extended period of time, its capture would have given the South<br />
massive supplies—boots and shoes alone filled 12 warehouses—and an awesome psychological victory.<br />
In early September 1862, <strong>Cincinnati</strong>ans rallied to protect their city. General Lew Wallace raised a force of 72,000 that included men<br />
from the city and “squirrel hunters” from the surrounding countryside. This huge force moved across the Ohio River on a hastily constructed<br />
pontoon bridge and marched to positions about three miles south. <strong>The</strong> men hastily completed earthwork defenses centered on Fort Mitchell<br />
while officers attempted to give orders to the citizen-defenders. A Black Brigade, consisting of African American men, helped prepare the<br />
defenses and served alongside the white soldiers and volunteers. In the face of this formidable force, General Henry Heth<br />
withdrew his men. Only minor picket skirmishing occurred.<br />
Although the next summer brought a flying raid by General John Hunt Morgan through the northern fringes of the city, <strong>Cincinnati</strong> was<br />
never again in serious military danger. Economic conditions improved as factories filled military orders and merchants won contracts to<br />
supply the army. Through army enlistments and holding such home-front functions as “<strong>The</strong> Great Western Sanitary Fair,” <strong>Cincinnati</strong>ans<br />
supported the war.<br />
Yet the desire to end the bloodshed through compromise never disappeared. In elections during the war years, <strong>Cincinnati</strong> voters consistently<br />
favored those Democrats known as Copperheads who supported compromise with the Confederacy. George H. Pendleton, who represented<br />
Ohio’s First Congressional District, became the vice presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in 1864. Second District<br />
Congressman Alexander Long’s outspoken support of peace-at-any-price led to his censure by the House of Representatives.<br />
<strong>The</strong> nation’s agony finally ended with Lee’s surrender at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865. When news of the surrender reached<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> at 9:30 that night, huge bonfires and fireworks lit the sky. Despite pouring rain <strong>Cincinnati</strong>ans by the thousands filled the streets<br />
and were described as “perfectly mad with joy.” Five days later the city was again plunged into anger and despair when news of President<br />
Lincoln’s assassination reached <strong>Cincinnati</strong>. <strong>The</strong> assassin’s brother, Junius Brutus Booth, was then performing at Pike’s Opera House in<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> and had to leave town quickly.<br />
C H A P T E R 2<br />
4 3
Peter H. Clark, <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s Most Famous<br />
Colored Citizen. Photograph from Wendell P.<br />
Dabney, <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s Colored Citizens (<strong>Cincinnati</strong>,<br />
1926), p. 104.<br />
P E T E R<br />
H . C L A R K<br />
( 1 8 2 9 - 1 9 2 6 )<br />
Peter Clark gained a national<br />
reputation for his three decades of<br />
leadership in organizing black<br />
education in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>. Clark’s<br />
interests, however, were not limited<br />
to the schoolroom. Throughout his<br />
life, Clark struggled to discover the<br />
right political road for American<br />
blacks. Although most blacks<br />
embraced the Republican Party, Clark<br />
experimented with socialism out of<br />
principle and with the Democratic<br />
Party hoping that a divided black<br />
constituency would force each party<br />
to compete for the black vote. His<br />
political unpredictability angered<br />
whites and unsettled blacks, but<br />
few disagreed with Wendell P.<br />
Dabney’s assessment that Clark was<br />
“<strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s greatest colored product<br />
from the standpoint of intellectuality,<br />
courage, and racial loyalty.”<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>—with fewer than 10,000<br />
people—was chartered as a city in 1819,<br />
governmental responsibilities were<br />
Classification and Course of Study for the Colored Schools of the <strong>City</strong> of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> from First Annual Report<br />
of the…Colored Public Schools… (<strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 1855), pp. 20-21.<br />
confined to two general areas. First, it<br />
regulated aspects of commercial activity by<br />
building and maintaining markethouses,<br />
docks, wharves and streets and by<br />
licensing and regulating carts, wagons,<br />
drays, taverns and theaters. Second, the<br />
city government stepped in during<br />
emergencies that were beyond the control<br />
of individuals, such as fires, riots,<br />
epidemics and unemployment resulting<br />
from natural disasters.<br />
After 1830, with the influx of<br />
immigrants, this limited view of the role of<br />
city government became inadequate.<br />
Thus, it grew in size and in functions that<br />
reflected the massive social and economic<br />
changes occurring in the city. In 1820 city<br />
government included 47 officials; by 1860<br />
First Annual Report of the…Colored Public<br />
Schools… (<strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 1855).<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
44
From Charles Cist’s Sketches and Statistics of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> in 1851 (<strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 1851), p. 257.<br />
C I N C I N N A T I I N 1 8 5 0<br />
It requires no keenness of observation to perceive that <strong>Cincinnati</strong> is destined to become the<br />
focus and mart for the grandest circle of manufacturing thrift on this continent. Her delightful<br />
climate; her unequaled and ever-increasing facilities for cheap and rapid commercial<br />
intercourse with all parts of the country and the world; her enterprising and energetic<br />
population; her own elastic and exulting youth; are all elements which predict and insure her<br />
electric progress to giant greatness. I doubt if there is another spot on the earth where food,<br />
fuel, cotton, timber, iron, can all be concentrated so cheaply—that is, at so moderate a cost<br />
of human labor in producing and bringing them together—as here. Such fatness of soil, such<br />
a wealth of mineral treasure—coal, iron, salt, and the finest clays for all purposes of use—<br />
and all cropping out from the steep, facile banks of placid, though not sluggish, navigable<br />
rivers. How many Californias could equal, in permanent worth, this valley of the Ohio!<br />
- Horace Greeley, New York Tribune (1850).<br />
<strong>The</strong> year 1853 marked the establishment of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s paid fire department and completion of A. B. Latta’s innovative<br />
steam fire engine, “Uncle Joe Ross.” After the 5-ton prototype proved too heavy for regular use, lighter horse-drawn engines<br />
were acquired by the city. This is the first photograph of a <strong>Cincinnati</strong> fire company with its equipment, 1860.<br />
that number had jumped to 1,139, serving<br />
a city of 161,044 people. In 1820<br />
approximately seven percent of the city<br />
government’s spending paid for all of the<br />
social services it provided; by 1860 about<br />
60 percent of the city budget went for<br />
such services that now included<br />
education, health, poor relief, police and<br />
fire protection. Part of this expansion<br />
occurred as the city absorbed services that<br />
private groups had initiated. For example,<br />
through an endowment first established in<br />
1826 by William and Abigail Woodward<br />
and another by Thomas Hughes in 1824,<br />
secondary education was made available<br />
to children. As the common school system<br />
became well established, it became logical<br />
for the city to take over its operation. In<br />
July 1851 the boards of trustees of the two<br />
independent high schools were dissolved<br />
and a new Union School Board began the<br />
direction of the schools.<br />
In other instances the transformation of<br />
government resulted from the<br />
modernization of an established public<br />
function. Fire protection had rested on a<br />
gradually evolving system of volunteer<br />
fire companies throughout the first half<br />
of the 19th century. By mid-century these<br />
volunteer fire companies reflected the<br />
ethnic and social fragmentation of<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s population. Rivalry and<br />
jealousy between the companies<br />
increasingly led to violence. Such<br />
competition also hurt the ability to fight<br />
fires. <strong>The</strong> older members of the<br />
Independent No. 3 company formed a<br />
committee to study reforms. Headed by<br />
Miles Greenwood, the committee surveyed<br />
methods of firefighting throughout the<br />
United States. In New York they found<br />
that firefighters experimented with steam<br />
fire engines; in Boston they discovered<br />
that the city paid their firemen; in New<br />
Orleans companies used horses to pull<br />
their equipment. By combining these<br />
elements, <strong>Cincinnati</strong> created the model for<br />
American urban fire companies for the<br />
next 50 years.<br />
At mid-century, as <strong>Cincinnati</strong>ans worked<br />
to modernize their governmental apparatus<br />
C H A P T E R 2<br />
4 5
John Aubrey, Miles Greenwood. Oil on canvas.<br />
GIFT OF MRS. FRANKLIN GREENWOOD.<br />
M I L E S<br />
G R E E N W O O D<br />
( 1 8 0 7 - 1 8 8 5 )<br />
Miles Greenwood was a machinery<br />
and iron products manufacturer. His<br />
Eagle Iron Works became an important<br />
munitions center during the Civil War.<br />
In the 1850s Greenwood was a<br />
principal proponent for the establishment<br />
of a paid fire department to<br />
replace volunteer organizations. He<br />
subsequently served the new department<br />
as its first Chief Engineer.<br />
and to accommodate increasing numbers of<br />
immigrants, the city reached its zenith. <strong>The</strong><br />
1850 census revealed that the <strong>Queen</strong> <strong>City</strong><br />
had become the sixth largest city in the<br />
United States, the third largest manufacturing<br />
center and America’s fastest growing urban<br />
center. <strong>Cincinnati</strong> appeared to be fulfilling the<br />
dreams of her most ardent boosters.<br />
But never again would purely<br />
quantitative measurements rank <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
so high among American cities. During the<br />
1850s, <strong>Cincinnati</strong> grew by 40 percent,<br />
adding 45,000 people but, the momentum<br />
had passed to others. St. Louis added<br />
83,000 residents to catch up with<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s 161,000. Chicago exploded<br />
Bill of lading issued by B. & D. Urner, commission merchants, for goods to be shipped on the steamboat General<br />
Pike. Engraving.<br />
JOHN J. ROWE COLLECTION.<br />
from a town of 30,000 to a city of<br />
109,260—and was just taking off.<br />
What happened to <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s<br />
fortunes? Did <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s decline relative<br />
to the growth of others result from a failure<br />
of vision by the city’s leadership, or from a<br />
failure to modernize its transportation<br />
system? Or did the city become<br />
complacent and self-satisfied, cutting short<br />
its own potential for greatness?<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
46
By 1860 many observers had begun to<br />
focus on <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s lack of rail<br />
connections as the chief cause of its<br />
“decline.” <strong>The</strong>y tended to blame<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s business community for<br />
having failed to invest enough at a critical<br />
time to make the city the center of the<br />
nation’s rail system. In this judgment<br />
boosters failed to evaluate realistically the<br />
extent to which the economic and<br />
financial decisions that shaped rail<br />
construction in the United States during<br />
the 19th century could have been<br />
controlled by <strong>Cincinnati</strong>ans on behalf of<br />
their city. Had they examined the forces<br />
that produced <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s economic and<br />
population boom in the years before 1850,<br />
they might have understood more fully<br />
why the boom faded.<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> largely became the <strong>Queen</strong><br />
<strong>City</strong> of the West because the steam engine<br />
revolutionized transportation at the same<br />
time that settlers were pouring into the<br />
Ohio Valley. <strong>The</strong> development of the<br />
steamboat allowed <strong>Cincinnati</strong> to exploit<br />
the commercial opportunities of the Ohio<br />
River. Thanks to the steam engine and the<br />
productivity of the agricultural region in<br />
the watershed of the Ohio River,<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> emerged as a commercialindustrial<br />
city with a diversified economy.<br />
But if <strong>Cincinnati</strong> initially benefited from<br />
the impact of the steam revolution on<br />
transportation and from bringing<br />
thousands of acres of rich land under<br />
cultivation, the continuation of these same<br />
processes would, in time, cause her<br />
decline. As the energy of steam was<br />
adapted to travel on land and as the vast<br />
regions of the Mississippi Valley came<br />
under the plow, <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s era of<br />
boundless growth ended.<br />
Railroad service was introduced in the<br />
United States in 1828. Until that time,<br />
land travel had always been slower, less<br />
predictable and more expensive than water<br />
travel. Railroads’ potential to change that<br />
situation was perceived quickly, but most<br />
people assumed that oceans, rivers, and<br />
lakes were the “natural arteries” and would<br />
remain dominant. <strong>The</strong>y believed that<br />
railroads were “artificial arteries” that<br />
would complement the water routes:<br />
railroads would carry people and goods to<br />
the waterways, thus enhancing, not<br />
displacing, the steamboat and canal boat.<br />
Joseph Oriel Eaton (attr.), Jacob Strader. Oil<br />
on canvas.<br />
GIFT OF MR. AND MRS. JOHN J. STRADER.<br />
J A C O B<br />
S T R A D E R<br />
( 1 7 9 5 - 1 8 6 0 )<br />
Jacob Strader was born in New<br />
Jersey. He came to <strong>Cincinnati</strong> in 1816<br />
and soon began to learn about<br />
riverboating. He became engaged in<br />
boat building in 1824 and over the next<br />
20 years built 23 boats. In the 1840s<br />
Captain Strader shifted much of his<br />
interest to railroads and banking. He<br />
became president of the Little Miami<br />
Railroad in 1846 and served as<br />
president of the Commercial Bank for<br />
many years.<br />
Public Landing, <strong>Cincinnati</strong> (c. 1855). At mid-century the public landing was the busiest in its history. Middleton,<br />
Wallace and Company lithograph.<br />
GIFT OF WATSON SMITH.<br />
<strong>The</strong> first successful <strong>Cincinnati</strong>-based<br />
railroad company was the Little Miami<br />
Railroad, chartered in 1836. <strong>The</strong> line<br />
linked <strong>Cincinnati</strong> and Springfield, where it<br />
connected with another line extending to<br />
Lake Erie and gave <strong>Cincinnati</strong> direct access<br />
to the Great Lakes. Early financial troubles,<br />
aggravated by the Panic of 1837, were only<br />
overcome by investing $200,000 of public<br />
money and the private investment of<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> businessman John G. Kilgour.<br />
In the 1840s one other railroad was<br />
begun from <strong>Cincinnati</strong>. <strong>The</strong> <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
C H A P T E R 2<br />
4 7
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>, Hamilton and Dayton Railroad.<br />
<strong>The</strong> railroad constructed a new depot in 1864 in the<br />
West End. F. Tuchfarber and Company. Oil on iron.<br />
EUGENE F. BLISS FUND PURCHASE.<br />
and Hamilton Railroad was chartered in<br />
1846 and expanded in 1847 into the<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>, Hamilton and Dayton<br />
Railroad. Built entirely with private funds,<br />
the line reached Hamilton in 1846 and<br />
Dayton in 1851, where it joined a rail line<br />
to the north.<br />
During the second quarter of the<br />
century, railroad mileage grew rapidly in<br />
Ohio despite little help from the state itself.<br />
In the 1820s and 1830s, Ohio had<br />
encouraged and helped finance the<br />
development of a progressive transportation<br />
system that included turnpikes and canals.<br />
When railroads came along, the state<br />
sought to protect its heavy investment in<br />
canals, and several early railroad charters<br />
provided for compensating the state for any<br />
loss of canal revenues. <strong>The</strong>n the mood of<br />
the public changed regarding the role of<br />
state government in promoting and<br />
financing transportation projects. Many<br />
western states, including Ohio and Indiana,<br />
had overextended public funds by<br />
promoting development schemes. In Ohio<br />
this shift culminated in a new constitution<br />
in 1851 which made it illegal for the state<br />
or the cities to invest in such projects.<br />
Delegates from Hamilton County saw these<br />
changes as ways to protect <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s river<br />
and canal advantages against competition<br />
from railroads.<br />
Such actions, however, failed to<br />
discourage railroad building in Ohio.<br />
Between 1850 and 1860, more than $100<br />
million was spent in building rail lines.<br />
Track mileage increased from 575 to<br />
2,946, giving Ohio the most track of any<br />
state in the country. People both within<br />
and without Ohio invested heavily in<br />
building railroads even though the lines<br />
generally failed to yield great profits.<br />
Some, such as the Little Miami Railroad,<br />
showed modest profit, but they were<br />
exceptions: by 1860 three-quarters of the<br />
railroads in the state were insolvent and<br />
paid no dividends.<br />
Even so, this great effort to construct<br />
railroads in the Midwest began to affect<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>. First, railroads enabled the<br />
<strong>Queen</strong> <strong>City</strong>’s rivals to expand their own<br />
lines of trade, sometimes at the expense of<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>. For example, Louisville built a<br />
rail line to Lexington earlier than a line<br />
connecting Covington to Lexington was<br />
completed. Thus, central Kentucky began<br />
to funnel its goods through Louisville rather<br />
than <strong>Cincinnati</strong>. <strong>The</strong> problem was partly<br />
corrected by the opening of the Covington<br />
and Lexington Railroad in 1854, to which<br />
the city of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> loaned $100,000.<br />
However, once goods arrived in Covington,<br />
they had to be ferried across the Ohio River<br />
to <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, since there was no bridge.<br />
Landlocked Indianapolis had failed to<br />
become more than a sleepy government<br />
center of 4,000 by 1846. But in September<br />
of that year, a rail line opened that<br />
connected Indianapolis to the Ohio River at<br />
Madison, Indiana. This line gave farmers of<br />
central Indiana direct access to the Ohio<br />
River without going through <strong>Cincinnati</strong>.<br />
Indianapolis enjoyed a boomlet. Its<br />
population grew to 10,800 by 1852 and to<br />
18,611 by 1860.<br />
Second, as railroads demonstrated their<br />
advantages over water routes, people ceased<br />
to view railroads primarily as a means of<br />
connecting inland towns to terminals<br />
located on water routes. Ohio’s first railroad<br />
lines had been built along north-south<br />
routes to connect the Ohio River and Lake<br />
Erie, just as canals had done. But by the<br />
1850s, railroads had demonstrated certain<br />
advantages over water transportation: they<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Locomotive Works. Founded in 1853 when Robert Moore and John G. Richardson leased Anthony<br />
Harkness & Son’s buildings and grounds, the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Locomotive Works manufactured locomotives for the Little Miami<br />
Railroad as well as other railroads serving the city. Middleton, Wallace and Company lithograph.<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
48
were not idled for weeks or months at a<br />
time during the winter as canals and rivers<br />
were by freezing weather; they could move<br />
people and freight at lower costs than<br />
canals; they were faster than steamboats;<br />
and they could connect cities by shorter<br />
routes. For example, by river, the route<br />
between Pittsburgh and <strong>Cincinnati</strong> was 470<br />
miles and took three days. By rail, the trip<br />
was reduced to 316 miles and 15 hours.<br />
Similarly, the route from <strong>Cincinnati</strong> to New<br />
Orleans was reduced from 1,484 miles and<br />
eight days to 922 miles and 2½ days. If<br />
railroads could challenge traffic between<br />
river cities, their greater advantage was that<br />
they could carry people and products<br />
between cities not connected by rivers and<br />
canals. Increasingly, rail lines reached out<br />
from eastern cities into the nation’s rich<br />
agricultural heartland passing east-west<br />
through central and northern Ohio.<br />
Midwestern producers whose goods were<br />
ultimately bound for eastern markets soon<br />
were able to ship directly east and avoid the<br />
circuitous route down the Ohio and<br />
Mississippi rivers through New Orleans.<br />
In 1848 William Bebb, governor of<br />
Ohio, addressed the Young Men’s<br />
Mercantile Library Association in<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> on the importance of railroads<br />
to the city’s future:<br />
<strong>The</strong> railroad has made the land as<br />
subservient to commerce as the water.<br />
Railroads are to be the artificial rivers of<br />
these latter days, and wo to that<br />
commercial city that suffers these rivers to<br />
be diverted from it. <strong>Cincinnati</strong> may, by<br />
these instrumentalities, if she will,<br />
command the Mississippi valley. Her<br />
present greatness is already attracting<br />
them and it will require a good deal of<br />
neglect and repulsion from her to drive<br />
them off, yet she may do it, and thus dash<br />
her golden hopes.<br />
Erasmus Gest (1820-1908), Gest’s Map of Railways Centering at <strong>Cincinnati</strong> with their Tributary Lines in<br />
Adjoining States and Canada West (1853).<br />
GIFT OF THE CINCINNATI ART MUSEUM.<br />
Bebb’s remarks may have overestimated<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s capacity to shape her future,<br />
but the city appeared to lack its earlier<br />
vigor in completing several development<br />
projects that affected her economic well-<br />
C H A P T E R 2<br />
4 9
Railroad passes.<br />
MARIETTA AND CINCINNATI RAILROAD EMPLOYEE’S TICKET, GIFT OF SARAH A. THOMAS; CINCINNATI, HAMILTON AND DAYTON RAILROAD TICKET, GIFT OF THE OHIO MECHANICS’ INSTITUTE.<br />
being. <strong>The</strong> enlargement of the canal at the<br />
Falls of the Ohio in Louisville, the building<br />
of a bridge across the Ohio River, the rail<br />
lines to connect <strong>Cincinnati</strong> with Lexington<br />
and with Indianapolis were all pursued<br />
with conspicuous deliberateness and<br />
frequently over the opposition of business<br />
interests tied to the river.<br />
Still, at mid-century, <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
controlled the trade of the upper Ohio,<br />
and that trade was flourishing. From 1848<br />
to 1851, an average of 3,649 steamboats<br />
docked at <strong>Cincinnati</strong> each year. <strong>The</strong> yearly<br />
average dropped to 2,961 in the 1856-<br />
1859 period. A depression and a<br />
prolonged drought in the late 1850s that<br />
restricted river travel blurred the impact<br />
railroads may have had on this decline.<br />
And <strong>Cincinnati</strong> did respond by building<br />
enough rail lines to supplement its existing<br />
transportation system. Most importantly,<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s economy had reached a stage<br />
of development that afforded a wide range<br />
of investment opportunities. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>ans<br />
perceived their city more as a<br />
manufacturing center than as a trading<br />
center. Its leaders did not generally believe<br />
that railroads would substantially affect<br />
that status. <strong>Cincinnati</strong> investment capital<br />
had become important throughout the<br />
Ohio and Mississippi valleys in developing<br />
factories and commercial facilities, even in<br />
rival cities like Chicago.<br />
As the pace of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s growth<br />
slowed during the 1850s, people became<br />
aware that Chicago had emerged as<br />
Governor Morrow, built in 1841 by Thomas Rogers of Patterson, New Jersey, was the first locomotive of the Little<br />
Miami Railroad. Model built by John H. White, Jr., 1974.<br />
GIFT OF JOHN H. WHITE, JR.<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s primary challenger. In 1854 the<br />
value of Chicago’s export and import trade<br />
was about one-half of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s, but by<br />
1858 parity had been achieved. Some<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>ans did not find such statistics<br />
alarming, for <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s industrial output<br />
was four times larger than Chicago’s. Even<br />
Stephen Douglas observed in 1859, “<strong>The</strong>re<br />
is no better place than <strong>Cincinnati</strong> for<br />
manufacturers, and no better place to<br />
distribute than Chicago.” Other observers<br />
were not comforted, noting that Chicago<br />
was pushing out railroad enterprises in all<br />
directions. But more fundamental forces<br />
were at work: railroads were effects as well<br />
as causes. Chicago benefited from railroads<br />
just as <strong>Cincinnati</strong> had benefited from<br />
steamboats, and Chicago was building its<br />
trade on the agricultural productivity of the<br />
Mississippi Valley, just as <strong>Cincinnati</strong> had<br />
earlier profited from the productivity of its<br />
surrounding region.<br />
A comparison of the pork-packing<br />
industries in the two cities illustrated the<br />
remarkable ascendancy of Chicago in the<br />
1850s. In 1845 <strong>Cincinnati</strong> was worldfamous<br />
as “Porkopolis” for processing<br />
more than 250,000 hogs. By 1858<br />
that figure had risen to 414,752, while<br />
Chicago packed 135,474. Just eight years<br />
later, however, Chicago had become, in<br />
Carl Sandburg’s phrase, the new<br />
“hog butcher of the world” by packing<br />
573,344 head, while <strong>Cincinnati</strong> remained<br />
constant at 408,345. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s porkpacking<br />
industry did not decline<br />
noticeably—it remained the second largest<br />
center for another 20 years. In this<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
50
and other areas of economic activity,<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s development leveled out and<br />
grew more slowly.<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s loss of leadership in the<br />
West deeply disturbed its boosters. Some<br />
vehemently condemned the city’s leaders,<br />
as did William M. Corry in 1860, when he<br />
contended that <strong>Cincinnati</strong> had “long been<br />
laboring under bad advisers, careless<br />
agents, and small officers. Her citizens<br />
have put their trust in themselves too little,<br />
and in schemers and charlatans too much,<br />
and her widow weeds and discrowned<br />
head attest their errors and her sorrows.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> frustration was, perhaps,<br />
understandable, but the hyperbole was<br />
misleading. <strong>Cincinnati</strong> continued to grow<br />
for the remainder of the century, reaching<br />
a population of 255,139 by 1880 and<br />
325,902 by 1900. Yet, Corry touched<br />
upon an essential reality about the city. In<br />
1850 <strong>Cincinnati</strong> had been self-confident,<br />
energetic and at center stage. By 1860 the<br />
city seemed adrift and disoriented as it<br />
adjusted to its destiny of playing only a<br />
supporting role among western cities.<br />
<strong>The</strong> convolutions surrounding the Civil<br />
War further distressed <strong>Cincinnati</strong>. Its trade<br />
had been almost equally divided between<br />
that going east and that going downriver.<br />
Its people had developed close economic<br />
and personal ties with Southerners. At first<br />
the loss of river traffic caused severe<br />
economic problems, but after 1863 a rising<br />
number of war contracts and renewed river<br />
trade reduced the economic impact.<br />
Following the war <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
businessmen embarked on several projects<br />
to re-establish southern trade based on<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s manufacturing and the South’s<br />
mineral resources. <strong>The</strong> boldest such<br />
enterprise involved building a rail line into<br />
the upper South similar to a concept that<br />
Daniel Drake had promoted 30 years<br />
earlier. Now, because of Chicago’s growth<br />
and that of other Great Lakes cities,<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> embraced the scheme. Its<br />
business leaders felt that such a rail line<br />
would help <strong>Cincinnati</strong> exchange its<br />
manufactured products for raw materials.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y chose Chattanooga as the terminus<br />
Depot of the Little Miami Railroad, located between Front Street and the Ohio River near present day Daniel Carter<br />
Beard Bridge (I-471). Clipping.<br />
GIFT OF MRS. RUSSELL WILSON.<br />
Music Hall, March 18, 1880, In Commemoration the Completion of the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Southern Railway.<br />
Construction of the railway began in 1873, and in 1880 the first passenger train ran from Chattanooga to <strong>Cincinnati</strong>. A<br />
banquet to celebrate the event was given by the citizens of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> for their southern visitors. M. P. Levyeau and<br />
Company lithograph.<br />
GIFT OF W. W. TAYLOR.<br />
C H A P T E R 2<br />
5 1
Baseball–the Match Between the “Red Stockings” and the “Atlantics.” Engraving from Harper’s Weekly (July 2,<br />
1870), pp. 424-25.<br />
T H E C I N C I N N A T I R E D S T O C K I N G S O F 1 8 6 9<br />
<strong>The</strong> Red Stockings. Cover of sheet music<br />
illustrating the 1869 Red Stockings. Oliver Ditson and<br />
Company (Boston) lithograph.<br />
During the early 19th century, American baseball slowly emerged from the English game of<br />
rounders. Wealthy gentlemen organized the first teams in New York in the early 1840s. By the<br />
early 1860s, when the first teams were assembled in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, there was increasing pressure to<br />
pay talented players recruited from the lower classes. A pretense of amateurism was maintained<br />
by finding jobs for these men with local establishments, but expecting no work from them.<br />
In 1866 several young <strong>Cincinnati</strong> lawyers and businessmen interested in playing<br />
baseball as amateurs formed the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Red Stockings. Under the influence of<br />
Englishman Harry Wright, who came to <strong>Cincinnati</strong> in 1866 as a professional cricket player<br />
with the Union Cricket Club, the Red Stockings moved towards revolutionizing the game.<br />
Beginning in 1869 the Red Stockings took the controversial step of forming an entire team<br />
of openly paid players. Salaries ranged from $600 to $1,400. <strong>The</strong>se new Reds soon established<br />
themselves as the dominant team in the West and then undertook a tour of the East. By<br />
defeating the New York <strong>City</strong> Mutuals and the Brooklyn Atlantics, the Red Stockings captured<br />
the attention and admiration of the country. When the team returned triumphantly to the<br />
<strong>Queen</strong> <strong>City</strong>, they were presented a 27-foot “champion” bat. By the end of this first season, the<br />
team had outscored their opponents 2,395 runs to 575, winning 64 games and tying one.<br />
At the opening of the 1870 season, the team reeled off another 27 victories. <strong>The</strong>n, on June<br />
14, they fell to the Brooklyn Atlantics by the score of eight to seven in 11 innings. Nine<br />
thousand partisan Atlantics fans viewed the game, and newspapers across the country reported<br />
the loss. <strong>The</strong> Reds dropped only four more games during the remainder of the season.<br />
At the end of the 1870 season, the combination of waning fan support and increased<br />
salary demands that threatened to push the payroll above $8,000 caused the team president,<br />
Aaron Champion, to announce the suspension of the team. Although the city was without<br />
professional baseball for the next six years, the example of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s professional team<br />
spurred the formation of similar, professional baseball clubs across the country.<br />
Expense account for the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Reds’ 1888 trip<br />
to Louisville to play a series with the Eclipse Club. From<br />
the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Base Ball Club Records, 1882-1888.<br />
Presentation of the championship bat to the Red Stockings on their return to <strong>Cincinnati</strong> from their<br />
triumphal tour of 1869. Engraving from Harper’s Weekly (June 24, 1869), p. 477.<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
52
Plan of Esplanade (1871). Ink on paper. Tyler Davidson Fountain Collection, 1866-1900.<br />
GIFT OF WILLIAM S. ROWE.<br />
for the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Southern Railroad<br />
because it rested at the edge of the central<br />
Appalachian coal and iron deposits.<br />
Although the project was undertaken in<br />
1869, construction was not begun until<br />
1873 and not completed until 1880.<br />
While the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Southern Railroad<br />
was under construction, <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s<br />
boosters forged a new identity for themselves<br />
and the <strong>Queen</strong> <strong>City</strong>. <strong>The</strong>y worked to create<br />
a city of culture and tradition, of beauty and<br />
pageantry. Whether the boosters, having<br />
given up on making <strong>Cincinnati</strong> the nation’s<br />
largest city, turned inward and built an<br />
artistic tradition for its own sake or whether<br />
they consciously chose a path that would<br />
distinguish <strong>Cincinnati</strong> among the sprawling,<br />
rambunctious cities of the West, they may<br />
not have known themselves. <strong>The</strong> cultural<br />
development accomplished in the next 20<br />
years was as awesome in its way as the<br />
phenomenal growth had been a generation<br />
earlier. Parks and playgrounds, a music hall<br />
and an “art palace,” festivals and expositions,<br />
and even a baseball team built civic pride<br />
among <strong>Cincinnati</strong>ans.<br />
One of the first developments in<br />
rekindling pride came about<br />
unintentionally. Successful businessman<br />
Henry Probasco sought only to give the city<br />
a fountain in honor of his deceased business<br />
partner and brother-in-law, Tyler Davidson.<br />
While touring Europe he visited several<br />
foundries in search of a fountain free from<br />
conventional mythological symbolism. His<br />
search ended at the Royal Bronze Foundry<br />
of Bavaria, headed by Ferdinand von Miller.<br />
<strong>The</strong> fountain’s design had been developed<br />
around 1840 by August von Kreling, the<br />
nucleus of a group of young artists who<br />
strove for realism in their work. <strong>The</strong><br />
fountain Kreling had designed and which so<br />
pleased Probasco portrayed the blessings of<br />
water. It was headed by the “Genius of<br />
Water.” Water fell from her fingers onto<br />
sculpted figures depicting the importance of<br />
water in quenching thirst and fire, for<br />
bathing and for growing crops. <strong>The</strong> city tore<br />
down a market house in the middle of Fifth<br />
Street and, in 1871, erected the fountain<br />
that quickly became <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s symbol.<br />
<strong>The</strong> city’s appearance needed attention.<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> had become seriously<br />
overcrowded with its people working<br />
and living in the smoky basin. Prior to<br />
the Civil War, <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s officials,<br />
like those in most other American<br />
cities, did not appreciate the need for<br />
parks. On various occasions <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
had turned down offers for the sale<br />
of land well below market value by<br />
such men as Nicholas Longworth and<br />
Jacob Burnet.<br />
Esplanade from William F. Poole’s <strong>The</strong> Tyler Davidson Fountain Given by Mr. Henry Probasco to the <strong>City</strong> of<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> (<strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 1872), facing p. 4.<br />
GIFT OF THOMAS LAMPERTZ.<br />
C H A P T E R 2<br />
5 3
Davidson Fountain—(Front view) from Poole’s<br />
<strong>The</strong> Tyler Davidson Fountain, facing p. 1.<br />
<strong>The</strong> earliest efforts in America to create<br />
planned green spaces began in eastern<br />
cities in the 1830s and focused on<br />
developing cemeteries in countrylike<br />
settings. Mt. Auburn in Boston (1831),<br />
Laurel Hill in Philadelphia (1836) and<br />
Greenwood Cemetery in New York (1838)<br />
became models for this new type of<br />
cemetery. Rural cemeteries were designed<br />
to preserve the sense of informality,<br />
simplicity and openness of the natural<br />
setting, enhanced by careful improvements<br />
through plantings and the construction of<br />
ponds and lakes. Adolph Strauch, a<br />
Photographs of plaster models of the front and rear figures (September 1869). Tyler Davidson Fountain Collection.<br />
German-trained landscape gardener, had<br />
settled in <strong>Cincinnati</strong> to develop and care<br />
for the hilltop estates of people like<br />
Probasco. In the 1850s he applied the<br />
rural cemetery concept at Spring Grove in<br />
the Mill Creek Valley on the northern edge<br />
of the city.<br />
Strauch also shaped the city’s first parks<br />
outside the basin. <strong>The</strong> need for a better<br />
supply of water prompted the acquisition<br />
of property on Mt. Adams from Joseph<br />
Longworth in 1869. His father, Nicholas<br />
Longworth, had once maintained<br />
vineyards there in his “Garden of Eden.”<br />
From the beginning it was decided that<br />
any land the waterworks did not require<br />
would be developed as a park. Here and<br />
in Burnet Woods, Strauch directed the<br />
planting of trees and greenery, the<br />
development of lakes and ponds, and the<br />
careful maintenance of the grounds in<br />
such a way that nature would be enhanced<br />
but not altered.<br />
Designs for drinking cups of white tin plate, ornamented of the same metal bronze as the fountain itself (1870). Signed Fritz Miller. Tyler Davidson Fountain Collection.<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
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Spring Grove Cemetery (1858). <strong>The</strong> original development plan was made by John Notman, designer of<br />
Philadelphia’s Laurel Hill Cemetery. Adolph Strauch’s landscaping plan was adopted soon after he became superintendent<br />
in 1855. Middleton, Strobridge and Company lithograph.<br />
Eldridge Derry Grafton, Adolph Strauch (1822-<br />
1883), “In Compliment to Adolph Strauch, <strong>The</strong> Pioneer<br />
Landscape Gardener of the West.” Watercolor (1883).<br />
GIFT OF OTTO STRAUCH.<br />
GIFT FROM THE ESTATE OF GRACE F. SPIEGEL.<br />
<strong>The</strong> creation of the <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
Zoological Gardens provided <strong>Cincinnati</strong>ans<br />
with yet another type of open space.<br />
Led by Andrew Erkenbrecher and others,<br />
the Zoo was incorporated on July 11,<br />
1873. Rejected as a tenant for Burnet<br />
Woods, which was then being developed<br />
as a park, the Zoological Society purchased<br />
land of its own and opened on September<br />
18, 1875, with a curious menagerie<br />
that included an old circus elephant and<br />
a blind hyena. <strong>The</strong> collections grew<br />
rapidly in size, scope and popularity.<br />
In succeeding years the institution<br />
faced numerous financial problems, from<br />
which businesses and philanthropists<br />
rescued it, until 1932 when the city<br />
purchased it.<br />
A series of festivals and expositions<br />
begun in the 1870s demonstrated how the<br />
city combined commerce and culture in<br />
this period. From 1838 to 1860, the Ohio<br />
Mechanics’ Institute had sponsored a series<br />
List of Animals Donated to the Zoological<br />
Gardens from the First Annual Report of the<br />
Zoological Society of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, for the Year 1874<br />
(<strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 1875), p. 32.<br />
Listening to the Beautiful Song Birds at <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Zoo (c. 1908). Postcard.<br />
GIFT OF DOROTHY HERMANIES.<br />
C H A P T E R 2<br />
5 5
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Music Hall and Exposition Buildings (1879). Russell, Morgan and Company lithograph.<br />
of 18 trade fairs, which ceased in Civil War<br />
years. Under the leadership of Major Alfred<br />
T. Goshorn and Miles Greenwood, and with<br />
the cooperation of the Ohio Mechanics’<br />
Institute, the Chamber of Commerce and<br />
the Board of Trade, <strong>Cincinnati</strong> prepared a<br />
fair for the fall of 1870 that was larger than<br />
Centennial Exposition Bridge (1888). James Landy photograph.<br />
any held before the war. That year<br />
Saengerfest Hall was built in time for the<br />
spring festival of German singing societies,<br />
and in the fall it became the nucleus of a<br />
fair that attracted visitors from outside the<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> area. This and succeeding fairs<br />
had certain common features, including<br />
Alfred Traber Goshorn from Harry Ellard’s<br />
Baseball in <strong>Cincinnati</strong> (<strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 1907), p. 136.<br />
A L B E R T<br />
T R A B E R<br />
G O S H O R N<br />
( 1 8 3 3 - 1 9 0 2 )<br />
One of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s leading<br />
citizens of the 1860s and 1870s,<br />
Alfred T. Goshorn earned a reputation<br />
as the “father” of the <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
Industrial Expositions and achieved<br />
international prominence as Director-<br />
General of the U.S. Centennial<br />
Exposition held in Philadelphia in<br />
1876. According to one early<br />
biographer, his exceptional managerial<br />
ability and wide-ranging participation<br />
in civic affairs led to <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s<br />
“advancement in every phase.”<br />
A. T. Goshorn held many offices of<br />
importance and served as one of two<br />
early mayors of Clifton. His<br />
contributions as originator and three<br />
term president of the <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
Industrial Expositions earned him such<br />
wide acclaim that he was asked to<br />
direct the U. S. Centennial Exposition<br />
in Philadelphia, a post he held from<br />
1873 to 1877. He received awards and<br />
decorations from many foreign<br />
countries to commemorate his service.<br />
GIFT OF JUSTIN BEHLE.<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
56
<strong>The</strong> Seventh Industrial Exposition of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> in the Grand Permanent Buildings, September 10th to<br />
October 10th— View of the Exhibits Displayed in the Music Hall from Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper<br />
(September 20, 1879). From the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Musical Festival Association Records, 1875-1962.<br />
An advertisement printed by Robert Clarke for the<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Industrial Exposition (1873). Broadside.<br />
GIFTS OF JOHN WARRINGTON, CORNELIUS J. HAUCK, SAMUEL POGUE, MRS. LOUIS NIPPERT AND TED GARDNER.<br />
Fest-Halle (1870). In the 1870s music reigned supreme in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s cultural life. For the Saengerfest of 1870, a<br />
great auditorium 110 feet by 250 feet was constructed on Elm at 14th Street, opposite Washington Park. On the first<br />
evening, 12,000 people, sitting and standing, packed the hall. Charles F. Wilstach and Company lithograph.<br />
GIFT OF THE COLLEGE OF MUSIC.<br />
machinery, much of it manufactured in<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>, displayed in a “Power Hall,”<br />
plus horticultural and art exhibits. <strong>The</strong><br />
expositions proved so popular and<br />
successful in the early 1870s that Goshorn<br />
became the director-general of the nation’s<br />
Centennial Exposition held in Philadelphia<br />
in 1876.<br />
As years passed, the expositions<br />
changed. Less attention was given to the<br />
From the Metropolis to the Porkopolis. When<br />
<strong>The</strong>odore Thomas became a resident of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> in<br />
1878, Puck magazine publicized his move on the cover<br />
of its October 9th issue.<br />
business purposes that had largely<br />
inspired them. <strong>The</strong>y became increasingly<br />
elaborate with greater emphasis on<br />
pageantry. <strong>The</strong>se expositions culminated<br />
in the Centennial Exposition of the<br />
Ohio Valley and Central States that ran<br />
from July 4 through October 27, 1888,<br />
C H A P T E R 2<br />
5 7
celebrating the settlement of the city. <strong>The</strong><br />
exposition succeeded in every respect<br />
except financial, but that critical measure<br />
ended the annual fairs until the early<br />
1900s, when they were revived for<br />
several years.<br />
<strong>The</strong> festivals provided an important<br />
symbol of how the city now worked to<br />
attract visitors and businessmen while also<br />
promoting its cultural life. Every spring,<br />
about the time the grapes bloomed, the<br />
city’s German singing societies would<br />
assemble for a saengerfest. Out of this<br />
tradition <strong>Cincinnati</strong> held its first May<br />
Festival in 1873. <strong>The</strong>odore Thomas, a<br />
prominent New York conductor, was<br />
persuaded to coordinate all of the singing<br />
societies into a grand festival. After the<br />
second festival in 1875 proved as<br />
successful as the first, Reuben Springer<br />
offered $125,000 to build a better facility<br />
to house both musical performances and<br />
the industrial expositions. His gift was<br />
conditioned upon the citizens matching<br />
it and the city granting the land in<br />
perpetual exemption from municipal<br />
taxation. <strong>The</strong> city and the public met his<br />
challenge, and between 1875 and 1878<br />
Music Hall was built between Elm Street<br />
and the Miami-Erie Canal in time for the<br />
Paul Jones, <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Fall Festival, <strong>The</strong> Magnificent Venetian Spectacle Marco Polo, September 7 to 19,<br />
1903 (1903). Strobridge Lithographing Company lithograph.<br />
Strobridge Lithographing Company, <strong>The</strong><br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Fall Festival, Aug. 28 to Sept. 22-<br />
1906. Lithograph.<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
58
W O M E N ’ S<br />
W O R K<br />
Finding suitable employment for women<br />
was not posed as a problem in antebellum<br />
society. In frontier <strong>Cincinnati</strong> spinsters were a<br />
rarity, and married or widowed women whose<br />
families needed their income “took in” sewing,<br />
laundry and boarders. Mechanization,<br />
industrialization, and a slowdown in economic<br />
and population growth diminished demands<br />
for these traditional cottage industries. From<br />
about mid-century many women who needed<br />
income were obliged to work long hours Rookwood artists at work (c. 1892). Photograph.<br />
under deplorable factory conditions for<br />
substandard wages.<br />
Finding more suitable “women’s work” became a favorite cause of America’s genteel<br />
reformers who feared that prevailing conditions jeopardized the health and morals of the<br />
mothers and future mothers of the nation. <strong>Cincinnati</strong> reformers pioneered in the concept<br />
that education in applied design would enable women to find suitable, profitable work in<br />
the emerging industrial world, and that the infusion of superior artistic qualities in the<br />
city’s manufactures would make them more competitive in the national marketplace.<br />
Colonel George Ward Nichols, author of Art Education Applied to Industry (1877), was<br />
the chief propagandist for the movement resulting in the establishment of the <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
Art Museum, Art Academy and Rookwood Pottery patterned after English prototypes at<br />
South Kensington and Lambeth.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Cincinnati</strong> experiment in art education and art applied to industry enjoyed a<br />
considerable success. <strong>The</strong> academy graduated an exceptional number of young men and<br />
women whose achievements in fine and commercial art have brought fame to the city. And<br />
local industries such as Rookwood Pottery and Gibson Art Company which provided<br />
“women’s work” shared in the glory as well as the profit. Wages for women remained<br />
woefully inadequate but working conditions for artists were good, and the jobs carried a<br />
measure of prestige.<br />
M A R I A L O N G W O R T H<br />
N I C H O L S S T O R E R<br />
( 1 8 4 9 - 1 9 3 2 )<br />
Maria Nichols was bright, bold<br />
and affluent; and she was perhaps the<br />
most powerful woman in <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
in the late 19 century. Rookwood Pottery,<br />
which she started in 1880, is reputed<br />
to be the first major American<br />
industry owned and operated by a<br />
woman. What’s more, by the turn of<br />
the century, it was the most prestigious<br />
art pottery in the United States,<br />
and among the most highly regarded<br />
in the western world.<br />
Maria, her father, Joseph Longworth,<br />
and her husband, Colonel<br />
George Ward Nichols continued the<br />
tradition of cultural boosterism<br />
begun in the 1820s by her grandfather,<br />
Nicholas. <strong>The</strong>y were instrumental<br />
in the founding of the May Festival<br />
(1873), the College of Music (1878),<br />
the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Art Museum (1881),<br />
and the transfer of the School of Design<br />
from the university to the Art<br />
Academy. Following the death of<br />
Colonel Nichols, Maria married the<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> attorney and politician,<br />
Bellamy Storer.<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Art Museum, under construction (1884). Photograph.<br />
C H A P T E R 2<br />
5 9
Valentine Bonhajo, Artwork for an exposition<br />
poster (1886). Watercolor.<br />
O T H E R I N D U S T R I A L<br />
E X H I B I T I O N S<br />
In 1900 another series of industrial<br />
pageants began under the sponsorship<br />
of the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Business Men’s Club,<br />
the Fall Festival Association and the<br />
Chamber of Commerce. <strong>The</strong> sixth in<br />
this series, in 1910, was known as the<br />
Ohio Valley Exposition, featuring the<br />
produce, resources and products of<br />
the South. It also celebrated the<br />
completion of the Fernbank Dam<br />
on the Ohio River and the success of<br />
the Ohio Valley Improvement<br />
Association, established in 1895, to<br />
promote the canalization of the Ohio<br />
River to make it navigable year-round<br />
from Pittsburgh to Cairo.<br />
A group of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> women organized to<br />
prepare an exhibit of women’s art for the<br />
nation’s Centennial Exposition. After the<br />
exposition the committee transformed<br />
itself into the Women’s Art Museum<br />
Association of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> for the purpose<br />
of founding a museum.<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> modeled its venture on the<br />
South Kensington Museum in England.<br />
Inspired by the 1857 “Crystal Palace”<br />
exposition with its emphasis on the<br />
decorative arts, the South Kensington<br />
Museum stressed the importance of the<br />
arts to industrial development. In 1878<br />
the Women’s Art Museum Association<br />
sponsored a lecture series that explored<br />
this relationship. <strong>The</strong> speakers and their<br />
topics said much about <strong>Cincinnati</strong> at the<br />
time: the president of the Chamber of<br />
Commerce, Sidney Maxwell, gave the<br />
inaugural lecture on “<strong>The</strong> Manufacturers<br />
of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> and <strong>The</strong>ir Relation to the<br />
Future Progress of the <strong>City</strong>.” George Ward<br />
Nichols spoke on “Those Branches of<br />
Manufacture Which Would Be Especially<br />
Benefited by Trained Designers and<br />
Workmen from the Art Schools.” <strong>The</strong><br />
series concluded with Charles P. Taft<br />
Strobridge Lithographing Company, <strong>The</strong><br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Fall Festival, Aug. 28 to Sept. 22<br />
(1906). Gouache.<br />
1878 festival. <strong>The</strong> building gave<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> a facility that attracted the<br />
Democratic national political convention<br />
to the city in 1880.<br />
Many of the same people instrumental<br />
in establishing <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s parks and<br />
expositions, its Zoo and May Festival also<br />
helped found the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Art Museum.<br />
Eden Park Spring House. <strong>The</strong> thatched-roofed spring house was built in 1900 over a spring which, according to<br />
local legend, provided medicinal benefits. When the spring was found to be impure, it was covered by an arched gazebo<br />
completed in 1904. Photograph.<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
60
Eden Park Bandstand. Free concerts, popular in Eden Park since 1872, were held in this tile-roofed bandstand from 1914 until the Seasongood Pavilion replaced it in 1960. Photograph.<br />
GIFT OF THE MT. ADAMS GAZETTE.<br />
explaining “<strong>The</strong> South Kensington<br />
Museum: What It Is; How It Originated;<br />
What It Has Done and Is Now Doing for<br />
the World.” Through formal training at the<br />
School of Design and inspiring exhibits at<br />
the museum, these cultured women and<br />
businessmen hoped that workers would<br />
learn not only their narrow skills but also<br />
pride in workmanship, thrift, industry<br />
and respectability.<br />
In 1882 the city provided the Art<br />
Museum Association with 20 acres in Eden<br />
Park. Such a building conflicted directly<br />
with the prevailing theories of how the park<br />
should be developed, but construction<br />
proceeded and the “Art Palace of the West”<br />
opened on May 17, 1886.<br />
This amazing burst of energy to<br />
establish cultural institutions that<br />
would enrich lives and enhance the<br />
reputation of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> marked the<br />
city’s coming of age. By the 1870s<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> had reached a stage of<br />
economic and social maturity sufficient<br />
to create and support a rich cultural<br />
life. <strong>The</strong>se efforts were never purely<br />
esoteric, they also focused on the material<br />
needs of the city. By providing places of<br />
beauty and retreat for the inhabitants of<br />
the overcrowded basin, by providing<br />
avenues through which citizens could<br />
experience music and art, <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s<br />
leaders sought to make the city livable<br />
and, perhaps, make better people out of<br />
the tens of thousands who lived and<br />
worked here.<br />
Looking beyond the impact of these<br />
projects on <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s citizens, the city’s<br />
boosters hoped they would maintain the<br />
city’s national place. In 1878 Murat<br />
Halstead, the editor of the <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
Commercial, declared with some<br />
justification and even more hope that<br />
“<strong>Cincinnati</strong> is the central city of the Nation.<br />
It is one of the cosmopolitan places...<strong>The</strong>re<br />
is no other American city that is like<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>...Washington will remain our<br />
political and New York our commercial<br />
capital, but <strong>Cincinnati</strong> will be the city of<br />
national conventions and the social center<br />
and musical metropolis of America.”<br />
C H A P T E R 2<br />
6 1
Louis Charles Vogt, Mt. Adams Incline (c. 1909). Oil on canvas.<br />
GIFT OF THE OHIO MECHANICS’ INSTITUTE.<br />
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62
CHAPTER 3<br />
S C R A M B L E U P T H E H I L L S , 1 8 7 0 - 1 9 1 4<br />
During the last third of the 19th century,<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> grew in population and in area.<br />
A revolution in urban transportation made<br />
it possible for large numbers of people to<br />
escape the dirty, crowded basin and live<br />
some distance from their work. As inclined<br />
planes, trolley and railroad lines were built,<br />
people sorted themselves out along<br />
economic, religious and ethnic lines and<br />
formed new communities on <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s<br />
hilltops. This reorganization of the city<br />
transformed the basin. Offices and retail<br />
stores were concentrated in the central<br />
business district occupying ever taller<br />
buildings, while poor people still living in<br />
the basin were pushed to its fringes.<br />
Rapid changes in where people lived<br />
were compounded by revolutionary<br />
changes in the way they worked. <strong>The</strong><br />
combination of these sweeping changes<br />
precipitated a social and political upheaval<br />
that exploded in the 1880s in the greatest<br />
riot and labor strike in the city’s history. Out<br />
of that chaos emerged a talented politician,<br />
George B. Cox, who proved able to impose<br />
some order and stability on the rapidly<br />
developing city. In time, <strong>Cincinnati</strong>ans grew<br />
tired of Cox’s methods and brought an end<br />
to boss rule, but for more than 30 years<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> was dominated by one of the<br />
nation’s greatest political bosses.<br />
From <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s incorporation as a town<br />
in 1802 until the middle of the 19th century,<br />
its boundaries were fixed to the 3.88 square<br />
miles of the basin. Between 1849 and 1855,<br />
1.5 square miles were annexed, but by 1860,<br />
with a population of 161,044, an average of<br />
30,000 people lived in each square mile,<br />
making <strong>Cincinnati</strong> one of the most densely<br />
populated cities in America. Between 1869<br />
and 1918, however, <strong>Cincinnati</strong> reached out<br />
and annexed more than 65 square miles as<br />
the population of the area approached a halfmillion<br />
people.<br />
<strong>The</strong> change was not confined to numbers.<br />
Annexation transformed the structure<br />
and quality of life in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>. In<br />
1870 <strong>Cincinnati</strong> was still fundamentally a<br />
“walking city” in which everyone, rich and<br />
poor, German and Irish, black and white,<br />
lived in the close confines of the basin.<br />
In the mid-nineteenth century, all<br />
American cities were walking cities.<br />
Everyone had to live within walking<br />
South Side of Fourth Street Between Walnut and Vine. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, O. ( c. 1871). Ehrgott, Forbriger and Company lithograph.<br />
GIFT OF P. W. SCHATH.<br />
C H A P T E R 3<br />
6 3
Panoramic View of the <strong>City</strong> (1866). Looking from the roof of the Ohio Mechanics’ Institute building at the southwest corner of Sixth and Vine streets. Photograph.<br />
GIFT OF JUDGE CHARLES W. HOFFMAN.<br />
distance—one or two miles—of work,<br />
shops and church. In <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
topography aggravated this normally<br />
congested situation. Steep hills to the north,<br />
east and west and the Ohio River on the<br />
south impeded expansion. <strong>The</strong> resulting<br />
jumble of housing, factories, warehouses<br />
and shops, combined with the widespread<br />
use of coal and lack of proper means for<br />
disposal of waste, gave <strong>Cincinnati</strong> a lessthan-pleasant<br />
environment.<br />
<strong>The</strong> structure of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> as a walking<br />
city was different from the 20th century<br />
city. <strong>The</strong> most desired residential location<br />
was near the center of the city, particularly<br />
along Fourth Street. Pockets of upper-class<br />
residences were also found farther from the<br />
center—including the area around Garfield<br />
Place and later near Dayton Street in the<br />
“West End” of the basin.<br />
<strong>The</strong> least desirable locations were<br />
around the edge of the basin, such as<br />
along the riverfront and the Deer Creek<br />
Valley on the eastern edge of the city. Only<br />
those too poor to escape tolerated living<br />
near the jumble of warehouses,<br />
slaughterhouses and factories on land with<br />
poor drainage or vulnerable to floods. East<br />
of Broadway near the Deer Creek was<br />
Bucktown, largely populated by blacks and<br />
many poor Irish. Bucktown’s saloons,<br />
coffeehouses and brothels attracted crowds<br />
of rowdy boatmen and factory hands. In<br />
areas along the riverfront known as Rat<br />
Row and Sausage Row, conditions were<br />
similar. Most <strong>Cincinnati</strong>ans avoided these<br />
frightening areas.<br />
Over-the-Rhine was another district on<br />
the periphery. Unlike Bucktown and the<br />
riverfront, Over-the-Rhine had become the<br />
primary district for German immigrants to<br />
settle in when they reached the city. By<br />
1860 the statistical dominance of the<br />
Germans had given way to those of nativeborn<br />
stock, many of whom were born to<br />
immigrant German parents. Socially, the<br />
district remained the center of laboringclass<br />
residents.<br />
L A F C A D I O<br />
H E A R N<br />
( 1 8 5 0 - 1 9 0 4 )<br />
Hearn was a reporter for the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Enquirer (1874-1875) and the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Commercial<br />
(1875-1877). He wrote sensational accounts of murders and poverty and chronicled riverfront<br />
life.<br />
<strong>The</strong> density of the population [in Bucktown] is proportionately greater than in any other part of<br />
the city, although it is mostly a floating population—floating between the work-house or the<br />
penitentiary, and the dens in the filthy hollow. Ten, twelve, or even twenty inhabitants in one twostory<br />
underground den is common enough. At night even the roofs are occupied by sleepers, the<br />
balconies are crowded, and the dumps are frequently the scenes of wholesale debauchery the most<br />
degrading... In the alley which runs by the old Allen Church, on Fifth and Culvert, some twenty feet<br />
below the fill, is a long stagnant pool of execrable stench, which has become a horrible nuisance, and<br />
which never dries up. Insect life, the foulest and most monstrous, lurks in the dark underground<br />
shanties near by: and wriggling things, the most horrible, abound in the mud without.<br />
- Lafcadio Hearn, <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Commercial (August 22, 1875), p. 3.<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
64
Panoramic View–<strong>City</strong> of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> (1900). Henderson Lithographing Company engraving.<br />
EUGENE F. BLISS FUND PURCHASE.<br />
Bellevue Incline (c. 1910). Photograph.<br />
Prior to the 1870s, only a few of the<br />
wealthiest citizens were able to afford horsedrawn<br />
vehicles and maintain the flexible<br />
schedules necessary to live away from the<br />
core of the city. Living outside the basin was<br />
impractical for just about everyone else until<br />
several developments revolutionized<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s internal transportation system<br />
and, consequently, the structure of the city.<br />
A bridge across the Ohio River between<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> and Covington had been<br />
discussed seriously since the 1820s, but it<br />
was not until 1846 and 1849 that the<br />
Kentucky and Ohio legislatures issued<br />
charters to undertake its construction. Legal<br />
challenges, economic depression, the Civil<br />
War and labor disputes prevented<br />
completion of the project until 1867.<br />
Designed by John A. Roebling, an<br />
innovative engineer, the Covington and<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Suspension Bridge opened in<br />
December 1866 as the world’s longest and<br />
first truly modern suspension span.<br />
Beginning in the 1840s, horse-drawn<br />
buses, or omnibuses, operated in<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>. <strong>The</strong>y were the city’s first effort<br />
to establish regular fares and routes for<br />
moving people around the basin.<br />
However, their high fares and limited<br />
capacity restricted their impact. In 1859<br />
city council passed an ordinance to<br />
provide for the development and<br />
regulation of horse-drawn street-railway<br />
lines. Streetcar lines soon sprang up all<br />
over the basin with little coherence or<br />
order. In 1875, 14 lines provided 45 miles<br />
of track and employed 550 men and 1,000<br />
horses. By 1880 John Kilgour had become<br />
the dominant figure in local transportation<br />
C H A P T E R 3<br />
6 5
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> & Covington Suspension Bridge (1866). Strobridge and Company lithograph.<br />
Price Hill Incline (c. 1914). <strong>The</strong> only incline to use a double set of tracks – one for passenger service, the other for<br />
freight. Photograph.<br />
by creating the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Street Railway<br />
Company through a series of mergers,<br />
which reduced the confusion. <strong>The</strong><br />
streetcars were a significant improvement<br />
over omnibuses, but they too were limited.<br />
Horses were expensive to purchase and<br />
maintain: they cost an average of $100 to<br />
buy; they required the services of<br />
blacksmiths and veterinarians; they<br />
consumed large amounts of feed; and, on<br />
the average, they lasted only four years.<br />
More importantly, the steep hills<br />
surrounding the basin required the use of<br />
so many extra horses that the horsecar<br />
lines were limited to use in the basin and<br />
in the Mill Creek Valley.<br />
<strong>The</strong> real breakthrough in scaling the hills<br />
came in 1872 when the Main Street, or Mt.<br />
Auburn, Incline opened. People had<br />
employed inclines for centuries, but they<br />
became popular modes of urban<br />
transportation in the 1870s both in<br />
Pittsburgh and <strong>Cincinnati</strong>. Using steam<br />
power generated in a powerhouse on top of<br />
the hill, horse-drawn streetcars and other<br />
vehicles drove onto a platform. <strong>The</strong> incline<br />
used a cable to raise or lower the platform<br />
with its cargo. Three more inclines were<br />
built during the four years after the opening<br />
of the Mt. Auburn Incline: the Price Hill<br />
Incline opened in 1874 and the Bellevue<br />
and Mount Adams inclines in 1876.<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s fifth incline, the Fairview, was<br />
constructed 14 years later to provide<br />
crosstown connections. Inclines provided<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> cheap and convenient access<br />
between the basin and hilltops for the first<br />
time. Very quickly the horsecar lines met the<br />
inclines at the base of the hills and expanded<br />
outward from the summits into the<br />
surrounding areas.<br />
Several other experiments were tried to<br />
provide better access to outlying districts.<br />
Established villages used commuter steam<br />
railways to provide links to the city. <strong>The</strong><br />
Kilgours employed a steam “dummy” to<br />
promote the development of their real<br />
estate holdings in Mt. Lookout. In addition,<br />
during the 1880s several cable-car lines<br />
were constructed, challenging the inclines<br />
for traffic. Finally, beginning in June 1888<br />
with the electrification of the street railway<br />
from the top of Gilbert Avenue, trolleys<br />
quickly displaced the horsecars, commuter<br />
steam railways and cable lines.<br />
<strong>The</strong>se developments had a dramatic<br />
impact on the structure of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>. <strong>The</strong><br />
city pressed outward from the basin in<br />
a series of concentric rings. <strong>The</strong> exact path<br />
of development reflected the course and<br />
extent of the mass-transit system. By 1890<br />
more than 100,000 people lived in dozens<br />
of communities in Hamilton County<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
66
<strong>The</strong> College Hill Omnibus (1870s). Omnibuses, the only form of public transportation<br />
before iron rails for horsecars were laid in downtown streets in 1859, continued<br />
to make trips to the suburbs until the 1880s. Photograph.<br />
Post Office 24 (c. 1885). <strong>The</strong> destinations and connections were listed on this<br />
horsecar which ran between the Little Miami Railroad Depot and downtown. Photograph.<br />
GIFT OF MRS. ANTHONY D. BULLOCK.<br />
Mt. Lookout Steam Dummy at Delta Avenue and Linwood Road (c. 1890). Because<br />
steam locomotives frightened horses, they were disguised as horsecars and popularly<br />
called “dummies.” Photograph.<br />
GIFT OF JOHN H. WHITE, JR.<br />
High Water Car on Ludlow Avenue. High water cars, with their bodies and motors<br />
raised above the tracks, were used from 1901 to 1940 to go through water as deep as<br />
four feet. Photograph.<br />
GIFT OF THE CINCINNATI TRANSIT COMPANY.<br />
Santiago (c. 1908). Summer parlor cars were in<br />
use in <strong>Cincinnati</strong> by 1898. <strong>The</strong> Santiago was built by<br />
the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Car Company. Photograph.<br />
C H A P T E R 3<br />
6 7
James W. McLaughlin, Residence of Mr. T. B. Handy, Clifton (c. 1880). Ink<br />
on paper. James W. McLaughlin Architectural Record Collection.<br />
From top to bottom: Residence of Henry Probasco, Esq. from D. J. Kenny’s<br />
Illustrated <strong>Cincinnati</strong>… (<strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 1875), p. 309; Residence of John Shillito from<br />
Kenny (1875), p. 303; and Residence of Geo. K. Schoenberger, Esq. from Kenny<br />
(1875), p. 310.<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
68
T H E M I L L C R E E K V A L L E Y<br />
<strong>The</strong> lands west of [Spring Grove Avenue]... are a succession of gardens and hot houses;<br />
what beds of onions, and rows of beets and parsnips and carrots; what peaches and cucumbers<br />
and melons; what multitudinous heads of cabbage and cauliflower and lettuce, and hills of<br />
succulent young corn, one passes, are not to be reckoned by any process of mental arithmetic.<br />
- <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Commercial (1866).<br />
“<strong>The</strong> geographical location of Price Hill is most<br />
fortunate, as the prevailing west winds waft the smoke,<br />
gases and impurities which arise from the city proper<br />
away from it. <strong>The</strong> hygiene is unexcelled. <strong>The</strong> oxygen of<br />
the fresh, pure atmosphere brings the roses to the cheeks<br />
and elasticity to the step. What could be more beneficial<br />
than to reside in this perpetual health resort and still<br />
have such easy access to one’s business?”<br />
and Northern Kentucky surrounding<br />
the basin. <strong>The</strong> hills were no longer<br />
insurmountable. As people, especially from<br />
the middle class, began to scramble up the<br />
hills, they formed new communities where<br />
only farms had been and transformed<br />
outlying autonomous villages into suburbs.<br />
<strong>The</strong> wealthy had not waited for the<br />
development of mass transportation to<br />
begin moving from the basin. Upper-class<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>ans began as early as the 1830s<br />
and 1840s to search out retreats away from<br />
the noise and crowdedness of the city. In<br />
their search for solitude and beauty, they<br />
constructed homes on Mt. Auburn,<br />
Clifton, Walnut Hills, in Wallace Woods<br />
south of Covington and in Fernbank along<br />
the river. Along Lafayette Avenue in<br />
Clifton in the 1860s, the merchant princes<br />
of the city erected castle-like mansions and<br />
surrounded their palaces with gardens.<br />
<strong>The</strong>ir homes had views of the Mill Creek<br />
Valley that inspired those looking out and<br />
awed those looking up. <strong>The</strong> magnificence<br />
of the Clifton estates won for it and for<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> international fame. Lippincott’s<br />
Magazine commented that “the<br />
incomparable mountain suburb of Clifton’’<br />
had only one rival in America or Europe,<br />
the “mountain paradise of Wilkemolke,<br />
which the Elector of Hesse adorned at the<br />
expense of a hundred ill gotten millions.”<br />
Although the wealthy led the way in<br />
populating new suburban areas, the bulk<br />
of the people fleeing to the hilltops after<br />
1870 were from the middle class. Many of<br />
these new suburbs were based on longestablished<br />
farming villages that were<br />
transformed by the arrival of commuter<br />
transportation. <strong>The</strong> small village of<br />
Pleasant Ridge, at the crossroads of<br />
Montgomery Pike and Columbia (later<br />
Ridge) Road, had served nearby farms<br />
since the 1820s. <strong>The</strong> arrival of the<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Northern Railroad in 1881<br />
brought a wave of newcomers, doubling<br />
the population in a decade. Among the<br />
newcomers were truck farmers of German<br />
stock from Wooden Shoe Hollow near<br />
Winton Place who continued the farming<br />
traditions of the area. In greater numbers<br />
came families headed by middle-class<br />
business and professional men who<br />
commuted daily to <strong>Cincinnati</strong>.<br />
College Hill developed as an even more<br />
specialized autonomous village within the<br />
orbit of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> during the 1840s and<br />
1850s. <strong>The</strong> presence of the Farmers’<br />
College and the Ohio Female College gave<br />
College Hill a unique character and<br />
atmosphere. <strong>The</strong> opening of the College<br />
Hill Railroad in 1876, however, set in<br />
motion the transformation of the village<br />
into a commuter suburb of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>.<br />
View of Glendale, near <strong>Cincinnati</strong> (c. 1860). While most towns near <strong>Cincinnati</strong> had begun as autonomous villages<br />
and became suburbs only as the city expanded, Glendale was planned as a community in a rural setting whose residents<br />
would work in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>. In 1851, 30 people formed the Glendale Association and purchased 600 acres, once the farms of<br />
John Riddle and Edmund R. Glenn (from whom the village name was obtained), along the line of the <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, Hamilton<br />
and Dayton Railroad. Robert C. Phillips planned the town, lots were sold, and by 1852, the first house was built. Middleton,<br />
Strobridge and Company lithograph.<br />
C H A P T E R 3<br />
6 9
Ohio Female College (1859). Located on the grounds of the present College Hill Campus of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Children’s<br />
Hospital, the college offered courses in literature and the arts from 1849 until 1872. Middleton, Strobridge and Company<br />
lithograph. Purchase.<br />
In the case of some suburbs, the ethnic<br />
or racial identity of the new inhabitants was<br />
more important than their economic and<br />
social status in establishing the character of<br />
the community. From the middle of the<br />
19th century, Avondale attracted some of<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s leading industrialists. In the<br />
1870s and 1880s, less affluent middle-class<br />
homeowners joined them. <strong>The</strong>n, in the<br />
1890s, Avondale became the primary<br />
destination for German Jews seeking to<br />
move out of the crowded West End. With<br />
the addition of southern and eastern<br />
European Jews, by 1920 Avondale had<br />
become the home for three-quarters of the<br />
city’s Jewish population.<br />
From the mid-nineteenth century, some<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> suburbs, including Avondale and<br />
Walnut Hills, had small settlements of<br />
blacks. Although the vast majority of<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s blacks were concentrated in the<br />
West End after 1870, several outlying black<br />
communities sprang up during the process<br />
of suburbanization. For example, beginning<br />
in 1893 Charles M. Steele developed a<br />
subdivision of small lots just north of<br />
College Hill, which he sold to black<br />
migrants primarily from Nicholas County,<br />
Kentucky. <strong>The</strong> black residents who moved<br />
to “Steele Sub” found jobs on nearby farms,<br />
in the rail yards and factories in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>,<br />
and as domestics and day laborers all over<br />
the area. Most had to build their own homes<br />
in stages as they saved enough for materials.<br />
As these people sought to reconstruct the<br />
best of the life they had left behind, “Steele<br />
Sub” became, in effect, a rural southern<br />
black village on the fringe of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>.<br />
Neighborhoods in the Mill Creek Valley<br />
and the “Norwood Trough” developed<br />
differently than the more prestigious hilltop<br />
communities. In the mid-nineteenth<br />
century the Mill Creek Valley was a beautiful<br />
truck-farming area. But this rural character<br />
disappeared between 1870 and 1890 as<br />
factories moved there and stimulated the<br />
development of housing for workers in<br />
Camp Washington, Cumminsville and St.<br />
Bernard. Norwood became <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s<br />
most important industrial suburb. Known<br />
as Sharpsburg until 1869, the area was<br />
occupied primarily by farmers, especially<br />
dairy farmers. During the 1870s, Norwood<br />
could not compete with hilltop<br />
communities for residents, even though a<br />
rail line had passed through in the 1850s.<br />
<strong>The</strong>n, just before the turn of the century as<br />
the Mill Creek Valley became filled,<br />
Norwood began to develop as a<br />
United States Playing Card Company, Norwood, Ohio (c. 1900). In the late 19th century some manufacturers subscribed to the philosophy that good working conditions<br />
were synonymous with good business. Architects suggested that well-planned factories in pleasant surroundings would encourage increased production and pride in workmanship. Often<br />
new factory buildings were located on landscaped grounds or in industrial parks which served as buffers between the plants and adjacent residential areas. Photograph of an<br />
architectural rendering.<br />
GIFT OF THOMAS H. LANDIS AND SAMUEL HANNAFORD AND SONS.<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
70
Bullock Electric Manufacturing Company, Norwood Works, 1898-1904. Photograph.<br />
GIFT OF JAMES W. BULLOCK.<br />
Bullock Electric Manufacturing Company. Architectural rendering.<br />
manufacturing center. It offered industries<br />
cheap land, room for expansion, excellent<br />
rail connections and access to a plentiful<br />
supply of labor. By 1910 Norwood was<br />
home to 49 manufacturing concerns that<br />
employed almost 10,000 workers—nearly<br />
half of whom commuted daily from<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>. Increasingly, however, workers<br />
sought convenient housing in Norwood<br />
itself. Its population soon had a higher<br />
proportion of factory workers than other<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> suburbs.<br />
Life in these emerging suburbs differed<br />
in many respects from life in <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
before 1870. Certain members of the<br />
family were much more mobile than they<br />
had once been. <strong>The</strong> daily commute for<br />
those with full-time jobs or those<br />
attending high school in the city became a<br />
regular feature of life accompanied by all<br />
the frustrations of mass transit. One<br />
commuter line had such a terrible<br />
reputation for accidents and delays that a<br />
newspaper commented sarcastically that<br />
the railroad’s management felt compelled<br />
to place bibles in the coaches. For those<br />
who did not travel to town each day, the<br />
neighborhood, with its stores and traveling<br />
vendors, became a world of its own. In<br />
dozens of communities the main street<br />
supported scores of small shops and<br />
<strong>The</strong> Procter & Gamble Company Factories (c. 1920). Photograph.<br />
GIFT OF MILTON J. NIEDERLEHNER.<br />
businesses that depended primarily on the<br />
trade of the immediate community. In<br />
addition, the iceman, locksmith, scissors<br />
sharpener and umbrella repairman, the<br />
traveling butcher and baker, and assorted<br />
vegetable and fruit vendors brought<br />
services door-to-door.<br />
A few neighborhoods developed<br />
business districts that served whole areas<br />
of town. Particularly important were<br />
Peebles Corner in Walnut Hills and<br />
Knowlton’s Corner in Cumminsville.<br />
Situated at the crossroads of numerous<br />
streetcar lines, both of these shopping<br />
districts were convenient for commuters to<br />
visit while making transfers. Going<br />
shopping in Knowlton’s Corner on<br />
Saturday evening became as much a social<br />
event as an economic event.<br />
Suburbanization involved more than<br />
laying out streets and building new houses.<br />
C H A P T E R 3<br />
7 1
F O U R T H<br />
S T R E E T<br />
Between 1830 and 1860, Fourth Street<br />
was the most prestigious residential<br />
address in the city. Like most of the old<br />
“walking city,” it was devoted to a mixture<br />
of uses. Churches, educational institutions,<br />
hotels, groceries and specialty shops were<br />
interspersed among townhouses occupied<br />
by the urban elite.<br />
As transportation improvements allowed<br />
people to move outward from the core<br />
during the 1870s, the physical pattern of the<br />
walking city, which placed the most<br />
desirable and expensive residential areas<br />
close to business and shopping, began<br />
breaking down. From the 1880s, when<br />
Thomas Emery’s Sons built such fashionable<br />
flats as the San Rafael and the Lombardy,<br />
apartment buildings replaced single-family<br />
residences on West Fourth Street. In the<br />
Lytle Park area, the Sinton-Taft family<br />
preserved a residential enclave by retaining<br />
their own home (the future Taft Museum)<br />
and by owning the Lytle and Lincoln<br />
apartment buildings. <strong>The</strong> St. Nicholas Hotel<br />
(1859-1911) at the corner of Fourth and<br />
Race Streets and the Grand Hotel (1874-<br />
1933) at the corner of Fourth and Central<br />
Avenue were favorite spots for meetings,<br />
business luncheons, and banquets.<br />
While Fourth Street declined in<br />
importance as a place to live in the late<br />
19th century, it held its own as a place to<br />
shop for quality goods, earning the title of<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s “Fifth Avenue.” After 1900 it<br />
became the city’s “Wall Street” as well<br />
when most of the major banks began to<br />
move their headquarters up from Third<br />
Street. During the first decade of the 20th<br />
century, Fourth Street became the<br />
skyscraper district of the city with the<br />
construction of the Union Savings Bank<br />
and Trust Company (later the Bartlett<br />
Building) and First National Bank (Fourth<br />
and Walnut Centre) buildings both<br />
designed by the famed Chicago<br />
architectural firm of Daniel Burnham &<br />
Co., and the Ingalls Building (ACI<br />
Building) designed by <strong>Cincinnati</strong> architect<br />
Alfred O. Elzner.<br />
Southeast Corner, Fourth and Race Streets (c. 1890). Looking east, the St. Nicholas Hotel on the right.<br />
Northwest Corner, Fourth and Main Streets (1903). Background, the Mercantile Library Building under<br />
construction. Photograph.<br />
GIFT OF EUGENE W. NICKERSON, III.<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
72
Pleasant Ridge Hotel (1876). Built in 1853 by William Scudder, the hotel is at the northwest corner of Montgomery<br />
Road and Ridge Avenue. Photograph.<br />
It also meant creating a sense of community.<br />
Many institutions and organizations<br />
facilitated this purpose. <strong>The</strong> newly arrived<br />
German farmers in Pleasant Ridge organized<br />
the Pleasant Ridge Evangelical Lutheran<br />
Church. After 1905 the new Jewish residents<br />
of Avondale moved most of their synagogues<br />
from the basin to the hilltop. In addition to<br />
churches, fraternal and social organizations<br />
flourished everywhere. <strong>The</strong> growth of<br />
neighborhoods stimulated the development<br />
of a new type of organization variously<br />
termed “improvement associations,” “civic<br />
leagues” or “welfare leagues,” depending on<br />
the neighborhood. Regardless of the name,<br />
each organization took on a variety of tasks<br />
for its neighborhood and the city.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Pleasant Ridge Welfare Association,<br />
formed in 1908, worked to extend sewer<br />
lines and street lighting, to guarantee<br />
adequate fresh water and to improve<br />
services on the interurban line that served<br />
the community. Residents complained<br />
continually about poor ventilation,<br />
inadequate heat, malfunctioning brakes<br />
and the lack of taillights on the train cars.<br />
Twenty years later the Fairview Civic<br />
Association, concerned with the impact of<br />
automobiles on the neighborhood,<br />
proposed parking restrictions and worked<br />
to widen the streets.<br />
In addition to such bread-and-butter<br />
issues, the early organizations undertook<br />
projects to build a sense of pride among<br />
the residents of their communities. <strong>The</strong><br />
Pleasant Ridge Welfare Association<br />
published a monthly newsletter,<br />
sponsored a neighborhood baseball team<br />
and Fourth of July parades and promoted<br />
community gardens for the children. <strong>The</strong><br />
Fairview Heights Civic Association held<br />
annual summer festivals and produced<br />
such noteworthy plays as <strong>The</strong> Womanless<br />
Wedding and Doctor of Alcantara.<br />
<strong>The</strong> community organizations worked<br />
to coordinate their efforts with the activities<br />
of similar groups across the city. In 1907<br />
seven neighborhood associations formed<br />
the Federated Civic Association, which by<br />
1911 expanded to include 31 affiliated<br />
organizations. As people grew familiar with<br />
one another and as the city extended basic<br />
services as part of annexation, many of the<br />
original neighborhood associations became<br />
primarily social clubs. By the 1920s many<br />
had died out.<br />
<strong>The</strong> diffusion of the city’s population<br />
into new communities across the river and<br />
onto the hilltops, together with the<br />
concentration of manufacturing in the Mill<br />
Creek Valley and Norwood Trough, freed<br />
the basin for a new type of specialization.<br />
Offices, department stores and banks<br />
became concentrated in the city’s center.<br />
Factories, warehouses and railroad<br />
facilities absorbed much of the land<br />
around the fringe, forcing the people left<br />
in the basin into ever more compact<br />
residential areas. As the traditional center<br />
of black residence on the east edge of the<br />
basin was taken over for factories, the<br />
blacks moved into the housing in the West<br />
End that the middle class was abandoning.<br />
By 1900, 85 percent of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s black<br />
population was concentrated there—<br />
segregated in fact if not by law.<br />
<strong>The</strong> handling of public schools showed<br />
the growing pattern of segregation in the<br />
city. After blacks were enfranchised with<br />
the passage of the 15th Amendment,<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s white power structure moved<br />
to undermine the most important black<br />
political power base in the city, the<br />
Independent Colored School System.<br />
Blacks lost control of the system in 1873<br />
and gradually saw the system dismantled.<br />
In a decade, all that remained was the Elm<br />
Street School in Walnut Hills, which<br />
became Douglass School in 1910. <strong>The</strong><br />
destruction of the segregated school<br />
system was not a move toward integration;<br />
in fact, it was a way to deprive black<br />
teachers of jobs and to squeeze black<br />
students out of the public schools. In<br />
1870, 87 blacks were employed in<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> teaching almost 3,800 students.<br />
By 1912 only seven black teachers<br />
remained, and less than 300 black<br />
students were enrolled.<br />
In 1914 a young black teacher, Jennie<br />
D. Porter, convinced the school board to<br />
allow her to organize an all-black staff and<br />
student body in the old Hughes High<br />
School building in the West End, which<br />
she renamed the Harriet Beecher Stowe<br />
School. Porter was a follower of Booker T.<br />
Washington and attempted to apply his<br />
C H A P T E R 3<br />
7 3
<strong>The</strong> Union, June 9, 1932. From the Wendell Phillips Dabney Papers.<br />
“accommodationist” policies to education<br />
in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>. She believed that segregated<br />
schools would offer greater job<br />
opportunities for black teachers, greater<br />
inspiration for black youth and better<br />
preparation of black students for the<br />
world. In 1923 a modern Stowe School<br />
was opened. It had facilities for a full range<br />
of vocational training programs, which<br />
Porter believed were better suited for black<br />
children, given the limited job<br />
opportunities available to them. She soon<br />
made Stowe the center of much of West<br />
End community life as well. By 1927 she<br />
was supervising the work of 180 teachers<br />
and 3,020 students.<br />
Porter succeeded at building this<br />
segregated subsystem. Her proposals<br />
played on the prejudices and desires of<br />
the white board and the people they<br />
represented. She was a master at public<br />
relations and institutional politics. One<br />
of the methods she used was to<br />
organize her students into various<br />
choral and musical groups which were<br />
available to entertain at functions all<br />
over the city. She also had her teachers<br />
and students prepare meals for<br />
the school board as a way to demonstrate<br />
their achievements.<br />
Although successful, Porter drew the<br />
fire of black leaders who felt her<br />
acceptance of segregation doomed blacks<br />
to inferior status. <strong>The</strong> most outspoken of<br />
these leaders was Wendell Phillips Dabney.<br />
He was the recognized leader of the city’s<br />
Office of <strong>The</strong> Union in the Dabney Building, 420 McAllister (1925). Photograph. From the Wendell Phillips<br />
Dabney Papers.<br />
Jennie D. Porter. Photograph in George W. Hays’<br />
Reminiscences...1890 to 1929 (<strong>Cincinnati</strong>, c. 1929).<br />
GIFT OF WALTER C. LANGSAM.<br />
black Republicans—organized as the<br />
Douglass League—and the publisher of<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s most important black<br />
newspaper, <strong>The</strong> Union, from 1907 until his<br />
death in 1952. Dabney spoke out in favor<br />
of true integration and attacked Porter as<br />
“Jubilee Jennie” for her willingness to use<br />
her students as entertainers to patronize<br />
the white community.<br />
Just as the scramble up the hills<br />
changed the structure of the city, the<br />
Industrial Revolution revolutionized the<br />
work place, and subsequently life in the<br />
city. <strong>The</strong> industrialization process was more<br />
than simply the introduction of powerdriven<br />
machinery or the application of a<br />
new technology to the manufacturing<br />
process. It reorganized work and changed<br />
the status of the worker. In the traditional,<br />
small artisan shop, each worker became<br />
skilled at performing all of the tasks<br />
involved in producing a particular<br />
item. But in a modern factory, each<br />
worker performs only a few tasks and a<br />
product comes from the contributions of<br />
many different workers. Industrialization<br />
particularly affected artisans. Those<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
74
Globe Carriage Company, manufacturers of buggies and phaetons (c. 1885). Photograph.<br />
GIFT OF CHARLES M. WILLIAMS.<br />
who moved from the small shop to the<br />
large factory found that the new<br />
environment transformed their role and<br />
identity. Inside the large factory the<br />
shoemaker did not exist, only cutters,<br />
lasters, bottomers, trimmers, heelers,<br />
edgesetters, and machine operators. Iron<br />
molders became floor molders or core<br />
molders. Narrowly focused training<br />
programs replaced apprenticeships.<br />
For the owners and managers of the<br />
factories, industrialization meant greatly<br />
reduced labor costs. In 1865 the cost of<br />
labor in building a carriage was<br />
approximately $45.67. After the<br />
reorganization of carriage making along<br />
industrial lines, labor costs were reduced to<br />
$8.10. Although each industry followed its<br />
own path, the advantages of industrial<br />
reorganization increased during the<br />
depression that followed the Panic of 1873.<br />
As the factory system replaced artisan shops<br />
during the 1870s, the number of <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
industries employing over 100 workers<br />
increased from 59 to 109.<br />
For the worker these changes generally<br />
meant a reduction of wages and loss of<br />
status. An increasing number of women<br />
and children were forced to work to help<br />
their families earn enough money on<br />
which to live. By 1890 women dominated<br />
the labor force in the manufacture of furs,<br />
regalia and society banners, clothing,<br />
textiles, boxes, and bags. <strong>The</strong>y generally<br />
earned about one-half to one-quarter of<br />
the wages men received for factory work.<br />
In response, labor organizations gained<br />
support. Strikes became more frequent,<br />
particularly in areas that were industrializing,<br />
such as iron molding and printing. <strong>The</strong>y<br />
were increasingly concerned with<br />
apprenticeships, regulation of machinery<br />
and the role of the foreman in the shop as<br />
well as with wages and hours.<br />
Those living through the changes taking<br />
place in the 1870s felt a need for order that<br />
heightened their awareness of lawlessness in<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>. <strong>The</strong> city seemed to be overrun<br />
with tramps and vagabonds. In 1884, T. S.<br />
Matthews, a resident of the Garfield Park<br />
area, wrote that the benches in the park<br />
“now serve only as a loafing place for the<br />
most disreputable and worthless vagabonds<br />
of both sexes... the door of our house is not<br />
only latched and bolted at night, but has a<br />
chain, a precaution against sneak thieves...<br />
Every night the parlor maids have to draw<br />
the curtains of all the windows opening on<br />
the street and shut and latch the shutters...<br />
This nightly battening down of the house<br />
increases our sense of siege.” In 1878 alone<br />
the police arrested more than 1,300<br />
prostitutes and 2,000 drunks. Criminal<br />
activity was not confined to the basin<br />
area. Throughout the last part of the 19th<br />
Bench Workers and Machinists at L. Schreiber and Sons Company (c. 1889). Photograph.<br />
C H A P T E R 3<br />
7 5
F L O O D O F 1 8 8 4<br />
Main Street, East Side, looking South from Second Street. James Landy Photograph.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Flood of 1884 was one of the<br />
worst in <strong>Cincinnati</strong> history—second only<br />
to the Great Flood of 1937. On February<br />
6, 1884, when it became apparent that the<br />
Ohio River would rage out of control, a<br />
relief committee was organized to plan for<br />
the impending disaster. On February 14,<br />
the river crested at 71.1 feet; two weeks<br />
passed before the waters subsided. Ten<br />
people were killed and thousands were<br />
left homeless.<br />
More than $200,000 was raised from<br />
entertainment benefits and contributions<br />
from people and organizations all over the<br />
country. <strong>The</strong> relief committee supplied<br />
rescue boats, rubber boots for police, and<br />
cots for displaced persons in temporary<br />
quarters. Carloads of food donations came<br />
from as far away as Kansas. <strong>The</strong> relief<br />
work continued until April 1884.<br />
Public Landing, looking up Sycamore Street. James Landy Photograph.<br />
Fourth Street, looking West from Mill Street. James Landy Photograph.<br />
Suspension Bridge, from Covington. James<br />
Landy Photograph.<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
76
Child Labor at L. Schreiber and Sons Company (c. 1889). Photograph.<br />
century, newspapers chronicled surges of<br />
criminal activity in various suburban<br />
communities. During a week in December<br />
1875, the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Gazette reported four<br />
burglaries in Avondale. In 1878 the<br />
community learned that thieves had been<br />
robbing the Colored Cemetery regularly for<br />
ten years and selling the bodies to medical<br />
schools. In late 1883 a series of brutal<br />
crimes plagued the city, including the<br />
murders of an Avondale couple for the $15<br />
each that the sale of their bodies would<br />
bring from a medical school. By January 1,<br />
1884, the jail contained 23 men accused<br />
of murder.<br />
Against this backdrop, the murder of<br />
liveryman William Kirk on December 24,<br />
1883, set in motion a series of events that<br />
shook the foundation of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>. Two<br />
of Kirk’s young employees, William<br />
Berner, an 18-year-old German, and<br />
Joseph Palmer, a 19-year-old mulatto, beat<br />
Kirk to death with hammers, robbed him<br />
of $285 and dumped his body in some<br />
brush along the Mill Creek in<br />
Cumminsville. Within a few days the men<br />
were arrested and soon confessed. Berner’s<br />
father hired the city’s most skillful defense<br />
attorney, Thomas C. Campbell, who,<br />
recognizing that racial prejudice doomed<br />
Palmer, quickly separated the trials of the<br />
two men. After a highly publicized trial,<br />
the jury found Berner guilty not of murder<br />
but only of manslaughter.<br />
<strong>The</strong> verdict enraged <strong>Cincinnati</strong>. Political<br />
cartoons caricaturing everyone connected<br />
with the trial, especially Campbell and the<br />
jury, and satirizing the entire criminal-justice<br />
system appeared in saloons. On Friday,<br />
March 28, Judge Samuel R. Matthews<br />
sentenced Berner to 20 years in prison, the<br />
stiffest punishment allowed for manslaughter.<br />
That evening a crowd estimated at between<br />
6,000 and 8,000 assembled at Music Hall to<br />
protest the verdict. <strong>The</strong> <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Gazette<br />
described the “stupendous gathering” as a<br />
“cosmopolitan audience” made up of a crosssection<br />
of the entire city. Though of diverse<br />
backgrounds, “every man seen looked honest<br />
and determined; every man seemed ready for<br />
the work.”<br />
A series of prominent <strong>Cincinnati</strong>ans<br />
addressed the audience. Andrew Kemper, a<br />
physician, made the principal speech. He<br />
compared the Berner verdict to other recent<br />
miscarriages of justice in Pennsylvania and<br />
Kentucky. Although Kemper and other<br />
speakers called for the citizens to respond<br />
within the law, Kemper asserted that at the<br />
foundation of the American system lay the<br />
principle that “the people make the laws,<br />
and the people see that they are enforced.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> crowd repeatedly interrupted the<br />
speech with applause for his references to<br />
lynchings in other cities. <strong>The</strong>y cried out for<br />
a “vigilance committee.” <strong>The</strong> meeting broke<br />
up after the adoption of a series of<br />
resolutions, which included a call for the<br />
jurors in the Berner case to leave the city.<br />
As the crowd filed out of Music Hall, it<br />
had no leadership and no goal. But quickly<br />
and, apparently, spontaneously, certain<br />
Proclamation of the Mayor, March 30, 1884.<br />
Broadside.<br />
GIFT OF ISAAC ANDERSON LOEB.<br />
A map of the streets around the courthouse.<br />
elements in the crowd turned into a mob<br />
and headed for the jail on Sycamore Street<br />
behind the courthouse. Part of the mob<br />
forced its way into the jail shouting, “Hang<br />
Berner.” But Berner had already been sent<br />
C H A P T E R 3<br />
7 7
Court Street, looking west from Broadway. Rombach and Groene photograph.<br />
Court Street, looking west from the Court House. Photograph.<br />
Interior of the Court House After the Riot. Photograph.<br />
Court House Front, looking East, Gattling [sic] Gun and Battery in<br />
Foreground. James Landy photograph.<br />
to Columbus. Sheriff Morton Hawkins,<br />
hoping to avoid full-scale rioting, instructed<br />
his 13 deputies not to fire. After the<br />
intruders ran through the jail and realized<br />
that Berner had already been removed, the<br />
deputies, now reinforced by a detachment<br />
of the militia, were able to clear the jail<br />
temporarily. By this time, however, a crowd<br />
of 20,000 swirled around outside the jail,<br />
calling for blood and throwing stones. <strong>The</strong><br />
rioters rushed all of the entrances a second<br />
time. Through the determined use of a<br />
battering ram, they gained entrance. This<br />
time the police seized and arrested 25<br />
rioters. As the jail was being cleared, shots<br />
rang out and several rioters were killed.<br />
Finally, the militia cleared the street.<br />
All day Saturday, small groups clustered<br />
on street corners. Handbills urged citizens<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
78<br />
to organize. <strong>The</strong> authorities reinforced the<br />
defenses at the jail. Barricades went up<br />
blocking access to the jail from across the<br />
canal, east and west on Court Street, and<br />
from Main Street to the south. Sixty<br />
militiamen were placed behind each<br />
barricade. <strong>The</strong> police were dispatched<br />
ahead of these defenses. By dusk the mob<br />
formed again and now focused its attention<br />
on the very symbol of justice, the Hamilton<br />
County Courthouse. After several hours of<br />
hurling bricks and shouting angry slogans,<br />
the crowd surged forward past the<br />
defenders and gained entrance to the<br />
courthouse. <strong>The</strong> rioters set fires in offices<br />
throughout the building and, despite the<br />
efforts of the militia and police, the<br />
building became engulfed in flames. As<br />
Captain John J. Desmond moved across the<br />
front of the building with his Lytle Greys,<br />
he was shot and killed, and two of his<br />
soldiers were wounded. Soon, detachments<br />
of the Ohio National Guard arrived in the<br />
city, marched to the courthouse and<br />
ruthlessly cleared the streets.<br />
By Sunday morning the fire had reduced<br />
the courthouse to a smoldering pile of<br />
rubble. Fifty-four rioters lay dead along with<br />
Desmond and three policemen; more than<br />
200 on both sides were injured. <strong>The</strong> depth<br />
of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s torment was laid open.<br />
In the aftermath of the courthouse riots,<br />
elements of the city’s elite organized a variety<br />
of committees to bring the city back under<br />
control. <strong>The</strong>y unleashed a stream of lawand-order<br />
oratory and proposed an array of<br />
reforms. But the rift in <strong>Cincinnati</strong> society, in<br />
American urban society, went much deeper.
