Cincinnati, Ohio, USA (Losanteville)
1854 - Cincinnati

Cincinnati is the most populous city of the Western States, and the fifth in site and importance among all the cities of the Union. It is remarkable for its rapid growth, extensive trade, and productive industry. From its central position between Pittsburg and the mouth of the Ohio, it has become the principal gathering and distributing point in the valley of that river. The city is beautifully situated in a valley 3 miles in diameter, intersected from east to west by the Ohio, and environed by a range of hills, with a well-defined circular form, rising by gentle acclivities, about 400 feet above the river. From the summits of these the must beautiful views of Cincinnati are obtained. The greater part of the city is built on two terraces or plains, of which the first is 50, and the second 108 feet higher than low- water mark. The front margin of the latter, originally a steep bank, has been graded to a gentle declivity, so that the drainage of the city is effected by means of the streets directly into the river. The upper terrace slopes gradually toward the north, and, at the average distance of a mile, terminates at the base of the Mount Auburn range of lime stone hills, adorned with country seats, vine yards, and gardens. The city extends more than three miles along the river, without including the suburban villages. The central portions are compactly and handsomely built with streets, about 66 feet wide, bordered with spacious warehouses and dwellings of brick and stone. Many of them are well paved, lined with shade-trees, and lighted with gas. Main street extends from the steamboat landing in a N. N. W. direction, and Broadway. Sycamore, Walnut, Vine, Race, Elm, and Plum streets are parallel with it. It is intersected at right angles by 14 principal streets, named Front, First, Second, Third, &c. Among the handsomest portions of the city are Broadway, Main, Pearl, and Fourth streets. At the foot of Main street is the public landing or levee, an open area of 10 acres, with 1000 feet front. The shore is paved with stone from low-water mark to the top of the first bank, and furnished with floating wharves, which accommodate them selves to the great variation in the height of the river. The mean annual range from low to high water is about 50 feet. The city is divided into 16 wards, and governed by a mayor and a board of trustees, consisting of three members from each ward, usually known by the name of the city council.

Among the most prominent and interesting public buildings may be mentioned the edifice of Cincinnati College, on Walnut street, occupied in part by the Chamber of Commerce and Mercantile Library; it is 140 feet long, by 100 feet wide, with a marble front, in the Doric style : the Roman Catholic cathedral, at the corner of 8th and Plum streets, one of the finest buildings in the West, with a spire 250 feet high ; it is 200 feet long, and 80 wide, and cost about $100,000: the Episcopal church, at the corner of Seventh and Plum streets, recently erected, at a cost of about $80,000 : the First Presbyterian church, at the corner of Main and Fourth streets: the new City Hall. on Plum street, between Eighth and Ninth : the Melodeon, at the corner of Fourth and Walnut streets, containing a public hall, 100 feet long, 60 wide, and 25 feet high : the Masonic Hall, at the corner of Third and Walnut streets, erected in the castellated style of Gothic architecture : the Burnet House, at the corner of Third and Vine streets, one of the most spacious hotels in the United States; its dimensions, including the terrace, are 212 feet by 210; it is six stories in height, contains 342 apartments, and is surmounted by a dome which is 100 feet above the basement; the cost is estimated at $300,000 : the Cincinnati Observatory, a fine stone edifice, situated on the top of an eminence, (Mount Adams, ) which rises about 500 feet above low water, commanding a wide and varied prospect of the city and the "vine-clad hills." Through the centre of the main building rises a pier of masonry, founded on the native rock, sup porting the great equatorial telescope, which is one of the largest and most perfect in the world. The focal length is about 17 1/ 2 feet, and the diameter of the object glass 12 inches, with magnifying powers varying from 100 times up to 1400 times. In 1852 the city contained more than 90 churches, besides 4 synagogues ; among which were 15 Methodist Episcopal, 11 Presbyterian, 7 Lutheran, 5 Episcopal, 7 Baptist, 4 Congregational, 4 Reformed Presbyterian, several German Reformed, and 10 or 12 Catholic.