Scenes from <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Riot March 1884. Achert and Company lithograph.<br />
GIFT OF MRS. ALBERT L. RUSSEL.<br />
In May 1886 the labor elements of the city,<br />
led by factory artisans in industries<br />
undergoing the most rapid changes,<br />
organized a general strike. <strong>The</strong> strikers<br />
claimed they were joining the quest for law<br />
and order because their strike aimed at<br />
securing the promises vaguely held out by a<br />
new, but flawed, law reducing the workday<br />
to eight hours. In conjunction with general<br />
strikes in cities across America, 12,000<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> workers paraded through the<br />
streets on May 3. By May 8 no freight moved<br />
in or out of the city; garbage went<br />
uncollected; laundresses, streetcar<br />
conductors, waitresses and machinists<br />
cooperated in shutting down the city.<br />
Municipal leaders called out the militia. By<br />
the end of the month, 32,000 had walked<br />
off their jobs. <strong>Cincinnati</strong> was on the edge of<br />
a violent abyss for the second time in two<br />
years. Gradually, agreements were struck,<br />
usually favorable to the workers, and the<br />
strike dissipated.<br />
Although <strong>Cincinnati</strong> escaped a second<br />
conflagration, the Courthouse Riot of<br />
March 1884 and the General Strike of May<br />
1886 revealed the city was out of control.<br />
No person stood above the conflicting<br />
interests to pull the scattered elements of<br />
the city together. Out of the chaos of the<br />
mid-1880s, however, a new system<br />
gradually emerged with a new leader who<br />
brought order.<br />
Since the Civil War <strong>Cincinnati</strong> politics<br />
had been reduced to a factional struggle.<br />
Each faction represented the narrow<br />
interests of a group or individual, but none<br />
was strong enough to remain in power for<br />
any length of time and organize the badly<br />
fragmented city government. At the heart<br />
of this system was the ward boss, who<br />
controlled a block of votes. Lacking any<br />
coherent view of the needs of the city, most<br />
of the bosses became “bummers” willing to<br />
trade their block of votes for the most<br />
enticing favors offered.<br />
Saloons were the real centers of<br />
political life in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>. It was from<br />
a saloon at the corner of Longworth<br />
and Central Avenues, “Dead Man’s<br />
Corner,” that a young politician emerged<br />
who would transform <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s<br />
political system—George B. Cox. He<br />
was born in 1853 to an English immigrant<br />
father and a Canadian mother. After<br />
Cox’s father died when George was eight,<br />
the boy was on the streets earning a living.<br />
He worked as a bootblack, newsboy,<br />
delivery boy for a market, tobacco<br />
salesman, and bartender before purchasing<br />
a saloon.<br />
Cox was active in politics from the age<br />
of 18 and showed an ability to challenge<br />
weak political figures successfully. He<br />
might have become just another petty ward<br />
Henry Farny, Wielert’s Saloon. Engraving from D. J. Kenny’s Illustrated <strong>Cincinnati</strong>… (<strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 1875), p. 133.<br />
Over-the-Rhine saloons and beer gardens were social and political centers of this German community in the<br />
19th century.<br />
C H A P T E R 3<br />
7 9
Henry Farny, <strong>The</strong> Transrhenane Waiter, <strong>The</strong> Wiener Wurst Man, and <strong>The</strong> Sausage Man. Engravings from<br />
D. J. Kenny’s Illustrated <strong>Cincinnati</strong>… (<strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 1875), pp. 134-5.<br />
boss, but ambition and vision took him<br />
well beyond that. Cox accepted the<br />
political practices of his day and rewove<br />
them into a fundamentally different<br />
system. From the beginning Cox seized<br />
opportunities and turned them into longrange<br />
assets. In 1884 he fought for the<br />
right to head the local presidential<br />
campaign of James G. Blaine against the<br />
wishes of the established party leadership.<br />
Although Blaine lost nationally, he carried<br />
Hamilton County. Cox emerged with a<br />
reputation as a good organizer and in<br />
control of the newly formed Young Men’s<br />
Blaine Clubs, which served as his political<br />
base for 30 years.<br />
In 1887 Cox formed an alliance with<br />
Joseph Foraker, who had become governor<br />
Fred’s Place, Race Street and West Canal (north side). A saloon that served the neighborhood, Fred’s Place had a<br />
“sitting room,” or women’s section. Photograph.<br />
GIFT OF EUGENE W. NICKERSON, III.<br />
Henry Farny, Wielert’s Pavilion. Engraving from<br />
Der Führer von <strong>Cincinnati</strong> (<strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 1875), p. 108.<br />
the previous year. Foraker oversaw from<br />
Columbus the passage of legislation which<br />
reorganized municipal government in a<br />
way that provided greater opportunities<br />
for patronage; he entrusted this power in<br />
Hamilton County to George Cox.<br />
Dispensing political jobs and favors<br />
became a high art under Cox and his<br />
lieutenants, Rudolph “Rud” Hynicka, who<br />
handled <strong>City</strong> Hall, and August “Garry”<br />
Herrmann, who directed affairs at the county<br />
courthouse. Jobs were parceled out to the<br />
ward chairmen, to the precinct captains and<br />
to the faithful. In exchange, those receiving<br />
government jobs contributed 10 percent of<br />
their first year’s salary and 2½ percent<br />
thereafter to Cox’s campaign fund. Even<br />
more important, those receiving jobs were<br />
expected to monitor the pulses of their areas.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y sent information about voters to<br />
Hynicka and Herrmann, who kept extensive<br />
card files on voters in the city and county.<br />
<strong>The</strong> most famous and successful of the<br />
ward bosses was Mike Mullen in the Eighth<br />
Ward. His area included much of the<br />
“bottoms” along the riverfront on the east<br />
side of the downtown as well as the more<br />
exclusive residential sections on East<br />
Fourth Street. For the thousands of poor<br />
people in the ward, Mullen became a saint<br />
because of his concern about their daily<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
80
Campaign broadside for Michael Mullen (1907).<br />
GIFT OF WILLIAM A. BAUGHIN.<br />
needs. Mullen saw that coal was distributed<br />
to the needy in the winter, food got to the<br />
hungry, and jobs were provided to the<br />
unemployed. He oversaw the creation of<br />
Lytle Park with a playground in 1905.<br />
Beginning in 1903 Mullen sponsored<br />
annual picnics at Coney Island— ten miles<br />
upriver. For weeks ahead of time, he passed<br />
out tickets to the families in his own ward<br />
and to children from all over the city. Each<br />
family received tickets for free rides, ice<br />
cream and lemonade as well as a round trip<br />
on the Island <strong>Queen</strong>.<br />
Mullen’s motivations were political as<br />
well as altruistic. Mixed with these rather<br />
pleasant favors for his constituents were<br />
reports of outright vote buying and<br />
transporting Kentuckians into his ward to<br />
build majorities on election day. Mullen’s<br />
influence on his ward was demonstrated<br />
in 1897 when he switched from the<br />
Democratic Party to the Republican Party<br />
and took the ward with him. Within a<br />
few years, Mullen was Cox’s personal<br />
representative on city council, where the<br />
mere announcement by Mullen that “I<br />
trust the resolution will not pass” was<br />
enough to doom any bill.<br />
Through a series of political maneuvers<br />
from 1884 to 1897, Cox emerged as the<br />
leading figure in the Republican Party. After<br />
1897 he was the master of the political<br />
scene, regardless of party. Yet Cox held<br />
political office only once, when he served<br />
on city council while still in his twenties.<br />
He ran twice for county clerk but was<br />
defeated. Cox’s leadership rested on<br />
personal influence that was exercised<br />
through an unofficial but well-understood<br />
system. He was the “central brain”<br />
coordinating all of the competing interests<br />
and balancing all of the factions. During the<br />
day Cox received a steady stream of visitors<br />
at his office above <strong>The</strong> Mecca, a saloon. In<br />
the evening, he shifted his headquarters to<br />
Wielert’s Cafe or another Over-the-Rhine<br />
establishment. In both settings Cox was a<br />
listener. An observer reported:<br />
He never talked; he sat like a graven<br />
image with menacing and considering<br />
eyes, slowly chewing tobacco, posing a<br />
reflective cigar before his face, and<br />
regularly consuming a tall glass of lager<br />
every 12 to 15 minutes. On either side of<br />
him at a large circular table where he sat,<br />
lounged members of his cabinet And every<br />
now and then the men with cocked derby<br />
hats arrived from different wards, sat<br />
down at his table, and talked, and talked,<br />
and talked.<br />
Increasingly, an entire range of political<br />
reformers and journalists assailed Cox.<br />
Perhaps the most famous was written by<br />
muckraker Lincoln Steffens in McClure’s<br />
Magazine in 1905 entitled, “Ohio: A Tale of<br />
Two Cities.” According to Steffens, recent<br />
Ohio politics was best understood as a tale<br />
of the state’s two leading cities, “Cleveland,<br />
the best governed city in the United States,<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>, the worst.” Steffens visited Cox<br />
one morning in his dark and dreary office<br />
above <strong>The</strong> Mecca to question him about his<br />
political methods. When Steffens<br />
rhetorically raised the question of whether<br />
Foucar’s Cafe (c. 1898), at 426 Walnut Street, was a popular meeting place during the late 19th and early 20th<br />
centuries. Siesta, the pastel by Frank Duveneck opposite the mahogany bar, now is in the collection of the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Art<br />
Museum. Photograph from the Foucar Collection.<br />
GIFT OF TED EBERLE.<br />
C H A P T E R 3<br />
8 1
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> had a mayor, council, and<br />
judges, Cox responded, “Yes, but—.” He<br />
pointed with his thumb back over his<br />
shoulder to the desk, “I have a telephone,<br />
too.” Other critics referred to Cox as the<br />
“dictator of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> and Hamilton<br />
County” and “<strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s uncrowned king.”<br />
Cox, not surprisingly, had a different<br />
view of his role. In 1911 he wrote a<br />
defense of his career. He was unapologetic<br />
about the term “boss,” for “this is the age<br />
of the boss.” Cox understood his role as a<br />
“product of evolution— a natural product<br />
of American political life” in the late 19th<br />
and early 20th centuries. Although he had<br />
no ambition to become a boss when he<br />
entered politics, he evolved into a boss<br />
“because of my peculiar fitness.” In direct<br />
response to Steffens’ charges, Cox asserted<br />
that he and his organization had made<br />
“<strong>Cincinnati</strong> the best governed city in the<br />
United States... there is less dishonesty<br />
among the officeholders than in any of the<br />
large cities in the country. <strong>The</strong> gambling<br />
houses were driven out many years ago<br />
and the social evil is regulated as much as<br />
possible…. <strong>Cincinnati</strong> is not a wide open<br />
city in the popular sense of that term, but<br />
it is possible to get a drink on Sunday—<br />
our Germans demand that privilege and it<br />
was through my efforts that <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
obtained its new waterworks, but my chief<br />
work has been in seeing that <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
“Depose the Boss! Enthrone the People”<br />
(1892). Ephemera collection.<br />
GIFT OF MRS. DONALD C. MCGRAW.<br />
has the right men to serve it...the people<br />
do the voting, I simply see that the right<br />
candidates are selected.”<br />
Cox’s self-serving and one-sided<br />
statement provided some balance to the<br />
simplistically negative pictures painted of<br />
him by the reformers and muckrakers of his<br />
day. In addition to the municipal waterworks<br />
that Cox cited, city officeholders and<br />
administrators who served under Cox’s<br />
direction improved the police and fire<br />
departments, paved hundreds of miles of<br />
city streets, built sewer lines, tried to reduce<br />
the smoke problem in the basin, brought<br />
some order to the development of utilities by<br />
awarding publicly regulated monopolies,<br />
and maintained low taxes. For all its political<br />
improprieties, Cox’s organization accepted<br />
the secret ballot and voter registration. But<br />
most importantly, Cox and the organization<br />
he built provided a center that was strong<br />
enough and enduring enough to hold the<br />
city together through a period of rapid<br />
change and growth.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Cox organization was determined to<br />
incorporate suburbs that were “of the city,<br />
but not in it.” <strong>Cincinnati</strong> sought to annex<br />
these areas for their tax base and to increase<br />
the status and size of the city. In 1892 Mayor<br />
John Mosby declared that “if it [is] your<br />
desire that <strong>Cincinnati</strong> should grow, that it<br />
should be prosperous in the future, then we<br />
must consider the question of annexation<br />
above all others.” <strong>Cincinnati</strong> held out the<br />
promise of water, sewer, and other utilities<br />
to small villages and towns. <strong>The</strong>se<br />
supposedly idyllic communities were<br />
increasingly hard pressed to meet the<br />
demands of their residents for sidewalks,<br />
pure water, sewerage and natural gas.<br />
Despite these problems and the debts that<br />
accompanied their solution, the question of<br />
Henry Mosler, George B. Cox. Oil on canvas.<br />
GIFT OF THE SHUBERT-COX THEATERS.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Mecca Cafe. Located at 431 Walnut Street, R. W. Gruber’s and Fred. B. Salmar’s famous saloon was in business<br />
from 1893 to the beginning of Prohibition. Photograph.<br />
GIFT OF MRS. ANTHONY D. BULLOCK.<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
82
<strong>The</strong> Christian Moerlein Brewing Co. Moerlein’s<br />
Old Jug-Lager Krug Bier, Exhilarating, Stimulating,<br />
Re-Juvenating, Wholesome, Delicious & Pure. Pottery.<br />
CORNELIUS J. HAUCK COLLECTION.<br />
J. G. Sohn & Co.–Brewers and Maltsters (c. 1894). Typical of the many small to medium-sized breweries in<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Sohn, later the Mohawk Brewing Company, brewed lager and Bohemian<br />
beer from 1866 to 1935. Show card. Oil on iron. F. Tuchfarber and Company.<br />
C I N C I N N A T I<br />
& B E E R<br />
In the late 19th century,<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>ans took their beer-drinking<br />
seriously. Whether they carried it home<br />
in “growlers” or drank it at the<br />
neighborhood saloon, on the average,<br />
every man, woman and child<br />
consumed 40 gallons a year—24 more<br />
than the national average.<br />
Saloons abounded everywhere. In<br />
1890 the city directory identified 1,810,<br />
with 136 along Vine Street alone.<br />
Saloons near the river served a rough<br />
clientele while elegant establishments,<br />
like Foucar’s Cafe, were clustered at the<br />
center of the downtown. Hundreds of<br />
Over-the-Rhine saloons run by Germans<br />
were favorite places for conducting<br />
business, settling political disputes and<br />
holding regular meetings of social clubs.<br />
<strong>The</strong> beginning of Prohibition on<br />
January 16, 1920, was more than an<br />
economic disaster. It destroyed longestablished<br />
social patterns as well.<br />
GIFT OF ROBERT D. MCCARRON.<br />
annexation deeply divided every community.<br />
In a few cases, such as Kennedy Heights,<br />
local government was so inept and<br />
inadequate that a clear majority of the<br />
residents favored annexation. In most<br />
instances, however, only the passage of the<br />
Lillard Law in 1893 made expansion<br />
possible for Ohio cities. Under this law a<br />
majority of the ballots cast in both the city<br />
and suburb combined accomplished<br />
annexation. <strong>The</strong> law enabled <strong>Cincinnati</strong> to<br />
swallow suburbs as it expanded. Only<br />
because changes were made in the law was<br />
the highly coveted industrial suburb of St.<br />
Bernard saved. Norwood escaped by<br />
becoming a city itself<br />
As important as the policy of annexation<br />
was to the Cox organization, within the<br />
policy lay the seeds of the organization’s<br />
demise. New territory brought with it<br />
thousands of new middle-class voters. To<br />
them, <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s politics under Cox was<br />
an embarrassment and an affront. It<br />
seemed outdated in light of the work of<br />
progressive reformers in other cities. Cox<br />
was a master of the old methods. Although<br />
he improved the delivery of a variety of<br />
services, his approach was always<br />
piecemeal and dictated by politics.<br />
Progressive reformers, on the other hand,<br />
advocated an entirely new approach to<br />
municipal administration. <strong>The</strong>y sought to<br />
apply methods of scientific management<br />
through the work of professionally trained<br />
city managers.<br />
<strong>The</strong> difference in the two approaches was<br />
reflected in the way each side approached<br />
the need for an improved water supply and<br />
sewer system. Under Cox, there was no<br />
coherent and orderly plan; rather, the city<br />
built individual lines—often as ploys to<br />
communities targeted for annexation. In the<br />
most blatant case of self- interested decision<br />
making, an isolated line was run in 1895 to<br />
the section of Clifton where Cox had<br />
recently built a house. By contrast, under<br />
the one-term reform administration of<br />
Gustav Tafel in 1896, engineers evaluated<br />
the water and sewer situation and developed<br />
plans for improving service for the entire<br />
C H A P T E R 3<br />
8 3
city. Although Tafel was not in office<br />
long enough to implement the plan, the<br />
Cox-backed administration of Julius<br />
Fleischmann picked up the highly popular<br />
section that called for building a new<br />
waterworks at California, upriver from the<br />
points where the city dumped its sewage<br />
into the river.<br />
Efforts to clean up and reform<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> politics were as old as the Cox<br />
organization itself. Because Cox co-opted<br />
much of the Democratic Party into his<br />
organization by splitting patronage on a<br />
60-40 ratio, these efforts had difficulty<br />
getting a foothold. <strong>The</strong>y depended upon<br />
fragile alliances between reform Democrats<br />
and Republicans and non-partisan<br />
independents. But the reformers could not<br />
survive more than one term in office.<br />
<strong>The</strong> most important of the reform<br />
administrations was that of Henry Hunt in<br />
1911-1912. Hunt was the son of a wealthy<br />
Clifton couple. He was educated at Yale<br />
and the University of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Law<br />
School. Hunt allied himself with the voices<br />
of reform, and, by appealing to the<br />
suburban voters, he was elected as county<br />
prosecutor in 1908. Hunt could not move<br />
against Cox until after the election of 1910,<br />
when a reform judge presided over the<br />
grand jury room. Hunt charged Cox with<br />
perjury in testimony that Cox had given in<br />
Hyde Park Square (c. 1900). Postcard.<br />
Louis J. Porr, <strong>The</strong> Bellevue Brewing Co., <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 0. <strong>The</strong> Bellevue Brewing Company was formed about 1878<br />
and continued until Prohibition. Lithograph.<br />
PURCHASE.<br />
1906 to a committee of the state legislature.<br />
Cox had sworn that he had never<br />
personally received any interest on public<br />
funds deposited in local banks. Hunt found<br />
two former bank treasurers who testified<br />
they had delivered such money to Cox.<br />
Eventually, a Cox-appointed judge<br />
dismissed the case on the grounds that<br />
Cox’s constitutional rights had been<br />
violated in 1906. Technically, Cox won, but<br />
the trial had shattered his spirit. Soon after,<br />
Cox announced his retirement from<br />
politics. Cox had used the ploy of<br />
“retirement” twice previously to deflect<br />
criticism. Although he became less active,<br />
on election eve in 1910, Cox stood outside<br />
Wielert’s Cafe to review the parade of the<br />
faithful. Twenty-four hours later, however,<br />
Cox’s demise was tabulated. <strong>The</strong> victory<br />
denied Hunt in court was gained at the<br />
polls when <strong>Cincinnati</strong> elected him mayor.<br />
Hunt was determined to place<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s government on a sound<br />
foundation. He turned to professional<br />
managers to evaluate the needs of the city<br />
and develop scientifically sound proposals<br />
for meeting its challenges. Hunt and the<br />
managers understood the size and<br />
complexity of the problems <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
faced. Hunt determined that the primary<br />
challenge to improving the quality of life<br />
in <strong>Cincinnati</strong> was in relocating workingclass<br />
and poor people out of the decaying<br />
residences of the basin and into newer and<br />
more sanitary suburban settings. He<br />
identified the lack of cheap, rapid, and<br />
adequate transportation facilities as the<br />
biggest obstacle to reaching this goal and<br />
set about making plans to convert the old<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
84
Miami-Erie Canal bed into a rapid-transit<br />
loop. It would provide quick access to<br />
commuters who used nine existing<br />
interurban lines to reach the edge of the<br />
city and then had to poke along street<br />
railways into the center of the city. Hunt’s<br />
rapid-transit line would operate as a<br />
subway downtown in the old canal bed<br />
and run above ground to Cumminsville,<br />
east to Norwood and Oakley and then<br />
back south through the Deer Creek Valley<br />
to the downtown. Hunt believed the<br />
rapid-transit system would be “of greater<br />
value to the city than the <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
Southern Railroad and will aid immensely<br />
in improving municipal health.” With the<br />
creation of the transit loop, Hunt predicted<br />
that “the housing problem would solve<br />
itself, the commercial well-being of the city<br />
would be stimulated and our economic<br />
situation would be benefited.”<br />
Many <strong>Cincinnati</strong>ans recognized that<br />
Hunt’s proposals responded to real needs<br />
of the city and found his management<br />
methods to be clear advances over those of<br />
the Cox organization. But Hunt was<br />
defeated for re-election in 1913 and was<br />
unable to carry through with his programs<br />
Henry Thomas Hunt (c. 1910). Photograph.<br />
GIFT FROM THE ESTATE OF CHARLES LUDWIG.<br />
for the same reason that earlier reform<br />
administrations had been turned out after<br />
one term. It would be costly to clean up<br />
the city and undertake the major<br />
improvements needed, and <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
seemed to value low taxes more than<br />
modern government. <strong>The</strong> rapid-transit<br />
plan became a political orphan. Although<br />
later city administrations spent $6.2<br />
million developing about one-third of the<br />
system, the subway was doomed. It lacked<br />
the necessary political support. World War<br />
I caused construction costs to soar, and the<br />
automobile’s growing popularity after the<br />
war killed the interurban system that was<br />
to feed the subway.<br />
Republicans returned to political power<br />
in 1913, but for the first time since 1884,<br />
they were without Cox. His organization<br />
continued to dominate city affairs for<br />
another 11 years under the weakened rule<br />
of Rud Hynicka. But an era was over. Cox<br />
remained out of the public view until he<br />
died of a stroke on May 20, 1916.<br />
Cox was a product of the rough-andtumble<br />
politics of the late 19th century.<br />
Because he mastered the limited tools<br />
available to the politician of his day, Cox<br />
was able to guide <strong>Cincinnati</strong> through a<br />
period of fundamental social and economic<br />
change. His methods could not put<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> onto a fully modern footing.<br />
Hunt and his reformers pointed in that<br />
direction, but in 1912 the people were not<br />
yet prepared for the hard task involved.<br />
Disgusted with the city’s unwillingness to<br />
face up to its needs, Hunt left <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
after his defeat and returned only once later<br />
in his life.<br />
Subway Tube under Construction (1920s). Excavating for <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s subway system began in 1920. Using the Miami-Erie Canal bed to the present Norwood lateral, the route<br />
originally was planned to follow a 16-mile loop from downtown through the suburbs. When construction prices soared, the route was modified. <strong>The</strong> project was finally abandoned in 1927<br />
after two miles of tunnel and seven miles of surface route, except track, had been completed. Financed by a bond issue passed in 1916, the city’s subway debt was not paid until 1966, at a<br />
total cost of $13 million. Photograph.<br />
C H A P T E R 3<br />
8 5
Murals portraying <strong>Cincinnati</strong> workers installed in Union Terminal in 1933 were created by Winold Reiss from photographs taken in local industries such as the Baldwin Piano<br />
Company factory. In making a mural, grid patterns were drawn on the photograph, which was then enlarged to full size. A watercolor sketch was made to indicate the colors to be used.<br />
Glass mosaics were pasted onto two-foot sections of tracing paper. At the terminal the glass sides of the sections were pressed into wet concrete and the tracing paper was peeled away.<br />
Photographs and watercolor sketch from the Gregory Thorp Collection.<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
86
CHAPTER 4<br />
N E W W A Y S T O C O P E , 1 9 1 4 - 1 9 4 5<br />
On August I, 1914, the Deutscher Staats-<br />
Verband (German Alliance) assembled for its<br />
annual picnic at Chester Park. This day was<br />
different from earlier picnics, and a sense of<br />
foreboding filled the air. Europe was<br />
plunging toward war. On July 28 Austria<br />
had declared war on Serbia in response to<br />
the assassination of Archduke Francis<br />
Ferdinand. <strong>The</strong> next day Russia mobilized<br />
in defense of the Serbs, and on July 31<br />
Germany ordered Russia to back down or<br />
face war. <strong>The</strong> <strong>Cincinnati</strong> German-American<br />
community followed these developments<br />
with special concern. Austrian and German<br />
immigrants who were still citizens of their<br />
home countries waited anxiously for orders<br />
for them to return to Europe.<br />
<strong>The</strong> German-American leaders in<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> wanted the picnic to “become a<br />
patriotic demonstration as a testimonial to<br />
the old Vaterland.” To accommodate the<br />
group, I. M. Martin, the park manager,<br />
arranged to receive telegraph messages<br />
regarding European developments. No news<br />
had arrived by evening when many<br />
assembled to hear speeches from the<br />
leaders. Word finally arrived during a<br />
seemingly endless anti-prohibition speech.<br />
Judge John Schwaab, president of the Staats-<br />
Verband, rose and declared, “<strong>The</strong> die is cast;<br />
Germany has declared war on Russia; it has<br />
been forced to do so.” Schwaab called on<br />
everyone to rise and sing Die Wacht am<br />
Rhein, a German national song. <strong>The</strong> anthem<br />
spread throughout the park and was<br />
concluded with three mighty “hurrahs.”<br />
Since the mid-1830s Germans had<br />
constituted the largest group of immigrants<br />
settling in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>. By 1870 roughly 23<br />
percent of the city’s 200,000 residents were<br />
German-born. All eastern and mid-western<br />
American cities had received thousands of<br />
Europeans searching for a new life during<br />
these years, but the continued concentration<br />
of German immigrants set <strong>Cincinnati</strong> apart<br />
from most. In the first half of the 19th<br />
Chester Park (c. 1905). Chester Park began in the mid-1870s as a driving club and later headquartered the <strong>Queen</strong><br />
<strong>City</strong> Jockey Club. From the turn of the century until the 1930s, it was a popular picnic and amusement park. Photograph.<br />
century, the heavily German and Irish<br />
makeup of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s immigrant<br />
population was fairly typical. In the last half<br />
of the 19th century, the origins of the bulk<br />
of European immigration shifted away from<br />
the northwestern sections of Europe.<br />
Rapidly growing cities such as Cleveland<br />
and Chicago attracted a great number of<br />
immigrants, and a majority of them came<br />
from central, southern and eastern Europe.<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> grew much more slowly in this<br />
period, and only one-third of its immigrant<br />
population came from these parts of Europe.<br />
As a result, <strong>Cincinnati</strong> retained its strong<br />
German identity.<br />
Long before the early decades of the<br />
20th century, people of German heritage<br />
had become successful in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>. <strong>The</strong>y<br />
ran three banks and more than 200 savings<br />
and loan associations. <strong>The</strong>y supplied over<br />
200 doctors and 167 lawyers, and dominated<br />
the skilled and semi-skilled trades in<br />
brewing, machine tools, cabinetmaking and<br />
baking. <strong>The</strong> German community supported<br />
two daily newspapers and 31 periodicals and<br />
a host of organizations and institutions.<br />
Beneath all of the numbers, however, lay a<br />
different reality. <strong>The</strong> lengthy presence of the<br />
Germans in <strong>Cincinnati</strong> and their success<br />
meant that the city had thoroughly<br />
assimilated most of the German-Americans.<br />
As the city expanded out of the basin,<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s German-Americans joined the<br />
exodus to the surrounding hilltop<br />
communities. By 1910 fewer than a third of<br />
the residents of Over-the-Rhine were first- or<br />
second-generation Germans.<br />
As in other cities, differences developed<br />
between the more established, better<br />
assimilated German-Americans and<br />
immigrants who arrived in <strong>Cincinnati</strong> after<br />
1890. Not only did the two groups<br />
maintain separate organizations, their views<br />
of Germany differed. <strong>The</strong> earlier<br />
immigrants retained a great respect for<br />
German culture but grew critical of political<br />
C H A P T E R 4<br />
8 7
<strong>The</strong> Tagliches <strong>Cincinnati</strong>er Volksblatt, April 7, 1917, announces that the resolution of war against Germany was signed by President Wilson on April 6 and that German ships in<br />
U.S. harbors will be confiscated for supply transport to Europe.<br />
developments in Germany; the newer<br />
immigrants chauvinistically defended the<br />
German Empire and its policies.<br />
When World War I erupted in August<br />
1914, some German-Americans saw the<br />
war as an opportunity to rekindle unity in<br />
their community. <strong>The</strong>y formed relief<br />
organizations such as the German-<br />
Austrian-Hungarian Aid Society, which<br />
collected money under the motto of “Gold<br />
gave I for iron.” <strong>The</strong> German-language<br />
press attacked the course of United States<br />
policy towards Germany. Even though<br />
President Wilson had declared American<br />
neutrality in thought and action, his own<br />
sympathies toward England complicated<br />
his efforts to treat Britain and Germany<br />
impartially. Convinced that Wilson’s<br />
policies favored the British, the Freie Presse<br />
declared in June 1915 that “if Wilson<br />
would be as conscientious in protecting<br />
William Harry Gothard, <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Industries (1934). Oil on canvas.<br />
GIFT OF WALTER A. DRAPER.<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
88
German soldiers from American bullets as<br />
he is English ships from German<br />
torpedoes, we would be celebrating<br />
victory now.” Such strident criticism of<br />
U.S. policies sometimes embarrassed<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s German community, but<br />
rarely was its loyalty questioned. As<br />
America’s relations with Germany<br />
deteriorated and Germany resumed<br />
submarine warfare on January 31, 1917,<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s German-American spokesmen<br />
joined the nation’s outcry. Leaders<br />
reaffirmed their loyalty to the United<br />
States, yet expressed again their<br />
determination to prevent open conflict<br />
between the countries they loved.<br />
Finally, the dam broke. On April 6, 1917,<br />
the United States declared war on Germany.<br />
A flood of anti-German sentiment poured<br />
forth across the country expressed in<br />
thousands of individual remarks and small<br />
acts of violence. On April 9 <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
anglicized the names of 13 streets. German<br />
Street became English Street, Bremen<br />
became Republic, and Berlin became<br />
Woodrow. <strong>The</strong> public library removed<br />
German books and periodicals from<br />
circulation. On October 10 federal agents<br />
raided the offices of the Volksblatt. Soon<br />
German-language papers had to submit<br />
their copy to censors. Most devastating of<br />
all, the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Board of Education<br />
eliminated German-language instruction in<br />
the elementary grades of the public schools.<br />
During the 1914-1915 school year, 15,008<br />
students were enrolled in German classes<br />
taught by 73 full-time and 84 part-time<br />
teachers. After war broke out in Europe, the<br />
board restricted the content of the Germanlanguage<br />
courses and instructed teachers to<br />
avoid all “debatable passages” referring to<br />
German political institutions, rulers and<br />
military leaders. With United States’ entry<br />
into the war, Superintendent Randall<br />
Condon wrote that it had been<br />
“shortsighted” to allow “large numbers of<br />
people from foreign lands to come to us and<br />
make their homes within our borders<br />
without becoming an integral part of our<br />
local and national life.” He expressed regret<br />
that “we have been content to allow them to<br />
“Nasty Corner,” the southwest corner of Fifth and Vine Streets (c. 1890), became respectable when the Carew<br />
Building was constructed on this site in 1890. Photograph.<br />
GIFT OF THE OHIO MECHANICS’ INSTITUTE.<br />
live in segregated groups, keep alive their<br />
love for the country from which they came...<br />
and continue the use of their native<br />
language to the exclusion of English through<br />
which there might grow up mutual<br />
understanding and a community of feeling.”<br />
In June 1918 the school board voted to stop<br />
teaching German in elementary schools.<br />
Shortly after the United States entered the<br />
war, President Wilson established the<br />
Committee on Public Information. Through<br />
pamphlets, news releases, posters, motion<br />
pictures and other methods of propaganda,<br />
the committee intensified wartime hysteria,<br />
portraying German soldiers as barbaric<br />
Huns. <strong>The</strong> results were especially noticeable<br />
in heavily German <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, where the<br />
pressure to conform to the American way of<br />
life became overwhelming. Many German<br />
families anglicized their last names;<br />
hundreds of German organizations changed<br />
theirs as well. <strong>The</strong> German Mutual Insurance<br />
Company became the Hamilton County<br />
Fire Insurance Company, and its statue,<br />
“Germania,” was hastily retitled “Columbia.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> North <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Turners became<br />
the North <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Gymnasium. <strong>The</strong><br />
Lesebuch für Amerikanische Volksschulen<br />
(<strong>Cincinnati</strong>, c. 1863). A German-language text intended<br />
for use in the public schools. Compiled by the members<br />
of the German Teachers Club in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>.<br />
C H A P T E R 4<br />
8 9
P R O P A G A N D A P O S T E R S<br />
I N T H E F I R S T<br />
W O R L D W A R<br />
Before radio and television, posters<br />
played a major role in mass communication,<br />
and World War I saw their first large-scale<br />
use for political purposes. To persuade<br />
people that a total commitment to the war<br />
effort was needed, psychological techniques<br />
were used. Appeals on a personal basis were<br />
meant to induce feelings of guilt for not<br />
doing one’s part. Slogans, symbols,<br />
personifications, and messages from<br />
national leaders were used to invoke<br />
patriotism. <strong>The</strong> United States and England<br />
depicted the enemy as villainous or<br />
monstrous more often than did other<br />
countries. Women, initially portrayed in<br />
their traditional roles as wives and mothers,<br />
were pictured in their new jobs in industry<br />
as more men went to war and labor became<br />
scarce. As many as 3,000 poster designs<br />
were executed by artists—at no charge—for<br />
U.S. government and civilian agencies,<br />
and it was not unusual to have a printing<br />
of 100,000.<br />
F. Strothmann, Beat back the Hun with Liberty<br />
Bonds. Lithograph.<br />
Zoo Fete for the Fatherless Children of France,<br />
Thursday, July 11 (1918). Lithograph.<br />
For Every Fighter a Woman Worker. American<br />
Lithographic Company.<br />
Ellsworth Young, Remember Belgium. United<br />
States Printing and Lithography Company.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Time Has Come to Conquer or Submit….<br />
American Lithographic Company.<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
90
Staats-Verband became the American<br />
Citizens League. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s German<br />
community also threw its effort into<br />
organizing a Liberty Bond Crusade and<br />
raised $95,300 by 1918.<br />
World War I destroyed <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s<br />
German community. <strong>The</strong> intensely anti-<br />
German feelings generated during the war<br />
made it uncomfortable for German<br />
Americans openly to claim and nurture<br />
their heritage for many years. With<br />
German instruction eliminated from the<br />
public schools, the German-American<br />
societies were weakened; the Volksblatt<br />
went out of business at the end of 1919<br />
and the Freie Presse closed in 1924.<br />
Prohibition, which had initially been<br />
adopted as a wartime measure to conserve<br />
grain, became “permanent” in 1920<br />
with the adoption of the 18th Amendment.<br />
This act not only closed more than two<br />
dozen breweries that had operated in<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> before the war, it also affected<br />
hundreds of bars and saloons that had<br />
important economic and social significance<br />
for the German community.<br />
<strong>The</strong> war was a particularly traumatic<br />
experience for <strong>Cincinnati</strong>ans, but the city<br />
itself was not greatly affected. <strong>The</strong> war had<br />
neither generated new industries nor, except<br />
for brewing, distilling and barkeeping,<br />
harmed existing ones. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s most<br />
distinguishing feature in 1920 was its<br />
stability. Other Ohio cities of Columbus,<br />
Dayton, Cleveland, and Toledo grew rapidly<br />
and were three-quarters larger in 1920 than<br />
they had been in 1900. Youngstown and<br />
Akron had more than doubled. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>,<br />
however, grew only 20 percent in 20 years.<br />
While the other cities all had large numbers<br />
of new immigrants among their residents,<br />
only 10 percent of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s population<br />
Jacob Godfrey Schmidlapp (1849-1919).<br />
Portrait from the Schmidlapp Report, May 1943, in the<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Model Homes Company Records.<br />
Children playing behind early 20th century tenement. Photograph.<br />
PAUL BRIOL COLLECTION.<br />
were foreign-born, and half of them were<br />
German. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s greatest change was<br />
geographic. Through annexation the city<br />
expanded from 35.27 square miles in 1900<br />
to 72 square miles in 1918. As the migration<br />
from the basin to suburban communities<br />
continued, <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s most intractable<br />
problem concerned the living conditions of<br />
its working-class residents still trapped in<br />
the basin.<br />
About 100,000 of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s 401,247<br />
residents in 1920 lived in tenement housing<br />
in the basin. Improvement in their living<br />
and working conditions depended primarily<br />
on the initiatives of individuals and private<br />
groups. Before 1910 reformers had<br />
concentrated on controlling tenement<br />
housing through laws governing the<br />
availability of toilets and accessibility to light<br />
and air. <strong>The</strong>se reformers also promoted<br />
tenant and landlord education and even the<br />
establishment of a “model tenement” by the<br />
Associated Charities. After 1910 reformers<br />
shifted their efforts by attempting to<br />
accelerate the pace at which all housing in<br />
the basin would be abandoned. <strong>The</strong>y tried<br />
C H A P T E R 4<br />
9 1
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Model Homes Company’s Lincoln Terrace Apartments in Walnut Hills. Photograph. From the Southwestern<br />
Ohio Lung Association Records.<br />
to assist the move of working-class people<br />
to new suburban communities.<br />
Jacob Schmidlapp, who made a fortune<br />
in distilling and banking, undertook the<br />
first effort at building good housing for the<br />
poor away from the basin. He began in<br />
1911 by constructing 96 apartments in<br />
Norwood in the hope of providing factory<br />
workers there the chance to live closer to<br />
their jobs. Norwood harassed Schmidlapp<br />
by overcharging for building permits and<br />
overvaluing land for tax purposes, but his<br />
construction went forward. Schmidlapp<br />
intended not only to provide decent, lowcost<br />
housing, but to convince other<br />
wealthy people to join him or follow his<br />
example. Thus, Schmidlapp set up his<br />
homes to return a five percent profit on his<br />
investment, an approach he termed<br />
“philanthropy plus 5%.” Following the<br />
Norwood success, in 1914 Schmidlapp<br />
organized the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Model Homes<br />
Company and built units at Washington<br />
Terrace on Kemper Lane in Walnut Hills.<br />
Each apartment had a bath, indoor toilet<br />
and gas heat. To emphasize a sense of<br />
community, Schmidlapp abandoned the<br />
high-density tenement in favor of<br />
buildings that housed just four families. By<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
92<br />
providing recreational facilities and<br />
community-oriented activities, the<br />
company attempted to provide a<br />
“neighborhood” environment for its<br />
tenants. In projects in Norwood, Oakley<br />
and Walnut Hills, Model Homes<br />
accommodated 107 white families and<br />
337 black families. After Schmidlapp’s<br />
death in 1919, the company’s momentum<br />
faltered. Neither philanthropists nor<br />
businesses followed in Schmidlapp’s<br />
footsteps. <strong>The</strong> Better Housing League<br />
continued to decry the deteriorating<br />
housing situation for poor people. <strong>The</strong><br />
league pointed out that as industries and<br />
commercial centers expanded in the<br />
basin and as more blacks migrated to the<br />
city, the tenements became increasingly<br />
overcrowded and unsanitary.<br />
<strong>The</strong> most notable effort to develop<br />
model housing in the early 1920s was<br />
directed not at the immigrants and blacks<br />
but at a different class of urban poor. In<br />
1922 Mary Emery, the widow of wealthy<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> industrialist Thomas Emery,<br />
hired a Cambridge, Massachusetts, firm to<br />
design a new town that would provide<br />
good housing in a community setting for<br />
a projected 5,000 people from every level<br />
of society. <strong>The</strong> plan proposed for her town<br />
of Mariemont attempted to capture the<br />
environment of an English garden city.<br />
Within the village, clusters of group homes<br />
opening onto protected courtyards were<br />
meant to rent cheaply to lower-income<br />
people. <strong>The</strong>re were also streets of modest<br />
cottages and sites for larger and more<br />
expensive single-family homes. <strong>The</strong> plans<br />
Lincoln Terrace Apartments. Artist’s rendering. From the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Model Homes Company Records.
Mary M. Emery (1844- 1927). Photograph.<br />
Mariemont a New Town “A National Exemplar….” From a prospectus for Mariemont (<strong>Cincinnati</strong>, c. 1925).<br />
Front cover illustration.<br />
GIFT OF LEE SHEPARD.<br />
included schools, recreational facilities, a<br />
shopping district with a theater, inn,<br />
library, shops, a town hall and a<br />
community church. Housing reformers<br />
quickly declared Mariemont a “national<br />
exemplar,” and it was written about in<br />
magazines and professional journals. For<br />
all of its success, Mariemont failed to<br />
address the need of the working class for<br />
inexpensive housing. Construction costs<br />
drove rents much higher than anticipated.<br />
<strong>The</strong> average rent for a four-room<br />
apartment in <strong>Cincinnati</strong> in 1923 was<br />
$24.20 per month; the lowest rent in<br />
Mariemont was $35.<br />
In 1926, before the Inn was used as a hotel, the Mariemont Company’s rental and sales office occupied the lobby<br />
area. Photograph.<br />
GIFT OF J. P. NORTHCUTT.<br />
Reformers also strived to improve health<br />
care services for thousands of poor in the<br />
basin. In 1916 the National Social Unit<br />
Organization chose the Mohawk-Brighton<br />
area for a three- year experiment to provide<br />
health care through a democratic model.<br />
<strong>The</strong> National Social Unit was the inspiration<br />
of Wilbur C. Phillips, who earlier had served<br />
as the secretary of the New York Milk<br />
Committee and as the director of the<br />
Milwaukee Child Welfare Commission<br />
during its socialist administration. <strong>The</strong><br />
National Social Unit believed that health<br />
care could not be isolated from a complete<br />
effort at improving the lives of a group of<br />
people. <strong>The</strong> Mohawk-Brighton community<br />
was organized into 31 block clubs, each of<br />
which elected a block worker, a news<br />
carrier, a social-data collector and a street<br />
organizer. Through study, discussion and<br />
democratic decision-making, the residents<br />
of the neighborhood were to identify their<br />
needs and then discuss with doctors, nurses<br />
and social workers the best way to meet<br />
those needs. Between 1917 and 1919 the<br />
organization established a child health-care<br />
program, prenatal and postnatal care,<br />
medical examinations for all preschool<br />
children and supervision of all local<br />
tuberculosis cases. When influenza began<br />
C H A P T E R 4<br />
9 3
Dedicated in 1913, the Union Central Building at the southwest corner of Fourth and Vine Streets was <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s tallest building until the Carew Tower was completed in 1930.<br />
Designed by Cass Gilbert (architect of the Woolworth Building in New York <strong>City</strong>), in conjunction with the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> architectural firm of Garber & Woodward, the structure was the tallest<br />
skyscraper in the nation outside of New York <strong>City</strong> at the time of its completion. <strong>The</strong> 34-story structure now is the PNC Tower. Lithograph.<br />
GIFT OF JULIA F. CARDER.<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
94
to spread in eastern cities, the social unit<br />
initiated a neighborhood education program<br />
that taught ways to prevent and treat the<br />
disease. During the last four months of<br />
1918, the death rate from influenza in<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> was 4.10 per thousand, while in<br />
Mohawk-Brighton it was about half that rate<br />
at 2.26 per thousand. Despite its success in<br />
delivering health care and social services,<br />
the participation of the residents in<br />
formulating programs made it different from<br />
other social-reform organizations. In a<br />
postwar America in the throes of a “Red<br />
Scare” following the Russian Revolution,<br />
those suspicious of the social unit attacked<br />
it as “but one step away from Bolshevism.”<br />
<strong>The</strong>y claimed it was trying to create a<br />
second government within <strong>Cincinnati</strong>.<br />
Mayor John Galvin led the attack and,<br />
ignoring a vote of confidence by the<br />
residents of Mohawk-Brighton, withdrew<br />
the city’s support of the program. It closed<br />
in November 1920.<br />
In addition to addressing the housing<br />
and welfare needs of the poor, social<br />
reformers wanted to make the city more<br />
healthy and attractive than the<br />
uncontrolled growth it had experienced<br />
during the 19th century. <strong>The</strong>y joined<br />
forces with business-oriented professionals<br />
who were developing the still-novel<br />
science of urban planning to create a<br />
modern, efficient <strong>Cincinnati</strong> during the<br />
20th century. <strong>The</strong> first manifestation of<br />
planning in <strong>Cincinnati</strong> occurred when<br />
George Kessler of Kansas <strong>City</strong> was<br />
commissioned to plan a system of parks<br />
and parkways for the city. <strong>The</strong> resulting<br />
Kessler Plan of 1907 recommended that<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> develop several parks scattered<br />
throughout the city that took advantage of<br />
the natural hillside vistas of the basin and<br />
the Ohio River. It suggested that a system<br />
of parkways link the hilltop parks. <strong>The</strong><br />
plan was only partially realized, but many<br />
of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s existing parks and Victory,<br />
Central and Columbia Parkways were<br />
included in the plan.<br />
By 1914 the Chamber of Commerce, the<br />
Federated Improvement Association, and<br />
the Business Men’s Club advocated a<br />
broader type of city planning. Other<br />
volunteer groups included the <strong>City</strong><br />
Planning Committee of the Woman’s <strong>City</strong><br />
Making His Weight (1918) illustrates the<br />
National Social Unit Organization’s child health-care<br />
program. Photograph. From the Southwestern Ohio<br />
Lung Association Records.<br />
Club and the United <strong>City</strong> Planning<br />
Committee, which by 1921 represented<br />
32 civic organizations. In 1918 the<br />
<strong>City</strong> Planning Committee was formed to act<br />
as the coordinating body for the<br />
development of the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> area. <strong>The</strong>se<br />
efforts resulted in an official city plan,<br />
adopted and published in 1925. <strong>The</strong> first of<br />
its kind for a city the size of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, the<br />
plan strived to “foresee and make provision<br />
for…the public health, safety, convenience,<br />
comfort, prosperity, beauty and general<br />
welfare of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> as a home for its<br />
citizens.” <strong>The</strong> plan acknowledged the<br />
stable, slow growth of the city’s population,<br />
took pride in its high percentage of<br />
American-born residents, worried about the<br />
modest increase in the black population,<br />
stressed the importance of its diversified<br />
economy and praised its moderate climate:<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> is fortunate in having no very<br />
hot or no very cold spells…. <strong>The</strong> thermometer<br />
gets below zero not oftener than<br />
once a year. <strong>The</strong>re is little snow, and no<br />
deep snow…. <strong>The</strong> climate is not damp...<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> is also remarkably free from fogs.<br />
Social Unit nurse visiting family with amputee child. Photograph.<br />
GIFT OF THE SOUTHWESTERN OHIO LUNG ASSOCIATION.<br />
<strong>The</strong> planners tried to establish an agenda<br />
for developing a city that would be more<br />
attractive and more livable for its people yet<br />
C H A P T E R 4<br />
9 5
View of the smoke-filled basin from the monastery on top of Mt. Adams with the Rookwood Pottery Building in the<br />
foreground (c. 1915). Photograph.<br />
A I R P O L L U T I O N I N T H E E A R L Y 2 0 T H C E N T U R Y<br />
By the late 19th century, <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s air was infamous. <strong>The</strong> steep hills, the large<br />
number of factories and the universal use of bituminous coal for industrial and residential<br />
heat produced a serious air-pollution problem. Doctors spoke of “<strong>Cincinnati</strong> lung.”<br />
Merchants tried in vain to keep the gritty, greasy residue from ruining dry goods.<br />
Housewives had to wipe off tabletops and windowsills daily.<br />
In 1903 the city created the position of smoke inspector, but the office was never<br />
sufficiently staffed. A broad cross-section of citizen groups took up the cause of smoke<br />
abatement to supplement the governmental effort. <strong>The</strong> most important such group was<br />
the Smoke Abatement League, formed in 1908, which took responsibility for<br />
monitoring the downtown area. From offices on the 30th floor of the Union Central<br />
(PNC) Tower, inspectors watched for problems, discussed corrective procedures with<br />
violators and brought persistent offenders to court.<br />
Reformers initially concentrated on large manufacturers, who quickly recognized the<br />
economic as well as the environmental advantages of improved furnaces, automatic<br />
stokers and higher-grade coke. Small manufacturers found it more difficult to make these<br />
costly improvements. Other inspectors concentrated their efforts on locomotives and<br />
steamboats, both highly concentrated in the basin area.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Smoke Abatement League lost much of its funding during the Great Depression<br />
when privately financed charities gave their full resources to helping the unemployed.<br />
By the late 1930s, however, stiffer municipal legislation was adopted. <strong>The</strong> city increased<br />
the number of its inspectors to 15 and forced coal suppliers to grade and inform<br />
customers of the cleanliness of their fuel.<br />
<strong>The</strong> substitution of natural gas and fuel oil for coal in factories and homes after World<br />
War II helped solve <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s visible smoke problem. But, the proliferation of<br />
automobiles in the same years brought new invisible pollution challenges.<br />
remain economically stable and prosperous.<br />
<strong>The</strong> most important recommendation of the<br />
plan was its support for comprehensive<br />
zoning, an innovative idea at the time.<br />
Specifically designed to give city officials<br />
control over undeveloped land, zoning was<br />
also intended to protect <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s suburbs<br />
from the evils of the basin by providing<br />
building guidelines, parks, playgrounds,<br />
community centers and open spaces. For the<br />
downtown, the plan proposed developing a<br />
civic center stretching from <strong>City</strong> Hall to<br />
Music Hall where major public buildings,<br />
such as the post office and the public library,<br />
would be located. Little was said about the<br />
Ohio River except for its flooding and<br />
recreational potential, but the plan endorsed<br />
the building of a union railroad terminal.<br />
Indeed, the plan gave great attention to the<br />
transportation needs of the city and<br />
recommended a variety of policies<br />
concerning a proposed rapid-transit loop and<br />
the construction of thoroughfares. Ideas from<br />
raised roadways to elevated walkways, from<br />
one-way streets to “left turn eliminations”<br />
were explored as means to cope with the new<br />
problems created by automobiles.<br />
Ironically, the plan, developed under<br />
the auspices of the city government, dealt<br />
in great depth with streets and<br />
thoroughfares at the same time the<br />
disastrous condition of the city’s streets<br />
played a critical role in reforming that<br />
government. <strong>The</strong> Republican machine was<br />
not the same without Cox. Following<br />
Cox’s death in 1916, “Rud” Hynicka took<br />
control of the organization. Garry<br />
Herrmann withdrew from active politics,<br />
and Mike Mullen died in 1921. To replace<br />
them, Hynicka made Fred Schneller the<br />
“number two” man and Froome Morris the<br />
spokesman for the organization, which<br />
remained fundamentally unchanged. <strong>The</strong><br />
Republican machine continued in power<br />
through control of a bloated patronage<br />
list and the timing of primary elections.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Hynicka organization made almost<br />
6,800 political appointments, all of whom<br />
were expected to work to turn out the vote<br />
when the party needed it. Primary<br />
elections for city offices were held in the<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
96
Eighth Street Spires. Photograph.<br />
PAUL BRIOL COLLECTION.<br />
late summer of odd years when few people<br />
voted, enhancing the machine’s ability to<br />
control the outcome.<br />
<strong>The</strong> efficiency of government continued<br />
to decline. <strong>The</strong> symbol of the<br />
organization’s inability to manage the city<br />
in the early 1920s became the potholes<br />
and the ruts in the city’s streets. All over<br />
the city, roads deteriorated to the point<br />
that they became impassable. Al Segal<br />
wrote a front-page column in the<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Post under the heading of<br />
“Cincinnatus” in which he satirized the<br />
condition of the streets. On June 8, 1923,<br />
Segal recounted a drive he had taken with<br />
a photographer during which they<br />
concluded that the potholes of <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
were living organisms in a great Darwinian<br />
struggle in which width and depth were<br />
the measures of fitness. In another column<br />
Segal wrote that the city caused an<br />
international incident when two<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>ans fell through a pothole on<br />
Linwood Avenue and ended up in Bombay,<br />
India. <strong>The</strong> residents of Bombay threatened<br />
to attack for fear that all of <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
would plunge through the earth as well.<br />
Although Mayor George P. Carrel and<br />
Hynicka armed the citizenry against a<br />
threatened attack, Segal wrote, peace was<br />
restored when invading savages taught<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>ans the art of pothole repair.<br />
Several factors were responsible for the<br />
condition of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s streets and the<br />
level of municipal services. A ruraldominated<br />
legislature unreasonably<br />
restricted the amount of tax revenue a city<br />
could raise for general operations. Between<br />
1910 and 1923 general operating costs in<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> rose 21.9 percent while revenues<br />
increased only 11.3 percent. To circumvent<br />
these restrictions, many cities called<br />
anything they could a capital-improvement<br />
project and issued bonds to carry out the<br />
work. As a result <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s bonded<br />
indebtedness grew so large by 1921 that<br />
one-half of the city’s taxes went to service<br />
the debt. <strong>The</strong> machine was forced to<br />
retrench in the early 1920s. Municipal<br />
departments reduced wages, lengthened<br />
working hours and laid off employees. At<br />
times the city halted street repairs, stopped<br />
collecting ashes and cut city-owned horses<br />
from three meals to two meals a day.<br />
View of the intersection of Erie Avenue and Madison Road looking north (1928). Photograph.<br />
GIFT OF THE CINCINNATI TRANSIT COMPANY.<br />
C H A P T E R 4<br />
9 7
Murray Seasongood (c. 1928). Photograph.<br />
GIFT OF MURRAY SEASONGOOD.<br />
M U R R A Y<br />
S E A S O N G O O D<br />
( 1 8 7 8 - 1 9 8 3 )<br />
Murray Seasongood advocated and<br />
worked for good government long<br />
after he retired from elective office in<br />
1930. For 34 years he taught courses<br />
on municipal corporations at the<br />
University of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Law School.<br />
He lectured widely and published<br />
many of his essays on government. As<br />
a trustee of the Hamilton County Good<br />
Government League, the National<br />
Legal Aid Association, the National<br />
Municipal League and dozens of other<br />
organizations, he supported reform on<br />
many fronts. Seasongood remained<br />
active well into his 90s in the law firm<br />
that he had joined in 1903, just after<br />
graduating from Harvard Law School.<br />
Despite the image of frugality the<br />
organization wanted to project,<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>ans witnessed the reality of<br />
inefficiency and corruption. <strong>The</strong><br />
administration cut street-cleaning and<br />
repair crews but let jobs without<br />
competitive bidding to contractors who<br />
used expensive granite blocks rather than<br />
asphalt to repair streets. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s per<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
98<br />
capita cost of government was the fourth<br />
highest in the nation and the highest<br />
in Ohio.<br />
Yet the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> political machine<br />
limped on without effective challenge<br />
longer than any other city machine in<br />
early 20th-century America. Reform movements<br />
had swept urban America in the<br />
years before World War I, including an<br />
especially successful one in Cleveland led<br />
by Tom Johnson that earned it the<br />
reputation of the best-governed city in<br />
America. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s stable population<br />
growth and economic diversity generated<br />
comparative peace, where rapid growth<br />
produced problems that brought reformers<br />
to power in other cities. <strong>Cincinnati</strong> was in<br />
a state of grumbling apathy in need of<br />
leaders who could convince its citizens<br />
that things could be different. This<br />
leadership emerged from the Cincinnatus<br />
Association, an organization formed in<br />
1920 largely by veterans coming home<br />
from military service. Victor Heintz, a<br />
former congressman who had resigned to<br />
join the war effort, returned to <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
as a political organizer for Warren<br />
Harding. Heintz called together business<br />
and professional men who were<br />
committed to improving <strong>Cincinnati</strong>. <strong>The</strong><br />
organization was consciously bipartisan,<br />
but most of the leadership, including John<br />
Hollister and Robert Taft, were loyal<br />
Republicans reluctant to do anything that<br />
might bring down the machine. For a<br />
couple of years, the membership pondered<br />
and debated important issues in the sort<br />
of quiet way that did not stir popular<br />
attention or embarrass the machine.<br />
In October 1923 Cincinnatus<br />
unintentionally became the platform for<br />
new leadership. <strong>The</strong> impetus was a threemill<br />
special operating levy similar to those<br />
voters had rejected the two preceding years.<br />
Although the members of Cincinnatus had<br />
spent many meetings detailing the failures<br />
of the city administration in providing<br />
proper street repair and garbage collection,<br />
the pressing shortage of funds seemed<br />
compelling. <strong>The</strong>n, Murray Seasongood, a<br />
lawyer and member of the organization’s<br />
program committee, challenged the group’s<br />
inclination to endorse the levy and<br />
announced his willingness to debate the<br />
issue. A week later, on October 9,<br />
Seasongood debated a fellow Cincinnatus<br />
member, Leonard Smith, who spoke for its<br />
passage. Seasongood attacked the “gang” for<br />
its misuse of tax money and its failure to<br />
deliver services. He argued that the damage<br />
of the machine went beyond anything<br />
tangible to include the psychological effects<br />
on the citizens that had “drugged them into<br />
a state of political lethargy that is fast<br />
making the city a laughing-stock...<strong>The</strong><br />
whole history of the organization has been<br />
a blot on the city,” Seasongood charged.<br />
As effective as Seasongood’s presentation<br />
was in persuading Cincinnatus to call for<br />
the defeat of the levy, his impact would<br />
have been minimal had not two<br />
newspapers reported the debate to the<br />
community, making it “the shot heard<br />
round the wards.” <strong>The</strong> organization ineptly<br />
responded by attacking Seasongood’s<br />
motives. <strong>The</strong> levy was defeated, but that<br />
was not surprising. Similar levies had been<br />
turned back even without any clear<br />
Keep <strong>Cincinnati</strong> the Best Governed <strong>City</strong>, Vote for<br />
the Charter Committee Candidates (1929). Pamphlet.
A “birdless ballot.” Under Proportional<br />
Representation, voters selected candidates in order of<br />
preference (1939). Ephemera Collection.<br />
GIFT OF MRS. ALLEN COLLIER.<br />
opposition leadership. <strong>The</strong> campaign’s<br />
importance was that the public discovered<br />
a spokesman for reform who was willing to<br />
grab at the opportunities offered.<br />
Events moved quickly after the<br />
November election. Immediately after the<br />
levy defeat, Seasongood called for a<br />
thorough investigation of the city<br />
administration. Hynicka appointed a large<br />
committee, which included a wary<br />
Seasongood, and hired Lent D. Upson of the<br />
Detroit Bureau of Government Research.<br />
<strong>The</strong> resulting Upson Report detailed<br />
numerous failings of the organization but<br />
also balanced its findings with sympathetic<br />
comments about the limits imposed by the<br />
inadequate tax structure. Seasongood felt<br />
the report had pulled its punches and<br />
refused to sign it, but the report officially<br />
chronicled the failings of the Republican<br />
organization in managing the city.<br />
Other reformers emerged and<br />
coordinated their efforts. Henry Bentley, a<br />
Reformers wanted symbols removed from ballots (1921). Broadside. From the Resor Papers.<br />
GIFT OF CHASE SHAFER.<br />
Counting the votes in a <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Proportional Representation election. Photograph.<br />
PAUL BRIOL COLLECTION.<br />
C H A P T E R 4<br />
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Taft–Head and Shoulders Above <strong>The</strong>m All (1908). A campaign postcard.<br />
Charles Phelps Taft (1843-1929). Photograph.<br />
GIFT FROM THE ESTATE OF HULBERT TAFT.<br />
GIFT OF ANITA FENTON.<br />
T H E T A F T F A M I L Y<br />
<strong>The</strong> Tafts of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> make up one of the nation’s greatest political families. Patriarch<br />
Alphonso Taft (1810-1891) set the pattern which many of his descendants would follow. Born<br />
in Vermont he moved to <strong>Cincinnati</strong> in 1839 to practice law. During his career he was judge of<br />
the Superior Court of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, Secretary of War and Attorney General in President Grant’s<br />
cabinet and minister to Austria and Russia.<br />
Alphonso had five sons: Peter Rawson and Charles Phelps by his first wife, Fanny Phelps,<br />
and Horace, William Howard and Harry by his second wife, Louise Torrey.<br />
William Howard Taft (1857-1930) was born at the family home on Mt. Auburn. A<br />
graduate of the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Law School, which he later served as dean, his first public office<br />
was assistant prosecutor of Hamilton County. He gained national recognition as governor<br />
of the Philippines and as Secretary of War in <strong>The</strong>odore Roosevelt’s administration. At the<br />
urging of his family and President Roosevelt, Taft reluctantly agreed to run for president in<br />
1908. He received the official notification of his nomination at his brother’s Pike Street<br />
mansion. He defeated William Jennings Bryan and became the 27th President of the United<br />
States. Taft lost his bid for a second term in a three-party race which Woodrow Wilson won.<br />
In 1921 President Warren G. Harding named Taft Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, a<br />
position he had wanted more than the presidency, and where he served until several months<br />
prior to his death in 1930.<br />
William Howard’s older half-brother, Charles Phelps Taft (1843-1929) was trained as a lawyer<br />
and a scholar. He served in the Ohio House (1871) and the U.S. Congress (1895), but was best<br />
known in <strong>Cincinnati</strong> as a publisher and philanthropist. In 1873 he married Anna Sinton,<br />
daughter of iron magnate David Sinton. In 1879 and 1880, Taft and his father-in-law acquired<br />
two <strong>Cincinnati</strong> daily newspapers to form the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Times-Star. Mr. and Mrs. Charles Phelps<br />
Taft worked systematically to endow institutions that would promote the intellectual and cultural<br />
development of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s citizenry. <strong>The</strong>y created the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Institute of Fine Arts to endow<br />
the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Symphony Orchestra and to establish their home with its priceless art collection<br />
as the Taft Museum. In 1930, Mrs. Taft created a $2 million Charles Phelps Taft Memorial Fund<br />
at the University of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> to be used for teaching and study of the humanities. It was<br />
supplemented in 1961 by a $3 million bequest from her daughter, Louise Taft Semple, that was<br />
Anna Sinton Taft (1852-1931). Photograph.<br />
Hulbert Taft (1877-1959). Photograph.<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
100
<strong>The</strong> Alphonso Taft House at 2038 Auburn Avenue was the birthplace of William Howard Taft (c. 1867). Photograph.<br />
GIFT OF THE WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE.<br />
designed to make the Classics Department, which her husband, Dr. William T. Semple headed<br />
for 40 years, the best in the country.<br />
Senator Robert A. Taft (1889-1953), the eldest son of William Howard, served in the U.S.<br />
Senate from 1939 until his death. Generally considered one of the ablest political leaders of his<br />
time, Robert Taft was a serious but unsuccessful contender for the Republican presidential<br />
nomination in 1940, 1948 and 1952. Known as “Mr. Republican,” the senator was a champion<br />
of individual liberty and conservative fiscal policies. He sponsored federal welfare programs,<br />
however, particularly in the area of education, and co-sponsored the public housing law of 1949.<br />
His son, Robert Taft, Jr. (1917-1993) went to Washington as congressman-at-large from Ohio<br />
in 1963 and in 1970 was elected to a term in the senate.<br />
Charles P. Taft II (1897-1983), the youngest son of the president, became one of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s<br />
most popular public figures. He was an original member of the Charter Committee, was elected<br />
county prosecutor in 1926 and to city council in 1937. Although Taft was a Charterite in local<br />
politics, he ran for governor as a Republican in 1952 and served in various federal posts in<br />
Washington during the Franklin Roosevelt administration. Taft was mayor in 1956-1957 when<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> received Fortune Magazine’s designation as the nation’s “best-governed” city. He retired<br />
from city council in 1977 after 30 years of service.<br />
Hulbert Taft (1877-1959), the son of Peter Rawson and Matilda Taft, was editor and publisher<br />
of the Times-Star for more than 50 years. Under his guidance this staunchly Republican<br />
newspaper allegedly endorsed none but Republican political candidates. His son, Hulbert Taft,<br />
Jr. (1917-1967), founded the Taft Broadcasting Company.<br />
Other members of the family were active in political and cultural circles. Mrs. William Howard<br />
Taft, for example, was a founder and first president of the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Symphony Orchestra. Mrs.<br />
Robert A. Taft was active in the women’s suffrage movement, helped organize a local chapter of<br />
the League of Women Voters and was its first president.<br />
Charles Phelps Taft, II (1897-1983). Photograph.<br />
GIFT OF JULIA WARREN.<br />
Robert A. Taft, Sr. (1889-1953). Photograph.<br />
GIFT FROM THE ESTATE OF HULBERT TAFT.<br />
<strong>The</strong> home of Charles Phelps and Anna Sinton Taft, Pike Street, now the Taft Museum. Photograph.<br />
GIFT OF MILTON NIEDERLEHNER.<br />
C H A P T E R 4<br />
1 0 1
grassroots politician, proposed a Birdless<br />
Ballot League to push for the removal of<br />
partisan symbols from ballots, hoping to<br />
undermine the machine’s ability to control<br />
uninformed voters. By early spring in 1924,<br />
a loose confederation had focused on<br />
reorganizing the structure of city<br />
government by means of a new charter. Ed<br />
Alexander, who was allied with the national<br />
Progressive campaign of Robert M.<br />
LaFollette, prepared an initial draft of the<br />
charter. <strong>The</strong> draft was debated and refined<br />
during April and May by Alexander; Bentley;<br />
Seasongood; Guy Mallon, a prominent<br />
lawyer who had sponsored the Australian<br />
ballot reform in Ohio; Charles Taft; Ralph<br />
Holterhoff, also involved in the Birdless<br />
Ballot League; Agnes Hilton of the League of<br />
Women Voters and pioneer suffragette; and<br />
Marietta Tawney of the Woman’s <strong>City</strong> Club.<br />
<strong>The</strong> draft charter proposed running the<br />
city by modern managerial principles<br />
popularized through the work of Fred<br />
Taylor, an efficiency engineer and the<br />
father of scientific management. <strong>The</strong><br />
charter proposed shifting power away<br />
from elected politicians to a professional,<br />
trained specifically to manage a municipal<br />
bureaucracy. Administrators were to be<br />
chosen on the basis of training and<br />
competence rather than politics. With the<br />
day-to-day responsibilities for the city in<br />
the hands of professionals, it was possible<br />
to redefine the role of elected officials. In<br />
place of a large council representing<br />
fragmented ward interests, the charter<br />
proposed a small council of nine chosen at<br />
large. Voters would elect council through<br />
an elaborate system of balloting termed<br />
“proportional representation.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> Charter Committee was formed to<br />
take the charter before the people. Bentley<br />
labored to coordinate the entire effort and<br />
build an effective organization in time for the<br />
November elections. Seasongood’s oratory<br />
complemented Bentley’s organizational<br />
skills. Seasongood provided the spark; he<br />
personalized the fight. On election day the<br />
charter was approved, 92,510 to 41,105.<br />
To secure the promised benefits of the<br />
new charter, the reformers transformed the<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
102<br />
Charter Committee into a permanent<br />
organization. <strong>The</strong>y nominated nine<br />
candidates for city council in elections set<br />
for November 1925. Seasongood headed<br />
the slate comprised of a mixture of<br />
Democrats, reform-minded Republicans,<br />
and even one sitting Republican<br />
councilman, Charles O. Rose, who had<br />
grown increasingly independent of the<br />
organization. <strong>The</strong> Republicans fielded a<br />
short slate of six candidates; 24<br />
independents also entered the race. <strong>The</strong><br />
campaign was lively. It was highlighted by<br />
a “debate” between Seasongood and an<br />
empty chair before a meeting of the<br />
Madisonville Welfare Association when the<br />
Republican spokesman failed to appear. In<br />
the end, the Charter Committee elected six<br />
to council; Republicans won three seats.<br />
<strong>The</strong> victories of 1924 and 1925 brought<br />
the reformers to power. <strong>The</strong> victories in<br />
themselves neither improved the<br />
administration of the city nor united the<br />
reformers. Seasongood and Bentley soon<br />
split over the future role of the Charter<br />
Committee and over candidates for mayor<br />
and city manager. Seasongood was an<br />
individualist who saw himself as the leader<br />
of a diverse and growing reform movement<br />
larger than any single organization. Bentley<br />
believed that building the Charter<br />
Committee into a permanent organization<br />
was necessary if this reform effort was to last<br />
longer than earlier ones. Bentley’s candidate<br />
for mayor lost to Seasongood’s—Seasongood<br />
himself. Seasongood soon resigned from all<br />
organizations, including Charter. He also<br />
won approval of his choice for city manager,<br />
C. O. Sherrill, superintendent of buildings<br />
and grounds in Washington, D.C., over<br />
Bentley’s candidate, C. A. Dykstra from Los<br />
Angeles. Over the next four years, Sherrill<br />
supervised the smooth reform of <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
government. He hired professionally trained<br />
administrators, initiated a program to repave<br />
the streets, improve lighting and install traffic<br />
signals and street signs. <strong>The</strong> work was made<br />
possible by new taxes approved in 1925.<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> shared in the nation’s<br />
prosperity and boom spirit of the 1920s, but<br />
its growth was moderate compared to other<br />
cities. Between 1900 and 1930, <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
dropped from the 9th largest city in the<br />
United States to 17th with a population of<br />
451,296. As in other cities, business<br />
prosperity was reflected in numerous<br />
construction projects in the downtown area.<br />
In <strong>Cincinnati</strong> most of the new buildings were<br />
financed by established families and their<br />
businesses. <strong>The</strong> Charles P. Tafts built the<br />
Dixie Terminal (1921), the Phelps apartments<br />
(1926) and the Masonic Temple (1928).<br />
Businessmen built the <strong>Queen</strong> <strong>City</strong> Club<br />
(1927) and a new Chamber of Commerce<br />
building (1927) on Fourth Street, plus the<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Club (1924) opposite the Doctors’<br />
Building (1923) on Garfield Place. In<br />
addition, the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Enquirer (1926) and<br />
the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Gas and Electric Company<br />
(1929) constructed new office facilities.<br />
Perhaps more revealing about<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s economy and the financial<br />
stability of its leading families and<br />
businesses were the construction projects<br />
begun in 1929 and extending into the early<br />
1930s, uninterrupted by the stock-market<br />
crash and the onset of the Great Depression.<br />
Early in 1929 the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> and Suburban<br />
Bell Telephone Company, whose principal<br />
owner was the Kilgour family, began a new<br />
building at Seventh and Elm streets that was<br />
not completed until 1931. Even more<br />
dramatic was the project of John J. Emery,<br />
heir to an industrial-chemical and real-estate<br />
fortune. On August 24, 1929, Emery<br />
announced plans to build a 48-story office<br />
tower with a department store, restaurants,<br />
a 1,000-room hotel, a 25-story automated<br />
parking garage, and an arcade of shops. This<br />
city-within-a-city at the corner of Fifth and<br />
Vine would occupy the site of the Carew<br />
Building and the Emery Hotel. It also would<br />
re-create the Emery Arcade that had run<br />
between Vine and Race streets since the<br />
19th century. Despite the stock-market<br />
crash, construction of the tower began in<br />
January 1930 and was completed that<br />
October. <strong>The</strong> hotel portion of the complex<br />
opened in 1932, the same year the<br />
Rockefeller Center, employing similar<br />
architectural styles and mixed-use concepts,<br />
opened in New York <strong>City</strong>.
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Cincinnati</strong> and Suburban Bell Telephone<br />
Company building, southwest corner of Seventh and<br />
Elm streets, was designed by Harry Hake with a<br />
decorative border of French telephones and headphones<br />
above the second story (c. 1931). From the records of<br />
Harry Hake and Partners, Inc.<br />
GIFT OF HARRY HAKE III.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Times-Star Building, designed by Samuel<br />
Hannaford and Sons and completed in 1933, features<br />
statues and bas-relief sculpture of printing and literary<br />
greats. Photograph of an architectural rendering.<br />
Louis Conrad Rosenberg (1890-1983) was commissioned by the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Union Terminal Company to execute a<br />
series of illustrations showing the construction of the terminal. Working from photographs and architectural renderings,<br />
Rosenberg produced eight drypoint plates between 1930 and 1932. Shown are (from top to bottom) Station Steel Arches,<br />
December 1931 (1932); <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Union Terminal Perspective from East—from architect’s drawings (1930); and<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Union Terminal from Air Perspective (1930).<br />
GIFTS OF THE CINCINNATI UNION TERMINAL COMPANY.<br />
At virtually the same time Emery<br />
announced the Carew Tower project, work<br />
began on the construction of a new railroad<br />
facility. Its $41 million cost included the<br />
acquisition of property and the<br />
construction of switching yards, roundhouses,<br />
viaducts over the Mill Creek and a<br />
new Union Terminal building. <strong>The</strong> project<br />
had been discussed for years, but in 1929<br />
seven railroads serving <strong>Cincinnati</strong> began to<br />
C H A P T E R 4<br />
1 0 3
Carew Tower and the Netherland Hotel<br />
from the Frederick A. Schmidt Company’s<br />
rental brochure.<br />
Number of Dependent Families, Value of Relief Administered by the Associated Charities…. <strong>The</strong> shaded<br />
portion of the chart shows the gap that developed beginning early in 1932 between the number of people seeking assistance<br />
and the available resources. From the records of the Family Service of the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Area.<br />
GIFT OF THE SERVICE.<br />
GIFT OF ASHLEY L. FORD.<br />
build a consolidated facility on the<br />
site recommended in the 1925 city plan.<br />
<strong>The</strong> New York architectural firm of<br />
Fellheimer and Wagner proposed a daring<br />
Art Deco design for the $8 million Union<br />
Terminal that caught the imagination of<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>ans and seemed to reflect their<br />
renewed sense of pride.<br />
To decorate the large walls in the<br />
concourse, the architects planned murals<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
104<br />
dedicated to <strong>Cincinnati</strong> workers. Two<br />
artists, Frenchman Pierre Bourdelle and<br />
German immigrant Winold Reiss,<br />
submitted designs. Reiss won the principal<br />
contract. He developed 14 mosiac and<br />
frescoed murals derived from a series of<br />
photographs taken in factories around<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>. <strong>The</strong> murals focused on the<br />
workers themselves, not on the machinery<br />
and technology or on the owners of the<br />
businesses. <strong>The</strong>se bold and beautiful<br />
works conveyed pride and confidence.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y stood in sharp contrast to the<br />
economic realities emerging across<br />
America during the terminal’s<br />
construction, completed early in 1933.<br />
Privately financed construction projects<br />
such as the Carew Tower, Union Terminal<br />
and the Taft family’s Times-Star Building,<br />
which also opened in 1933, temporarily<br />
cushioned <strong>Cincinnati</strong> from the full impact<br />
of the Great Depression. In 1930
Employment and Unemployment Statistics, 1929-1936. From Municipal Activities of the <strong>City</strong> of <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
(1936), p. 26.<br />
construction in <strong>Cincinnati</strong> was only 6<br />
percent below its peak in 1928, while the<br />
national average was one-third below the<br />
1928 level. Even in 1932 <strong>Cincinnati</strong> stood<br />
sixth in the value of construction among<br />
the nation’s cities. Yet, the depression<br />
hit <strong>Cincinnati</strong> as it did the rest of the<br />
nation. Unemployment jumped from<br />
5.9 percent in 1929 to 18.8 percent in<br />
1931 and 28.1 percent in 1932. In the<br />
spring of 1933, with unemployment at<br />
30.4 percent, only 52 percent of<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s labor force had full-time jobs.<br />
Among blacks, who made up 10 percent of<br />
the city’s population, the numbers<br />
were much worse. Only one-third had fulltime<br />
jobs; more than 54 percent were<br />
totally unemployed.<br />
<strong>The</strong> magnitude of the problem<br />
overwhelmed the traditional relief<br />
agencies. One of the principal relief<br />
organizations, Associated Charities,<br />
assisted 3,721 families and individuals in<br />
1929. In 1930 the number of families<br />
seeking aid jumped to 6,000 and by 1932<br />
rose to 23,188. In addition to the efforts of<br />
organized charities, hundreds of<br />
individuals and companies also did what<br />
they could to help the poor and the<br />
unemployed. An especially notable<br />
example was Leah Weiss, who organized a<br />
relief kitchen in 1929. Throughout the<br />
1930s she cared for the needs of hundreds<br />
of children, families without heat, light or<br />
food and drifters who slept under the<br />
bridges. Mrs. Weiss collected donations of<br />
bread from Rubel’s Bakery, bologna from<br />
Kroger’s, milk from French Bauer and<br />
clothing from Shillito’s and other<br />
department stores.<br />
<strong>The</strong> city government also saw rising<br />
needs and dwindling resources, but it<br />
performed remarkably well. <strong>The</strong> city<br />
trimmed expenses in the early 1930s. Only<br />
in 1933 was it forced to cut wages, and the<br />
cuts were restored in 1934. Throughout the<br />
depression decade, <strong>Cincinnati</strong> generally<br />
had the lowest tax rate in the nation for a<br />
city of over 300,000. <strong>City</strong> Manager C. A.<br />
Dykstra, who had succeeded C. O. Sherrill<br />
in 1930, wrote that “American cities in<br />
1933 found themselves in the most<br />
precarious position in their history.” But, he<br />
added, “We here have been immensely<br />
more fortunate than in most cities.’’ That<br />
year the city balanced its budget and cut $3<br />
million from its $102.9 million bonded<br />
debt. Indeed the city whittled away at its<br />
debt, cutting it to $70 million by 1943, and<br />
repeatedly retired bonds bearing 4 percent<br />
or 5 percent or more interest for new ones<br />
carrying from 2½ percent down to 1¼<br />
percent. Thus, in 1934, in the fifth year of<br />
the Great Depression, Dykstra wrote, “<strong>The</strong><br />
time is here to consider a pay-as-we-go<br />
policy.” Neither the worst flood in the city’s<br />
history in 1937 nor the severe business<br />
recession of 1938 (which pushed<br />
unemployment back over 20 percent)<br />
seriously disturbed the financial well-being<br />
of the city government.<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s government performed well<br />
in another respect during the 1930s. Armed<br />
with the Official <strong>City</strong> Plan of 1925 and<br />
competent governmental management, the<br />
city was capable of using federal dollars<br />
effectively when the New Deal began to<br />
pump money into the nation’s economy. “Of<br />
the utmost importance,” Dykstra reported at<br />
the end of 1933, “through the activity of the<br />
Federal Government, <strong>Cincinnati</strong> has the<br />
good fortune to be embarked upon a wellplanned<br />
civil works program which has put<br />
more than 20,000 of our people back to<br />
work and gives us more than a million<br />
dollars a month in new purchasing power.”<br />
He added, “We can enter the new year with<br />
hope and with relative satisfaction.” Using<br />
federal money, the city attacked many of the<br />
problems reformers had identified and<br />
worked at solving in earlier years and<br />
implemented many of the plans that had<br />
been proposed but never acted upon.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Works Progress Administration, or<br />
WPA, directly touched the lives of more<br />
people than any other New Deal agency and<br />
became the area’s largest employer. Between<br />
1936 and 1939 the WPA employed almost<br />
35,000 men and women in projects ranging<br />
from small construction jobs, documented by<br />
dozens of stone plates on park walls and<br />
C H A P T E R 4<br />
1 0 5
T H E<br />
1 9 3 7 F L O O D<br />
“If we hadn’t had so much rain, there<br />
wouldn’t have been a flood,” was the<br />
explanation given by a weary <strong>Cincinnati</strong>an<br />
in 1937 for the worst flood in the<br />
city’s history.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re had been higher than average<br />
rainfall during January throughout the 14<br />
states with tributaries feeding the 981-mile<br />
Ohio River. In <strong>Cincinnati</strong> the bottom lands<br />
had flooded as usual, and on the morning<br />
of January 16, the water stood at 51.55<br />
feet, just short of the 52-foot flood stage.<br />
By the following evening, it had dropped<br />
to 49.1 feet. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>ans believed that<br />
this year’s flood was over.<br />
But on January 18 the river began to<br />
rise rapidly. Meteorologists explained that<br />
the flood was “backing” up the river. Water<br />
was rising rapidly at Cairo, Illinois, where<br />
the river had been at flood stage for more<br />
than a week. Continued rains in southern<br />
Illinois created a damming effect, and the<br />
flood progressed eastward towards<br />
Louisville and <strong>Cincinnati</strong>.<br />
Relief organizations in the city had been<br />
mobilized earlier to care for residents<br />
along the Ohio and Little Miami rivers.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y were now augmented as the Red<br />
Cross, YMCA, YWCA, WPA workers, Boy<br />
Scouts, and countless citizens rescued<br />
thousands made homeless by the rising<br />
water. All except the smallest private boats<br />
were commandeered, and the Coast Guard<br />
sent additional boats and crews from<br />
Virginia and Maryland. Music Hall became<br />
a giant relief center where clothing was<br />
accepted and sorted.<br />
So many sightseers blocked streets<br />
adjacent to the river that <strong>City</strong> Manager C.<br />
A. Dykstra restricted access to people<br />
having official business. Thomas Emery’s<br />
Sons advertised that to avoid traffic<br />
congestion and help police and rescue<br />
workers, people could view the flood<br />
from the top of the Carew Tower.<br />
<strong>The</strong> company donated the 25-cent<br />
admission fee to the American Red<br />
Cross. By January 23 the river had reached<br />
72.8 feet, and between 4,000 and 5,000<br />
Wagner’s Complete Map of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> and the Kentucky Cities, Showing the 1937 Flood Area (A. C. Wagner<br />
Company, 1937).<br />
Clifton Avenue Water Station. By driving a pipe into the hillside, Red Cross and WPA workers provided water for<br />
drinking and cooking. Photograph.<br />
GIFT OF CHARLES M. WILLIAMS.<br />
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Aerial view of the basin looking west. M. Parks Watson photograph (c. 1937).<br />
GIFT OF THE CINCINNATI GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY.<br />
Columbia Avenue looking east from Delta Avenue. When boats were not available for salvaging purposes, two<br />
WPA workers built a raft and helped residents evacuate their homes. Photograph.<br />
EUGENE F. BLISS FUND PURCHASE.<br />
Strike Up the Band—a little humor on Eastern Avenue as the water receded. Photograph.<br />
GIFT OF CHARLES M. WILLIAMS.<br />
people had seen it from the tower’s 49th<br />
floor observation deck.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Transit Company maintained<br />
service for another week by using highwater<br />
cars, elevated tracks and motor<br />
buses instead of electric trolleys. Railroads<br />
with tracks on low ground could not come<br />
into the city. Some lines suspended<br />
service; others used suburban stations.<br />
Only the Chesapeake & Ohio and<br />
Southern railroads continued to use Union<br />
Terminal, and the C&O ran a shuttle<br />
service between <strong>Cincinnati</strong> and Northern<br />
Kentucky. <strong>The</strong> Suspension Bridge was<br />
the only bridge open the entire length of<br />
the Ohio.<br />
Sunday, January 24, was Black Sunday. At<br />
73.4 feet, the river had surpassed the 1884<br />
and 1913 floods, heavy rain was falling,<br />
38,000 were homeless. And then, a 10-alarm<br />
fire broke out in the Mill Creek Valley when<br />
a snapped trolley wire ignited a pool of<br />
gasoline leaking from storage tanks. <strong>The</strong><br />
flames spread quickly. At its worst, the fire<br />
covered 3.5 square miles and involved 500<br />
firemen, including 75 from suburban and<br />
from Dayton and Columbus companies.<br />
That afternoon the rising river closed the<br />
water works’ East End pumping station and<br />
flooded the electric company’s generators.<br />
<strong>The</strong> city began doling out water a few hours<br />
each day. By Wednesday citizens were getting<br />
water from fish and park ponds, hillside<br />
springs and streams, breweries’ and<br />
distilleries’ artesian wells, the river and its<br />
tributaries and from Norwood and<br />
Wyoming. Electrical power came from<br />
neighboring cities.<br />
On January 26, the river crested at 80<br />
feet. Forty-five square miles of Hamilton<br />
County were under water; 61,600<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>ans were homeless. <strong>The</strong> Mill<br />
Creek and Little Miami River valleys were<br />
lakes; California and Newtown were<br />
submerged. Knowlton’s Corner and the<br />
home plate in Crosley Field were under 20<br />
feet of water. It was not until February 4 that<br />
businesses reopened, and on the following<br />
day the 1937 flood became history as the<br />
river dropped below flood stage 19 days after<br />
it left its banks.<br />
C H A P T E R 4<br />
1 0 7
Waiting for work (1930s). Photograph.<br />
PAUL BRIOL COLLECTION.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Philip Carey Manufacturing Company, maker of asphalt shingles, represented <strong>Cincinnati</strong> paper-workers in the<br />
Union Terminal murals. <strong>The</strong> United Paperworkers International Union, AFL-CIO, Local 321 contributed to the costs of<br />
moving the mural to the Greater <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Airport in 1973.<br />
concrete slides, to staffing day-care centers<br />
and teaching nutrition to slum dwellers.<br />
During the depression decade, the city<br />
expanded its park acreage by 40 percent<br />
and accomplished a variety of park<br />
improvements compatible with the 1907<br />
Kessler Plan. For example, through the WPA’s<br />
Civilian Conservation Corps, an average of<br />
118 men worked each day from 1935 to<br />
1937 constructing roads, trails, bridges,<br />
guardrails, fireplaces and sewer lines in<br />
Mount Airy Forest. Through WPA’s Federal<br />
Writers Program, <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s best fact book<br />
on the city’s history and sites, the <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
Guide, was compiled. Another New Deal<br />
agency, the Public Works Administration, or<br />
PWA, made possible long-delayed capital-<br />
O R G A N I Z E D<br />
L A B O R<br />
<strong>The</strong> Great Depression gave new meaning to organized labor in Greater <strong>Cincinnati</strong>. Although craft unions dated back to the midnineteenth<br />
century in the city, they remained relatively weak. Trade unions all over America did not attempt to organize unskilled<br />
industrial workers, who were the fastest-growing portion of the work force. In addition trade unions frequently reflected ethnic divisions.<br />
In <strong>Cincinnati</strong> the split between Germans and Irish hampered cooperation and impeded efforts to organize workers. Compounding these<br />
internal problems, the fear of socialism manifested in the Red Scare after World War I strengthened conservative, anti-union sentiment<br />
in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>.<br />
In the 1930s <strong>Cincinnati</strong> workers, particularly in Norwood, organized a different kind of union. In 1922 General Motors had located its<br />
Fisher Body and Chevrolet divisions there. During the depression workers faced threatened layoffs, piece-rate pay and speed-up of the<br />
assembly line. Many considered working conditions at Norwood plants to be among the worst in the country. Since a large percentage of<br />
the automotive employees in Norwood were migrants from southern Kentucky, many workers were already familiar with the United Mine<br />
Workers union and were anxious to organize the labor force at the automotive plants.<br />
After the passage of the National Industrial Recovery Act in 1933, “company” unions were formed at both the Fisher Body and Chevrolet<br />
plants. <strong>The</strong>n, in mid-1934 the leaders of these company unions requested assistance from the American Federation of Labor to form a<br />
local chapter of the United Automobile Workers union. Local 19940 (later Local 131) received its charter in February 1935.<br />
Local 19940 played an important role in the development of the national UAW. In 1935 it participated in the first major strike against<br />
General Motors and helped pressure the A. F. of L. to charter the UAW as an independent national union. In 1939 the Norwood local<br />
supported a successful effort to shift UAW’s affiliation from the A. F. of L. to the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO).<br />
With the National Labor Relations Act in 1935, it became easier to organize unions. This altered national situation was reflected locally.<br />
In 1933 unions claimed 40,000 members. Ten years later there were more than 70,000 union workers in the Greater <strong>Cincinnati</strong> area.<br />
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Aerial view of the West End before construction of the Laurel Homes and Lincoln Court housing projects (c. 1935). Photograph.<br />
GIFT OF THE BETTER HOUSING LEAGUE OF CINCINNATI.<br />
improvement projects throughout Hamilton<br />
County. Between 1933 and 1940, the PWA<br />
infused about $27.9 million into the local<br />
economy. PWA projects included Columbia<br />
Parkway, Laurel Homes, the Mill Creek<br />
Interceptor Sewer, several buildings and an<br />
addition to the stadium at the University of<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>, the Reptile House at the Zoo,<br />
schools in Lockland and Madeira and a new<br />
post office downtown.<br />
Of all the innovative and daring programs<br />
entered into by the federal government<br />
during the New Deal, none proved more<br />
controversial than public housing. Yet, even<br />
in this activity, the New Deal borrowed<br />
conspicuously from the experimental<br />
ventures of such earlier reformers as Jacob<br />
Schmidlapp and Mary Emery. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s<br />
worst housing problem was in the West End.<br />
<strong>The</strong> area contained some of the city’s oldest<br />
housing and had absorbed most of the<br />
southern blacks who had migrated to<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> during recent decades. To take<br />
advantage of newly available federal funds,<br />
the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Metropolitan Housing<br />
Authority was formed in 1930. In<br />
cooperation with the city’s planning office,<br />
the housing authority proposed clearing<br />
large areas of the West End slum housing<br />
and replacing the tenements with mediumdensity<br />
apartments similar in design to those<br />
built by Schmidlapp’s Model Homes<br />
Company. In addition, vacant land on the<br />
outskirts of the city would be developed for<br />
those displaced from the West End and for<br />
other poor families.<br />
From the beginning, the plan stirred<br />
debate. <strong>The</strong> site chosen for slum clearance<br />
was bounded by Lincoln Park Drive (later<br />
renamed Ezzard Charles Drive) on the south<br />
and Liberty Street on the north between<br />
John and Linn streets. <strong>The</strong> center of the<br />
worst housing in the West End, however, lay<br />
further south. Many homeowners claimed<br />
that the prices offered were based on low,<br />
1931 depression-level appraisals and<br />
concluded that the real purpose of the<br />
project was to remove blacks from the area<br />
surrounding the new Union Terminal.<br />
Blacks became even more disturbed when<br />
they learned that two proposed<br />
developments for outside the basin, Winton<br />
Terrace and English Woods, were designed<br />
for whites and that the housing authority<br />
planned to bar blacks from the new Laurel<br />
Homes in the West End as well.<br />
Construction of Laurel Homes (1937). Looking east, Liberty Street at the left of the project. Photograph.<br />
C H A P T E R 4<br />
1 0 9
Actually, the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Metropolitan<br />
Housing Authority had requested federal<br />
funds to build three separate neighborhood<br />
units in the West End, one for blacks and<br />
two for whites. Once the amount of funding<br />
available was determined, the plan was<br />
scaled down dramatically to just one<br />
neighborhood unit for white families only.<br />
Yet, 61 percent of those displaced by Laurel<br />
Homes were black. White opposition<br />
combined with lack of funding killed the<br />
housing authority’s plans for housing for<br />
blacks outside the basin. Under pressure<br />
from black leaders and the Better Housing<br />
League, the housing authority finally agreed<br />
to permit black families to move into Laurel<br />
Homes. <strong>The</strong> development had displaced<br />
769 black families but only made available<br />
30 percent of the 674 new apartments to<br />
blacks. As bold as the project was, the<br />
housing authority carefully kept units for<br />
black families segregated from apartments<br />
for whites. Later, during 1941 and 1942, the<br />
housing authority constructed an additional<br />
1,015 units for blacks in the Lincoln Court<br />
project just south of Laurel Homes.<br />
In a separate housing program, New<br />
Dealers borrowed from the urban planners’<br />
thinking that had produced Mariemont in<br />
the 1920s. <strong>The</strong> Resettlement Administration<br />
chose <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, Milwaukee, and a tract of<br />
land between Washington and Baltimore as<br />
sites for new greenbelt towns. Greenhills<br />
was planned to be a community for lowerto<br />
middle-class families in the midst of a<br />
forested area. It was designed on a circular<br />
plan that oriented residences inward and<br />
away from the street to promote interaction<br />
among neighbors. Apartments of different<br />
sizes, rowhouses, duplexes and singlefamily<br />
homes were placed close together. A<br />
variety of forces bitterly opposed Greenhills,<br />
with real-estate companies and savings and<br />
loan associations leading the fight. Residents<br />
of Mt. Healthy expressed the fear that the<br />
project would destroy property values and<br />
bring in blacks. Despite early promises to<br />
the contrary, blacks were not admitted to<br />
Greenhills. Nor could most of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s<br />
poor whites meet the minimum income and<br />
credit requirements to live there. <strong>The</strong> New<br />
<strong>The</strong> 1,660-foot long Columbia Parkway Viaduct, which bridged Fifth Street from Pike to Martin Street, was completed in 1938. (1938). Photograph.<br />
GIFT OF T. H. HITE.<br />
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110
Soldiers gaze at World War II banner In Union Terminal which reads, “Strong in the strength of the Lord we who<br />
fight in the people's cause will never stop until that cause is won.” Photograph.<br />
PAUL BRIOL COLLECTION.<br />
Deal’s accomplishments both in Laurel<br />
Homes and Greenhills were considerable,<br />
but the urban housing problems that<br />
inspired such projects were far larger than<br />
the experimental programs of the 1930s<br />
could solve.<br />
As the decade closed, Europe was once<br />
again at war. As the United States began to<br />
re-arm, military contracts generated jobs<br />
beyond the scope of any New Deal<br />
program. With the city’s unemployment<br />
down to 8.3 percent by May 1941, WPA<br />
employment declined. <strong>The</strong> program finally<br />
ended on April 30, 1943. Its last employee,<br />
Hazel Weeks, commented, “All of us looked<br />
forward to the day when the WPA would<br />
no longer be necessary, but we are sorry<br />
that it took a war to accomplish that end.”<br />
World War II brought <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s<br />
industries back to life. As early as March<br />
1941, nine months before the Japanese<br />
attack on Pearl Harbor brought the United<br />
States into the war, the federal government<br />
awarded over $12.6 million in defense<br />
contracts in <strong>Cincinnati</strong> in addition to the<br />
expansion of the giant Wright Aeronautical<br />
plant in Lockland.<br />
America swung its industrial capacity<br />
fully behind the war effort, and <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
plants adjusted to unprecedented demands.<br />
<strong>The</strong> city’s concentration of machine-tool<br />
plants made it a vital center in the<br />
conversion process. In December 1940 the<br />
head of the Advisory Commission to the<br />
Council of National Defense urged the R. K.<br />
LeBlond Machine Tool Company to “forget<br />
everything except the welfare of our country”<br />
and pushed it to find ways to speed up the<br />
delivery of machine tools. By 1942<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Milling Machine Company, which<br />
had greatly enlarged its plant between 1938<br />
and 1940, was shipping seven times more<br />
equipment than during its peak peacetime<br />
year. Other <strong>Cincinnati</strong> companies also found<br />
ways to support the war effort. Cambridge<br />
Tile used the machinery with which it<br />
compressed clays before the war to produce<br />
“granola”-type cereal bars for K rations.<br />
Procter & Gamble applied its soapmanufacturing<br />
experience to produce<br />
glycerine, used in high explosives and as a<br />
base for newly developed sulfa drugs. <strong>The</strong><br />
United States Playing Card Company<br />
produced parachutes.<br />
As <strong>Cincinnati</strong>ans met the demands of yet<br />
a second world war, much had changed<br />
during the brief span of a single generation<br />
since World War I. <strong>The</strong> German community,<br />
which had been one of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s<br />
distinguishing characteristics through most<br />
of the 19th century, had ceased to exist.<br />
People, no longer content to cope with the<br />
problems that haphazard growth, slum<br />
tenements or preventable fires and diseases<br />
caused, increasingly looked to government<br />
to make their lives better. Generally they<br />
believed that municipal government could,<br />
in the words of the Official <strong>City</strong> Plan of 1925,<br />
“foresee and make provision for…the public<br />
health, safety, convenience, comfort,<br />
prosperity, beauty and general welfare of<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> as a home for its citizens.” <strong>The</strong><br />
people established a new municipal<br />
government, one better able to manage the<br />
city’s business efficiently; one that proved<br />
remarkably capable of managing the<br />
problems and the federal money that came<br />
with the Great Depression. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>ans<br />
had largely accepted the vision of her<br />
reformers and planners and empowered<br />
their government to analyze the city’s needs<br />
and to implement new ways to cope.<br />
He’s Watching You (1942). World War II, relying<br />
on civilians and combatants, stressed logistics, troop<br />
transportation, and secret development of new weapons.<br />
Posters cautioned against “careless talk” to prevent<br />
espionage and sabotage as well as repeating the patriotic<br />
themes of World War I. Division of Information, Office<br />
for Emergency Management.<br />
GIFT OF THE WAR PRODUCTION BOARD.<br />
C H A P T E R 4<br />
1 1 1
Coney Island, famous for its landscaped Mall, 200-foot by 400-foot Sunlite Pool with a white sand beach and Moonlite Gardens, where the big bands played, began in the 1880s when<br />
James H. Parker rented his apple orchard to picnickers. By 1886 investors had purchased Parker’s farm, located 10 miles east of downtown on the Ohio River, named it “Ohio Grove — the<br />
Coney Island of the West,” and founded the amusement park that remained the largest in southwestern Ohio until Kings Island opened in 1972. From 1925 to 1947 the favored way to travel<br />
to Coney was aboard the 5-decked sidewheeler Island <strong>Queen</strong>, the last steamboat to make the Coney Island run. Postcard scenes, all 1940s.<br />
CONEY ISLAND MALL AND CONEY ISLAND SWIMMING POOL, GIFTS OF ROSALIND BAER; CONEY ISLAND, AERIAL VIEW,. EUGENE F. BLISS FUND PURCHASE.<br />
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CHAPTER 5<br />
M Y N E I G H B O R H O O D A N D O U R C I T Y , 1 9 4 5 - 1 9 8 8<br />
<strong>The</strong> years following World War II<br />
brought rapid changes to <strong>Cincinnati</strong>.<br />
Some, like the spread of people into more<br />
distant suburbs and the influx of new<br />
people, continued established patterns.<br />
Other changes, such as the construction of<br />
expressways and the rebuilding of the<br />
downtown business district, were<br />
consciously planned. Still other<br />
developments, including the civil rights<br />
movement and the preservation of historic<br />
buildings, reflected changing national<br />
values. One change, the revival of<br />
neighborhood organizations, in 1980-81<br />
earned <strong>Cincinnati</strong> an “All America <strong>City</strong>”<br />
designation from the National Municipal<br />
League. Despite delays, miscalculations<br />
and unforeseen developments <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
accommodated the forces of change well<br />
enough that the city gained a national<br />
reputation. Observers characterized<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> as a dynamic, thriving city<br />
whose citizens cared deeply about its<br />
survival and who believed that their<br />
caring made a difference in shaping<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s future.<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>, more than many cities, was<br />
committed to planning. This commitment<br />
extended back at least as far as 1920,<br />
when the city created a planning<br />
commission with a professional staff. In<br />
1925 it officially adopted a city plan and<br />
during the 1930s used New Deal dollars<br />
to implement some of its housing,<br />
recreation and transportation concepts.<br />
<strong>The</strong> city also noted that following the<br />
1937 flood warehouses and other<br />
buildings along the riverfront were<br />
decaying rapidly. By 1939 planners<br />
proposed clearing the area along Third<br />
Street for a boulevard similar to Central<br />
Parkway and developing a park-like area<br />
extending towards the river. World War II<br />
prevented implementation of the plan,<br />
but the planning process continued.<br />
At the urging of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s civic and<br />
business leaders, on February 16, 1944,<br />
city council authorized the planning<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Riverfront (c. 1945). Photograph.<br />
PAUL BRIOL COLLECTION.<br />
C H A P T E R 5<br />
1 1 3
Proposed Rehabilitation Plan for the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> River Front (1939). From the city engineer’s Preliminary Report on a Plan of Redevelopment for the Central River Front<br />
(<strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 1939).<br />
GIFT OF THE MUNICIPAL REFERENCE BUREAU.<br />
Downtown Riverfront Redevelopment Plan. From <strong>The</strong> <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Metropolitan Master Plan and <strong>The</strong> Official <strong>City</strong> Plan of the <strong>City</strong> of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> (1948), fig. 49.<br />
GIFT OF THE CITY PLANNING COMMISSION.<br />
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114
commission to prepare a new and<br />
comprehensive city plan. <strong>The</strong> 1925 plan<br />
had become obsolete. Not only had the plan<br />
failed to provide adequately for some new<br />
developments, like the automobile, it had<br />
not addressed issues urban planners now<br />
incorporated into their thinking. <strong>The</strong><br />
Director of Master Planning, Sherwood<br />
Reeder, explained that “a city cannot plan<br />
efficiently by considering only the things<br />
that we can see, such as highways, parks,<br />
buildings and the like” but must also<br />
examine the underlying social and<br />
economic factors. In addition, possibly<br />
influenced by the war, planners increasingly<br />
recognized that urban planning must be<br />
done in terms of the entire metropolitan<br />
area and not just the city itself<br />
While the city planning staff began<br />
working on a new master plan, business<br />
and civic leaders formed the Citizens<br />
Planning Association to promote<br />
discussions about the future needs of the<br />
city. Frederick V. Geier, president of the<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Milling Machine Company;<br />
Richard R. Deupree, president of the<br />
Procter & Gamble Company; Walter<br />
Draper, president of the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Street<br />
Railway Company; and John J. Emery were<br />
among those who participated. <strong>The</strong>ir<br />
speeches sometimes echoed earlier<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> boosters like Daniel Drake.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y saw <strong>Cincinnati</strong> in a struggle with<br />
other urban centers for population, jobs<br />
and status. Walter S. Schmidt, a real estate<br />
executive, observed: “We are entering an<br />
era of competition between cities.<br />
Population is not growing as it was. <strong>The</strong><br />
city which makes itself a convenient one in<br />
which to work and live and rear a family<br />
will survive and grow because it will be<br />
attractive to industry.” Business leaders<br />
were particularly concerned that because<br />
the depression and war had postponed<br />
rebuilding and relocating of industries,<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s factories had become old, ugly,<br />
outmoded and poorly situated.<br />
Beginning in 1946 the recommendations<br />
of the planners began to appear in a series<br />
of volumes addressing such topics as<br />
“population,” “transportation,” “economic<br />
development” and “communities” On<br />
November 22, 1948, city council adopted<br />
the 1948 Master Plan. <strong>The</strong> planners<br />
hoped its goals were farsighted enough<br />
to be inspiring, yet practical enough to<br />
be attainable.<br />
<strong>The</strong> plan emphasized highways and<br />
communities. After the passage in 1944 of<br />
a federal highway act, planners<br />
envisioned the building of a new type of<br />
highway, the expressway, that would<br />
revolutionize regional traffic patterns.<br />
Relating their thinking to the federal<br />
system, the planners called for four<br />
expressways from Columbus, Dayton,<br />
Indianapolis and Lexington to converge at<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>. Modifying the boulevard<br />
concept, they recommended a Third<br />
Street Distributor that would connect all<br />
of these routes on the southern edge of<br />
the downtown and provide easy access to<br />
the heart of the city while keeping<br />
through traffic off city streets. <strong>The</strong><br />
riverfront area south of Third Street, twothirds<br />
of which was either unused or<br />
occupied by vacant buildings, would be<br />
cleared. To transform the riverfront into<br />
an asset, the plan proposed placing there<br />
a baseball stadium, a city administration<br />
center (including a new city hall), a<br />
convention center and several apartment<br />
towers, plus ample parking and<br />
recreation space. All of this would be<br />
developed in ways to minimize potential<br />
flood damage and to support the central<br />
business district.<br />
Although <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s topography<br />
largely dictated the location of the<br />
expressways, planners coordinated their<br />
proposed routes with other goals. For<br />
example, one expressway would pass<br />
through the Mill Creek Valley, the historic<br />
transportation corridor into and out of the<br />
city before inclines provided <strong>Cincinnati</strong>ans<br />
with alternative routes. Between the basin<br />
and the valley lay the West End filled with<br />
decrepit, overcrowded tenements. <strong>The</strong><br />
planners linked their expressway proposal<br />
with plans to develop industrial sites near<br />
downtown by recommending clearing the<br />
West End.<br />
A L F R E D<br />
B E T T M A N<br />
( 1 8 7 3 - 1 9 4 5 )<br />
“As long as <strong>Cincinnati</strong>ans love<br />
their city and strive for its future<br />
greatness; as long as they remain<br />
eager to make it the best place in<br />
which to live, the spirit and work of<br />
Alfred Bettman, member of the <strong>City</strong><br />
Planning Commission from 1926 and<br />
its Chairman from 1930 will live on.<br />
Death came to him (January 21,<br />
1945) just as his beloved <strong>Cincinnati</strong>,<br />
for which he had labored because it<br />
was his native city, was awakening<br />
through the beginning of the Master<br />
Plan project to the full practical<br />
import of the doctrines he had so<br />
long advocated.”<br />
- Quoted from the dedication of the<br />
Metropolitan Master Plan (1948).<br />
<strong>The</strong> 1948 plan also anticipated that<br />
people would move away from the center<br />
of the city. It tried to prepare both for new<br />
suburban growth and the adjustment of<br />
older city neighborhoods. Professional<br />
planners in 1948 viewed the ideally<br />
organized city differently from their 1925<br />
counterparts. Earlier planners thought of<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> as a large and complex city, but<br />
a single social unit. <strong>The</strong> 1948 plan assumed<br />
that the city was too large to function as a<br />
C H A P T E R 5<br />
1 1 5
Powel Crosley, Jr. Photograph.<br />
GEORGE ROSENTHAL COLLECTION.<br />
<strong>The</strong> four-seater Super Convertible, manufactured by Crosley Motors, Inc., had a folding rear seat, roll-down windows,<br />
44 cubic inch engine, boasted a fuel efficiency from 35 to 50 miles-per-gallon and cost nearly $1000. Photograph.<br />
From Crosley, a Fine Car.<br />
GIFT FROM THE ESTATE OF POWEL CROSLEY, JR.<br />
P O W E L C R O S L E Y , J R .<br />
( 1 8 8 6 - 1 9 6 1 )<br />
Powel Crosley, Jr. was known as the “man with the Midas touch.” To most <strong>Cincinnati</strong>ans he seemed to possess an inexhaustible supply of<br />
ideas about what Americans needed. Beginning in 1921 Crosley pioneered in the manufacture of affordable table-top radios as well as the<br />
programming that made everyone want to buy one of his new sets. In 1922 he started WLW-radio. From 1934 until 1939, WLW-radio was<br />
authorized to broadcast at a phenomenal 500,000 watts of power. This earned it the nickname, “<strong>The</strong> Nation’s Station.” Though forced to cut<br />
back to 50,000 watts, its 700 kilocycles frequency made it one of the early “clear channel” stations in the United States.<br />
From this base the Crosley Corporation expanded into a variety of new products. <strong>The</strong> “Shelvador” refrigerator caught other manufacturers off<br />
guard by utilizing storage space on shelves recessed into the door. Crosley advertised the Xervac as a mechanical scalp massager that stimulated<br />
hair growth and the Taylor-Tot as a replacement to the traditional baby carriage.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Crosley touch reached beyond manufacturing enterprises. After two years as a director, in 1936 Crosley bought the controlling interest<br />
in the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Reds to guarantee that the club would remain in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>. He renamed Redland Field “Crosley Field” and introduced night<br />
baseball to the major leagues. Attendance increased, and the Reds won a league championship in 1939 and a national championship in 1940.<br />
Crosley’s real dream, though, was to manufacture automobiles. As early as 1907 he built prototypes. In 1939 he actually turned out 5,500<br />
Crosley cars before being sidetracked by World War II. In 1945 Crosley sold his broadcasting and manufacturing interests and devoted his<br />
energies to developing “America’s most needed car.” Convinced that Detroit’s large, expensive cars left the average American with only a used-car<br />
option, Crosley imitated the small, efficient European automobiles. Using an innovative light-weight engine, offering just a few models with only<br />
Spartan options, the Crosley sold for only $850 and got between 30 and 50 miles per gallon. Although mildly popular at first, the small Crosley<br />
failed in an automobile market increasingly dominated by manufacturers who made their cars longer, heavier and less efficient.<br />
In 1952 Crosley sold his automobile operation and kept only the Reds, which he owned until his death in 1961. <strong>The</strong> man with the Midas<br />
touch failed to convince Americans that they needed the product he cared about most. <strong>The</strong> day of the small car in America was still 25 years<br />
and several gasoline shortages in the future.<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
116
single unit and should be reorganized. It<br />
identified 91 distinct neighborhoods in<br />
Hamilton County which it clustered into<br />
22 communities. Each community was<br />
primarily residential with heavy industry<br />
and transportation confined to corridors or<br />
“separator belts” running between them.<br />
Each neighborhood of 4,000 to 8,000<br />
would have its own elementary school,<br />
playground and small business district.<br />
Each community of four or five<br />
neighborhoods would have a junior high<br />
school, community center with library,<br />
playfields and meeting facilities and a larger<br />
shopping district. By this reorganization<br />
planners sought to “recapture the<br />
advantages of the medium sized city in<br />
each of these communities and at the same<br />
time make available those institutions to be<br />
found only in a great metropolitan city.”<br />
For example, the Mill Creek Center<br />
community would include Cumminsville,<br />
Northside and Winton Place and would<br />
house 25,000 people by 1970. <strong>The</strong> plan<br />
noted that land along the north bank of<br />
the Mill Creek (forming the southern<br />
border of these neighborhoods) was prone<br />
to flooding, so it recommended gradually<br />
eliminating residential properties there<br />
and encouraging the development of<br />
industrial sites.<br />
One of the largest communities<br />
proposed in the plan was called “Northeast<br />
Hills.” This region included Amberley, Blue<br />
Ash, Concord, Deer Park, Silverton,<br />
Kennedy Heights, Montgomery and<br />
Pleasant Ridge. In 1940 the 15 square-mile<br />
area contained 23,300 people; by 1970 it<br />
was projected to house 56,000. <strong>The</strong> plan<br />
retained municipal boundaries between<br />
cities and towns in the area, but ignored<br />
them in recommending where shopping,<br />
educational and recreational facilities<br />
should be developed.<br />
Despite the importance planners placed<br />
on reorganizing Greater <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
communities, little came of the proposals.<br />
As Ernest Pickering, chairman of the<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Planning Commission, admitted<br />
in 1958, the popularity of the automobile<br />
was even greater than predicted. For a<br />
<strong>The</strong> Roselawn Valley Shop-In, built in 1949, was<br />
the area’s first shopping center. Photograph.<br />
decade all efforts went into “appeasement<br />
of the automobile.” <strong>The</strong> proposals also<br />
conflicted with long-standing loyalties of<br />
residents to their traditional neighborhoods<br />
and communities. Northeast Hills never<br />
meant anything to people who were proud<br />
of the traditions of the “Ridge” or believed<br />
that Montgomery should decide for itself<br />
where to place its schools and how to<br />
develop its business district. Greater<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>ans greeted these proposals with<br />
apathy and dismissed them as artificial.<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s planners were brave in<br />
their attempt to anticipate the postwar<br />
world. Few economists or political<br />
leaders had a clear idea of what would<br />
happen to the nation’s economy after the<br />
war. Many believed that unemployment<br />
would climb again, requiring the<br />
government to fund large work-creating<br />
projects. Instead, American industry<br />
boomed after the war. Military spending<br />
remained high as a Cold War developed.<br />
In addition, Americans who had little<br />
money to spend during the depression<br />
and who had few opportunities to spend<br />
their salaries during the war began to<br />
draw upon wartime earnings to pursue<br />
long-deferred goals. <strong>The</strong>y wanted to buy<br />
houses, cars and consumer goods.<br />
Manufacturers converted from wartime<br />
production to the manufacture of<br />
automobiles, refrigerators, washing<br />
machines, toasters—all kinds of<br />
products—in record numbers. With the<br />
aid of federal programs, new ways were<br />
available to finance long-term mortgages.<br />
Home ownership was within the reach of<br />
more people than ever before. <strong>The</strong> homebuilding<br />
and automobile industries were<br />
essential components of the strong<br />
postwar economy. <strong>The</strong>y also greatly<br />
changed how <strong>Cincinnati</strong>ans lived.<br />
In the late 1940s and 1950s new<br />
suburban developments sprang up all<br />
around the city. Thousands of families<br />
bought their first homes in subdivisions of<br />
small Cape Cod houses and bungalows.<br />
Those with greater resources sought ranchstyle<br />
homes on larger lots, equipped with<br />
everything from garbage disposals and<br />
dishwashers to air conditioning. Like their<br />
parents and grandparents who had fled the<br />
basin as soon as inclines and their financial<br />
resources allowed, these new suburbanites<br />
sought a private home with as much land<br />
around it as they could afford.<br />
<strong>The</strong> new suburbs were in fact and in<br />
jargon “bedroom suburbs.” More than ever<br />
before, people separated the place they<br />
worked from their home. <strong>The</strong>y also<br />
separated home from where they shopped,<br />
went to school or attended church. Lost to<br />
some extent was the personal involvement<br />
among the people living in the<br />
neighborhood and with the people who, in<br />
earlier neighborhoods, had usually lived<br />
near the businesses they operated.<br />
<strong>The</strong> automobile made it all possible.<br />
Suburban housing patterns reflected the<br />
new reality that nearly every family owned<br />
a car. People no longer walked to the store,<br />
to school, or, frequently even to a bus stop.<br />
Except for children riding great yellow<br />
buses to schools, people drove themselves.<br />
<strong>The</strong> traveling butcher, fruit and vegetable<br />
vendor, and milkman all became<br />
unnecessary. Churches in the suburbs built<br />
huge parking lots, and those in the city<br />
added them so their parishioners could<br />
come from across town for services.<br />
C H A P T E R 5<br />
1 1 7
When ground was broken for the Swifton Village Shopping Center, Rollman and Sons Company, the prime tenant,<br />
expected the suburban store to serve an expanding population without diminishing sales at its downtown store. <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
Post (June 10, 1955).<br />
Scattered neighborhood shopping districts<br />
with “mom and pop” stores gave way to<br />
the centrally located shopping center,<br />
which soon became the covered shopping<br />
mall. <strong>The</strong> Swifton Center opened in 1955<br />
on Reading Road with 60 stores, 60,000<br />
square-feet of retail space and parking for<br />
4,000 cars. It was correctly perceived as a<br />
threat to the future of the downtown as a<br />
retail center, and it was quickly followed<br />
by the Western Hills, Kenwood and Tri-<br />
County shopping centers.<br />
As people left the older neighborhoods<br />
ringing the basin for new bedroom suburbs,<br />
working-class people, the blacks and the<br />
poor—many of them new residents of the<br />
city—replaced them. Although foreign<br />
immigration into <strong>Cincinnati</strong> was reduced to<br />
a trickle by this time, almost 100,000<br />
people moved into the city between 1940<br />
and 1970, principally from the mountain<br />
regions of eastern Kentucky and Tennessee.<br />
<strong>The</strong>se Appalachians experienced many of<br />
the difficulties immigrants had faced.<br />
Frequently, they had few resources. First<br />
jobs for unskilled and semi-skilled workers<br />
were in factories, especially in the<br />
automobile plants in Norwood and<br />
Sharonville. Appalachians found housing in<br />
“port-of-entry” neighborhoods such as<br />
Over-the-Rhine, Lower Price Hill and the<br />
East End.<br />
<strong>The</strong> city’s older neighborhoods also<br />
absorbed people displaced from the West<br />
End. <strong>The</strong> 1948 plan viewed the housing<br />
there fit only for demolition. In 1950 the<br />
400-acre area housed 67,520 people<br />
including more than 54,000 of the city’s<br />
78,685 blacks. By 1959 the city had<br />
prepared a detailed plan for preparing sites<br />
for light industry, wholesaling and retailing,<br />
plus partial replacement of housing stock<br />
by constructing about 850 rental units.<br />
Large-scale destruction of residences<br />
began in 1960 without an adequate plan<br />
for relocating the 40,000 people<br />
displaced. <strong>The</strong> <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Metropolitan<br />
Housing Authority had no more success<br />
after the war than it had during the<br />
depression in building small-scale<br />
housing developments for blacks outside<br />
the basin. Wherever it attempted to build,<br />
white residents resisted. A 1952 proposal<br />
to construct housing for blacks along<br />
Kirby Avenue in Northside sparked the<br />
formation of a coalition of neighborhood<br />
groups from Northside, College Hill and<br />
Mt. Airy. <strong>The</strong> coalition won. <strong>The</strong> most<br />
successful effort to develop a substantial<br />
amount of housing for blacks was the<br />
opening between 1952 and 1955 of 646<br />
units in Millvale on Beekman Street.<br />
West End blacks who could not find or<br />
did not want public housing had few<br />
alternatives to moving into older<br />
neighborhoods. Both Mt. Auburn and<br />
Walnut Hills absorbed thousands of West<br />
End blacks between the mid-1950s and<br />
mid-1960s. Black residence in Mt.<br />
Auburn, for example, increased from 2<br />
percent in 1950 to 10 percent in 1960 and<br />
74 percent by 1970. Many other blacks<br />
moved to Avondale. Middle-class Jews<br />
were moving to new suburbs, especially<br />
Roselawn, Bond Hill, Golf Manor and<br />
Amberley Village. Between 1950 and 1960<br />
the white population of Avondale declined<br />
nearly 60 percent from 21,429 to 8,894,<br />
while the black population expanded<br />
Ads for new Cape Cod and ranch-style homes<br />
from the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Times-Star (July 23, 1955).<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
118
T H E C I T Y A N D<br />
T H E S U B U R B S<br />
<strong>The</strong> dream home for the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> family<br />
in the late 19th century was in a hilltop<br />
suburb such as Clifton, Avondale or<br />
Westwood. It was an ideal that held sway<br />
until about 1910 when increased interest in<br />
country life prompted a number of affluent<br />
city-dwellers to seek properties in semi-rural<br />
areas further away from the city. Some already<br />
maintained summer cottages in the far<br />
eastern and western townships. But living<br />
year-round in the country became feasible<br />
for some downtown businessmen only<br />
with the introduction of the family<br />
automobile, the construction of paved roads<br />
and the availability of reliable water and<br />
utility services.<br />
Most who migrated to the country in the<br />
early 20th century were characterized by<br />
their interest in outdoor activities such as<br />
golf, horseback riding and gardening, or by<br />
their desire to enjoy closer contact with <strong>The</strong> Baker and Norton Realty Company, builders of Wynnburne Park, promised “solid comfort” in American<br />
nature. Fresh air and outdoor recreation had Colonial style houses and a “health and happiness-giving environment” in its subdivision eight miles from Fountain Square<br />
been prescribed since the late 19th century at Cleves-Warsaw Pike and Neeb Road.<br />
for their therapeutic effect on respiratory<br />
disease and the “nervous disorders” that supposedly resulted from the conditions of modern, urban life.<br />
Easy access to sports and leisure-time activities was an important enticement to country life. <strong>The</strong> establishment of country clubs not only<br />
provided for golf, tennis, shooting and riding, but it fostered a sense of community among new residents. In many instances, housing sites<br />
were developed in conjunction with country clubs.<br />
Wynnburne Park, a development bordering the fairways of Western Hills Country Club (chartered 1912), was platted in the 1920s. <strong>The</strong><br />
developer stressed the advantages of living “only a mashie shot away” from the sporty 18-hole course. Wynnburne homesites were<br />
advertised as being “far enough removed from the grind and dust of the city, yet near enough to be only a short drive away.”<br />
Almost without exception those families who purchased farm properties in the country were people of means. But those who congregated<br />
in the Columbia Township highlands of Indian Hill were among the wealthiest and most influential in Greater <strong>Cincinnati</strong>. Farms in Indian<br />
Hill, as in the Western Hills, were small—usually less than 90 acres. A number of Indian Hill pioneers bought several farms and combined<br />
them into huge estates, thus preserving the country environment.<br />
Subdivisions appeared in Indian Hill in 1923 with the platting of the Camargo Realty Co. project on the periphery of the<br />
proposed Camargo Country Club (1925); Willow Hills and Burley Hills subdivisions followed in the 1930s. <strong>The</strong> families there understood<br />
at an early date how legal tools, such as zoning, and political tools, such as incorporation, could enable them to control growth and preserve<br />
a semi-rural atmosphere. Indian Hill incorporated as a village in 1941 with approximately 2,000 residents.<br />
By 1980 the 20-square mile area had a population of only 5,521 and no business district. <strong>The</strong> Village owned 2,200 acres of recreation<br />
and “greenbelt” land. This country suburb had acquired a reputation as one of the city’s most prestigious residential areas, in part because<br />
its leaders worked collectively to preserve their early vision of the idyllic country life.<br />
While <strong>Cincinnati</strong> homeowners by the 1970s and 1980s had demonstrated renewed interest in city living, adherents of country life<br />
remained strong. Many families sought properties in semi-rural Clermont County and Warren County, which postwar expressways had<br />
placed within commuting distance of downtown <strong>Cincinnati</strong>.<br />
C H A P T E R 5<br />
1 1 9
almost sixfold from 3,464 to 19,799.<br />
Blacks frequently could not afford to care<br />
for the large, one-family homes that had<br />
already begun to deteriorate before they<br />
moved in, so landlords carved them into<br />
multiple-family apartments. As businesses<br />
along Reading Road followed their Jewish<br />
customers northward, the once-thriving<br />
business district began to decline.<br />
Forcing blacks to leave the West End<br />
not only displaced people, it also<br />
destroyed important black institutions.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Ninth Street YMCA and the Cotton<br />
Club, famous for its big-name acts, did not<br />
survive the upheaval. Dozens of West End<br />
churches moved to the hilltops, but had to<br />
assemble substantially new congregations.<br />
Patterns of race relations in all areas<br />
came under scrutiny in the 1950s and<br />
1960s. Although <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s public<br />
facilities were not legally segregated, clearly<br />
understood prohibitions prevented blacks<br />
from entering most hotels, restaurants and<br />
amusement sites, including Coney Island.<br />
Blacks were also excluded from many<br />
employment opportunities. Restrictions on<br />
admittance to membership or<br />
apprenticeship in the skilled-trade unions<br />
kept blacks out of the construction<br />
industry. With a surge of public funds for<br />
construction projects in the mid-1960s,<br />
this restriction became untenable. In June<br />
1963 the National Association for the<br />
Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)<br />
threatened to picket the construction site of<br />
the new Federal Building at Fifth and Main,<br />
prompting the Mayor’s Friendly Relations<br />
Committee to work feverishly to prevent<br />
the protest. Although contractors and<br />
unions agreed to bring more blacks into the<br />
skilled construction trades, by the summer<br />
of 1965 there had been no progress. In July<br />
the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE)<br />
conducted work stoppages and a sit-in,<br />
drawing national television news attention<br />
that forced public hearings on race<br />
discrimination in the building trades. In<br />
1966 a federally assisted training program<br />
was launched to prepare young blacks for<br />
union apprenticeship programs, but few<br />
were able to secure jobs.<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
120<br />
National Guard during the 1967 Riot. Photograph.<br />
FROM THE CINCINNATI ENQUIRER COLLECTION.<br />
Despite increasing confrontations both<br />
nationally and locally, most <strong>Cincinnati</strong>ans<br />
were surprised when rioting broke out in<br />
Avondale in 1967. It was happening in<br />
other cities, but Avondale did not seem<br />
comparable to Watts in Los Angeles.<br />
However, <strong>Cincinnati</strong> like the rest of the<br />
nation, had moved too slowly to<br />
accommodate the expectations of people<br />
so long treated unequally.<br />
<strong>The</strong> spark was minor. Posteal Laskey, a<br />
black, was convicted of raping and<br />
murdering a white Price Hill secretary.<br />
Many in the black community felt Laskey<br />
was the innocent target of white fear<br />
resulting from six unsolved murders in<br />
the city. When Laskey was sentenced to<br />
death, protestors appeared on the streets.<br />
One of these was Laskey’s cousin, whom<br />
police arrested on June 12 for loitering<br />
while he was carrying a sign along<br />
Reading Road that called for Laskey’s<br />
freedom. That evening blacks held a rally<br />
on the grounds of Samuel Ach School to<br />
demonstrate their right of protest. When<br />
the meeting broke up about 9:30 p.m.,<br />
groups of black youths began roaming the<br />
streets, shouting their defiance and<br />
breaking windows. Within minutes, half<br />
of the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> police force on duty at<br />
the time—285 policemen—arrived at the<br />
scene. <strong>The</strong> young blacks threw rocks and<br />
molotov cocktails through store windows,<br />
setting half a dozen fires.<br />
<strong>The</strong> next day city officials called in the<br />
National Guard, which deployed about<br />
1,000 men, and met with black leaders. At<br />
a special meeting of city council, blacks<br />
presented 11 grievances, but the meeting<br />
dissolved into angry exchanges. Violence<br />
broke out again that evening in Avondale,<br />
Walnut Hills, Corryville, the West End and<br />
Millvale. Sporadic violence continued the<br />
next two nights while leaders in both black<br />
and white communities worked to quiet the<br />
rioters. By the end of the week, a tense calm<br />
was restored and the National Guard left.<br />
<strong>The</strong> week of rioting caused an estimated<br />
$2 million in damages and cost an<br />
additional $1 million for police and<br />
guardsmen. During the week 316 blacks<br />
were arrested on riot-related charges—<br />
three-quarters of whom were under 25.<br />
Compared to the riots in many American<br />
cities, <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s disturbance was<br />
relatively small. But <strong>Cincinnati</strong>ans were<br />
surprised and confused that it could<br />
happen in their city.
Boarding up store windows in Walnut Hills (1967). Photograph.<br />
FROM THE CINCINNATI ENQUIRER COLLECTION.<br />
Only gradually did some whites come to<br />
understand how extensive dislocation and<br />
the frustratingly slow pace toward full<br />
equality had built up anger and frustration.<br />
Blacks attributed the outburst of violence<br />
to the lack of jobs, noting that 27.7 percent<br />
of those arrested were unemployed. <strong>The</strong>y<br />
also complained of unequal treatment by<br />
police and the courts. In the months after<br />
the riots, the city and businesses gave<br />
increased attention to the importance of<br />
finding jobs for unemployed youths and<br />
promised assistance to improve conditions<br />
in Avondale.<br />
Progress proved difficult to come by,<br />
though neither the city and its business<br />
leaders nor the black community forgot<br />
what had happened or the promises that<br />
had been made. For a number of years a<br />
variety of federal programs provided<br />
employment, especially during the<br />
summer months, for large numbers of<br />
black youths. As the federal government<br />
cut back those programs, the business<br />
community took increased responsibility<br />
for finding jobs that would help blacks.<br />
Efforts to locate businesses along Reading<br />
Road in the black area of Avondale proved<br />
fruitless until, in 1981, Oscar Robertson,<br />
the former basketball star for the<br />
University of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> and the<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Royals, gained the backing of<br />
the city manager and financial institutions<br />
to build an Avondale Town Center.<br />
Designed to include grocery and other<br />
shopping opportunities long absent from<br />
the area, the development had enormous<br />
symbolic as well as economic importance.<br />
By the late 1960s, it had become difficult<br />
to find funding for business developments<br />
in neighborhoods. <strong>The</strong> city had turned<br />
much of its attention to the aging, grimy,<br />
stodgy-looking central business district.<br />
<strong>The</strong> 1948 Master Plan had not devoted<br />
much attention to the downtown area<br />
beyond providing for the Third Street<br />
Distributor and recommending parking<br />
facilities. <strong>The</strong> success of regional suburban<br />
shopping centers changed things. Between<br />
1948 and 1958, the central business<br />
district’s share of the city’s retail sales<br />
declined from about two-fifths to less than<br />
one-third, and the value of its property<br />
amounted to only 10 percent of the city’s<br />
real estate. To combat this trend Ladislas<br />
Segoe, an experienced urban planner,<br />
suggested that the downtown should build<br />
on its inherent strengths: “its compactness<br />
and wide choice of goods.” He proposed<br />
imitating the accessibility and convenience<br />
of suburban shopping centers. Expressways<br />
and parking garages would make it easy<br />
for people to shop downtown. In addition<br />
he suggested creating pedestrian malls<br />
by closing selected streets to automobiles.<br />
While <strong>Cincinnati</strong> did not adopt<br />
pedestrian malls, an alternative was found:<br />
C H A P T E R 5<br />
1 2 1
second-level walkways, called the<br />
“skywalk” system.<br />
By the mid-1960s many business and<br />
civic leaders concluded that the lack of new<br />
construction downtown demonstrated that<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> had a serious problem. Since the<br />
close of the building boom of the 1920s, the<br />
only major building completed in the heart<br />
of the downtown was the Terrace Hilton<br />
(1948). On the edges of the core, the Public<br />
Library opened a new facility (1955),<br />
Procter & Gamble completed new<br />
headquarters (1956) and Kroger finished a<br />
new building (1959) praised at the time as a<br />
“sky-high symbol of what downtown<br />
rejuvenation can mean to the city.” Although<br />
the sponsor of each project claimed<br />
confidence in the future of downtown, they<br />
failed to generate a building boom.<br />
<strong>The</strong> city and the business community<br />
recognized the need for a coordinated<br />
approach to downtown redevelopment. In<br />
1964 the planning commission released a<br />
plan for the central business district. It<br />
broke the 12-block area into nine prime<br />
development parcels, each designated for<br />
office, retail, hotel and convention uses. In<br />
1965, the “Year of the Core,” the city<br />
abandoned its approach of working with a<br />
prime developer in favor of granting<br />
development rights for each block<br />
independently. It awarded “Block A,”<br />
Fountain Square, to the <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
Redevelopment Corporation headed by a<br />
Unveiling the refurbished Tyler Davidson<br />
Fountain, October 16, 1971. Photograph.<br />
Skywalk design prepared by Garber, Tweddell and Wheeler, architects. From <strong>Cincinnati</strong> CBD Plan: Cost Studies<br />
(<strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 1958), following p. 4.<br />
GIFT OF YOUNG AND KLEIN, INCORPORATED.<br />
Columbus developer, John Galbreath, to<br />
build an underground garage, a new<br />
public square and an office tower. Also in<br />
1965 the city signed a contract for a new<br />
Stouffer’s motel and the Federal Reserve<br />
Bank began a new building.<br />
By 1971 the first fruits of long years of<br />
planning for downtown were visible. After<br />
six years of disruption to dig the<br />
underground garage, construct the DuBois<br />
Tower and the Fifth Third Bank Center<br />
and to prepare a new setting for the Tyler<br />
Davidson Fountain, the fountain was<br />
restored and rededicated on October 16,<br />
1971, 100 years and 10 days following the<br />
original dedication. <strong>The</strong> first segment of<br />
the skywalk also opened in 1971. In the<br />
decade that followed, the pace of tearing<br />
down and building anew increased.<br />
Simultaneously, the city turned its<br />
attention to the riverfront. Memory of the<br />
1937 flood stalled progress on proposals<br />
outlined in the 1948 plan until agreement<br />
was reached in 1963 that all structures<br />
would be raised above flood stage by<br />
constructing podiums. Through a $15<br />
million grant from the federal government<br />
in 1966, the city purchased property in the<br />
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122
Detail from the Aeronca aircraft factory Union<br />
Terminal mural.<br />
GREGORY THORP COLLECTION.<br />
In 1971 Carl Solway and Jack Bolton sponsored Urban Walls, <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, a project that transformed 10 blank<br />
building walls into gigantic works of art. This design was at the southeast corner of Fifth and Plum Streets.<br />
Construction of Riverfront Stadium (1969). Photograph.<br />
central riverfront area. <strong>The</strong> real<br />
breakthrough came later the same year<br />
when the city and county agreed on the<br />
historic Public Landing as the site for a new<br />
sports stadium, and new owners of the<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Reds agreed to sign a long-term<br />
lease to play there. <strong>The</strong> next year, when the<br />
American Football League expanded,<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> obtained one of the new<br />
franchises. Construction of Riverfront<br />
Stadium began in 1968 and was completed<br />
in time for the 1970 All-Star game. With the<br />
stadium as an anchor, limited development<br />
of the central riverfront moved ahead.<br />
Through private funding the Coliseum<br />
opened in 1975, while Yeatman’s Cove Park<br />
with its massive Serpentine Wall, itself<br />
part of the city’s flood control system, was<br />
G R E A T E R C I N C I N N A T I<br />
A I R P O R T<br />
How did <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s airport end<br />
up in Boone County, Kentucky? By<br />
1940 everyone agreed that geography<br />
doomed Lunken Airport. Steep hills<br />
and short runways made approaches<br />
difficult while frequent flooding<br />
turned the field into “sunken”<br />
Lunken. When Greater <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
Airport in Northern Kentucky was<br />
opened in 1947, it was intended to<br />
serve only temporarily as the major<br />
passenger and cargo airport in the<br />
metropolitan area. Planners agreed<br />
that a more centrally located<br />
passenger facility in Blue Ash would<br />
better serve residents in the northern<br />
suburbs, especially near Hamilton<br />
and Middletown, as well as factories<br />
in the Mill Creek Valley and near<br />
Norwood. After voters turned down<br />
a third bond issue in 1955 to finance<br />
the proposed facility, efforts shifted to<br />
expanding and improving the Greater<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Airport.<br />
ready by 1976. <strong>The</strong> first phase of<br />
development for Sawyer Point Park began<br />
in 1978, and in 1980 residential living<br />
returned to the riverfront with the opening<br />
of One Lytle Place.<br />
C H A P T E R 5<br />
1 2 3
Ruth Lyons Newman (c. 1965). Photograph.<br />
GIFT OF HERMAN AND RUTH NEWMAN.<br />
Although <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s downtown and<br />
riverfront redevelopment generated pride<br />
among residents and impressed visitors,<br />
its success generated concerns that gained<br />
momentum as several of the city’s oldest<br />
buildings were destroyed. Many were<br />
outdated and uneconomical, but their<br />
disappearance collectively prompted<br />
concern that in its drive to revitalize the<br />
downtown, the city was destroying its<br />
most visible link to the past, one that<br />
reflected the unique mixture of forces and<br />
people who had built <strong>Cincinnati</strong>.<br />
Such concern was not unique to<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>, as evidenced by the passage in<br />
1966 of the National Historic Preservation<br />
Act. Just as the federal government<br />
provided funds in unprecedented ways for<br />
cities like <strong>Cincinnati</strong> to engage in<br />
redevelopment, the concern that federal<br />
dollars would help destroy the nation’s<br />
sense of its past prompted the legislation. In<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> building by building, block by<br />
block, project by project, the issue was<br />
debated. In some instances workable<br />
compromises were discovered. For example,<br />
when construction of the Northeast<br />
Expressway (I-71) endangered Lytle Park, a<br />
citizens group led by Councilman Charles P.<br />
Taft and insurance executive William T.<br />
Earls worked from 1958 to 1967 to develop<br />
plans to tunnel under the park and put<br />
R U T H<br />
L Y O N S<br />
( 1 9 0 7 - 1 9 8 8 )<br />
In postwar <strong>Cincinnati</strong> a phenomenon<br />
and pioneer emerged in<br />
television broadcasting. Ruth Lyons<br />
was called “the most influential<br />
housewife” in the Midwest. To a<br />
combined radio-television audience<br />
of seven million, she was a friend<br />
who shared her concerns, ideas,<br />
opinions and family from noon to<br />
1:30, five days a week. Miss Lyons<br />
began on the WLW-TV network in<br />
1949 exhibiting the same disregard<br />
for conformity that had already made<br />
her a popular radio personality. She<br />
had no script, no rehearsals and<br />
refused to take direction. Instead,<br />
with a keen sense of timing, she<br />
shared with her audience whatever<br />
happened to be on her mind—careful<br />
to include the mention of some 100<br />
sponsors each week that had waited<br />
up to three years for the opportunity.<br />
To the WLW-TV network, Ruth Lyons<br />
was “big business,” grossing $2<br />
million annually—unheard of at the<br />
time in daytime TV even for network<br />
programs. After more than 30 years<br />
in broadcasting, ill-health forced<br />
Ruth Lyons’ retirement in 1967.<br />
Looking across Fountain Square to the Albee <strong>The</strong>ater. Photograph.<br />
PAUL BRIOL COLLECTION.<br />
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124
Caroline Williams, Wesley Chapel. Print.<br />
together a financial package to save it. A<br />
long struggle took place from 1965 to 1972<br />
between <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s most important<br />
corporation, Procter & Gamble, and people<br />
who wanted to save the oldest surviving<br />
church in the downtown area, Wesley<br />
Chapel, constructed in 1831 on Fifth Street<br />
west of Broadway. <strong>The</strong> company offered<br />
several options, including moving the<br />
building across the street, but the<br />
congregation elected to build a new church<br />
in Over-the-Rhine. <strong>The</strong> building came<br />
down in 1972. Preservationists then turned<br />
their efforts to saving the Albee, an ornate<br />
theater built in 1927. <strong>The</strong>y lost the battle<br />
in 1977 so that Fountain Square South, a<br />
$11 million hotel-bank-office complex<br />
could be constructed.<br />
Though enduring many frustrations,<br />
preservationists took pride in several<br />
achievements, such as when Music Hall<br />
underwent a $5 million renovation in 1969<br />
and 1970. <strong>The</strong> future of Union Terminal<br />
proved more difficult to resolve. Rail traffic<br />
dwindled steadily after World War II until<br />
the last passenger train pulled out on<br />
October 28, 1972. People universally loved<br />
the building, and they proposed a variety of<br />
alternative uses for it, including a<br />
convention center, a bus garage, an<br />
educational center, a museum of science<br />
and industry, and a shopping mall. When<br />
the Southern Railroad razed the concourse<br />
to improve its yard facilities, citizens,<br />
businesses, and unions rescued the giant<br />
murals of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> workers by moving<br />
them in 1973 to the Greater <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
Airport. A refurbished terminal gained a<br />
new lease on life when it opened in August<br />
1980 as a specialty shopping mall.<br />
During these years the principal voice<br />
for preservationists was the Miami<br />
Purchase Association for Historic<br />
Preservation (now <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Preservation<br />
Association), organized in 1964. Between<br />
1975 and 1978, the association surveyed<br />
historically and architecturally significant<br />
buildings throughout the city. Its inventory<br />
identified 981 individually important<br />
structures as well as another 1,500<br />
buildings in clusters and districts. <strong>The</strong><br />
extensiveness of the list surprised city<br />
officials. <strong>The</strong>n, in 1980, Miami Purchase<br />
nominated all of the surviving work of<br />
Samuel Hannaford, <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s most<br />
prominent 19th century architect, for<br />
inclusion on the National Register of<br />
Historic Places. This nomination included<br />
the Workhouse, an aging structure and an<br />
Riverfest Fireworks (1982). Photograph.<br />
VINCE RE COLLECTION.<br />
obsolete penal institution. <strong>City</strong> officials felt<br />
the nomination was inappropriate. Partially<br />
in response to the inventory and the<br />
Hannaford nomination, the city created the<br />
position of city urban conservator with a<br />
professional staff responsible to a ninemember,<br />
citizen Historic Conservation<br />
Board. This new body assumed<br />
responsibility from the Miami Purchase<br />
Association for making nominations to the<br />
National Register whenever federal money<br />
could conceivably be used to destroy<br />
eligible buildings. <strong>The</strong> change also forced<br />
the city to give increased attention to<br />
historic preservation concerns in its own<br />
planning process.<br />
<strong>The</strong> high cost of downtown<br />
development and the vigor with which the<br />
city pursued it ignited another reaction.<br />
Residents of the city’s older neighborhoods<br />
had long felt that their concerns and needs<br />
were subordinated to those of downtown.<br />
In the 1950s, for example, the widening of<br />
River Road into a “modified expressway” to<br />
carry traffic between the western suburbs<br />
C H A P T E R 5<br />
1 2 5
View of the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> skyline from the south tower of the Roebling Suspension Bridge (1983).Photograph.<br />
VINCE RE COLLECTION.<br />
and the city disrupted the communities of<br />
Sedamsville and Riverside. In the early<br />
20th century, Sedamsville, a working-class<br />
neighborhood, had supported over 100<br />
businesses. <strong>The</strong> flood of 1937 drove out<br />
many of them, but the business strip along<br />
River Road remained the heart of the<br />
community until road widening began.<br />
Shirley Caine, a resident, recalled: “<strong>The</strong>y<br />
said when they put this road through you<br />
would have better facilities, your property<br />
values would go up and your business<br />
would flourish. Well, we haven’t had any<br />
businesses to flourish at all.” Three isolated<br />
streets, clustered on a hillside above the<br />
road and the river, were all that remained<br />
of Sedamsville. Riverside had a similar<br />
experience, except that engineering<br />
miscalculations in rerouting traffic during<br />
road construction destroyed the area’s<br />
tenuous drainage system and caused<br />
landslides. As other communities had<br />
done a generation earlier when individual<br />
complaints went unheeded, the residents<br />
formed the Riverside Civic and Welfare<br />
Club to lobby for greater consideration of<br />
their needs by the city during the<br />
construction of River Road and for repair<br />
of damages when it was completed. <strong>The</strong><br />
battle continued into the 1970s.<br />
Other communities also organized to<br />
gain attention at <strong>City</strong> Hall for their<br />
concerns and to secure some federal<br />
community development money for their<br />
neighborhoods. <strong>The</strong> Charter reform of the<br />
1920s had eliminated <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s ward<br />
system of electing city council. This made<br />
it more difficult for city government to<br />
determine the needs of neighborhoods.<br />
To fill this void, residents created<br />
neighborhood organizations in the 1960s<br />
and 1970s to advise city officials.<br />
Some groups organized to protect their<br />
communities against what they feared “the<br />
city” or “outsiders’’’ were doing to them.<br />
Riverside fit this pattern, as did<br />
neighborhood groups in the 1960s that<br />
sought to keep blacks out of their<br />
communities. Similarly, some neighborhood<br />
groups formed to fight to keep open<br />
their schools.<br />
Increasingly residents formed<br />
neighborhood organizations in an effort to<br />
assert control over their own lives. An early<br />
example of this came when blacks were<br />
moving into Avondale. Residents of North<br />
Avondale saw that in South Avondale “a<br />
condition of panic developed, formed by<br />
rumor, fear, prejudices and exploited in<br />
some instances by unscrupulous and<br />
avaricious real-estate interests, thus causing<br />
homeowners to list their homes for sale and<br />
flee the area.” <strong>The</strong>y formed the North<br />
Avondale Neighborhood Association in<br />
1960 to fight scare tactics of realtors and to<br />
make a functioning, integrated neighborhood.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y worked with individual realestate<br />
agents, sympathetic financial<br />
institutions and <strong>City</strong> Hall. By 1970 they had<br />
stabilized the neighborhood at 60 percent<br />
white and 40 percent black. Similar<br />
concerns prompted development of<br />
community organizations in College Hill,<br />
Bond Hill, Paddock Hills and Kennedy<br />
Heights. <strong>The</strong> Clifton Town Meeting was<br />
formed in response to worries about<br />
spreading slums, thousands of students<br />
attending the University of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> and<br />
Hebrew Union College, and the general<br />
confusion created by several hospitals in the<br />
area. It worked to preserve the uppermiddle-class,<br />
suburban lifestyle of the area.<br />
Some residents worked through the<br />
organization to preserve gaslights along<br />
their streets; others fought efforts to widen<br />
streets that would increase traffic through<br />
the community.<br />
Organizing community councils was<br />
not confined to white or to middle-class<br />
neighborhoods. Through the Community<br />
Action Commission and Model Cities<br />
programs, dozens of community<br />
organizations were formed in poor and<br />
black neighborhoods. Blacks forced from<br />
the West End needed to re-create<br />
organizations through which they could<br />
address their problems. Bailey Turner,<br />
working for the Community Action<br />
Commission, developed block clubs on<br />
Mt. Auburn that fed into its community<br />
council. <strong>The</strong>y attacked problems of<br />
overcrowding, juvenile delinquency,<br />
crime, and deteriorated housing.<br />
Supported by federal funds, similar<br />
efforts were made in Over-the-Rhine,<br />
Evanston, and Avondale.<br />
<strong>The</strong> interests of community councils<br />
evolved as needs changed, but at one time<br />
or another many were concerned about<br />
maintaining and developing housing. <strong>The</strong><br />
availability of federal funds for<br />
rehabilitating housing prompted some<br />
community councils to form and<br />
incorporate neighborhood development<br />
corporations. One of the earliest and most<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
126
effective was the Good Housing<br />
Foundation on Mt. Auburn. Led by Carl<br />
Westmoreland, the foundation arranged<br />
for federally-guaranteed loans through<br />
local financial institutions, negotiated city<br />
agreements to improve public facilities,<br />
such as street lighting, and undertook the<br />
purchase and rehabilitation of more than<br />
$12 million worth of property. <strong>The</strong><br />
project gained national attention among<br />
preservationists and urban planners<br />
interested in restoring vitality to<br />
neighborhoods near downtown areas.<br />
Other communities, including Bond Hill,<br />
Paddock Hills, Walnut Hills, College Hill,<br />
Northside and Madisonville, created<br />
corporations to stimulate residential and<br />
business development.<br />
<strong>The</strong> growth and effectiveness of<br />
neighborhood organizations changed the<br />
way city government operated. During the<br />
1960s the city council and administration<br />
focused their attention and resources on<br />
the redevelopment of the downtown and<br />
riverfront. In 1971 a coalition of<br />
Democrats and Charterites campaigned<br />
for city council with promises that if they<br />
were elected, they would give greater<br />
attention to the neighborhoods. <strong>The</strong>ir<br />
success produced noticeable changes. A<br />
newly appointed city manager, E. Robert<br />
Turner, took steps to implement the<br />
coalition’s promises and established<br />
mechanisms for neighborhood participation<br />
in making policy.<br />
<strong>The</strong> city invited community councils to<br />
help establish budgetary priorities. By the<br />
mid-1970s a regular procedure was<br />
developed for neighborhoods to identify<br />
needs, assign priorities and communicate<br />
them to municipal department heads.<br />
Gradually, the city broadened the areas in<br />
which community organizations could<br />
participate to include overseeing federal<br />
block-grant funds and developing longrange<br />
plans for neighborhoods. This<br />
process culminated in 1981 when the city<br />
established a Department of Neighborhood<br />
Housing and Conservation. It was for the<br />
strength of its neighborhood organizations<br />
that the National Municipal League<br />
named <strong>Cincinnati</strong> an “All America <strong>City</strong>” in<br />
1980-81.<br />
More and more middle-class people<br />
became interested in living in<br />
neighborhoods where they did not need<br />
to drive to work. This, combined with an<br />
increased respect for older buildings in<br />
the 1970s, produced a return to city<br />
living. This national trend was first<br />
observed in <strong>Cincinnati</strong> on Mt. Adams. As<br />
early as 1951 some middle-class families<br />
moved there. <strong>The</strong> real boom began a<br />
decade later when a few young<br />
businessmen began “rehabbing” and<br />
selling old homes. <strong>The</strong> Mt. Adams<br />
development was an isolated event for<br />
several years, but the gasoline crisis of the<br />
1970s and an ever-growing percentage of<br />
singles and childless couples generated<br />
similar developments in other older<br />
neighborhoods and in the downtown<br />
business core.<br />
<strong>The</strong>se urban pioneers reversed a<br />
century-long trend of living ever further<br />
out. <strong>The</strong>ir motivations varied. Some<br />
sought imposing views of the basin and<br />
the Ohio River from Prospect Hill on Mt.<br />
Auburn and from Mt. Adams. Others<br />
delighted in the architectural gems they<br />
found in abundance along streets such as<br />
Purcell Avenue in Price Hill or in<br />
Columbia Tusculum and East Walnut<br />
Hills. Many were primarily concerned<br />
with finding a house situated in<br />
economically and racially mixed<br />
communities where they could enjoy<br />
greater interaction with their neighbors<br />
than they could find in bedroom suburbs.<br />
A growing number of people, both young<br />
and old, were attracted to the<br />
convenience of downtown apartments in<br />
the Garfield Park, West Fourth Street and<br />
riverfront areas.<br />
Even though the return of middle-class<br />
professionals brightened the city’s<br />
economic picture, it caused a reaction of<br />
its own. In low-income areas such as<br />
Over-the-Rhine, residents were fearful<br />
that if the district were placed on the<br />
National Register of Historic Places, they<br />
would soon be displaced. By the 1980s,<br />
“gentrification” was one of the more<br />
complex problems facing the city.<br />
Ironically, the success of policies to make<br />
the city a safe and exciting place for<br />
middle-class people to live threatened the<br />
security of people who feared that with<br />
their limited resources they would soon<br />
Glencoe Place, seen here in 1987, rehabilitated by the Mt. Auburn Good Housing Foundation in the early 1980s. It<br />
was demolished in 2013. Photograph.<br />
C H A P T E R 5<br />
1 2 7
Samuel Hannaford, <strong>City</strong> Hall (c. 1887). Presentation drawing from the Samuel Hannaford Architectural<br />
Record Collection.<br />
C I T Y<br />
H A L L<br />
On May 13, 1893, Mayor John B. Mosby presided over the formal dedication of<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s new <strong>City</strong> Hall. This impressive building was six years in the making and<br />
cost the citizens of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> over $1.6 million. A parade, marching bands and<br />
speeches by dignitaries, including Ohio Governor William McKinley, were all part of<br />
the celebration of the formal opening of the new building.<br />
Designed by Samuel Hannaford, <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s most prominent 19th century architect,<br />
the building was considered one of the finest structures of its type in the country.<br />
Hannaford’s proposal was selected from a group of 14 proposals submitted by<br />
competing architects from as far away as Washington, D.C., New York and Chicago.<br />
<strong>The</strong> massive granite building occupies a full city block and includes a 250-foot-tall<br />
clock tower. It was built to serve as the center of municipal government and to house all<br />
of the city offices, including the Mayor’s Office, <strong>City</strong> Council Chambers and Police Court.<br />
By the time the building had reached its 50th birthday, it was considered too small<br />
and too inefficient to continue to serve the purpose for which it was designed. Although<br />
many believed that the building should be razed and replaced by a new, larger and<br />
more efficient city hall, over the years the city committed its resources to other projects<br />
and public improvements, and no new building was ever built.<br />
Gradually many city offices were moved to other sites. At the same time the<br />
architectural and historical significance of the building became more widely accepted,<br />
and in 1972 <strong>City</strong> Hall was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Today it<br />
is regarded as the finest example of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture in the city.<br />
be unable to afford their houses or to find<br />
other, inexpensive alternatives.<br />
By the early 1980s, the primary goals<br />
of the 1964 plan for redeveloping the<br />
downtown had been achieved, but the<br />
city continued to look forward. In 1979<br />
the city planning commission began work<br />
on a “<strong>Cincinnati</strong> 2000 Plan” to guide<br />
downtown development through the next<br />
two decades. <strong>The</strong> resulting plan projected<br />
nearly doubling the eight million squarefeet<br />
of office space in the downtown area.<br />
In addition, the plan gave new weight to<br />
the preservation of older buildings by<br />
observing that in certain instances the<br />
economic potential of new structures<br />
“may be outweighed by the need to<br />
retain a sense of the city’s past and a<br />
human scale.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> Year 2000 Plan for <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
reflected a sense that <strong>Cincinnati</strong> had<br />
become and would remain a vital urban<br />
center into the next century. This<br />
confidence and pride no longer rested on<br />
the same basis 19th century boomers<br />
used. According to the U.S. Census,<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s population fell from 453,514<br />
in 1970 to 385,457 in 1980. While the<br />
metropolitan area increased by 5,000<br />
during the decade to reach 1,392,394<br />
people, its ranking dropped from 22nd to<br />
28th in the nation. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>ans took<br />
solace in noting that, unlike many<br />
northern cities, the region had not lost<br />
population during the decade.<br />
In the years after 1960 efforts to<br />
improve the quality of life in <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
proceeded along two paths. At the city’s<br />
center tremendous resources were poured<br />
into revitalizing the downtown. New<br />
buildings were constructed almost<br />
everywhere. At the heart of the city the<br />
new Fountain Square was widely<br />
acclaimed as “the most successful<br />
urban plaza in America,” and its<br />
venerable Tyler Davidson Fountain now<br />
stood surrounded by modern buildings.<br />
Beyond the downtown, thousands of<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>ans demonstrated a renewed<br />
commitment to making the city’s<br />
neighborhoods functional, human<br />
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Fort Washington Way at night (1984). Photograph.<br />
VINCE RE COLLECTION.<br />
View of Mt. Adams and Immaculata Church (1987). Photograph.<br />
communities. Although the needs of these<br />
two centers of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> life—the<br />
downtown and the neighborhood—were<br />
frequently in conflict during the 1970s<br />
and 1980s, a new and more unified<br />
view of the city had begun to emerge.<br />
More and more <strong>Cincinnati</strong>ans spoke with<br />
pride about both “my neighborhood” and<br />
“our city.”<br />
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“Moonrise,” Tall Stacks 2006.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH S000991 © STEVIE PUBLISHING INC./ WILLIAM A. ABRAMSOHN, PHOTOGRAPHER.<br />
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CHAPTER 6<br />
R E T U R N T O T H E R I V E R A N D O U R H E R I T A G E , 1 9 8 8 - 2 0 1 3<br />
<strong>The</strong> period 1988 to 2013 witnessed vast<br />
changes in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>. As the city’s suburbs<br />
grew, <strong>Cincinnati</strong> proper continued to<br />
shrink in population. Concerned citizens<br />
launched public-private partnerships to<br />
revitalize the city, concentrating their<br />
efforts along the riverfront, in downtown,<br />
and in Over-the-Rhine. At the same time,<br />
neighborhood groups embarked on<br />
sustainable growth initiatives of their own.<br />
In 1988, the year of the city’s bicentennial,<br />
few residents would have predicted that the<br />
city would spend much of the next 25 years<br />
reevaluating its heritage, and, at the same<br />
time, learning to embrace the new<br />
technologies that would lead it into the<br />
21st century.<br />
<strong>The</strong> overarching story of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> in<br />
this period can be garnered from<br />
important census information. As<br />
mandated by the U.S. Constitution, the<br />
federal government conducts a decennial<br />
census for purposes of determining our<br />
congressional representation. Over the<br />
years, the census has ballooned to include<br />
statistics that serve as barometers of our<br />
national social and economic health. In<br />
1990, the census revealed that the<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>-Hamilton, OH-KY-IN CMSA<br />
(Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical<br />
Area) had a population of 1.8 million.<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> proper, meanwhile, had a<br />
population of 364,000, or about 20<br />
percent of the total metropolitan area. As<br />
defined by many factors, including<br />
commuting to work, the then-13 counties<br />
comprising metropolitan <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
included 5 counties in Ohio (Brown,<br />
Butler, Clermont, Hamilton, and Warren),<br />
6 in Kentucky (Boone, Campbell, Gallatin,<br />
Grant, Kenton, and Pendleton), and 2 in<br />
Indiana (Dearborn and Ohio). In the<br />
early 21st century, the federal government<br />
added 2 more counties to the<br />
metropolitan mix, Bracken in Kentucky<br />
and Franklin in Indiana.<br />
<strong>The</strong> 2010 census disclosed that the then-<br />
15-county <strong>Cincinnati</strong> metropolitan area<br />
counted 2.1 million people, including<br />
almost 297,000 in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>. Although<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s share of its total metropolitan<br />
population had dropped to only 14 percent<br />
in 2010 (from 20 percent in 1990, and<br />
nearly 56 percent in 1950), metro<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> itself remained a regional<br />
powerhouse. In fact, if you were to imagine<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> as the center of a round clock,<br />
and the cities surrounding it as numbers on<br />
that clock—proceeding clockwise, you<br />
would have to go as far as Detroit,<br />
Pittsburgh, Atlanta, St. Louis, and Chicago<br />
before reaching metropolitan areas larger<br />
than <strong>Cincinnati</strong>. Nevertheless, although the<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> area has been consistently<br />
gaining population, some analysts argue<br />
that the gains are not enough. In the<br />
21st century, though, <strong>Cincinnati</strong> still claims<br />
some bragging rights, as the largest<br />
metropolitan area in Ohio. Cleveland,<br />
however, debates that ranking, arguing that<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s statistical area includes parts of<br />
Northern Kentucky and Southeastern<br />
Indiana. What cannot be debated, however,<br />
is that the very definition of a metropolitan<br />
area follows people and their commuting<br />
patterns, not geographic boundaries.<br />
According to 2003 U.S. Census Bureau<br />
figures, <strong>Cincinnati</strong> area residents spent 21<br />
minutes per day, one-way, commuting to<br />
work. Although slightly below the national<br />
average, that nevertheless added up to 42<br />
minutes per day, 5 days per week. For<br />
those working 50 weeks per year, that<br />
equated to 175 hours of commuting time<br />
annually—actually more than an entire<br />
week (168 hours) of an average worker’s<br />
life each year. By 2011 the average<br />
commuting time in the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> area had<br />
increased to 24 minutes per day, one-way,<br />
or 200 hours each year.<br />
<strong>The</strong> census also tells another story, one<br />
of fragmentation. Within 100 miles of<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>, in all directions, are large<br />
cities—Indianapolis, Columbus, Lexington,<br />
and Louisville. According to 2012 and 2013<br />
population estimates, all four of these cities<br />
had populations, within their city limits<br />
proper, larger than that of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>. Of<br />
course, their metropolitan areas were much<br />
smaller in population than <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s. In<br />
Indianapolis, Lexington, and Louisville, the<br />
explanation for the more populous central<br />
city was, quite simply, the adoption of<br />
“metro government.” In contrast, the<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> area has witnessed the<br />
multiplication of municipalities and<br />
governmental units in the last 60 years. In<br />
fact, as early as the 1960s, Iola Hessler<br />
Silberstein of the University of <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
cautioned Hamilton County residents about<br />
their “patchwork quilt” of governments.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Cincinnati</strong> area’s fragmentation<br />
partly owes its origins to the hilly<br />
topography of the region, as well as to the<br />
existence of three different states<br />
composing the metropolitan area.<br />
Regardless of its causes, the proliferation<br />
of separate municipalities and townships<br />
makes many regional matters, like<br />
planning and public transportation,<br />
sometimes difficult. <strong>The</strong> region’s pursuit<br />
of commuter light-rail transportation, for<br />
instance, depended upon a vote of its<br />
most populous county, Hamilton in<br />
Ohio. <strong>The</strong>re, in November 2002, the<br />
electorate rejected a half-cent sales tax<br />
increase to finance a proposed $2.6<br />
billion light-rail system.<br />
OKI (Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional<br />
Council of Governments), established in<br />
1964, attempts to develop “collaborative<br />
strategies to improve the quality of life<br />
and the economic vitality of the region.”<br />
By 2013, however, as impressive as its<br />
accomplishments were, OKI represented<br />
only 8 of the 15 counties in the<br />
metropolitan area. OKI and other<br />
agencies are working tirelessly to devise<br />
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plans for the replacement of the area’s<br />
most critical bridge, the Brent Spence,<br />
carrying the traffic of two of the nation’s<br />
busiest interstate highways (I-71 and I-<br />
75). Nevertheless, the long, tedious and<br />
ongoing process of the bridge<br />
replacement underscores the difficulty of<br />
negotiating the region’s multiple layers of<br />
governmental bureaucracy.<br />
In 1988, at the time of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s<br />
bicentennial, the world of advanced<br />
computer and medical technology was still<br />
in its infancy. Seven years earlier, IBM<br />
introduced the world’s first personal<br />
computer. In 1989, Tim Berners-Lee<br />
developed the worldwide web, and in<br />
1996, a sheep called Dolly became the first<br />
mammal to be cloned from an adult stem<br />
cell. By the early 21st century, scientists<br />
completed the Human Genome Project.<br />
Clearly, as many analysts suggest, the<br />
economy of the 21st century rests upon<br />
the STEM disciplines (Science, Technology,<br />
Engineering and Medicine). Fortunately,<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> and Northern Kentucky are the<br />
home of many Fortune 500 companies<br />
that are joining hands with business<br />
“accelerators,” like <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s CincyTech<br />
and Cintrifuse, and Northern Kentucky’s<br />
UpTech. Typically, accelerators like these<br />
offer a range of services, from seed-stage<br />
funding for startup companies, to<br />
networking, to business advice, and to<br />
access to venture capital as the startups<br />
mature. In addition, the University of<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> and <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Children’s<br />
Hospital Medical Center are leading the<br />
way in medical research.<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s Agenda 360 and Northern<br />
Kentucky’s Vision 2015 are two examples<br />
of non-profit organizations dedicated to<br />
building a regional community that<br />
attracts sustainable economic growth. In<br />
their 2012 Regional Indicators Report,<br />
Agenda 360 and Vision 2015 used 15<br />
barometers to measure <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s<br />
progress against that of 11 comparison<br />
regions (Austin, Charlotte, Cleveland,<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s Neighborhoods, 2012.<br />
CITY OF CINCINNATI, DEPARTMENT OF CITY PLANNING AND BUILDINGS.<br />
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132
Columbus, Denver, Indianapolis,<br />
Louisville, Minneapolis, Pittsburgh,<br />
Raleigh, and St. Louis). Determining that<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> ranked 10th overall, the report<br />
realized that much work still lies ahead.<br />
According to the 2010 census,<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> and Hamilton County remain<br />
employment powerhouses, hosting more<br />
than 50 percent of the jobs in the 15-county<br />
metropolitan area. <strong>The</strong> region is home to<br />
major Fortune 500 companies that, in<br />
2013, included AK Steel, American<br />
Financial Group, Ashland, Fifth Third<br />
Bancorp, General Cable, Kroger, Macy’s,<br />
Omnicare, Procter & Gamble, and<br />
Western & Southern Financial Group. In<br />
addition, Toyota Motor Engineering &<br />
Manufacturing North America, and Scripps<br />
both maintain national headquarters in the<br />
region. Scripps has emerged as a giant of<br />
21st century media. Although it sadly<br />
ended the printing of its daily <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
Post in December 2007, leaving <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
with one remaining daily newspaper<br />
(<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Enquirer), the Kentucky Post<br />
continued online. <strong>The</strong> late 20th and early<br />
21st centuries have also seen many mergers<br />
and acquisitions, especially of banks and<br />
savings and loan associations. Old<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> banks, like Provident (now<br />
PNC) and First National (now US Bank)<br />
were part of this national trend.<br />
During the decades of the 1980s and<br />
the 1990s, the <strong>Cincinnati</strong>/Northern<br />
Kentucky International Airport (CVG)—<br />
located in Northern Kentucky—brought<br />
tremendous growth to the region. By 1995<br />
Delta Air Lines made the airport its<br />
second-largest hub in the nation. At its<br />
peak in 2005, the airport became one of<br />
the nation’s largest, with 22.8 million<br />
annual passengers and 670 daily flights. In<br />
the early 21st century, Delta filed for<br />
bankruptcy, reorganized and merged with<br />
Northwest Airlines, leading to reductions<br />
in flights at its CVG hub. By 2012 the<br />
airport processed only six million<br />
passengers. This decline in flights and<br />
passenger traffic, coupled by the escalating<br />
cost of flights from <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, was one of<br />
the reasons Chiquita Brands International<br />
cited for choosing to move its <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
headquarters to Charlotte, North Carolina.<br />
At the same time, however, while Delta<br />
was reducing operations, the world cargo<br />
carrier DHL was expanding operations<br />
at CVG, investing millions of dollars in<br />
new facilities.<br />
<strong>The</strong> last half of the 20th century, and<br />
the first decade of the 21st, have<br />
witnessed the headlong expansion of<br />
suburbs in the United States. Some call<br />
this suburbanization the largest migration<br />
in American history. <strong>Cincinnati</strong> was no<br />
exception. <strong>The</strong> city joined hundreds of<br />
other mature cities nationwide, as they<br />
struggled—together and apart—to<br />
formulate new identities. No longer<br />
necessarily the demographic and<br />
commercial centers of their metropolitan<br />
regions, many cities began the slow<br />
process of rebuilding. In <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s case,<br />
as elsewhere, its residents found their<br />
niche in their past. Home to many<br />
immigrant and internal migrant groups,<br />
the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> metropolitan area<br />
especially prides itself on its German<br />
heritage. Indeed, the 2000 census ranked<br />
the region third in the nation (after<br />
Milwaukee and Minneapolis) in the<br />
percentage of its residents tracing their<br />
heritage to German ancestors.<br />
From 1988 until 2013 <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
rediscovered the Ohio River and its ethnic<br />
heritage. This rediscovery emerged from a<br />
complicated 50-year history preceding<br />
the city’s bicentennial in 1988. From<br />
1938 until 1988 <strong>Cincinnati</strong> struggled<br />
with its riverfront, West End, and<br />
downtown areas, all of which comprised<br />
the very heart and soul of its beginnings,<br />
growth, and prosperity.<br />
<strong>The</strong> 1937 flood, coupled with changes<br />
in commercial shipping patterns,<br />
profoundly affected <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s relationship<br />
with the Ohio River. During its first<br />
150 years, downtown <strong>Cincinnati</strong> grew and<br />
prospered in concert with the river.<br />
Steamboats lined its Public Landing,<br />
making the “<strong>Queen</strong> <strong>City</strong> of the West” a<br />
major commercial center of the nation.<br />
And although river transportation<br />
remained vital to the city’s economy,<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> politicians, civic leaders, and<br />
commercial boosters cobbled together<br />
railroad networks in the late 19th century.<br />
Meanwhile, in the post-Civil War era,<br />
towboats pushing barges became more<br />
prevalent. As a result of low-lift and, later,<br />
high-lift, locks and dams constructed<br />
along the length of the 981-mile Ohio<br />
River in the 20th century, commercial<br />
shipping along the river actually increased,<br />
but the Public Landing waned in<br />
importance. Increasingly, towboats<br />
pushing barges—squat, drab, often rusty<br />
boats—presented a riverscape vista much<br />
more mundane than the ornately elegant<br />
and colorful steam packets of years past.<br />
New docking and transport facilities,<br />
generally located away from the city’s<br />
Public Landing and from its many bridges,<br />
handled the transshipment of coal, oil,<br />
grain and other bulky commodities.<br />
While river traffic on the Ohio River<br />
boomed, concerns about its polluted<br />
waters mounted, especially after World<br />
War II. In simple terms, the Ohio River<br />
and many of its tributaries ranked among<br />
the most polluted waterways in the United<br />
States. In June 1948, eight Ohio Valley<br />
states created the Ohio River Valley Water<br />
Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO) “to<br />
control and abate pollution” in the Ohio<br />
River watershed. But this pioneering<br />
agency could not solve so extensive a<br />
problem, and many people alive today can<br />
vividly recall the stench of the Ohio River<br />
from the 1950s through the 1970s,<br />
especially in the summertime. <strong>The</strong> federal<br />
government launched an assault on the<br />
issue in 1972, when the U.S. Congress<br />
passed the Clean Water Act, which<br />
required industries and other “pointsource”<br />
polluters to clean up their<br />
effluents. Such reforms improved the<br />
river’s health but did not cure it, for the<br />
volume of industrial discharges into the<br />
Ohio still remains the highest of any river<br />
in the nation. To make matters worse,<br />
rural areas enriched this poisonous stew<br />
with runoffs of herbicides and pesticides,<br />
to which cities added runoffs of oil and<br />
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<strong>The</strong> concrete channelization of the Mill Creek resulted in ecological concerns.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH © DAVE IVORY.<br />
other motor vehicle leakages from parking<br />
lots and urban streets and expressways.<br />
In addition to these vexatious<br />
pollution problems, <strong>Cincinnati</strong> and other<br />
older cities suffered from combined<br />
sanitary and storm sewer overflows<br />
(CSOs). During heavy rains, these<br />
combined sewers overflowed directly into<br />
the waterways of the Mill Creek, Licking,<br />
and Ohio River basins, carrying with<br />
them fecal material. In response to this<br />
appalling situation, the federal Clean<br />
Water Act mandated the Hamilton<br />
County-operated Metropolitan Sewer<br />
District to undertake a $3.2 billion cleanup.<br />
Likewise, Sanitation District No. 1 of<br />
Northern Kentucky fell under similar<br />
cleanup orders.<br />
In the 1980s the U.S. Army Corps of<br />
Engineers pursued a concrete<br />
channelization of the Mill Creek that<br />
actually worsened ecological concerns.<br />
<strong>The</strong> removal of shoreline trees, and the<br />
new concrete channel itself, transformed<br />
the stream from a living-and-breathing<br />
ecological system to something wholly<br />
“unnatural,” as biologist and author Dr.<br />
Stanley Hedeen of Xavier University in<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> has asserted. By 1992 the<br />
Corps abandoned the failed project, at a<br />
total cost of $110 million. In that same<br />
year, the Ohio Environmental Protection<br />
Agency (EPA) designated the Mill Creek as<br />
the most polluted stream in Ohio. In 1997<br />
American Rivers, a conservation group,<br />
called the Mill Creek the “most endangered<br />
urban river in North America.”<br />
By far the worst example of hazardous<br />
waste in the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> area was that of the<br />
former Fernald Feed Materials Production<br />
Center, located in parts of Hamilton and<br />
Butler Counties, Ohio. From 1951 until<br />
1989 this massive facility manufactured<br />
uranium fuel cores for the federal nuclear<br />
weapons program. By the 1980s<br />
courageous whistleblowers had revealed to<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>ans and the general public the<br />
extent of radioactive dust contamination<br />
and groundwater pollution. <strong>The</strong> U.S.<br />
Department of Energy subsequently closed<br />
the plant, which eventually became<br />
eligible for participation in the EPA’s<br />
Superfund program. <strong>The</strong> EPA spent<br />
billions of dollars in the cleanup, which<br />
included the removal of contaminated<br />
materials. Part of the site became a nature<br />
preserve in 2006. Additional hazardous<br />
waste sites have been identified in the<br />
region and are at various stages of cleanup,<br />
including: Pristine Inc. Superfund Site,<br />
Reading, Ohio; Milford Contaminated<br />