Institutions. - Cincinnati is distinguished for its literary and benevolent institutions, as well as for wealth and public spirit. It has three colleges, properly so called, namely, the Cincinnati College, which has a law school in operation, the other departments being suspended for the present ; the Woodward College, founded by a bequest of the late William Woodward ; and the St. Xavier College, founded by the Roman Catholics, with ample buildings and accommodations : there are 3 medical colleges, devoted to the several systems of practice, besides the College of Dental Surgery. Lane Seminary, a theological school of high reputation, is situated on Walnut Hill, about two miles from the river. It is well endowed, and is under the direction of the Presbyterian Church (New School ;) there are also theological seminaries, under the direction of the Old School Presbyterians, and of the Baptists. The public schools, which will compare favorably with those of any other city in the United States, occupy 13 three- storied brick buildings, each capable of accommodating over 500 pupils. Connected with these is the Central High School, in which the languages and higher branches of science are taught. The Mercantile Library Association have a collection of about 13,000 volumes. At the Mechanics' Institute, fairs are held and lectures delivered, for the promotion of the mechanic arts. About 12 daily and above 20 weekly papers are published in Cincinnati, besides numerous monthly periodicals. In addition to the above, the offices of the daily journals each issue a weekly or tri-weekly publication. Four of the daily and four of the weekly journals are in the German language. The city has 6 or 7 chartered banks, besides numerous private banking companies, and 13 insurance companies. Among the benevolent institutions may be named the Commercial Hospital and Lunatic Asylum, 4 orphan asylums, the Widows' Home and Asylum for Indigent Females, the House of Refuge, and the Hotel for Invalids.

Commerce. - Cincinnati carries on an extensive trade by the Ohio river, the Miami canal connecting it with Lake Erie and the Whitewater canal. Railway communications have been formed between this city and the ports of Lake Erie, the Atlantic sea ports, and the chief towns of Indiana. The following lines are in course of construction: The Ohio and Mississippi, leading to St. Louis ; the Cincinnati and Marietta; the Cincinnati and Parkersburg ; and the Covington and Lexington, which forms part of a chain ex tending to Charleston and other seaports of the South. In 1862, there were 267 steam boats employed in the commerce of Cincinnati, and the whole number of steamboat arrivals amounted to 3700. The shipping of the port, June 30th, 1852, amounted to an aggregate of 11,781 tons enrolled and licensed. During the year, 55 vessels, (46 of them steamers,) with an aggregate burthen of 18,137 tons, were admeasured. The chief article of export is pork, for which Cincinnati is the most extensive market in the Union. The trade of this city, during the year ending August 31, 1852, is stated as follows : - There were received 410,000 hogs and 16,532,884 pounds of pork in bulk, besides 22,600 barrels and 10,830 hogsheads of bacon, amounting in value to $5,486,592. The value of the principal articles received, not including dry goods, hardware, queensware, and lumber, was estimated at $24,715,331, and that of the total imports at $56,861,781. No statement of the value of exports in that year appears to have been published.

Manufactures. - Cincinnati is no less remarkable for the variety and importance of its manufactures than for its commerce. Perhaps there is no place in the whole country where fuel, food, and the raw materials of cotton, wool, and iron can be procured so cheaply. More than 200 steam-engines are employed in the manufactories of this city. The total value of manufactured productions in 1851, according to "Cist's Cincinnati," was about $65,000,000. There were 44 iron foundries, with machine shops, which produced $3,676,500 ; 5 rolling mills, which produced $1,050,000; 84 lard-oil and stearine factories, which produced $3,015,000; 14 flowering mills, which produced $1,690,000; 108 manufactories of clothing, which produced $1,947,500; 136 of furniture, which produced $1,660,000; 12 publishing establishments, which produced $1,246,000; 40 wine factories ; 9 paper mills ; 62 tobacco factories; 6 cotton factories : 2 type foundries ; 12 bell and brass foundries ; 40 manufactories of hats ; 19 of edge-tools; 38 of soap and candles ; 15 of trunks, and 7 boat yards, besides many other establishments. In 1852, 27 steamboats and 6 barges were built, besides 10 boats which were still in . the docks at the close of the year. The total capacity of these was estimated at 19,000 tons. This city is supplied with water raised from the Ohio river by steam power into a limestone reservoir, which holds 5,000,000 gallons. The average daily consumption in 1851 was 2,300,000 gallons, and the cost of the apparatus $796,000. The climate of Cincinnati is favorable to the cultivation of the grape. In 1852, the vine yards in this vicinity occupied about 1200 acres. Wine of good quality is made here from the native Catawba grape. The annual product of the vines in the neighborhood of the city is estimated at above 200,000 gallons ; this branch of business is constantly and rapidly increasing.

Cincinnati was first settled in December 26, 1788, and was originally called Losanteville. It was incorporated as a city in 1819. In 1800, it contained 750 inhabitants: in 1820, 9602; in 1880, 24,830; in 1840, 46,338; in 1850, 115,438, and in 1853, 160,186.

A New and Complete Gazetteer of the United States: Giving a Full and Comprehensive Review of the Present Condition, Industry, and Resources of the American Confederacy ... Thomas Baldwin (of Philadelphia.) Joseph Thomas January 1, 1854 Philadelphia : Lippincott, Grambo & Company 1854.

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