Aquifer, Milford, Ohio; Chem-Dyne Site,<br />
Hamilton, Ohio; the Peters Cartridge<br />
Factory, Kings Mills, Ohio; the Skinner<br />
Landfill, West Chester, Ohio; and the<br />
Newport Dump in Wilder, Kentucky.<br />
<strong>The</strong> 1937 flood, changing transportation<br />
patterns along the Ohio River, and pollution<br />
made <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s image, at its front (Ohio<br />
River) and west (Mill Creek) doors,<br />
lackluster and uninviting. <strong>The</strong> 1943<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Guide, in graphic terms typical of<br />
the era, described how the riverfront had<br />
eventually evolved into a collection of<br />
“battered buildings along the Levee…taken<br />
over by rousters, thieves, harlots, and lowclass<br />
black and white people” (p. 151). As<br />
for the West End, the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Guide<br />
described the 1920s and the 1930s as a<br />
period of middle-class flight to the suburbs<br />
during which “Negroes and also white hill<br />
folk from Kentucky and West Virginia<br />
moved into the rapidly declining and<br />
emptying houses, and in two decades the<br />
entire West End became homogeneous—<br />
rough, tough, and squalid” (pp. 225-226).<br />
Planners and politicians responded to the<br />
population shift by declaring the area a<br />
slum eligible for clearance (razing) and<br />
rebuilding. In 1938 federal, state, and city<br />
governments cooperated to build the West<br />
End’s first federal public housing project for<br />
low-income families, a 15-block, 1,303-<br />
apartment development called Laurel<br />
Homes. Four years later, just after the onset<br />
of World War II, <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s housing<br />
authority opened a second project, Lincoln<br />
Court, which contained 1,015 apartments.<br />
<strong>The</strong> end of World War II opened a period<br />
of ambitious planning for <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s slum<br />
clearance and urban renewal programs. <strong>The</strong><br />
completion in 1948 of the Mill Creek Barrier<br />
Dam, with its capacity to pump one billion<br />
gallons of water per day from the floodprone<br />
valley, enabled the adoption of plans<br />
for reconstructing much of the city’s West<br />
End. <strong>The</strong>se schemes appeared in the<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> <strong>City</strong> Planning Commission’s<br />
Metropolitan Master Plan, a massive, multivolume<br />
study adopted in 1948. <strong>The</strong> plan’s<br />
basic tenets laid the framework for the city’s<br />
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Aerial view of the construction of I-75, which displaced thousands of residents in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s West End (c. 1961). <strong>The</strong> Laurel Homes and Lincoln Court public housing projects can be<br />
seen at the top left. At the top right is the spire of old St. Henry (Heinrich) Catholic Church, demolished in 1980. At center right is Crosley Field, demolished in 1972. Photograph.<br />
PRIVATE COLLECTION OF PAUL A. TENKOTTE.<br />
metamorphosis from a streetcar city to an<br />
automobile metropolis. It included plans for<br />
a “Millcreek Expressway” (I-75), a<br />
“Northeast Expressway” (I-71), and a “Third<br />
Street Distributor” (Fort Washington Way)<br />
connecting the two expressways. Other city<br />
plans dating from the 1940s through the<br />
1990s brought about a complete<br />
metamorphosis of the West End by<br />
displacing thousands of West End residents<br />
in one of the nation’s largest urban renewal<br />
projects. Statistics from census tracts<br />
comprising the historic West End<br />
documented the demographic damage, a<br />
population decline of 85.2 percent, from<br />
52,194 in 1930 to 7,725 in 1990. Put<br />
another and even more compelling way, 1 in<br />
every 8.6 <strong>Cincinnati</strong> residents lived in the<br />
West End in 1930, while only 1 in 50 did so<br />
in 1990.<br />
<strong>The</strong> city’s postwar plans for the<br />
riverfront divided it—physically and<br />
historically—from downtown and from the<br />
rest of the basin. Fort Washington Way (the<br />
“Third Street Distributor” of the city’s 1948<br />
plan) cut the river off from Third Street and<br />
downtown. Thousands of vehicles passed<br />
each day, with little or no appreciation for<br />
the richness of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s river heritage<br />
and probably unaware that Fort<br />
Washington Way itself functioned as a great<br />
levee to protect the downtown district from<br />
floods of the magnitude of 1937. In 1946<br />
the Downtown Riverfront Development Plan<br />
proposed a riverfront park, high-rise<br />
apartments, a civic center, an auditorium,<br />
and a sports stadium for the waterfront.<br />
<strong>The</strong>reafter, in conjunction with the plan,<br />
some limited construction took place.<br />
Meanwhile, in an era when historic<br />
preservation was still in its infancy and<br />
generally confined to landmarks of national<br />
significance, the houses, factories and<br />
warehouses of the riverfront were slowly<br />
abandoned and demolished. In 1962 voters<br />
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approved a $6.6 million bond issue for the<br />
Central Riverfront area between the L&N<br />
Bridge and the old C&O Bridge. Coupled<br />
with a $14.5 million Federal Urban<br />
Renewal Grant, long-languished plans for<br />
the waterfront proceeded slowly. Riverfront<br />
Stadium (later renamed Cinergy Field), a<br />
combined home for both the <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
Reds and the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Bengals, opened in<br />
1970 amidst a great fanfare. In 1975,<br />
Riverfront Coliseum (now US Bank Arena)<br />
opened, followed by One Lytle Place, a 25-<br />
story luxury apartment building, in 1980.<br />
<strong>The</strong>n, the riverfront largely slept again,<br />
standing moribund except on game days,<br />
until 1988.<br />
By 1988 the city’s neglect of the river<br />
and of its historic fabric was beginning to<br />
make a turnaround. That year, <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
celebrated its bicentennial by dedicating<br />
the stunning Bicentennial Commons at<br />
Sawyer Point, a brand new riverfront park<br />
along the Ohio River, east of the Purple<br />
People Bridge (formerly L&N Bridge). This<br />
tree-lined esplanade soon became a favorite<br />
gathering spot for all types of events,<br />
including the annual Labor Day Riverfest<br />
fireworks celebration, begun eleven years<br />
earlier, in 1977. Also in 1988, the city<br />
hosted its first Tall Stacks festival,<br />
celebrating the golden age of steamboating.<br />
More than 700,000 people crowded to<br />
the riverfront for the October 1988<br />
Tall Stacks, which featured the historic<br />
Delta <strong>Queen</strong>, the Belle of Louisville, and 12<br />
other boats. Subsequent Tall Stacks<br />
celebrations were held in 1992, 1995,<br />
1999, 2003, and 2006. Tall Stacks 2003<br />
alone attracted 17 riverboats, 75 musical<br />
acts, and 800,000 people.<br />
As a city in love with festivals and<br />
music, <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s residents take every<br />
opportunity to unite the two. In 1962<br />
George Wein, a jazz pianist and founder of<br />
the famed Newport Jazz Festival (Newport,<br />
Rhode Island), teamed up with Dino<br />
Santangelo to establish <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s first<br />
major jazz festival. Initially held at the<br />
Carthage Fairgrounds, and later at Crosley<br />
Field, Riverfront Stadium and Paul Brown<br />
Stadium, the Ohio Valley Jazz Festival has<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> is home to the nation’s largest Oktoberfest. Pictured here at the September 1984 Oktoberfest is Kay Beiderbeck,<br />
who won the “Sprint for the Stein” race.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH © THE CINCINNATI ENQUIRER.<br />
changed its name over the years and even<br />
its emphasis, from jazz to R&B, but<br />
continues to remain a popular venue. Now<br />
called the Macy’s Music Festival, it has<br />
featured internationally known artists,<br />
including George Benson, James Brown,<br />
Ray Charles, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie,<br />
Kenny G, Patti LaBelle, <strong>The</strong> O’Jays, Luther<br />
Vandross, and Grover Washington. And<br />
since 1992 the Cincy Blues Fest (formerly<br />
<strong>Queen</strong> <strong>City</strong> Blues Fest) has been<br />
resounding the soulful music of the city’s<br />
rich blues history, along the riverfront at<br />
Sawyer Point/Yeatman’s Cove.<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s musical heritage came to<br />
the international forefront in 2012, when<br />
the city hosted the World Choir Games.<br />
Featuring over 360 choirs and 15,000<br />
singers from 64 nations, the two-week<br />
event was an outstanding success. <strong>The</strong><br />
MidPoint Music Festival, begun in 2002 by<br />
Bill Donabedian and Sean Rhiney,<br />
highlights Alternative Rock and Indie<br />
Rock. And in 2012 the Bunbury Music<br />
Festival, a rock venue, debuted at Sawyer<br />
Point/Yeatman’s Cove on the riverfront. <strong>The</strong><br />
Bunbury is an eco-friendly event, featuring<br />
over 100 musical performances.<br />
Plenty of gemütlichkeit (“warmth and<br />
congeniality”) is available at the city’s<br />
annual Oktoberfest Zinzinnati. Founded<br />
in 1976, it is the second-largest<br />
Oktoberfest in the world (after that of<br />
Munich, Germany, <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s “sister<br />
city”) and the largest in the United States.<br />
<strong>The</strong> downtown Oktoberfest annually<br />
attracts a half-million people, and features<br />
food, entertainment, and farcical events,<br />
like the “World’s Largest Chicken Dance”<br />
and the “World’s Largest Kazoo Band.” In<br />
neighboring Covington, Kentucky, an<br />
annual Oktoberfest (since 1979) and<br />
Maifest (since 1980) occur in the historic<br />
neighborhood and tourist district of Main<br />
Strasse. <strong>The</strong> Kolping Society of <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
(1924-25) sponsors an annual<br />
Schützenfest, and also a Sängerchor<br />
(established in 1989), dedicated to the<br />
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<strong>The</strong> Honorary Grand Marshall of the 2013 St. Patrick’s Day Parade was television host and journalist Nick Clooney,<br />
father of actor George Clooney, and brother of entertainers Rosemary (1928-2002) and Betty (1931-1976) Clooney.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH © THE CINCINNATI ENQUIRER.<br />
preservation and live performance of<br />
German music. Covington’s annual<br />
Goettafest and Newport, Kentucky’s<br />
yearly Glier’s Goettafest celebrate<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s love of goetta, a German<br />
immigrant sausage made of pork, beef,<br />
spices, and oats.<br />
Other festivals and parades, both church<br />
and civic, abound. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s Irish<br />
Americans have been hosting an annual St.<br />
Patrick’s Day Parade since the 19th century,<br />
one of the largest in the nation. Italian<br />
Americans have likewise been proud of<br />
their heritage, sponsoring Sacred Heart<br />
Catholic Church’s Spaghetti Dinner (Camp<br />
Washington), an annual tradition since<br />
1911 when the Italian parish was located<br />
downtown. Each year, the volunteers of<br />
Sacred Heart dish up over 350,000 raviolis,<br />
24,000 meatballs, and 1,800 gallons of<br />
spaghetti sauce. Newport, Kentucky’s<br />
Italianfest (since 1991) recreates the food<br />
and fun of that city’s Italian population, who<br />
lived on the aptly-named “Spaghetti Knob.”<br />
Holy Trinity-St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox<br />
Church on Winton Road conducts an<br />
annual Panegyri Greek Festival (since<br />
1975), featuring Greek food, music, and<br />
dance. Likewise, Greek immigrants to the<br />
area invented <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s most famous<br />
culinary tradition, “<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Chili,” a<br />
recipe featuring three-ways, four-ways, and<br />
five-ways, and eaten in the region’s 250<br />
chili parlors. <strong>Cincinnati</strong> has more chili<br />
restaurants per capita and per square mile<br />
than any other place in the world. Not<br />
surprisingly, <strong>Cincinnati</strong> hosts an annual<br />
Chilifest at Sawyer Point/Yeatman’s Cove.<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>ans’ love of ethnic food certainly<br />
dates back to its many church festivals of<br />
the 19th and 20th centuries, and makes its<br />
residents’ palates hungry for more,<br />
including one of the nation’s oldest culinary<br />
arts festivals, the “Taste of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>,”<br />
begun in 1979.<br />
In addition to its European ethnic<br />
traditions, <strong>Cincinnati</strong> pays respect to the<br />
entire diversity of its population. Many<br />
Kwanzaa events are celebrated in the city<br />
each year, and the Bi-Okoto Cultural<br />
Institute on Montgomery Road,<br />
established in 1994, offers one of the<br />
nation’s most respected authentic African<br />
dance companies. Since 1989 the Midwest<br />
Regional Black Family Reunion<br />
Celebration has been held at Sawyer<br />
Point/Yeatman’s Cove, drawing thousands<br />
of attendees annually. <strong>The</strong> Appalachian<br />
Festival, launched in 1971, is held yearly<br />
at <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s Coney Island. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s<br />
Latino population, while relatively small, is<br />
well-represented by the Hispanic Chamber<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> USA.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Queen</strong> <strong>City</strong>, so important to the<br />
establishment of Reform Judaism, is home<br />
to many Jewish cultural, educational and<br />
social institutions, including Hebrew<br />
Union College and the new 2008 campus<br />
of the Manuel D. and Rhoda Mayerson<br />
Jewish Community Center (JCC) in<br />
Amberley Village. In 1995 Plum Street<br />
Temple in downtown completed a multimillion-dollar<br />
restoration of its National<br />
Historic Landmark building, one of the<br />
first Reform synagogues in the nation.<br />
More recent waves of immigrants have<br />
built impressive facilities, including the<br />
Islamic Center of Greater <strong>Cincinnati</strong> in<br />
West Chester (1995) and the Hindu<br />
Temple of Greater <strong>Cincinnati</strong> on Klatte<br />
Road in Clermont County, Ohio (1995-<br />
97). <strong>The</strong> <strong>Cincinnati</strong> region also supports a<br />
number of Buddhist temples, as well as a<br />
Baha’i Center.<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> is the seat of the Roman<br />
Catholic Archdiocese of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>.<br />
Numerous Catholic churches and schools<br />
Plum Street Temple in downtown was designed by<br />
architect James K. Wilson and dedicated in 1866. <strong>The</strong><br />
congregation completed a multi-million-dollar<br />
restoration in 1995.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH © DAVE IVORY.<br />
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C I N C I N N A T I<br />
E N T E R T A I N S<br />
<strong>The</strong> O’Jays performed at the 2012 Macy’s Music Festival at Paul Brown Stadium.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH © THE CINCINNATI ENQUIRER.<br />
Bootsy Collins (left) and Mayor Mark Mallory<br />
(right) at a 2009 screening of a documentary about<br />
Collins. Collins is a noted musician who began his<br />
career with James Brown at King Records in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>.<br />
Mark Mallory (mayor, 2005-2013) was the first black<br />
mayor of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> to be directly elected by the people<br />
under the new “Strong Mayor” system.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH © THE CINCINNATI ENQUIRER.<br />
Musician Peter Frampton is featured here in his suburban Indian Hill home, 2006.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH © THE CINCINNATI ENQUIRER.<br />
Actress Sarah Jessica Parker attended the School<br />
for the Creative and Performing Arts (<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Public<br />
Schools). She is pictured here at the Obama for America<br />
office in Over-the-Rhine, 2012.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH © THE CINCINNATI ENQUIRER.<br />
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Entertainer Drew Lachey, with the World Choir Games mascots, Whirl and Twirl,<br />
2012. Lachey is a graduate of the School for the Creative and Performing Arts<br />
(<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Public Schools).<br />
<strong>The</strong> World Choir Games’ opening parade in 2012 featured visitors from around the<br />
world, including this participant from Venezuela.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH © THE CINCINNATI ENQUIRER.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH © THE CINCINNATI ENQUIRER.<br />
Musician Nick Lachey graduated from the School for the Creative and Performing Arts (<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Public Schools).<br />
He is pictured here singing the National Anthem at the opening of the 2009 Western & Southern Financial Group<br />
Women’s Open at <strong>The</strong> Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH © THE CINCINNATI ENQUIRER.<br />
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St. Peter in Chains Catholic Cathedral downtown,<br />
dedicated in 1845, was designed by architects Henry<br />
and William Walter.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH © DAVE IVORY.<br />
dot the landscape, including outstanding<br />
examples of historic architecture. From<br />
the Greek Revival style of St. Peter in<br />
Chains Cathedral (downtown) to the<br />
Romanesque style of Old St. Mary’s (Overthe-Rhine),<br />
to the Gothic Revival style of<br />
St. Xavier (downtown), Holy Cross-<br />
Immaculata (Mt. Adams), Sacred Heart<br />
(Camp Washington), St. Francis de Sales<br />
(Walnut Hills) and St. Lawrence (Price<br />
Hill), area Catholic church interiors match<br />
their impressive exteriors. St. Rose of Lima<br />
Church in the East End, survivor of many<br />
Ohio River floods, has been beautifully<br />
restored. But sadly, <strong>Cincinnati</strong> has seen<br />
many beautiful Catholic churches close in<br />
the period since 1988: St. Andrew<br />
(Avondale), St. George (Clifton Heights),<br />
St. Mark (Evanston), St. Michael (Lower<br />
Price Hill), St. Elizabeth (Norwood), St.<br />
Matthew (Norwood), and Our Lady of<br />
Perpetual Help (Sedamsville). <strong>The</strong> future<br />
of some of these buildings is uncertain,<br />
but in other cases, they have been given a<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
140<br />
Holy Cross-Immaculata Catholic Church in Mt.<br />
Adams, completed in 1860, is attributed to the architect<br />
Louis Piket.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH © STEVE OLDFIELD.<br />
second life. <strong>The</strong> Society of St. Pius X<br />
bought the closed St. Patrick Catholic<br />
Church on Blue Rock Road in Northside,<br />
and the Ark by the River Church<br />
(nondenominational) operates in the<br />
former Our Lady of Loretta Catholic<br />
Church in Linwood. In South<br />
Cumminsville, the former St. Pius Church<br />
is now home to Working in<br />
Neighborhoods (WIN), a communitybased<br />
organization helping low- and<br />
moderate-income residents in the city<br />
become first-time homeowners. WIN also<br />
has senior housing units and a community<br />
computer lab on site, and operates an<br />
after-school program and summer camp<br />
for children. In Over-the-Rhine, the<br />
Verdin Company, a manufacturer of bells<br />
and clocks since 1842, purchased the<br />
closed St. Paul Catholic Church at 12th<br />
and Pendleton Sts. in 1981. St. Paul’s now<br />
operates as the Bell Event Centre. And the<br />
non-profit Lower Price Hill Community<br />
School has plans to restore historic St.<br />
Michael’s Catholic Church.<br />
Historically, <strong>Cincinnati</strong> has been the<br />
spiritual home to many Protestant<br />
St. Lawrence Catholic Church in Price Hill is a<br />
neighborhood landmark. Designed by architect<br />
Adolphus Druiding, the upper church, above the socalled<br />
basement “catacombs,” was dedicated in 1894.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH © DAVE IVORY.<br />
congregations. Philippus United Church<br />
of Christ, with its distinctive spire topped<br />
by a golden finger pointing to heaven, is<br />
situated in Over-the-Rhine (OTR). First<br />
Lutheran and Prince of Peace Lutheran<br />
Churches also serve Over-the-Rhine.<br />
Salem United Church of Christ in OTR<br />
features a gilded angel Gabriel atop its<br />
spire, giving rise to the name “Gabriel’s<br />
Corner.” In downtown, Covenant-First<br />
Presbyterian Church and Christ Church<br />
Cathedral (Episcopal) maintain<br />
impressive buildings. In the suburbs,<br />
historic Protestant churches, designed by<br />
some of the region’s premier architects,<br />
grace their surrounding neighborhoods,<br />
including Carmel Presbyterian<br />
(Avondale), First Unitarian (Avondale),<br />
Calvary Episcopal (Clifton), Immanuel<br />
Presbyterian (Clifton), Fosdick Church of<br />
God (Corryville), Hyde Park Baptist,
St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in the East End,<br />
dedicated in 1869, has survived many Ohio River<br />
Old St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Over-the-Rhine<br />
floods. An 1894 fire necessitated its rebuilding, under<br />
was dedicated in 1842. Parishioner Franz Ignatz Erd,<br />
the supervision of architect Adolphus Druiding.<br />
trained as a stone mason, designed the structure.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH © STEVE OLDFIELD.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH © STEVE OLDFIELD.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Islamic Center of Greater <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, West Chester, Ohio, was completed in 1995.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH © DAVE IVORY.<br />
Hyde Park Community United Methodist,<br />
Knox Presbyterian (Hyde Park), Mt.<br />
Auburn Baptist, Mt. Auburn Presbyterian,<br />
Price Hill Church of the Nazarene,<br />
Church of the Advent Episcopal (Walnut<br />
Hills), Westwood First Presbyterian, and<br />
Westwood United Methodist.<br />
In other instances, long-standing<br />
Protestant congregations have closed<br />
since 1988: Concordia Lutheran<br />
(Clifton), Seventh Presbyterian (East<br />
Walnut Hills), Calvary United Methodist<br />
(Evanston), St. Michael & All Angels<br />
Episcopal (North Avondale), and Walnut<br />
Hills-Avondale United Methodist. Some<br />
closed congregations have sold their<br />
historic structures to new churches,<br />
ensuring their preservation. Such was the<br />
case with Uptown Church, which<br />
purchased the former Trinity Methodist<br />
Church at 118 W. Ninth Street in<br />
downtown. In 2011 business partners<br />
purchased the old First German Reformed<br />
Church on Freeman Avenue in the city’s<br />
West End, with plans to rehab the<br />
structure. In 2010 new owners rehabbed<br />
the old Walnut Hills Evangelical Lutheran<br />
Church (later, Stanton Ave. Church of the<br />
Nazarene, and, then, the New Sardis<br />
Primitive Baptist Church) into the<br />
Monastery, a recording studio. And in<br />
Avondale, the former St. Michael & All<br />
Saints Episcopal Church became<br />
Gabriel’s Place (2011), a ministry to<br />
supply fresh fruits and vegetables to<br />
a neighborhood lacking a large<br />
grocery store.<br />
Despite the number of historic<br />
Catholic and Protestant churches<br />
remaining in the city, the region has seen<br />
many religious buildings demolished<br />
since the early 1980s, including St.<br />
Bonaventure Catholic Church (South<br />
Fairmount) and First United Church of<br />
Christ (Northside). In the case of Walnut<br />
Hills Presbyterian Church, while the<br />
church itself was demolished, <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
Preservation Association succeeded in<br />
saving its massive bell tower, which now<br />
serves as a gateway to the Harriet Beecher<br />
Stowe Cultural Heritage District.<br />
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Reverend Fred L. Shuttlesworth (1922-2011) was<br />
a noted American civil rights leader, who worked with<br />
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and was one of the founding<br />
ministers of the Southern Christian Leadership<br />
Conference. Shuttlesworth moved to <strong>Cincinnati</strong> in 1961,<br />
where he served as pastor of Revelation Baptist Church,<br />
and, later, of Greater New Light Baptist Church. He is<br />
pictured here at the National Underground Railroad<br />
Freedom Center in 2006, recounting his memories at a<br />
memorial for Coretta Scott King, the widow of Dr.<br />
Martin Luther King, Jr.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH © THE CINCINNATI ENQUIRER.<br />
During the past few decades, as weekly<br />
attendance at mainline Protestant and<br />
Catholic churches has fallen,<br />
nondenominational and megachurches<br />
have sprouted nationwide. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>ans<br />
have followed this trend. In 1996 Brian<br />
Tome and others opened Crossroads<br />
Community Church to the public. By 2005<br />
its Oakley location at 3500 Madison Road<br />
was the largest Protestant church in Ohio<br />
and the 96th largest in the United States.<br />
With locations in Oakley, Mason (Ohio),<br />
and Florence (Kentucky), Crossroads<br />
serves thousands of members, and<br />
operates social service programs to help<br />
the needy, both regionally and worldwide.<br />
Likewise, the Church of Jesus Christ of<br />
Latter-day Saints (the Mormons) have<br />
experienced phenomenal growth in the<br />
Reverend Damon Lynch, Jr. is a longtime civil rights leader and pastor of New Jerusalem Baptist Church. Pictured<br />
here at right, he presented His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama (left) with the National Underground Railroad Freedom<br />
Center’s International Freedom Conductor Award in 2010.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH © THE CINCINNATI ENQUIRER.<br />
metropolitan <strong>Cincinnati</strong> region, witnessing<br />
a 61 percent increase in their membership<br />
between 2000 and 2010.<br />
<strong>The</strong> work of churches and synagogues in<br />
helping the poor of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> goes back a<br />
long way. Ranging from schools,<br />
orphanages, soup kitchens, and secondhand<br />
stores, to homeless shelters and<br />
hospitals, non-profit religious and civic<br />
institutions have attempted to solve a<br />
growing problem of poverty. <strong>The</strong> national<br />
recession of the early 1980s brought hard<br />
times to the city’s working poor, and the late<br />
20th century outsourcing of manufacturing<br />
jobs overseas reduced economic<br />
opportunities for the marginally educated.<br />
While the decade of the 1980s ultimately<br />
saw the creation of 120,000 new jobs<br />
in the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> metropolitan area,<br />
manufacturing jobs slipped by about<br />
13,000, following a nationwide trend. In<br />
1987, General Motors closed its Norwood,<br />
Ohio, plant that had employed 4,300<br />
workers, and in the following year, its<br />
Fairfield plant, with a workforce of 2,500.<br />
In 2008, Ford closed its transmission<br />
assembly plant in Clermont County, Ohio,<br />
that once employed 2,600 people.<br />
Residents also witnessed the vagaries of the<br />
financial system which, with the failure of<br />
Home State Savings Bank in 1985, garnered<br />
national attention as Gov. Richard Celeste<br />
called a three-day savings and loan<br />
association holiday. By 2010 the U.S.<br />
Census ranked the <strong>City</strong> of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> as the<br />
7th-poorest major city in the United States,<br />
with 30.6 percent of its residents living in<br />
poverty. Even more disturbing was the rate<br />
of childhood poverty in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, which<br />
ballooned from 35.4 percent in 2005 to 48<br />
percent in 2011. <strong>The</strong> city’s Health<br />
Department, partnering with organizations<br />
like the non-profit Freestore Foodbank and<br />
the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Youth Collaborative, seeks to<br />
provide basic nutritional and medical needs<br />
for thousands of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> children daily.<br />
Indeed, <strong>Cincinnati</strong>ans are very generous<br />
people. In both 2012 and 2013 the<br />
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142
Civil rights leaders Donald (1915-2010) and Marian<br />
Spencer dedicated their lives to ending racism. Donald<br />
served as a teacher in <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Public Schools and<br />
was one of the area’s first black realtors. Marian successfully<br />
crusaded to end segregation at <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s Coney<br />
Island Amusement Park. In 1983, she became the first<br />
black woman elected to <strong>Cincinnati</strong> <strong>City</strong> Council.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH © THE CINCINNATI ENQUIRER.<br />
non-profit Charity Navigator ranked<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> fourth in philanthropy among<br />
30 metropolitan areas nationwide. <strong>The</strong><br />
ranking was not a surprise to the Freestore<br />
Foodbank. In 2012 thanks to the generosity<br />
of many, the Freestore Foodbank<br />
distributed nearly 2.4 million meals at its<br />
Customer Connection Center in Over-the-<br />
Rhine, and 16.2 million meals through<br />
“food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters,<br />
community centers, childcare/senior<br />
centers and residential food assistance<br />
programs.” <strong>The</strong> Freestore also provides rent<br />
and utilities assistance, a protective payee<br />
program, emergency clothing, and<br />
homeless outreach services. (2012 Annual<br />
Report). <strong>The</strong> local chapter of the Society of<br />
St. Vincent de Paul provides similar<br />
services, plus second-hand stores and a<br />
low-income pharmacy program.<br />
<strong>The</strong> massive national recession of 2008,<br />
followed by high unemployment and home<br />
foreclosures, was especially difficult for<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s working poor. In response,<br />
Carl H. Lindner, Jr. (1919-2011), pictured here in<br />
1974, was a self-made billionaire and one of the area’s<br />
largest philanthropists. In addition to other companies,<br />
he founded the American Financial Group Inc., of which<br />
Great American Insurance is a subsidiary. Lindner lived<br />
to see the completion of the Great American Tower,<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s tallest building.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH © THE CINCINNATI ENQUIRER.<br />
Crossroads Community Church raised<br />
$10 million to jumpstart the <strong>City</strong>Link<br />
Center project. Joined by a host of other<br />
churches and non-profit organizations,<br />
<strong>City</strong>Link renovated an old slaughterhouse<br />
at 800 Bank Street in the West End. It<br />
provides a streamlined, one-stop center to<br />
help the working poor move to greater<br />
economic stability. Partners include 21<br />
churches, <strong>Cincinnati</strong> State Technical and<br />
Community College, <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Public<br />
Schools, <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Works (job services),<br />
SmartMoney Community Services<br />
(financial services), Changing Gears<br />
(transportation services), Beech Acres<br />
Parenting Center, Catholic Charities<br />
Southwestern Ohio, Luxottica’s OneSight<br />
Vision Center, Freestore Foodbank, and the<br />
Society of St. Vincent de Paul.<br />
Like other cities nationwide, <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
is attempting to address the problem of<br />
homelessness. Here as elsewhere, the<br />
homeless include a wide variety of people,<br />
ranging from adults to children to veterans<br />
Louis (1903-1992) and Louise Dieterle (1911-<br />
2012) Nippert, pictured here in a 1982 photograph,<br />
were longtime philanthropists. In 2009, Louise established<br />
an $85 million fund to support the <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
Symphony Orchestra, as well as the May Festival,<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Ballet, and <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Opera. It was the<br />
largest single gift, made by an individual, in support of<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s arts.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH © THE CINCINNATI ENQUIRER.<br />
J. Ralph (1896-1988) and Patricia (1908-2008)<br />
Corbett established the Corbett Foundation in 1955,<br />
which gave more than $65 million to area cultural and<br />
educational institutions.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH © THE CINCINNATI ENQUIRER.<br />
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1 4 3
and to those with disabling conditions. In<br />
conjunction with the <strong>City</strong> of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>,<br />
Hamilton County and 30 non-profit<br />
organizations, the organization Strategies to<br />
End Homelessness works to move the<br />
homeless to permanent housing options.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y utilize the Continuum of Care model,<br />
coordinating all functions of care for the<br />
homeless into a comprehensive plan and<br />
network. According to the 2012 report<br />
entitled Homeless in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>,<br />
organizations working in Hamilton County<br />
served nearly 8,000 (unduplicated) clients<br />
in programs ranging from street outreach to<br />
emergency shelter to transitional/<br />
permanent housing solutions.<br />
Despite its diversity, <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, like<br />
many cities nationwide, has struggled with<br />
tolerance. In April 2001, <strong>Cincinnati</strong> erupted<br />
in a race riot after a policeman shot and<br />
killed Timothy Thomas in Over-the-Rhine<br />
in the early morning hours of Saturday, April<br />
7. Thomas, a 19-year-old unarmed black<br />
man wanted for 14 outstanding misdemeanor<br />
warrants, resisted arrest and ran<br />
from police. On Monday April 9, hundreds<br />
of protestors showed up at <strong>Cincinnati</strong> <strong>City</strong><br />
Hall, where they commandeered a meeting<br />
of the Law and Public Safety Committee.<br />
Leaving <strong>City</strong> Hall for police headquarters,<br />
the protestors gained in numbers and began<br />
hurling projectiles at police. <strong>The</strong> resultant<br />
arson, looting, and violence spread from<br />
Over-the-Rhine to downtown and other<br />
parts of the city. On Thursday April 12,<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> mayor, Charlie Luken, declared a<br />
state of emergency, as well as an 8 pm-6 am<br />
curfew. Ohio State Highway Patrol officers<br />
joined in the efforts to quell the rioting.<br />
By the time of the Christian holiday of<br />
Good Friday, April 13, peace had returned<br />
to the city. On Easter Sunday, April 15,<br />
the curfew was lifted. As the worst race<br />
riot in the United States since that of Los<br />
Angeles in 1992, the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> riots<br />
garnered national attention. <strong>The</strong> Black<br />
United Front declared an economic boycott<br />
of the city, and noted black entertainers<br />
cancelled <strong>Cincinnati</strong> appearances. In<br />
addition, the city lost millions of dollars in<br />
convention business.<br />
A month before the 2001 riots, the<br />
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)<br />
filed a class-action suit against the<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Police Department, accusing it<br />
of racial profiling in the deaths of 14<br />
black men from 1995 until 2001. <strong>City</strong><br />
officials, working with the U.S.<br />
Department of Justice and thousands of<br />
citizens in a 10-month process, arrived at<br />
a settlement, under which the ACLU<br />
dropped the lawsuit and the city agreed to<br />
stop racial profiling and to implement<br />
reforms in the police department,<br />
including new programs aimed at<br />
improving crime prevention and<br />
community-police relations. <strong>The</strong><br />
Collaborative Agreement, signed in April<br />
2002 brought together the U.S.<br />
Department of Justice, the ACLU, the <strong>City</strong><br />
of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, the Fraternal Order of<br />
Police, and the Black United Front. <strong>The</strong><br />
compromise denied any police<br />
department wrongdoing, but placed it<br />
under U.S. District Court oversight for 5<br />
years, ending in 2007.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Cincinnati</strong> area has also chalked up a<br />
checkered record in terms of the rights of<br />
lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered<br />
(LGBT) citizens. <strong>The</strong> gay rights’ movement<br />
itself advanced relatively slowly in the region<br />
in the latter half of the 20th century. In<br />
1973 the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> gay community held<br />
the area’s first Pride Parade, on Fountain<br />
Square in downtown. In 1978 the Greater<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Gay and Lesbian Coalition was<br />
founded, and in the following year,<br />
sponsored a second Pride Rally at Fountain<br />
Square, celebrating the 10th anniversary of<br />
the Stonewall riots in New York <strong>City</strong>. From<br />
these early beginnings, the strengthening<br />
movement established, in 1993, the Gay and<br />
Lesbian Community Center of Greater<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>, with headquarters in Longworth<br />
Hall in the West End. <strong>The</strong> Center soon<br />
moved to a downtown location, and, in<br />
1998, to Hamilton Avenue in the city’s<br />
Northside neighborhood.<br />
Just eight years earlier, the city had<br />
attracted national publicity—both<br />
favorable and unfavorable, depending on<br />
whom you asked. In 1990 the<br />
Contemporary Arts Center (CAC) in<br />
downtown sponsored an exhibition of the<br />
photographs of Robert Mapplethorpe, a<br />
gay photographer who had died of<br />
AIDS the year prior. <strong>The</strong> exhibition,<br />
entitled Robert Mapplethorpe: <strong>The</strong> Perfect<br />
Moment, featured some homoerotic and<br />
<strong>The</strong>se 2013 rainbow banners downtown announced the 40th anniversary of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s first Gay Pride festival.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH © DAVE IVORY.<br />
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Jim Borgman, Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist for <strong>The</strong> <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Enquirer, drew this classic work that<br />
appeared in the Enquirer on April 12, 1990, and was reprinted in Newsweek on April 23. <strong>The</strong> cartoon satirizes the<br />
prosecution of the Contemporary Arts Center for its Robert Mapplethorpe exhibit. Depicted is Simon L. Leis, Jr. (Hamilton<br />
County sheriff), Arthur M. Ney, Jr. (Hamilton County prosecutor), and Lawrence E. Whalen (<strong>Cincinnati</strong> police chief).<br />
POLITICAL CARTOON © 1990 JIM BORGMAN FOR THE CINCINNATI ENQUIRER.<br />
sadomasochistic photographs. Of the 175<br />
photos in the exhibit, the Hamilton<br />
County Prosecutor found only a handful<br />
objectionable, but charged the CAC and<br />
its director, Dennis Barrie, with obscenity.<br />
<strong>The</strong> resulting trial acquitted the CAC and<br />
Barrie, but cast, in civil rights terms, a<br />
negative light on <strong>Cincinnati</strong> nationwide<br />
as a place of censorship and intolerance.<br />
But in the year following the<br />
Mapplethorpe episode, in March 1991,<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> <strong>City</strong> Council enacted an<br />
ordinance (No. 79-1991), preventing<br />
discrimination in the hiring of city<br />
employees, based upon “race, color, sex,<br />
handicap, religion, national or ethnic<br />
origin, age, sexual orientation, HIV status,<br />
Appalachian regional ancestry, and<br />
marital status.” In November 1992<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> <strong>City</strong> Council also adopted a<br />
Human Rights Ordinance (No. 490-<br />
1992), prohibiting discrimination in<br />
housing, employment and public<br />
accommodation citywide, on the basis of<br />
“race, gender, age, color, religion,<br />
disability status, sexual orientation,<br />
marital status, or ethnic, national or<br />
Appalachian regional origin.” Opponents<br />
of these measures, specifically disagreeing<br />
with the extension of protection to the<br />
category of sexual orientation, mounted a<br />
city charter amendment (Article XII)<br />
campaign against the sexual orientation<br />
clauses of the ordinances.<br />
<strong>The</strong> issue went to the electorate in<br />
November 1993, and 62 percent of<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> voters approved the adoption of<br />
Article XII (12). It stated that city council<br />
could “not enact, adopt, enforce or<br />
administer any ordinance, regulation, rule<br />
or policy which provides that homosexual,<br />
lesbian, or bisexual orientation, status,<br />
conduct, or relationship constitutes,<br />
entitles, or otherwise provides a person<br />
with the basis to have any claim of<br />
minority or protected status.” It also<br />
provided that any laws enacted before the<br />
passage of Article XII were “null and void<br />
and of no force or effect.” Subsequently,<br />
the Equality Foundation of Greater<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>, Housing Opportunities Made<br />
Equal (HOME), and others filed suit<br />
against the <strong>City</strong> of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, the group<br />
Equal Rights, Not Special Rights, and<br />
other parties.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Article XII legal case worked its<br />
way gradually through the federal court<br />
system. A U.S. District Court ruled in<br />
favor of the plaintiffs, arguing that Article<br />
XII was unconstitutional. <strong>The</strong> district<br />
court issued an injunction, preventing the<br />
article’s enactment. In 1995 the U.S.<br />
Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit<br />
overturned the district court’s decision,<br />
resulting in <strong>City</strong> Council’s repeal of the<br />
specific language, “sexual orientation,”<br />
from the Human Rights Ordinance. In<br />
1996 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that<br />
Colorado’s Amendment 2 (similar to<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s Article XII) was<br />
unconstitutional. Subsequently, the Sixth<br />
Circuit Court of Appeals reheard the<br />
initial <strong>Cincinnati</strong> case, but seeing<br />
distinctions between <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s and<br />
Colorado’s amendments, upheld its<br />
earlier decision. <strong>The</strong> legal battle ended<br />
when, in 1998, the U.S. Supreme Court<br />
declined to hear the case. Article XII<br />
became law.<br />
But gay rights’ activists renewed their<br />
fight. A group led by Gary Wright,<br />
President of Equality <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, and<br />
others once more placed the issue on the<br />
ballot in November 2004. This time the<br />
voters repealed the objectionable article<br />
with a 54 percent majority. Meanwhile, in<br />
April 2003 the city commissioners of<br />
Covington, Kentucky, unanimously passed<br />
an expanded human rights ordinance to<br />
include sexual orientation. In this new<br />
context, <strong>Cincinnati</strong> <strong>City</strong> Council passed, in<br />
March 2006, a new ordinance (No. 65-<br />
2006), amending the city’s Municipal<br />
Code, Chapter 914, affording protection<br />
against discrimination in housing and<br />
employment based upon “sexual<br />
orientation or transgendered status.”<br />
This gay rights’ victory coincided with<br />
the efforts of many of the city’s largest<br />
corporations to embrace the LGBT<br />
community in order to retain regional and<br />
C H A P T E R 6<br />
1 4 5
national competitiveness. And many of<br />
those companies, including Procter &<br />
Gamble, Kroger, and Fifth Third Bank<br />
demonstrated their commitment to an<br />
important element of what some urban<br />
experts called “the creative class.” In 2013<br />
those corporations joined others in<br />
sponsoring the 40th anniversary of<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s first Gay Pride parade, which<br />
took place among rainbow-colored<br />
banners draping many of the city’s most<br />
respectable downtown addresses.<br />
Ironically, the passage of Article XII in<br />
1993 and the riots of 2001 seemed the<br />
antithesis to a series of prestigious titles<br />
that <strong>Cincinnati</strong> earned in the 1980s and<br />
the 1990s. In 1980-81, the National Civic<br />
League named <strong>Cincinnati</strong> an “All-America<br />
<strong>City</strong>,” one of ten cities recognized that<br />
year for their ability to solve problems<br />
through civic engagement (the city had<br />
last won the “All-America <strong>City</strong> Award”<br />
during the two consecutive years of 1949<br />
and 1950). In 1982 the Greater<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Chamber of Commerce<br />
proudly launched its new “Blue Chip<br />
<strong>City</strong>” campaign, highlighting the city’s<br />
prosperity and its prestige as the home<br />
base for major corporations. Corporate<br />
titans, like Procter & Gamble, built new<br />
headquarters downtown (1985), while<br />
across the river in Covington a new<br />
business-financed skyline arose. In 1993<br />
Places Rated Almanac named <strong>Cincinnati</strong> as<br />
the nation’s “Most Livable <strong>City</strong>.”<br />
Nonetheless, the 1980s and the 1990s<br />
proved difficult decades in many ways for<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>, as it faced increasing<br />
competition from its own suburbs, as well<br />
as from other cities nationally and<br />
globally. Within its city limits, <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
lost population in every decennial census<br />
from 1950 to 2010. In 1950 <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s<br />
population reached its peak, with nearly<br />
504,000 residents. By 2010 it had<br />
plummeted to 297,000, a 41 percent<br />
decrease in 60 years. Some thought that<br />
municipal government reform might<br />
staunch the bleeding. By the 1990s city<br />
council bickered on many issues, ranging<br />
from stalled development projects to the<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
146<br />
hiring and firing of city managers. In fact,<br />
the September 1997 issue of the national<br />
magazine Governing asserted that<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> and three other cities in the<br />
nation were “mired in bickering, divided<br />
responsibility and political confusion.”<br />
Some residents viewed part of<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s problems as stemming from a<br />
weak mayor. In response, voters endorsed<br />
new articles to the city charter, drastically<br />
changing the governance structure. <strong>The</strong><br />
most important changes involved<br />
strengthening the mayor’s office by<br />
removing appointment of the mayor from<br />
the hands of city council members. In<br />
1987 voters approved changing the<br />
system to one whereby the city council<br />
candidate receiving the most votes from<br />
the electorate became mayor. Twelve years<br />
later, in May 1999, voters ratified Issue 4,<br />
creating a “Strong Mayor” system. Under<br />
“Strong Mayor” governance, the voters<br />
elected the mayor directly. Further, the<br />
mayor could appoint and dismiss the city<br />
manager, appoint city council committee<br />
chairs, and veto legislation. A vote of six<br />
city council members was required to<br />
override a veto. In 2001 Charlie Luken<br />
became the first mayor elected under the<br />
new “Strong Mayor” system.<br />
In 1997 black leaders in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>,<br />
led by the National Association for the<br />
Advancement of Colored People<br />
(NAACP) and the Baptist Ministers<br />
Conference, championed a new article to<br />
the city charter. No African Americans<br />
had ever served as either police or fire<br />
chief of the city, and black leaders viewed<br />
the city’s “rule of three” as an impediment<br />
to seeking resolution of this issue.<br />
According to the “rule of three,” only<br />
assistant chiefs in the classified civil<br />
service police and fire departments were<br />
allowed to take an exam for the position<br />
of chief. From the three highest-scoring<br />
candidates, the city manager chose the<br />
next police or fire chief. <strong>The</strong> system did<br />
not allow for external searches for<br />
qualified candidates from throughout the<br />
region or nation. In November 1997<br />
voters defeated the proposed measure.<br />
Following the 2001 race riots, however,<br />
the measure (known as Issue 5) finally<br />
passed in November. <strong>The</strong> city manager<br />
gained the power to perform external<br />
searches, outside of the city’s classified<br />
civil service employees, for police chief,<br />
fire chief, and dozens of other municipal<br />
positions. With the retirement of police<br />
chief Tom Streicher in 2010, the city<br />
manager chose the city’s first black police<br />
chief, James Craig. Craig served from<br />
2011 until 2013, when he became police<br />
chief of Detroit.<br />
Public school reform also figured in<br />
the efforts to bolster municipal fortunes,<br />
especially as <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Public Schools<br />
(CPS) neared bankruptcy in the late<br />
1980s. <strong>Cincinnati</strong> voters defeated a<br />
school tax levy in 1990, forcing the<br />
system to cut its budget by $30 million.<br />
Superintendent Lee Etta Powell asked<br />
community and business leaders to<br />
conduct a study of the school system and<br />
to recommend reforms. A task force<br />
headed by Clement L. Buenger, chairman<br />
of Fifth Third Bank, conducted an 18-<br />
month study that involved over 200<br />
volunteers and recommended a complete<br />
makeover of the system. <strong>The</strong> plan called<br />
for a massive decentralization, halving the<br />
number of employees in the central<br />
administrative office and moving<br />
decision-making to a site-based plan at<br />
the school/community level. In 1991 J.<br />
Michael Brandt assumed the leadership of<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Public Schools. Until his<br />
retirement in July 1998, Brandt led the<br />
school system in a colossal overhaul,<br />
cutting the bureaucracy in half,<br />
overseeing the passage of three successful<br />
tax levies in the mid-1990s, and<br />
implementing other recommendations of<br />
the civic-led Buenger Commission.<br />
Additional changes on another front<br />
emerged from the public schools’ status as<br />
a subject of federal oversight for the<br />
system’s failure to implement sufficient<br />
progress in the matter of racial integration.<br />
In the wake of the milestone U.S. Supreme<br />
Court case, Brown v. the Board of Education<br />
of Topeka, Kansas (1954), <strong>Cincinnati</strong>
Public Schools struggled time and again<br />
with the problem of implementing<br />
desegregation. At the same time, schools<br />
nationwide literally burst at the seams, as<br />
the pressure of the Baby Boom (1946-<br />
1964) stretched available classroom space.<br />
In <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, total public school<br />
enrollment burgeoned from 77,383 in<br />
1959 to 83,762 in 1963. <strong>The</strong> NAACP<br />
objected to CPS’s inadequate attempts to<br />
seek a resolution to classroom<br />
overcrowding consonant with the goals of<br />
integration. To seek relief, the NAACP<br />
filed suit against the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Board of<br />
Education (CBOE) on behalf of Tina Deal<br />
and other minority students in 1963. Tina<br />
Deal v. <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Board of Education<br />
resulted in victories for CBOE, at both the<br />
federal district and appeals courts levels.<br />
But the decision did not, as some<br />
preferred, require the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Public<br />
Schools to bus students from one<br />
neighborhood district to another to<br />
achieve desegregation, and the U.S.<br />
Supreme Court refused to hear the case on<br />
appeal. <strong>The</strong> NAACP filed a second<br />
important suit against the CBOE in 1974.<br />
Mona Bronson et al. v. Board of Education of<br />
the <strong>City</strong> School District of the <strong>City</strong> of<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>, et al. took ten years to work its<br />
way through the federal district and<br />
circuit courts. <strong>The</strong> result was a 1984<br />
voluntary consent decree between the<br />
NAACP and the CBOE, placing <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
Public Schools under federal oversight.<br />
By 1996, however, three consecutive<br />
years of statistics demonstrated that<br />
segregation was actually increasing in<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Public Schools. Two years later,<br />
in 1998, the NAACP filed a motion in U.S.<br />
District Court to reopen the Bronson case,<br />
based upon poor academic performance<br />
levels of students in low-income<br />
neighborhood schools. <strong>The</strong> district court<br />
judge initially referred the case back to the<br />
State Superintendent of Public<br />
Instruction, whose office found <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
Public Schools within compliance. <strong>The</strong><br />
NAACP contested the state report, and the<br />
district court judge reopened the case in<br />
1999. <strong>The</strong> tenacity of low-achieving<br />
schools in low-income areas remained<br />
vexing. As Marian Spencer, a longtime<br />
civil rights leader put it, “Children should<br />
be able to learn in an environment that is<br />
positive for all children. Being poor<br />
should not mean being uneducated.”<br />
(<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Enquirer, June 8, 1999) <strong>The</strong><br />
case, however, was not pursued in court,<br />
and was finally closed in May 2008. In the<br />
interim, by 2004, with many whites<br />
having moved to the suburbs outside the<br />
city limits, the enrollment of <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
Public Schools had become 70 percent<br />
black. Nationwide, commentators noted<br />
that segregation had reappeared in<br />
America’s schools, albeit this time by<br />
suburban flight.<br />
As the tumultuous years of the late<br />
20th century drew to a close,<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>ans began to pursue healing and<br />
rebuilding. Along <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s historic<br />
riverfront, slum clearance programs had<br />
erased the city’s historic links to its past<br />
and to the Ohio River, but subsequent<br />
redevelopment proposals stalled. For<br />
years, the concrete behemoth of<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s Riverfront Stadium stood<br />
virtually alone on the riverbank,<br />
surrounded by massive parking lots and a<br />
Cinergy Field (formerly Riverfront Stadium) was imploded in 2002.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH © THE CINCINNATI ENQUIRER.<br />
much-diminished warehouse district. By<br />
the 1990s the city concentrated on<br />
reconnecting its future to its past (the Ohio<br />
River), and of the riverfront to downtown.<br />
In March 1996, Hamilton County voters<br />
approved a controversial half-cent sales tax<br />
increase to fund two new stadiums, one for<br />
the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Reds and the other for the<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Bengals. <strong>The</strong> Reds’ management<br />
preferred a riverfront location for the new<br />
ballpark, while others in the city proposed<br />
a site at Broadway and Reading Road, that<br />
became known as “Broadway Commons.”<br />
In November 1998 Hamilton County<br />
voters approved locating the baseball<br />
stadium on the riverfront, rather than at<br />
Broadway Commons, a decision that<br />
cleared the way for the demolition of<br />
Cinergy Field (formerly Riverfront<br />
Stadium). <strong>The</strong> implosion of the ballpark in<br />
2002 was a bittersweet event for fans, who<br />
remembered the field as the home of the<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Reds’ World Series Champion<br />
teams of 1975, 1976, and 1990. However,<br />
as the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Post proclaimed in a<br />
December 31 headline, the implosion of<br />
the old baseball stadium opened the<br />
“future for [the] city’s ‘front door.’” <strong>The</strong><br />
new Great American Ball Park, reminiscent<br />
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1 4 7
Aerial view of Paul Brown Stadium.<br />
VINCE RE COLLECTION.<br />
From left to right: Great American Tower, Great American Ball Park, US Bank Arena, and One Lytle Place (2013).<br />
PHOTOGRAPH © DAVE IVORY.<br />
of the baseball stadiums of bygone eras,<br />
debuted on Opening Day of the 2003<br />
season. <strong>The</strong> following year, the ball park<br />
opened the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Reds Hall of Fame<br />
and Museum, celebrating <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s<br />
importance to the development of<br />
professional baseball. Anchoring the west<br />
side of the riverfront was the new home of<br />
the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Bengals, Paul Brown<br />
Stadium. With a seating capacity of<br />
65,535, it opened in 2000. In 2012 the<br />
Bengals moved their training camp to the<br />
stadium and to its adjacent practice fields<br />
across Central Avenue.<br />
<strong>The</strong> demolition of Cinergy Field<br />
(Riverfront Stadium) opened up prime real<br />
estate for redevelopment. <strong>The</strong> $110<br />
million National Underground Railroad<br />
Freedom Center, containing 158,000<br />
square feet of space, opened in 2004. A<br />
fitting tribute to <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s prominent<br />
role in the history of the Underground<br />
Railroad, the facility’s undulating walls<br />
express the fields and waters that slaves<br />
used in seeking their freedom. Next door,<br />
the first phase of <strong>The</strong> Banks project, an<br />
$80 million mixed-use collage of<br />
residences, shops, restaurants, and<br />
entertainment, opened in 2011. <strong>The</strong> Banks<br />
development includes a microbrewery,<br />
Moerlein Lager House, that served<br />
800,000 customers in its first year.<br />
Adjacent to <strong>The</strong> Banks is the 45-acre<br />
John G. and Phyllis W. Smale Riverfront<br />
Park. <strong>The</strong> park will eventually stretch from<br />
Great American Ball Park to Paul Brown<br />
Stadium. It opened in 2012, with an<br />
unveiling of its Bike and Visitors Center,<br />
one of the first in the nation to serve bicycle<br />
commuters with showers, lockers and<br />
bicycle storage. As of 2013, proposals for an<br />
11-plus-mile-long hike-bike trail, the<br />
“Western Riverwalk,” were being pursued<br />
to connect <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s riverside community<br />
of Sayler Park with the riverfront.<br />
Meanwhile, Smale Riverfront Park received<br />
the prestigious “National Facility/Park<br />
Design Award” from the National<br />
Recreation and Park Association in 2013.<br />
Equally impressive and also in 2013,<br />
the American Planning Association<br />
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<strong>The</strong> National Underground Railroad Freedom Center opened in 2004.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH © DAVE IVORY.<br />
awarded their “National Planning<br />
Excellence Award for Implementation” for<br />
the city’s Central Riverfront Plan of 2000.<br />
John Deatrick, project executive of <strong>The</strong><br />
Banks and a University of <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
graduate, explained the significance of the<br />
award best. “My design teacher,” Deatrick<br />
recalled, “used to say something that’s still<br />
true today: ‘Ideas are a dime a dozen; it’s<br />
the implementation that counts.’”<br />
(<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Enquirer, January 10, 2013)<br />
In the 1990s ideas and implementers<br />
also rebuilt Fort Washington Way and the<br />
overpasses above it. <strong>The</strong> rebuilding was a<br />
measure that reconnected the riverfront to<br />
downtown, and that helped <strong>Cincinnati</strong>,<br />
unlike the urban cores of many other major<br />
cities in the United States, to weather the<br />
storm of commercial and residential flight<br />
to suburbia better than most. Although<br />
several department stores closed their<br />
downtown flagship stores in the 1980s and<br />
the 1990s (Elder-Beerman, 1985; L.S.<br />
Ayres, 1988; McAlpin’s, 1996), downtown<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> remains home to two major<br />
department stores (Macy’s and Saks Fifth<br />
Avenue), a junior department store (TJ<br />
Maxx), and a strong mix of restaurants, and<br />
clothing/specialty stores, stretching well<br />
beyond the historic boundaries of<br />
downtown, south into <strong>The</strong> Banks and<br />
north into Over-the-Rhine. Macy’s new<br />
downtown store (called Lazarus at the<br />
time) opened at Fountain Place in<br />
November 1997. Occupying 183,000<br />
square feet, Macy’s is just blocks away from<br />
its national headquarters, which moved<br />
from New York <strong>City</strong> to <strong>Cincinnati</strong> after<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>-based Federated Department<br />
Stores purchased the Macy’s chain.<br />
<strong>The</strong> closing of L.S. Ayres (formerly<br />
Pogue’s Department Store) and its<br />
subsequent demolition on Fourth Street<br />
paved the way for the construction of<br />
Tower Place Mall, opened in 1991. <strong>The</strong><br />
Tower Place project proved to be ill-fated,<br />
as the indoor three-story mall declared<br />
bankruptcy and was placed under<br />
receivership by 2010. In 2012 the <strong>City</strong> of<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> purchased the building, as<br />
well as two parking garages, for $8.5<br />
million. Tower Place will be redeveloped,<br />
with plans calling for the demolition of<br />
the old Pogue’s parking garage and the<br />
construction of a high-rise apartment<br />
tower and grocery store.<br />
While the number of those working<br />
downtown decreased from 84,000 in<br />
2000 to 64,000 in 2010, partly due to the<br />
2008 recession and the development of<br />
suburban office parks, total payroll<br />
downtown increased. Further, the number<br />
of people living in downtown and Overthe-Rhine<br />
has steadily increased, 62<br />
percent in the four years alone from 2007<br />
to 2011. Developers have restored historic<br />
skyscrapers and commercial structures<br />
into condominiums and apartments,<br />
including the Lofts at Shillito Place<br />
(2001; the old Shillito’s Department<br />
Store), and the Groton Lofts (1996; the<br />
<strong>The</strong> old Shillito’s Department Store at 7th and Race Streets was rehabbed into the Lofts at Shillito Place.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH © DAVE IVORY.<br />
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old Commercial Arts Building). New<br />
housing in the central city included the<br />
high-rise Adams Place (1993) and the<br />
low-rise Garfield Place (comprised of<br />
Gramercy on Garfield, and Greenwich on<br />
the Park, 1991-1995). With a growing<br />
residential base, the downtown area is<br />
reconnecting itself to a historic past of<br />
mixed uses.<br />
Part of downtown’s renaissance<br />
involves cultural and entertainment<br />
venues. In October 1995, the Aronoff<br />
Center for the Arts held the grand opening<br />
of its stunning new facility on Walnut<br />
Street. Designed by the internationally<br />
renowned firm of Cesar Pelli Associates,<br />
the building features three theaters<br />
(Procter & Gamble Hall, seating 2,719;<br />
Jarson-Kaplan <strong>The</strong>ater, with 437 seats;<br />
and Fifth Third Bank <strong>The</strong>ater, 150 seats),<br />
as well as the Weston Art Gallery. In 2003<br />
the Contemporary Arts Center moved to a<br />
new home on the corner of Sixth and<br />
Walnut Streets, the Lois and Richard<br />
Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art.<br />
Designed by the internationally known<br />
architect, Zaha Hadid, the 7-story center<br />
cost $34 million. <strong>The</strong> following year, the<br />
Taft Museum of Art reopened to the<br />
<strong>The</strong> 21c Museum Hotel downtown. To the left is the Lois and Richard Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art,<br />
designed by the internationally acclaimed architect, Zaha Hadid.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH © DAVE IVORY.<br />
public, following a two-and-a-half-year,<br />
$22.8 million renovation and the addition<br />
of a 3-story wing. <strong>The</strong> historic Taft <strong>The</strong>atre<br />
on East Fifth Street completed a $3<br />
million renovation in 2011. <strong>The</strong> main<br />
location of the Public Library of<br />
<strong>The</strong> Aronoff Center for the Arts downtown was designed by the internationally renowned firm of Cesar Pelli Associates.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH © DAVE IVORY.<br />
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<strong>Cincinnati</strong> and Hamilton County, one of<br />
the largest in the nation, opened the North<br />
Building in 1997, designed by the<br />
architectural firm of GBBN.<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>ans have long enjoyed a<br />
skyline that includes skyscrapers designed<br />
by some of America’s leading architects.<br />
Since 1988 developers have added splendid<br />
additions to this skyline, including the 468-<br />
foot Scripps Center (1989-90), the 410-foot<br />
First Financial Center (1991, formerly<br />
Chemed Center, designed by Skidmore,<br />
Owings & Merrill), and the 312-foot<br />
Enquirer Building (aptly located at 312 Elm<br />
Street, 1992). <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s tallest building,<br />
the 665-foot Great American Tower,<br />
designed by Hellmuth, Obata &<br />
Kassabaum, held its grand opening on<br />
January 11, 2011, at 1:11 p.m.<br />
Much of the redevelopment of the<br />
riverfront, downtown, and Over-the-Rhine<br />
has been accomplished through privatepublic<br />
partnerships. As federal, state and<br />
municipal governments slashed budgets in<br />
the late 20th and early 21st centuries,<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>ans turned to new non-profit<br />
organizations to jumpstart a vast array of<br />
projects. In 1994 the non-profit
Duke Energy Convention Center downtown.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH © DAVE IVORY.<br />
Great American Tower downtown is the city’s<br />
tallest building.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH © DAVE IVORY.<br />
Downtown <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Inc. (DCI) debuted,<br />
dedicated to making downtown a safer and<br />
more prosperous destination. Nine years<br />
later, in July 2003, the city’s business<br />
leaders established the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Center<br />
<strong>City</strong> Development Corporation (3CDC) to<br />
“help develop <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s Center <strong>City</strong>—<br />
from the riverfront to Uptown—as a<br />
regional center of high value employment<br />
and real estate, sustained by a diverse mix<br />
of housing, culture, and entertainment”<br />
(3CDC, 2003-2004 Annual Report). With<br />
development projects stalling on the<br />
riverfront (<strong>The</strong> Banks), Fountain Square,<br />
and in Over-the-Rhine, 3CDC chose to<br />
concentrate on these three areas first.<br />
Utilizing incentives available through the<br />
federal New Markets Tax Credit Program,<br />
and working with the city, stakeholders<br />
and development partners, 3CDC raised<br />
equity to fund a large number of projects.<br />
On Fourth Street downtown, the former<br />
McAlpin’s Department Store was renovated<br />
into condominiums, as well as the old<br />
Fourth National Bank Building (designed<br />
by the famous American architect, Daniel<br />
Burnham). Funds were also committed to<br />
the renovation and enlargement of Duke<br />
Energy Convention Center, a $49 million<br />
revitalization of Fountain Square, and the<br />
purchase of the old Metropole Hotel on<br />
Walnut Street (subsequently renovated<br />
into the “21c Museum Hotel”). 3CDC is<br />
also involved in the redevelopment of the<br />
city’s long-vacant northwest corner of Fifth<br />
and Race Streets, which will open as<br />
“dunnhumby Centre” in 2015.<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> has also become a major<br />
entertainment destination. In 2009 Ohio<br />
voters approved a constitutional amendment<br />
allowing casinos. In March 2013<br />
Horseshoe Casino opened at Broadway<br />
Commons. <strong>The</strong> $450 million, 450,000<br />
square-foot complex is owned by Rock<br />
Ohio Caesars, and employs 1,700 people.<br />
Three months after its grand opening, the<br />
casino counted 430,000 visitors and $17.6<br />
million in revenue for a single month.<br />
To the north of Central Parkway, where<br />
the old Miami and Erie Canal once<br />
connected <strong>Cincinnati</strong> by water to Toledo<br />
on Lake Erie (and then Lake Erie to the<br />
Erie Canal, to the Hudson River, and to<br />
New York <strong>City</strong>), lies Over-the-Rhine<br />
(OTR). Long the entry point for many of<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s immigrants and internal<br />
migrants, Over-the-Rhine features one of<br />
the nation’s largest concentrations of<br />
Italianate-style buildings. Rich in history,<br />
and within walking distance of the hub of<br />
downtown, Over-the-Rhine continues to<br />
attract large-scale investments in its real<br />
estate. Main and Vine Streets have become<br />
the home of pubs, restaurants, and owneroperated<br />
small businesses. Once the center<br />
of German breweries, OTR has seen the<br />
renaissance of a new “Brewery District,”<br />
including a 21st century Christian<br />
Moerlein Brewing Company, named after<br />
the historic brewery of the same name and<br />
housed in the old Kauffman Brewery on<br />
Moore Street.<br />
3CDC has undertaken numerous<br />
renovation and construction projects in<br />
Over-the-Rhine, including Mercer<br />
Commons, and the multi-phase Gateway<br />
Quarter, both mixed-use residential and<br />
commercial projects. Likewise, 3CDC<br />
oversaw a $48 million facelift of<br />
Washington Park, opposite Music Hall. <strong>The</strong><br />
park reopened in July 2012. Dedicated to<br />
C H A P T E R 6<br />
1 5 1
maintaining the historic integrity of OTR,<br />
3CDC undertook emergency stabilization<br />
of the historic but long-vacant St. Paul’s<br />
German Evangelical Protestant Church at<br />
15th and Race Streets (2011).<br />
Over-the-Rhine has long been a cultural<br />
center, home to <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s historic Music<br />
Hall (1878), where the <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
Symphony Orchestra (CSO), the<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Pops Orchestra, the <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
May Festival, and the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Opera<br />
perform. A new parking garage, built<br />
underneath Washington Park, debuted in<br />
2012, serving the patrons of Music Hall. In<br />
2013 the <strong>City</strong> of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, owner of<br />
Music Hall, agreed to lease the building to<br />
the non-profit Music Hall Revitalization<br />
Corporation (MHRC) for $1 per year for<br />
75 years, paving the way for fundraising to<br />
begin to restore this magnificent building.<br />
MHRC has entered into a partnership with<br />
3CDC to oversee the proposed $95<br />
million rehabilitation of the building. <strong>The</strong><br />
revitalization of Music Hall is important to<br />
the performing arts organizations based<br />
there. Established in 1895, CSO is the<br />
nation’s 5th-oldest orchestra and one of<br />
only 15 orchestras performing year-round<br />
in North America. In 1977 it founded the<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Pops Orchestra, with Erich<br />
Kunzel as the founding Conductor. <strong>The</strong><br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> May Festival, established in<br />
1873, is “the oldest continuous choral<br />
festival in the Western Hemisphere.”<br />
Founded in 1920, <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Opera is<br />
the second-oldest opera company in the<br />
nation. In 2004 the opera moved its<br />
headquarters into newly-renovated space<br />
in Music Hall’s north wing, now called the<br />
Corbett Opera Center.<br />
A close neighbor to Music Hall is<br />
Memorial Hall. Designed by the renowned<br />
architectural firm of Samuel Hannaford<br />
and Sons, this 1908 Beaux Arts building<br />
with a 600-seat performance hall, is in<br />
need of restoration. In 2013, 3CDC<br />
entered into a partnership with Hamilton<br />
County, owner of the structure, to<br />
determine the feasibility of rehabilitation.<br />
Also located in OTR, the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Ballet<br />
celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2013. In<br />
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152<br />
Horseshoe Casino opened in 2013.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH © STEVE OLDFIELD.<br />
Washington Park in Over-the-Rhine (2013).<br />
PHOTOGRAPH © DAVE IVORY.<br />
1994 the ballet moved to new quarters at<br />
Central Parkway and Liberty Street, where<br />
it debuted its Otto M. Budig Academy in<br />
1996 and its Mickey Jarson Kaplan<br />
Performance Studio in 2005. In recent<br />
years, the ballet has performed at the<br />
Aronoff Center for the Arts downtown.<br />
Finally, the Ensemble <strong>The</strong>atre <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
has called OTR home since it began in<br />
Memorial Hall in 1986, and renovated an<br />
old bank building on Vine Street into<br />
performance space two years later. With a<br />
mission to produce new plays, the<br />
Ensemble <strong>The</strong>atre is a vibrant cultural<br />
asset to OTR, expanding its campus<br />
through the purchase of a second building<br />
in 2009.<br />
Over-the-Rhine is also reemerging as a<br />
centerpiece of education. <strong>The</strong> Art<br />
Academy of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> moved its campus<br />
from Eden Park to Jackson Street in 2005.<br />
<strong>The</strong> School for the Creative and<br />
Performing Arts (SCPA), a magnet<br />
institution of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Public Schools,<br />
opened a new $72 million campus on<br />
Central Parkway in 2010. <strong>The</strong> new<br />
building bears the name of Erich Kunzel,<br />
longtime conductor of the <strong>Cincinnati</strong>
<strong>The</strong> new campus of the School for the Creative and Performing Arts (<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Public Schools) opened in Over-the-<br />
Rhine in 2010.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH © DAVE IVORY.<br />
Sycamore Street, with the old School for the Creative and Performing Arts (formerly Woodward High School) at the left.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH © STEVE OLDFIELD.<br />
Pops Orchestra. SCPA’s old location on<br />
Sycamore St. (which, in turn, formerly<br />
housed old Woodward High School) is<br />
attracting potential investors for adaptive<br />
re-use. Chatfield College, a Roman<br />
Catholic college offering associate<br />
degrees, is planning an expansion of its<br />
OTR campus by renovating an 18,000<br />
square-foot building on Central Parkway.<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>ans are very proud of their<br />
neighborhoods. As of 2013 the <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
Department of Community Development<br />
listed 52 neighborhood associations.<br />
Neighborhoods here, as in other urban<br />
areas nationwide, are constantly evolving.<br />
While some of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s neighborhoods<br />
are somewhat clearly defined, often the<br />
result of former villages annexed to the city<br />
in the 19th or early 20th centuries, most<br />
neighborhoods maintain a healthy<br />
understanding of their often vague and<br />
changing boundaries. In reality, the<br />
definition of most neighborhoods usually<br />
depends upon whom one asks. <strong>City</strong><br />
planners, business associations, resident<br />
associations, and major non-profit<br />
institutions often view neighborhood<br />
boundaries in different ways. As time goes<br />
by, neighborhoods themselves pursue new<br />
identities, as did the residents of Winton<br />
Place, who changed their neighborhood’s<br />
name to Spring Grove Village in 2007. And<br />
most <strong>Cincinnati</strong>ans would doubtless<br />
appear clueless if you asked them to<br />
distinguish between the component parts<br />
of the CUF Neighborhood Association,<br />
comprised of Clifton Heights, University<br />
Heights and Fairview, a name adopted<br />
in 1987.<br />
<strong>The</strong> city’s second-largest area of<br />
employment, after downtown, is<br />
sometimes referred to as “Uptown,” an<br />
even more nebulous concoction of<br />
institutions and geography. Historically, it<br />
has been called “Pill Hill,” because of the<br />
presence there of some of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s<br />
premier medical facilities—<strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
Children’s Hospital Medical Center, <strong>The</strong><br />
Christ Hospital, Deaconess Health<br />
Campus, Good Samaritan Hospital,<br />
Shriners Hospitals for Children, and UC<br />
Medical Center. But as a place, Uptown<br />
includes Avondale, Clifton, Clifton<br />
Heights, Corryville, Fairview, Mt.<br />
Auburn, and University Heights. <strong>The</strong><br />
University of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s health system,<br />
based in Corryville, includes UC Medical<br />
Center, UC Physicians and UC West<br />
Chester Hospital. Since 2010 UC and UC<br />
Health have committed $65 million<br />
towards the UC Cancer Institute. UC and<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Children’s Hospital Medical<br />
Center hope to secure designation for<br />
National Cancer Institute ranking in<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>. In 2013, U.S. News & World<br />
Report ranked neighboring <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
Children’s Hospital Medical Center third<br />
in the United States for children’s<br />
hospitals and number one for the<br />
C H A P T E R 6<br />
1 5 3
treatment of pediatric cancer. Under<br />
construction in 2013, <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
Children’s new $180 million research<br />
facility at its Corryville campus will open<br />
in 2015, and will be the largest pediatric<br />
research center in the nation.<br />
<strong>The</strong> same 2013 U.S. News survey<br />
ranked Christ Hospital in Mt. Auburn as<br />
the region’s best hospital, also giving<br />
national rankings to its diabetes/<br />
endocrinology, geriatrics, and orthopedics<br />
programs. <strong>The</strong> Christ Hospital also has<br />
received national accolades for its<br />
cardiovascular care. In 2013 Christ was in<br />
the midst of a $265 million expansion to<br />
its Mt. Auburn campus to include a stateof-the-art<br />
Joint and Spine Center, and a<br />
new visitor parking garage.<br />
Uptown is also anchored by important<br />
educational institutions: <strong>Cincinnati</strong> State<br />
Technical and Community College,<br />
Hebrew Union College, and the University<br />
of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>. <strong>The</strong> University of <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
is the city’s largest employer. In 2012, with<br />
a total enrollment of nearly 42,000, UC<br />
received the inaugural Higher Education<br />
Excellence in Diversity Award for<br />
<strong>The</strong> William Howard Taft National Historic Site in Mt. Auburn is operated by the National Park Service. Taft was<br />
the 27th president of the United States and the 10th chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH © STEVE OLDFIELD.<br />
demonstrating an outstanding<br />
commitment to diversity and inclusion<br />
among U.S. universities. In 2008 the<br />
university announced its first $1 billion<br />
fundraising campaign, a target that it<br />
Construction of a $180 million research facility at <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Children’s Hospital Medical Center was underway<br />
in 2013.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH © STEVE OLDFIELD.<br />
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154<br />
achieved in early 2013, placing it in the<br />
top two percent of U.S. colleges to have<br />
reached that goal. <strong>The</strong> continual growth<br />
and prestigious rankings were no<br />
accident. For 25 years, the University of<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> had been rebuilding itself, with<br />
a vision to becoming one of the nation’s<br />
most important research universities.<br />
Consistently, national rankings recognize<br />
UC’s excellence in its College of Law,<br />
College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), and<br />
College of Design, Architecture, Art, and<br />
Planning (DAAP). As part of its vision, the<br />
university began a $1.2 billion Campus<br />
Master Plan in 1989 that, by 2010,<br />
transformed its urban campus into one of<br />
the world’s “most beautiful campuses,” as<br />
ranked by Forbes magazine. <strong>The</strong> pace of<br />
renovation and construction was so great<br />
that, by the 1990s, students joked that<br />
“UC” stood for “Under Construction.”<br />
Forty major projects were undertaken,<br />
including new buildings and renovations to<br />
historic structures. New facilities included<br />
the $46 million Vontz Center for Molecular<br />
Studies (1999), designed by Frank Gehry,<br />
an internationally known architect known<br />
for his deconstructivist designs. Michael<br />
Graves’ Engineering Research Center
<strong>The</strong> Christ Hospital, Mt. Auburn, is one of the region’s nationally known medical facilities.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH © STEVE OLDFIELD.<br />
(1995) and the $26 million Joseph A.<br />
Steger Student Life Center (2004) were<br />
named among the “50 Most Amazing<br />
Examples of College Architecture” in 2012.<br />
Other internationally acclaimed<br />
architects and the campus buildings they<br />
have designed include Peter Eisenman’s<br />
Aronoff Center for Design and Art (1996),<br />
Henry Cobb’s College-Conservatory of<br />
Music (1999), and Leers Weinzapfel’s<br />
University Pavilion (2003). <strong>The</strong><br />
Tangeman University Center received a<br />
$50 million renovation and enlargement<br />
(2004). Other new campus buildings<br />
include the $113 million Student<br />
Recreation Center (2006), the Richard E.<br />
Lindner Athletic Center and Varsity<br />
Village (2006), and the $134 million<br />
Center for Academic Research Excellence<br />
(CARE)/Crawley Building (2008). In<br />
2013 the university announced a planned<br />
$86 million expansion of its Nippert<br />
Stadium, the country’s second-oldest<br />
playing site for college football.<br />
<strong>The</strong> neighborhoods surrounding<br />
Uptown’s hospitals and the UC campus<br />
have directly benefitted from their<br />
proximity to this major regional<br />
employment center. For example, a<br />
partnership between the University of<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> and the Corryville Community<br />
Development Corporation spearheaded<br />
an $80 million mixed-use project called<br />
the Village at Stetson Square. Opened in<br />
2006 at Martin Luther King Drive and<br />
Eden Avenue, the first phase of the<br />
project included 205 apartments, 53<br />
townhomes, and 95,000 square feet of<br />
retail and office space. Likewise, the<br />
View of the main campus of the University of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH © STEVE OLDFIELD.<br />
Clifton Heights Community Urban<br />
Redevelopment Corporation (CHCURC),<br />
in partnership with UC, has pursued a<br />
number of major developments for the<br />
area along Calhoun Street, including the<br />
$78 million “U Square @ the Loop.” U<br />
Square, opened in 2013, is a mixed-use<br />
project containing 161 apartments,<br />
77,000 square feet of retail space, and<br />
40,000 square feet of office space. In<br />
2005 University Park, also a project of<br />
CHCURC and the University of<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>, debuted with 298 student<br />
housing units, a 1,000-space parking<br />
garage, and 36,000 square feet of retail<br />
space. Old St. George Catholic Church on<br />
Calhoun Street, designed by the<br />
architectural firm of Samuel Hannaford,<br />
suffered a tremendous fire in 2008,<br />
leaving its twin spires partially<br />
demolished. As of 2013 CHCURC was<br />
actively pursuing plans to restore and<br />
redevelop this landmark church at the<br />
heart of Clifton Heights.<br />
Reading Road (U.S. 42) runs north<br />
through the Uptown neighborhood of<br />
Avondale, and then through North<br />
Avondale, Paddock Hills, Bond Hill, and<br />
Roselawn. As the destination for many<br />
people displaced from the West End, and as<br />
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the nucleus of the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> race riots of<br />
1967 and 1968, Avondale has been<br />
attempting to rebuild itself since 1988.<br />
Many of the former Jewish synagogues there<br />
are home to thriving Protestant<br />
congregations active in the neighborhood.<br />
Between 2000 and 2010, Avondale lost<br />
more residents than any other <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
neighborhood. In the same time period,<br />
Avondale’s property vacancies jumped by<br />
53 percent, and the serious crime rate<br />
increased by 11.5 percent. <strong>The</strong> Uptown<br />
Consortium, a non-profit communitydevelopment<br />
corporation, has invested $20<br />
million to purchase 60 properties along<br />
Burnet Avenue for redevelopment. In<br />
addition, the consortium financed extra<br />
police protection in the neighborhood.<br />
Avondale’s renaissance is well underway.<br />
One of its great symbols is the Vernon<br />
Manor Hotel at 400 Oak Street. Twelve<br />
black business leaders purchased majority<br />
ownership of the old hotel, and, using<br />
many minority-owned contractors,<br />
unveiled the $37 million building<br />
restoration in 2011. It now houses offices<br />
for the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Children’s Hospital<br />
Medical Center. In 2013 the Reds<br />
Community Fund and Procter & Gamble’s<br />
North America Marketing team joined<br />
forces with <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Children’s Hospital<br />
Medical Center, and the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Zoo and<br />
Botanical Garden, to finance renovations at<br />
Hirsch Recreation Center in Avondale, as<br />
well as the construction of a new<br />
greenhouse at adjoining Gabriel’s Place. In<br />
2014 National Church Residences will<br />
begin construction of a 99-unit apartment<br />
building on Alaska Avenue, for those with<br />
disabilities. Also in 2014 Community<br />
Builders will begin renovation of 119 units<br />
in 7 buildings, and an additional 81 units in<br />
the Poinciana and Crescent Court<br />
buildings. Overall, a host of important nonprofit<br />
partners are involved in the<br />
redevelopment of Avondale, including the<br />
Avondale Community Council, the<br />
Avondale Comprehensive Development<br />
Corporation, the Avondale Youth Council,<br />
Community Builders, and the Urban<br />
League of Greater <strong>Cincinnati</strong>.<br />
Vontz Center for Molecular Studies at the University of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> was designed by the internationally renowned<br />
architect, Frank Gehry.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH © DAVE IVORY.<br />
U Square @ the Loop opened in Clifton Heights in 2013.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH © STEVE OLDFIELD.<br />
Avondale is also home to the<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Zoo and Botanical Garden.<br />
Opened in 1875, the Zoo was named a<br />
National Historic Landmark in 1987.<br />
Four years later, in 1991, it opened its<br />
$3.5 million Carl H. Lindner Jr. Family<br />
Center for Conservation and Research of<br />
Endangered Wildlife (CREW). Two years<br />
later, in 1993, the Zoo opened Jungle<br />
Trails, a simulated rainforest. <strong>The</strong> 130th<br />
anniversary of the Zoo (2005) occasioned<br />
the announcement of a major fundraising<br />
plan for a multi-million-dollar expansion,<br />
the largest in the Zoo’s history. A new<br />
parking lot was built across the street,<br />
opening up acreage for a multi-phase<br />
development entitled “Africa”,<br />
comprising Giraffe Ridge (2008), Cheetah<br />
Encounter (2010), and a savannah<br />
featuring lions (2013). Two more phases<br />
of “Africa” are planned.<br />
North of Avondale, along Reading Road,<br />
are the neighborhoods of Bond Hill and<br />
Roselawn. <strong>The</strong> Allen Temple African<br />
Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church is situated<br />
at 7080 Reading Road. <strong>The</strong> oldest<br />
black congregation in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, Allen<br />
Temple A.M.E. Church moved from downtown<br />
to Roselawn in 1979. <strong>The</strong> church purchased<br />
the adjacent Swifton Commons<br />
shopping center, at Reading Road and Seymour<br />
Avenue. Renaming it Jordan Crossing,<br />
the center continued to house a few businesses<br />
and some church offices. In 2013 the<br />
non-profit Port of Greater <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Development<br />
Authority purchased the 24-acre<br />
shopping center, began demolition, and<br />
with $6.2 million in funding from the city,<br />
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A home on Paradrome Street, Mt. Adams.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH © STEVE OLDFIELD.<br />
will redevelop the site into a $75 million<br />
mixed-use residential, retail and office complex.<br />
Further, the Allen Temple Real Estate<br />
Foundation, in partnership with the Tryed<br />
Stone Community and Family Development<br />
Center and the NorthPointe Land<br />
Company, redeveloped 60 acres of land in<br />
Bond Hill into 300 homesites. Called the<br />
Villages of Daybreak, the new community<br />
features market-rate single-family homes<br />
and condominiums. CitiRAMA, an urban<br />
housing show sponsored by the Home<br />
Builders Association of Greater <strong>Cincinnati</strong>,<br />
has twice chosen the Villages of Daybreak<br />
for its annual home show (2005 and 2011).<br />
Nearby, Roselawn Park will become home<br />
of the new Procter & Gamble <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
Major League Baseball (MLB) Urban Youth<br />
Academy, featuring four baseball fields, and<br />
a 33,000 square-foot building, scheduled<br />
for completion in 2015. Bond Hill is also<br />
redeveloping its industrial base, with the<br />
2010 opening of a new plant manufacturing<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s nationally-famous Graeter’s<br />
Ice Cream.<br />
<strong>The</strong> independent municipality of<br />
Norwood, completely surrounded by<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>, lies to the east of Reading<br />
Road. Since the closing of General Motors’<br />
plant there in 1987, Norwood has rebuilt<br />
its business district. In an area bordering<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s Hyde Park neighborhood,<br />
Rookwood Pavilion debuted as Norwood’s<br />
newest shopping center in 1993.<br />
Rookwood Commons, adjacent to the<br />
Pavilion, opened in Norwood in 2000.<br />
Following a national trend of new<br />
“lifestyle centers,” Rookwood Commons is<br />
an open-air shopping and entertainment<br />
complex catering to upscale customers.<br />
East of Uptown lay the diverse<br />
neighborhoods of eastern <strong>Cincinnati</strong>—<br />
California, Columbia Tusculum, East End,<br />
Evanston, Hyde Park, Linwood,<br />
Madisonville, Mt. Adams, Mt. Lookout, Mt.<br />
Washington, Oakley, O’Bryonville, Pleasant<br />
Ridge, and Walnut Hills, to name a few.<br />
Interstate-71 cuts a swath through two of<br />
these neighborhoods, Walnut Hills and<br />
Evanston. Evanston is home to Xavier<br />
University (XU), <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s Roman<br />
Catholic Jesuit institution. XU’s Musketeers<br />
men’s basketball program is one of the best<br />
in the nation. It has made two NCAA<br />
Tournament Elite Eight appearances (2004<br />
and 2008), in addition to three NCAA<br />
Sweet 16 appearances (2009, 2010 and<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Playhouse in the Park, Eden Park.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH © STEVE OLDFIELD.<br />
2012) in the last ten years. <strong>The</strong> Musketeers<br />
play at Cintas Center on the XU campus,<br />
a 10,250-seat arena dedicated in 2000.<br />
In 2013 the Musketeers entered the 10-<br />
school Big East Conference. In academics<br />
as in athletics, XU excels, consistently<br />
ranked among the nation’s best private<br />
colleges. Its sprawling Evanston campus<br />
has grown immensely since 1988. In 2010,<br />
XU completed a multi-million-dollar<br />
expansion of its campus, including a new<br />
entrance, Smith Hall of the Williams<br />
College of Business, the Michael J. Conaton<br />
Learning Commons, and the Hoff<br />
Academic Quad, named for Reverend<br />
James Hoff, president of XU from 1991<br />
until 2000. <strong>The</strong> following year, it<br />
completed a new 535-bed residence and<br />
dining hall. In 2013 a private developer<br />
began construction of University Station, a<br />
mixed-use residential, commercial and<br />
office development at Montgomery Road<br />
and Cleneay Avenue, on XU-owned land.<br />
XU is the alma mater of one of the<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> area’s most influential<br />
politicians, John Boehner, speaker of the<br />
U.S. House of Representatives since 2011.<br />
Wedged between Walnut Hills and Mt.<br />
Adams is <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s Eden Park, home to<br />
the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Art Museum and<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Playhouse in the Park, as well<br />
as to a diverse mix of housing. Ed Stern<br />
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Williams College of Business (left) and the Michael J. Conaton Learning Commons (right), Xavier University.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH © STEVE OLDFIELD.<br />
Pavilion Street, Mt. Adams.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH © STEVE OLDFIELD.<br />
became Producing Artistic Director of<br />
the Playhouse in 1992, a position he held<br />
for 20 years. During his tenure, the<br />
Playhouse won two Tony Awards and<br />
debuted 34 world premieres. In the<br />
1990s it mounted a campaign that raised<br />
more than $8.4 million, enabling<br />
renovations of its Robert S. Marx <strong>The</strong>atre.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Playhouse’s neighbor, the <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
Art Museum, underwent a major<br />
renovation and expansion in the late 20th<br />
and the early 21st centuries, made<br />
possible when the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Historical<br />
Society and the Art Academy of<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> moved from their<br />
headquarters in the building. In May<br />
2003 the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Art Museum debuted<br />
its new $10 million <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Wing.<br />
Many residents are rediscovering the<br />
vistas of the Ohio River in the East End,<br />
Columbia Tusculum, and California<br />
neighborhoods. By the early 21st<br />
century, the construction of new<br />
condominiums was well underway in the<br />
East End along old Eastern Avenue,<br />
Twain’s Point, East End, is an example of new housing in the city.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH © STEVE OLDFIELD.<br />
Riverview East Academy (<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Public Schools) on Kellogg Avenue in the East End was opened in 2006. It is<br />
reflective of much of the new construction along the Ohio River, built on stilts above the flood plain.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH © STEVE OLDFIELD.<br />
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<strong>The</strong>se so-called “Painted Ladies” on Tusculum Avenue are among the beautifully restored homes of Columbia Tusculum.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH © STEVE OLDFIELD.<br />
renamed Riverside Drive. Many of the<br />
new low-rise condominiums and<br />
townhomes on the river side of the street<br />
are being built on stilts, or with parking<br />
garages on the first floor, in case of<br />
flooding. Columbia Tusculum, along<br />
Columbia Parkway, is attracting young<br />
professionals to its array of housing<br />
options. <strong>The</strong> neighborhood has a large<br />
stock of historic “painted ladies”—<br />
brightly-painted <strong>Queen</strong> Anne style<br />
houses. New apartment complexes and<br />
townhomes are also being built in<br />
Columbia Tusculum, including custom<br />
homes. California, along the Ohio River<br />
on Kellogg Avenue, features historic<br />
houses and churches, as well as the<br />
Greater <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Waterworks, the<br />
California Woods Nature Preserve, the<br />
California Golf Course, Coney Island<br />
Amusement Park, River Downs<br />
Racetrack, and the Riverbend Music<br />
Center (designed by internationally<br />
acclaimed architect, Michael Graves).<br />
In the eastern hills overlooking the<br />
Ohio River valley sit the communities of<br />
Mt. Adams, East Walnut Hills, Mt.<br />
Lookout, O’Bryonville, Hyde Park, and<br />
Oakley, and to the north of them, Pleasant<br />
Ridge and Kennedy Heights. <strong>The</strong>se<br />
neighborhoods each feature their own<br />
business districts with small familyowned<br />
shops and restaurants. Historic<br />
homes line their streets, and, in some<br />
areas, still demand some of the highest<br />
real estate prices in the city. <strong>The</strong> pace of<br />
restoration and new construction is<br />
particularly impressive in East Walnut<br />
Hills. <strong>The</strong>re, DeSales Corner, anchored by<br />
historic St. Francis de Sales Catholic<br />
Church, is making a comeback, with the<br />
restoration of the historic San Marco<br />
apartments into public housing, and the<br />
building of the new market-rate<br />
apartments, DeSales Flats. Nearby, Oakley<br />
and Pleasant Ridge have developed<br />
suburban-like shopping centers, with “big<br />
box” stores like Target and Meijer<br />
occupying the former site of one of<br />
the world’s largest machine tool<br />
manufacturers, <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Milacron. East<br />
Columbia Tusculum resident Kathleen Hickey enjoys a quiet summer day working in her neighborhood’s community<br />
garden (2013).<br />
PHOTOGRAPH © STEVE OLDFIELD.<br />
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<strong>The</strong> American Can factory building in Northside, rehabbed into residential and office space, was the site of a speech<br />
by U.S. Vice President Joe Biden in 2009.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH © DAVE IVORY.<br />
of Oakley lies Madisonville, a community<br />
that is rebuilding its Red Bank Road area<br />
into a commercial and business center,<br />
including a new $25 million campus for<br />
Medpace, a medical research firm.<br />
Across the great divide of Interstate-75<br />
lies western <strong>Cincinnati</strong>. <strong>The</strong>re, proud<br />
neighborhoods like Camp Washington,<br />
College Hill, South Cumminsville,<br />
Fairmount (North and South), Hartwell,<br />
Mt. Airy, Northside, Price Hill, the West<br />
End, and Westwood—to name a few—<br />
preside over the plains of the Mill Creek<br />
and the hills rising above it. Northside,<br />
with its close proximity to <strong>Cincinnati</strong> State<br />
Technical and Community College, UC,<br />
and downtown, is a thriving community of<br />
homes, condominiums, restaurants, and<br />
shops, known for its diversity and<br />
tolerance. <strong>The</strong> site of two CitiRAMA new<br />
home shows, Northside also features<br />
restored housing and a rehabbed American<br />
Can factory building that gained national<br />
attention when U.S. Vice President Joe<br />
Biden spoke there in 2009. <strong>The</strong> College<br />
Hill Community Urban Redevelopment<br />
Corporation and the College Hill Forum<br />
are pursuing revitalization of their<br />
neighborhood’s business district. College<br />
Hill became one of the first <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
neighborhoods to implement form-based<br />
codes, where the size and form of buildings<br />
are expected to relate to their streetscapes.<br />
Price Hill, including Lower Price Hill<br />
at its base, East Price Hill, and West Price<br />
Hill, is a vast expanse of homes and<br />
businesses. In 2000 in response to<br />
increasing problems of urban blight, an<br />
Westwood Town Hall, designed by Charles<br />
Crapsey and William Brown, was dedicated in 1889.<br />
When Westwood was annexed to <strong>Cincinnati</strong> in 1896,<br />
the neighborhood added legal provisions requiring the<br />
hall’s continued use by residents. Reopened in 2005<br />
following a $2 million restoration, it still serves<br />
the community.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH © DAVE IVORY.<br />
environmental educational group, called<br />
Imago, began an effort to organize residents.<br />
Incorporated in 2004, “Price Hill Will,”<br />
with its optimistically alliterative name,<br />
seeks to strengthen the three main<br />
neighborhoods of Price Hill. In partnership<br />
with the city and the local business<br />
community, it participates in a housing<br />
redevelopment program. In the East Price<br />
A view of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> and Northern Kentucky from East Price Hill (2013).<br />
PHOTOGRAPH © STEVE OLDFIELD.<br />
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Hill National Historic District, restoration is<br />
proceeding apace, as well as new<br />
construction. <strong>The</strong> Incline Public House, a<br />
restaurant with sweeping views of<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> and Northern Kentucky, opened<br />
in 2012, along with an adjoining<br />
condominium project called Incline Village.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Elberon, a historic apartment complex<br />
on W. Eighth Street in East Price Hill,<br />
reopened as senior housing in 2012, after<br />
undergoing a $7.4 million renovation.<br />
Camp Washington, home to factories,<br />
warehouses, Sacred Heart Catholic<br />
Church, and the locally-famous Camp<br />
Washington Chili, is just off the Hopple<br />
Street exit of Interstate-75. <strong>The</strong>re, in a<br />
restored parachute factory on Monmouth<br />
Street, the American Sign Museum opened<br />
its new facility in 2012. With 28-foot-high<br />
ceilings capable of accommodating giant,<br />
playful neon and other nostalgic signs, the<br />
museum is the self-proclaimed “mid-life<br />
crisis” of founder Tod Swormstedt, former<br />
publisher of a signmaking trade magazine.<br />
<strong>The</strong> historic West End has experienced a<br />
makeover in the early 21st century. Under<br />
the Hope VI (Housing Opportunities for<br />
People Everywhere) program of the U.S.<br />
Department of Housing and Urban<br />
Development (HUD), the federal<br />
government provided funds for the<br />
demolition of old public housing projects<br />
and the construction of new mixed-income,<br />
mixed-use, low-rise developments. <strong>The</strong><br />
new construction typically included a<br />
public-private partnership, including both<br />
government-subsidized and market-rate<br />
housing. <strong>The</strong> recipient of three major Hope<br />
VI grants (1998, 1999, and 2001), the<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Metropolitan Housing Authority<br />
(CMHA) began demolition of units in the<br />
old Laurel Homes and Lincoln Court<br />
housing projects for a $200 million project<br />
called <strong>City</strong> West. <strong>The</strong> first units opened in<br />
2002, and by 2007, CMHA had completed<br />
211 owner-occupied homes and 686 rental<br />
apartments. <strong>City</strong> West’s new rowhouses,<br />
featuring garages and parking pads,<br />
reconnect the West End to its historic past,<br />
while providing the amenities of suburban<br />
tract housing.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Elberon, a historic apartment complex on W. Eighth Street in East Price Hill, reopened as senior housing in 2012.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH © STEVE OLDFIELD.<br />
In November 1990, <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Museum<br />
Center opened in the old <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Union<br />
Terminal in the city’s West End. <strong>The</strong><br />
mammoth structure, completed in 1933 to<br />
serve as a united terminal for the city’s<br />
passenger rail lines, is a jewel in the crown of<br />
the <strong>Queen</strong> <strong>City</strong>. A developer’s 1980 attempt<br />
to redevelop the historic building into a<br />
shopping mall was short-lived, closing four<br />
years later. <strong>The</strong> residents of Hamilton<br />
County responded by passing a $33 million<br />
bond issue in 1986, allowing the astounding<br />
Art Deco terminal to become one of the<br />
region’s most successful examples of historic<br />
adaptive re-use. <strong>The</strong> iconic structure is now<br />
Incline Public House and Incline Village, East Price Hill.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH © STEVE OLDFIELD.<br />
home to the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> History Museum,<br />
the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> History Library and Archives<br />
(formerly <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Historical Society<br />
Library), the Museum of Natural History<br />
and Science, the Robert D. Lindner Family<br />
Omnimax <strong>The</strong>ater, and the Duke Energy<br />
Children’s Museum. In 2007, the American<br />
Institute of Architects ranked Union<br />
Terminal 45th in a list of the nation’s most<br />
significant structures.<br />
In February 2012 the National<br />
Underground Railroad Freedom Center<br />
(NURFC) and <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Museum Center<br />
(CMC) announced plans to merge. In June<br />
of the same year, the CMC Board of<br />
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<strong>City</strong> West, on Linn Street in the West End, is an example of new infill housing.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH © STEVE OLDFIELD.<br />
Trustees approved a resolution authorizing<br />
NURFC to join the corporate structure of<br />
CMC. <strong>The</strong> merger was designed to<br />
strengthen the finances of both<br />
organizations and create opportunities for<br />
new programming, resources, and exhibits.<br />
As of 2013 area leaders were discussing the<br />
possibility of a county sales-tax referendum<br />
to fund $160 million in repairs and updates<br />
to CMC’s Union Terminal facility.<br />
By 2013 <strong>Cincinnati</strong> was moving ahead<br />
on a wide range of civic projects, while<br />
others were stalling. <strong>The</strong> building of a<br />
more than $130 million streetcar line<br />
between the riverfront and Over-the-<br />
Rhine (Phase I) proved to be among the<br />
most contentious. Voters narrowly<br />
approved the streetcar issue at the polls in<br />
November 2011. In February of the<br />
following year, Mayor Mark Mallory,<br />
joined by U.S. Transportation Secretary<br />
Ray LaHood, broke ground for the route.<br />
In 2013 city council proceeded with the<br />
final budgeting for Phase I. Phase II of the<br />
streetcar project, from Over-the-Rhine to<br />
Uptown, remains on the drawing board.<br />
Ironically, in need of funding for the<br />
streetcar, <strong>Cincinnati</strong> sold its Blue Ash<br />
Airport in 2012. Finally, as of 2013,<br />
county officials were still struggling with<br />
the problem of jail overcrowding. In<br />
1992, the old Kruse Hardware warehouse<br />
in the West End was renovated into an<br />
822-bed jail by an outside company and<br />
leased to the county. Beset by problems, it<br />
closed in 2008. In the interim, county<br />
voters twice rejected sale-tax increases to<br />
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fund a new jail. In 1998 the state opened<br />
the new River <strong>City</strong> Correctional Center in<br />
Camp Washington, on the site of the city’s<br />
old “workhouse” jail. Operated by the<br />
county, it houses non-violent and firsttime<br />
offenders.<br />
During the post-World War II years,<br />
Americans’ love of automobiles and their<br />
move to the suburbs brought the greatest<br />
changes to urban life in the United States<br />
since the invention of the electric<br />
streetcar in the late 19th century. Old<br />
municipalities like <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, no longer<br />
successful in annexing suburban<br />
neighborhoods, lost population as their<br />
outlying communities boomed. Changing<br />
transportation patterns on the Ohio River,<br />
increasing problems of pollution, and the<br />
threat of floods led cities like <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
to turn their backs on their origins, in the<br />
<strong>Queen</strong> <strong>City</strong>’s case, the Ohio River. But in<br />
1988 <strong>Cincinnati</strong>ans returned to the river<br />
with the opening of the Bicentennial<br />
Commons. Since then, its residents have<br />
spent billions of dollars reinventing and<br />
reinvigorating their city, the core of a<br />
metropolitan area of 2.1 million residents.<br />
In “Plan <strong>Cincinnati</strong>,” adopted in 2012,<br />
the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> <strong>City</strong> Planning Commission<br />
envisions an even more livable and<br />
sustainable urban environment based on six<br />
principles: 1) Provide more transportation<br />
choices; 2) Promote equitable, affordable<br />
housing; 3) Enhance economic<br />
competiveness; 4) Support existing<br />
communities; 5) Coordinate and leverage<br />
federal policies and investment; and 6)<br />
Value communities and neighborhoods. In<br />
seeking to expand upon the city’s strengths,<br />
“Plan <strong>Cincinnati</strong>” proposes an implementation<br />
that includes partnerships with the<br />
public and private sector, the kind of shared<br />
responsibility that since 1988 has led the<br />
city’s urban renaissance. Most importantly,<br />
“Plan <strong>Cincinnati</strong>” offers a holistic approach,<br />
recognizing the value of cooperation,<br />
collaboration, sustainability, and the ideas,<br />
resources, and efforts of all of the city’s<br />
stakeholders, including the most<br />
economically disadvantaged. Rejecting the<br />
monolithic approach of the 1948 plan,<br />
which rested almost entirely upon the<br />
expertise of social scientists and<br />
professional city planners, “Plan <strong>Cincinnati</strong>”<br />
draws upon a mantra that first emerged<br />
(controversially) in the 1960s, the<br />
maximum feasible participation of all those<br />
concerned with the problem. Such a holistic<br />
approach, while complex, represents an<br />
expression of the hope that age-old<br />
problems like unemployment, poverty, and<br />
homelessness might yet yield to teamwork.<br />
But that hope seems more like reality in the<br />
arena of city rebuilding, as the city’s<br />
renaissance since the 1980s suggests. As the<br />
heart of a major metropolitan region of 2.1<br />
million people, <strong>Cincinnati</strong> has access to the<br />
resources and talents to continue along its<br />
path of innovation and excellence. With<br />
cultural, educational and medical<br />
institutions that consistently rank among<br />
the nation’s best—and entirely out of<br />
proportion to the city’s relative size—<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> is well-placed to face the future.
FOR FURTHER READING<br />
Aaron, Daniel. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>: <strong>Queen</strong> <strong>City</strong> of the West, 1819-1838. Columbus, OH: Ohio State University Press, 1992.<br />
Abbott, Carl. Boosters and Businessmen: Popular Economic Thought and Urban Growth in the Antebellum Middle West. Westport, CT: Greenwood<br />
Press, 1981.<br />
Adams, Edmund. History of St. Rose of Lima Church (St. Rosa Kirche), 1867-2002. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, OH: St. Rose, 2002.<br />
Architecture and Construction in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>: A Guide to Buildings, Designers, and Builders. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, OH: Architectural Foundation of<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 1987.<br />
Aronson, Julie, ed. <strong>The</strong> <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Wing: <strong>The</strong> Story of Art in the <strong>Queen</strong> <strong>City</strong>. Athens, OH: Ohio University Press, 2003.<br />
Bailey, Linda. Historic Photos of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>. Nashville, TN: Turner Publishing, 2006.<br />
Banks, Michael A. Before Oprah: Ruth Lyons, the Woman Who Created Talk TV. Wilmington, OH: Orange Frazer Press, 2009.<br />
Baughin, William A. “Murray Seasongood: Twentieth-Century Urban Reformer.” Ph.D. diss., University of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 1972.<br />
Baughin, William A. “Nativism in <strong>Cincinnati</strong> before 1860.” Master’s thesis, University of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 1963.<br />
Berry, Thomas Senior. Western Prices before 1861: A Study of the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Market. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1943.<br />
Black, Samuel W. “<strong>The</strong> National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.” Ohio Valley History 6 (Summer 2006): 18-27.<br />
Bronson, Peter. Behind the Lines…<strong>The</strong> Untold Stories of the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Riots. Milford, OH: Chilidog Press, 2006.<br />
Burnet, Jacob. Notes on the Early Settlement of the North-western Territory. New York, NY: D. Appleton & Co., 1847.<br />
Burnham, Robert A. “‘Pulling Together’ for Pluralism: Politics, Planning, and Government in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 1924-1959.” Ph.D. diss.,<br />
University of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 1990.<br />
Calkins, David L. “Black Education in Nineteenth Century <strong>Cincinnati</strong>.” <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Historical Society Bulletin 38 (Summer 1980): 115-128.<br />
Casebolt, Pamela Ciafardini and Philip G. Ciafardini. Italians of Newport and Northern Kentucky. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2007.<br />
Casey-Leininger, Charles Frederick. “Creating Democracy in Housing: Civil Rights and Housing Policy in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 1945-1980.” Ph.D.<br />
diss., University of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 1993.<br />
Cauffield, Joyce V.B. and Carolyn E. Banfield, eds. <strong>The</strong> River Book: <strong>Cincinnati</strong> and the Ohio. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, OH: Program for <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 1981.<br />
Cebula, James E. “Kennedy Heights: A Fragmented Hilltop Suburb.” <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Historical Society Bulletin 34 (Summer 1976): 78-101.<br />
Centennial, 1845-1945, St. Paul’s Evangelical Protestant Church (Congregational). <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, OH: St. Paul’s, 1945.<br />
Childress, Margaret Joann. “Norwood, Ohio, 1787-1915.” Master’s thesis, University of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 1970.<br />
Ciafardini, Philip G. and Pamela Ciafardini Casebolt. Italians of Greater <strong>Cincinnati</strong>. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2008.<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Art Museum. Art Palace of the West: A Centennial Tribute, 1881-1981. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, OH: <strong>The</strong> Museum, 1981.<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Board of Education. Proceedings. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, OH: <strong>The</strong> Board, 1963-1990.<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Bureau of Governmental Research. An Urban Redevelopment Study of 10 <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Blighted Areas with Related Economic, Population<br />
and Land Market Data. <strong>Cincinnati</strong> OH: <strong>The</strong> Bureau, 1951.<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Business Committee Task Force on Public Schools (Clement L. Buenger, Chairman). Report & Recommendations. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, OH:<br />
<strong>The</strong> Committee, 1991.<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Center <strong>City</strong> Development Corporation (3CDC). Annual Reports. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, OH: 3CDC, 2003-2012.<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> <strong>City</strong> Planning Commission. Central Riverfront Development: Preliminary Report. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, OH: <strong>City</strong> Planning Commission, 1961.<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> <strong>City</strong> Planning Commission. <strong>The</strong> <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Metropolitan Master Plan and the Official <strong>City</strong> Plan of the <strong>City</strong> of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>,<br />
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<strong>Cincinnati</strong> <strong>City</strong> Planning Commission. Downtown Riverfront Redevelopment Plan. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, OH: <strong>City</strong> Planning Commission, 1946.<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> <strong>City</strong> Planning Commission. Plan <strong>Cincinnati</strong>: A Comprehensive Plan for the Future. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, OH: <strong>City</strong> of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 2012.<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Department of Urban Development. Urban Renewal Plan, Central Riverfront Project, <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, Ohio. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, OH: <strong>The</strong><br />
Department, 1962 (revised 1964).<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Metropolitan Housing Authority. Annual Reports. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>: OH: <strong>The</strong> Authority, 2001-2010.<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Riverfront Advisory Committee. Central Riverfront Project, <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, Ohio. Report Number Five. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, OH: 1970?<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Symphony Orchestra: Centennial Portraits. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, OH: <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Symphony Orchestra, 1994.<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Union Terminal: <strong>The</strong> Design and Construction of an Art Deco Masterpiece. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, OH: <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Railroad Club, 1999.<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Working Review Committee. <strong>Cincinnati</strong> 2000 Plan: A Comprehensive Development Plan for Downtown. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, OH: Department<br />
of Economic Development, 1982.<br />
Cist, Charles. <strong>Cincinnati</strong> in 1841: Its Early Annals and Future Prospects. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, OH: <strong>The</strong> Author, 1841.<br />
F O R F U R T H E R R E A D I N G<br />
1 6 3
Cleary, Edward J. <strong>The</strong> ORSANCO Story: Water Quality Management in the Ohio Valley under an Interstate Compact. Baltimore, MD: Johns<br />
Hopkins Press, 1967.<br />
Clubbe, John. <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Observed: Architecture and History. Columbus, OH: Ohio State University Press, 1992.<br />
Condit, Carl W. <strong>The</strong> Railroad and the <strong>City</strong>: A Technological and Urbanistic History of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>. Columbus, OH: Ohio State University Press, 1977.<br />
Dabney, Wendell P. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s Colored Citizens: Historical, Sociological and Biographical. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, OH: Dabney Publishing, 1926.<br />
Davis, John Emmeus. Contested Ground: Collective Action and the Urban Neighborhood. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1991.<br />
Dobbert, Guido André. “<strong>The</strong> Disintegration of an Immigrant Community: <strong>The</strong> <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Germans, 1870-1920.” Ph.D. diss., University of<br />
Chicago, 1965.<br />
Dochantschi, Markus, ed. Zaha Hadid, Space for Art: Contemporary Arts Center, <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, Lois & Richard Rosenthal Center for Contemporary<br />
Art. Baden, Switzerland: Lars Müller Publishers, 2004.<br />
Downtown <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, Inc. (DCI) Annual Reports. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, OH: DCI, 1999-2012.<br />
Drake, Benjamin and Edward D. Mansfield. <strong>Cincinnati</strong> in 1826. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, OH: Morgan, Lodge, and Fisher, 1827.<br />
Drake, Daniel. Natural and Statistical View; or Picture of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> and the Miami Country. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, OH: Looker and Wallace, 1815.<br />
Dwyer, Doris D. A Century of <strong>City</strong>-Building: <strong>The</strong> Kilgour Family in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 1798-1914. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, OH: Young & Klein, 1983.<br />
Ehrlinger, David. <strong>The</strong> <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Zoo and Botanical Garden: From Past to Present. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, OH: <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Zoo and Botanical Garden, 1993.<br />
Ellard, Harry. Baseball in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>: A History. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, OH: Johnson & Hardin, 1907.<br />
Fairbanks, Robert B. Making Better Citizens: Housing Reform and the Community Development Strategy in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 1890-1960. Urbana, IL:<br />
University of Illinois Press, 1988.<br />
Farrell, Richard T. “<strong>Cincinnati</strong> 1800-1830: Economic Development through Trade and Industry.” Ohio History 77 (Autumn 1968): 111-129.<br />
Federal Writers’ Project of the Works Progress Administration in Ohio. <strong>The</strong>y Built a <strong>City</strong>: 150 Years of Industrial <strong>Cincinnati</strong>. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, OH:<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Post, 1938.<br />
Fine, John S. and Frederic J. Krome. Jews of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2007.<br />
Fish, Stanley L., Bradley J. Kramer, and William Budge Wallis. History of the Mormon Church in <strong>Cincinnati</strong> (1830-1985). <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, OH:<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Ohio North Stakes, 1997.<br />
Flack, Irwin F. “Who Governed <strong>Cincinnati</strong>? A Comparative Analysis of Government and Social Structure in a Nineteenth Century River<br />
<strong>City</strong>, 1819-1860.” Ph.D. diss., University of Pittsburgh, 1977.<br />
Fleischman, John. Free & Public: One Hundred and Fifty Years at the Public Library of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> and Hamilton County, 1853-2003. Wilmington,<br />
OH: Orange Frazer Press, 2003.<br />
Flischel, Robert A., Jayne Merkel, and Kevin Grace. <strong>The</strong> University of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>: Architectural Transformation: Tradition and Innovation.<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>, OH: RAF Press, 2007.<br />
Ford, Henry A. and Kate B. Ford. History of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, Ohio, with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches. Cleveland, OH: L.A. Williams &<br />
Co., 1881.<br />
Ford, Henry A. and Kate B. Ford. History of Hamilton County, Ohio, with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches. Cleveland, OH: L.A. Williams<br />
& Co., 1881.<br />
Fortin, Roger A. Faith and Action: A History of the Archdiocese of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 1821-1996. Columbus, OH: <strong>The</strong> Ohio State University Press, 2002.<br />
Fortin, Roger A. To See Great Wonders: A History of Xavier University, 1831-2006. Scranton, PA: University of Scranton Press, 2006.<br />
Frank, Forest. “<strong>The</strong> Disestablishment of the Charter Committee.” <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Historical Society Bulletin 33 (Spring 1975): 26-47.<br />
Freestore Foodbank. Annual Report, 2012. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, OH: Freestore Foodbank, 2012.<br />
Friedman, Jim. <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Television. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2007.<br />
Gieck, Jack. A Photo Album of Ohio’s Canal Era, 1825-1913. Kent, OH: Kent State University Press, 1988.<br />
Giglierano, Geoffrey J. “<strong>The</strong> <strong>City</strong> and the System: Developing a Municipal Service, 1800-1915.” <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Historical Society Bulletin 35<br />
(Winter 1977): 233-247.<br />
Giglierano, Geoffrey J. “ ‘A Creature of Law:’ <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s Paid Fire Department.” <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Historical Society Bulletin 40 (Summer 1982): 78-99.<br />
Giglierano, Geoffrey J. and Deborah A. Overmyer (with Frederic L. Propas). <strong>The</strong> Bicentennial Guide to Greater <strong>Cincinnati</strong>: A Portrait of Two<br />
Hundred Years. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, OH: <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Historical Society, 1988.<br />
Glazer, Walter Stix. <strong>Cincinnati</strong> in 1840: <strong>The</strong> Social and Functional Organization of an Urban Community during the Pre-Civil War Period.<br />
Columbus, OH: Ohio State University Press, 1999.<br />
Gordon, Stephen Canning. “<strong>The</strong> <strong>City</strong> as ‘Porkopolis:’ Some Factors in the Rise of the Meat Packing Industry in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 1825-1861.”<br />
Master’s thesis, Miami University, 1981.<br />
Goss, Charles Frederic. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>: <strong>The</strong> <strong>Queen</strong> <strong>City</strong>, 1788-1912. 4 vols. Chicago, IL: S.J. Clarke Publishing, 1912.<br />
Grace, Kevin. Irish <strong>Cincinnati</strong>. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2012.<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
164
Grace, Kevin. Legendary Locals of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, Ohio. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2011.<br />
Grace, Kevin and Greg Hand. <strong>The</strong> University of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>. Montgomery, AL: Community Communications Inc., 1995.<br />
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Green, James A. William Henry Harrison: His Life and Times. Richmond, VA: Garrett and Massie, 1941.<br />
Greve, Charles <strong>The</strong>odore. Centennial History of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> and Representative Citizens. 2 vols. Chicago, IL: Biographical Publishing, 1904.<br />
Harding, Leonard. “<strong>The</strong> Negro in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 1860-1870: A Demographic Study of a Transitional Decade.” Master’s thesis, University of<br />
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Harper, Brett. Ladislas and Vilma Segoe: A Visionary Couple and <strong>The</strong>ir Love for Life. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, OH: Ladislas and Vilma Segoe Family<br />
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Reid, Robert L. Always a River: <strong>The</strong> Ohio River and the American Experience. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 1991.<br />
Reilly, Mary B. <strong>The</strong> Ivory Tower and the Smokestack: 100 Years of Cooperative Education at the University of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, OH: Emmis<br />
Books, 2006.<br />
Reynolds, Martha S. “<strong>The</strong> <strong>City</strong>, Suburbs, and the Establishment of the Clifton Town Meeting, 1961-1964.” <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Historical Society<br />
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Rhoda, Richard. “Urban Transport and the Expansion of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 1858 to 1920.” <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Historical Society Bulletin 35 (Summer 1977):<br />
130-143.<br />
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Rogers, Virgil A. “<strong>The</strong> Irish in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 1860-1870: A Typical Experience.” Master’s thesis, University of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 1972.<br />
Roma, Catherine, ed. A <strong>City</strong> That Sings: <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s Choral Tradition, 1800-2012. Wilmington, OH: Orange Frazer Press, 2012.<br />
Ross, Ishbel. An American Family: <strong>The</strong> Tafts, 1678 to 1964. Cleveland, OH: World Publishing Co., 1964.<br />
Ross, Steven J. Workers on the Edge: Work, Leisure, and Politics in Industrializing <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 1788-1890. New York: NY: Columbia University<br />
Press, 1985.<br />
Saint Lawrence, Parent Church of Price Hill: 125 Years, 1868-1993. Galion, OH: United Church Directories, 1993.<br />
Sarna, Jonathan D. and Nancy H. Klein. <strong>The</strong> Jews of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, OH: Center for Study of the American Jewish Experience,<br />
Hebrew Union College—Jewish Institute of Religion, 1989.<br />
Scamyhorn, Richard and John Steinle. Stockades in the Wilderness: <strong>The</strong> Frontier Defenses and Settlements of Southwestern Ohio, 1778-1795.<br />
Dayton, OH: Landfall Press, 1986.<br />
Scheiber, Harry N. Ohio Canal Era: A Case Study of Government and the Economy, 1820-1861. Athens, OH: Ohio University Press, 1969.<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
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Schmidlin, Thomas W. and Jeanne Appelhans Schmidlin. Thunder in the Heartland: A Chronicle of Outstanding Weather Events in Ohio. Kent,<br />
OH: Kent State University Press, 1996.<br />
Shannon, Mike. Riverfront Stadium: Home of the Big Red Machine. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2003.<br />
Shapiro, Henry D. and Zane L. Miller. Clifton: Neighborhood and Community in an Urban Setting. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, OH: Laboratory in American<br />
Civilization, 1976.<br />
Shapiro, Henry D. and Zane L. Miller, eds. Physician to the West: Selected Writings of Daniel Drake on Science & Society. Lexington, KY:<br />
University Press of Kentucky, 1970.<br />
Shapiro, Henry D. And Jonathan D. Sarna, eds. Ethnic Diversity and Civic Identity: Patterns of Conflict and Cohesion in <strong>Cincinnati</strong> since 1820.<br />
Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press, 1992.<br />
Silberstein, Iola Hessler. <strong>Cincinnati</strong> <strong>The</strong>n and Now. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, OH: League of Women Voters of the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Area, 1982.<br />
Singer, Allen J. Stepping Out in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>: <strong>Queen</strong> <strong>City</strong> Entertainment, 1900-1960. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2005.<br />
Skirtz, Alice. Econocide: Elimination of the Urban Poor. Washington, DC: NASW Press, 2012.<br />
Smiddy, Betty Ann with the Public Library of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> and Hamilton County. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s Great Disasters. Charleston, SC: Arcadia<br />
Publishing, 2007.<br />
Spiegel, S. Arthur. “Affirmative Action in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>.” <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Historical Society Bulletin 37 (Summer 1979): 78-88.<br />
Spraul-Schmidt, Judith. “<strong>The</strong> Late Nineteenth Century <strong>City</strong> and Its Cultural Institutions: <strong>The</strong> <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Zoological Garden, 1873-1898.”<br />
Master’s thesis, University of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 1977.<br />
Steiner, James F. Immaculata on Mt. Adams: A One-Hundred and Fifty Year History. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, OH: Mt. Adams Publishing, 2010.<br />
Stover, John F. Iron Road to the West: American Railroads in the 1850s. New York, NY: Columbia University Press, 1978.<br />
Stradling, David. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>: From River <strong>City</strong> to Highway Metropolis. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2003.<br />
Stupp, Dann. Opening Day at Great American Ball Park. Champaign, IL: Sports Publishing, 2003.<br />
Sullivan, Edward J. and Ruth Krueger Meyer, eds. <strong>The</strong> Taft Museum: Its History and Collections. 2 vols. New York, NY: Hudson Hills Press, 1995.<br />
Taylor, Henry Louis, Jr., ed. Race and the <strong>City</strong>: Work, Community, and Protest in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 1820-1970. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press, 1993.<br />
Taylor, Nikki M. Frontiers of Freedom: <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s Black Community, 1802-1868. Athens, OH: Ohio University Press, 2005.<br />
Tenkotte, Paul A. and James C. Claypool, eds. <strong>The</strong> Encyclopedia of Northern Kentucky. Lexington, KY: University Press of Kentucky, 2009.<br />
Tenkotte, Paul A. and Walter E. Langsam. A Heritage of Art and Faith: Downtown Covington Churches. Covington, KY: Kenton County Historical<br />
Society, 1986.<br />
Thierstein, Eldred A. <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Opera: From the Zoo to Music Hall. Hillsdale, MI: Deerstone Books, 1995.<br />
Tillery, Tyrone. “<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Blacks and the Great Depression, 1929-1938.” Master’s thesis, University of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 1972.<br />
Tolzmann, Don Heinrich. <strong>The</strong> <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Germans after the Great War. New York, NY: Peter Lang, 1987.<br />
Tolzmann, Don Heinrich. German <strong>Cincinnati</strong>. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2005.<br />
Tolzmann, Don Heinrich. German Heritage Guide to the Greater <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Area. 2nd ed. Milford, OH: Little Miami Publishing Co., 2007.<br />
Tolzmann, Don Heinrich. Over-the-Rhine Tour Guide: <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s Historic German District, Over-the-Rhine, and Environs. Milford, OH: Little<br />
Miami Publishing Co., 2011.<br />
Trollope, Frances. Domestic Manners of the Americans. 2 vols. London: Whittaker, Treacher & Co., 1832.<br />
Tucker, Louis L. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s Citizen Crusaders: A History of the Cincinnatus Association, 1920-1965. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>: OH, <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Historical<br />
Society, 1967.<br />
Tucker, Louis L. “Mike Mullen: Saint or Sinner?” <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Historical Society Bulletin 27 (Summer 1969): 106-122.<br />
Tuttle, Elisabeth H. and Stephen C. Gordon. <strong>Queen</strong>sgate II: A Preliminary Historical Site Report. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, OH: Gordon and Tuttle, 1981.<br />
United Way of Greater <strong>Cincinnati</strong>. <strong>The</strong> State of the Community: A Report on the Socio-Economic Health of the Greater <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Region. 5th ed.<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>, OH: United Way of Greater <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 2012.<br />
U.S. Bureau of the Census. 1970 Census of Population and Housing. Census Tracts. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, Ohio-Ky.-Ind. Standard Metropolitan Statistical<br />
Area. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1972.<br />
U.S. Bureau of the Census. 1980 Census of Population and Housing. Census Tracts. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, Ohio-Ky.-Ind. Standard Metropolitan Statistical<br />
Area. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1983.<br />
U.S. Bureau of the Census. 1990 Census of Population and Housing. Population and Housing Characteristics for Census Tracts and Block Numbering<br />
Areas. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>-Hamilton, OH-KY-IN CMSA (Part). <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, OH-KY-IN PMSA. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1993.<br />
U.S. Bureau of the Census. United States Census of Population 1950. Census Tract Statistics, <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, Ohio and Adjacent Area: Selected Population<br />
and Housing Characteristics. (volume 3, chapter 2) Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1952.<br />
Urban Design Associates. Hamilton County/<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Central Riverfront Urban Design Master Plan. Pittsburgh, PA: Urban Design Associates, 2000.<br />
Vitz, Robert C. <strong>The</strong> <strong>Queen</strong> and the Arts: Cultural Life in Nineteenth-Century <strong>Cincinnati</strong>. Kent, OH: Kent State University Press, 1989.<br />
F O R F U R T H E R R E A D I N G<br />
1 6 7
Wade, Richard C. <strong>The</strong> Urban Frontier: <strong>The</strong> Rise of Western Cities, 1790-1830. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1959.<br />
Wagner, Richard M. and Roy J. Wright. <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Streetcars. 10 vols. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, OH: Wagner Car Co., 1968-1997.<br />
Wagner, Thomas E. and Phillip J. Obermiller. Valuing Our Past, Creating Our Future: <strong>The</strong> Founding of the Urban Appalachian Council. Berea,<br />
KY: Berea College Press, 1999.<br />
Walsh, Margaret. “<strong>The</strong> Spatial Evolution of the Midwestern Pork Industry, 1835-75.” Journal of Historical Geography 4 (January 1978): 1-22.<br />
Washington, Michael H. “<strong>The</strong> Black Struggle for Desegregated Quality Education: <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, Ohio, 1954-1974.” Ed.D. diss., University of<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 1984.<br />
Way, Frederick, Jr. Way’s Packet Directory, 1848-1994: Passenger Steamboats of the Mississippi River System since the Advent of Photography in<br />
Mid-Continent America. Athens, OH: Ohio University Press, 1994.<br />
Way, Frederick, Jr., and Joseph W. Rutter. Way’s Steam Towboat Directory. Athens, OH: Ohio University Press, 1990.<br />
White, John H., Jr. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>: <strong>City</strong> of Seven Hills and Five Inclines. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, OH: <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Railroad Club, 2001.<br />
White, John H., Jr. On the Right Track: Some Historic <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Railroads. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, OH: <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Railroad Club, 2003.<br />
White, John H., Jr. Wet Britches and Muddy Boots: A History of Travel in Victorian America. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 2013.<br />
Winkler, Allan M. “<strong>The</strong> <strong>Queen</strong> <strong>City</strong> and World War II.” <strong>Queen</strong> <strong>City</strong> Heritage 49 (Spring 1991): 2-20.<br />
Wing, George A. “<strong>The</strong> History of the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Machine-Tool Industry.” Ph.D. diss., Indiana University, 1964.<br />
Woellert, Dann. <strong>The</strong> Authentic History of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Chili. Charleston, SC: History Press, 2013.<br />
Woellert, Dann. <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Turner Societies: <strong>The</strong> Cradle of an American Movement. Charleston, SC: History Press, 2012.<br />
Woods, William K. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s Community Councils: An Assessment of Capacity Building for Citizen Involvement in the <strong>City</strong> Budget Process. New<br />
York, NY: National Municipal League, 1979.<br />
Writers’ Program of the Work Projects Administration in the State of Ohio. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>: A Guide to the <strong>Queen</strong> <strong>City</strong> and Its Neighbors. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>,<br />
OH: Weisen-Hart Press, 1943.<br />
Wunder, John, ed. Toward an Urban Ohio: A Conference to Commemorate the Bicentennial of the American Revolution. Columbus, OH: Ohio<br />
Historical Society, 1977.<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Museum Center, a multi-museum complex housed in <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Union Terminal (2013).<br />
PHOTOGRAPH BY RICK KESTERMAN.<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
168
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>: <strong>The</strong> <strong>Queen</strong> <strong>City</strong>, 225th Anniversary Edition was made possible through the contributions of many people and is built upon the<br />
original 1982 edition of the book which was published by the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Historical Society. Daniel Hurley, then head of the education<br />
department, was the principal author of that first edition which was based on scripts he developed for a television series on <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
history. Virtually every member of the Historical Society staff at the time helped with the publication.<br />
<strong>The</strong> 225th Anniversary Edition of the book is an effort to update this important general history of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> which had not been revised<br />
since the release of a third edition in 1996. Much has happened in the city and surrounding region since that time and Dr. Paul Tenkotte<br />
has picked up where the text left off and has written a fascinating new chapter that brings the story of the city up to the present and the<br />
225th anniversary of the city’s founding in 1788.<br />
<strong>The</strong> following individuals and organizations helped in the production of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>: <strong>The</strong> <strong>Queen</strong> <strong>City</strong>, 225th Anniversary Edition. Our sincere<br />
thanks go out to all who helped make this edition possible.<br />
3CDC<br />
Linda Bailey<br />
Jim Borgman<br />
Karen Bouquet<br />
Victor J. Canfield<br />
Barbara Dawson<br />
Mickey deVisé<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Enquirer<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Metropolitan Housing Authority<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Preservation Association<br />
Downtown <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Inc.<br />
Scott Gampfer<br />
Beth Gerber<br />
Lisa Gillespie<br />
Colin Hart<br />
Kathleen Hickey<br />
Historical Publishing Network<br />
Dave Ivory<br />
Eric Jackson<br />
Kenton County Public Library<br />
M’Lissa Kesterman<br />
Rick Kesterman<br />
Danny Klingler<br />
Ron Lammert<br />
Kelly Leon<br />
Tonya Matthews<br />
Douglass McDonald<br />
Anastasia Mileham<br />
Zane L. Miller<br />
Fred Mitchell<br />
Mark Neikirk<br />
Steve Oldfield<br />
OTR A.D.O.P.T.<br />
Mike Philipps<br />
Elizabeth Pierce<br />
Frank X. Prudent<br />
Public Library of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> and Hamilton County<br />
Deborah Rieselman<br />
Mindy Rosen<br />
Judy Schaefer<br />
John Schlipp<br />
David Schroeder<br />
Anne Shepherd<br />
Claire Smittle<br />
Judith Spraul-Schmidt<br />
Robert Stevie<br />
Stevie Publishing Inc.<br />
Jeff Suess<br />
University of <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
Patricia Van Skaik<br />
Margaret Warminski<br />
Carolyn Washburn<br />
WIN (Working in Neighborhoods)<br />
Xavier University<br />
A C K N O W L E D G M E N T S<br />
1 6 9
#<br />
21c Museum Hotel, 150, 151<br />
A<br />
Abolitionists, 39<br />
ACI Building, 72<br />
Adams Place, 150<br />
Aeronca, 123<br />
African Americans. See Blacks<br />
Agenda 360, 132<br />
Agriculture and agricultural products, 18, 19, 23, 26, 29<br />
Airports, 123, 125, 133, 162<br />
AK Steel, 133<br />
Albee <strong>The</strong>ater, 124, 125<br />
Alexander, Ed, 102<br />
All-America <strong>City</strong> Award, 113, 127, 146<br />
Allen Temple African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.)<br />
Church, 156<br />
Allen Temple Real Estate Foundation, 157<br />
Allen, Diarca Howe, 40<br />
Alternative Rock, 136<br />
Amberley, 117, 118, 137<br />
American Alliance of Museums, 7<br />
American Can, 160<br />
American Citizens League, 91<br />
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), 144<br />
American Federation of Labor, 108<br />
American Financial Group, 133, 143<br />
American Football League, 123<br />
American Institute of Architects, 161<br />
American Israelite. See Israelite<br />
American Planning Association, 148<br />
American Red Cross, 106<br />
American Rivers, 134<br />
American Sign Museum, 161<br />
Amusement parks, 87, 112, 143, 159<br />
Annexation, 63, 73, 82, 83, 91, 153, 160<br />
Anti-Catholic sentiment, 39<br />
Anti-foreign sentiment, 39<br />
Anti-German sentiment, 89, 91<br />
Antislavery movement, 28, 40<br />
Apartment buildings, 72, 115, 136, 156<br />
Apartments, 92, 109, 110<br />
Appalachian Festival, 137<br />
Appalachians, 118<br />
Archdiocese of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 137<br />
Ark by the River Church, 140<br />
Aronoff Center for Design and Art, 155<br />
Aronoff Center for the Arts, 150, 152<br />
Art Academy of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 59, 152, 158<br />
Art education, 59<br />
Art Palace of the West, 61<br />
Artisan shops, 26, 74, 75<br />
Artists, 28, 33, 41, 53, 59, 90, 104<br />
Ashland, 133<br />
Associated Charities, 91, 104, 105<br />
Attucks Blues, 42<br />
Automobiles, 73, 85, 96, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119,<br />
121, 135, 162<br />
Avondale, 70, 73, 77, 118, 119, 120, 121, 126, 140,<br />
153, 155, 156<br />
Avondale Community Council, 156<br />
Avondale Comprehensive Development Corporation,<br />
156<br />
Avondale Town Center, 121<br />
Avondale Youth Council, 156<br />
B<br />
Baha’i Center, 137<br />
Baker and Norton Realty Company, 119<br />
INDEX<br />
Baldwin Piano Company, 86<br />
Bank of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 28<br />
Banks (<strong>The</strong>), 148, 149, 151<br />
Banks and banking, 27, 28, 42, 47, 72, 87, 92, 121,<br />
126, 127, 133<br />
Baptist Ministers Conference, 146<br />
Barrie, Dennis, 145<br />
Bartlett Building, 72<br />
Barton, James Pierce, 8<br />
Baseball, 52, 53, 73, 115, 116, 147, 148, 157<br />
Batte of Tippecanoe, 20<br />
Battle of Fallen Timbers, 17, 18<br />
Battle of the Thames, 20<br />
Baum, Martin, 27, 28, 36<br />
Bazaar, 35<br />
Beard, James Henry, 20<br />
Bebb, William, 49<br />
Beech Acres Parenting Center, 143<br />
Beecher, Catharine, 40<br />
Beecher, Harriet. See Stowe, Harriet Beecher<br />
Beecher, Rev. Lyman, 40<br />
Beer gardens, 37, 79<br />
Beiderbeck, Kay, 136<br />
Bell Event Centre, 140<br />
Belle of Louisville, 136<br />
Bellevue Brewing Company, 84<br />
Bellevue Incline, 65, 66<br />
Benson, George, 136<br />
Bentley, Henry, 99, 102<br />
Berner, William, 77<br />
Best-governed city award, 101<br />
Better Housing League, 92, 110<br />
Bettman, Alfred, 115<br />
Bicentennial, 136<br />
Bicentennial Commons, 136, 162<br />
Bicycles, 148<br />
Biden, U.S. Vice President Joe, 160<br />
Bi-Okoto Cultural Institute, 137<br />
Birdless ballot, 99<br />
Birdless Ballot League, 102<br />
Birney, James G., 39<br />
Bisexual, 144, 145<br />
Black Brigade, 43<br />
Black education, 41, 44, 73, 74<br />
Black school board, 41<br />
Black Sunday, 107<br />
Black United Front, 144<br />
Blacks, 33, 36, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 64, 70, 73, 74,<br />
92, 95, 105, 109, 110, 118, 120, 121, 126, 146, 156<br />
Blue Ash, 117, 123, 162<br />
Blue Ash Airport, 162<br />
Blue Chip <strong>City</strong>, 146<br />
Blue Jacket (Shawnee chief), 17<br />
Blues, 136<br />
Board of Trade, 56<br />
Bodmer, Karl, 12, 13<br />
Boehner, John, 157<br />
Bolton, Jack, 123<br />
Bond Hill, 118, 126, 127, 155, 156, 157<br />
Boomers, 22, 23, 24, 26, 28, 128<br />
Boone County, Kentucky, 123, 131<br />
Boone, Daniel, 8, 13<br />
Boone, Jemima, 13<br />
Boosters, 22, 24, 26, 28, 31, 32, 46, 47, 51, 53, 61,<br />
115, 133<br />
Booth, Junius Brutus, 43<br />
Borgman, Jim, 145<br />
Bossism, 63, 79, 80, 82<br />
Boston, Massachusetts, 9, 45, 54<br />
Boudinot, Elias, 15<br />
Boundaries, 63, 117, 131, 149, 153<br />
Bourdelle, Pierre, 104<br />
Boyd, Henry, 36<br />
Bracken County, Kentucky, 131<br />
Branch Bank of the United States, 20<br />
Brandt, J. Michael, 146<br />
Brent Spence Bridge, 132<br />
Breweries, 37, 83, 91, 107, 151<br />
Bridges, 42, 43, 50, 51, 65, 66, 76, 107<br />
Briol, Paul, 5, 91, 97, 99, 108, 111, 113, 124<br />
British, 9, 10, 20, 88<br />
Broadway Commons, 147, 151<br />
Bronson, Mona, 147<br />
Brown County, Ohio, 131<br />
Brown, James, 136, 138<br />
Brown, William, 160<br />
Bucktown, 41, 64<br />
Buddhists, 137<br />
Buenger, Clement L., 146<br />
Bullock Electric Manufacturing Company, 71<br />
Bunbury Music Festival, 136<br />
Burnet Woods, 54, 55<br />
Burnet, Jacob, 17, 24, 28, 53<br />
Burnham, Daniel, 72, 151<br />
Business districts, 71, 159<br />
Butler County, Ohio, 131, 134<br />
Butler, Simon, 12<br />
C<br />
C&O Bridge, 136<br />
Cable-cars, 66<br />
Caine, Shirley, 126<br />
California, 84, 107, 157, 158, 159<br />
California Golf Course, 159<br />
California Woods Nature Preserve, 159<br />
Callaway, Elizabeth, 13<br />
Callaway, Frances, 13<br />
Callaway, Richard, 13<br />
Calvary Episcopal Church, 140<br />
Calvary United Methodist Church, 141<br />
Camargo Country Club, 119<br />
Camargo Realty Co., 119<br />
Cambridge Tile, 111<br />
Camp Dennison, 41, 43<br />
Camp Washington, 70, 137, 140, 160, 161, 162<br />
Camp Washington Chili, 161<br />
Campbell County, Kentucky, 131<br />
Campbell, Thomas C., 77<br />
Canal boats, 26, 32<br />
Canals, 24, 25, 26, 29, 31, 32, 47, 48, 49, 50, 78, 85<br />
Carew Building, 89, 102<br />
Carew Tower, 94, 103, 104, 106, 107<br />
Carey (Philip) Manufacturing Company, 108<br />
Carl H. Lindner Jr. Family Center for Conservation and<br />
Research of Endangered Wildlife (CREW), 156<br />
Carmel Presbyterian Church, 140<br />
Carrel, George P., 97<br />
Carriage making, 75<br />
Carthage, 37, 136<br />
Carthage Fairgrounds, 136<br />
Casinos, 151<br />
Catholic Charities Southwestern Ohio, 143<br />
Cattle, 32<br />
Celeste, Richard, 142<br />
Cemeteries, 41, 54, 55, 77<br />
Census, 34, 46, 128, 131, 133, 135, 142, 146<br />
Centennial Exposition of the Ohio Valley and Central<br />
States, 56, 57, 58<br />
Center for Academic Research Excellence (CARE)/<br />
Crawley Building, 155<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
170
Centinel of the North-Western Territory, 18<br />
Central business district, 63, 115, 121, 122<br />
Central Parkway, 95, 113, 151, 152, 153<br />
Central Riverfront Plan of 2000, 149<br />
Cesar Pelli Associates, 150<br />
Chamber of Commerce, 56, 60, 95, 102, 146<br />
Chamber of Commerce building, 102<br />
Chamberlin, William T., 23<br />
Champion, Aaron, 52<br />
Changing Gears, 143<br />
Charities, 96, 105, 143<br />
Charity Navigator, 143<br />
Charles Phelps Taft Memorial Fund, 100<br />
Charles, Ray, 136<br />
Charter Committee, 98, 101, 102<br />
Charterites, 101, 127<br />
Chase, Salmon P., 40<br />
Chatfield College, 153<br />
Chattanooga, Tennessee, 51<br />
Chem-Dyne, 134<br />
Chemed Center, 150<br />
Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad, 107<br />
Chester Park, 87<br />
Chevrolet plant, 108<br />
Chicago, 46, 50, 51, 72, 87, 128, 131<br />
Chili, 137<br />
Chilifest, 137<br />
Chiquita Brands International, 133<br />
Christ Church, 21, 140<br />
Christ Hospital, 153, 154, 155<br />
Christian Moerlein Brewing Co., 83, 151<br />
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 142<br />
Church of the Advent Episcopal, 141<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> 2000 Plan, 128<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> and Hamilton Railroad, 48<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> and Suburban Bell Telephone Company,<br />
102, 103<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> and Whitewater Canal, 26, 27<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Art Museum, 49, 59, 60, 61, 81, 157, 158<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Ballet, 143, 152<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Bengals, 136, 147, 148<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Board of Education, 89, 147<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Business Men’s Club, 60, 95<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Center <strong>City</strong> Development Corporation<br />
(3CDC), 151, 152<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Children’s Hospital Medical Center, 70, 132,<br />
153, 154, 156<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Chili, 137<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> <strong>City</strong> Planning Commission, 113, 114, 115,<br />
122, 128, 134, 162<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Club, 102<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> College, 21, 24<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Commercial, 61, 64, 69<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Department of Community Development,<br />
153<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Enquirer, 35, 64, 102, 120, 121, 133, 136,<br />
137, 138, 139, 142, 143, 145, 147, 149<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Fall Festival, 58, 60<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Gas and Electric Company, 102, 107<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Gazette, 77<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Hamilton and Dayton Railroad, 48, 50, 69<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Historical Society, 5, 158, 161<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> History Library & Archives, 5, 6, 161<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> History Museum, 6, 161<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Institute of Fine Arts, 100<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Law School, 25, 84, 98, 100<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Locomotive Works, 48<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> lung, 96<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> May Festival. See May Festival<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Metropolitan Housing Authority, 109, 110,<br />
118, 161<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Metropolitan Master Plan. See Metropolitan<br />
Master Plan<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Milacron, 159<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Milling Machine Company, 111, 115<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Model Homes Company, 91, 92, 109<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Museum Center, 5, 6, 7, 161<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Northern Kentucky International Airport,<br />
133<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Northern Railroad, 69<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Opera, 143, 152<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Playhouse in the Park, 157, 158<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Police Department, 144<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Pops Orchestra, 152<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Post, 97, 118, 133, 147<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Preservation Association, 125, 141<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Public Schools, 138, 139, 143, 146, 147,<br />
152, 153, 158<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Red Stockings, 52<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Redevelopment Corporation, 122<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Reds, 52, 116, 123, 136, 147, 148<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Reds Hall of Fame and Museum, 148<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Royals, 121<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Southern Railroad, 51, 53, 85, 107, 125<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> State Technical and Community College,<br />
143, 154, 160<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Street Railway Company, 66, 115<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Symphony Orchestra, 100, 101, 143, 152<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Times-Star, 100, 118<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Transit Company, 67, 97, 107<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Union Terminal, 5, 6, 86, 103, 104, 107,<br />
108, 109, 111, 123, 125, 161, 162<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Volksblatt. See Volksblatt<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Whitewater Canal. See <strong>Cincinnati</strong> and<br />
Whitewater Canal<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Works, 143<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Youth Collaborative, 142<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Zoo and Botanical Garden, 55, 60, 109, 156<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Zoological Gardens. See <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Zoo and<br />
Botanical Garden<br />
Cincinnatus Association, 16, 98<br />
Cincinnatus, Lucius Quinctius, 16<br />
Cincy Blues Fest, 136<br />
CincyTech, 132<br />
Cinergy Field, 136, 147, 148<br />
Cintas Center, 157<br />
Cintrifuse, 132<br />
Cist, Charles, 28, 34, 36, 40, 45<br />
CitiRAMA, 157, 160<br />
Citizens Planning Association, 115<br />
<strong>City</strong> charter, 25, 102, 145, 146<br />
<strong>City</strong> council, 37, 65, 81, 101, 102, 113, 115, 120, 126,<br />
127, 128, 143, 145, 146, 162<br />
<strong>City</strong> government, 44, 45, 79, 96, 102, 105, 126, 127<br />
<strong>City</strong> Hall, 80, 96, 115, 126, 128, 144<br />
<strong>City</strong> living, return to, 127<br />
<strong>City</strong> manager, 102, 105, 106, 121, 127, 146<br />
<strong>City</strong> Plan of 1925. See Official <strong>City</strong> Plan of 1925<br />
<strong>City</strong> Plan of 1948. See Master Plan (1948)<br />
<strong>City</strong> planning, 95, 115, 128<br />
<strong>City</strong> Planning Commission. See <strong>Cincinnati</strong> <strong>City</strong><br />
Planning Commission<br />
<strong>City</strong> Planning Committee, 95<br />
<strong>City</strong> West, 161, 162<br />
<strong>City</strong>Link Center, 143<br />
Civil rights movement, 113<br />
Civil War, 38, 41, 42, 46, 51, 56<br />
Civilian Conservation Corps, 108<br />
Clark, Peter H., 44<br />
Clean Water Act, 133, 134<br />
Clermont County, Ohio, 119, 137, 142<br />
Cleveland, 25, 81, 87, 91, 98, 131, 132<br />
Clifton, 56, 68, 69, 83, 84, 106, 119, 126, 140, 141,<br />
153, 155, 156<br />
Clifton Heights, 140, 153, 155, 156<br />
Clifton Heights Community Urban Redevelopment<br />
Corporation (CHCURC), 155<br />
Clifton Town Meeting, 126<br />
Climate, 45, 95<br />
Clooney, Betty, 137<br />
Clooney, George, 137<br />
Clooney, Nick, 137<br />
Clooney, Rosemary, 137<br />
Clothing manufacturing, 35<br />
Coast Guard, 106<br />
Cobb, Henry, 155<br />
Coffin, Levi, 39<br />
Coliseum. See Riverfront Coliseum<br />
Collaborative Agreement, 144<br />
College Conservatory of Music, 154, 155<br />
College Hill, 67, 69, 70, 118, 126, 127, 160<br />
College Hill Community Urban Redevelopment<br />
Corporation, 160<br />
College Hill Forum, 160<br />
College Hill Omnibus, 67<br />
College Hill Railroad, 69<br />
College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning<br />
(DAAP), 154<br />
College of Law, 154<br />
College of Music, 59<br />
Collins, Bootsy, 138<br />
Collot, Victor, 14, 19<br />
Colored Cemetery, 77<br />
Colored Public Schools, 44<br />
Columbia, 11, 14, 23, 127, 157, 158, 159<br />
Columbia (statue), 89<br />
Columbia Parkway, 95, 109, 110, 159<br />
Columbia Township, 119<br />
Columbia Tusculum, 127, 157, 158, 159<br />
Columbus, Ohio, 78, 91, 107, 115, 131, 133<br />
Commercial Arts Building, 150<br />
Commercial Bank, 47<br />
Committee on Public Information, 89<br />
Common school system, 45<br />
Communities, 63, 66, 69, 70, 71, 73, 77, 83, 117<br />
Community Action Commission, 126<br />
Community Builders, 156<br />
Community councils, 126, 127<br />
Community organizations, 73, 126, 127<br />
Commuter transportation, 69<br />
Concord, 117<br />
Concordia Lutheran Church, 141<br />
Condominiums, 149, 151, 157, 158, 159, 160, 161<br />
Condon, Randall, 89<br />
Coney Island, 81, 112, 120, 137, 143, 159<br />
Confederate Army, 41, 42, 43<br />
Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO), 108<br />
Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), 120<br />
Construction projects, 102, 104, 120, 151<br />
Contemporary Arts Center (CAC), 144, 145, 150<br />
Convention center, 115, 125<br />
Copperheads, 43<br />
Corbett Foundation, 143<br />
Corbett Opera Center, 152<br />
Corbett, J. Ralph, 143<br />
Corbett, Patricia, 143<br />
Corry, William M., 51<br />
Corryville, 120, 140, 153, 154, 155<br />
Corryville Community Development Corporation, 155<br />
Cotton Club, 120<br />
Country clubs, 119<br />
Courthouse Riot (1884), 77, 78, 79<br />
Covenant First Presbyterian Church, 140<br />
Covington and <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Suspension Bridge. See John<br />
A. Roebling Suspension Bridge<br />
Covington and Lexington Railroad, 48<br />
Covington, Kentucky, 31, 32, 33, 41, 48, 65, 66, 69,<br />
76, 136, 137, 145, 146<br />
Cox organization, 82, 83, 84, 85<br />
Cox, George B., 63, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 96<br />
Craig, James, 146<br />
Crapsey, Charles, 160<br />
Crime, 38, 41, 75, 77, 126, 144, 156<br />
Crosley Corporation, 116<br />
Crosley Field, 107, 116, 135, 136<br />
I N D E X<br />
1 7 1
Crosley Motors, 116<br />
Crosley, Powel, Jr., 116<br />
Crossroads Community Church, 142, 143<br />
CUF Neighborhood Association, 153<br />
Cultural development, 25, 28, 53, 55, 57, 58, 59, 60,<br />
61, 100<br />
Cumminsville, 70, 71, 77, 85, 117<br />
Cutler, Ephraim, 24<br />
D<br />
DAAP. See College of Design, Architecture, Art,<br />
and Planning<br />
Dabney Building, 74<br />
Dabney, Wendell Phillips, 44, 74<br />
Dairy farmers, 70<br />
Dalai Lama, 142<br />
Daniel Carter Beard Bridge, 51<br />
Davidson, Tyler, 53<br />
Davis, Miles, 136<br />
Dayton Street, 64<br />
Dayton, Ohio, 23, 25, 26, 48, 50, 69, 91, 107, 115<br />
Deaconess Health Campus, 153<br />
Deal, Tina, 147<br />
Dearborn County, Indiana, 131<br />
Deatrick, John, 149<br />
Deer Creek Valley, 33, 64, 85<br />
Deer Park, 117<br />
Delaware Indians, 9<br />
Delta Air Lines, 133<br />
Delta <strong>Queen</strong>, 136<br />
Democratic national convention, 60<br />
Democratic Party, 39, 43, 44, 81, 84, 102, 127<br />
Denman, Matthias, 11<br />
Department of Neighborhood Housing and<br />
Conservation, 127<br />
Department stores, 73, 102, 105, 149<br />
Depressions, 21, 50, 65, 75, 96, 102, 104, 105, 108,<br />
109, 111, 115, 117, 118<br />
DeSales Corner, 159<br />
DeSales Flats, 159<br />
Desegregation, 147<br />
Desmond, John J., 78<br />
Deupree, Richard R., 115<br />
Deutscher Staats-Verband, 87, 91<br />
DHL, 133<br />
Diehl, Harrison P., 33<br />
Discrimination, 120, 145<br />
Dixie Terminal, 102<br />
Doctors’ Building, 102<br />
Donabedian, Bill, 136<br />
Douglas, Stephen, 50<br />
Douglass League, 74<br />
Douglass School, 73<br />
Downtown <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Inc. (DCI), 151<br />
Downtown development, 125, 128<br />
Downtown redevelopment, 122<br />
Downtown Riverfront Development Plan, 135<br />
Drake, Benjamin, 29<br />
Drake, Daniel, 25, 40, 51, 115<br />
Draper, Walter, 115<br />
Druiding, Adolphus, 140, 141<br />
DuBois Tower, 122<br />
Duke Energy Children’s Museum, 5, 6, 7, 161<br />
Duke Energy Convention Center, 151<br />
Duncanson, Robert S., 28, 33<br />
dunnhumby Centre, 151<br />
Duveneck, Frank, 81<br />
Dykstra, C. A., 102, 105, 106<br />
E<br />
Eagle Iron Works, 34, 46<br />
Earls, William T., 124<br />
East End, 107, 118, 140, 141, 157, 158<br />
East Price Hill, 160, 161<br />
East Price Hill National Historic District, 161<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
172<br />
East Walnut Hills, 127, 141, 159<br />
Eaton, Joseph Oriel, 47<br />
Economy, 18, 28, 31, 36, 41, 43, 47, 50, 51, 95, 102,<br />
105, 109, 117, 132, 133<br />
Eden Park, 54, 60, 61, 152, 157<br />
Edge of Appalachia Preserve. See Richard and Lucile<br />
Durrell Edge of Appalachia Preserve<br />
Education, 45, 59, 74, 89, 146, 147, 154<br />
Ehrgott, Forbriger and Company, 63<br />
Eisenman, Peter, 155<br />
Elberon (<strong>The</strong>), 161<br />
Elder Beerman, 149<br />
Elm Street School, 73<br />
Elzner, Alfred O., 72<br />
Emery Arcade, 102<br />
Emery Hotel, 102<br />
Emery, John J., 40, 102, 103, 115<br />
Emery, Mary, 92, 93, 109<br />
Emery, Thomas, 92<br />
Emery’s (Thomas) Sons, 72, 106<br />
Employment, 32, 41, 59, 105, 111, 120, 121, 133,<br />
145, 151, 153, 155<br />
Engineering Research Center, 154<br />
English Woods, 109<br />
Enquirer Building, 150<br />
Ensemble <strong>The</strong>atre <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 152<br />
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 134<br />
Equal Rights, Not Special Rights, 145<br />
Equality <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 145<br />
Equality Foundation of Greater <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 145<br />
Erd, Franz Ignatz, 141<br />
Erkenbrecher, Andrew, 55<br />
Eulett Center, 6, 7<br />
Evanston, 126, 140, 141, 157<br />
Expositions, 53, 55, 56, 57, 58, 60<br />
Expressways, 113, 115, 119, 125, 134, 135<br />
F<br />
Factories, 29, 34, 43, 50, 59, 64, 70, 73, 74, 75, 86,<br />
96, 104, 115, 118, 123, 135, 161<br />
Factory workers, 71, 92<br />
Fairfield, Ohio, 142<br />
Fairmount, 160<br />
Fairs, 37, 41, 56, 58<br />
Fairview, 73, 153<br />
Fairview Civic Association, 73<br />
Fairview Heights Civic Association, 73<br />
Fairview Incline, 66<br />
Fall Festival Association, 60<br />
Fallen Timbers, Battle of. See Battle of Fallen Timbers<br />
Falls of the Ohio, 24, 50<br />
Farmers and Mechanics Bank, 28<br />
Farmers’ College, 69<br />
Farny, Henry, 35, 79, 80<br />
Federal Building, 120<br />
Federal government, 17, 24, 105, 109, 111, 121, 122,<br />
124, 131, 133, 161<br />
Federal highway act, 115<br />
Federal Reserve Bank, 122<br />
Federal Writers Program, 108<br />
Federated Civic Association, 73<br />
Federated Department Stores, 149<br />
Federated Improvement Association, 95<br />
Fellheimer and Wagner, 104<br />
Fernald Feed Materials Production Center, 134<br />
Fernbank, 69<br />
Fernbank Dam, 60<br />
Fest-Halle, 57<br />
Festivals, 38, 53, 55, 56, 58, 60, 73, 136, 137, 144, 152<br />
Fifth Third Bancorp, 133<br />
Fifth Third Bank, 122, 146, 150<br />
Fifth Third Bank Center, 122<br />
Fifth Third Bank <strong>The</strong>ater, 150<br />
Filson, John, 11, 16<br />
Fire companies, 45<br />
Fire department, 45, 46, 82, 146<br />
Fire engines, 45<br />
Fire protection, 45<br />
Fireworks, 33, 43, 125, 136<br />
First Financial Center, 150<br />
First German Reformed Church, 141<br />
First Lutheran Church, 140<br />
First National Bank, 72, 133<br />
First Unitarian Church, 140<br />
First United Church of Christ, 141<br />
Fisher Body plant, 108<br />
Flatboats, 18, 19, 22<br />
Fleischmann, Julius, 84<br />
Flint, Timothy, 22<br />
Flood 1884, 76, 107<br />
Flood 1913, 107<br />
Flood 1937, 76, 105, 106, 107, 113, 122, 126, 133,<br />
134, 135<br />
Floods, 64, 107, 135, 140, 141, 162<br />
Florence, Kentucky, 142<br />
Flour milling, 27, 29<br />
Foraker, Joseph, 80<br />
Ford, 142<br />
Fort Greenville, 17<br />
Fort Mitchell, Kentucky, 43<br />
Fort Washington, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 36<br />
Fort Washington Way, 129, 135, 149<br />
Fort Wayne, Treaty of. See Treaty of Fort Wayne<br />
Fortune 500, 132, 133<br />
Fortune Magazine, 101<br />
Fosdick Church of God, 140<br />
Foucar’s Cafe, 81, 83<br />
Foundries, 34<br />
Fountain Place, 149<br />
Fountain Square, 122, 124, 128, 144, 151<br />
Fountain Square South, 125<br />
Fourth and Walnut Centre, 72<br />
Fourth National Bank Building, 151<br />
Fourth Street, 63, 64, 72, 76, 80, 102, 127, 149, 151<br />
Fragmentation, 45, 131<br />
Frampton, Peter, 138<br />
Franklin County, Indiana, 131<br />
Fraternal Order of Police, 144<br />
Fred’s Place, 80<br />
Freestore Foodbank, 142, 143<br />
Freie Presse, 88, 91<br />
French Bauer, 105<br />
Frontier, 9, 12, 14, 18, 24, 26, 29, 59<br />
Fulton, Robert, 18<br />
Furniture manufacturing, 33, 34, 35, 36<br />
G<br />
Gabriel’s Corner, 140<br />
Gabriel’s Place, 141, 156<br />
Gaines High School, 41<br />
Galbreath, John, 122<br />
Gallatin County, Kentucky, 131<br />
Galvin, John, 95<br />
Garber & Woodward, 94<br />
Garber, Tweddell and Wheeler, 122<br />
Garden of Eden, 54<br />
Garfield Park, 75, 127<br />
Garfield Place, 64, 102, 150<br />
Gasoline crisis, 127<br />
Gateway Quarter, 151<br />
Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Greater<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 144<br />
Gay rights, 144, 145<br />
GBBN, 150<br />
Gehry, Frank, 154, 156<br />
Geier Collections & Research Center, 6<br />
Geier, Frederick V., 115<br />
General Cable, 133<br />
General Motors, 108, 142, 157<br />
General Pike (Steamboat), 46
General Strike of May 1886, 79<br />
Genius of Water, 53<br />
Gentrification, 128<br />
German Alliance, 87<br />
German Americans, 87, 88, 89, 91<br />
German Austrian Hungarian Aid Society, 88<br />
German Mutual Insurance Company, 89<br />
German singing societies, 38, 56, 58<br />
Germania (statue), 89<br />
Germans, 36, 37, 38, 42, 64, 69, 70, 73, 79, 82, 83,<br />
87, 89, 91, 108, 111<br />
Gest, Erasmus, 49<br />
Gibson Art Company, 59<br />
Gilbert, Cass, 94<br />
Gillespie, Dizzy, 136<br />
Glencoe Place, 127<br />
Glendale, 69<br />
Glendale Association, 69<br />
Glenn, Edmund R., 69<br />
Globe Carriage Company, 75<br />
Goettafest, 137<br />
Goforth, William, 25<br />
Golf Manor, 118<br />
Good Housing Foundation, 127<br />
Good Samaritan Hospital, 153<br />
Goshorn, Alfred T., 56, 57<br />
Gothard, William Harry, 88<br />
Governor Morrow (Locomotive), 50<br />
Graeter’s Ice Cream, 157<br />
Gramercy on Garfield, 150<br />
Grand Hotel, 72<br />
Grant County, Kentucky, 131<br />
Graves, Michael, 154, 159<br />
Great American Ball Park, 147, 148<br />
Great American Insurance, 143<br />
Great American Tower, 143, 148, 150, 151<br />
Great Depression, 96, 102, 104, 105, 108, 111<br />
Great Lakes, 25, 47, 51<br />
Great Miami River, 10, 11, 14, 23<br />
Great Western Sanitary Fair, 41, 43<br />
Greater <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Airport, 108, 123, 125<br />
Greater <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Chamber of Commerce. See<br />
Chamber of Commerce<br />
Greater <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Gay and Lesbian Coalition, 144<br />
Greater <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Waterworks, 159<br />
Greeks, 137<br />
Greeley, Horace, 45<br />
Greenbelt towns, 110<br />
Greenhills, 110, 111<br />
Greenville, Treaty of. See Treaty of Greenville<br />
Greenwich on the Park, 150<br />
Greenwood, Miles, 34, 45, 46, 56<br />
Groton Lofts, 149<br />
Gruber, R. W., 82<br />
Guilford, Nathan, 25<br />
H<br />
Hadid, Zaha, 150<br />
Hake, Harry, 103<br />
Halstead, Murat, 61<br />
Hamilton County, 48, 66, 80, 100, 107, 109, 117, 131,<br />
133, 134, 144, 147, 152, 161<br />
Hamilton County Agricultural Society, 21, 37<br />
Hamilton County Courthouse, 78<br />
Hamilton County Fire Insurance Company, 89<br />
Hamilton County Good Government League, 98<br />
Hamilton County Jail, 77, 78<br />
Hamilton, Ohio, 23, 48, 123, 134<br />
Handy, T. B., 68<br />
Hannaford, Samuel, 103, 125, 128, 152, 155<br />
Hardin, John, 15<br />
Harding, Chester, 25<br />
Harkness (Anthony) & Son, 48<br />
Harmar, Josiah, 15<br />
Harriet Beecher Stowe Cultural Heritage District, 141<br />
Harriet Beecher Stowe School, 73, 74<br />
Harrison, William Henry, 16, 20, 21, 28<br />
Hartwell, 160<br />
Hawkins, Morton, 78<br />
Health care, 93, 95<br />
Health Department, 142<br />
Hearn, Lafcadio, 64<br />
Hebrew Union College, 38, 126, 137, 154<br />
Hecker, Frederick, 38<br />
Hedeen, Stanley, 134<br />
Heintz, Victor, 98<br />
Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum, 150<br />
Henderson Lithographing Company, 65<br />
Herrmann, August "Garry", 80, 96<br />
Heth, Henry, 43<br />
Hibernian Society, 38<br />
Hickey, Kathleen, 159<br />
Highways, 115, 132<br />
Hill, J. W., 33<br />
Hilton, Agnes, 102<br />
Hindu Temple of Greater <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 137<br />
Hirsch Recreation Center, 156<br />
Hispanic Chamber <strong>Cincinnati</strong> USA, 137<br />
Historic Conservation Board, 125<br />
Historic preservation, 113, 125, 127, 135<br />
Hoff Academic Quad, 157<br />
Hoff, Rev. James, 157<br />
Hogs, 26, 32, 33, 34, 35, 50<br />
Hollister, John, 98<br />
Holterhoff, Ralph, 102<br />
Holy Cross Immaculata Catholic Church, 129, 140<br />
Holy Trinity St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, 137<br />
Home Builders Association of Greater <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 157<br />
Home building industry, 117<br />
Home guards, 42<br />
Home State Savings Bank, 142<br />
Homeless, 76, 106, 107, 142, 143, 144, 162<br />
Homosexual, 145<br />
Hope VI (Housing Opportunities for People<br />
Everywhere), 161<br />
Horsecars, 66, 67<br />
Horseshoe Casino, 151, 152<br />
Hospitals, 41, 126, 132, 153, 154, 155, 156<br />
Housing Opportunities Made Equal (HOME), 145<br />
Housing projects, 109<br />
Hughes High School, 73<br />
Hughes, Thomas, 45<br />
Human Rights Ordinance, 145<br />
Hunt, Henry, 84, 85<br />
Hyde Park, 84, 140, 141, 157, 159<br />
Hyde Park Baptist Church, 140<br />
Hyde Park Community United Methodist Church, 141<br />
Hyde Park Square, 84<br />
Hynicka organization, 96<br />
Hynicka, Rudolph "Rud", 80, 85, 96, 97, 99<br />
I<br />
Imago, 160<br />
Immanuel Presbyterian Church, 140<br />
Immigrants and immigration, 31, 36, 37, 38, 39, 41,<br />
44, 46, 64, 87, 88, 91, 92, 118, 137, 151<br />
Improvement associations, 73<br />
Incline Public House, 161<br />
Incline Village, 161<br />
Inclines, 63, 66, 115, 117<br />
Independent Colored School System, 41, 73<br />
Indian Hill, 119, 138<br />
Indianapolis, 48, 50, 115, 131, 133<br />
Indians, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 29<br />
Indie Rock, 136<br />
Industrial expositions, 56, 57, 58, 60<br />
Industrialization, 59, 74, 75<br />
Industries, 19, 26, 27, 29, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37,<br />
41, 50, 59, 71, 75, 79, 86, 88, 90, 91, 92, 111,<br />
115, 117, 133<br />
Influenza, 93, 95<br />
Ingalls Building, 72<br />
Institute of Museum and Library Services, 7<br />
Integration, 73, 74, 146, 147<br />
Interurban system, 73, 85<br />
Irish, 37, 38, 39, 41, 42, 63, 64, 87, 108, 137<br />
Iron foundry, 27, 34<br />
Islamic Center of Greater <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 137, 141<br />
Island <strong>Queen</strong>, 81, 112<br />
Israelite, 38<br />
Italian Americans, 137<br />
Italianfest, 137<br />
J<br />
Jacobs, Gerhard, 38<br />
Jarson Kaplan <strong>The</strong>ater, 150<br />
Jazz, 136<br />
Jews, 38, 70, 73, 118, 137, 156<br />
John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge, 65, 66, 76,<br />
107, 126<br />
John G. and Phyllis W. Smale Riverfront Park, 148<br />
Jones, George, 32<br />
Jordan Crossing, 156<br />
Joseph A. Steger Student Life Center, 155<br />
K<br />
Kauffman Brewery, 151<br />
Keelboats, 18, 22<br />
Kemper, Andrew, 77<br />
Kennedy Heights, 83, 117, 126, 159<br />
Kenny G, 136<br />
Kenton County, Kentucky, 131<br />
Kenton, Simon, 12<br />
Kentucky Post, 133<br />
Kenwood Shopping Center, 118<br />
Kessler Plan, 95, 108<br />
Kessler, George, 95<br />
Kilgour family, 66, 102<br />
Kilgour, John, 65<br />
Kilgour, John G., 47<br />
King Records, 138<br />
King, Martin Luther, Jr., 142<br />
Kings Island, 112<br />
Kirk, William, 77<br />
Knowlton’s Corner, 71, 107<br />
Knox Presbyterian Church, 141<br />
Kolping Society of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 136<br />
Kreling, August von, 53<br />
Kroger, 105, 122, 133, 146<br />
Kruse Hardware, 162<br />
Kunzel, Erich, 152<br />
Kwanzaa, 137<br />
L<br />
L&N Bridge, 136<br />
L.S. Ayres, 149<br />
LaBelle, Patti, 136<br />
Labor organizations, 75, 108<br />
Laboring class, 64<br />
Lachey, Drew, 139<br />
Lachey, Nick, 139<br />
Lafayette Avenue, 69<br />
Lafayette Guards, 42<br />
LaHood, Ray, 162<br />
Lake Erie, 47, 48, 151<br />
Land speculation, 10, 26, 28<br />
Landy, James, 56, 76, 78<br />
Lane <strong>The</strong>ological Seminary, 40<br />
Laskey, Posteal, 120<br />
Latino, 137<br />
Latta, A. B., 45<br />
Laurel Homes, 109, 110, 111, 134, 135, 161<br />
Lawrenceburg, Indiana, 23, 26<br />
Lazarus, 149<br />
League of Women Voters, 101, 102<br />
I N D E X<br />
1 7 3
Lebanon, Ohio, 23<br />
LeBlond (R.K.) Machine Tool Company, 111<br />
Leis, Simon L., Jr., 145<br />
Lesbian, 144, 145<br />
Lewis, Samuel, 25<br />
Lexington, Kentucky, 11, 41, 48, 50, 115, 131<br />
Liberty Bond Crusade, 90, 91<br />
Licking River, 11, 15, 16<br />
Light-rail transportation, 131<br />
Lilienthal, Max, 38<br />
Lillard Law, 83<br />
Limestone, Kentucky, 10<br />
Lincoln apartment building, 72<br />
Lincoln Court, 109, 110, 134, 135, 161<br />
Lincoln Terrace apartments, 92<br />
Lindner Family Tennis Center, 139<br />
Lindner, Carl H., Jr., 143, 156<br />
Linwood, 140, 157<br />
Lippincott’s Magazine, 69<br />
Little Miami Railroad, 47, 48, 50, 51, 67<br />
Little Miami River, 10, 11, 23, 24, 106<br />
Little Miami River Valley, 107<br />
Little Turtle (Miami chief), 15<br />
Livingston, Robert, 18<br />
Lockland, 109, 111<br />
Locks and dams, 60, 133<br />
Locomotives, 36, 48, 50, 67, 96<br />
Lofts at Shillito Place, 149<br />
Log Cabin and Hard Cider campaign, 21<br />
Lois and Richard Rosenthal Center for Contemporary<br />
Art, 150<br />
Lombardy apartments, 72<br />
Long, Alexander, 43<br />
Longworth Hall, 144<br />
Longworth, Joseph, 54, 59<br />
Longworth, Maria. See Storer, Maria Longworth Nichols<br />
Longworth, Nicholas, 28, 53, 54, 59<br />
Losantiville, 11, 14, 15, 16<br />
Louisville and Portland Canal, 24<br />
Louisville, Kentucky, 10, 19, 24, 48, 50, 52, 106,<br />
131, 133<br />
Low income housing, 134<br />
Lower Price Hill, 118, 140, 160<br />
Lower Price Hill Community School, 140<br />
Ludlow, Israel, 11, 14, 19<br />
Luken, Charlie, 144, 146<br />
Lunken Airport, 11, 123<br />
Luxottica, 143<br />
Lynch, Rev. Damon, Jr., 142<br />
Lyons, Ruth, 124<br />
Lytle apartment building, 72<br />
Lytle Greys, 78<br />
Lytle Park, 72, 81, 124<br />
Lytle, Robert Todd, 29<br />
Lytle, William Haines, 42<br />
M<br />
Machine tools, 29, 34, 36, 37, 87, 111<br />
Macy’s, 133, 136, 138, 149<br />
Macy’s Music Festival, 136, 138<br />
Mad Anthony Wayne. See Wayne, Anthony<br />
Madeira, 109<br />
Madison, Indiana, 48<br />
Madisonville, 43, 102, 127, 157, 160<br />
Madisonville Welfare Association, 102<br />
Maifest, 136<br />
Main Strasse, 136<br />
Main Street Incline, 66<br />
Mallon, Guy, 102<br />
Mallory, Mark, 138, 162<br />
Mansfield, Edward D., 29<br />
Manufacturing, 23, 26, 27, 29, 33, 34, 35, 45, 46, 50,<br />
51, 60, 70, 71, 73, 74, 75, 96, 111, 116, 117, 142,<br />
157, 159<br />
Mappes, Charles E, 22, 26<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
174<br />
Mapplethorpe, Robert, 144, 145<br />
Maps, 10, 14, 19, 49, 106<br />
Mariemont, 92, 93, 110<br />
Marietta and <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Railroad, 50<br />
Marietta, Ohio, 11<br />
Markets, 23, 37, 41, 44, 53<br />
Martin, I. M., 87<br />
Martineau, Harriet, 31<br />
Mason, Ohio, 139, 142<br />
Masonic Temple, 102<br />
Mass communication, 90<br />
Mass transit, 66, 69, 71<br />
Master Plan (1948), 114, 115, 118, 121, 122, 135, 162<br />
Mathews, Alfred E., 42<br />
Matthews, Samuel R., 77<br />
Matthews, T. S., 75<br />
Maxwell, Sidney, 60<br />
May Festival, 58, 59, 60, 143, 152<br />
Mayerson Jewish Community Center, 137<br />
Mayor’s Friendly Relations Committee, 120<br />
Mayors, 36, 82, 84, 95, 97, 101, 102, 128, 138, 144,<br />
146, 162<br />
Maysville, Kentucky, 9, 10, 25<br />
McAlpin’s, 149, 151<br />
McLaughlin, James W., 68<br />
Meat packing, 32, 33, 35<br />
Mecca (<strong>The</strong>), 81, 82<br />
Medical schools, 25, 77<br />
Medpace, 160<br />
Meijer, 159<br />
Memorial Hall, 152<br />
Mercantile Library Building, 72<br />
Mercer Commons, 151<br />
Metalworking industries, 34<br />
Metro government, 131<br />
Metropole Hotel, 151<br />
Metropolitan Master Plan, 114, 115, 134<br />
Metropolitan Sewer District, 134<br />
Miami Canal, 25, 26<br />
Miami Erie Canal, 33, 37, 58, 85, 151<br />
Miami Exporting Company, 20, 27, 28<br />
Miami Indians, 9, 15<br />
Miami Land Warrant, 11<br />
Miami Purchase, 11, 15, 18, 19<br />
Miami Purchase Association for Historic Preservation,<br />
125<br />
Miami slaughterhouse, 9<br />
Miami Valley, 19, 23, 26, 32<br />
Miami, Ohio, 14<br />
Michael J. Conaton Learning Commons, 157, 158<br />
Mickey Jarson Kaplan Performance Studio, 152<br />
Middle class, 41, 69, 70, 73, 83, 110, 126, 127, 128,<br />
134<br />
Middleton, Strobridge and Company, 42, 43, 55, 69, 70<br />
Middleton, Wallace and Company, 47, 48<br />
Middletown, Ohio, 26, 123<br />
MidPoint Music Festival, 136<br />
Midwest Regional Black Family Reunion Celebration,<br />
137<br />
Milford Contaminated Aquifer, 134<br />
Milford, Ohio, 134<br />
Militia units, 38, 39, 42, 78, 79<br />
Mill Creek, 103, 117, 134<br />
Mill Creek Barrier Dam, 134<br />
Mill Creek Center, 117<br />
Mill Creek Interceptor Sewer, 109<br />
Mill Creek Valley, 54, 66, 69, 70, 73, 107, 115, 123<br />
Mill, steam. See Steam mill<br />
Millcreek Expressway (I-75), 135<br />
Miller, Ferdinand von, 53, 54<br />
Millvale, 118, 120<br />
Milward and Oldershaw, 32<br />
Mitchell, John, 10<br />
Model Cities program, 126<br />
Model housing, 92<br />
Moerlein (Christian) Brewing Co. See Christian<br />
Moerlein Brewing Co.<br />
Moerlein Lager House, 148<br />
Mohawk Brewing Company, 83<br />
Mohawk Brighton, 93, 95<br />
Mona Bronson et al. v. Board of Education of the <strong>City</strong> School<br />
District of the <strong>City</strong> of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, et al., 147<br />
Monastery (recording studio), 141<br />
Montgomery, 117<br />
Moore, Robert, 48<br />
Morgan, John Hunt, 41, 43<br />
Mormons, 142<br />
Morris, Froome, 96<br />
Mosby, John, 82<br />
Mosler, Henry, 37, 82<br />
Most Livable <strong>City</strong> Award, 146<br />
Mount Airy Forest, 108<br />
Mr. Republican, 101<br />
Mt. Adams, 33, 54, 61, 62, 96, 127, 129, 140, 157,<br />
158, 159<br />
Mt. Adams Incline, 62, 66<br />
Mt. Airy, 118, 160<br />
Mt. Auburn, 66, 69, 100, 118, 126, 127, 141, 153,<br />
154, 155<br />
Mt. Auburn Baptist Church, 141<br />
Mt. Auburn Incline, 66<br />
Mt. Auburn Presbyterian Church, 141<br />
Mt. Healthy, 110<br />
Mt. Lookout, 66, 67, 157, 159<br />
Mt. Lookout Steam Dummy, 66, 67<br />
Mt. Washington, 157<br />
Mullen, Mike, 80, 81, 96<br />
Munich, Germany, 136<br />
Municipal Code, 145<br />
Municipal government, 41, 80, 111, 128, 146<br />
Murals (Robert Duncanson), 28<br />
Murals (Winold Reiss), 86, 104, 108, 123, 125<br />
Museum of Natural History & Science, 5, 6, 7, 161<br />
Music Hall, 51, 53, 56, 57, 58, 60, 77, 96, 106, 125,<br />
151, 152<br />
Music Hall Revitalization Corporation (MHRC), 152<br />
N<br />
NAACP. See National Association for the Advancement<br />
of Colored People (NAACP)<br />
Nasty Corner, 89<br />
National Association for the Advancement of Colored<br />
People (NAACP), 120, 146, 147<br />
National Church Residences, 156<br />
National Civic League, 146<br />
National Guard. See Ohio National Guard<br />
National Historic Landmark, 6, 137, 156<br />
National Historic Preservation Act, 124<br />
National Industrial Recovery Act, 108<br />
National Labor Relations Act, 108<br />
National Legal Aid Association, 98<br />
National Medal for Museum and Library Service, 7<br />
National Municipal League, 98, 113, 127<br />
National Register of Historic Places, 125, 127, 128<br />
National Social Unit Organization, 93, 95<br />
National Underground Railroad Freedom Center<br />
(NURFC), 7, 142, 148, 149, 161, 162<br />
Nature Conservancy, 6<br />
Neighborhood associations, 73, 153<br />
Neighborhood development corporations, 126<br />
Neighborhood organizations, 113, 126, 127<br />
Neighborhoods, 70, 71, 73, 115, 117, 118, 121, 125,<br />
126, 127, 128, 132, 140, 153, 155, 156, 157, 158,<br />
159, 160, 162<br />
Netherland Hotel, 104<br />
New Deal, 105, 108, 109, 110, 111, 113<br />
New Jerusalem Baptist Church, 142<br />
New Markets Tax Credit Program, 151<br />
New Orleans (Steamboat), 18, 19, 23<br />
New Orleans, Louisiana, 18, 19, 23, 34, 45, 49
New Sardis Primitive Baptist Church, 141<br />
New World (Steamboat), 23<br />
New York, 45, 52, 54, 61<br />
Newport Barracks, 17<br />
Newport Dump, 134<br />
Newport, Kentucky, 17, 33, 134, 136, 137<br />
Newspapers, 25, 26, 38, 39, 74, 77, 87, 100, 101, 133<br />
Newtown, 107<br />
Ney, Arthur M., Jr., 145<br />
Nichols, George Ward, 59, 60<br />
Nichols, Maria Longworth. See Storer, Maria<br />
Longworth Nichols<br />
Niles and Company, 36<br />
Niles Works, 41<br />
Ninth Street YMCA, 120<br />
Nippert Stadium, 155<br />
Nippert, Louis, 143<br />
Nippert, Louise Dieterle, 143<br />
North Avondale, 126, 141, 155<br />
North Avondale Neighborhood Association, 126<br />
North Bend, 14, 20, 21, 23<br />
North <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Gymnasium, 89<br />
North <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Turners, 89<br />
Northeast Expressway (I-71), 124, 135<br />
Northeast Hills, 117<br />
Northern Kentucky, 69, 107, 123, 131, 132, 133,<br />
160, 161<br />
NorthPointe Land Company, 157<br />
Northside, 117, 118, 127, 140, 141, 144, 160<br />
Northwest Ordinance, 11<br />
Northwest Territory, 9, 10, 11, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20,<br />
24, 29<br />
Norwood, 70, 71, 73, 83, 85, 92, 107, 108, 118, 123,<br />
140, 142, 157<br />
Notman, John, 55<br />
Nuclear weapons, 134<br />
O<br />
O’Bryonville, 157, 159<br />
O’Jays (<strong>The</strong>), 136, 138<br />
Oakley, 85, 92, 142, 157, 159, 160<br />
Official <strong>City</strong> Plan of 1925, 95, 96, 104, 105, 111, 113<br />
Ohio Canal, 25<br />
Ohio Female College, 69, 70<br />
Ohio Grove, 112<br />
Ohio Mechanics’ Institute, 27, 50, 55, 56, 62, 64<br />
Ohio Medical College, 25<br />
Ohio National Guard, 78, 120<br />
Ohio Ninth Regiment, 38, 42<br />
Ohio River, 9, 11, 14, 18, 31, 39, 43, 47, 48, 50, 60,<br />
65, 76, 95, 106, 112, 133<br />
Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission<br />
(ORSANCO), 133<br />
Ohio Second Regiment, 42<br />
Ohio State Highway Patrol, 144<br />
Ohio Tenth Regiment, 38, 42<br />
Ohio Valley Exposition, 60<br />
Ohio Valley Improvement Association, 60<br />
Ohio Valley Jazz Festival, 136<br />
OKI (Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of<br />
Governments), 131<br />
Oktoberfest Zinzinnati, 136<br />
Old St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 140, 141<br />
Old Tippecanoe. See William Henry Harrison<br />
Olmsted, Frederick Law, 35<br />
Omnibuses, 65, 66, 67<br />
Omnicare, 133<br />
One Lytle Place, 123, 136, 148<br />
Onken, Otto, 32<br />
ORSANCO. See Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation<br />
Commission (ORSANCO)<br />
Otto M. Budig Academy, 152<br />
Our Lady of Loretta Catholic Church, 140<br />
Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church, 140<br />
Over-the-Rhine, 37, 39, 64, 79, 81, 83, 87, 118, 125,<br />
126, 127, 131, 138, 140, 141, 143, 144, 149, 150,<br />
151, 152, 153, 162<br />
P<br />
Paddock Hills, 126, 127, 155<br />
Palmer, Joseph, 77<br />
Panegyri Greek Festival, 137<br />
Panic of 1819, 27, 28<br />
Panic of 1837, 21, 47<br />
Panic of 1873, 75<br />
Parker, James H., 112<br />
Parker, Sarah Jessica, 138<br />
Parks, 53, 54, 55, 60, 75, 95, 123<br />
Parkways, 95<br />
Patterson, Robert, 11, 14<br />
Paul Brown Stadium, 136, 138, 148<br />
Peebles Corner, 71<br />
Pendleton County, Kentucky, 131<br />
Pendleton, George H., 43<br />
Peters Cartridge Factory, 134<br />
Phelps apartments, 102<br />
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 9, 11, 14, 30, 54, 55, 56, 57<br />
Philanthropist (<strong>The</strong>), 39<br />
Philanthropy, 55, 92, 100, 143<br />
Philip Carey Manufacturing Company. See Carey<br />
(Philip) Manufacturing Company<br />
Philippus United Church of Christ, 140<br />
Phillips, Robert C., 69<br />
Phillips, Wilbur C., 93<br />
Piatt, John H., 28<br />
Pickering, Ernest, 117<br />
Pike’s Opera House, 43<br />
Piket, Louis, 140<br />
Pill Hill, 153<br />
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 18, 23, 34, 49, 60, 66, 131,<br />
133<br />
Places Rated Almanac, 146<br />
Plan <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 162<br />
Pleasant Ridge, 69, 73, 117, 157, 159<br />
Pleasant Ridge Evangelical Lutheran Church, 73<br />
Pleasant Ridge Hotel, 73<br />
Pleasant Ridge Welfare Association, 73<br />
Plum Street Temple, 137<br />
PNC Bank, 133<br />
PNC Tower, 94, 96<br />
Pogue’s, 149<br />
Police force, 41, 45, 75, 76, 78, 82, 106, 120, 121,<br />
144, 145, 146, 156<br />
Political machine, 63, 97, 98, 102<br />
Politics, 39, 63, 79, 81, 83, 84, 85, 98, 102<br />
Pollution, 96, 133<br />
Pontoon bridge, 42, 43<br />
Poole, William F., 53, 54<br />
Population, 31, 39, 41, 47, 63, 70, 87, 95, 105, 118,<br />
131, 135, 146; 1820, 19; 1826, 29; 1840, 37;<br />
1850, 33, 37; 1860, 46, 63; 1880, 51; 1900, 51;<br />
1920, 91; 1930, 102; 1950, 146; 1970, 128; 1980,<br />
128; 1990, 131; 2010, 131, 146<br />
Pork packing, 28, 29, 32, 33, 34, 35, 50<br />
Porkopolis, 32, 33, 50, 57<br />
Port of Greater <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Development Authority, 156<br />
Porter, Jennie D., 73, 74<br />
Portsmouth, Ohio, 25<br />
Post office, 96, 109<br />
Posters, 90, 111<br />
Pottery, 59<br />
Poverty, 42, 64, 142, 162<br />
Powell, Lee Etta, 146<br />
Powers, Hiram, 28, 29<br />
Price Hill, 66, 69, 120, 127, 140, 141, 160<br />
Price Hill Church of the Nazarene, 141<br />
Price Hill Incline, 66<br />
Price Hill Will, 160<br />
Pride Parade, 144, 146<br />
Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, 140<br />
Pristine Inc., 134<br />
Probasco, Henry, 53, 54, 68<br />
Procter & Gamble, 71, 111, 115, 122, 125, 133, 146,<br />
150, 156, 157<br />
Procter & Gamble <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Major League Baseball<br />
(MLB) Urban Youth Academy, 157<br />
Procter & Gamble Hall, 150<br />
Progressive reformers, 83<br />
Prohibition, 82, 83, 84, 91<br />
Propaganda, 21, 40, 89, 90<br />
Prophet (<strong>The</strong>), 20<br />
Proportional representation, 99, 102<br />
Prospect Hill, 127<br />
Provident Bank, 133<br />
Public housing, 101, 109, 118, 134, 135, 159, 161<br />
Public Landing, 30, 47, 76, 123, 133<br />
Public Library, 89, 96, 122, 150<br />
Public schools, 25, 73, 89, 91<br />
Public transportation, 67, 131<br />
Public Works Administration, 108, 109<br />
Purcell, Bishop John Baptist, 39<br />
Purple People Bridge, 136<br />
PWA. See Public Works Administration<br />
Pyro Garden, 33<br />
Q<br />
<strong>Queen</strong> <strong>City</strong> Blues Fest, 136<br />
<strong>Queen</strong> <strong>City</strong> Club, 102<br />
<strong>Queen</strong> <strong>City</strong> Jockey Club, 87<br />
<strong>Queen</strong> <strong>City</strong> of the West, 29, 31, 47, 133<br />
<strong>Queen</strong> <strong>City</strong> Trotting Park, 37<br />
T<br />
R&B, 136<br />
Race relations, 120<br />
Race riots. See Riots<br />
Radio stations, 116<br />
Railroads, 31, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 70, 96, 103, 107,<br />
125, 161<br />
Rapid transit system, 85, 96<br />
Re, Vince, 125, 126, 129, 148<br />
Reading Road, 118, 120, 121, 147, 155, 156, 157<br />
Reading, Ohio, 33, 134<br />
Real-estate speculation. See Land speculation<br />
Recession of 1938, 105<br />
Recession of 2008, 143, 149<br />
Recording studio, 141<br />
Red Stockings. See <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Red Stockings<br />
Redevelopment, 114, 122, 124, 127, 147, 148, 150,<br />
151, 155, 156, 160<br />
Redland Field, 116<br />
Reds Community Fund, 156<br />
Reeder, Sherwood, 115<br />
Reform administrations, 83, 84, 85<br />
Reform Judaism, 38, 137<br />
Reform movement, 98, 102<br />
Reiss, Winold, 86, 104<br />
Republican machine, 96<br />
Republican Party, 44, 74, 81, 84, 85, 98, 101, 102<br />
Resettlement Administration, 110<br />
Rhiney, Sean, 136<br />
Richard and Lucile Durrell Edge of Appalachia<br />
Preserve, 6<br />
Richard E. Lindner Athletic Center and Varsity<br />
Village, 155<br />
Richardson, John G., 48<br />
Richmond, Kentucky, 42<br />
Riddle, John, 69<br />
Riots, 41, 78, 79, 120, 121, 144, 146, 156<br />
River <strong>City</strong> Correctional Center, 162<br />
River Downs, 159<br />
River Road, 125, 126<br />
River traffic, 51, 133<br />
Riverbend Music Center, 159<br />
Riverfest, 125, 136<br />
I N D E X<br />
1 7 5
Riverfront, 14, 33, 41, 64, 80, 113, 114, 115, 122,<br />
123, 124, 127, 131, 133, 134, 135, 136, 147, 148,<br />
149, 150, 151, 162<br />
Riverfront Coliseum, 123, 136<br />
Riverfront redevelopment, 114, 124<br />
Riverfront Stadium, 123, 136, 147, 148<br />
Riverside, 126<br />
Riverside Civic and Welfare Club, 126<br />
Riverview East Academy, 158<br />
Roads, 23<br />
Robert D. Lindner Family OMNIMAX® <strong>The</strong>ater, 6, 161<br />
Robert S. Marx <strong>The</strong>atre, 158<br />
Robertson, Oscar, 121<br />
Rock Ohio Caesars, 151<br />
Roebling, John A., 65<br />
Rogers, Thomas, 50<br />
Rollman and Sons Company, 118<br />
Roman Catholic Church, 39, 137<br />
Rombach and Groene, 78<br />
Rookwood Commons, 157<br />
Rookwood Pavilion, 157<br />
Rookwood Pottery, 59, 96<br />
Rose, Charles O., 102<br />
Roselawn, 117, 118, 155, 156, 157<br />
Roselawn Park, 157<br />
Rosenberg, Louis Conrad, 103<br />
Rosenthal, George, 116<br />
Rover Guards, 42<br />
Royal Bronze Foundry of Bavaria, 53<br />
Rubel’s Bakery, 105<br />
Rural cemeteries, 54<br />
S<br />
Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 137, 140, 161<br />
Saengerfest, 38, 56, 57, 58<br />
Saengerfest Hall, 56<br />
Saks Fifth Avenue, 149<br />
Salem United Church of Christ, 140<br />
Salmar, Fred. B., 82<br />
Saloons, 39, 64, 77, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 91<br />
Samuel Ach School, 120<br />
San Marco apartments, 159<br />
San Rafael apartments, 72<br />
Sängerchor, 136<br />
Sanitation District No. 1 of Northern Kentucky, 134<br />
Santangelo, Dino, 136<br />
Savings and loan associations, 87, 110, 133, 142<br />
Sawyer Point, 123, 136, 137<br />
Sayler Park, 148<br />
Schmidlapp, Jacob, 91, 92, 109<br />
Schmidt, Walter S., 115<br />
Schneller, Fred, 96<br />
Schoenberger, Geo. K., 68<br />
School for the Creative and Performing Arts (SCPA),<br />
138, 139, 152, 153<br />
School of Design, 59, 61<br />
Schreiber (L.) & Sons Company, 75, 77<br />
Schützenfest, 136<br />
Schwaab, John, 87<br />
Scott, Jacob, 31<br />
Scripps, 133, 150<br />
Scripps Center, 150<br />
Scudder, William, 73<br />
Seasongood, Murray, 98, 99, 102<br />
Second Bank of the United States, 28, 32<br />
Sedamsville, 126, 140<br />
Segal, Al, 97<br />
Segoe, Ladislas, 121<br />
Segregation, 73, 74, 89, 110, 120, 143, 147<br />
Semple, Louise Taft, 100<br />
Semple, William T., 101<br />
Serpentine Wall, 123<br />
Seventh Presbyterian Church, 141<br />
Sewerage, 41, 73, 82, 83, 84, 134<br />
Sharonville, 118<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
176<br />
Sharpsburg, 70<br />
Shawnee Indians, 9, 17, 20<br />
Sherrill, C. O., 102, 105<br />
Shillito, John, 68<br />
Shillito’s, 105, 149<br />
Shoe manufacturing, 75<br />
Shopping centers, 117, 118, 121, 156, 157, 159<br />
Shriners Hospitals for Children, 153<br />
Shuttlesworth, Rev. Fred L., 142<br />
Silverton, 117<br />
Sinton, Anna. See Taft, Anna Sinton<br />
Sinton, David, 100<br />
Sinton-Taft family, 72<br />
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, 150<br />
Skinner Landfill, 134<br />
Skyscraper district, 72<br />
Skywalk, 122<br />
Slavery, 39, 40<br />
Slum clearance, 109, 134, 147<br />
SmartMoney Community Services, 143<br />
Smith Hall, 157<br />
Smith, Kirby, 42<br />
Smith, Leonard, 98<br />
Smoke Abatement League, 96<br />
Smoke inspector, 96<br />
Soap manufacturing, 33, 111<br />
Social reform, 95<br />
Social services, 45, 95<br />
Society of St. Pius X, 140<br />
Society of St. Vincent de Paul, 143<br />
Society of the <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 15, 16<br />
Sohn (J. G.) & Co., 83<br />
Solway, Carl, 123<br />
Sonntag, William Louis, 9<br />
South Avondale, 126<br />
South Cumminsville, 140, 160<br />
South Fairmount, 141<br />
South Kensington Museum, 60, 61<br />
Southern Railroad. See <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Southern Railroad<br />
Spaghetti Knob, 137<br />
Spencer, Donald, 143<br />
Spencer, Marian, 143, 147<br />
Spring Grove Cemetery, 41, 54, 55<br />
Spring Grove Village, 153<br />
Springer, Reuben, 58<br />
Squirrel hunters, 43<br />
St. Andrew Catholic Church, 140<br />
St. Bernard, 70, 83<br />
St. Bonaventure Catholic Church, 141<br />
St. Clair, Arthur, 15, 16, 17, 18<br />
St. Elizabeth Catholic Church, 140<br />
St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church, 140, 159<br />
St. George Catholic Church, 140, 155<br />
St. Lawrence Catholic Church, 140<br />
St. Louis, Missouri, 23, 30, 46, 131, 133<br />
St. Mark Catholic Church, 140<br />
St. Mary Catholic Church. See Old St. Mary's Catholic<br />
Church<br />
St. Matthew Catholic Church, 140<br />
St. Michael & All Angels Episcopal Church, 141<br />
St. Michael Catholic Church, 140<br />
St. Nicholas Hotel, 72<br />
St. Patrick Catholic Church, 140<br />
St. Patrick’s Day Parade, 137<br />
St. Paul Catholic Church, 140<br />
St. Paul’s German Evangelical Protestant Church, 152<br />
St. Peter in Chains Cathedral, 140<br />
St. Pius Catholic Church, 140<br />
St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, 140, 141<br />
St. Xavier Catholic Church, 140<br />
Staats-Verband. See Deutscher Staats-Verband<br />
Stadiums, 109, 115, 123, 135, 147, 148<br />
Stanton Ave. Church of the Nazarene, 141<br />
Steam dummy. See Mt. Lookout Steam Dummy<br />
Steam engines, 27, 29, 34, 47<br />
Steam mill, 27<br />
Steamboat construction and repair, 19, 34<br />
Steamboats, 18, 19, 23, 24, 29, 31, 34, 46, 47, 49, 50,<br />
96, 112, 133<br />
Steele Sub, 70<br />
Steele, Charles M., 70<br />
Steffens, Lincoln, 81, 82<br />
Stern, Ed, 157<br />
Stites, Benjamin, 10, 11<br />
Stock-market crash, 102<br />
Storer, Bellamy, 39, 59<br />
Storer, Maria Longworth Nichols, 59<br />
Stouffer’s, 122<br />
Stowe School. See Harriet Beecher Stowe School<br />
Stowe, Calvin E., 40<br />
Stowe, Harriet Beecher, 40, 73, 141<br />
Strader, Jacob, 47<br />
Strategies to End Homelessness, 144<br />
Strauch, Adolph, 54, 55<br />
Street railway, 66, 85<br />
Streetcars, 65, 66, 71, 79, 135, 162<br />
Streets, 14, 37, 67, 73, 82, 89, 96, 97, 98, 102, 115,<br />
121, 126, 134<br />
Streicher, Tom, 146<br />
Strikes, 63, 75, 79, 108<br />
Strobridge and Company, 16, 66<br />
Strobridge Lithographing Company, 58, 60<br />
Strong Mayor system, 138, 146<br />
Student Recreation Center, 155<br />
Suburbs, 67, 69, 70, 71, 82, 83, 85, 96, 113, 117,<br />
118, 119, 123, 125, 127, 131, 133, 134, 140,<br />
146, 147, 162<br />
Subway, 85<br />
Suspension Bridge. See John A. Roebling<br />
Suspension Bridge<br />
Swifton Commons Shopping Center, 156<br />
Swifton Village Shopping Center, 118<br />
Swormstedt, Tod, 161<br />
Symmes, Anna, 20<br />
Symmes, John Cleves, 10, 11, 14, 15, 20<br />
Synagogues, 38, 73, 137, 142, 156<br />
T<br />
Tafel, Gustav, 83, 84<br />
Taft Broadcasting Company, 101<br />
Taft family, 72, 100, 104<br />
Taft Museum of Art, 27, 72, 100, 101, 150<br />
Taft <strong>The</strong>atre, 150<br />
Taft, Alphonso, 100, 101<br />
Taft, Anna Sinton, 100, 101<br />
Taft, Charles Phelps, 60, 100, 101, 102<br />
Taft, Charles Phelps, II, 101, 102, 124<br />
Taft, Fanny Phelps, 100<br />
Taft, Harry, 100<br />
Taft, Horace, 100<br />
Taft, Hulbert, 100, 101<br />
Taft, Hulbert, Jr., 101<br />
Taft, Louise Torrey, 100<br />
Taft, Matilda, 101<br />
Taft, Peter Rawson, 100, 101<br />
Taft, Robert A., 98, 101<br />
Taft, Robert, Jr., 101<br />
Taft, William Howard, 100, 101, 154<br />
Tall Stacks, 130, 136<br />
Tangeman University Center, 155<br />
Target, 159<br />
Taste of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 137<br />
Tawney, Marietta, 102<br />
Taylor, Fred, 102<br />
Tecumseh, 20, 21<br />
Television broadcasting, 124<br />
Tenement housing, 91, 92, 109, 111, 115<br />
Tennis, 119, 139<br />
Terrace Hilton, 122<br />
Thames, Battle of the. See Battle of the Thames
Third Street Distributor, 115, 121, 135<br />
Thomas Emery's Sons. See Emery's (Thomas) Sons<br />
Thomas, <strong>The</strong>odore, 57, 58<br />
Thomas, Timothy, 144<br />
Times-Star Building, 103, 104<br />
Tina Deal v. <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Board of Education, 147<br />
Tippecanoe, Battle of. See Battle of Tippecanoe<br />
TJ Maxx, 149<br />
Toledo, Ohio, 17, 25, 91, 151<br />
Tome, Brian, 142<br />
Topography, 64, 115, 131<br />
Towboats, 133<br />
Tower Place Mall, 149<br />
Townhouses, 72<br />
Toyota, 133<br />
Trade fairs, 56<br />
Trade unions, 108, 120<br />
Transgendered, 144, 145<br />
Transit Company. See <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Transit Company<br />
Transportation, 18, 19, 23, 25, 31, 46, 47, 48, 50, 63,<br />
65, 66, 72, 84, 115<br />
Treaties, 9, 10, 15, 17, 20<br />
Treaty of Fort Wayne, 20<br />
Treaty of Greenville, 15, 17<br />
Tri-County Shopping Center, 118<br />
Trinity Methodist Church, 141<br />
Trolleys, 63, 66, 107<br />
Trollope, Frances, 34, 35<br />
Tryed Stone Community and Family Development<br />
Center, 157<br />
Tuchfarber (F.) and Company, 48, 83<br />
Turner, Bailey, 126<br />
Turner, E. Robert, 127<br />
Turnpikes, 23, 48<br />
Turnverein, 38<br />
Tusculum. See Columbia Tusculum<br />
Twain’s Point, 158<br />
Tyler Davidson Fountain, 5, 53, 54, 122, 128<br />
U<br />
U Square @ the Loop, 155, 156<br />
UC Cancer Institute, 153<br />
UC Health, 153<br />
UC Medical Center, 153<br />
UC Physicians, 153<br />
UC West Chester Hospital, 153<br />
Uncle Joe Ross, 45<br />
Uncle Tom’s Cabin, 40<br />
Underground Railroad, 7, 39, 148<br />
Unemployment, 44, 81, 96, 105, 111, 117, 121,<br />
143, 162<br />
Union (<strong>The</strong>), 74<br />
Union Central Building, 94, 96<br />
Union Cricket Club, 52<br />
Union Savings Bank and Trust Company, 72<br />
Union School Board, 45<br />
Union Terminal. See <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Union Terminal<br />
Unions, 108, 120, 125<br />
United Automobile Workers, 108<br />
United <strong>City</strong> Planning Committee, 95<br />
United Mine Workers, 108<br />
United Paperworkers International Union, 108<br />
United States Agricultural Fair, 37<br />
United States Army Corps of Engineers, 134<br />
United States Centennial Exposition, 56, 57<br />
United States Department of Housing and Urban<br />
Development (HUD), 161<br />
United States Department of Justice, 144<br />
United States Playing Card Company, 70, 111<br />
United States Sanitary Commission, 41<br />
University Heights, 153<br />
University of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 25, 84, 98, 100, 109, 121,<br />
126, 131, 132, 149, 153, 154, 155, 156, 160, See<br />
also UC<br />
University Park, 155<br />
University Pavilion, 155<br />
University Station, 157<br />
Upper-class, 64, 69<br />
Upson Report, 99<br />
Upson, Lent D., 99<br />
UpTech, 132<br />
Uptown, 141, 151, 153, 154, 155, 156, 157, 162<br />
Uptown Church, 141<br />
Uptown Consortium, 156<br />
Urban League of Greater <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 156<br />
Urban planning, 95, 110, 115, 127<br />
Urban renewal, 134, 135<br />
Urban Walls, <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 123<br />
US Bank, 133, 136, 148<br />
US Bank Arena, 136, 148<br />
V<br />
Vandross, Luther, 136<br />
Verdin Company, 140<br />
Vernon Manor Hotel, 156<br />
Vesta (Steamboat), 19<br />
Victory Parkway, 95<br />
Village at Stetson Square, 155<br />
Villages of Daybreak, 157<br />
Vision 2015, 132<br />
Vogt, Louis Charles, 62<br />
Volksblatt, 38, 88, 89, 91<br />
Volunteer fire companies, 45<br />
Vontz Center for Molecular Studies, 154, 156<br />
W<br />
Walker, Timothy, 22, 25<br />
Walking city, 63, 64, 72<br />
Wallace Woods, 69<br />
Wallace, Lew, 42, 43<br />
Walnut Hills, 40, 69, 70, 71, 73, 92, 118, 120, 121,<br />
127, 140, 141, 157, 159<br />
Walnut Hills Avondale United Methodist Church, 141<br />
Walnut Hills Evangelical Lutheran Church, 141<br />
Walnut Hills Presbyterian Church, 141<br />
Walter, Henry, 140<br />
Walter, William, 140<br />
War of 1812, 20, 28<br />
Ward boss, 79, 80<br />
Warren County, Ohio, 119, 131<br />
Washington Park, 57, 151, 152<br />
Washington Terrace, 92<br />
Washington, Grover, 136<br />
Washington, Kentucky, 10<br />
Water supply, 83<br />
Waterworks, 54, 82, 84, 107<br />
Watson, Luman, 28<br />
Wayne, Anthony, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20<br />
Webber, Charles T., 39<br />
Weeks, Hazel, 111<br />
Wein, George, 136<br />
Weinzapfel, Leers, 155<br />
Weiss, Leah, 105<br />
Wesley Chapel, 125<br />
West Chester, Ohio, 134, 137, 141, 153<br />
West End, 48, 64, 70, 73, 74, 109, 110, 115, 118, 120,<br />
126, 133, 134, 135, 141, 143, 144, 155, 160, 161,<br />
162<br />
West Price Hill, 160<br />
Western & Southern Financial Group, 133, 139<br />
Western Hills, 119<br />
Western Hills Country Club, 119<br />
Western Hills Shopping Center, 118<br />
Western Museum, 28<br />
Western Riverwalk, 148<br />
Western Spy, 25<br />
Westmoreland, Carl, 127<br />
Weston Art Gallery, 150<br />
Westwood, 119, 141, 160<br />
Westwood First Presbyterian Church, 141<br />
Westwood Town Hall, 160<br />
Westwood United Methodist Church, 141<br />
Whalen, Lawrence E., 145<br />
Whigs, 21<br />
Whirl and Twirl, 139<br />
White, John H., Jr., 50<br />
Whitewater Canal, 26<br />
Wielert’s, 79, 80, 81, 84<br />
Wild, John Caspar, 30, 31<br />
Wilder, Kentucky, 134<br />
William Howard Taft National Historic Site, 101, 154<br />
Williams College of Business, 157, 158<br />
Williams, Caroline, 125<br />
Williams, Micajah Terrell, 25<br />
Wilson, James K., 137<br />
Winton Place, 37, 69, 117, 153<br />
Winton Terrace, 109<br />
Wise, Isaac M., 38<br />
WLW, 116, 124<br />
Woman’s <strong>City</strong> Club, 95, 102<br />
Women's Art Museum Association, 28, 60, 61<br />
Women's employment, 35, 41, 59, 75, 90<br />
Women's suffrage movement, 101, 102<br />
Wooden Shoe Hollow, 69<br />
Woodruff, William, 21<br />
Woodward High School, 153<br />
Woodward, Abigail, 45<br />
Woodward, William, 45<br />
Workhouse, 125, 162<br />
Working class, 42, 84, 91, 92, 93, 118, 126<br />
Working in Neighborhoods (WIN), 140<br />
Works Progress Administration, 105, 106, 107,<br />
108, 111<br />
World Choir Games, 136, 139<br />
World War I, 85, 88, 89, 90, 91, 98, 108, 111<br />
World War II, 96, 111, 113, 116, 125, 133, 134, 162<br />
Worth, Gorham, 28<br />
WPA. See Works Progress Administration<br />
Wright Aeronautical Plant, 111<br />
Wright, Gary, 145<br />
Wright, Harry, 52<br />
Wyandot Indians, 9<br />
Wynnburne Park, 119<br />
Wyoming, 107<br />
X<br />
Xavier University, 157, 158<br />
Y<br />
Year 2000 Plan, 128<br />
Yeatman’s Cove, 123, 136, 137<br />
Young Men’s Blaine Clubs, 80<br />
Young Men’s Mercantile Library Association, 49<br />
Z<br />
Zappenfeld, Victor, 16<br />
Ziegler, David, 36, 37<br />
Zoning, 96, 119<br />
Zoo. See <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Zoo and Botanical Garden<br />
Zoological Society of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 55<br />
Zouave Guards, 42<br />
I N D E X<br />
1 7 7
Panorama of the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> skyline, 2013.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH © DAVE IVORY.<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
178
SHARING THE HERITAGE<br />
H i s t o r i c p r o f i l e s o f b u s i n e s s e s ,<br />
o r g a n i z a t i o n s , a n d f a m i l i e s t h a t h a v e<br />
c o n t r i b u t e d t o t h e d e v e l o p m e n t a n d<br />
e c o n o m i c b a s e o f C i n c i n n a t i — T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
<strong>The</strong> Marketplace .........................................................................1 8 0<br />
Quality of Life ...........................................................................2 1 2<br />
Building a Greater <strong>Cincinnati</strong> .......................................................2 2 0<br />
S H A R I N G T H E H E R I T A G E<br />
1 7 9
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
180
THE MARKETPLACE<br />
C i n c i n n a t i ’ s r e t a i l a n d<br />
c o m m e r c i a l e s t a b l i s h m e n t s o f f e r<br />
a n i m p r e s s i v e v a r i e t y o f c h o i c e s<br />
Cincom Systems, Inc. .................................................................1 8 2<br />
Habegger Corporation ................................................................1 8 6<br />
Western & Southern Financial Group ............................................1 8 8<br />
Castellini Group of Companies .....................................................1 9 0<br />
Crowne Plaza <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Blue Ash ................................................1 9 2<br />
Cintas Corporation ....................................................................1 9 4<br />
<strong>The</strong> Mariemont Inn ....................................................................1 9 6<br />
Ohio National Financial Services .................................................1 9 8<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Cincinnati</strong>an Hotel ..............................................................2 0 0<br />
Heidelberg Distributing Company .................................................2 0 2<br />
Ransohoff .................................................................................2 0 3<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Financial Corporation .................................................2 0 4<br />
J. D. Cloud & Co. ......................................................................2 0 5<br />
Martin Franchises Inc. ...............................................................2 0 6<br />
Wood Herron & Evans LLP ..........................................................2 0 7<br />
A. J. Rahn Greenhouses, Inc. .......................................................2 0 8<br />
Cadre Computer Resources ..........................................................2 0 9<br />
Bartlett & Co............................................................................2 1 0<br />
<strong>The</strong> Banks mixed-use residential and<br />
commercial project (center) with the<br />
Scripps Center (left), and the Great<br />
American Tower (right).<br />
PHOTOGRAPH © DAVE IVORY.<br />
T H E M A R K E T P L A C E<br />
1 8 1
CINCOM<br />
SYSTEMS, INC.<br />
Right: Cincom World Headquarters in<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>, Ohio.<br />
Below: During the 1970s, Cincom<br />
TOTAL became the best-selling database<br />
management system in the market.<br />
Bottom: Thomas M. Nies, Cincom’s founder<br />
and CEO, c. 1970. “It was at IBM that<br />
I first fell in love with software when<br />
I realized it made all the difference.”<br />
In 1968, Thomas M. Nies founded Cincom<br />
Systems, Inc., on his belief that software was the<br />
future of the information technology industry.<br />
Today this <strong>Cincinnati</strong>-based company with<br />
offices on five continents is one of the largest<br />
international independent software companies<br />
in the world—providing innovative, integrated<br />
software solutions that simplify complex<br />
business processes. On average, Cincom<br />
customers realize a profit of $30 to $50 from<br />
every dollar they invest in Cincom software.<br />
Because of this high return on investment and<br />
the long lifecycles of the company’s software,<br />
many clients have remained with Cincom for<br />
more than forty years.<br />
In 1962, after college graduation from the<br />
University of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> (where he also<br />
obtained his master’s degree), Nies began his<br />
professional life as an IBM salesman. It was<br />
here that he first saw the tremendous potential<br />
of software as the “driver” for the computers<br />
IBM was selling. However, in the 1960s<br />
IBM was giving software away—free—with<br />
the purchase of computer systems. When<br />
IBM failed to share his belief in the value of<br />
selling software separately from the hardware,<br />
Nies struck out on his own. Two others from<br />
IBM, Claude Bogardus and Tom Richley, soon<br />
joined him in this great adventure, and they<br />
founded Cincom in 1968.<br />
Little did these men know at the time that<br />
they were on the forefront of what was to<br />
explode into the software industry—or that<br />
software would soon eclipse hardware as the<br />
driving force of the larger computer revolution.<br />
Initially the fledgling<br />
company provided technical<br />
support to clients<br />
struggling to implement<br />
computer systems. As it<br />
turned out, most of the<br />
companies were primarily<br />
having problems with<br />
data management and the<br />
trio found that they were<br />
resolving the same issues<br />
over and over. <strong>The</strong>y<br />
decided they could<br />
improve efficiency and<br />
reduce the cost to the<br />
customer by developing a<br />
program that would take care of the data<br />
management issues they were encountering.<br />
So they ended up working days for the clients<br />
they already had under contract and nights<br />
on research and development for this new<br />
product: TOTAL. During the 1970s, Cincom<br />
TOTAL became the best-selling database<br />
management system in the market.<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> may have seemed an unlikely<br />
birthplace for a high-tech computer software<br />
company. However, it really was not so surprising<br />
when you consider that the city was no<br />
more than an hour and a half away from<br />
70 to 80 percent of the manufacturing and support<br />
resources used by America’s industries.<br />
Within this so-called “rust belt” was a heavy<br />
concentration of Fortune 100 clients.<br />
Additionally, because of the close<br />
proximity of several colleges and universities,<br />
the company was able to recruit top<br />
graduates. And since <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s cost of<br />
living was tremendously favorable compared<br />
with New York or Los Angeles, the best and<br />
brightest flocked to Cincom and made<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> their home. According to Nies, “In<br />
retrospect, we couldn’t have picked a better<br />
city to be in than <strong>Cincinnati</strong>.”<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> had nurtured the young software<br />
company to the place where they could now<br />
think about geographical expansion. In 1971,<br />
Cincom opened its first international office<br />
in Canada. <strong>The</strong>n, in 1972, Cincom became the<br />
first U.S. software firm to enter the European<br />
market with offices near London and in<br />
Brussels. <strong>The</strong> same year the company also<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
182
expanded into South America with an office<br />
in Brazil. And, in 1974, Cincom was the first<br />
American software firm to recognize the<br />
importance of the Asia/Pacific markets and<br />
opened an office in Australia, followed by<br />
Japan in 1978. Today, the company has offices<br />
in sixteen countries around the world.<br />
In the early 1970s, Nies predicted that the<br />
software industry would become so important<br />
to the national economy that presidents would<br />
confer with the leaders of the industry. And,<br />
indeed, in 1982, Cincom became the first software<br />
firm to receive the President’s “E” award<br />
for superior performance in increasing<br />
exports. <strong>The</strong>n, on August 20, 1984, during a<br />
speech in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s downtown Fountain<br />
Square, U.S. President Ronald Reagan recognized<br />
Cincom and Nies as “the epitome of the<br />
entrepreneurial spirit of American business.”<br />
Nies himself had fulfilled his own prediction.<br />
and practices that they are recognizable<br />
anywhere. An early Cincom agent in Italy put<br />
it this way: “Regardless of personal style, all<br />
Cincom people seem to have the same basic<br />
values. <strong>The</strong> company has survived when<br />
times got tough because of this unique mix<br />
of respect, based on trust, mutual regard,<br />
and loyalty.”<br />
A good part of the reason for Cincom’s<br />
longevity in an industry fraught with “shooting<br />
stars,” is this unique mix, along with<br />
a near missionary zeal in representing the<br />
company and its products. One of Cincom’s<br />
employees observed that, “<strong>The</strong>re’s a spiritual<br />
element to working here. Something almost<br />
undefinable that has a lot to do with Tom<br />
Nies’ ‘lengthened shadow.’ Here, there’s a<br />
great commitment to doing what’s right.”<br />
During Cincom’s first fifteen years (1968-<br />
1983), software became one of the fastest<br />
growing industries in the world. But while the<br />
Above: Tom Nies receiving the<br />
President’s “E-Star” award for continued<br />
export excellence.<br />
Left: Nies with U.S. President Ronald<br />
Reagan, after a speech in which the<br />
president lauded Cincom “as the epitome of<br />
the entrepreneurial spirit of American<br />
business,” 1984.<br />
Below: Tom Nies at the Concorde reception<br />
at the Greater <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Northern<br />
Kentucky International Airport in 1988.<br />
In 1988, Cincom celebrated its twentieth<br />
anniversary—and <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s bicentennial—<br />
by bringing a British Airways Concorde<br />
supersonic jet to <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, carrying seventy<br />
Cincom customers from ten European countries.<br />
A local radio station, 55KRC, broadcast<br />
the five low-altitude “fly-bys” that Cincom<br />
had arranged for the people of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>.<br />
In a newspaper interview, Nies said, “We are<br />
proud to share with <strong>Cincinnati</strong> this kind of<br />
high technology, which is leading us into the<br />
twenty-first century.”<br />
Every company has a culture. But Cincom<br />
has what has been called a mystique—a<br />
uniqueness that so clearly defines its people<br />
T H E M A R K E T P L A C E<br />
1 8 3
industry as a whole grew about twenty-five<br />
fold during this time, Cincom grew to nearly<br />
500 times its original size. And then, in 1990,<br />
for the first time, American investments in<br />
software surpassed those made in hardware.<br />
Nies’ belief in the value of software had been<br />
well placed: software had officially eclipsed<br />
hardware in the marketplace.<br />
<strong>The</strong>n in 1993, the U.S. Defense Information<br />
Systems Agency designated Cincom as its<br />
“vendor of choice.” This was the first time the<br />
U.S. government had ever specified a single<br />
vendor’s products as the standard.<br />
By 1995, Cincom’s development had mirrored—and<br />
surpassed—the emergence and<br />
expansion of the industry of which it was a<br />
part. It was fitting then, that the Smithsonian<br />
Institution visited Cincom at that time for a<br />
video interview with Nies regarding Cincom’s<br />
role in the evolution of the computer software<br />
industry. Today, Nies is featured alongside<br />
other IT leaders such as Bill Gates (Microsoft),<br />
Larry Ellison (Oracle) and Steve Jobs (Apple),<br />
in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian<br />
Institution’s Computer History Collection.<br />
Still active today in the day-to-day operations<br />
of the company he founded, Nies is<br />
officially the longest actively-serving CEO in<br />
the entire computer industry. His dream of<br />
selling computer software separately from<br />
hardware revolutionized the way computers<br />
and their components were sold, and pioneered<br />
the software industry.<br />
Cincom continues to make history. In 2004,<br />
Nies won the Ernst & Young Technology<br />
Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Former<br />
national winners include Steve Case (AOL),<br />
Jeff Bezos (Amazon) and David Filo (Yahoo!).<br />
In 2005, along with the CEO of Adobe, Nies<br />
won the International Stevie Award for Best<br />
Executive—“the business world’s own Oscars,”<br />
according to the New York Post. And in 2006,<br />
the year he was named as one of the Top Ten<br />
Top: Dr. David K. Allison with the<br />
Smithsonian Institution and Thomas M.<br />
Nies, 1995. Nies is featured in the<br />
Smithsonian as one of the “pioneers of the<br />
computer industry.”<br />
Above: An early Cincom ad, featuring then<br />
eight year old Eric Nies.<br />
Right: Tom Nies’ sons, Eric, left, and<br />
Tom Nies, Jr., right, share their father’s love<br />
of software. Both hold positions in the<br />
company today.<br />
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IT Visionaries by START-IT magazine, Nies<br />
addressed the United Nations on the topic of<br />
maximizing technology investments through<br />
innovative simplification.<br />
In 2008 the Cincom mystique was further<br />
examined in a case study published by the<br />
Harvard Business School. <strong>The</strong>se studies are<br />
used by many business schools around the<br />
world to present MBA students with realworld<br />
business issues and problems. Unique<br />
about this study, however, was that the<br />
students were able to ask Nies some hard<br />
questions about his decisions—in person.<br />
This opportunity rarely happens because by<br />
the time most companies become the subjects<br />
of Harvard Business Review (HBR) cases,<br />
founders have typically long since retired.<br />
That same year, Cincom’s fortieth anniversary<br />
was recognized in an unusual way. Nies<br />
thanked Cincom’s customers and employees<br />
for “forty years of impossible dreaming in<br />
the software industry” on large screens in<br />
New York <strong>City</strong>’s Times Square, as well as<br />
in Las Vegas.<br />
In 2010, Nies launched an entrepreneurial<br />
leadership website to provide ideas, inspirations,<br />
insights and information to help tomorrow’s<br />
entrepreneurial leaders. And, in 2012,<br />
Nies received the Carl H. Lindner Award<br />
for Outstanding Business Achievement at the<br />
twenty-seventh annual <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Business<br />
Achievement Awards.<br />
<strong>The</strong> world has changed drastically since<br />
Cincom was founded in 1968. <strong>The</strong> pace of<br />
business continues to accelerate at a rapid<br />
rate, with new technologies being introduced<br />
every day. But some things do not change:<br />
Cincom has always defined its success by the<br />
success of its clients.<br />
Cincom clients represent a range of markets,<br />
including financial services and insurance,<br />
manufacturing, healthcare, energy and<br />
utilities, retail, telecommunications, as well as<br />
nonprofit and government agencies. By providing<br />
high value at low cost and low risk,<br />
along with a rapid return on investment,<br />
Cincom’s problem-solving software continues<br />
to help thousands of companies all over the<br />
world grow and manage their businesses.<br />
Top, left: Tom Nies at the Harvard Business<br />
School, 2008.<br />
Top, right: Tom Nies addressing the<br />
United Nations, 2006.<br />
Below: In 2008, Nies thanked Cincom<br />
customers and employees for “Forty years<br />
of impossible dreaming in the software<br />
industry” on large screens in<br />
New York <strong>City</strong>’s Times Square.<br />
T H E M A R K E T P L A C E<br />
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HABEGGER<br />
CORPORATION<br />
Above: <strong>The</strong> second generation of<br />
Habeggers—Tom Habegger, Sue Frey,<br />
Fred Habegger and Jim Habegger.<br />
Below: O. F. Habegger—<strong>The</strong> Habegger<br />
Corporation’s founder.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Habegger dream began in 1952 when<br />
Fred Habegger, Sr., a former sales manager for<br />
the Bryant HVAC distributor in Pittsburgh,<br />
purchased the Bryant distribution office<br />
in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>.<br />
Habegger was an outstanding salesman but<br />
his longtime dream was to have a business<br />
of his own. When he heard that the Bryant<br />
distributorship in <strong>Cincinnati</strong> was for sale<br />
he jumped at the opportunity and the Bryant<br />
Gas Heating Company had a new owner.<br />
Money was tight and business was difficult<br />
in the early days, but Fred was soon able to<br />
capitalize on the boom years of the 1950s<br />
as homeowners converted from coal to gas<br />
and new suburban neighborhoods created a<br />
strong demand for his products.<br />
<strong>The</strong> core values that have guided the<br />
Habegger Corporation over the years were<br />
forged during those early days. Fred’s main<br />
focus was to work closely with his customers<br />
and develop a strong personal as well as business<br />
relationship. Customers soon became<br />
loyal friends.<br />
In 1963 the name of the company was<br />
changed to the Bryant-Habegger Company<br />
when Fred, Jr., newly graduated from the<br />
College of Business at the University of<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>, joined his father in the business.<br />
Tragedy struck a year later when Fred, Sr.,<br />
came down with a virus that damaged the<br />
muscles of his heart. He eventually returned to<br />
work but never regained the stamina that had<br />
enabled him to build the business. He died on<br />
July 20, 1970, at the young age of fifty-one.<br />
By this time, another son, Jim, had joined his<br />
brother Fred, Jr., in the business and it was not<br />
long before two more Habeggers were on board;<br />
brother Tom and sister Sue Habegger Frey.<br />
Despite their relative inexperience, the<br />
young Habeggers, all University of <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
graduates, found that their talents complemented<br />
each other and the four moved quickly<br />
to build on their father’s legacy.<br />
In 1972 the company moved from the<br />
cramped Blue Rock Avenue location to a<br />
much larger and more modern facility on<br />
Winton Road. Fred, Jr., was now president of<br />
the company, Jim was operations manager,<br />
Tom was Dayton sales manager, and Sue was<br />
the company’s controller.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Habeggers began their expansion phase<br />
in 1980 when they purchased the Bryant<br />
distributorship in Columbus, Ohio. This was<br />
their first foray outside their father’s original<br />
territory and it made for some nervous<br />
moments. However, they soon found out<br />
that the Habegger style of developing strong<br />
personal—as well as business—relationships<br />
with their customers had a universal quality and<br />
the Columbus branch soon became one of the<br />
most successful Bryant territories in the country.<br />
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<strong>The</strong>ir success in Columbus soon had the<br />
Habeggers looking for additional opportunities<br />
and this led to a period of unprecedented<br />
growth as follows:<br />
• 1982, acquisition of Bryant Branch<br />
Operations, Cleveland, Ohio.<br />
• 1984, new office and warehouse facility,<br />
Dayton, Ohio.<br />
• 1987, acquisition of Carrier Branch<br />
Operations, <strong>Cincinnati</strong> and Dayton, Ohio.<br />
• 1989, new office and warehouse facility,<br />
Lima, Ohio.<br />
• 1990, new Carrier office and warehouse<br />
facility, <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, Ohio.<br />
• 1992, new Carrier office and parts center,<br />
Dayton, Ohio.<br />
• 1995, acquisition of Bryant Operations in all<br />
of Kentucky and Indiana.<br />
• 1996, new office and warehouse facilities<br />
in Columbus, Ohio; Fort Wayne, Indiana;<br />
and Florence, Kentucky.<br />
• 1997, new office and warehouse facility,<br />
Lexington, Kentucky.<br />
• 1998, new office and warehouse facilities<br />
in Indianapolis and Evansville, Indiana.<br />
• 1999, new HVAC store in Zanesville.<br />
• 2000, new HVAC store in Chillicothe, Ohio.<br />
• 2001, new HVAC stores in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>,<br />
South Bend, Bowling Green, Evansville,<br />
and Southport.<br />
• 2002, new HVAC stores in Lafayette,<br />
Indiana and Sandusky, Ohio.<br />
With the purchase of the Carrier operations<br />
in 1980 the company name was<br />
changed to the Habegger Corporation.<br />
In 2002 the company celebrated its fiftieth<br />
anniversary. <strong>The</strong> second generation of<br />
Habeggers had taken their father’s business<br />
from $1.5 million in 1970 to over $135<br />
million in 2002. It was now time for the<br />
third generation of Habegger family members<br />
to make their mark.<br />
In November 2002 Fred, Jr., stepped<br />
down as company CEO and was succeeded<br />
by interim CEO John Dorr. John would<br />
lead the company for the next thirteen<br />
years and continue the pattern of customer<br />
service and geographical expansion. During<br />
his tenure the company would open<br />
additional locations in Illinois, Iowa,<br />
Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Northern<br />
Ohio, and annual sales would grow to over<br />
$250 million.<br />
Today the Habegger Corporation is one<br />
of the largest Bryant and Carrier distributors<br />
in the country.<br />
On January 1, 2015, the current company<br />
President Brian Habegger will become<br />
CEO as the transition to the third generation<br />
continues. Fred, Sr., would be very proud.<br />
Above: <strong>The</strong> third generation of Habeggers—<br />
Susan Brickweg, Ken Habegger,<br />
Rob Habegger, Karen Adkins, Steve Frey,<br />
Brian Habegger, Michael Habegger,<br />
Gregg Habegger, Lori Messmer,<br />
Tony Adkins and Doug Habegger.<br />
Below: Fred Habegger welcomes<br />
new CEO John Dorr at the company’s<br />
fiftieth anniversary celebration,<br />
November 9, 2002.<br />
T H E M A R K E T P L A C E<br />
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WESTERN &SOUTHERN FINANCIAL GROUP<br />
With nearly $60 billion in assets owned<br />
and managed, as well as financial ratings that<br />
make it one of the highest-rated life insurance<br />
groups in the world, Western & Southern<br />
Financial Group (Western & Southern) has<br />
earned recognition as a world-class financial<br />
services organization.<br />
From modest beginnings a century-and-aquarter<br />
ago, Western & Southern has grown into<br />
a highly respected Fortune 500 company<br />
because of the traditional, timeless values at the<br />
core of the organization. No wonder Chairman,<br />
President, and CEO John F. Barrett refers to the<br />
firm as “a unique financial services powerhouse.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> history of Western & Southern began<br />
in <strong>Cincinnati</strong> in 1888 with the founding of<br />
<strong>The</strong> Western and Southern Life Insurance<br />
Company. In those days, Western &<br />
Southern sold one product only—life<br />
insurance—through agents who collected<br />
weekly premiums in person, either at the<br />
policyholder’s workplace or at their home.<br />
Those friendly visits often included a cup of<br />
coffee and slice of pie with the customer and<br />
perhaps a Western & Southern comic book<br />
for a young family member.<br />
Over the next century, this warm, “frontdoor<br />
service” approach helped Western &<br />
Southern grow into one of the largest home<br />
service life insurance companies in the country.<br />
As times changed, Western & Southern<br />
made several strategic moves in the 1980s to<br />
expand its life insurance product offerings<br />
and grow its customer base. This new direction<br />
included discontinuation of the weekly<br />
premium business in order to focus more<br />
on middle-income Americans. Western &<br />
Southern also expanded its reach by acquiring<br />
life insurance companies whose agents<br />
serviced affluent consumers.<br />
In the early 1990s, Western & Southern<br />
leaders recognized a trend. Although life<br />
insurance had driven the company’s economic<br />
engine for more than a century, the demographics,<br />
mortality and lifestyles of the United<br />
States population were changing. Families<br />
now had more than one breadwinner, and<br />
improvements in healthcare had shifted the<br />
customer’s primary concern from, “What<br />
happens to my spouse and kids if I die?” to<br />
“What happens to me if I outlive my money?”<br />
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<strong>The</strong> changing concerns of the<br />
American family sparked a Western &<br />
Southern diversification strategy related<br />
to its products, distribution channels<br />
and revenue sources. <strong>The</strong> company<br />
began to focus on strategic growth<br />
through acquisitions and by organically<br />
creating new core businesses through<br />
subsidiary companies.<br />
As a result of its long-term thinking<br />
and focused business strategies,<br />
Western & Southern’s family of<br />
companies now spans twelve<br />
subsidiaries. Assets under management<br />
of $6 billion in 1991 grew over the<br />
next 20 years to approach $60 billion<br />
in assets owned and managed in 2012.<br />
<strong>The</strong> organization’s workforce is as<br />
diverse as its products, which now<br />
include life insurance; fixed, variable<br />
and income annuities; mutual funds;<br />
investment management for public and<br />
private institutions, foundations, and<br />
high-net-worth individuals; retirement<br />
plans; pension products; and insurance<br />
fulfillment services.<br />
“We have developed a unique culture<br />
that permeates all facets of our corporate<br />
headquarters in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>,” explains Barrett.<br />
“Our culture is defined by hard work, sensible<br />
decision making, teamwork, collegiality, topnotch<br />
performance of our responsibilities and<br />
the continuous upgrading of our businesses<br />
and our competencies.”<br />
As Western & Southern celebrates its 125th<br />
anniversary in 2013, the company continues<br />
to strive to provide world-class service, develop<br />
world-class associates, create a world-class<br />
culture and earn world-class profits. Western<br />
& Southern’s most visible commitment to<br />
downtown <strong>Cincinnati</strong> is the construction of<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s newest skyscraper, which opened<br />
its doors shortly after New Year’s Day 2011.<br />
However, the 665-foot-tall Great American<br />
Tower at <strong>Queen</strong> <strong>City</strong> Square is only the tip of<br />
the company’s commitment to <strong>Cincinnati</strong>.<br />
Despite the economic challenges, Western<br />
& Southern remains one of the most generous<br />
corporations in America. In 2011, Western &<br />
Southern donated more than $12.7 million,<br />
or four percent of net income, to 194 local<br />
organizations. <strong>The</strong>se causes spanned education,<br />
arts, culture, community development,<br />
youth services, and health services. Many of<br />
the beneficiaries are household names:<br />
National Multiple Sclerosis Society, <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
Art Museum, the Taft Museum and United<br />
Way of Greater <strong>Cincinnati</strong> to name a few.<br />
Additionally, Western & Southern’s commitment<br />
to <strong>Cincinnati</strong> remains steadfast with past<br />
and present economic development at <strong>Queen</strong><br />
<strong>City</strong> Square, Over-the-Rhine, and Lytle Park.<br />
Perhaps the organization’s most recognized<br />
sponsorship is the Western & Southern Open<br />
tennis tournament, a premier event in the<br />
U.S. Open Series that features the world’s<br />
top-ranked men and women professional<br />
tennis players and contributes tens of millions<br />
of dollars in annual economic impact to the<br />
Southwest Ohio region.<br />
From heart to history to humanitarianism,<br />
it is clear that Western & Southern is simply a<br />
great place for employees to work—and a<br />
place that does great work for its customers<br />
and its community.<br />
Opposite, top: Store-front advertisement of<br />
decades ago.<br />
Opposite, center: Western & Southern<br />
main office building at the company’s<br />
headquarters in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF ANDERSON COBB.<br />
Opposite, bottom: Great American Tower<br />
at <strong>Queen</strong> <strong>City</strong> Square groundbreaking<br />
ceremony on June 23, 2008. Left to right:<br />
John F. Barrett, William J. Williams,<br />
Carl H. Lindner III, Carl H. Lindner, Jr.,<br />
S. Craig Lindner, Gyo Obata,<br />
Kim Satzger, Mario San Marco, Senator<br />
George Voinovich and Milton Dohoney.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF DAVID LEIGHTON.<br />
Above: Great American Tower, <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s<br />
newest and tallest office building in<br />
the background and the renovated<br />
Residence Inn at the Phelps on the right.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF DAVID LEIGHTON.<br />
T H E M A R K E T P L A C E<br />
1 8 9
CASTELLINI<br />
GROUP OF<br />
COMPANIES<br />
<strong>The</strong> Castellini Group of Companies was<br />
founded in 1896 by Joseph J. “J. J.” Castellini,<br />
an innovative and entrepreneurial young<br />
businessman who was determined to build<br />
a company that would become a leader in<br />
produce distribution.<br />
As a young man, Castellini, a native of<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>, worked in the produce business<br />
during the day and attended school at night.<br />
In time, he and two business partners scraped<br />
together $500 and started the company on the<br />
original <strong>Cincinnati</strong> produce terminal market.<br />
Castellini eventually bought out his partners<br />
and gave the company his own name.<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> was a major railroad hub in those<br />
early days and also accommodated heavy river<br />
traffic. This ease of transportation allowed the<br />
company to expand its distribution operation<br />
and the Castellini Company soon built a<br />
solid reputation in the produce markets of<br />
Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Detroit,<br />
St. Louis, Philadelphia, Baltimore, New York<br />
and Boston. <strong>The</strong>n, as now, quick and reliable<br />
transportation was an essential element in<br />
keeping perishable inventories fresh.<br />
A forward-thinking business leader,<br />
Castellini was always searching for new and<br />
more efficient ways of doing business. <strong>The</strong><br />
company began using typewriters, adding<br />
machines, Dictaphones and other mechanical<br />
office equipment long before most others<br />
in the produce business. Castellini even<br />
invented a celery washer, which provided<br />
another value-added service for his customers.<br />
A strong supporter of industry trade<br />
associations, Castellini served as president of<br />
the National League of Wholesale Fresh Fruit<br />
and Vegetable Distributors, was instrumental<br />
in founding the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Fruit and Produce<br />
Credit Association, and was president of the<br />
United Fruit Auction Company in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Castellini family has continued to<br />
operate the company through the years,<br />
carrying on Castellini’s vision and spirit<br />
of entrepreneurship.<br />
Castellini’s son, Robert, assumed the<br />
company leadership in 1927 and made his<br />
own valuable contributions to the company<br />
and to the produce industry. He understood<br />
the advantages of grower cooperatives and<br />
encouraged more than a hundred local<br />
produce growers to form the <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
Produce Growers Association. After his<br />
untimely death in 1952, his daughter, Claire<br />
Castellini Wilger, became president.<br />
Robert’s son, Robert H. “Bob” Castellini,<br />
joined the company in 1966 and now<br />
serves as chairman. His leadership has<br />
resulted in the acquisition or formation of<br />
the related companies that enable the<br />
Castellini Group to efficiently handle all<br />
aspects of produce distribution.<br />
Today, the Castellini Group of Companies<br />
combine to form one of the largest<br />
distributors of fresh produce in the United<br />
States, with more than twenty-five hundred<br />
fruits, vegetables and floral items including a<br />
complete line of fresh-cut, value-added,<br />
organic, specialty and locally grown products<br />
for the retail and food service markets.<br />
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190
<strong>The</strong> Castellini Group is composed<br />
largely of six business entities.<br />
Castellini Company LLC, located<br />
in Wilder, Kentucky, distributes fresh<br />
fruits and vegetables to seventeen<br />
states from the Greater <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
area and serves as headquarters, procurement<br />
branch, and information<br />
source for all of the companies, which<br />
include a number of distributionrelated<br />
and value-added businesses.<br />
Crosset Company LLC, the<br />
Castellini Group’s service wholesale<br />
arm, distributes fresh produce and<br />
floral items and provides support<br />
services to retail grocers throughout<br />
the Midwest.<br />
Club Chef LLC, one of the largest<br />
regional fresh produce processors in<br />
the United States, offers a broad line<br />
of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables for<br />
foodservice and retail customers.<br />
Grant County Foods LLC, one of the<br />
Midwest’s largest repackers of tomatoes and<br />
ripeners of bananas, also specializes in consumer-oriented<br />
packaging of fresh tomatoes,<br />
potatoes and onions.<br />
RWI Transportation LLC is the asset-based<br />
Castellini-affiliated common carrier that<br />
provides transportation services from growing<br />
and shipping regions. With a fleet of over<br />
300 trucks and 53-foot refrigerated trailers,<br />
RWI provides both refrigerated and dry<br />
transportation to customers nationwide.<br />
RWI Logistics is a non-asset based<br />
transportation provider offering a wide array<br />
of logistics services to customers throughout<br />
the United States.<br />
For 117 years, the Castellini Group of<br />
Companies has cultivated long-term relationships<br />
with the most reputable growers and<br />
shippers in the nation to ensure access to<br />
the highest quality products year round.<br />
At this same time, it has responded<br />
to changes within the industry<br />
with tenacity, perseverance and a<br />
customer-focused strategy. <strong>The</strong><br />
company’s Mission Statement reflects<br />
the values of its founder and the<br />
commitment that has sustained the<br />
company’s success: “Our mission<br />
is to provide the safest, highest<br />
quality and most efficient distribution<br />
of fresh fruits and vegetables<br />
and value-added services by continually<br />
exceeding our customers’<br />
expectations through our people, continual<br />
improvement, innovation, and technology.”<br />
Castellini’s strategy for the future is to<br />
focus on globalization, the marketing of<br />
goods and services that support healthy<br />
and convenience-oriented lifestyles, and the<br />
ever-changing demands of the consumer. By<br />
investing in these aspects of the business,<br />
the Castellini Group of Companies plans to<br />
continue to meet the needs of its customers—<br />
just as it has since 1896.<br />
T H E M A R K E T P L A C E<br />
1 9 1
CROWNE PLAZA CINCINNATI BLUE ASH<br />
Above: <strong>The</strong> exterior of the Crowne Plaza<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Blue Ash.<br />
Below: <strong>The</strong> Towne Square<br />
Atrium Restaurant.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Crowne Plaza <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Blue Ash, a<br />
full-service hotel and conference center, is<br />
proud of its tradition of hospitality that began<br />
forty-four years ago with construction of a<br />
100 room hotel. <strong>The</strong> hotel has grown and<br />
prospered under several names and ownership<br />
groups over the years and continues to provide<br />
quality lodging and catering services to guests<br />
in the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> area.<br />
Ernie Barker built the original hotel in<br />
1969 as a Ramada Inn. A Mt. Carmel, Illinois,<br />
businessman, Ernie had a successful career in<br />
the oil, natural gas, and banking businesses.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Ramada was the first hotel built in<br />
Blue Ash and had the Ramada’s signature dual<br />
curved stairways in the lobby. <strong>The</strong> original<br />
two-story building contained 100 guest<br />
rooms, a coffee shop, small cocktail lounge,<br />
outdoor swimming pool and two small<br />
meeting rooms. With easy access to the newly<br />
completed Interstates 71 and 275, the hotel<br />
was an immediate success.<br />
A six-story tower with 115 additional<br />
rooms was added in 1980, along with an<br />
atrium, indoor pool and whirlpool, Oasis<br />
Lounge, Connection Lounge and the Main<br />
Event, a fine dining restaurant with top name<br />
entertainment and big band and live theater<br />
presentations. <strong>The</strong> hotel was upgraded to a<br />
Ramada Hotel and continued to prosper<br />
during the 1980s.<br />
Barker continued to develop hotels<br />
throughout the United States until his death<br />
in the late 1980s.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Ramada Hotel was sold in the early<br />
1990s and the name was changed to Best<br />
Western in 1994. It later became part of the<br />
Clarion Hotel and Suites group and remained<br />
so until 2007.<br />
<strong>The</strong> current ownership group acquired the<br />
hotel in March 2004 and operated it as a<br />
Clarion Hotel until 2007. <strong>The</strong> present owners<br />
obtained a Crowne Plaza franchise in late 2006<br />
and began a major refurbishment of the hotel.<br />
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192
On May 30, 2007, the completely renovated<br />
facility became a Crowne Plaza Hotel.<br />
Today, the Crowne Plaza offers 200<br />
beautifully appointed guest rooms, including<br />
two-room suites with refrigerators,<br />
microwaves and wet bars. Crowne Plaza Sleep<br />
Advantage Amenities ® provides a refreshing<br />
night’s sleep. Guests enjoy such features as<br />
complimentary high-speed Internet access<br />
in all rooms, in-room dining, twenty-fourhour<br />
concierge services, and a state-of-theart<br />
business center with complimentary<br />
wireless access.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Crowne Plaza at 5901 Pfeiffer Road is<br />
conveniently located only fifteen minutes<br />
from downtown <strong>Cincinnati</strong> and close to<br />
many area attractions. Guests may enjoy<br />
shopping at Rookwood Pavilion or Kenwood<br />
Towne Center or relieve the stress of travel<br />
at our indoor tropical pool, a nearby golf<br />
course or fitness center. Guests enjoy<br />
delicious meals on-site at <strong>The</strong> Towne Square<br />
Atrium Restaurant or Lobby Lounge, or may<br />
visit one of the numerous locally favorite<br />
restaurants such as Montgomery Inn and<br />
Carlo and Johnny’s.<br />
<strong>The</strong> hotel is in close proximity to many<br />
local attractions such as the Reds’ Great<br />
American Ball Park, the NFL Bengals Paul<br />
Brown Stadium, Kings Island, and Beach<br />
Water Park. Guests may immerse themselves<br />
in the rich history of the area with a tour of<br />
the National Underground Railroad Freedom<br />
Center or experience <strong>Cincinnati</strong> culture with<br />
a trip to Newport on the Levee.<br />
If you are on a business trip, the<br />
Crowne Plaza is only minutes away from<br />
Ethicon, Toyota, Procter & Gamble, Siemens,<br />
Fifth Third Bank, <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Eye Institute,<br />
Coca-Cola, and other major corporations in<br />
Blue Ash.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Crowne Plaza is also an ideal place<br />
for meetings and conferences with more<br />
than 13,000 square feet of flexible meeting<br />
space capable of accommodating groups<br />
from five to 500. Professional state-of-the-art<br />
audio/visual services are available, along with<br />
complimentary wireless Internet access in<br />
all meeting rooms. A dedicated Crowne Plaza<br />
meetings director will make sure your event<br />
exceeds all your expectations.<br />
<strong>The</strong> hotel employs about eighty people<br />
who provide full-service lodging and catering<br />
services. <strong>The</strong> Crowne Plaza’s ownership group<br />
is based in <strong>Cincinnati</strong> and also manages the<br />
Hilton Garden Inn at Loveland and several<br />
retail properties in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>.<br />
From its beginning as a 100 room Ramada<br />
Inn in 1969, the Crowne Plaza <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
Blue Ash has evolved into one of the area’s<br />
premier travel destinations. For more<br />
information about the Crowne Plaza, visit<br />
www.cpcincinnati.com/<br />
Above: A wedding reception with a circular<br />
table seating arrangement.<br />
Below: A special day at the Crowne Plaza.<br />
T H E M A R K E T P L A C E<br />
1 9 3
CINTAS<br />
CORPORATION<br />
<strong>The</strong> annals of American business are filled<br />
with fascinating success stories, but few can<br />
equal the improbable “rags to riches” story of<br />
the little family business that in 2012 had<br />
become the $4.1-billion enterprise known as<br />
Cintas Corporation.<br />
<strong>The</strong> colorful and inspiring story of Cintas<br />
began in 1929 when Richard “Doc” Farmer<br />
began a small rag salvage business out of<br />
sheer necessity. Prior to this time, Doc had<br />
been a circus animal trainer and with his<br />
wife, Amelia, a trapeze artist. But the circus<br />
closed because of the Great Depression, and<br />
Doc and Amelia were forced to find a new<br />
way to earn a living. Doc dabbled in amateur<br />
boxing before—and after—turning to rag<br />
collection in 1930.<br />
Doc saw a way to make a living by picking<br />
up soiled industrial rags at factories that used<br />
them to clean up industrial soils and equipment.<br />
<strong>The</strong> factories were sending the soiled<br />
rags to the dump to be burned. Doc intercepted<br />
the rags, took them home to his wife,<br />
Amelia, and together they washed the rags,<br />
reclaiming about eighty percent, and resold<br />
them back to the factories that used them.<br />
<strong>The</strong> business quickly outgrew the family<br />
washing machine, so Doc had to find more<br />
space. He took over a public bath house on<br />
the banks of the Ohio River and turned it into<br />
a laundry. He and Amelia worked nights and<br />
weekends, and attracted their adopted son,<br />
Hershell, who was a commercial artist with a<br />
local newspaper, to join them and help run<br />
the business. <strong>The</strong> flood of 1937 washed the<br />
bath house and the factory down the Ohio<br />
River. So, Doc and the family built a plant<br />
on the Ohio side of the river, on Duck Creek<br />
Road in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>. <strong>The</strong> business grew<br />
rapidly during the years of World War II. By<br />
this time, Hershell was married and had two<br />
children—Joan and Dick. During the war, the<br />
whole family worked and almost lived in that<br />
little plant on Duck Creek Road to produce<br />
the services necessary to supply the industries<br />
supporting the war effort in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>.<br />
<strong>The</strong> small industrial wiping laundry developed<br />
a loyal customer base and continued to<br />
grow during the second world war years. By<br />
this time, Hershell assumed leadership of the<br />
company and continued to operate the firm<br />
much as his father had. By the beginning of<br />
the war, domestic rags were replaced by shop<br />
towels, and instead of selling the towels to<br />
the customer, the company rented them to<br />
the customers. By doing this, the company<br />
would pick up soiled towels each week,<br />
wash them, and replace the dirtied towels<br />
with freshly laundered ones. This process<br />
continued and sustained the small family<br />
business even after Doc’s passing in 1948.<br />
<strong>The</strong> company’s rapid growth came nearly<br />
a decade later when, in 1957, Hershell’s son,<br />
Richard T. “Dick” Farmer, joined the firm.<br />
Dick graduated from Miami University in<br />
Oxford, Ohio, in 1956 and joined the U.S.<br />
Marine Corps. However, his career as a Marine<br />
officer was cut short for medical reasons and<br />
Dick decided to join the family business.<br />
Dick was brimming with ideas, including<br />
a plan to expand the business into uniform<br />
rental. Hershell, scarred by the financial<br />
struggles of the Great Depression, resisted his<br />
son’s proposal that the company borrow money<br />
to finance its growth. Dick’s enthusiasm and<br />
insistence finally prevailed. In 1958, Hershell<br />
relinquished day-to-day management of the<br />
business to his twenty-four year old son.<br />
<strong>The</strong> company entered the uniform rental<br />
business, a move that dramatically reshaped<br />
the company into an expanded marketplace.<br />
Within two years, this line of business had<br />
grown to such an extent that the firm changed<br />
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194
its name from Acme Wiper and Industrial<br />
Laundry to Acme Uniform & Shop Towel<br />
Supply Co., and revenues increased twenty<br />
to thirty percent per year over the next<br />
five years. During this period, the company<br />
rented uniforms to mostly blue-collar<br />
businesses ranging from large industrial<br />
plants to corner auto repair shops.<br />
Dick also developed several innovations<br />
that would make the company an industry<br />
leader, including poly-cotton blend fabrics<br />
that resisted wrinkles and stains and provided<br />
a great improvement in quality. But this<br />
required additional capital. Dick’s father,<br />
being very conservative, did not want to<br />
borrow money. So, in 1968, Dick left the<br />
family business and started a new company<br />
that he called Satellite Corporation. He raised<br />
$400,000 in capital by selling stock to outside<br />
investors. In 1968 the company opened its<br />
first plant in Cleveland, Ohio. New operations<br />
followed in Detroit, St. Louis, and other<br />
Midwestern cities.<br />
In 1995, Dick turned over the role of CEO<br />
to Bob Kohlhepp but remained very active in<br />
running the business as chairman.<br />
Cintas expanded its product and<br />
service offerings in the mid-1990s,<br />
beginning with facility services,<br />
first aid and safety products<br />
and others. In 2003, Dick’s son,<br />
Scott Farmer, was named CEO and<br />
has since focused on expanding<br />
Cintas’ product and service offerings<br />
throughout North America.<br />
Cintas now operates more than<br />
430 facilities in North America,<br />
Europe, Latin America and Asia,<br />
including six manufacturing plants<br />
and nine distribution centers. <strong>The</strong><br />
company employs approximately<br />
thirty thousand people and operates<br />
its corporate headquarters in Mason,<br />
Ohio, just north of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>.<br />
Company revenues were a record<br />
$4.1 billion in the fiscal year that<br />
ended May 31, 2012.<br />
Cintas considers its corporate<br />
culture to be its most significant<br />
competitive advantage and according<br />
to its founder, Dick Farmer,<br />
“<strong>The</strong> glue that makes it unlike any other<br />
company.” It has also been recognized by<br />
many widely known publications, including<br />
Fortune magazine’s list of “Most Admired”<br />
companies, GI Job’s list of “Military-Friendly<br />
Employers,” Newsweek’s Green Rankings,<br />
and was ranked among the Top 150 Best<br />
Workplaces in the U.S. by WorkplaceDynamics.<br />
Today, Cintas is the world’s largest corporate<br />
identity uniform provider, servicing<br />
industrial, commercial, hospitality, healthcare,<br />
gaming and many other industries. It is the<br />
second largest fire protection business in the<br />
United States, including fire extinguishers<br />
and other fire service products; the third<br />
largest document storage and destruction<br />
business in the U.S., and services over one<br />
million businesses weekly.<br />
Looking to the future, the company<br />
remains focused on planning and organizing<br />
itself for continued growth by continuing to<br />
offer the best products and services to its<br />
customers with the most talented and diverse<br />
team of employee-partners committed to<br />
exemplary customer service.<br />
Opposite, top: Richard “Doc” and Amelia<br />
Farmer in their circus costumes. Doc was<br />
a self-proclaimed veterinarian, animal<br />
trainer and trapeze artist. Amelia was the<br />
queen of the circus. When the Great<br />
Depression struck and the circus shut down,<br />
it was Doc and Amelia who had the idea<br />
to start washing rags from factories and<br />
selling them back to the factories for profit.<br />
Opposite, bottom: Some of Cintas’ products<br />
and service offerings are represented in this<br />
photograph, taken in front of its corporate<br />
headquarters in Mason, Ohio.<br />
Above: Left to right, Hershell and Dick<br />
Farmer go over blueprints at the site of<br />
what would become the new uniform rental<br />
plant in 1962. This site is now known as<br />
Cintas Location 01 on Ridge Road in<br />
Pleasant Ridge.<br />
Left: Corporate identity uniform programs<br />
have been Cintas’ core business for the past<br />
forty years. More than five million people<br />
go to work wearing a Cintas uniform<br />
every day.<br />
T H E M A R K E T P L A C E<br />
1 9 5
THE MARIEMONT INN<br />
<strong>The</strong> historic Mariemont Inn, is located in<br />
the heart of Mariemont’s unforgettable historic<br />
district, only fifteen minutes from downtown<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>. A stay at the Mariemont Inn steeps<br />
guests in <strong>Cincinnati</strong> history as few other<br />
places can.<br />
Designed in the early 1920s, the Village<br />
of Mariemont was intended to be a model<br />
English garden community and self-sufficient<br />
town where good planning would prevent<br />
common big-city problems. Mariemont<br />
pronounced “Mary-mont,” not “Marie-mont,”<br />
was named for Mary Emery’s summer home<br />
in Rhode Island which, in turn, was named<br />
for a town in England.<br />
<strong>The</strong> town was designed to illustrate the<br />
best architectural, engineering and environmental<br />
concerns possible for this type of<br />
development. Today, the village is designated<br />
a National Historic Landmark.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Inn, listed on the National Register of<br />
Historic Places, offers guests luxurious comfort<br />
in the heart of Mariemont’s unforgettable historic<br />
district. Three striking stories of timberand-brick<br />
beckon guests from Mariemont’s<br />
tree-lined streets. <strong>The</strong> building, constructed<br />
in 1926, was a centerpiece of Emery’s vision<br />
of an ideal town. However, the picturesque<br />
Tudor architecture is only the beginning of<br />
what the Inn offers. Guestrooms offer a sense<br />
of the Inn’s history and are designed with a<br />
residential look and feel. <strong>The</strong> Inn offers all the<br />
amenities an experienced traveler expects,<br />
plus unexpected surprises that showcase the<br />
hotel’s unique character.<br />
<strong>The</strong> original spirit of elegance and hospitality<br />
is still alive at the Mariemont Inn<br />
today. A complete renovation has resulted in<br />
a uniquely beautiful décor for each of the<br />
forty-five guestrooms, which feature fireplaces,<br />
original artwork and custom-designed<br />
furniture. Modern touches include built-in<br />
refrigerators and safes, forty-two inch LCD<br />
televisions, large desks with Herman-Miller ®<br />
desk chairs, and complimentary high-speed<br />
Internet access.<br />
Guests find the facilities at Mariemont Inn<br />
both comfortable and convenient. You will<br />
relax on a comfortable Tempur-Pedic ® bed<br />
and renew your senses with multiple head<br />
showers and the added convenience of fogfree<br />
mirrors in the classically tiled bathroom.<br />
Some rooms offer a separate bathtub. Each<br />
guestroom wraps you in luxurious boutiquehotel<br />
ambiance, yet is spacious enough for<br />
guests and all of their luggage.<br />
You may choose from among four room<br />
types, each of which has been meticulously<br />
designed to meet your particular needs.<br />
Other amenities offered in the 100 percent<br />
smoke-free Inn include handicap accessibility,<br />
meeting facilities, room service, safe deposit<br />
box and free parking.<br />
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<strong>The</strong> Gymnasium at Mariemont Inn features<br />
Precor ® equipment to help you keep in shape<br />
during your visit. <strong>The</strong> Exchange, the Inn’s<br />
business center, provides all the services<br />
you will need to stay in touch with the office<br />
back home.<br />
Complimentary newspapers and coffee are<br />
available for guests each morning in the lobby.<br />
Valet laundry and dry-cleaning services are<br />
also available.<br />
When it comes to dining, the National<br />
Exemplar Restaurant, located on the first floor<br />
of the hotel, is a popular neighborhood<br />
restaurant. It offers American-style cuisine in<br />
its spacious dining room or relaxing outdoor<br />
patio. Open daily for breakfast, lunch and<br />
dinner, the National Exemplar offers an<br />
outstanding dining experience.<br />
Southerby’s Pub, located off the lobby, offers<br />
dining as well as a cozy place to have a drink.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Pub features oversized chairs overlooking<br />
one of the original 1920s-era fireplaces,<br />
or guests may settle down in an overstuffed<br />
sofa and savor a drink with the locals in this<br />
intimate, but inviting, pub.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Inn has five other sit-down dining<br />
experiences, one carryout option, and even a<br />
Starbucks ® coffee shop, all within 500 feet of<br />
the hotel. <strong>The</strong>se unique, independent restaurants<br />
range from award-winning Mediterranean<br />
cuisine to classic deli sandwiches.<br />
Also sharing the town square with the Inn<br />
are a movie theatre, boutique shops and even<br />
an ice cream parlor. A walk or jog around<br />
Mariemont’s tranquil village streets is always a<br />
pleasure, day or night.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Mariemont Inn is affiliated with<br />
Historic Hotels of America, Preferred Hotel<br />
Group, a program of the National Trust for<br />
Historic Preservation. HHA identifies quality<br />
hotels that have faithfully maintained their<br />
historic integrity, architecture and ambiance.<br />
<strong>The</strong>se hotels are promoted nationally and<br />
internationally to those who prefer historic<br />
settings for their leisure and business travel.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Mariemont Inn is also a Premier hotel<br />
within the Best Western brand.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Mariemont Inn is located at 6880<br />
Wooster Pike and is only a short drive from<br />
Interstate 71, Exit 9, or from downtown<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> via Columbia Parkway (Route 50).<br />
For an online tour and other information<br />
about the Mariemont Inn, visit the website at<br />
www.mariemontinn.com.<br />
T H E M A R K E T P L A C E<br />
1 9 7
OHIO NATIONAL FINANCIAL SERVICES<br />
Above: Ohio National’s former<br />
headquarters: its first single-room office in<br />
downtown <strong>Cincinnati</strong> in 1909; its<br />
headquarters on Reading Road, which was<br />
later donated to Community Chest/United<br />
Way; and its William Howard Taft Road<br />
corporate offices.<br />
Below: Ohio National’s current corporate<br />
headquarters at One Financial Way<br />
in Montgomery.<br />
Ohio National Financial Services began in<br />
a single-room office in downtown <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
in 1909 and wrote its first policy in 1910.<br />
Only four years later, the company had $2<br />
million of life insurance in force.<br />
During the 1920s, Ohio National entered<br />
the participating whole life insurance market,<br />
which gave policyholders an ownership stake<br />
in the company. This was a first step toward<br />
becoming a mutual company, a company<br />
owned by its policyholders. <strong>The</strong> company<br />
also entered the automation age in 1928 with<br />
the installation of its first key punch machines<br />
for record keeping.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Great Depression had a devastating<br />
impact on the life insurance industry, but<br />
Ohio National was able to survive and grow<br />
with the acquisitions of four major insurance<br />
firms in a merger that has been called “the<br />
largest voluntary consolidation in the history<br />
of the insurance business, where both<br />
companies were in good financial condition.”<br />
By the time Ohio National celebrated its<br />
twenty-fifth anniversary in 1934, it had<br />
reached $37 million in assets and was<br />
operating in 20 states. <strong>The</strong> company’s home<br />
office moved from downtown <strong>Cincinnati</strong> to a<br />
former factory building on Reading Road.<br />
Home office publications at the time promoted<br />
the move and touted the new location and its<br />
amenities such as indirect lighting, “silent”<br />
typewriters, fans to circulate the air and chairs<br />
that minimized back strain!<br />
During the 1940s, the Board of Directors<br />
recommended that Ohio National be<br />
converted to a mutual company, owned by the<br />
policyholders. <strong>The</strong> courts approved the<br />
structure change, but the process took nearly<br />
twenty years to complete. Meanwhile, Ohio<br />
National continued to expand to $100 million<br />
in assets by concentrating on reinsuring the<br />
business of other companies. <strong>The</strong> company<br />
was also recognized for its patriotism during<br />
World War II.<br />
Ohio National’s fiftieth anniversary in 1959<br />
marked a new beginning for the company in<br />
two important ways. <strong>The</strong> company was now<br />
owned by, and operated in, the interests of its<br />
policyholders. And the company entered the<br />
computer age with its first IBM computer.<br />
<strong>The</strong> 1960s saw Ohio National’s assets<br />
exceed $218 million as the company moved<br />
into the individual disability income<br />
insurance market. <strong>The</strong> growth prompted a<br />
move to larger headquarters on William<br />
Howard Taft Road in 1961, an office that was<br />
home to the company for thirty-five years.<br />
Ohio National entered the universal life<br />
insurance market in 1982 and the variable<br />
universal life market five years later. It was<br />
also during this era that <strong>The</strong> Ohio National<br />
Foundation was formed.<br />
For twenty-five years, <strong>The</strong> Ohio National<br />
Foundation has provided funds to numerous<br />
nonprofit organizations, both local and<br />
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198
national in scope. Since its inception in<br />
1987, <strong>The</strong> Ohio National Foundation has<br />
donated more than $14.6 million, including<br />
an ongoing significant involvement with<br />
the United Way of Greater <strong>Cincinnati</strong>.<br />
Organizations benefiting from <strong>The</strong> Ohio<br />
National Foundation include <strong>The</strong> Taft<br />
Museum of Art’s Duncanson Artist-in-<br />
Residence program, <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Habitat for<br />
Humanity, Make-A-Wish Foundation ® , and<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Children’s Hospital Medical Center.<br />
Throughout the 1990s the company<br />
continued to grow. <strong>The</strong> growth necessitated<br />
another corporate headquarters move, this<br />
time to One Financial Way in the northern<br />
suburb of Montgomery. <strong>The</strong> company was<br />
reorganized as a mutual insurance holding<br />
company in 1998, enhancing its ability to<br />
raise capital and provide potentially greater<br />
growth opportunities.<br />
Ohio National celebrated its hundredth<br />
anniversary in 2009. To mark the occasion,<br />
the company joined with Habitat for<br />
Humanity and committed $780,000 to build<br />
ten houses for low-income residents over<br />
five years. This gift remains the largest<br />
one-time donation in the history of the<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> affiliate.<br />
Today, Ohio National is recognized as an<br />
industry leader in providing competitive<br />
individual life insurance and annuity<br />
products through more than 50,000<br />
representatives nationwide. Ohio National’s<br />
U.S. domestic individual life insurance<br />
sales exceed $100 million in new sales<br />
and sales have grown at a pace well ahead<br />
of the industry. <strong>The</strong> company is the<br />
twenty-fourth largest life insurance provider<br />
in terms of total company sales of term<br />
and permanent life premium, according to<br />
LIMRA International, the leading industry<br />
marketing information association. Ohio<br />
National is also the fifteenth largest provider<br />
of variable annuity products in the United<br />
States, according to Morningstar Annuity<br />
Research Center.<br />
Ohio National has also experienced<br />
another milestone: a more than two decadelong<br />
streak of individual life insurance sales<br />
growth. No other life insurer has had such a<br />
long record of consistent sales success.<br />
Ohio National has more than a 1,000 home<br />
office associates and the company has gained<br />
wide recognition as an attractive employer for<br />
both sales and home office associates. <strong>The</strong><br />
company has been consistently honored as an<br />
outstanding employer, including recognition<br />
by the Business Courier and the Great Places<br />
to Work Institute. <strong>The</strong> company has also<br />
been repeatedly recognized as <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s<br />
“#1 Top Workplace” by Enquirer Media.<br />
Above: Current Ohio National Chairman,<br />
President and Chief Executive Officer<br />
Gary “Doc” Huffman, CLU, ChFC.<br />
Below: To mark its hundredth anniversary<br />
in 2009, Ohio National joined with Habitat<br />
for Humanity to build ten houses for<br />
residents over five years.<br />
T H E M A R K E T P L A C E<br />
1 9 9
THE<br />
CINCINNATIAN<br />
HOTEL<br />
<strong>The</strong> year was 1882 and Procter & Gamble<br />
was just beginning to manufacture Ivory<br />
Soap in a new factory along Mill Creek. <strong>The</strong><br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Reds, who had left the National<br />
League because of a ban on beer and Sunday<br />
baseball, won the inaugural pennant of the new<br />
American Association. Architects dubbed<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> the “Paris of America” because of<br />
an array of dazzling projects, including <strong>The</strong><br />
Music Hall, Shillitos Department Store and the<br />
new Palace Hotel.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Palace Hotel, an elegant example of<br />
nineteenth century grand hotels, began to crumble<br />
over the years and came close to destruction,<br />
but was saved from the wrecking ball and<br />
restored to its former glory. Today the hotel is<br />
known as <strong>The</strong> <strong>Cincinnati</strong>an and is now a Forbes<br />
Four Star, AAA Four Diamond hotel that epitomizes<br />
modern luxury in a historic setting.<br />
<strong>The</strong> eight-story Palace Hotel, built in<br />
French Second Empire style, was the tallest<br />
building in <strong>Cincinnati</strong> when it opened at the<br />
peak of the Gilded Age. <strong>The</strong> hotel had 300<br />
guest rooms and guests shared a bathroom<br />
located at the end of each corridor. As the<br />
finest hotel in the city, <strong>The</strong> Palace contained<br />
the very latest in modern conveniences,<br />
including elevators and incandescent lighting.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re was a marble and grand walnut<br />
staircase and a mansard roof. It also had<br />
hitching posts along the front of the hotel,<br />
which was strategically located in the heart<br />
of the city where trolley cars made their turn.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Palace Hotel’s restaurant, <strong>The</strong> Cricket,<br />
soon became one of the city’s most popular.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Palace retained its fashionable reputation<br />
through World War II but, by the early<br />
1950s, its popularity was beginning to fade<br />
and the name of <strong>The</strong> Palace was changed<br />
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200
to <strong>The</strong> <strong>Cincinnati</strong>an. Unfortunately, the hotel<br />
continued to deteriorate over the next three<br />
decades and by the 1980s it was about to be<br />
torn down to make way for a parking garage.<br />
However, new owners decided to preserve<br />
and restore the historic old hotel and<br />
it closed for four years and $25-million<br />
worth of renovation. <strong>The</strong> <strong>Cincinnati</strong>an Hotel<br />
reopened in 1987 as the grand hotel it once<br />
was and remains today.<br />
A beautiful atrium topped with a vast<br />
skylight was created during the renovation, and<br />
the hotel that once contained three hundred<br />
rooms now offers half that number in order to<br />
accommodate larger rooms with private baths.<br />
<strong>The</strong> extensive renovation managed to<br />
maintain the style of the original Palace Hotel<br />
in the exterior façade with its mansard roof<br />
and marble and walnut grand staircase.<br />
<strong>The</strong> hotel’s original safe is now on display in<br />
the Cricket Lounge.<br />
<strong>The</strong> fine dining room in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Cincinnati</strong>an,<br />
<strong>The</strong> Palace Restaurant, took the original name<br />
of the hotel and the Cricket Lounge took its<br />
name from the original Palace restaurant. <strong>The</strong>re<br />
are four meeting rooms on the second floor—<br />
Filson, Denman, Ludlow and Symmes—reflect<br />
the names of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s founding fathers.<br />
<strong>The</strong> St. Clair Room was named in honor of<br />
Arthur St. Clair, the governor of the Northwest<br />
Territory who changed the name of the town<br />
of Losantiville to <strong>Cincinnati</strong>.<br />
<strong>The</strong> hotel’s three major suites also have<br />
historic origins: the Emery Presidential Suite<br />
is named for the original owners of the hotel,<br />
Thomas and Joseph Emery; the Hannaford<br />
Suite is named for <strong>The</strong> Palace Hotel’s<br />
architect, Samuel Hannaford; and the Briggs<br />
Suite is named for the hotel’s first general<br />
manager, Joseph Briggs. <strong>The</strong> Maria Nichols<br />
Room is named for the woman who founded<br />
Rookwood Pottery in 1880.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Cincinnati</strong>an Hotel now offers 146<br />
luxurious guestrooms with oversized Roman<br />
bathtubs and granite showers. <strong>The</strong> hotel<br />
also embraces all the modern amenities<br />
required by guests seeking to retreat into<br />
an atmosphere of the past without sacrificing<br />
the present, including high-speed Internet<br />
access, full health and fitness facilities, and<br />
easy access to all of downtown <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
from an address well-respected for more<br />
than a century: 601 Vine Street. <strong>The</strong> hotel is<br />
within walking distance of the Convention<br />
Center, major league sports stadiums and<br />
fine shopping. <strong>The</strong> Greater <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
Northern Kentucky International Airport is<br />
only a short twenty-five minute drive away.<br />
<strong>The</strong> fine dining restaurant, <strong>The</strong> Palace,<br />
serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and<br />
upscale casual dining is available in the<br />
Cricket Lounge from 11:30 a.m. to midnight.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Cincinnati</strong>an Hotel is listed on the<br />
National Register of Historic Places and is also a<br />
proud member of Historic Hotels of America.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Cincinnati</strong>an Hotel is traditional in<br />
both atmosphere and service, and continues<br />
to capture the warmth and gracious artistry of<br />
the turn-of-the-century. To learn more about<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Cincinnati</strong>an Hotel, check the website at<br />
www.cincinnatianhotel.com.<br />
T H E M A R K E T P L A C E<br />
2 0 1
HEIDELBERG<br />
DISTRIBUTING<br />
COMPANY<br />
For more than seventy-five years, Heidelberg<br />
Distributing Company has provided the highestquality<br />
beer, wine, spirits and other beverages<br />
to customers throughout Ohio and Kentucky.<br />
Heidelberg Distributing is a family-owned<br />
business, with the third and fourth generations<br />
of the Miller and Vontz families actively<br />
involved in the firm’s day-to-day operations.<br />
<strong>The</strong> company founder, Albert Vontz, was<br />
only twenty-two years old when he arrived in<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> in 1907 determined to make his<br />
American dream come true. A trained brewer,<br />
Vontz invested in two local taverns that did well<br />
until Prohibition turned the country dry in 1919.<br />
Prohibition ended in 1933<br />
and despite the harsh<br />
economic conditions of the<br />
Great Depression, Vontz<br />
helped open the Vienna<br />
Brewery near the corner of<br />
Reading and Sycamore<br />
Streets. Five years later, he<br />
sold the brewery to his<br />
brother-in-law and invested<br />
in the Dayton delivery<br />
branch of the Heidelberg<br />
Brewery, known for its<br />
popular Student Prince<br />
and Heirloom beers. Vontz<br />
named his operation<br />
Heidelberg Distributing<br />
Company and kept the<br />
name even after the brewery<br />
closed in 1946.<br />
Albert’s son, Albert Vontz,<br />
Jr., joined the business in<br />
1947 after returning home<br />
from World War II as a<br />
Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy.<br />
With a degree in economics<br />
from the University of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, Al began<br />
investigating opportunities for expanding<br />
Heidelberg Distributing.<br />
<strong>The</strong> company handled other beers, including<br />
Pfeiffer and Goebel, after the brewery<br />
closed, but it was wine sales that kept the<br />
business going during the post-war years.<br />
Heidelberg’s big breakthrough came in<br />
1959 when it purchased the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> branch<br />
of Anheuser-Busch beer. August Busch, Jr.,<br />
had estimated the distributorship’s value at<br />
$54,000, but he was so impressed by Vontz’<br />
determination to make Budweiser a success in<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> that he sold the distributorship for<br />
$27,000. Heidelberg acquired the Anheuser-<br />
Busch distributorship from a private firm in<br />
Dayton just a year later.<br />
<strong>The</strong> company expanded into the Toledo<br />
market in 1967, while continuing to grow<br />
the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> and Dayton markets. In 1989,<br />
Heidelberg entered the Columbus market and<br />
in 1994 continued its growth in Ohio’s largest<br />
markets, expanding into Cleveland.<br />
In 2008, Heidelberg purchased the stock<br />
of Wine Trends, a high-end wine distributor,<br />
plus a two-facility wine and beer company<br />
in northern Ohio. Through mergers, acquisitions<br />
and industry consolidation, Heidelberg<br />
now has facilities in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, Dayton,<br />
Evendale, Cleveland, Toledo, Columbus, Lorain<br />
and Youngstown, Ohio, as well as Louisville<br />
and Hebron, Kentucky.<br />
Heidelberg associates are passionate about<br />
the markets where the company operates<br />
and its employees are involved in hundreds<br />
of charities. <strong>The</strong> company has partnered<br />
with numerous not-for-profit organizations to<br />
initiate and produce some of Ohio’s finest wine<br />
and beer events, including the <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
International Wine Festival. <strong>The</strong>se festivals,<br />
along with other fundraising events, have<br />
contributed millions of dollars to local communities.<br />
<strong>The</strong> company contributes to the<br />
higher education of Heidelberg associates’<br />
children with the Albert W. Vontz, Jr.,<br />
Scholarship, an annual scholarship award<br />
that focuses on community involvement and<br />
volunteerism. Heidelberg also promotes the<br />
safe and moderate use of all alcohol beverages<br />
and actively supports a number of alcohol<br />
awareness and education programs.<br />
“Life roars through us.” That is the Heidelberg<br />
Distributing Company mission statement that<br />
has helped to foster over seventy-five years of<br />
partnerships with breweries, wineries and<br />
global suppliers to bring superb products to<br />
the market. What began as a “one-man and<br />
one-truck” operation in 1938 has grown to<br />
10 warehouse/office facilities with over 1,500<br />
associates, more than 850 suppliers and 13,000<br />
different products, serving more over 26,000<br />
retail establishments in Ohio and Kentucky.<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
202
Ransohoff has been a leader in developing<br />
innovative solutions for industrial cleaning<br />
problems for nearly a century. Ransohoff is<br />
a worldwide leader in development and<br />
manufacturing of aqueous and solvent-based<br />
industrial parts cleaning systems including<br />
spray, immersion, and ultrasonics. <strong>The</strong> company<br />
has an installed base of more than fifteen<br />
thousand parts washing machines worldwide.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Ransohoff Company was founded in<br />
1916 as the Ideal Concrete Machinery Company,<br />
which developed a line of concrete mixers<br />
and barrel finishing equipment.<br />
When Nathan Ransohoff, the company<br />
founder, invented the original<br />
concrete block maker, the company<br />
entered the special machinery manufacturing<br />
business. Other lines of<br />
specialty machinery were added<br />
over time, including tumbling<br />
deburring barrels and parts washers.<br />
By the 1930s, the company’s name<br />
had changed twice, first to the Ideal<br />
Machinery Corporation and then to<br />
the N. Ransohoff Company. <strong>The</strong> company<br />
sold its aluminum swimming<br />
pool manufacturing operation in<br />
1963 and merged with Roto Finish<br />
Company of Michigan. <strong>The</strong> new<br />
company was called Ransohoff/<br />
Rotofinish. <strong>The</strong> company continued<br />
to focus on industrial parts washers<br />
and built a strong reputation for<br />
innovative designs, high quality manufacturing<br />
and excellent service.<br />
Following the death of Ransohoff in 1969,<br />
the company became a division of F. J. Lamb<br />
Company, and since has had a series of both<br />
private and public owners. Most recently<br />
Ransohoff became a subsidiary of privately<br />
held Cleaning Technologies Group, which<br />
was formed in 2002.<br />
<strong>The</strong> company’s first standardized line of<br />
products, called the Pro Clean series, was<br />
launched in 1988. This line allowed customers<br />
to purchase an economically-priced, quickdelivery<br />
parts washing machine that provided<br />
high-quality aqueous based cleaning equipment<br />
in a nearly “off-the-shelf” package. In 2001 the<br />
company launched the Lean Series product<br />
line, which is the flexible, cost competitive base<br />
platform used for ninety percent of the<br />
machines built at Ransohoff today.<br />
Chuck Noonan, who retired from Ransohoff<br />
in 2011 after sixty-five years with the company,<br />
worked in practically every department in the<br />
company. He feels Ransohoff’s success can be<br />
attributed to developing the latest technology<br />
and incorporating the designs into their<br />
cleaning equipment. “Service has always been<br />
very important as well,” he says. “We have<br />
full-service crews available on a moment’s<br />
notice should a customer have a problem.”<br />
Ransohoff utilizes more than 100,000<br />
square feet of manufacturing floor space at<br />
its <strong>Cincinnati</strong> headquarters, in addition to a<br />
comprehensive onsite test and development<br />
laboratory with certified clean room facilities<br />
and in-house laser cutting capability for all<br />
sheet steel. Ransohoff offers a full range<br />
of standard machine designs with extensive<br />
custom design capabilities.<br />
Ransohoff has over 130 employees in<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> and makes up the majority of the<br />
230 employee global CTG team. Also under<br />
the Cleaning Technology Group umbrella are<br />
Blackstone–NEY Ultrasonics of Jamestown,<br />
New York, a leader in ultrasonic technology, and<br />
CTG Asia in Suzhou, China, which provides a<br />
combination of technologies offered by Cleaning<br />
Technologies Group in the United States.<br />
RANSOHOFF<br />
T H E M A R K E T P L A C E<br />
2 0 3
CINCINNATI FINANCIAL CORPORATION<br />
Above: <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Financial Corporation<br />
Headquarters, in Fairfield, Ohio.<br />
Below: Associates are gathered outside the<br />
headquarters location.<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Financial Corporation traces its<br />
roots to 1950 when four independent insurance<br />
agents—John J. Schiff, Robert C. Schiff,<br />
Harry M. Turner and Chester F. Field—set<br />
about forming their own insurance company.<br />
Living and working in Ohio, they saw a<br />
need for a company that would make it<br />
easier for agents to do business—a company<br />
that would treat agents as partners, offering<br />
the highest quality policies and local services.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Insurance<br />
Company found a ready market,<br />
and, in its first year,<br />
wrote $92,000 in gross premiums.<br />
Originally, the company<br />
provided fire and allied<br />
lines, marine and physical<br />
damage insurance in Ohio.<br />
Because it was chartered to<br />
provide only property casualty<br />
insurance, additional companies<br />
were formed to permit<br />
wider growth. <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
Financial Corporation, the<br />
holding company for all operations,<br />
was founded in 1968.<br />
This organization, publicly<br />
traded in the Nasdaq Global Select Market,<br />
now includes <strong>The</strong> <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Insurance<br />
Company, its four insurance subsidiaries and<br />
two financial services companies.<br />
CFC reported $3.5 billion in net written<br />
premiums in 2012, ranking among the<br />
nation’s top twenty-five property casualty<br />
insurer groups. Today, approximately 2,800<br />
associates at the company’s Fairfield headquarters<br />
support nearly 1,300 associates in<br />
field locations. Together, they serve a select<br />
group of 1,400 independent insurance agencies<br />
across 39 states, marketing the company’s<br />
business, home, auto, and life policies.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Insurance Company began<br />
in modest quarters on Central Parkway,<br />
soon moving to larger offices nearby, and in<br />
1973 to a handsome Georgian building on<br />
Princeton Pike, previously the home of<br />
the Glenmary Missioners. Growth continued<br />
and the company built a nine-story office<br />
tower in Fairfield in 1985, adding a second<br />
tower in 1999 and a third in 2008. Designed<br />
specifically for their insurance operations,<br />
the headquarters buildings are energy<br />
efficient and measure 1.2 million square<br />
feet—grown from their original 1,200-<br />
square-foot Central Parkway home.<br />
<strong>The</strong> current executive team, led by President<br />
and CEO Steve Johnston and Chairman Ken<br />
Stecher, still practices hands-on management.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y believe in the philosophy that has served<br />
the company well over the years: valuing its<br />
partnership with independent agents who sell<br />
its policies and providing great customer service.<br />
<strong>The</strong> company was recognized in 2012 and<br />
2013 in Forbes as the top-performing largecap<br />
insurance company for openness and<br />
integrity in accounting, governance and management.<br />
Agents and policyholders consistently<br />
rank <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Financial among top<br />
insurers for claims satisfaction. By investing<br />
in the community and fostering associate<br />
involvement with nonprofit organizations,<br />
CFC supports education, the arts and community<br />
outreach programs.<br />
While success has broadened the scope<br />
of operations, it has not changed the goals.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Insurance Companies operate<br />
with conservative underwriting and reserving<br />
practices and a firm commitment to provide<br />
superior claims service and a stable market<br />
for independent agents and their clients.<br />
For additional information, please visit<br />
www.cinfin.com.<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
204
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s first accounting firm, J. D. Cloud<br />
& Co. shares much history with the <strong>Queen</strong><br />
<strong>City</strong>’s business community. Companies such<br />
as Kahn’s, U.S. Shoe, the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Street<br />
Railway Company, Fleischmann Margarine,<br />
and the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Reds are just a few of the<br />
companies that were served by the accountants<br />
at J. D. Cloud over the past 100 years.<br />
Joseph Dominic (“Dom”) Cloud was one of<br />
the first licensed CPAs in <strong>Cincinnati</strong> and<br />
began the firm bearing his name in 1913.<br />
With the same name ever since, the firm has<br />
continued its independence while continuing<br />
to serve a strong and diverse client base.<br />
When Dom began the firm, accounting was a<br />
relatively new profession—at least in the United<br />
States. It is hard to believe, but many companies<br />
did not have outside auditors and there were no<br />
U.S. securities laws requiring public financial<br />
reporting. Nor was there a federal income tax!<br />
It was in 1887 that the American Institute of<br />
CPAs was established. <strong>The</strong> Ohio State Society of<br />
Certified Public Accountants followed in 1903.<br />
Joseph D. Cloud was admitted as a CPA in the<br />
State of Ohio four years later with Certificate<br />
No. 80. He led the firm for thirty years. His son<br />
John (“Jack”) D. Cloud, who was an attorney<br />
and a certified public accountant, led the firm<br />
for the next thirty years.<br />
<strong>The</strong> firm’s client list has included many of<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s prominent commercial and industrial<br />
companies. Whereas Cloud has had an<br />
office in the downtown business district for<br />
all 100 years, its clients were—and still are—<br />
located throughout the region, from LCNB<br />
Corp. in Lebanon to Vulcan International<br />
Corporation downtown.<br />
When the Village of Mariemont was being<br />
planned by Mary Emery in the 1920s, Emery<br />
Industries—a client of J. D. Cloud at the time—<br />
needed assistance in a very unique project.<br />
Cloud’s accountants were given the task of<br />
calculating the value of the land and all the<br />
improvements in the Village—from the cost of<br />
pavement to street lamps!<br />
Through the years, the CPAs at J. D. Cloud<br />
have served a wide variety of closely-held<br />
and family-owned businesses. A few of these<br />
became registered with the Securities &<br />
Exchange Commission as publicly-owned<br />
enterprises. American Controlled Industries,<br />
Inc., and Vulcan Corporation are a couple of<br />
public companies from the past; LCNB Corp.<br />
is a more recent public company conversion.<br />
J. D. Cloud has prospered throughout its 100<br />
year history, adapting to numerous changes<br />
in the accounting profession. From the First<br />
Revenue Act in 1913, there have been continual<br />
changes in the tax laws, accounting and auditing<br />
standards, and the variety of services<br />
offered by a CPA firm. In addition<br />
to the firm’s practice before the<br />
Securities & Exchange Commission,<br />
it has a well-established niche in<br />
the financial services sector. Always<br />
known for technical excellence,<br />
Cloud has remained at the forefront of<br />
the profession—adapting to a changing<br />
landscape of service offerings<br />
designed to assist companies in their<br />
growth, succession and profitability.<br />
Having shared so much of<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s history, Cloud’s stated purposes have<br />
not changed through the years. <strong>The</strong> firm remains<br />
committed to: providing superior service,<br />
developing people to their highest potential,<br />
having an orientation for growth, and giving<br />
back to the communities in which they work<br />
and live. To that end, the partners and staff have<br />
been and remain actively involved in numerous<br />
philanthropic and community organizations.<br />
For additional information, please visit<br />
www.jdcloud.com on the Internet.<br />
J. D. CLOUD &CO.<br />
Above: Certificate No. 80 issued to<br />
Joseph D. Cloud on September 7, 1907.<br />
Below: Service Day 2012 at Matthew 25<br />
Ministries.” This organization ships goods—<br />
of all types—to people in need all around<br />
the world.<br />
T H E M A R K E T P L A C E<br />
2 0 5
MARTIN<br />
FRANCHISES<br />
INC.<br />
Above: George Strike.<br />
<strong>The</strong> well-known dry cleaning process<br />
known as Martinizing ® was developed in<br />
1949 when Henry Martin recognized that<br />
a new solvent being used in dry cleaning<br />
made it feasible for smaller, full-service dry<br />
cleaning plants to offer quicker and more<br />
cost-effective service.<br />
<strong>The</strong> solvent, known as “perc” for its almost<br />
unpronounceable chemical name, led to<br />
the birth of “One Hour” Martinizing Dry<br />
Cleaning, the pioneer of on-premise, high<br />
quality, and quick dry cleaning service.<br />
Previously, customers had to drop off their<br />
garments at a shop that would then ship it<br />
to a processing plant located in an industrial<br />
area. <strong>The</strong> system was slow and customers<br />
had to wait days for their dry cleaning to<br />
be delivered.<br />
Martinizing became a household name<br />
during the 1950s and 1960s, using such<br />
advertising slogans as, “Fresh as a flower in<br />
just one hour.” Dry cleaners using the new<br />
solvent were able to offer one-hour service<br />
while their competitors had a turnaround<br />
time of several days. Martin Equipment Co.,<br />
as the company was then known, provided<br />
licenses to multiple store chains as well as<br />
individual stores.<br />
In the early 1960s, Martin Equipment<br />
Co. was purchased by American Laundry<br />
Machinery, Inc., and was called Martin<br />
Equipment Division or Martin Equipment Sales.<br />
Martinizing expanded rapidly through<br />
franchising and by the early 1970s there were<br />
around three thousand stores in the United<br />
States. However, the introduction of polyester<br />
and permanent press fabrics in the mid-1970s<br />
encouraged customers to cut back on dry<br />
cleaning services and the system lost nearly<br />
half its locations.<br />
In 1978, George Strike purchased American<br />
Laundry Machinery, which included Martin<br />
Franchises Inc. Martinizing had been a brand<br />
license but in 1987-1988, a new franchise<br />
agreement was introduced providing more<br />
support to franchisees, including in-house<br />
training, operations and equipment support<br />
and marketing.<br />
In the 1990s, Martin Franchises opened<br />
several master franchises in such countries<br />
as Japan, Ecuador, Peru, and Indonesia,<br />
resulting in several hundred stores in more<br />
than seventeen countries.<br />
Franchisees began using a more environmentally<br />
friendly solvent, called GreenEarth ® ,<br />
in the late 1990s. Since 2003, Martinizing<br />
has become the Greener Cleaner, utilizing the<br />
most environmentally safe methods and<br />
friendly solvents available.<br />
In 2010 the Martinizing ® Delivers franchise<br />
system was introduced to allow new entrepreneur’s<br />
a lower investment option.<br />
<strong>The</strong> corporate headquarters for Martin<br />
Franchises Inc. is located in Milford, Ohio,<br />
and the company currently has more than<br />
four hundred franchised locations worldwide.<br />
Strike served as chairman for UC Health<br />
and was also on the board of the UC<br />
Foundation. He helped found the Health<br />
Alliance of Greater <strong>Cincinnati</strong> and served<br />
on its board. He was also<br />
a partner of the <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
Reds from 1981-2009.<br />
Strike was a strong believer<br />
in giving back to the community<br />
and members of<br />
the current staff are active<br />
in such organizations as<br />
Habitat for Humanity and<br />
Make-a-Wish Foundation.<br />
Strike died in 2012 but<br />
his family continues his<br />
commitment to invest and<br />
develop the Martinizing<br />
brand throughout the<br />
United States and overseas.<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
206
For more than 140 years, Wood Herron &<br />
Evans has provided innovative solutions for<br />
clients seeking to protect their intellectual<br />
property. <strong>The</strong> dedicated attorneys and support<br />
staff at Wood Herron & Evans achieve<br />
superior results because protecting intellectual<br />
property—from patents to trademarks to<br />
copyrights—has, for nearly a century and a<br />
half, been the firm’s central focus.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Wood Herron & Evans legacy in intellectual<br />
property law began in 1868 when<br />
Colonel Edmund E. Wood returned from a<br />
distinguished career as a Civil War officer and<br />
first opened his firm in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>. <strong>The</strong> economy<br />
was recovering from the Civil War and innovation<br />
was booming. <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, in particular,<br />
was a manufacturing city and a hub of patent<br />
activity. Wood became an expert in intellectual<br />
property law by successfully prosecuting patents<br />
for everything from farming equipment and<br />
machine tools to new modes of transportation.<br />
In 1871, Colonel Wood was joined by a<br />
business partner, Edward Boyd, and together<br />
they formed the firm Wood and Boyd. <strong>The</strong> first<br />
reference to this firm is in the 1871 <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
<strong>City</strong> Directory. <strong>The</strong> attorneys continued to gain<br />
experience working in the chemical, machine<br />
tool, graphics and electrical industries as they<br />
emerged into the early twentieth century.<br />
Colonel Wood’s son, William R. Wood,<br />
joined the firm in 1899 and became a partner<br />
in the practice. By the 1930s, grandson Edmund<br />
P. Wood was leading the firm and brought in<br />
partners Truman Herron and Edward Evans to<br />
accelerate the firm’s growth. Over the years, the<br />
firm has also operated under the names Wood<br />
& Wood, and Wood, Arey, Herron & Evans.<br />
Wood Herron & Evans was one of the<br />
original tenants of Carew Tower, <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s<br />
landmark forty-nine story office tower<br />
overlooking the Ohio River. <strong>The</strong> firm moved<br />
into Carew Tower in 1930 and is still<br />
headquartered in the historic building.<br />
“Intellectual property law is all we’ve ever<br />
practiced,” comments Dick Evans, a now retired<br />
partner in the firm. Evans, who practiced with<br />
Wood Herron & Evans for forty years, recalls<br />
that a number of the firm’s cases helped set<br />
important precedents in intellectual property<br />
law. <strong>The</strong>se included the Anchor Hocking vs.<br />
Corning patent infringement case in the 1960s<br />
that involved the patent on crystallized glass.<br />
<strong>The</strong> firm also represented Dow Chemical in a<br />
patent infringement suit involving high impact<br />
polystyrene, and represented the inventor of carbonless<br />
carbon paper in suits against companies<br />
that were using his patent without paying for it.<br />
As the firm’s client base grew, so, too, did the<br />
range of expertise of the lawyers who practiced<br />
at WH&E. Among the arts in which its attorneys<br />
became skilled were machine tools, chemicals,<br />
materials science, electronics, hydraulic mechanisms,<br />
and diverse mechanical fields too<br />
numerous to itemize. More recently, the firm has<br />
developed a depth of experience in the fields of<br />
software, computer sciences, and internet technologies,<br />
as well as in the area of biotechnology.<br />
As the intellectual property landscape<br />
changed over the years, Wood Herron & Evans<br />
also evolved, becoming a leader in intellectual<br />
property law services not only on a regional<br />
level, but nationally and internationally, as well.<br />
In 2010, Wood Herron & Evans experienced<br />
significant growth through the addition<br />
of several attorneys with an established publishing<br />
and media practice in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>. This<br />
expansion brought<br />
new expertise in<br />
the IP fields of<br />
advertising, publishing,<br />
media, privacy,<br />
and licensing. <strong>The</strong><br />
firm now employs<br />
more than a hundred<br />
people, including<br />
fifty attorneys.<br />
WOOD HERRON<br />
& EVANS LLP<br />
Below: Wood Herron & Evans Partners<br />
in 1970.<br />
Bottom: Wood Herron & Evans Partners<br />
in 1988.<br />
T H E M A R K E T P L A C E<br />
2 0 7
A. J. RAHN<br />
GREENHOUSES,<br />
INC.<br />
Above: Kunigunde and John Rahn with their<br />
five children.<br />
“Papa, what have we done?” Kunigunde<br />
asked her husband, John, surveying the<br />
rolling four acres they purchased in 1890 for<br />
$25. Recent immigrants from Kulmbach,<br />
Germany, they bought land on Gray Road to<br />
carry on their ancestors’ gardening tradition.<br />
Together with their five<br />
children, Kunigunde and John<br />
grew radishes, parsley, carrots,<br />
cabbage, cauliflower, beets,<br />
turnips, and onions in hot<br />
beds and cold frames. <strong>The</strong>ir<br />
fourth son, Lawrence, built<br />
the first greenhouse in 1915.<br />
Lawrence’s son, Albert, enlarged<br />
greenhouse production to provide<br />
a flavorful supply of<br />
tomatoes and cucumbers in<br />
the warm months, and fresh<br />
lettuce in the cold months.<br />
<strong>The</strong> family annually grew<br />
10,000 baskets of lettuce and 14,000 tomato<br />
plants yielding 80,000 pounds of tomatoes.<br />
In the 1960s air conditioned semis introduced<br />
vegetables from Florida and California,<br />
which drove down produce prices. In response,<br />
Albert began retailing tomatoes and cucumbers<br />
on site. In 1962 he added geraniums, petunias<br />
and begonias and thus began flower production.<br />
Albert’s third child, Joe, took on the business<br />
in 1972 and Joe’s sister, Susan joined as<br />
partner in 1977. <strong>The</strong>y focused on product<br />
quality, selection, and zone appropriate flowering<br />
beauty for <strong>Cincinnati</strong> homes and gardens.<br />
<strong>The</strong>ir year round seasonal business provides<br />
early spring plants such as pansies and<br />
primroses, summer vegetable plants, flowering<br />
annuals, herbs, perennials and nursery plants.<br />
In fall, mums are in color and winter months<br />
feature poinsettias and cyclamen.<br />
A. J. Rahn Greenhouses has been an award<br />
winning participant in the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Flower<br />
Show. In 2012, <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Magazine awarded<br />
A. J. Rahn Greenhouses “Best of the <strong>City</strong> in<br />
Annuals and Roses!”<br />
A. J. Rahn Greenhouses provides <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
flower lovers with 15,000 poinsettias,15,000<br />
garden mums, 3,000 cyclamen, 35,000 pansies,<br />
4,000 primulas, 20,000 geraniums, 15,000 New<br />
Guinea impatiens, 1,000 potted mums, 1,000<br />
lilies, and 20,000 flats of bedding plants,<br />
including 110 varieties of annuals! <strong>The</strong>y grow<br />
31 varieties of herbs and 24 varieties of vegetables,<br />
including 14 varieties of pepper plants<br />
and 41 varieties of tomato plants. <strong>The</strong>y offer a<br />
selection of nursery and tropical foliage,<br />
and grow 172 varieties of rose bushes and<br />
tree roses. A. J. Rahn Greenhouses grows over<br />
250 perennials including 34 varieties of hosta!<br />
Not only has the Rahn family been providing<br />
flowering beauty on Gray Road for generations,<br />
loyal <strong>Cincinnati</strong> customers who value<br />
flower quality, for generations have come to<br />
A. J. Rahn Greenhouses. Many walk in and,<br />
smiling, share, “I remember coming here for<br />
flowers with my grandmother and mom. Now,<br />
I’m bringing my grandchildren.” So, the tradition<br />
of flower loving and flower growing continues<br />
at 4944 Gray Road in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, Ohio.<br />
For more information on location, hours,<br />
and availability of seasonal flowers, please visit<br />
www.ajrahn.com.<br />
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In today’s high-tech world, nothing is more<br />
important to a business than the security of its<br />
network. Cadre Computer Resources is dedicated<br />
to making sure your information is secure.<br />
Cadre is a network and information security<br />
solutions provider serving both large and medium-sized<br />
organizations. Cadre is committed to<br />
delivering value through superior customer<br />
service, advanced engineering and a resolute<br />
focus on design, assessment, installation, training<br />
and support of information security systems.<br />
Cadre began in 1991 when Chemed<br />
Corporation divested its DuBois Chemical<br />
division. When Chemed CEO Edward Hutton<br />
heard that a few of the DuBois software<br />
developers had chosen not to go with the new<br />
owners, he hired four of the former employees<br />
and formed a new division called Cadre<br />
Computer Resources. <strong>The</strong> new venture was<br />
incorporated in 1992.<br />
Cadre’s original assignment was to write a<br />
proprietary software program for Omnicare,<br />
another division of Chemed. Software development<br />
was a booming business in the mid-1990s,<br />
but, at the same time, the data security industry<br />
was beginning to take shape. <strong>The</strong> first<br />
commercial firewall was introduced in 1996 and<br />
Cadre’s management recognized the new<br />
opportunities and began to shift Cadre’s focus<br />
from software development to internet security.<br />
Cadre Computer Resources was sold by<br />
Chemed Corporation in 2001 and became an<br />
employee-owned company, at which time<br />
Sandra E. Laney was appointed CEO and<br />
Chairman. Since the sale, stockholders equity<br />
has grown 102 percent per annum. Despite the<br />
recent recession, Cadre was able to post sales<br />
growth of sixteen percent between 2008 and<br />
2011. Annual revenues now total $74 million.<br />
Headquartered in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, Ohio, Cadre<br />
has operations in Kentucky, Pennsylvania,<br />
Tennessee, Michigan, and Indiana. Cadre’s<br />
customer base of more than five hundred<br />
companies includes some of the most respected<br />
and highly recognized blue chip companies in<br />
the world, in industries such as financial services,<br />
healthcare, manufacturing, and education.<br />
Cadre has received numerous awards since it<br />
was organized, the most recent being from<br />
Check Point Software Technologies in 2012<br />
when Cadre was selected from among thousands<br />
of partners worldwide as the Check Point<br />
Platinum Partner of the year. A few months prior<br />
to that award, Cadre was also named the Blue<br />
Coat Systems’ Partner of the Year. In 2012 alone,<br />
Cadre’s sales and engineering teams have<br />
acquired more than 400 certifications, with<br />
two of the company engineers holding the<br />
prestigious Blue Coat title of “Blue Knight.” Also,<br />
in 2012, Cadre received the Woman’s Business<br />
Enterprise Certification by the National Women<br />
Business Owners Corporation (NWBOC).<br />
Looking to the future, expanding into<br />
network infrastructure, i.e., routers, switches<br />
and wireless, as well as growing Cadre-provided<br />
services, will be the firm’s primary focus. Cadre<br />
has a tremendously talented staff of security<br />
engineers who are cross-trained in security,<br />
networking, operating systems and software<br />
applications. Along with a dedicated team of<br />
security consultants, Cadre is poised to expand<br />
beyond security, as a single point of contact for<br />
its customer’s information lifecycle needs.<br />
CADRE<br />
COMPUTER<br />
RESOURCES<br />
Left to right: Vice Chairman Jon Naylor;<br />
Manager Jon Roberto, SMB Sales;<br />
Chairman and CEO Sandra Laney;<br />
President Steve Snider; Vice President<br />
Steve Krumpelman, treasurer; and<br />
AVP/Director Melissa Majewski,<br />
sales support.<br />
T H E M A R K E T P L A C E<br />
2 0 9
BARTLETT & CO.<br />
Above: Benjamin D. Bartlett.<br />
Sleek, contemporary offices with panoramic<br />
city views are home to Bartlett & Co.,<br />
where up-to-the-minute research and market<br />
data light up computer screens and investment<br />
advisors confer with high-net-worth<br />
clients in light-filled glass conference rooms.<br />
It is not a scene that might be expected from<br />
the nation’s oldest existing registered investment<br />
advisory firm, founded in 1898.<br />
<strong>The</strong> firm’s impressive history, which spans<br />
three centuries, began when Benjamin D.<br />
Bartlett purchased a seat on the New York<br />
Stock Exchange. At the time, Bartlett was a<br />
partner in George Eustis & Co., then the<br />
oldest investment house in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>. When<br />
the partnership divided in 1916, he continued<br />
the business as Bartlett & Co. In 1926, he<br />
sold the firm to prominent <strong>Cincinnati</strong>ans<br />
Marcus “Mike” Fechheimer and Herbert R.<br />
Bloch who were later joined by active business<br />
and civic leaders Joseph Marks, John R. Lewis,<br />
Alfred J. Friedlander and Joseph B. Reynolds.<br />
Originally a stock and bond brokerage<br />
firm, Bartlett became an investment advisory<br />
firm in 1946. Today, Bartlett provides investment<br />
management and financial planning to<br />
high-net-worth individuals and families,<br />
corporate and nonprofit retirement plans,<br />
foundations and endowments, public funds<br />
and Taft-Hartley plans.<br />
In more recent history, Bartlett was<br />
acquired by the asset management firm Legg<br />
Mason in 1996, a relationship that brought<br />
resources to better serve clients, such as<br />
wealth management tools and back-office<br />
support. However, when Legg Mason sold its<br />
brokerage firm and became a manufacturer<br />
and distributor of mutual funds, Bartlett recognized<br />
the need to separate. In 2012, ten<br />
Bartlett wealth advisors formed an ownership<br />
team to purchase the firm, returning it to its<br />
private, employee-owned, <strong>Cincinnati</strong> roots.<br />
Bartlett’s objective is to keep its great culture<br />
and traditions while nurturing innovative<br />
solutions that result from collaboration and<br />
technology. Its deep roots have provided the<br />
experience, stability and expertise that clients<br />
value, while leading-edge business practices<br />
have been a part of the firm’s culture, too. For<br />
example, as far back as the 1960s, Bartlett<br />
adopted computerized portfolio management<br />
systems, and in 1977 the firm introduced<br />
socially responsible investing. <strong>The</strong> first female<br />
partner was named thirty years ago. Kelley<br />
Downing, the current president and CEO,<br />
earned those titles in 2007.<br />
As Bartlett continues its rich history of<br />
investment excellence, it also plays an active<br />
role in creating and supporting community<br />
excellence, a focus instilled by its founders.<br />
Through the years and today, it is not unusual<br />
to see the Bartlett name associated with<br />
worthy events spanning the arts, education,<br />
social services and other nonprofit efforts.<br />
Employees are active volunteers, serving on<br />
committees and boards as well as being handson<br />
workers. Bartlett’s legacy to the <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
community has and will continue to inspire<br />
positive change through the generations.<br />
As a staple of the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> business and<br />
civic community, Bartlett is positioned to continue<br />
its respected reputation established in 1898.<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
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Towboat pushing barges. In the background<br />
are the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge,<br />
Paul Brown Stadium, Great American<br />
Ball Park, and the steamer American<br />
<strong>Queen</strong>, 2013.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH © VICTOR J. CANFIELD.<br />
T H E M A R K E T P L A C E<br />
2 1 1
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
212
QUALITY OF LIFE<br />
H e a l t h c a r e p r o v i d e r s , f o u n d a t i o n s ,<br />
u n i v e r s i t i e s , a n d o t h e r i n s t i t u t i o n s t h a t<br />
c o n t r i b u t e t o t h e q u a l i t y o f l i f e i n C i n c i n n a t i<br />
Life Enriching Communities<br />
Twin Towers and Twin Lakes Senior Living Communities ...............2 1 4<br />
University of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> .............................................................2 1 6<br />
<strong>The</strong> Greater <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Foundation...............................................2 1 7<br />
Jewish Federation of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> ...................................................2 1 8<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Children’s Hospital Medical Center ...............................2 1 9<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Art Museum, Eden Park. <strong>The</strong><br />
sculpture, by artist Jim Dine, is entitled<br />
Pinocchio (Emotional).<br />
PHOTOGRAPH © STEVE OLDFIELD.<br />
Q U A L I T Y O F L I F E<br />
2 1 3
LIFE ENRICHING<br />
COMMUNITIES<br />
TWIN TOWERS<br />
AND TWIN LAKES<br />
SENIOR LIVING<br />
COMMUNITIES<br />
Above: <strong>The</strong> original Methodist Home for<br />
the Aged building, completed in 1908, only<br />
included one tower. <strong>The</strong> second tower was<br />
added in 1939.<br />
Below: <strong>The</strong> Twin Towers Senior Living<br />
Community today.<br />
Life Enriching Communities, an organization<br />
committed to whole-person well-being<br />
for everyone it serves is best known for the<br />
Twin Towers and Twin Lakes Senior Living<br />
Communities. <strong>The</strong>se senior living communities<br />
provide life-enriching services and residential<br />
accommodations for about fourteen<br />
hundred senior adults. A Christian ministry<br />
and a philosophy of whole-person wellness<br />
support the lifestyle of each resident. This<br />
innovative “Way of Wellness” has contributed<br />
to Life Enriching Communities status as a<br />
recognized leader in wellness for adults.<br />
<strong>The</strong> history of Twin Towers dates from the<br />
late nineteenth century when Reverend Henry<br />
C. Weakley, a Methodist minister, coordinated<br />
the efforts of five Methodist Conferences to<br />
establish the Methodist Home for<br />
the Aged in 1899. <strong>The</strong> first home<br />
was created in an old hotel and<br />
health spa on ten acres of land in<br />
Yellow Springs, Ohio.<br />
One of the original trustees<br />
was President William McKinley,<br />
believed to be the only sitting<br />
President of the United States to<br />
be a member of the board of any<br />
retirement home.<br />
Following a fire in 1902 that<br />
heavily damaged the original structure,<br />
the Methodist Conferences<br />
accepted the offer of Mr. and<br />
Mrs. Obed J. Wilson to build a<br />
new home on twenty acres of<br />
land in the College Hill area of<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>. In April 1908, forty<br />
residents moved into the facility<br />
known today as Twin Towers.<br />
Today, the Twin Towers campus<br />
has expanded to 120 acres<br />
overlooking Mt. Airy Forest, and<br />
includes the original historic<br />
buildings, a chapel, charming<br />
neighborhoods, a community<br />
center, sidewalk café, and <strong>The</strong><br />
Connection (the onsite location<br />
for health and fitness programs),<br />
all located within picturesque<br />
landscapes with plentiful wildlife,<br />
gardens, and walking trails.<br />
Patio homes with studioand<br />
one-or-two bedroom floor plans enable<br />
senior adults to continue their independent<br />
lifestyle while enjoying the comfort and<br />
convenience of the Twin Towers Community.<br />
Amenities include dining rooms, the Wilson<br />
Art Gallery, a library, a greenhouse, and game<br />
and hobby rooms.<br />
<strong>The</strong> sixty-six-acre Twin Lakes Community,<br />
established in 2003, is located in the heart<br />
of Montgomery, an historic city not far<br />
from downtown <strong>Cincinnati</strong>. Twin Lakes offers<br />
both Villa Living and Apartment Living for<br />
independent lifestyles. Either choice provides<br />
such desirable features as full kitchens, walkin<br />
closets, and a patio or balcony. Residents<br />
have access to the Community Center, where<br />
beautiful artwork and plush furnishings<br />
create an inviting atmosphere for interacting<br />
with family and friends. <strong>The</strong> Center is home<br />
to an aquatic center, fitness programs, health<br />
and therapy suite, art studio, chapel, game<br />
and card rooms, library and business center,<br />
full-service bank, and dine-in restaurants.<br />
<strong>The</strong> health and enrichment programs at<br />
Twin Towers include health services for<br />
every stage of life, including assistedliving<br />
apartments, skilled nursing around the<br />
clock, adult day care, and a wide range of<br />
rehabilitative therapies.<br />
In late 2012, Twin Towers opened a new<br />
80,000-square-foot Health Pavilion where<br />
residents and associates alike embrace the<br />
concepts of “person-centered care”—a philosophy<br />
of care that concentrates on a balance<br />
between residents and associates giving and<br />
receiving care. <strong>The</strong> new Health Pavilion is the<br />
new home for the Memory Support Assisted<br />
Living and Long Term Nursing residents.<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
214
At Twin Lakes, health and enrichment programs<br />
are provided in McKinley Place, where<br />
compassionate associates strive to meet every<br />
resident’s needs, even as those needs change.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Hannaford Court assisted-living area<br />
provides the pleasure and privacy of apartment<br />
living with necessary assistance.<br />
Walden Court offers compassionate services<br />
and support for residents with memory<br />
impairment. Shepherd Court offers skilled<br />
nursing in private rooms.<br />
Life Enriching Communities has a sacred<br />
commitment to being a world-class leader<br />
in adult living and is guided by<br />
the Christian principles of its United<br />
Methodist heritage. <strong>The</strong>se principles<br />
include, “Enhancing life with meaning<br />
and purpose, providing enriching<br />
opportunities and experiences, and<br />
developing communities that foster<br />
relationships and perpetuate legacy.”<br />
LEC believes that empowering its<br />
associates gives them the freedom to<br />
take action and embrace opportunities<br />
with confidence. This philosophy goes<br />
hand-in-hand with LEC’s values of<br />
respect, innovation, spirituality, and<br />
excellence, and its mission to enhance<br />
the lifestyle of older adults through the<br />
“Way of Wellness.”<br />
In 2007, Life Enriching Communities<br />
was selected as a finalist for the<br />
Organizations of Noteworthy Excellence<br />
Award, which recognizes the best practices<br />
of nonprofit organizations in<br />
Greater <strong>Cincinnati</strong>.<br />
Life Enriching Communities has long<br />
been recognized as a leader among senior<br />
living communities for incorporating the<br />
principles of wellness into adult lifestyles. Our<br />
focus is to provide opportunities for a lifestyle<br />
that promotes holistic health, ministering to<br />
the emotional, intellectual, physical, social,<br />
spiritual, and vocational dimensions of the<br />
whole person. In addition to a full continuum<br />
of services, LEC offers residents in both communities<br />
a wide range of social, recreational,<br />
and cultural opportunities that make their lives<br />
richer and keep them in touch with neighbors.<br />
For more information about Life Enriching<br />
Communities, Twin Towers and Twin Lakes,<br />
check the website at www.lec.org.<br />
Above: <strong>The</strong> main campus of the<br />
Twin Lakes Senior Living Community in<br />
Montgomery, Ohio.<br />
Below: Opportunities abound for<br />
maintaining whole person wellness and<br />
leading fulfilling lives.<br />
Q U A L I T Y O F L I F E<br />
2 1 5
UNIVERSITY OF<br />
CINCINNATI<br />
Above: Class of 1896.<br />
Below: Students relax on the modern-day<br />
University of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> campus.<br />
<strong>The</strong> University of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> ranks among<br />
America’s top twenty-five public research<br />
institutions and among the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> region’s<br />
largest employers. <strong>The</strong> Chronicle of Higher<br />
Education calls UC a “research heavyweight,”<br />
while Forbes magazine and Travel+Leisure<br />
magazine have recognized the university<br />
among the world’s most beautiful campuses,<br />
following a physical transformation that took<br />
place over the course of two decades.<br />
Santa J. Ono serves as UC’s twenty-eighth<br />
president, appointed in 2012. <strong>The</strong> University<br />
of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> will mark its bicentennial in 2019<br />
and has a strategic plan under way to achieve<br />
even higher academic success in preparation<br />
for the anniversary, expected to be the greatest<br />
celebration in the university’s history.<br />
It was in 1819, due to the tireless energy<br />
of Daniel Drake—physician, scholar, teacher,<br />
and lecturer—that Ohio chartered both the<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> College and the Medical College<br />
of Ohio. <strong>The</strong>se institutions endure today as<br />
UC’s Colleges of Law and Medicine. Scarce<br />
funds and internal friction handicapped both<br />
institutions and they fell into inactivity.<br />
In 1835 the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> College was revived<br />
under President William Holmes McGuffey,<br />
author of the famous McGuffey readers.<br />
Again, financial trouble and the effects of<br />
the Civil War prevented the institution<br />
from achieving success. Only the college’s Law<br />
School survived.<br />
In 1858 a wealthy merchant and landowner<br />
named Charles McMicken bequeathed his estate<br />
to <strong>Cincinnati</strong> for the creation of a municipal<br />
university. This gift provided the foundation<br />
of the University of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, chartered in<br />
1870 by the Ohio General Assembly.<br />
During the next century, a number of<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> educational institutions were merged<br />
with the University of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, including<br />
the colleges of medicine, law, and pharmacy.<br />
Also merging were the esteemed College-<br />
Conservatory of Music, the Ohio Mechanics’<br />
Institute, and the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Observatory. Over<br />
the course of its first century, UC founded<br />
colleges of engineering, business, education,<br />
nursing, and art. <strong>The</strong> university has awarded<br />
graduate degrees since 1878.<br />
By the mid-1960s it was apparent that the<br />
resources of the <strong>City</strong> of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> could not be<br />
stretched to accommodate the rapidly growing<br />
student body and an aging physical<br />
plant. <strong>The</strong> citizens of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> voted<br />
overwhelmingly to convert their<br />
university to full state status, and<br />
UC was named Ohio’s twelfth state<br />
university on July 1, 1977.<br />
<strong>The</strong> University of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> has<br />
established a continuing reputation<br />
for academic accomplishment and<br />
innovative ideas. Since its founding,<br />
UC has been the source of many<br />
contributions to society, including the<br />
oral polio vaccine, the first program<br />
of cooperative education, the first electronic<br />
organ, the first safe anti-knock<br />
gasoline, and the first antihistamine.<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
216
<strong>The</strong> Greater <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Foundation<br />
provides a powerful, very personal approach<br />
to giving by helping individuals achieve their<br />
charitable goals and create lasting good works<br />
in the community.<br />
<strong>The</strong> organization was founded in 1963 when<br />
a group of Greater <strong>Cincinnati</strong> area business<br />
leaders was inspired by the success of community<br />
foundations in other cities and decided to<br />
establish a similar organization in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>.<br />
About this same time, the board of<br />
directors of the Fresh Air and Convalescent<br />
Aid Society realized that its mission had<br />
become outdated and was searching for new<br />
directions. For sixty-four years, the Fresh Air<br />
and Convalescent Aid Society had operated a<br />
Fresh Air Farm, which brought mothers and<br />
their children out of the crowded tenement<br />
areas during the hottest months of the<br />
summer for two weeks of good food,<br />
comfortable living and planned recreation in<br />
the country. However, times were changing in<br />
the early 1960s and the Society realized its<br />
services were becoming obsolete.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Society voted to disband and find an<br />
alternative charitable use for its $600,000<br />
endowment. Local business leaders and the<br />
Fresh Air Board came together and <strong>The</strong><br />
Greater <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Foundation was born,<br />
with the Society’s endowment as its first<br />
unrestricted fund.<br />
Since its founding, GCF has made more<br />
than $760 million in grants. More than threequarters<br />
of grants are made to causes chosen by<br />
our donors, either here or in the region, or in<br />
other communities close to their hearts. <strong>The</strong>y<br />
support a wide variety of causes including<br />
health and human service organizations, the<br />
arts, and education.<br />
<strong>The</strong> assets entrusted to GCF by generous<br />
donors and its community knowledge have<br />
enabled it to respond to the changing needs<br />
of the community over time, providing leadership<br />
on such issues as early childhood<br />
education, racial equity, neighborhood development,<br />
and cultural vitality.<br />
In response to the 2009 economic crisis,<br />
GCF organized the Weathering the Economic<br />
Storm initiative, led by a group of local funders.<br />
During the three years, it touched the lives of<br />
nearly 95,000 children, adults and seniors.<br />
Grants totaling $4.5 million were awarded to<br />
127 nonprofit organizations in the areas of safety<br />
net services, housing stability, early childhood<br />
education, and organization stability.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Greater <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Foundation is overseen<br />
by a sixteen-member volunteer governing<br />
board comprised of leaders of diverse, representative<br />
local groups. <strong>The</strong> day-to-day activities<br />
are carried out by a dedicated professional staff<br />
led by President/CEO Kathryn E. Merchant.<br />
GCF is located in the Robert & Ruth Westheimer<br />
Center for Philanthropy at 200 West Fourth<br />
Street in downtown <strong>Cincinnati</strong>. Detailed information<br />
on all the Foundation’s activities may<br />
be found at www.gcfdn.org.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Foundation marked its fiftieth<br />
anniversary in 2013 with a series of activities<br />
and celebrations.<br />
THE GREATER<br />
CINCINNATI<br />
FOUNDATION<br />
Left: <strong>The</strong> staff of <strong>The</strong> Greater <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
Foundation with an Artworks’ Big Pig.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Foundation sponsored this pig in 2012.<br />
It’s a Pig World was created by artist<br />
Zoe Rodriguez.<br />
Below: A young girl enjoys the Mason<br />
Food Pantry’s summer camp. GCF’s Grants<br />
for Kids program funds innovative and<br />
educational programs for local children in<br />
the summer and school year.<br />
Q U A L I T Y O F L I F E<br />
2 1 7
JEWISH<br />
FEDERATION<br />
OF CINCINNATI<br />
Below: <strong>The</strong> Manuel D. and Rhoda<br />
Mayerson JCC.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Jewish Federation of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> is dedicated<br />
to helping people in need, creating an<br />
engaged community, assuring a Jewish future,<br />
and supporting the Jewish people in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>,<br />
in Israel, and throughout the world.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Jewish Federation of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> holds<br />
the distinction of being the longest continually<br />
operating Federation in North America.<br />
Founded in 1896 as the United Jewish Charities,<br />
it set up a combined city-wide campaign for<br />
funds, bringing eight agencies under one<br />
central administration with the objective of<br />
“helping the poor respect themselves and<br />
become self-sustaining through employment.”<br />
In 1910, $117,312—the equivalent of<br />
$2.86 million in 2013 dollars—was raised by<br />
the Federation, the highest per capita rate of<br />
giving of any major Jewish community in the<br />
United States.<br />
During the dark days of the mid-1930s,<br />
alarmed by the rising political power of Adolf<br />
Hitler, a group of five Jewish men in <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
organized an opposition group. Those men<br />
were Dr. J. Louis Ransohoff, Rabbi Abraham<br />
Franzblau, attorney Julius Holzberg, Dr. Jacob<br />
Rader Marcus, and Henry C. Segal. <strong>The</strong> men<br />
opened an office and planted the seeds for the<br />
eventual formation of the Jewish Community<br />
Relations Council (JCRC), which is now the<br />
public affairs arm of the Jewish Federation<br />
of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, tasked with combating anti-<br />
Semitism, educating the non-Jewish community,<br />
and advocating for Israel.<br />
In 1967 the Associated Jewish Agencies (as<br />
UJC was then called) merged with the Jewish<br />
Welfare Fund to form today’s Jewish Federation<br />
of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>. <strong>The</strong> city soon became known<br />
nationwide as a leader in the field of Jewish<br />
philanthropy. <strong>The</strong> Community Chest, today’s<br />
United Way, was modeled in large part on the<br />
Federation concept.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Federation has grown tremendously<br />
over the years, from the first fundraising goal<br />
of $10,000 in 1896 to $9.5 million raised<br />
in 2013. After contracting during the recent<br />
recession, the Federation’s annual Community<br />
Campaign has since grown by five percent or<br />
more each year.<br />
Funds raised during the Campaign help<br />
support forty-five programs that serve the<br />
Jewish communities in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, in Israel<br />
and around the world. <strong>The</strong> majority of the<br />
programs funded by the Federation are<br />
operated by six partner agencies: <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
Hebrew Day School, <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Hillel, Jewish<br />
Family Service, JVS Career Services, the<br />
Mayerson JCC and Rockwern Academy.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Federation’s efforts today are guided by<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> 2020, a collaborative initiative to<br />
secure the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Jewish community’s future<br />
by providing an exceptional quality of life—<br />
caring for people who are struggling, connecting<br />
all of its residents to Jewish life and helping<br />
them discover their Jewish identities. <strong>The</strong><br />
Federation employs about thirty people and is<br />
located on <strong>The</strong> Jewish Foundation of <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
Campus on Ridge Road in Amberley Village.<br />
For additional information, see the website<br />
at www.jewishcincinnati.org.<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
218
Hospitals were considered an option of last<br />
resort in the 1800s, and the idea of a charity<br />
hospital dedicated to <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s children was<br />
almost unheard of. Nevertheless, the Episcopal<br />
diocese was persuaded by Mrs. Robert Dayton<br />
and two of her friends—Isabelle Hopkins and<br />
Mary Emery—to support the idea of opening a<br />
hospital for children.<br />
That small hospital grew to become today’s<br />
highly acclaimed <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Children’s Hospital<br />
Medical Center, which is ranked among the<br />
nation’s leading pediatric hospitals and<br />
research centers.<br />
<strong>The</strong> growth and development of <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
Children’s has been little short of phenomenal.<br />
<strong>The</strong> hospital moved to a new two-hundredbed<br />
facility near the University of <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
College of Medicine in 1926 and established<br />
an academic affiliation as the Department of<br />
Pediatrics. When the department chairman<br />
envisioned a research mission for the hospital,<br />
Board President William Cooper Procter<br />
donated $2.5 million to build and endow the<br />
Children’s Hospital Research Foundation.<br />
Among the notable scientists who worked<br />
there in its early years were Dr. Josef Warkany,<br />
a pioneer in the study of congenital birth<br />
defects, and Dr. Albert Sabin, who developed<br />
the oral polio vaccine. <strong>The</strong> world’s first functional<br />
heart-lung machine was perfected there<br />
in the early 1950s.<br />
In the 1970s, five independent organizations<br />
moved to <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Children’s to consolidate<br />
pediatric care in the community. Steady<br />
growth in the 1980s and 1990s brought the<br />
first satellite location and new clinical and<br />
research buildings on the main campus.<br />
In recent years, the pace of growth has<br />
increased dramatically as the hospital pursues<br />
its vision to be the leader in improving<br />
child health.<br />
CINCINNATI CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL<br />
With over fourteen thousand employees,<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Children’s is one of the area’s largest<br />
employers. <strong>The</strong> hospital is both a treasured local<br />
resource and an international referral center<br />
for children with rare and complex conditions.<br />
Discoveries by <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Children’s research<br />
scientists are improving child health around<br />
the globe, and as the US healthcare system<br />
increasingly focuses on improving quality, safety,<br />
experience, and value, <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Children’s<br />
has emerged as a leader in transforming care.<br />
No matter how much it grows, <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
Children’s remains committed to the city it<br />
has called home for 130 years. <strong>The</strong> hospital is<br />
collaborating with local partners to address<br />
community health issues and strengthen the<br />
region’s development as a center for biotech<br />
innovation and start-up companies. And with<br />
an eye toward its next 130 years, <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
Children’s is investing in the facilities, programs<br />
and talent necessary to be the leader in<br />
pediatric care for tomorrow’s children.<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Children’s Hospital Medical Center<br />
is located at 3333 Burnet Avenue in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>,<br />
Ohio and at www.cincinnatichildrens.org.<br />
MEDICAL CENTER<br />
Above: Young patients, 1897.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF THE CINCINNATI<br />
CHILDREN’S ARCHIVE.<br />
Below: A panoramic view of our<br />
campus today.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF THE CINCINNATI<br />
CHILDREN’S ARCHIVE. PHOTOGRAPH BY<br />
ROBERT FLISCHEL.<br />
Q U A L I T Y O F L I F E<br />
2 1 9
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
220
BUILDING A GREATER CINCINNATI<br />
C i n c i n n a t i ’ s r e a l e s t a t e d e v e l o p e r s ,<br />
c o n s t r u c t i o n c o m p a n i e s , h e a v y<br />
i n d u s t r i e s , a n d m a n u f a c t u r e r s p r o v i d e<br />
t h e e c o n o m i c f o u n d a t i o n o f t h e c i t y<br />
Fenton Rigging & Contracting, Inc. ..............................................2 2 2<br />
Ruthman Companies<br />
Gusher Pumps ........................................................................2 2 4<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Mine Machinery Company ............................................2 2 6<br />
Reliable Castings Corporation .....................................................2 2 8<br />
Derrick Company, Inc. ................................................................2 3 0<br />
Faxon Machining, Inc. ................................................................2 3 2<br />
Kordenbrock Tool & Die Co., Inc. .................................................2 3 4<br />
BHDP Architecture .....................................................................2 3 6<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Sub-Zero Products, Inc. ...............................................2 3 8<br />
O’Rourke Wrecking Company .......................................................2 4 0<br />
Magna Machine Company ............................................................2 4 2<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Air Conditioning Co. .............................................2 4 4<br />
CBT Company ...........................................................................2 4 5<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Precision Instruments, Inc. ..........................................2 4 6<br />
Wm. Kramer & Son, Inc. ............................................................2 4 7<br />
<strong>The</strong> Johnson Electric Supply Company ...........................................2 4 8<br />
R. E. Kramig & Co.<br />
Kramig Insulation ..................................................................2 4 9<br />
AES Controls, Inc. .....................................................................2 5 0<br />
DuBois Chemicals ......................................................................2 5 1<br />
Wm. Powell Company<br />
Powell Valves .........................................................................2 5 2<br />
Charles F. Shiels and Company ....................................................2 5 3<br />
Sibcy Cline Realtors ® .................................................................2 5 4<br />
H. Nagel & Son Co. (Brighton Mills) ............................................2 5 5<br />
Pride Cast Metals, Inc. ...............................................................2 5 6<br />
Aerial view of the reconstruction of Fort<br />
Washington Way, c. 1999. Covington, Kentucky,<br />
lies in the background, across the John A.<br />
Roebling Suspension Bridge.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH BY JAN FRANCIS. CINCINNATI MUSEUM CENTER.<br />
B U I L D I N G A G R E A T E R C I N C I N N A T I<br />
2 2 1
FENTON<br />
RIGGING &<br />
CONTRACTING,<br />
INC.<br />
Above: A twelve horse team and special<br />
drag to relocate a strainer on Front Street in<br />
downtown <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 1905.<br />
Below: Jacks, blocks and skates to relocate<br />
the Tyler Davidson Fountain from the<br />
middle of Fifth Street to Fountain<br />
Square, 1969.<br />
When the <strong>City</strong> of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> needed to<br />
move the Tyler Davidson Fountain (<strong>The</strong><br />
Genius of Water) from its original location on<br />
Fifth Street north to Fountain Square,<br />
the city depended on Fenton Rigging &<br />
Contracting to handle the job correctly. When<br />
the historic art deco style murals that adorned<br />
the old Union Terminal needed to be moved<br />
to the Greater <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Airport, the skills of<br />
Fenton were again utilized and each mural was<br />
delivered in pristine condition, with not one of<br />
the millions of glass tiles cracked or missing.<br />
<strong>The</strong> sophisticated knowledge and special<br />
equipment that has made Fenton a leading<br />
rigging contractor is a natural outgrowth of a<br />
simple drayage operation that began in 1898<br />
when founder Jim Fenton used a team of<br />
mules and wagons to load and off-load large<br />
equipment from floats and ferries along the<br />
Ohio River. Fenton named his new endeavor<br />
the J. A. Fenton Company.<br />
Today, Fenton Rigging & Contracting is a<br />
specialty contractor serving industrial, commercial<br />
and contracting businesses in both<br />
the public and private sectors. <strong>The</strong> Rigging<br />
Division specializes in rigging, millwrighting,<br />
equipment and facility maintenance, precision<br />
alignment, machine moving, specialty steel<br />
erection, and crane rental. <strong>The</strong> Contracting<br />
Division works primarily for the railroad and<br />
power generation plants specializing in bridge<br />
repair and replacement work as well as<br />
concrete restoration. <strong>The</strong> Shotcrete Division,<br />
based out of Jacksboro, Tennessee, specializes<br />
in concrete repair and subsurface stabilization.<br />
In the company’s early days, <strong>Cincinnati</strong> was<br />
beginning to see a surge in river trade and<br />
the 1920s brought new life to the downtown<br />
area. <strong>The</strong>se factors, along with Fenton’s business<br />
knowledge, helped the company grow<br />
through its first three decades. <strong>The</strong> name of<br />
the business was changed to Fenton Transfer<br />
Company in 1907. As the business continued<br />
to grow, Fenton realized that in addition to<br />
hauling materials and merchandise, there was<br />
a need to unload and set whatever was hauled.<br />
Thus, the company name was changed to<br />
Fenton Transfer & Rigging Company in 1911.<br />
<strong>The</strong> name was changed again in 1920 to<br />
Fenton Rigging Company.<br />
After Fenton’s death in 1929, his wife, Ida,<br />
tried to run the company but found it was<br />
too much to handle. In 1930, she sold the<br />
business to Edward A. Roth, who owned and<br />
operated the business for the next eighteen<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
222
years. During Roth’s ownership, much of<br />
the business was performed for breweries<br />
and distillers in <strong>Cincinnati</strong> and Newport.<br />
According to company folklore, company<br />
trucks and equipment were used to transport<br />
thousands of gallons of illegal alcohol during<br />
the prohibition era, making Roth a wealthy<br />
man. After prohibition, Roth had so much<br />
cash stashed in his attic and a nearby sewer;<br />
he needed to turn the business into a shell<br />
operation, so he could put the money back<br />
into circulation.<br />
<strong>The</strong> rigging business was allowed to<br />
decline during this period and Lester Besl<br />
was able to purchase the company in 1948<br />
for $17,000. Lester hired his nephew, Bill,<br />
to work part-time as a time keeper. As the<br />
business began to grow, Bill left his job as an<br />
insurance salesman and went to work for the<br />
company full-time.<br />
Lester was involved in an accident that<br />
required Bill to take over and run the company<br />
and, in 1958, Lester sold majority interest in<br />
the firm to Bill. He operated the company until<br />
his death in 1985 and his ownership passed to<br />
his nine children and Larry Roy. Richard Kohls<br />
became a part owner in 1987, but he and Roy<br />
were later bought out by the Besl family.<br />
Currently, Mike, Bill, and Tim Besl are sole<br />
owners of the company. Chris Besl started<br />
working with Fenton Rigging in 2009,<br />
becoming the fourth generation of the Besl<br />
family to work for the company.<br />
Fenton Rigging & Contracting has enjoyed<br />
steady growth under direction of the Besl family.<br />
Sales exceeded $1 million for the first time<br />
in 1965 and the company was awarded its first<br />
million dollar contract in 1969 when Babcock<br />
& Wilcox hired the firm to install a large<br />
boring mill for fabrication of reactor vessels to<br />
be used in nuclear submarines. <strong>The</strong> company<br />
won their first of six nationally recognized<br />
“Rigging Job of the Year” awards in 1969.<br />
Today, Fenton employs approximately 120<br />
people and has yearly revenue of $20 million.<br />
Fenton works for more than 250 different<br />
customers each year, and generates the majority<br />
of its sales from fifty repeat customers. <strong>The</strong><br />
company moved to its current location at<br />
2150 Langdon Farm Road in the suburb of<br />
Golf Manor in 1975.<br />
<strong>The</strong> management and staff at Fenton are<br />
actively involved in a number of local and<br />
national industrial associations. Fenton owners<br />
have served on boards and as presidents<br />
of the National Subcontractor Association,<br />
Specialized Carriers and Rigging Association<br />
and Allied Contractors Industries.<br />
As it moves into its second century of<br />
service with the fourth generation of the Besl<br />
family, Fenton Rigging & Contracting, Inc.,<br />
continues to grow by serving its current customer<br />
base with distinct specialty services,<br />
while adding new customers with our skill<br />
and ingenuity to solve any problem.<br />
Above: Specially designed box frame,<br />
crane and tractor drag to relocate the first<br />
of fourteen murals from Union Terminal<br />
in <strong>Cincinnati</strong> to the Greater <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
Airport, 1974.<br />
Below: Helicopter used to set a cooling<br />
tower on the rooftop of the Provident<br />
Building in downtown <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 1999.<br />
B U I L D I N G A G R E A T E R C I N C I N N A T I<br />
2 2 3
RUTHMAN<br />
COMPANIES<br />
GUSHER PUMPS<br />
In the early years of the twentieth century,<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> was known as the machine tool<br />
capital of the world, a reputation that inspired<br />
scores of enterprising young businessmen,<br />
including Alois Ruthman, who co-founded<br />
the Ruthman Machinery Company, which<br />
serviced and repaired the steamboats that<br />
traveled the Ohio River.<br />
<strong>The</strong> year was 1912 and the Ruthman<br />
Machinery Company set up shop manufacturing<br />
its own metal parts for steamboats<br />
at 216 East Second Street. Soon the shop<br />
expanded its customer base beyond<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>, making a variety of parts for<br />
presses, dies and vending machines for<br />
customers around the country.<br />
Alois Ruthman was a visionary who realized<br />
that the future success of his company<br />
was in the development of a reliable industrial<br />
pump. With the conception of the first<br />
vertical ball bearing seal-less centrifugal<br />
pump, the company—now known as<br />
Ruthman Pump and Engineering—furthered<br />
the design on a unit with a one-piece motordriven<br />
shaft. <strong>The</strong> pump was named “Gusher,”<br />
giving birth to the trade name Gusher<br />
Pumps, as well as the term “coolant pump.”<br />
According to company lore, Alois Ruthman<br />
at first considered naming the pump “Geyser,”<br />
but decided to call it Gusher instead because<br />
it sounded more forceful.<br />
Gusher Pumps is now the flagship company<br />
of the Ruthman Companies and is one of<br />
the oldest and best known of the sixteen<br />
companies now owned by Ruthman.<br />
Ruthman Companies survived the economic<br />
devastation of the Great Depression<br />
of the 1930s and began its steady growth<br />
as a leader in design and manufacturing of<br />
industrial pumps for American industry.<br />
With the advent of World War II,<br />
Ruthman Machinery and Gusher Pumps<br />
provided vital products for the nation’s<br />
wartime production, moving from Front and<br />
Pike Streets to a much larger facility on<br />
Reading Road to accommodate the critical<br />
needs for war-time production.<br />
Thomas R. Ruthman, the son of company<br />
founder Alois Ruthman, joined the company<br />
in 1949 and continues today as owner and<br />
president. Thomas, although only sixteen<br />
years old at the time, was determined to<br />
carry on his father’s tradition of quality and<br />
reliability. Pete Smith, who joined the<br />
company in 1929, was joined by his son,<br />
Les Smith, now executive vice president, in<br />
1960 and has since been joined his son, Scott.<br />
In the early 1990s, Thomas Ruthman’s son,<br />
Thomas G. Ruthman, now executive vice<br />
president, joined the company with the aim of<br />
continuing the company tradition of growth,<br />
innovation and customer service.<br />
In the post-war decade of the 1950s,<br />
Ruthman Companies and the Gusher Pump<br />
line became an essential part of the rapidly<br />
expanding modern tool industry. While many<br />
in the industry are content to produce “offthe-shelf”<br />
standard models, Gusher engineers<br />
products for specific customer requirements<br />
and is willing to meet unusual situations<br />
with innovative engineering. <strong>The</strong><br />
result is Gusher’s unique ability to<br />
serve today’s global market with<br />
one of the largest selections of<br />
centrifugal pumps and equipment<br />
available anywhere in the world.<br />
<strong>The</strong> era of the ’60s was a period<br />
of expansion and technological<br />
innovation for the Ruthman<br />
Companies that included the<br />
opening of additional facilities in<br />
Kentucky and Indiana, an acquisition<br />
in Ohio, and across the continent<br />
to California. <strong>The</strong> Ruthman<br />
product lines expanded to meet<br />
the increasing demands of the<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
224
machine tool industry, as well as the<br />
engineering of innovative new products for<br />
paint and manufacturing systems. In 1964<br />
the company moved its headquarters<br />
from Reading Road to Streng Street.<br />
Ruthman Companies continued to grow<br />
and expand through the 1970s and 1980s,<br />
opening a Gusher plant in Dry Ridge,<br />
Kentucky and acquiring Pioneer Pumps<br />
in 1978. An additional center was<br />
opened in Newcastle, Indiana in 1978;<br />
the same year the company acquired<br />
Southwest Pumps, which became Gusher<br />
Pumps of California.<br />
Meanwhile, improvements to the<br />
Gusher pumps continued to solidify its<br />
position as the top pump in the industry.<br />
By 1982, Gusher was offering a full<br />
range of ANSI pumps, which became<br />
Gusher’s flagship line.<br />
<strong>The</strong> company continued to expand<br />
by acquisition from the late 1980s and<br />
on into the early twenty-first century.<br />
<strong>The</strong>se acquisitions included the Fulflo<br />
Valve Company, Vulcan Tool Company<br />
of Dayton, Ohio, Brown & Sharpe<br />
Company, and Great Lakes Pumps<br />
& Supply in Michigan. <strong>The</strong> company<br />
went international with acquisition of<br />
Birmingham Pumps of Great Britain and<br />
the establishment of Ruthmann Pumpen<br />
of Germany and Guan Shen (Gusher Pumps<br />
of China).<br />
As the Ruthman Companies move into<br />
their second century of business, the Gusher<br />
brand now includes more than 14,000 products.<br />
<strong>The</strong> companies operating under the<br />
Ruthman banner include BSM Pump Corp.,<br />
Providence, Rhode Island; Fulflo, Blanchester,<br />
Ohio; Great Lakes Pump & Supply Co., Troy,<br />
Michigan; Nagle Pumps, Chicago, Illinois;<br />
Process Systems, Inc., Warren, Michigan;<br />
Deming Vertical Turbine Pumps, Warren,<br />
Michigan; Vulcan Tool Corporation, Dayton,<br />
Ohio; Wagner Process Equipment, Stockton,<br />
California; Great Southern Pump, Titusville<br />
Florida; Birmingham Pump Supplies, Ltd. in<br />
Great Britain; Ruthmann Pumpen, Eschweiler,<br />
Germany; PFE Filter, Eschweiler, Germany;<br />
and Guan Shen, Shanghai, China.<br />
Ruthman’s customer base includes firms<br />
in the machine tool industry, automobile<br />
manufacturing, mining, steel, municipal<br />
water treatment, chemical, paint, power generation,<br />
filtration, HVAC, pharmaceuticals,<br />
agriculture, and the military.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Ruthman Companies, which directly<br />
employs more than 250, is headquartered at<br />
1212 Streng Street in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>.<br />
B U I L D I N G A G R E A T E R C I N C I N N A T I<br />
2 2 5
CINCINNATI MINE MACHINERY COMPANY<br />
Above: Robert J., Robert C., Anthony J.<br />
and William D. Stenger—third and fourth<br />
generations of the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Mine<br />
Machinery Company.<br />
Below: Cutting edge machinery has helped<br />
the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Mine Machinery Company<br />
streamline production and maintain<br />
quality standards.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Mine Machinery Company<br />
has served the mining industry since 1924<br />
and is recognized worldwide for products<br />
that combine high performance, reliability<br />
and trouble-free service life.<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Mine Machinery Company was<br />
founded in the early 1920s but began its<br />
growth under Edwin Stenger, who purchased<br />
the firm in 1924. In the early years, the<br />
company shared a facility with <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
Shaper Company and Lodge and Shipley, two<br />
prominent members of the area’s booming<br />
machine tool industry.<br />
Armin Bruestle, a graduate of the University<br />
of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s College of Engineering, joined<br />
the firm in 1928 and he and Edwin Stenger<br />
worked together for more than forty years,<br />
establishing the principles and ethics that<br />
guided the company. Bruestle retired in 1993<br />
after sixty-five years with the company.<br />
Cutter chains were CMM’s sole focus in the<br />
early 1930s. A forged block and connector<br />
distinguished the product from the cast and<br />
fabricated alternatives available elsewhere and<br />
helped earn CMM a reputation for quality<br />
and durability that continues to this day.<br />
Shortly thereafter, CMM manufactured the<br />
first cutter bar from hammered stock and also<br />
began making sprockets from alloy<br />
steel, rather than castings, establishing a new<br />
benchmark for strength and durability.<br />
Sales efforts expanded quickly despite<br />
the Great Depression of the 1930s and the<br />
company was soon servicing customers in<br />
the eastern and western United States and<br />
Canada. CMM’s reputation as a quality<br />
chain manufacturer continued to grow and,<br />
in 1938, CMM developed and patented the<br />
Duplex Chain, which became the company’s<br />
dominant product throughout the 1940s.<br />
During World War II, the company was<br />
selected by the U.S. Army to manufacture<br />
Tank Track pins. This earned the company<br />
the prestigious “E” award for excellence<br />
in service to the country. Only two percent<br />
of companies involved in manufacturing<br />
for the war effort achieved this high honor.<br />
<strong>The</strong> “E” flag, which is replicated and<br />
displayed on a shop wall, remains a valued<br />
reminder of CMM’s proud history.<br />
<strong>The</strong> early 1950s saw<br />
development of the Rap-<br />
Lock bit holders for the<br />
continuous miner, which had<br />
five or six chains running<br />
over the machine head. <strong>The</strong><br />
125 and 405 type chains<br />
incorporated the patented<br />
Rap-Lock. By the mid-1950s,<br />
the company was selling<br />
more than 12 million bits<br />
per year for this chain.<br />
Each month, 120 tons of<br />
steel rods were cut to<br />
specifications using machines<br />
designed by CMM.<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
226
<strong>The</strong> era of the 1960s saw development of<br />
the Quick-Pik bit lug, which incorporated<br />
the point attack bit and was patented by<br />
CMM in 1960. CMM continued to offer this<br />
versatile, high-performing product for more<br />
than three decades.<br />
Other innovative and patented designs<br />
were introduced in rapid-fire succession<br />
during the 1970s. During this period, projects<br />
such as the 814 Ripperveyor chain for the<br />
JOY 11CM miner and the 734 chain for the<br />
Jeffrey Heliminer 120-H machine, were<br />
developed. <strong>The</strong>se two chains represented<br />
significant advances for both CMM and the<br />
miners, who were able to immediately achieve<br />
higher productivity and longer service life.<br />
During this same time period, the Pin-On<br />
bit lug was developed and patented. This was<br />
a revolutionary product for the coal industry<br />
because it allowed the fast and straightforward<br />
replacement of the bit holder to the<br />
exact bit location without the need to burn off<br />
the existing lug and weld a new one in place.<br />
In the early 1980s, a multi-national<br />
company based in the Netherlands enlisted<br />
the assistance of CMM in development of a<br />
front end for their high wall miner. <strong>The</strong> chain<br />
for this machine was a derivative of the 734<br />
trim chain and continues to be sold widely<br />
throughout the mining industry today.<br />
<strong>The</strong> decade of the 1990s saw development<br />
of the patented Cone-Tite holder, with the<br />
holding device at the rear of the lug. This<br />
innovation impacted the coal industry<br />
dramatically as most bit holders in use today<br />
are a variation of this important design.<br />
Shortly thereafter, CMM brought to market<br />
the Cone-Lok, an advanced version of the<br />
Cone-Tite bit lug and base combination.<br />
After doing business in South Africa<br />
for more than sixty years, CMM opened<br />
its own office and distribution facility in<br />
Witbank, South Africa, in 1998. In 2002 a<br />
warehouse was opened in Chapmanville,<br />
West Virginia, to better service customers<br />
in that area. In 2004, CMM opened its own<br />
office and distribution center in Australia<br />
to better serve New South Wales and<br />
<strong>Queen</strong>sland miners. Other CMM warehouses<br />
are located throughout the United States,<br />
Canada, Australia, Mexico and Europe.<br />
<strong>The</strong> innovative spirit is still alive at CMM,<br />
as evidenced by the recent development of<br />
a conveyor chain for the high wall miners,<br />
crawler chains for a variety of continuous<br />
miners, a tramming-conveying chain for<br />
continuous haulage systems, quick change<br />
foot shaft and stub shaft assemblies, and a<br />
new patented dual-sprocket conveyor chain.<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Mine Machinery is now a fourthgeneration<br />
family company, led by President<br />
Robert (Bob) Stenger, grandson of the founder.<br />
Bobby and Tony Stenger, great-grandsons of<br />
the founder, represent the fourth generation.<br />
<strong>The</strong> forty-five employees at CMM have an average<br />
of more than twenty years of service. “<strong>The</strong><br />
loyalty and commitment of our employees has<br />
been a major factor in our success,” says Bob<br />
Stenger. “<strong>The</strong>y are the heart and soul of CMM.<br />
“We base our reputation on honesty and<br />
integrity and that’s been our by-words through<br />
the years. It’s our people who make the<br />
company what it is.”<br />
Above: Early assembly of cutter chains for<br />
the underground coal miner.<br />
Below: <strong>The</strong> <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Mine Machinery<br />
Company received the Army/Navy E Award<br />
for their efforts during World War II.<br />
B U I L D I N G A G R E A T E R C I N C I N N A T I<br />
2 2 7
Above: <strong>The</strong> company’s founders,<br />
January 13, 1925.<br />
RELIABLE CASTINGS CORPORATION<br />
Bottom, left: <strong>The</strong> company’s first building.<br />
Bottom, right: <strong>The</strong> headquarters’ foundry<br />
under floodwaters.<br />
During its ninety-plus years, Reliable<br />
Castings Corporation has evolved to become<br />
a leader in aluminum casting technologies.<br />
One reason for its success over the decades<br />
is its philosophy that there is “Safety in<br />
Diversity.” Reliable Castings manufactures aluminum<br />
castings for a wide variety of customers<br />
in a number of different industries. Reliable<br />
Castings provides cast, machined, and assembled<br />
components serving the automotive,<br />
diesel-engine, construction, rail systems, mining,<br />
power generation, military, plastic thermoforming,<br />
and machine tool markets with a wide<br />
variety of aluminum castings, designs, sizes,<br />
and volumes. About eighty percent of Reliable<br />
Castings’ customer base is in the Midwest.<br />
Another key reason to Reliable’s success is its<br />
long-term and dedicated people. Reliable<br />
Castings is blessed with many employees who<br />
have decades of service at Reliable. Uniquely<br />
adding to that statistic is that there are multiple<br />
family clans that have worked for multiple generations<br />
at Reliable. Complicating that statistic is<br />
that many of the families have become interrelated<br />
as they worked together over the decades.<br />
<strong>The</strong> company was organized in 1922 when<br />
seven patternmakers from Ohio Pattern Works<br />
formed a partnership to begin producing masters,<br />
pattern, and molds for local manufacturers,<br />
primarily in the machine tool industry.<br />
This partnership led eventually to producing<br />
samples with customer tooling, which then<br />
grew to larger volumes of brass, bronze, and<br />
aluminum casting production. Two of the<br />
seven original patternmakers, Ed Korten and<br />
Arthur Kuhn, became principal owners and<br />
operators of Reliable Castings Corporation.<br />
At first, the company leased space in a<br />
building on Spring Grove Avenue across from<br />
what is now KAO Brands. A few years later,<br />
Reliable purchased a building on Spring Grove<br />
a few blocks north of the original location.<br />
Reliable Castings purchased its current<br />
foundry headquarters at 3530 Spring Grove<br />
Avenue in 1935. Reliable Castings was banking<br />
with a prominent local bank at the time<br />
(Provident Bank), but was turned down when it<br />
requested a mortgage on the building. Reliable<br />
Castings then turned to the Fifth/Third Bank,<br />
which approved the mortgage for the building.<br />
Reliable Castings is proud to have banked with<br />
Fifth/Third ever since.<br />
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<strong>The</strong> timing of the purchase of the new<br />
foundry and headquarters in 1935 was not<br />
very good. In addition of being in the midst of<br />
the Great Depression, the great flood of 1937<br />
flooded the entire first floor of the building.<br />
<strong>The</strong> stories that the original owners told of<br />
numerous local businesses and the community<br />
pulling together and helping each other to clean<br />
up and restart operations are inspirational.<br />
In 1968, Korten and Kuhn transferred<br />
company ownership and management to Bob<br />
Baesel, Bob Kuhn, and George Schultz. Baesel<br />
passed away in the early-to-mid 1980s.<br />
George and Bob then acquired his balance of<br />
ownership in the company.<br />
Even though Korten and Kuhn sold their<br />
ownership in 1968, they continued to maintain<br />
an office at Reliable and came to work<br />
nearly every day until both men were in their<br />
nineties. <strong>The</strong>y supplied “free advice” although<br />
not always solicited, to the current management<br />
in return for the “free office space.”<br />
Since World War II, aluminum alloy castings<br />
became a continuing growing larger<br />
percentage of Reliable Castings’ product mix.<br />
Brass, bronze, and copper castings were<br />
discontinued in the early 1990s. Before the<br />
discontinuance of bronze castings, Reliable<br />
made cast bronze products such as bronze bomb<br />
navigational sights for WWII aircraft, commemorative<br />
plaques for the Roebling Suspension<br />
Bridge, and bronze ornamental scrollwork for<br />
the Omni Netherland restoration in the 1980s.<br />
In 1986, Reliable Castings acquired a<br />
shuttered aluminum foundry in Sidney, Ohio,<br />
and restarted that operation. That acquisition<br />
has allowed Reliable to grow its high-volume<br />
aluminum sand castings, automated highvolume<br />
aluminum permanent mold castings,<br />
and production machining capabilities. <strong>The</strong><br />
additional capacity allows Reliable Castings the<br />
ability to better serve its customers’ needs by<br />
sourcing the cast product to the best fit facility<br />
and process, which enables Reliable to give<br />
its customer the best value we can achieve.<br />
Reliable’s <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Operations include a<br />
sand foundry, permanent mold foundry, and<br />
Tooling Division. <strong>The</strong> foundry focus is more<br />
on lower-volume/custom produced aluminum<br />
castings. <strong>The</strong> Tooling Division produces<br />
patterns, tools, and molds to service Reliable’s<br />
internal tooling needs in addition to building<br />
cast-aluminum tools for the plastics thermoforming<br />
industry.<br />
Reliable’s Sidney Operations include a higher-volume,<br />
semi-automated sand foundry, a<br />
high-volume automated permanent mold<br />
foundry, and production machining operations.<br />
Reliable Castings Corporation is classified<br />
as a “jobbing foundry” in that none of<br />
its products are sold directly to the public.<br />
All of the castings are produced for original<br />
equipment manufacturers (OEM’s) or their<br />
authorized machine houses/manufacturers.<br />
George and Bob sold thirty-two percent of<br />
their shares in the company to the Reliable<br />
Castings’ employees in 1994 through an<br />
Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP).<br />
George and Bob then sold the balance of their<br />
company ownership to the ESOP in 2008,<br />
and Reliable Castings is now a hundredpercent<br />
employee-owned ESOP company.<br />
<strong>The</strong> tradition of “free office space” in trade<br />
for “free advice” continues with George and<br />
Bob at Reliable Castings. When in town, both<br />
continue to come in to the plant and both are<br />
in their mid-eighties.<br />
<strong>The</strong> entire organization at Reliable Castings<br />
Corporation is dedicated to continuous innovation<br />
and improvement in casting technology<br />
with the goal of exceeding customer expectations<br />
on a daily basis.<br />
Reliable Castings is located at 3530 Spring<br />
Grove Avenue and at www.reliablecastings.com.<br />
<strong>The</strong> robotic casting equipment in operation.<br />
B U I L D I N G A G R E A T E R C I N C I N N A T I<br />
2 2 9
DERRICK<br />
COMPANY, INC.<br />
Above: Second- and third-generation<br />
family members of the Derrick Company.<br />
Harry Derrick, Sr., his wife Iva, with their<br />
son and daughter Harry, Jr., and<br />
Kathryn (Mickey).<br />
Below: Program cover for the award<br />
ceremony on September 22, 1943, when<br />
Derrick Company officials were presented<br />
with the Army-Navy E Award.<br />
Derrick Company, Inc., now in its fifth<br />
generation as a family-owned and operated<br />
company, provides metal heat treating,<br />
industrial blasting, and spray painting services<br />
to customers throughout the United States<br />
and Canada.<br />
<strong>The</strong> company specializes in processing<br />
medium to very large size<br />
parts from 1,000 to 100,000 pounds<br />
plus. Derrick Company processes<br />
steel, alloys, weldments, fabrications,<br />
castings, pressure vessels, and other<br />
heavy industrial components.<br />
<strong>The</strong> current business is an outgrowth<br />
of <strong>The</strong> Frank J. Derrick Brick<br />
Manufacturing Company, founded in<br />
Newport, Kentucky in the early<br />
1920s. Derrick Brick became part<br />
of many major building projects<br />
throughout the region, including the<br />
region’s premier high-rise building<br />
project of the era, the Carew Tower in<br />
downtown <strong>Cincinnati</strong>.<br />
After relocating the operation just<br />
across the river to <strong>Cincinnati</strong> the<br />
company entered the heat-treating<br />
field in the early 1940s when the United<br />
States government was in need of very long<br />
heat-treating furnaces to process tank tread<br />
parts during World War II. Frank Derrick’s<br />
son, Harry Derrick, Sr., and his Derrick<br />
Company crew devised a method to convert<br />
the company’s brick kilns into heat-treating<br />
furnaces to successfully heat treat the tank<br />
treads. Derrick’s method for heat treating<br />
metals was credited with helping U.S. forces<br />
win the war in North Africa during World<br />
War II, and the heat-treating procedure<br />
developed by Derrick became the standard<br />
adopted by heat treaters across the country.<br />
Mr. Derrick, Sr., received a letter from<br />
President Roosevelt thanking him and his<br />
crew for their efforts, but Mr. Derrick was<br />
proudest of a penciled note he received<br />
from a G.I. in the tank corps which said,<br />
“Thanks buddy—you guys saved my life.”<br />
A local newspaper story in 1943 described<br />
the ingenious process used in the heat-treating<br />
procedure, noting that such plants “are vital<br />
to the war industry.” <strong>The</strong> Derrick Company<br />
was honored during a public ceremony in<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>, during which the government<br />
presented each member of the firm with the<br />
prestigious U.S. Army/Navy “E” Award.<br />
When the war ended, the firm was reorganized<br />
to specialize in metal heat treating<br />
and the brick business was phased out over<br />
the ensuing years.<br />
Derrick Company continues to proudly<br />
serve the U.S. military effort on several fronts<br />
today, while performing work on parts for<br />
Navy destroyers for the past twenty-five years<br />
as well as on components for the many armored<br />
vehicles currently deployed around the world.<br />
Following the death of Harry Derrick, Sr.,<br />
in 1959, third- and fourth-generation Derrick<br />
family members continued to successfully<br />
operate and grow the business over the years,<br />
guiding the company through the transition<br />
from brick manufacturing to the premiere<br />
metal heat treating, industrial blasting and<br />
painting source in the region.<br />
Derrick Company is currently owned and<br />
operated by Kathie and Gary Schmid and<br />
their son, Jason Schmid. Kathie is the daughter<br />
of Kathryn Derrick-Perry, and Kathie and<br />
Jason are fourth and fifth generations of<br />
Derrick family members to proudly own and<br />
operate the business.<br />
Derrick customers receive individual,<br />
focused attention for their projects, from<br />
management to truck drivers and all points in<br />
between. <strong>The</strong> tradition at Derrick Company<br />
is not so much to be trendy, but to hold to a<br />
core set of values and principles that have<br />
guided the company through the generations—respect,<br />
hard work, and dedication.<br />
Because the management and employees<br />
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230
firmly believe in these principles, the ensuing<br />
result is a high-quality and highly valued<br />
service for their customers. <strong>The</strong> daily objective<br />
at Derrick Company is to meet the<br />
customer’s needs in every way possible.<br />
<strong>The</strong> blasting facilities at Derrick can<br />
process small parts in automated barrel/rotoblast<br />
machines as well as very large parts in<br />
excess of fifty tons in their large air blast<br />
rooms. Derrick’s Wheel Blast machine handles<br />
flat plates up to 100 inches wide, pipes up to<br />
42 inches OD, and structural I-beams up to<br />
42 inches tall with lengths up to 288 inches.<br />
Derrick’s unique industrial painting facilities<br />
provide the ability to apply single or<br />
multiple coat paint systems to<br />
many types of medium to very large<br />
industrial components.<br />
With their recent addition of a massive<br />
dual-zone paint booth, Derrick’s<br />
environmentally controlled industrial<br />
paint facilities can now handle the painting<br />
of very large shapes, sizes, and configurations<br />
up to 25 feet wide, 20 feet<br />
high, and 60 feet long. This new paint<br />
booth features two independent 4.2 million<br />
BTU, gas-fired Air Make-Up Units<br />
and a “Smart Sense” control panel that<br />
controls curing cycles with temperatures<br />
up to 170 degrees Fahrenheit. In addition,<br />
Derrick’s conventional air-assist and<br />
electrostatic wet spray painting operations<br />
cover the coatings spectrum, from<br />
water base primers to nuclear grade<br />
zincs and high performance urethanes.<br />
Past and present family owners of the<br />
Derrick Company sincerely believe the<br />
business would not be the success it is today<br />
if it were not for the hard work and<br />
dedication of the many loyal team members<br />
who have given so much of themselves to the<br />
Derrick Company over the decades. Many<br />
Derrick employees have been with the<br />
company for 25 to 35 years and several more<br />
than 45 years. <strong>The</strong> entire Derrick team<br />
continues to contribute their skills and<br />
talents every day to carry on the Derrick<br />
tradition of high quality and service to its<br />
many valued customers.<br />
Above: Former Derrick Company Sales<br />
Manager Bob Cline, with an eight-footwide<br />
diameter by sixty-foot-long tank for<br />
heat treating at Derrick Company,<br />
January 30, 1962.<br />
Below: Current owners of the Derrick<br />
Company, 2014: Gary Schmid, CEO;<br />
Kathie Schmid, treasurer; and<br />
Jason Schmid, president.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF SARAH BETH LONG.<br />
B U I L D I N G A G R E A T E R C I N C I N N A T I<br />
2 3 1
FAXON<br />
MACHINING, INC.<br />
Left to right: Bob, Barry, Betty and<br />
Beth Faxon.<br />
As David K. Faxon and David K. Faxon II<br />
were standing in the former Weicholt Arms<br />
building in 1978, a business was born.<br />
Although most of the equipment in the<br />
4,500-square-foot block building in<br />
Northside <strong>Cincinnati</strong> had been sold, there<br />
was still one small deep hole drilling<br />
machine, and a 3 by 5 inch index card box<br />
full of customer names. As the two discussed<br />
the future use of the building for automotive<br />
repairs, they made a deal to buy the one<br />
machine still there and the customer list.<br />
David handed the box of index cards to his<br />
son and said “if the automotive business gets<br />
slow, you can drill some holes.” Within a year<br />
Faxon Automotive and Machining was all<br />
machining. Thirty-five years later Faxon<br />
Machining, formerly Faxon Automotive and<br />
Machining, is still primarily known in many<br />
industries as a leader in the deep hole drilling<br />
sector of machining.<br />
<strong>The</strong> first day of business for Faxon<br />
Automotive and Machining began January 3,<br />
1978. David K. and Betty W. Faxon helped<br />
their son David K. Faxon II, president, from<br />
the very first day of business. Unfortunately<br />
David II was killed in an accident on<br />
August 29, 1984. <strong>The</strong> other two sons, Barry<br />
A. and Robert T., were involved in the business<br />
at that time, Barry assumed the role of<br />
president at the age of twenty-one, and<br />
Robert assumed the role of vice president at<br />
the age of nineteen. <strong>The</strong>ir sister Elizabeth A.<br />
also joined the company around the same<br />
time. <strong>The</strong>ir father, David K., passed away on<br />
January 5, 1987.<br />
Faxon Machining has always been family<br />
owned and operated, and now employs three<br />
generations. Betty is now ninety years old,<br />
and comes into work every day<br />
to her job in her second<br />
floor office. Barry, Bob, and Beth<br />
are still president, vice president,<br />
and secretary of the company.<br />
Barry’s son Ryan A. now works<br />
with the company and represents<br />
the third generation actively<br />
involved in the business. Even<br />
at the age of ninety, Betty, still<br />
plays a dominant role in the<br />
operation of the company as she<br />
always has.<br />
By staying with the core<br />
business of deep hole drilling,<br />
and adding other machining capabilities, the<br />
company started to grow and a 13,000-<br />
square-foot facility nearby was rented to<br />
support the growth. Faxon Machining built<br />
and moved into a brand new, fully craned<br />
35,000-square-foot modern facility on five<br />
acres in Forest Park, Ohio, in 1994. With the<br />
addition of several new customers and<br />
expanded capabilities the company<br />
continued to expand. By purchasing an<br />
additional five acres, and breaking ground on<br />
four more building expansions over a tenyear<br />
period, the modern state-of-the-art<br />
facility is currently over 165,000 square feet.<br />
<strong>The</strong> opportunities that Faxon Machining<br />
have experienced are mainly due to two<br />
things. One is the dedicated and talented<br />
staff that has committed itself to the satisfaction<br />
of the customer and the success of the<br />
company. <strong>The</strong> other is the wide variety of<br />
customers and industries that Faxon<br />
Machining serves. Over the years Faxon<br />
Machining, with the commitment of its staff,<br />
has developed a reputation for creativity<br />
and capability. Many long term customers<br />
have started out with late nights and long<br />
weekends to achieve seemingly impossible<br />
goals on customer needs. Some of those<br />
customers have lasted over thirty years and<br />
are still going strong.<br />
In order to be trusted with the type of<br />
work and programs for very demanding<br />
customers, Faxon Machining has acquired<br />
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232
and maintained several quality certifications<br />
over the years. It has always been the<br />
approach of the management and the staff to<br />
put quality first and never to take short cuts<br />
where quality is concerned. In a changing<br />
environment, especially in the manufacturing<br />
business, one thing is for sure; any customer<br />
who will afford a bright future will be<br />
adamant about the quality of the product<br />
that you are providing. Over the years, and<br />
from those humble beginnings, the level of<br />
accuracy and the overall product provided<br />
to its customers has continuously improved<br />
significantly each year.<br />
By leveraging the core competency of deep<br />
hole drilling and supporting it with a whole<br />
array of other manufacturing processes, Faxon<br />
Machining has been able to develop many<br />
long term customers in a variety of industries.<br />
Faxon Machining started with what would be<br />
called a typical “Job Shop” approach with a<br />
core capability of drilling deep holes for its<br />
customers. Now they play a more integral<br />
role with their customers in several very<br />
demanding industries. Faxon Machining<br />
serves the general machining, aerospace,<br />
automotive, defense, and energy industries.<br />
In the early days of the company, many of<br />
the parts worked on were not even close to a<br />
finished product. Most of the parts only had<br />
a hole drilled into it and their customers<br />
finished the rest of the part. While that still<br />
remains true in some circumstances, most of<br />
the work that is provided is more<br />
often than not a completed part.<br />
Sometimes it is a completed assembly<br />
or product. To accomplish this,<br />
Faxon Machining has developed<br />
a staff that manages an array of<br />
both inside and outside services to<br />
accomplish this task. This has<br />
brought the company to a higher<br />
level of service that it is able to<br />
provide and manage a much more<br />
complex program than ever before.<br />
Faxon Machining has provided<br />
machined parts that are used on<br />
the floor of the ocean, in automobiles,<br />
in theaters of combat<br />
supporting our brave men and<br />
women who protect our freedom,<br />
in some current aircraft, in oil wells and<br />
exploration, a multitude of industrial applications,<br />
and even on Mars. Faxon Machining<br />
manufactured parts that were used on the<br />
Mars Lander, Curiosity. Curiosity landed<br />
successfully on Mars in January 2013, and is<br />
currently active in the exploration of the surface<br />
of Mars today.<br />
In an ever challenging environment,<br />
Faxon Machining remembers and relies on its<br />
humble beginnings to chart a continued path<br />
of success and growth. Many things have<br />
changed through the years, but some things<br />
have never changed. This was well said when<br />
Barry commented “We work long hours, and<br />
never quit no matter how tough it gets.”<br />
Although the staff and customers share an<br />
equally important role, the ability to change<br />
with the times and to always stay innovative<br />
and creative will remain a key ingredient to<br />
the continued success of Faxon Machining.<br />
Along with the true appreciation of all of<br />
the folks, both staff and customers, who have<br />
played key roles in the past thirty-five years<br />
of Faxon Machining’s history, two individuals<br />
stand out. Without the absolute and unwavering<br />
support of David K. and Betty W. Faxon,<br />
(Mom and Dad) none of this story would have<br />
been possible. Thirty-five years of business,<br />
millions of hours of productive work, and<br />
supporting our Nation’s business.<br />
From all of us,<br />
Thanks Mom and Dad…<br />
B U I L D I N G A G R E A T E R C I N C I N N A T I<br />
2 3 3
KORDENBROCK TOOL & DIE CO., INC.<br />
For the southwest Ohio region, the early to<br />
mid-twentieth century brought about a dramatic<br />
boom in the form of a new manufacturing<br />
process: tool and die. In 1953, Val Kordenbrock<br />
joined the movement by founding Kordenbrock<br />
Tool & Die. Accompanied by his two sons,<br />
both of whom were talented toolmakers, Val<br />
forged a solid foundation upon which the<br />
company could grow. Now celebrating its<br />
sixtieth anniversary, the third-generation,<br />
family-owned KTD continues that growth with<br />
the ever-changing manufacturing market.<br />
KTD’s first location was a rented facility on<br />
the third floor of an old building at York and<br />
Western Avenue. <strong>The</strong>y were humble beginnings,<br />
but the location had the advantage of<br />
being behind the scoreboard at historical<br />
Crosley Field, where the Reds played their<br />
home games. During their breaks, the<br />
employees were able to slip up to the building’s<br />
fifth floor to watch the baseball games.<br />
In the early days, Kordenbrock specialized<br />
in making dies for such local companies as<br />
Powell Valve, Litton, Nutone, and many others.<br />
<strong>The</strong> addition of I-75 through <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
resulted in tremendous growth for KTD. <strong>The</strong><br />
company was moved from its original location<br />
to a 19,000-square-foot building just north<br />
of the city. <strong>The</strong> increased production space<br />
allowed KTD to expand into production metal<br />
stamping. With the help of its solid customer<br />
base in both the automotive and industrial<br />
markets, KTD continued growing until<br />
settling into its current 30,000-square-foot<br />
location in early 2001.<br />
In the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> tradition of skilled tool<br />
and die craftsmanship, Kordenbrock has<br />
six decades of experience and an excellent<br />
reputation for creating precision tools and<br />
dies. Regional and Fortune 500 companies<br />
depend on Kordenbrock because of the firm’s<br />
responsiveness and ability to meet customers’<br />
expectations and cost specifications. <strong>The</strong><br />
company is large enough to have state-of-theart<br />
equipment such as CAD, CNC machining<br />
systems, electrical discharge machinery<br />
(EDM), 3D machining, progressive dies, and<br />
stamping capacity while maintaining the<br />
efficiency and dedication attributes of a<br />
small business. With twenty employees and<br />
a growing base of customers, Kordenbrock<br />
has become more aggressive in seeking<br />
additional ways of serving customers and is<br />
continually growing. With an eclectic variety<br />
of both youth and experience, Kordenbrock’s<br />
staff has the expertise in die building,<br />
machining, cost estimating, scheduling<br />
and everyday shop floor management to<br />
assure our customers of precision products<br />
delivered on time, every time.<br />
Our goal-driven system establishes quality<br />
objectives and provides the methods for<br />
ensuring that these objectives meet customer<br />
requirements. We treat our customers as<br />
partners, and have a clear understanding of<br />
their needs, and how critically important it is<br />
to maintain consistency across our range<br />
of services. In keeping with that philosophy,<br />
we heavily invested in a quality system and<br />
achieved our AS9100 Aerospace Certification<br />
in March 2013.<br />
“<strong>The</strong> legacy left to us, by family, through<br />
the years has been to work hard and stand<br />
behind our work,” says current owner Mike<br />
Kordenbrock. “<strong>The</strong>re have been a lot of<br />
changes in the business over sixty years.<br />
When we started in the business there<br />
weren’t any computers or digital readouts.<br />
Today, we are technical as well as mechanical,<br />
keeping up with the creativity imperative<br />
to success.”<br />
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234
Keeping with family tradition, KTD will<br />
soon enter its fourth generation under the<br />
leadership of Mike’s son, Matt. As the industry<br />
continues to see more projects coming back<br />
from overseas, he will seek to give KTD a<br />
competitive advantage through process based<br />
strategies. With a rich history and eyes on the<br />
horizon, Kordenbrock Tool & Die welcomes<br />
another sixty years of manufacturing excellence.<br />
For more information about Kordenbrock<br />
Tool & Die, check out the website at<br />
www.kordenbrocktoolanddie.com.<br />
B U I L D I N G A G R E A T E R C I N C I N N A T I<br />
2 3 5
BHDP<br />
ARCHITECTURE<br />
Shillito’s Department Store at Tri-County<br />
Shopping Center.<br />
BHDP Architecture has thrived for more<br />
than seventy-five years by designing environments<br />
that deliver a great experience for<br />
the client. By effectively blending the science<br />
and art of architecture, BHDP has designed<br />
some of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s most iconic structures,<br />
in addition to buildings across the nation and<br />
around the world.<br />
BHDP’s roots go deep into <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s<br />
history, beginning in 1937 when Cyrus Baxter<br />
joined Woody Garber and Cliff Woodward<br />
in a firm called Garber & Woodward. Baxter<br />
brought to the firm a close association with<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Milacron. Baxter created Cyrus L.<br />
Baxter Architects in 1946, with a lot of the<br />
firm’s work being done for Milacron.<br />
Baxter demonstrated an uncanny ability to<br />
assess talent and over the next few years<br />
he recruited Jack Hodell, Jim Donnelly, and<br />
Jim Preston to the firm. Each had graduated<br />
with distinction and each went on to show<br />
an artful affinity for the practice and for<br />
Cy’s way of doing business. In 1960 the four<br />
architects formed the firm of Baxter, Hodell,<br />
Donnelly, and Preston, Inc., known today as<br />
BHDP Architecture.<br />
Among the firm’s significant projects in<br />
the early years were the Dixie Terminal<br />
(Garber & Woodward), and projects for the<br />
University of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, Miami University,<br />
Mariemont High School, Marion Merrell<br />
Dow Pharmaceuticals, Kenwood Mall, and<br />
Tri-County Mall. In 1959 the firm began a<br />
long relationship with Federated Department<br />
Stores, known today as Macy’s.<br />
“<strong>The</strong> original company philosophy is still<br />
apparent in the way we treat our clients<br />
today,” explains the firm’s CEO Mike Habel.<br />
“Each generation of owners has focused on<br />
our common goals and we haven’t strayed<br />
very far from the firm’s original mission and<br />
vision, which is to design environments for<br />
people that deliver great experiences.”<br />
Habel, whose father was once a partner in<br />
the firm, is an example of the firm’s continuity.<br />
Patrick Donnelly, an architect, is the son<br />
of Jim Donnelly, one of the original four partners.<br />
BHDP is now led by a third generation<br />
of partners, providing a heritage that reaches<br />
far back into the company history.<br />
In 1970, BHDP completed the first of<br />
many projects for Procter & Gamble. Working<br />
elbow-to-elbow with one of the world’s most<br />
forward-thinking companies inspired the<br />
partners to flex their imaginations, challenge<br />
the obvious and see human needs as a<br />
foundation on which to build.<br />
By the time BHDP moved to its current<br />
location at 302 West Third Street in downtown<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> in 2002, the firm was fully<br />
formed philosophically with a portfolio of<br />
award-winning projects. Among the notable<br />
projects completed during that era were<br />
the Tri-County Mall expansion; Procter &<br />
Gamble’s Sharon Woods Labs; <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
Convention Center renovation and expansion;<br />
the Biological Sciences Building at<br />
Miami University; the UC Cardiovascular<br />
Research Center; the James River Corporate<br />
Campus (now Tata Consultancy Services);<br />
Sycamore High School; UC Raymond Walters;<br />
and <strong>Cincinnati</strong> State.<br />
BHDP’s growth has been tied closely to<br />
the growth of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> over the years, particularly<br />
the development of the <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
Airport. <strong>The</strong> easy access to air travel enabled<br />
BHDP to expand its reach throughout the<br />
nation as well as globally. <strong>The</strong> firm is now<br />
registered in fifty states and also serves clients<br />
in Latin America, the Middle East, and Europe.<br />
“<strong>Cincinnati</strong> has always been a special place<br />
for BHDP and the city’s growth has added<br />
immeasurably to the firm’s growth over the<br />
last seventy-five years,” comments Habel.<br />
As a proud corporate citizen of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>,<br />
BHDP Architecture feels it has an obligation to<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
236
give back to the community. BHDP has donated<br />
resources—both financially and architecturally—to<br />
the Freestore Foodbank, the American<br />
Red Cross, the College of Mount St. Joseph, and<br />
the Dan Beard Council-Boy Scouts of America<br />
since 2003. <strong>The</strong> firm also participates annually<br />
in the CANstruction competition which<br />
directly benefits <strong>Cincinnati</strong> families in need.<br />
Many BHDP employees contribute to such<br />
organizations as <strong>The</strong> American Institute of<br />
Architects, ArtsWave, the United Way, A Kid<br />
Again, the Boy Scouts, Resource, Tender<br />
Mercies, ACE Mentor Program, Crayons to<br />
Computers, Habitat for Humanity, the American<br />
Cancer Society and the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Zoo.<br />
In addition, BHDP contributes a scholarship<br />
for minority students to attend the<br />
University of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s College of Design,<br />
Art, Architecture and Planning in the name<br />
of the founding partners and a scholarship<br />
to study sustainability in the name of past<br />
partner Carl Monzel.<br />
BHDP has enjoyed strong growth in recent<br />
years. <strong>The</strong> firm hit the $3 million annual<br />
revenue figure with forty employees in 1982;<br />
grew to fifty employees and revenues of<br />
$6.2 million in 1994. <strong>The</strong> firm now has<br />
125 employees, including forty registered<br />
architects, and posted revenue of $24 million<br />
in 2012. Full-service satellite offices were<br />
opened in Columbus, Ohio, in 2000 and in<br />
Durham, North Carolina, in 2007.<br />
More than fifty percent of BHDP’s current<br />
business comes from corporations, including<br />
a number of Fortune 500 firms around<br />
the country. <strong>The</strong> firm is also active in the<br />
fields of higher education, retail and science.<br />
Among the firm’s current clients are such blueribbon<br />
firms as Procter & Gamble, Fidelity<br />
Investments, PNC, U.S. Bank, Convergys,<br />
Battelle, Omnicare, General Electric, Macy’s,<br />
Belk, Miami University, Ohio State University,<br />
Claire’s, JCPenney, University of Toledo,<br />
University of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, and many others.<br />
“An ability to understand what the client is<br />
trying to achieve is what makes our projects<br />
distinctive,” explains Habel. “We feel architecture<br />
is for the people who live, work and<br />
play in the structures we design. That philosophy<br />
of ‘Design for People’ began with our<br />
founder, Cy Baxter, and continues today.”<br />
Above: Frost Brown Todd—<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> office.<br />
Below: <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Milacron in the 1930s.<br />
B U I L D I N G A G R E A T E R C I N C I N N A T I<br />
2 3 7
CINCINNATI<br />
SUB-ZERO<br />
PRODUCTS, INC.<br />
Above: <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Sub-Zero Products, Inc.,<br />
manufacturing facilities.<br />
Below: Environmental test chambers.<br />
For over seventy years <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Sub-Zero<br />
(CSZ) Products, Inc., has supplied its customers<br />
with world-class temperature management<br />
solutions ranging from applications that<br />
keep premature infants warm to thermal<br />
cycling a solar panel for reliability testing.<br />
CSZ was founded in 1940 as a distributor<br />
of the first practical freezer for food storage,<br />
by Robert Jacobson, the great uncle of the<br />
current President and CEO Steven Berke. <strong>The</strong><br />
family business has since evolved from a<br />
frozen foods deep freezer distributor to a leading<br />
supplier of patient temperature management<br />
products sold to hospitals throughout the<br />
world and environmental simulation chambers<br />
used for reliability testing in over twenty-two<br />
different manufacturing industries.<br />
Today, CSZ operates four distinct divisions—<br />
Industrial, Medical, Testing and Animal Health.<br />
During World War II, CSZ began modifying<br />
deep freezers for metalworking and expansion<br />
assembly for form fitting of shafts, and, in 1949,<br />
the Industrial Division was established. <strong>The</strong><br />
CSZ Industrial Division now provides a full<br />
range of standard and custom-designed environmental<br />
test chambers for various industries,<br />
including electronics, automotive, aerospace,<br />
defense, medical, life science, pharmaceutical,<br />
and other industrial manufacturing industries.<br />
<strong>The</strong>se chambers have temperature range capabilities<br />
of -300°F to +1,000°F and are utilized<br />
for product validation and reliability testing, i.e.<br />
temperature, humidity, altitude and vibration<br />
that simulate real world conditions.<br />
In seventy years of business CSZ chambers<br />
have been used to test conditions for air-to-air<br />
missiles, solar film for satellites cooling down<br />
to -600°F in fifteen minutes and heating up to<br />
+600°F in twelve minutes, stability chambers<br />
for validation of sterile medical products, testing<br />
space shuttle booster high alloy steel rings<br />
and batteries for hybrid automobiles. <strong>The</strong><br />
most impressive chamber was sold to the U.S.<br />
Army, it was large enough to hold a semi-truck<br />
and was built to test mobile radar installations.<br />
CSZ began exploring the medical<br />
applications of temperature control in the early<br />
1960s. In 1961, a respected local heart surgeon,<br />
Dr. Leonard Gottesman, approached CSZ with a<br />
need for cooling blood to profound levels<br />
during open-heart surgery. Leonard Berke,<br />
Steve’s father, saw a need for mechanically<br />
refrigerated, field-serviceable Hypo-<br />
Hyperthermia systems for patient temperature<br />
control, and the Blanketrol ® was introduced in<br />
1963. Today Blanketrol ® III is used to help<br />
prevent permanent brain damage in patients<br />
who have suffered from cardiac arrest or a<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
238
stroke. It is also used to cool babies<br />
who are oxygen deprived during<br />
delivery to minimize brain damage<br />
and other complications. <strong>The</strong><br />
Penguin Cold <strong>The</strong>rapy ® is applied<br />
to reduce swelling after knee<br />
replacement and shoulder repair<br />
surgery. “CSZ’s units can control<br />
patient temperature before, during<br />
and after surgery. Patient safety and<br />
comfort is a priority, as is the<br />
surgeon’s comfort. We have a<br />
product that keeps surgeons cool during<br />
intense or physically exerting surgical<br />
procedures. <strong>The</strong> WarmAir ® product is used in<br />
combination with FilteredFlo ® Blankets, which<br />
are placed over/under the patient to warm presurgery,<br />
during surgery or post-surgery. We<br />
have the largest offering of patient temperature<br />
regulating products of any other competitor in<br />
our industry,” says Berke.<br />
<strong>The</strong> benefits of its temperature management<br />
products can also be realized in the animal<br />
health arena. Product launch plans for a line of<br />
veterinary warming and cooling products<br />
were underway for 2013—a natural extension<br />
of its current medical products.<br />
<strong>The</strong> testing division of CSZ consists of two<br />
A2LA Accredited test laboratories located in<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>, Ohio, and Sterling Heights,<br />
Michigan. <strong>The</strong>se labs provide contract testing<br />
services for environmental and climate testing,<br />
including temperature cycling, humidity,<br />
shock, thermal shock, Halt/Hass, vibration<br />
testing, altitude simulation, and salt spray and<br />
corrosion testing. <strong>The</strong> laboratories provide<br />
product qualification; overflow testing and/or<br />
independent third-party validation testing.<br />
In 2011, CSZ acquired Halt & Hass<br />
Corporation, thus growing CSZ’s extensive<br />
testing capabilities and providing customers<br />
with a state-of-the-art tool to shorten new<br />
product development and to decrease production<br />
and warranty costs which can significantly<br />
improve product reliability and improve<br />
savings to the bottom line.<br />
<strong>The</strong> company has expanded the facility six<br />
times in the past twenty-eight years since<br />
moving to Sharonville in 1985. CSZ has experienced<br />
a cumulative sales growth of seventeen<br />
percent and Berke attributes this success<br />
to the company’s employee base including<br />
some second and third generation employees.<br />
“<strong>The</strong> opportunities for continued growth are<br />
plentiful. While many companies in similar<br />
industries have downsized in the past four<br />
years, CSZ has increased its work force and<br />
now has 350 employees and is committed to<br />
growth and expansion. As the pace of technology<br />
increases, so will the commitment of<br />
CSZ to the advancement of our current product<br />
offerings. We strive to be a ‘Best in Class’<br />
manufacturing company.” said Berke.<br />
Above: <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Sub-Zero Products, Inc.<br />
test laboratory.<br />
Below: Hypo-Hyperthermia Systems.<br />
B U I L D I N G A G R E A T E R C I N C I N N A T I<br />
2 3 9
O’ROURKE<br />
WRECKING<br />
COMPANY<br />
Clockwise, starting from the top:<br />
Mike O’Rourke and field crew working on<br />
the demolition of the Stearns and Foster<br />
Warehouse, Lockland, Ohio, 2013. From<br />
left to right, Jack Meyer, George Stewart,<br />
Mike O’Rourke, Jerry Bill, Morgan Bill<br />
and Cody Schwier.<br />
Mike O’Rourke with his father,<br />
Patrick O’Rourke after the University of<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong>, Sander Hall implosion, 1991.<br />
“Son of Beast” roller coaster at King’s Island<br />
demolition, <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, Ohio.<br />
For more than fifty years, O’Rourke<br />
Wrecking Company has provided turnkey<br />
demolition and site recovery services to<br />
commercial, industrial, institutional, and<br />
governmental clients throughout the nation.<br />
O’Rourke is consistently ranked as one of the<br />
nation’s Top 15 specialty demolition firms.<br />
O’Rourke’s projects have ranged from<br />
dismantlement of the 218 foot high “Son of<br />
Beast” roller coaster at King’s Island, to<br />
the implosion of the sixteen story Baldwin<br />
Tower at Grant Hospital in Columbus, to the<br />
two-year phased demolition of the former<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Reds Cinergy Field, an intricate<br />
project that allowed construction of the new<br />
Great American Ballpark.<br />
A family-owned and -operated business<br />
based in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, the Patrick H. O’Rourke<br />
Excavating Company was founded in 1962<br />
by Patrick H. O’Rourke, an enterprising businessman<br />
who built the company from<br />
scratch. Patrick began by hauling topsoil in<br />
his pickup truck to job sites throughout<br />
the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> area, earning a reputation for<br />
reliability and superior service. He purchased<br />
his first dozer at age twenty and began<br />
spreading topsoil, digging foundations, and<br />
grading sites. This experience laid the<br />
foundation for O’Rourke Wrecking Company.<br />
In the mid-1960s, urban renewal was<br />
beginning and <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s skyline was changing.<br />
This provided new opportunities for<br />
Patrick. One-by-one and piece-by-piece, he<br />
began tearing down houses in the path of new<br />
development. A self-taught man, he learned<br />
on the job and was soon able to demolish<br />
larger structures and reached a point where<br />
no job was too complex for him to tackle.<br />
In addition to projects in the <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
area, Patrick handled the demolition of<br />
Mountaineer Stadium in Morgantown, West<br />
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240
Virginia, the Commonwealth Building in<br />
Louisville, Kentucky, Union Station and the<br />
World Bank in Washington, D.C., Old Main<br />
Hospital at the University of Michigan, and<br />
many others. <strong>The</strong> little company that Patrick<br />
started from scratch was now a profitable<br />
firm with a growing reputation.<br />
Patrick loved all aspects of construction—<br />
not just demolition—and was responsible for<br />
building many of the homes, marinas, airport<br />
hangars, and clubhouses in the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> area.<br />
Unfortunately, Patrick left this life much<br />
too early in 1994 at the age of only fifty-two.<br />
At the age of twenty-six, Patrick’s son,<br />
Mike, became president of the firm. Although<br />
Mike was young, his father had exposed him<br />
to the construction industry before he could<br />
walk. His on-site experience began at age<br />
twelve when he started working as a laborer.<br />
By high school, Mike was operating heavy<br />
equipment and, during his college years, he<br />
worked as a demolition project estimator<br />
overseeing such projects as the implosion of<br />
the thirty-story Sander Hall Dormitory for<br />
the University of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> and the demolition<br />
of Provident Bank’s Wiggins Building.<br />
Mike graduated with a business degree<br />
from the University of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> in 1990, while<br />
working full-time for his father. After graduation,<br />
Mike officially joined the company full-time.<br />
After Patrick’s untimely death, some of the<br />
company’s competitors thought Mike was too<br />
young and would not last long in the tough<br />
job of running a major demolition firm.<br />
However, with the support of a strong team of<br />
dedicated professionals, Mike has led the<br />
company to even greater success by providing<br />
the complete spectrum of demolition and<br />
decommissioning services and operating a<br />
recycling center and C&D landfill.<br />
Mike’s wife, Michele, has also been a major<br />
contributor to the firm’s success. Michele left<br />
her job as a pharmaceutical sales rep when<br />
Mike took over the challenging job of running<br />
the company. What was intended to be a<br />
temporary position has now lasted nearly<br />
twenty years. Like Mike, Michele has filled<br />
about every job there is in the office.<br />
“Whatever It Takes” is their shared motto, and<br />
that includes everything from invoicing to<br />
sending out bids and negotiating contracts.<br />
Mike gained controlling interest of the<br />
company in 1998 and changed the company<br />
name from O’Rourke Construction Company<br />
to O’Rourke Wrecking Company to better<br />
reflect the firm’s core business. Under Mike’s<br />
direction, O’Rourke has performed numerous<br />
demolition projects nationwide. Among these<br />
projects are the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Reds Cinergy Field<br />
implosion, the Kansas <strong>City</strong> Royals Kauffman<br />
Stadium selective demolition, and the Cloister<br />
Hotel Resort demolition in Sea Island, Georgia,<br />
as well as demolition projects for General<br />
Electric, Procter & Gamble, Duke Energy,<br />
DuPont, Eli Lilly, and many others.<br />
In 2003, O’Rourke acquired a construction/<br />
demolition landfill/recycling yard to better<br />
manage the firm’s waste streams and help<br />
maximize all the resources from the company’s<br />
many demolition sites.<br />
O’Rourke Wrecking Company now has<br />
100 employees, a modern fleet of heavy<br />
construction equipment and a 25,000-<br />
square-foot office/shop facility. O’Rourke is<br />
highly respected throughout the construction<br />
industry for its knowledge and expertise.<br />
O’Rourke Wrecking and its employees are<br />
very involved in a variety of community activities<br />
and charities, and the Patrick H. O’Rourke<br />
Scholarship Fund provides assistance each<br />
year to a person in the construction industry<br />
interested in continuing their education.<br />
After more than fifty years, O’Rourke<br />
Wrecking Company still operates on the cornerstones<br />
of honest service and integrity.<br />
Patrick O’Rourke believed in these principles<br />
and Mike O’Rourke continues to instill a belief<br />
that a company is judged by the quality of its<br />
service and the dedication of its employees.<br />
<strong>The</strong>se are the values that have kept O’Rourke<br />
clients satisfied for decades.<br />
Above: Demolition for the Dayton Aviation<br />
Heritage National Historic Park expansion,<br />
Dayton, Ohio—first office and factory of<br />
the Wright Brothers.<br />
Below: Former DOW Headquarters in<br />
Charleston, West Virginia, for the<br />
University of Charleston.<br />
Bottom: Implosion of Cinergy Field/<br />
Riverfront Stadium, <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, 2002.<br />
B U I L D I N G A G R E A T E R C I N C I N N A T I<br />
2 4 1
Top: William J. Kramer, Sr.<br />
Above: Paul Kramer, Sr.<br />
MAGNA<br />
MACHINE<br />
COMPANY<br />
Magna Machine Company of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> is<br />
a one-stop shop for all contract<br />
manufacturing needs. <strong>The</strong> company<br />
specializes in custom and large-component<br />
machining, houses a comprehensive range of<br />
machine tools and provides the expertise to<br />
provide customers with a successful project<br />
outcome. Magna Machine can produce an<br />
array of finished pieces from intricate, singlepart<br />
components to exceptionally large, fullytested<br />
mechanical assemblies.<br />
Magna Machine was established in 1947<br />
when William J. Kramer, Sr., with the<br />
financial backing of Harold Poe, purchased<br />
the assets of Stevenson Machine Company.<br />
<strong>The</strong> name was changed to Magna in 1952 and<br />
Kramer purchased Poe’s interest in the<br />
business in 1955.<br />
In its early days, the company made<br />
significant strides by doing repair and<br />
maintenance work for such <strong>Cincinnati</strong> paper<br />
mills as Fox Paper, Diamond International,<br />
Rock Tenn, Inland Container, Mead and<br />
others. Chemical processors including Sun<br />
Chemical, Hilton Davis, Monsanto and others<br />
contributed to the growth.<br />
Paul L. Kramer took over as President of the<br />
company after the death of William Kramer in<br />
1965. At the time, the company consisted of<br />
about 50 machinists, welders, assemblers and<br />
staff. <strong>The</strong> company performed about 80<br />
percent of its services as a full-service repair<br />
and maintenance facility, operating from a<br />
30,000-square-foot. facility in Reading, Ohio.<br />
Ed Linesch as manufacturing manager and<br />
Ralph Rogers as sales manager helped lead the<br />
company during this period.<br />
In 1985, Magna moved to its current<br />
location on Southland Road in Forest Park.<br />
That same year, the company purchased the<br />
assets of Triumph Manufacturing and began<br />
manufacturing bakery equipment. <strong>The</strong> new<br />
name for Triumph became Magna Mixer Co.<br />
and today the company builds all the mixers<br />
for the popular Krispy Kreme donuts.<br />
In 1987, Paul Kramer hired Terry Grein as<br />
vice president of sales and engineering.<br />
Around this same time, Paul’s son, Paul Scott<br />
Kramer, completed his education and began<br />
his full-time career with the company as<br />
operations manager. Scott Kramer became<br />
president of Magna Machine in 2002.<br />
From 1990 until now, Magna has<br />
transitioned from a repair and maintenance<br />
facility to a full-service job and contracting<br />
machine shop that can take a project from<br />
concept to a fully functional assembly.<br />
Two main contributors to this transition<br />
were Proctor & Gamble and RJ Reynolds.<br />
Magna helped develop machinery to make<br />
Pringles potato chips, White Cloud and<br />
Charmin bathroom tissue, and Ivory soap for<br />
P&G. Magna manufactured equipment for RJ<br />
Reynolds that makes filters for cigarettes.<br />
In 1996, Magna manufactured its first<br />
roller coaster trains for Togo International.<br />
<strong>The</strong>se were installed on the track at New York<br />
New York Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas and<br />
marked Magna’s start in helping produce<br />
amusement rides. In 2003, the company built<br />
50 vehicles for a ride at Disney Hong Kong<br />
Since moving to its current location, Magna<br />
has expanded its facilities a number of times to<br />
house additional large-scale machines,<br />
including 20 overhead cranes with a lifting<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
242
capability of 160,000 pounds. <strong>The</strong> most recent<br />
addition is a “super bay” which was purposebuilt<br />
to house a handful of very large multitasking<br />
machines. This bay features two 40-ton<br />
canes that provide 160,000 pounds of lifting<br />
capacity when combined with a spreader.<br />
Since 2012, Magna has embraced technology<br />
that has taken it to the highest levels of<br />
tooling, software, 5-axis and multi-processing<br />
machining. <strong>The</strong> firm is highly diversified, with<br />
no more than 15 percent of the business coming<br />
from any one industry or customer.<br />
In its 67 years of operation, Magna has grown<br />
from 14 employees and relatively few machines<br />
to 130 employees and more than 100 pieces of<br />
equipment housed in a 125,000-square-foot<br />
facility. Annual revenues now total $25 million.<br />
Magna Machine contributes to several local<br />
charities and events related to employee’s lives,<br />
including sponsorships of sporting teams. Most<br />
recently, Magna was the main financial sponsor<br />
of an active U.S. Army holiday luncheon. In<br />
thanks, the Army platoon presented Scott<br />
Kramer with a plaque and flag.<br />
One of the major Magna charity events honors<br />
the memory of the late company President<br />
Paul Kramer. <strong>The</strong> annual PK Memorial Golf<br />
Tournament, instituted in 2013, raises funds<br />
for Melanoma Know More. Funds raised in this<br />
event enable Melanoma Know More to fulfill its<br />
mission of reducing the impact of melanoma<br />
through awareness, education, support of medical<br />
research and assistance to those affected by<br />
melanoma. <strong>The</strong> tournament has raised more<br />
than $10,000 for the cause to date.<br />
Looking to the future, Magna Machine<br />
Company will continue to seek out a large<br />
welding/fabricating business to complement the<br />
growth the company has seen in large part from<br />
manufacturing. Plans are to expand to a $40<br />
million business with 150 employees within the<br />
next five years. Meanwhile, the company will<br />
continue to embrace new technologies and<br />
seek to add to its large-part manufacturing<br />
capabilities over the next generation.<br />
Scott Kramer.<br />
B U I L D I N G A G R E A T E R C I N C I N N A T I<br />
2 4 3
THE<br />
CINCINNATI AIR<br />
CONDITIONING<br />
CO.<br />
It was tough trying to start a new<br />
business during the Great Depression of the<br />
1930s, especially for a new-fangled product<br />
known as “air conditioning.” But Arthur<br />
Radtke refused to give up, and after an initial<br />
effort at starting a company failed, he and<br />
a partner, William Hinsch, founded <strong>The</strong><br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Air Conditioning Co. in 1938 as a<br />
Carrier distributor.<br />
Air conditioning was limited primarily to<br />
theaters in its early days and the technology<br />
used required sophisticated engineering. For<br />
this reason, Robert Howard—a University of<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> graduate engineer—was the first<br />
employee hired. Until his retirement, Howard<br />
was known as the most knowledgeable air<br />
conditioning engineer in the region.<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Air Conditioning added additional<br />
engineers, including Ivan Walters and<br />
Henry Moore, and the company concentrated<br />
on “high-tech” engineered air conditioning<br />
systems. This capability helped the company<br />
survive the war years by constructing numerous<br />
food locker plants throughout the<br />
Tri-State area. <strong>The</strong> company also provided a<br />
thermometer calibration system for the<br />
Wright Aeronautical airplane engine plant in<br />
Evendale (now the GE jet engine plant).<br />
Following the war, the company became<br />
involved in the air conditioning of many<br />
existing and new office buildings, including<br />
the old Union Central Building (now<br />
PNC) and Swifton Center, <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s first<br />
shopping mall.<br />
Carl Radtke joined the company after<br />
graduating from U.C. Engineering College in<br />
1951. William retired in 1954, leaving control<br />
of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Air Conditioning to Arthur.<br />
By mutual agreement, the company gave<br />
up its Carrier distributorship in 1962 in<br />
order to concentrate on its engineered<br />
installed systems. To this day, however,<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Air Conditioning continues to be<br />
one of the largest Carrier dealers in the area.<br />
As the oldest air conditioning company<br />
in the Greater <strong>Cincinnati</strong> area, <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
Air Conditioning grew rapidly, organizing<br />
a large dealer network for residential and<br />
small commercial sales and providing<br />
engineered air conditioning and heating<br />
systems for many of the leading companies in<br />
the area.<br />
In addition, engineer Ivan Walters designed<br />
and began building a line of oil coolant<br />
systems for the machine tool industry that<br />
was trademarked under the name Kool Oil.<br />
<strong>The</strong> product is still in use in many parts of<br />
the world and remains an important part<br />
of the company’s complement of unique<br />
engineered products.<br />
A third generation of the Radtke family<br />
joined the company in 1975 when Mark<br />
Radtke followed in the footsteps of his<br />
father and grandfather after graduation from<br />
the University of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>. In 1982, David<br />
Radtke, a son of Carl and Mark’s younger<br />
brother, joined the company. Mark took over<br />
as CEO upon his father’s retirement in 1996,<br />
becoming the third generation of the family<br />
to control the company.<br />
Now located at 2080 Northwest Drive,<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Air Conditioning Co. employs<br />
sixty-five people and serves customers in<br />
five states. Annual revenue is approximately<br />
$12 million. For additional information,<br />
please visit www.cincinnatiair.com.<br />
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For nearly a century, CBT Company has<br />
provided its customers with exceptional<br />
service and quality products in the fields of<br />
automation, pneumatics, electrical supplies,<br />
belting, conveyor components, client services,<br />
and mechanical power transmission equipment.<br />
Founded by Albert Stagnaro in 1921 CBT<br />
was known originally as <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Belting.<br />
Stagnaro recognized an opportunity to<br />
serve the industrialized <strong>Cincinnati</strong> area with<br />
made-to-order, custom belting products to<br />
drive customers’ production processes. As<br />
technologies evolved, <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Belting<br />
branched out and added power transmission<br />
products to its portfolio.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Stagnaro family operated the company<br />
until 1955 then sold it to accounting executive<br />
Sylvia Hausfeld. She moved the operation<br />
from Main Street to the corner of Second and<br />
Elm Streets.<br />
James E. Stahl, Jr., a sales representative<br />
for a mixing equipment company, purchased<br />
the company in 1975. Stahl realized that<br />
the components required to build mixing<br />
machinery were needed in virtually every<br />
other manufacturing process and that<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Belting could supply those<br />
needs. Starting with four employees and a<br />
few product lines, Stahl began building the<br />
business one customer and product at a time.<br />
In 1989, having outgrown its facility on Pete<br />
Rose Way, CBT moved to a 54,000-square-foot<br />
facility at 737 West Sixth Street and also<br />
opened a sales and warehouse facility to serve<br />
customers in the Dayton market. At the turn of<br />
the twenty-first century, CBT built a new stateof-the-art<br />
facility in Springboro, Ohio, and<br />
then added a 60,000-square-foot facility adjacent<br />
to the <strong>Queen</strong>sgate headquarters.<br />
By the 1990s, factory and machine designs<br />
evolved toward electrical and automation<br />
products and away from mechanical power<br />
transmission products. CBT foresaw this<br />
shift and strategically focused on offering<br />
more of these products and partnered with<br />
its largest supplier Rockwell Automation to<br />
accommodate the changing needs. <strong>The</strong><br />
relationship grew dramatically in 2004 after<br />
CBT was awarded the sole authorized distributor<br />
role for Rockwell Automation products<br />
in the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> area. CBT’s area of exclusive<br />
distributor rights for Rockwell Automation<br />
doubled in size in 2012 as CBT acquired three<br />
locations of Rexel in the North <strong>Cincinnati</strong> and<br />
Dayton marketplace.<br />
Besides offering an ever changing array of<br />
products, CBT realizes the key to its success<br />
lies with having intelligent, highly skilled<br />
people who share the company’s values. CBT<br />
invests heavily in training and educating its<br />
employees as well as searching outside the<br />
company for people who fit the CBT culture.<br />
As a result, CBT proudly employs 155 dedicated<br />
employees who serve more than 2,800<br />
customers and represent 2,000 manufacturers.<br />
With this combination of products and employees,<br />
CBT’s annual sales have grown from<br />
$400,000 in 1975 to $126 million by 2012.<br />
Stahl and his management team have<br />
created a Vision 2020 plan to assure the company’s<br />
future success. This plan emphasizes<br />
CBT Company’s core fundamental values<br />
of outworking competitors and providing<br />
unparalleled attention to each customer.<br />
CBT COMPANY<br />
Above: <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Belting’s former location<br />
at the corner of Second and Elm Streets,<br />
August 1957. <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Belting later<br />
became the CBT Company.<br />
B U I L D I N G A G R E A T E R C I N C I N N A T I<br />
2 4 5
CINCINNATI<br />
PRECISION<br />
INSTRUMENTS,<br />
INC.<br />
Clockwise, starting from the top, left:<br />
Charlie Plymire in U.S. Army, 1956.<br />
CPI calibration lab.<br />
CEO Charlie Plymire and<br />
President Steve Plymire.<br />
<strong>The</strong> founders, Charlie Plymire and<br />
Donna Behymer.<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Precision Instruments (CPI)<br />
was founded in 1962 with little more than<br />
knowledge gained from military training and<br />
a willingness to work for a dream.<br />
CPI was born when Charles Plymire and<br />
Donna Behymer realized that the optical<br />
instrumentation company they worked for<br />
was about to go out of business. Charlie and<br />
Donna offered to buy some of the equipment<br />
from the failing company so they could<br />
start their own business. Neither Charlie nor<br />
Donna had much money, but they pulled<br />
together $1,000 between them and started the<br />
business from a four-car garage in Reading,<br />
Ohio. Originally, the company repaired optical<br />
instrumentation for construction companies.<br />
Charlie’s son, Steve Plymire, explains that<br />
although the business was highly technical,<br />
his father’s training consisted mostly of onthe-job<br />
training received while in the Army.<br />
“He was pretty much self-taught, but has<br />
a problem-solving, technical mind,” Steve<br />
notes. “But the factor that made the business<br />
successful was the absolute tenacity Charlie<br />
brought to the business. He just worked harder<br />
than anybody else was willing to work.”<br />
CPI’s first year was a struggle because few<br />
construction projects were available during<br />
the winter months. To counter this seasonal<br />
slow-down, Charlie called on local manufacturers<br />
to see if he could repair their measuring<br />
tools. This aggressive move, born of necessity,<br />
gave birth to CPI’s metrology business.<br />
A key member of the organization from<br />
the early days is Dan Bollmer, who started<br />
repairing instruments while still a high<br />
school student. Dan has the same work<br />
ethic and talents as Charlie, and they worked<br />
well together and shared the workload.<br />
Dan is still with the company and serves<br />
as vice president of optical instrumentation.<br />
From 1962 to 1989, CPI was primarily an<br />
instrumentation repair company for the local<br />
manufacturing and construction industries.<br />
<strong>The</strong> company grew to income of about<br />
$1 million per year but when competitors<br />
started eating away at his business, Charlie<br />
persuaded his son to join the business and<br />
sell to end users.<br />
Steve had a business degree from Miami<br />
University and was working in Chicago when<br />
asked to join the family firm. He was not sure<br />
this was what he wanted to do, but agreed to a<br />
three-year commitment. <strong>The</strong> mix of Charlie’s<br />
technical mind and Steve’s strength in sales and<br />
marketing clicked, and Steve became president<br />
and minority owner in 1999, buying out<br />
Donna’s share of the business.<br />
Under Steve’s leadership,<br />
CPI has become a full sales<br />
and service distributor and has<br />
helped build the company<br />
into one of the top commercial<br />
calibration labs in the country.<br />
CPI currently employs thirty<br />
people and primarily serves a<br />
three state region from their<br />
current facility at 253 Circle<br />
Freeway Drive in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>.<br />
<strong>The</strong> customer base includes<br />
Fortune 500 companies as well<br />
as small family businesses. CPI<br />
projects close to $8 million in<br />
revenue for 2013.<br />
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246
Wm. Kramer & Son, Inc., a five-generation<br />
family owned firm, has provided <strong>Cincinnati</strong>area<br />
customers with quality roofing and sheet<br />
metal products at competitive prices for more<br />
than a century.<br />
William Kramer, a residential roofing and<br />
sheet metal technician, started the business<br />
in 1907 with a ladder and a wheelbarrow and<br />
worked out of his Price Hill home on Sunset<br />
Avenue. William took care of his neighbor’s<br />
needs for various slate, tile, tin and canvas<br />
roofs common to the area and soon became<br />
a well-respected tinner and member of the<br />
Price Hill business community.<br />
William died suddenly in 1941 and his<br />
son, Alfred “Jack” Kramer, took over the<br />
family business, guiding it through the<br />
material and manpower shortages of World<br />
War II. <strong>The</strong> company’s work began to change<br />
following the war, with more flat roofing and<br />
commercial work. <strong>The</strong> shop was expanded<br />
and moved to Glenway Avenue in 1949.<br />
Alfred, along with his sons Robert and<br />
Kenneth, continued the firm’s growth through<br />
its incorporation in 1970. <strong>The</strong> third generation<br />
brothers ran the company together until<br />
Robert’s death in 1977. Robert’s son, Stephen,<br />
then became the first fourth-generation<br />
family member to become an officer in the<br />
company. Years before Kenneth’s retirement in<br />
1996, Stephen’s brothers, Bruce and Doug,<br />
along with his cousin, Kevin, had joined<br />
the company as fourth generation company<br />
officers. Erik Kramer, B.B.A. and Jeff Kramer,<br />
representing the fifth generation, are in the<br />
process of training for future ownership.<br />
Wm. Kramer & Son, Inc., has been located<br />
at 9171 Harrison Pike in Cleves, Ohio,<br />
since 1984. <strong>The</strong> most recent office addition<br />
was completed in 2002.<br />
Now one of Ohio’s leading commercial<br />
roofing and architectural sheet metal<br />
installers, Wm. Kramer & Son, Inc., specializes<br />
primarily in commercial re-roof and<br />
repair work, roof management, maintenance<br />
and new construction, as well as expanded<br />
architectural sheet metal capabilities, using<br />
state-of-the-art equipment and union<br />
mechanics dedicated to quality. <strong>The</strong> company<br />
has also installed many energy saving and<br />
environmentally friendly green roof systems.<br />
Wm. Kramer & Son, Inc., services customers<br />
in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana and has<br />
developed many long-term relationships<br />
during its 106 years in business. <strong>The</strong> company<br />
was the recipient of the University of<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Goering Center’s Family Business of<br />
the Year Award in 2007, the year the company<br />
celebrated its hundreth anniversary.<br />
<strong>The</strong> company employs an average of<br />
seventy-five people and many have been with<br />
the company more than twenty years. Wm.<br />
Kramer & Son, Inc. is a union contractor<br />
and many employees are long-time members<br />
of Composition Roofers Local 42 and Sheet<br />
Metal Local 24.<br />
<strong>The</strong> long-term goals of Wm. Kramer &<br />
Son, Inc., are to learn from its history,<br />
continue servicing new and long-standing<br />
customers to the best of its abilities, and grow<br />
with future opportunities while maintaining<br />
a family business atmosphere.<br />
WM. KRAMER &<br />
SON, INC.<br />
Over 100 Years of Roofing Excellence<br />
B U I L D I N G A G R E A T E R C I N C I N N A T I<br />
2 4 7
THE JOHNSON<br />
ELECTRIC SUPPLY<br />
COMPANY<br />
Above: Our first location at 244 East Fifth<br />
Street, <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, c. 1916.<br />
Below: Front row (left to right): Nancy<br />
Baker, Doug Johnson, Bob Johnson and<br />
Anne White. Back row: Mark Baker,<br />
Asa Smith, Dan White and Bob White.<br />
After more than a century in business,<br />
<strong>The</strong> Johnson Electric Supply Company has<br />
earned a sterling reputation for the quality<br />
of its products and the services it provides<br />
its customers.<br />
<strong>The</strong> company was organized in 1907 as<br />
<strong>The</strong> Johnson-Kennedy Electric Company by<br />
Claude Johnson, Sr., and John M. Kennedy, Jr.<br />
<strong>The</strong> company was first located on East<br />
Fifth Street in downtown <strong>Cincinnati</strong> and its<br />
principal business was the distribution<br />
of electrical supplies to the industrial,<br />
commercial, contractor and utility markets.<br />
According to Claude Johnson, Jr., “Dad<br />
was great at picking out the right kind of<br />
employees. <strong>The</strong> first was Victor Sinclair, who<br />
had worked with him previously building<br />
a power line.” According to company lore,<br />
Sinclair showed up on the company’s first day<br />
of operation, drove a nail in the wall, hung<br />
up his hat, and proclaimed; “Now I work<br />
here, too.” Sinclair worked for the company<br />
until his death more than fifty years later.<br />
Claude, Sr., bought out Kennedy and<br />
became the sole owner in 1912. During the<br />
next few years, industries in <strong>Cincinnati</strong> began<br />
to change over to electrical energy from<br />
gas, coal and waterpower, and <strong>The</strong> Johnson<br />
Electric Supply Company began to grow.<br />
<strong>The</strong> company expanded its product line<br />
to include residential and electric appliances<br />
as they came on the market. To handle the<br />
expansion, the company moved to a larger<br />
location at 331 Main Street in 1928.<br />
<strong>The</strong> company experienced growth in all<br />
markets during the boom years that followed<br />
World War II. <strong>The</strong> electric appliance portion<br />
of the business reached a substantial volume<br />
in the 1940s, a trend that continued through<br />
the 1970s.<br />
Claude, Sr., passed away suddenly in<br />
1946 and his thirty-one year old son,<br />
Claude, Jr., aided by a very knowledgeable<br />
and loyal employee base, took over<br />
the company.<br />
Looking for room to expand, the company<br />
relocated to 321 Sycamore Street in 1951.<br />
When the property next door became<br />
available, Johnson Electric opened the first<br />
indoor drive-thru pick-up service in the<br />
electrical distributor business.<br />
<strong>The</strong> influx of national retail chains<br />
brought change to the distribution market<br />
in the 1960s, but Johnson Electric adapted<br />
by selling primarily to the industrial, commercial<br />
and contractor markets.<br />
<strong>The</strong> company moved to its current<br />
location at 1841 Riverside Drive in 1982.<br />
Claude, Jr.’s son, Douglas, was named<br />
president in 1989, becoming the third<br />
generation of the family to run the company.<br />
Also on staff are two of Doug’s sisters, one<br />
brother, three brothersin-law,<br />
and one nephew.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Johnson Electric<br />
Company takes great<br />
pride in its reputation<br />
as a flexible, customerdriven<br />
organization with<br />
family values. <strong>The</strong> firm’s<br />
thirty-six employees<br />
share a combined 771<br />
years with the company,<br />
a remarkable statement<br />
of loyalty and experience.<br />
Just ask Ed Mohr,<br />
who first came to work<br />
for the company in 1942,<br />
and continues to be<br />
active in the organization<br />
today at the ripe old age<br />
of eighty-six.<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
248
R. E. KRAMIG<br />
& CO.<br />
KRAMIG<br />
INSULATION<br />
R. E. Kramig & Co. was organized in 1896<br />
as a partnership between R. E. Kramig, Sr.,<br />
and John T. Gartner. <strong>The</strong> office was located on<br />
Pearl Street in downtown <strong>Cincinnati</strong> and the<br />
business concentrated on selling and installing<br />
insulation and fireproofing for pipes, boilers,<br />
roofing, housings and all types of surfaces.<br />
<strong>The</strong> company enjoyed slow, but steady,<br />
growth and was incorporated in Ohio in 1934,<br />
listing both R. E. Kramig Senior and Junior as<br />
partners. When more space was needed for<br />
the growing company, the business moved to a<br />
larger building at 222 East Fourteenth Street.<br />
Among the projects completed by Kramig<br />
during this era were the insulation of piping<br />
and air ductwork in the Carew Tower and<br />
the Union Terminal, as well as the same type<br />
work for various office and manufacturing<br />
plants in the greater <strong>Cincinnati</strong> area.<br />
Robert Kramig, Jr., succeeded his father as<br />
president in 1947 and held the position until<br />
his untimely death in 1956. R. E. Kramig III<br />
and his brother, John N. Kramig, then assumed<br />
leadership of the organization and helped it<br />
grow even larger. <strong>The</strong> operation was moved to<br />
larger accommodations at 323 South Wayne<br />
Avenue in Lockland, its present location.<br />
Bob and John remained in charge until<br />
1990, at which time control was turned<br />
over to an Employee Stock Ownership Plan<br />
(ESOP), which had been established two<br />
years prior. George J. Kulesza became the<br />
first non-Kramig family member to be<br />
president (and trustee of the ESOP), with<br />
H. H. “Fritz” Horne as vice-president and<br />
co-trustee. Following George’s death in 2004,<br />
Fritz became president, with Dennis Lambert<br />
as vice president and co-trustee, and George’s<br />
son, Andrew Kulesza, as treasurer. This<br />
management team remains in place today.<br />
Over the years, the Kramig Company<br />
developed a strong relationship with the<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Gas & Electric Company and<br />
helped complete the insulation work on most<br />
of the power generating plants constructed<br />
in this region during the second half of the<br />
twentieth century. <strong>The</strong> experience gained<br />
from this work benefits the company’s customers<br />
to this day, as hot, high, tough projects<br />
with short schedules continue to be regularly<br />
completed safely, correctly, and on time.<br />
<strong>The</strong> company serves a wide range of clients<br />
and its mechanical division insulates piping,<br />
ductwork and equipment for schools, hospitals,<br />
office buildings and manufacturing plants<br />
for the utility, chemical, brewery, distillery, and<br />
automotive industries. Many customers asked<br />
for help with asbestos or lead paint removal,<br />
and the environmental division acquired the<br />
necessary expertise and equipment to properly<br />
complete that work. <strong>The</strong> architectural<br />
division sells and installs building insulation,<br />
fire proofing, and Hufcor line of movable<br />
walls. <strong>The</strong> material division sells all types of<br />
insulation to customers across the region.<br />
Throughout its history, R. E. Kramig & Co.,<br />
Inc., has provided high quality insulation service<br />
and innovative and cost effective solutions to<br />
customer’s problems, along with consistent,<br />
dependable performance. <strong>The</strong> employee owners<br />
are committed to maintaining and enhancing<br />
the reputation and tradition which they have<br />
inherited, and to serving their customers<br />
throughout the Tri-State region.<br />
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AES<br />
CONTROLS,<br />
INC.<br />
AES Controls, Inc., of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> provides<br />
the skills and knowledge to help manufacturers<br />
get the maximum results from today’s<br />
highly automated manufacturing processes.<br />
Whether it is mixing hundreds of gallons of<br />
spaghetti sauce in a single batch or molding<br />
plastic containers for shampoo, AES Controls<br />
provides innovative and cost-effective solutions<br />
for its customers.<br />
“What makes AES distinctive is our total<br />
project approach,” explains operations manager<br />
Vince Salerno, the father of the company<br />
founder. “We help our clients understand the<br />
options they have for getting their projects<br />
done to meet their business objectives and<br />
budgets. We’re not just looking at single<br />
projects; rather we want to build a long-term<br />
relationship with our clients.”<br />
This customer-centered approach has<br />
helped AES build strategic relationships<br />
with such international companies as<br />
Allen-Bradley/Rockwell Automation, Siemens,<br />
Invensys/Wonderware, and Cognex.<br />
<strong>The</strong> company was founded in 1988 by Rick<br />
Salerno to fill an increasing need for industrial<br />
automation specialists. In the early years, AES<br />
Controls concentrated primarily on design and<br />
instrumentation but, in 1999, the company<br />
shifted its focus to controls.<br />
Today, AES is a systems integrator that<br />
provides engineering, design, integration,<br />
and programming of new automation and<br />
controls systems. In addition, the firm provides<br />
trouble-shooting and upgrading of<br />
hardware, software, and programming of<br />
existing controls systems.<br />
<strong>The</strong> industrial automation categories for<br />
which AES engineers program/configure<br />
include programmable logic controllers (PLC),<br />
human machine interface (HMI), supervisory<br />
control and data acquisition (SCADA), recipe<br />
management, and historical data collection.<br />
<strong>The</strong>se services are used in such manufacturing<br />
applications as batch processing, continuous<br />
processing, extrusion, press control, material<br />
handling, paper converting, web handling<br />
(paper and film), coating and printing, vision<br />
inspection, barcode, and RFID.<br />
Industries included among the company’s<br />
customer base are automotive, chemical, food<br />
and beverage, pharmaceutical, plastics and<br />
rubber, pulp and paper, and steel.<br />
AES was one of the first U.S. companies<br />
to participate in joint ventures to provide<br />
engineering to the former Soviet Union and<br />
was one of the first companies in Ohio to<br />
wire transfer currency in the form of rubles<br />
from Moscow to Columbus. AES has worked<br />
with <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s International Sister <strong>City</strong><br />
projects and has had partnerships in Russia,<br />
Pakistan, Germany and China.<br />
AES estimates that its automation improvement<br />
projects have had a favorable impact on<br />
the working environments and safety of more<br />
than a quarter million production people.<br />
AES, which began with only two employees,<br />
now has more than twenty employees<br />
and annual sales of $7 million. AES is a major<br />
contributor to “A Kid Again” Foundation,<br />
supporting various youth athletic leagues in<br />
cooperation with the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Bengals<br />
and <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Reds. AES also supports other<br />
charities, including the FreeStore FoodBank,<br />
Archdiocese of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, and local Springdale<br />
community activities.<br />
AES Controls, Inc., is headquartered at 155<br />
Tri-Country Parkway in <strong>Cincinnati</strong> and located<br />
on the Internet at www.aescontrols.com.<br />
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DUBOIS<br />
CHEMICALS<br />
Since it began as the DuBois Soap Company<br />
in <strong>Cincinnati</strong> in 1920, DuBois has been<br />
a leader in providing innovative chemical<br />
solutions to the manufacturing industry.<br />
<strong>The</strong> company was founded by T. V. DuBois,<br />
an aggressive entrepreneur who built a<br />
global specialty cleaning chemical company<br />
that would grow to be traded on the New<br />
York Stock Exchange in 1960.<br />
<strong>The</strong> company’s success attracted the attention<br />
of investor Peter Grace, who acquired<br />
the company in 1964 and made it part of<br />
Chemed Corporation. When a new tower was<br />
built on <strong>Cincinnati</strong>’s Fountain Square in the<br />
late 1960s, DuBois became its primary occupant<br />
and the building now known as the<br />
Fifth Third Tower was known as the DuBois<br />
Tower for twenty years. Chemed went public<br />
in 1982, with DuBois as its largest operation.<br />
<strong>The</strong> company’s continued success made it<br />
an attractive acquisition target, and the ownership<br />
has changed hands several times since.<br />
DuBois has belonged at various times to the<br />
Molson Brewing Company, Unilever, and the<br />
JohnsonDiversey Company, based in Racine,<br />
Wisconsin. <strong>The</strong> various parent companies<br />
had a number of different business holdings<br />
and focuses, but the DuBois brand name<br />
endured through all the ownership changes.<br />
Under JohnsonDiversey, DuBois was given<br />
the opportunity to concentrate its strategy<br />
and focus, and position itself to succeed as a<br />
stand-alone industrial specialty company. In<br />
September 2008, JohnsonDiversey reached an<br />
agreement to sell DuBois Chemicals to the<br />
Riverside Company, a private equity firm<br />
based in New York and Cleveland. Riverside<br />
was committed to making the sort of strategic<br />
investments that would enable DuBois to<br />
reach its goal of becoming the preeminent<br />
player in the industrial chemical market.<br />
Over the next four and a half years the<br />
Riverside investors were as good as their<br />
word, providing the assistance and resources<br />
necessary for DuBois to significantly grow its<br />
business and expand its capabilities. In fact,<br />
by late 2012, DuBois had grown to the point<br />
where they had reached the upper size limit<br />
of Riverside’s investment range. <strong>The</strong> DuBois<br />
Leadership Team headed up by Jeff Welsh<br />
found another exceptional partner to assume<br />
Riverside’s interest, and in December 2012<br />
announced the Aurora Capital Group as its<br />
new majority stockholder. Aurora, based in<br />
Los Angeles, is ideally positioned to provide<br />
the resources necessary for DuBois to continue<br />
its strategy of expansion and development.<br />
Over the years, DuBois had developed a<br />
broad product line which, at one point, included<br />
more than five thousand products for many<br />
different industries and in various applications.<br />
In recent years, DuBois has concentrated its<br />
focus on sectors and applications in which it<br />
has the greatest potential to excel. <strong>The</strong>se<br />
include applications in the manufacturing,<br />
transportation and pulp and paper industries.<br />
Its product lines include metalworking fluids,<br />
surface finishing and cleaning, maintenance<br />
cleaning, water and wastewater management,<br />
felt cleaning, paper machine applications,<br />
transportation cleaning, lubricants, and food<br />
processing facility cleaning and sanitizing.<br />
DuBois has always been environmentally<br />
conscious and the company’s future goal is to<br />
meet the needs of our customers and exceed<br />
their expectations by providing innovative<br />
cleaning and process solutions that create<br />
Lean, Clean, and Green partners. Growing<br />
sales and profitability will always be essential<br />
goals for DuBois, but they are now part of a<br />
new overall company mission of providing<br />
sustainable solutions that will ensure the long<br />
term future of our customers, our company<br />
and our planet.<br />
DuBois Chemicals will always strive to sustain<br />
the entrepreneurial spirit and intestinal<br />
fortitude that is the legacy of company<br />
founder, T. V. DuBois.<br />
Top: In 2008, DuBois moved its<br />
headquarters to the Sharonville facility that<br />
had housed its plant and laboratories<br />
since 1968.<br />
Above: T. V. DuBois, the aggressive<br />
entrepreneur who founded the DuBois Soap<br />
Company in 1920.<br />
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WM. POWELL<br />
COMPANY<br />
POWELL VALVES<br />
Right: <strong>The</strong> opening of the Electrical Show,<br />
Grand Central Palace, New York <strong>City</strong>,<br />
1922. Thomas A. Edison is seen turning<br />
the Powell Valve on an engine connected to<br />
the second generator ever built, made in a<br />
New York machine shop, and used to<br />
provide current for the first incandescent<br />
lamps introduced to the city at that time.<br />
Below: President/Chairman/CEO D. R.<br />
“Randy” Cowart and his son, Executive Vice<br />
President D. B. “Brandy” Cowart.<br />
Few twenty-first century companies can<br />
boast of producing spurs and sword belts for<br />
cavalrymen during the Civil War. Even more<br />
amazingly, descendants of the family that<br />
founded the Wm. Powell Company in 1846<br />
still operate the firm today.<br />
Although the company name has remained<br />
the same for nearly 168 years, the company<br />
has changed in hundreds of ways to remain a<br />
leader in the valve industry. Generally known<br />
by its products—Powell Valves—the company<br />
has worked on the historic Manhattan Project,<br />
projects on U.S. nuclear submarines, Titan<br />
and Atlas rockets, U.S. nuclear power plants,<br />
chemical and petroleum plants, pulp and<br />
paper mills, even on cryogenic applications.<br />
Powell’s base is with industrial users in the<br />
petrochemical, industrial gas, pulp and paper,<br />
chemical and mechanical construction<br />
industries. Powell has formed business<br />
partnerships with customers and valve<br />
distributors in all fifty states, based on quality,<br />
dependability, and competitively priced<br />
products. <strong>The</strong> company is also expanding<br />
globally and recently opened a new 500,000-<br />
square-foot manufacturing plant in China.<br />
<strong>The</strong> company was founded by William<br />
Powell, who was born in England but settled<br />
in the <strong>Cincinnati</strong> area in 1836. In 1846,<br />
Powell opened the first brass foundry west of<br />
the Alleghenies on Fifth Street.<br />
Family members have operated the company<br />
throughout its long history. D. R. “Randy”<br />
Cowart became executive vice president in<br />
1986 and assumed the presidency in 1991.<br />
Powell Valves has flourished under Cowart’s<br />
leadership, with double-digit growth in<br />
productivity, expanded production and<br />
distribution facilities and the addition of<br />
licenses throughout the world.<br />
Cowart’s son, Brandy Cowart, started with<br />
the company as a warehouse employee,<br />
moved into sales, and now serves as executive<br />
vice president. Brandy is responsible for both<br />
domestic and global sales, as well as product<br />
expansion and making the company’s systems<br />
totally customer friendly.<br />
Powell Valves has actually produced valves<br />
and materials to help the nation fight five wars,<br />
beginning with the Civil War when it converted<br />
to military production and turned out sword<br />
belts, fittings and other products for the<br />
Cavalry. Powell has received both the<br />
Army-Navy “E” Award and the Maritime<br />
Commission’s “M” Award five times for Powell’s<br />
high standards of quality and production<br />
efficiency. Only four percent of companies<br />
engaged in war production receive such honors.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Wm. Powell Company/Powell Valves<br />
has operated in only three locations during<br />
its long existence. <strong>The</strong> plant moved from its<br />
original location on West Fifth Street to a<br />
larger facility on Plum Street in 1882; then to<br />
its current location at 2503 Spring Grove<br />
Avenue in 1893. That plant—high-tech for its<br />
time—had intercompany telephone service<br />
with self-generated incandescent lighting and<br />
factory heating.<br />
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After several decades in the hardwood<br />
lumber industry, Charles F. Shiels opened<br />
his own firm, Charles F. Shiels and Company,<br />
in September 1891. As one of about ninety<br />
“hardwood houses” in <strong>Cincinnati</strong> at the time,<br />
specialization—or niche marketing—was his<br />
key to success. Shiels focused on marketing<br />
high grade domestic and imported hardwoods<br />
and White Pine and, to this day, the<br />
company takes pride in offering “<strong>The</strong> Finest<br />
From the Forests.”<br />
At the turn of the twentieth century, only<br />
lumber from quality sawmills met the requirements<br />
of wagon and coach builders, cabinet<br />
and millwork shops, foundry and pattern<br />
shops, and steel mills. Many of these manufacturers<br />
required exceptionally wide, long, and<br />
clear lumber. Manufacturers of industrial fans,<br />
pumps and blowers; pianos and other musical<br />
instruments; machine tool, pinch roll, paper<br />
and oil mill machines; hall clocks; screens for<br />
food processing; aviation and aerospace parts;<br />
skiffs and boats; farm equipment; and a myriad<br />
of other products have used Shiels Lumber<br />
in their fabrication process since 1891.<br />
Charles was joined by his brother, Joseph,<br />
around 1893, and he worked for the company<br />
until his untimely death in 1925. Charles’ son,<br />
Alfred, learned the trade under his father’s<br />
tutelage but left to start his own company<br />
about 1930. Charles’ son, Paul V., became a<br />
principal in the early 1930s and took ownership<br />
when Charles died in 1945. Another<br />
son, Richard H., purchased the company in<br />
1950 when Paul died. Richard died suddenly<br />
in 1968 and his wife, Marjorie DuBrul Shiels,<br />
assumed ownership and led the company<br />
profitably until her retirement in 1988.<br />
<strong>The</strong> company was originally located on<br />
Gest Street in the city’s West End, but the<br />
<strong>Queen</strong>sgate Urban Renewal Project required<br />
a move to the company’s current location at<br />
1301 West Eighth Street in 1962. <strong>The</strong> current<br />
offices were built following a major fire in 1980.<br />
Marc F. “Buck” Shiels was working for the<br />
firm in 1968 when Richard passed away.<br />
Another son, Daniel R., worked for the company<br />
from 1970 to 2010. Now the sole owner,<br />
Buck directs the company’s operations and is<br />
committed to a strong future in <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
and the wholesale lumber business.<br />
Charles F. Shiels and Company has adapted<br />
to the many changes in the industry, as<br />
well as shifts in the economic climate over<br />
the years. To satisfy the demand for high<br />
quality forest products, dry kilns were built<br />
and began operation in 1985. A custom<br />
molding facility was started in 1996, relocated<br />
to the West End location in 2005, and<br />
upgraded in 2009, adding a profile library in<br />
2011. <strong>The</strong> firm has expanded its service area<br />
to include all of Ohio and Indiana, with parts<br />
of Kentucky, West Virginia and Pennsylvania<br />
as regular routes. Shiels’ truck fleet provides<br />
options for delivery of lumber and moldings<br />
to all areas in the eastern half of the country.<br />
For more information on Charles F. Shiels<br />
and Company, visit www.shielslumber.com.<br />
CHARLES F. SHIELS<br />
AND COMPANY<br />
Above: Wagon load of dry, clear poplar<br />
36-45 inches wide, Tennessee stock,<br />
October 14, 1898.<br />
Bottom, left: Shiels Lumber truck fleet<br />
provides delivery of lumber and moldings to<br />
all areas in the eastern half of the country.<br />
Bottom, right: Aluminum dry kilns are<br />
loaded for in-house drying. This process<br />
allows for a high quality, uniform, and<br />
stress relieved product.<br />
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SIBCY CLINE<br />
REALTORS ®<br />
Right: Robin Sibcy Sheakley, with her<br />
parents, Rob and Pam Sibcy.<br />
Below: Home with a Sibcy Cline for sale<br />
sign in front.<br />
Sibcy Cline Realtors ® , your source for all<br />
home buying and selling needs, is the largest<br />
independent real estate broker headquartered<br />
in <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, Ohio, and is ranked among the<br />
top fifty independent brokers in the nation.<br />
A locally owned and operated family company<br />
since 1930, Sibcy Cline is run today by<br />
the founder’s grandson, Robert N. Sibcy. With<br />
one office and fifteen sales associates under<br />
his direction, the Sibcy Company acquired<br />
the Robert A. Cline Company in<br />
1980, and with 250 agents, the modern<br />
Sibcy Cline Realtors was born.<br />
Today, Sibcy Cline has 23 office<br />
locations and more than 1,200 real<br />
estate agents and 200 employees<br />
serving Greater <strong>Cincinnati</strong> and<br />
Dayton, Ohio; Northern Kentucky;<br />
and Southeastern Indiana.<br />
Much of Sibcy Cline’s success is<br />
attributed to the support and loyalty<br />
of its sales agents and employees.<br />
<strong>The</strong> company has a reputation<br />
for long-standing<br />
tenure with both its sales<br />
force and support staff.<br />
<strong>The</strong>se professionals have<br />
been instrumental in continuing<br />
the upward growth<br />
of the company.<br />
Sibcy Cline has a strong<br />
commitment to supporting the<br />
community and each year its agents<br />
and employees generously donate<br />
to the United Way and ArtsWave.<br />
<strong>The</strong>se organizations enrich the lives<br />
of those who live in the <strong>Cincinnati</strong><br />
area. <strong>The</strong> company is also proud of<br />
all of the volunteer efforts of its sales<br />
force and employees. Thousands of<br />
hours are spent supporting area<br />
charities and the company honors<br />
one person each year for outstanding<br />
community service.<br />
Sibcy Cline is focused on real<br />
estate marketing innovation. In<br />
1983, it became the first area real<br />
estate company to provide mortgage<br />
services. A Sunday television show on<br />
Channel 12, Sibcy Cline Home Videos, showcased<br />
the firm’s listings for ten years.<br />
With the emergence of the World Wide<br />
Web, Sibcy Cline began posting its listings on<br />
the Internet in 1995. At the time, Sibcy Cline<br />
was one of only two real estate websites<br />
nationally—and the only one locally—that<br />
featured photos of homes on the Internet.<br />
Sibcy Cline has continued to add features to<br />
the site to make it one of the most user-friendly<br />
sources of information. <strong>The</strong> website now<br />
boasts full-screen images of their listings.<br />
Sibcy Cline was also quick to respond as<br />
cell phones evolved into smart phones and<br />
offered its first version of a mobile website<br />
in 2005. In 2011, QR codes were added to<br />
for sale signs.<br />
<strong>The</strong> company’s website is a major homesearch<br />
resource for the region and is the<br />
most viewed real estate website in the area.<br />
Visit www.sibcycline.com and see what Sibcy<br />
Cline has to offer.<br />
<strong>The</strong> company is now operated by the third<br />
and fourth generation of the Sibcy family.<br />
Rob and Pam Sibcy currently manage the<br />
firm and their daughter, Robin Sheakley, is<br />
president of Sibcy Cline Relocation Services.<br />
Above all else, Sibcy Cline Realtors is a<br />
service-oriented company, offering convenience<br />
and service for all real estate needs,<br />
whether buying, selling, financing, or maintaining<br />
a home.<br />
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254
Flour mills once dotted the Ohio countryside,<br />
grinding farmer’s abundant crops of<br />
grain into thousands of sacks of flour and<br />
meal. With the exception of a few “museum<br />
pieces,” few of the old mills have survived<br />
into the twenty-first century. However,<br />
H. Nagel & Son’s Brighton Mills operation<br />
still mills pastry flour from Ohio soft red<br />
winter wheat in much the same manner as a<br />
century ago.<br />
Brighton Mills was founded in 1857 by<br />
Henry Nagel, who emigrated from Germany<br />
at the age of nineteen and moved almost<br />
immediately to <strong>Cincinnati</strong>. Henry worked<br />
on Ohio and Mississippi River steamboats<br />
until 1853, when he established the first<br />
flour mill in <strong>Cincinnati</strong> operated by steam.<br />
That operation was located at Sycamore and<br />
Webster Streets.<br />
Henry turned to farming for a few years<br />
but returned to milling in 1857 when<br />
he founded Brighton Flour Mills at 2168<br />
McClean Avenue. <strong>The</strong> enterprise prospered<br />
from the beginning and has been in continuous<br />
existence ever since.<br />
Henry Nagel died in 1902 and was succeeded<br />
by his son, Edward, who successfully<br />
operated the firm for many years.<br />
<strong>The</strong> mill once stood about a mile south<br />
of its current location, but was forced to<br />
move in 1960 because of construction of<br />
I-75 and is now located at 2641 Spring<br />
Grove Avenue with offices at 2428 Central<br />
Parkway. In 1973, Brighton Mills expanded<br />
by purchasing Loy’s Mill in Pyrmont. Much<br />
of the old machinery has been rebuilt,<br />
but Brighton Mills still echoes the days of<br />
line shafts, spinning belts, and roller mills<br />
from the mechanical days of milling.<br />
Now operated by the fifth generation of<br />
the Nagel family, the mill was run until<br />
recently by William Nagel. Nagel, a graduate<br />
of Massachusetts Institute of Technology,<br />
worked seventeen years in the auto industry<br />
in Detroit before returning home to run the<br />
family business.<br />
William retired in 2012 and the current<br />
president is his son, Edward “Ted” Nagel,<br />
who earned his BS in milling science<br />
and management (1989) at Kansas<br />
State University.<br />
Still a growing business after 156 years,<br />
Brighton Mills recorded $30 million in<br />
revenue in 2012 and employs 35 people.<br />
Looking to the future, Brighton Mills plans<br />
to continue its growth by consolidating<br />
operations and offering a mix of flours<br />
for commercial users of batters and<br />
breading, plus special blends for restaurants.<br />
Among the company customers are such<br />
well-known brands as Nestle, Famous Recipe,<br />
and Perkins.<br />
H. NAGEL &SON CO.<br />
BRIGHTON MILLS<br />
Fountain Square at night.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH © DAVE IVORY.<br />
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PRIDE CAST<br />
METALS,<br />
INC.<br />
Pride Cast Metals deep roots in the history<br />
of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> manufacturing go back more<br />
than a century.<br />
<strong>The</strong> original foundry—Ohio Pattern<br />
Works—was established in 1892. In the<br />
early days, the foundry concentrated on<br />
providing equipment for the emerging<br />
petroleum industry. OPW developed new<br />
foundry techniques, which offered brass<br />
and aluminum capabilities that helped the<br />
company grow and remain economically<br />
strong even through the Great Depression<br />
years of the 1930s.<br />
<strong>The</strong> company was sold and<br />
renamed several times during<br />
the period from 1930 to 1983.<br />
In 1930 the company changed<br />
its name to the Ohio Pattern<br />
Works and Foundry Company<br />
in order to promote its foundry<br />
expertise, as well as its pattern<br />
making capabilities. In 1948<br />
the company was sold and<br />
renamed OPW Corporation. <strong>The</strong><br />
company was then purchased<br />
by Dover Corporation in 1961.<br />
Pride Cast Metals was organized in<br />
1983 when a group of employees led by<br />
Thomas Hamm pooled their talents and<br />
resources and purchased the foundry from<br />
the Dover Corporation. <strong>The</strong> new owners<br />
named the company Pride Cast Metals as<br />
an enduring statement of the pride and<br />
confidence the individual foundry craftsmen<br />
and artisans have in the quality of<br />
their work.<br />
“<strong>The</strong> key to our success has been the<br />
supervisors and long-time employees who<br />
stayed with us and helped build the company<br />
into a full-service, turn-key operation,” comments<br />
Tom Hamm. “<strong>The</strong> purchase turned out<br />
to be a win-win situation for the employees<br />
who remained with the company, as well as<br />
the selling group—OPW Dover.”<br />
Today, Pride Cast is a value-added, total<br />
quality supplier capable of producing high<br />
quality and economical turn-key castings<br />
from start to finish. From casting sand analysis<br />
and chemical analysis through quality<br />
control and testing of the complete machined<br />
and assembled castings, Pride Cast offers its<br />
customers services that extend far beyond the<br />
scope of a typical foundry.<br />
A significant milestone for Pride Cast came<br />
in 2001 when the company purchased the<br />
aluminum and brass Kamloks division<br />
from OPW/Dover Resources. Pride Cast had<br />
been manufacturing the Kamlok couplers for<br />
OPW since the early 1970s and, in 1999,<br />
began handling all warehouse responsibilities<br />
for the aluminum, brass, and stainless steel<br />
Kamlok and Autolok products line.<br />
Tom is still active in the company but<br />
his son, Gregory Allen Hamm, along with<br />
the assistance of his wife Debra and Kenneth<br />
Bechtol, Jr., are now in charge of the company’s<br />
day-to-day operation.<br />
Pride Cast, located at 2737 Colerain Avenue<br />
in <strong>Cincinnati</strong> and at www.pridecastmetals.com,<br />
currently employs about 120 people.<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
256
SPONSORS<br />
A. J. Rahn Greenhouses, Inc. ....................................................................................................................................................................208<br />
AES Controls, Inc. ....................................................................................................................................................................................250<br />
Bartlett & Co. ...........................................................................................................................................................................................210<br />
BHDP Architecture....................................................................................................................................................................................236<br />
Cadre Computer Resources.......................................................................................................................................................................209<br />
Castellini Group of Companies.................................................................................................................................................................190<br />
CBT Company ..........................................................................................................................................................................................245<br />
Charles F. Shiels and Company.................................................................................................................................................................253<br />
Cincom Systems, Inc. ...............................................................................................................................................................................182<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Air Conditioning Co.........................................................................................................................................................244<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Children’s Hospital Medical Center..........................................................................................................................................219<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Financial Corporation..............................................................................................................................................................204<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Mine Machinery Company ......................................................................................................................................................226<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Precision Instruments, Inc. ......................................................................................................................................................246<br />
<strong>Cincinnati</strong> Sub-Zero Products, Inc............................................................................................................................................................238<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Cincinnati</strong>an Hotel.............................................................................................................................................................................200<br />
Cintas Corporation ...................................................................................................................................................................................194<br />
Crowne Plaza <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Blue Ash............................................................................................................................................................192<br />
Derrick Company, Inc...............................................................................................................................................................................230<br />
DuBois Chemicals.....................................................................................................................................................................................251<br />
Faxon Machining, Inc...............................................................................................................................................................................232<br />
Fenton Rigging & Contracting, Inc...........................................................................................................................................................222<br />
<strong>The</strong> Greater <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Foundation ..........................................................................................................................................................217<br />
H. Nagel & Son Co. (Brighton Mills)........................................................................................................................................................255<br />
Habegger Corporation ..............................................................................................................................................................................186<br />
Heidelberg Distributing Company ............................................................................................................................................................202<br />
J. D. Cloud & Co......................................................................................................................................................................................205<br />
Jewish Federation of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>................................................................................................................................................................218<br />
<strong>The</strong> Johnson Electric Supply Company ....................................................................................................................................................248<br />
Kordenbrock Tool & Die Co., Inc.............................................................................................................................................................234<br />
Life Enriching Communities/Twin Towers and Twin Lakes Senior Living Communities............................................................................214<br />
Magna Machine Company ........................................................................................................................................................................242<br />
<strong>The</strong> Mariemont Inn...................................................................................................................................................................................196<br />
Martin Franchises Inc. ..............................................................................................................................................................................206<br />
O’Rourke Wrecking Company ..................................................................................................................................................................240<br />
Ohio National Financial Services ..............................................................................................................................................................198<br />
Pride Cast Metals, Inc. ..............................................................................................................................................................................256<br />
R. E. Kramig & Co./Kramig Insulation .....................................................................................................................................................249<br />
Ransohoff..................................................................................................................................................................................................203<br />
Reliable Castings Corporation...................................................................................................................................................................228<br />
Ruthman Companies/Gusher Pumps ........................................................................................................................................................224<br />
Sibcy Cline Realtors ® ................................................................................................................................................................................254<br />
S P O N S O R S<br />
2 5 7
University of <strong>Cincinnati</strong>............................................................................................................................................................................216<br />
Western & Southern Financial Group.......................................................................................................................................................188<br />
Wm. Kramer & Son, Inc...........................................................................................................................................................................247<br />
Wm. Powell Company/Powell Valves........................................................................................................................................................252<br />
Wood Herron & Evans LLP ......................................................................................................................................................................207<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
258
ABOUT THE AUTHORS<br />
D A N I E L<br />
H U R L E Y<br />
Hurley is a graduate of Xavier University with post graduate work at the College of William and Mary. Since leaving the Historical<br />
Society, Hurley has worked as a freelance history consultant, columnist, television producer/reporter, Assistant Vice President for History<br />
and Research at <strong>Cincinnati</strong> Museum Center, and is currently Director, Leadership <strong>Cincinnati</strong>, <strong>Cincinnati</strong> USA Regional Chamber.<br />
P A U L A . T E N K O T T E , P H . D .<br />
Dr. Tenkotte received his Ph.D. in American history from the University of <strong>Cincinnati</strong> and currently teaches history at Northern<br />
Kentucky University. He is the co-editor of the Encyclopedia of Northern Kentucky and the co-author of A Home of Our Own: <strong>The</strong> Suburb of<br />
Fort Mitchell, Kentucky, 1910-2010, and To Be Catholic and American in Northern, Central, and Appalachian Kentucky:<strong>The</strong> Diocese of Covington.<br />
He has contributed to World History Encyclopedia, the Encyclopedia of Appalachia, and <strong>The</strong> Kentucky Encyclopedia, among other publications.<br />
He has also appeared in programming about local history issues on WLWT-TV and WKRC-TV.<br />
A B O U T T H E A U T H O R S<br />
2 5 9
For more information about the following publications or about publishing your own book,<br />
please call HPNbooks at 800-749-9790 or visit www.hpnbooks.com.<br />
Albemarle & Charlottesville:<br />
An Illustrated History of the First 150 Years<br />
Black Gold: <strong>The</strong> Story of Texas Oil & Gas<br />
Care By the Sea: A History of<br />
Medicine in Nueces County<br />
Carter County, Oklahoma: <strong>The</strong>n and Now<br />
Coastal Visions: Images of Galveston County<br />
Dallas County: A 21st Century Mosaic<br />
King Cotton to Space Capital:<br />
<strong>The</strong> Huntsville-Madison County Story<br />
Garland: A Contemporary History<br />
Historic Abilene: An Illustrated History<br />
Historic Alamance County:<br />
An Illustrated History<br />
Historic Albany: <strong>City</strong> & County<br />
Historic Albuquerque: An Illustrated History<br />
Historic Alexandria: An Illustrated History<br />
Historic Amarillo: An Illustrated History<br />
Historic Anchorage: An Illustrated History<br />
Historic Austin: An Illustrated History<br />
Historic Baldwin County:<br />
A Bicentennial History<br />
Historic Baton Rouge: An Illustrated History<br />
Historic Beaufort County: An Illustrated History<br />
Historic Beaumont: An Illustrated History<br />
Historic Bexar County: An Illustrated History<br />
Historic Birmingham: An Illustrated History<br />
Historic Brazoria County: An Illustrated History<br />
Historic Brownsville: An Illustrated History<br />
Historic Charlotte:<br />
An Illustrated History of Charlotte and<br />
Mecklenburg County<br />
Historic Chautauqua County:<br />
An Illustrated History<br />
Historic Cheyenne: A History of the Magic <strong>City</strong><br />
Historic Clayton County: An Illustrated History<br />
Historic Comal County: An Illustrated History<br />
Historic Corpus Christi: An Illustrated History<br />
Historic DeKalb County: An Illustrated History<br />
Historic Denton County: An Illustrated History<br />
Historic Edmond: An Illustrated History<br />
Historic El Paso: An Illustrated History<br />
Historic Erie County: An Illustrated History<br />
Historic Fayette County: An Illustrated History<br />
Historic Fairbanks: An Illustrated History<br />
Historic Gainesville & Hall County: An<br />
Illustrated History<br />
Historic Gregg County: An Illustrated History<br />
Historic Hampton Roads: Where America Began<br />
Historic Hancock County:<br />
An Illustrated History<br />
Historic Henry County: An Illustrated History<br />
Historic Hood County: An Illustrated History<br />
Historic Houston: An Illustrated History<br />
Historic Hunt County: An Illustrated History<br />
Historic Illinois: An Illustrated History<br />
Historic Katy: An Illustrated History<br />
Historic Kern County:<br />
An Illustrated History of Bakersfield<br />
and Kern County<br />
Historic Lafayette:<br />
An Illustrated History of Lafayette &<br />
Lafayette Parish<br />
Historic Laredo:<br />
An Illustrated History of Laredo &<br />
Webb County<br />
Historic Lee County:<br />
<strong>The</strong> Story of Fort Myers & Lee County<br />
Historic Louisiana: An Illustrated History<br />
Historic Mansfield: A Bicentennial History<br />
Historic Midland: An Illustrated History<br />
Historic Mobile:<br />
An Illustrated History of the Mobile Bay Region<br />
Historic Montgomery County:<br />
An Illustrated History of<br />
Montgomery County, Texas<br />
Historic Ocala: <strong>The</strong> Story of Ocala &<br />
Marion County<br />
Historic Oklahoma: An Illustrated History<br />
Historic Oklahoma County:<br />
An Illustrated History<br />
Historic Omaha:<br />
An Illustrated History of Omaha and<br />
Douglas County<br />
Historic Orange County: An Illustrated History<br />
Historic Osceola County: An Illustrated History<br />
Historic Ouachita Parish: An Illustrated History<br />
Historic Paris and Lamar County:<br />
An Illustrated History<br />
Historic Pasadena: An Illustrated History<br />
Historic Passaic County: An Illustrated History<br />
Historic Pennsylvania An Illustrated History<br />
Historic Philadelphia: An Illustrated History<br />
Historic Prescott:<br />
An Illustrated History of Prescott &<br />
Yavapai County<br />
Historic Richardson: An Illustrated History<br />
Historic Rio Grande Valley:<br />
An Illustrated History<br />
Historic Rogers County: An Illustrated History<br />
Historic San Marcos: An Illustrated History<br />
Historic Santa Barbara: An Illustrated History<br />
Historic Scottsdale: A Life from the Land<br />
Historic Shawnee: A History of Shawnee &<br />
Pottawatomie County<br />
Historic Shelby County: An Illustrated History<br />
Historic Shreveport-Bossier: An Illustrated<br />
History of Shreveport & Bossier <strong>City</strong><br />
Historic South Carolina: An Illustrated History<br />
Historic Smith County: An Illustrated History<br />
Historic St. Louis: 250 Years Exploring<br />
New Frontiers<br />
Historic Temple: An Illustrated History<br />
Historic Texarkana: An Illustrated History<br />
Historic Texas: An Illustrated History<br />
Historic Victoria: An Illustrated History<br />
Historic Tulsa: An Illustrated History<br />
Historic Wake County: An Illustrated History<br />
Historic Warren County: An Illustrated History<br />
Historic Williamson County:<br />
An Illustrated History<br />
Historic Wilmington & <strong>The</strong> Lower Cape Fear:<br />
An Illustrated History<br />
Historic York County: An Illustrated History<br />
Iron, Wood & Water:<br />
An Illustrated History of Lake Oswego<br />
Jefferson Parish:<br />
Rich Heritage, Promising Future<br />
Louisiana: <strong>The</strong> Energy State<br />
Making San Antonio:<br />
<strong>The</strong> Story of San Antonio Manufacturing<br />
Miami’s Historic Neighborhoods:<br />
A History of Community<br />
Mile Marker 103: <strong>The</strong> History of<br />
Edmond, Oklahoma<br />
More Than a River: Decatur-Morgan County<br />
<strong>The</strong> New Frontier:<br />
A Contemporary History of Fort Worth &<br />
Tarrant County<br />
Old Orange County Courthouse:<br />
A Centennial History<br />
Plano: An Illustrated Chronicle<br />
Prospects to Prosperity<br />
Rich With Opportunity: Images of Beaumont<br />
and Jefferson County<br />
Salt Lake <strong>City</strong>: Livability in the 21st Century<br />
San Antonio, <strong>City</strong> Exceptional<br />
<strong>The</strong> San Gabriel Valley: A 21st Century Portrait<br />
Southwest Louisiana: A Treasure Revealed<br />
<strong>The</strong> Spirit of Collin County<br />
Valley Places, Valley Faces<br />
Water, Rails & Oil: Historic Mid & South<br />
Jefferson County<br />
C I N C I N N A T I - T h e Q u e e n C i t y<br />
260