Cincinnati

CINCINNATI, a city and the county seat of Hamilton county, 0., U.S.A. 39° 6' N., 84° 3o' W., on the north bank of the Ohio river, opposite the mouth of the Licking, about ioo m. S.W. of Columbus, about 305 m. by rail S.E. of Chicago, and about 76o m. (by rail) W.S.W. of New York. Through the city flows Mill creek, to the east the Little Miami ; and to the west the Great Miami empties into the Ohio. Population, 1920, 451,160, a gain of 49,913 or 12.4% against 37,656, in the preceding decade. Of the 193o population 7.7% were foreign-born, 28.9% of foreign stock and 10.6% coloured. German is the most important foreign element. In addition to the large number of inhabitants of German descent, there were, in 1900, 107,152 of German parentage; and of the foreign-born in 1930, 53,944 or 4o% came from Germany. At present over 92% are American born. Previous census reports were: (181o) 2,54o, (1820) (1850) (1860) 161,044; (1870) 216,239; (188o) 225,139; (1890) 296, 363,59k.

Cincinnati

is on two plateaux—one about 6o ft., the other ft., above low water—and on hills (40o to 46o ft.) which enclose these terraces on three sides. The city datum is ft. above sea-level, zero river gauge 430.06 ft., low water mark 431.96 feet. The low water record is 1.9 ft. (Sept. 1899) and high water 79•9 ft. (Jan. 26, 1937). About half the plain (average above sea-level 55o ft.) lies south of the Ohio in Kentucky and here are Covington suburbs. Cincinnati has a river frontage of about 27 m., extends back about 6 m. on the west side in the valley of Mill creek and occupies a total area of 72.2 sq.m. In 1867 it was connected with Covington by a bridge (1,o56 ft. long between towers, in all 3,284 ft.). Two bridges lead to Newport; one (Cincinnati Southern railway) to Ludlow; and one to West Covington. On the terraces the streets generally intersect at right angles, but on the hills, irregularly. In the "bottoms" are the manufacturing and wholesale districts; these are spreading to the higher levels and suburbs. The principal retail houses are on the higher levels north of Third street. Most of the finer residences are on picturesque hills in the city; but there is a tendency towards more remote and larger estates. The model town, Marie mont, constructed as an entity with complete public service sys tems, has an extensive population. Two inclined plane railways, Mt. Adams (268 ft.) and Price hill (35o ft.) afford transportation and excellent panoramic views. Average summer temperature is 75.3o°; autumn, 56.77° ; winter, 32.87° ; spring, 52.73° ; the yearly average, 53.60°. The birth rate is 15.9 and death rate per thousand. The wind velocity is 7 m. per hour.

Buildings.

Brick, blue limestone, and a greyish buff free stone are the common building materials. The U.S. Government building, city hall, county courthouse and the Soldiers', Sailors' and Pioneers' building (1907) are monumental structures. St. Peter's (Roman Catholic) cathedral (begun 1839) is in Greek style with a graceful stone spire 224 ft. high; it has as an altar piece Murillo's "St. Peter Liberated by an Angel." The church of St. Francis de Sales, the First (183 5) and Second Presbyterian (1872), Central Christian, St. Paul's Methodist Episcopal (1870), St. Paul's Protestant Episcopal pro-cathedral (1851), Christ's Church, First Church of Christ and the Jewish Temples are notable among the 400 churches. Cincinnati is the seat of a Roman Catholic archbishopric and a Protestant Episcopal and Methodist Episcopal bishopric. The Union Central building, an adaptation of Italian Renaissance (495 ft.) is visible for many miles. The Masonic temple, Chamber of Commerce building, Queen City club, Druggists' and Doctors' buildings and Cincinnati club are important new structures. The buildings of the Fifth Third-Central Trust company, First and Second National banks, Provident Savings Bank and Trust company and Western and Southern Life, The Dixie terminal, Enquirer, Southern Railway, Telephone, Traction, Mercantile library, Temple Bar and Young Women's Christian association buildings are other notable mod ern structures. In many manufacturing plants industrial require ments are being combined with artistic expression. The amount expended for new buildings in 1935 was over $9,919,000.

Parks, etc.

A city planning commission established by charter prepared (1925) a plan for the development and con struction of streets, subways, bridges, playgrounds and parks. It has become a law, the first American one of such compre hensive character. In 1936 there were over 1 oo parks (4,037 ac.) ; suburbs are often park-like in character and are of unusual beauty. Eden park (187 ac.) on Mt. Adams, about 1 m. E. of the business centre and overlooking the river, is well landscaped and has commanding views. It originally belonged to Nicholas Long worth (1782-1863), a wealthy horticulturist, who here grew the grapes from which Catawba wine, introduced by him in 1828, was made. The park contains the art museum and academy. Its gateway, Elsinore, is a mediaeval reproduction ; other features are the reservoirs, which resemble natural lakes, and a high water tower, from which there is a delightful view. Public con certs are given here in a natural amphitheatre. In Burnet Woods park (116 ac.), N.W. of Eden, is the University of Cincinnati, in cluding the library of the Historical and Philosophical society of Ohio with its great collection of Americana. There is a lake for boating and skating and public concerts are given. Recently new parks have been added and the boulevards and bluffs beautified. The Mt. Airy forestry project includes 1,132 acres. Ault park (215 ac.), Alms (62 ac.), Mt. Storm (68 ac.) and Mt. Echo park (68 ac.) afford fine views. Other large parks are Victory, Salway, Caldwell, Avon field, Kroger, Inwood, Lincoln and Gar field and the Fleischman Rose garden. There are 968 acres used for directed play. These grounds were attended, (summer, 1936) by some 2,000,000. The Zoological garden (6o ac.) contains un usual collections of animals in a picturesque environment. Here concerts, operas and other entertainments are given. Spring Grove cemetery (600 ac., 6 m. N.W. of Fountain square) is laid out on the park plan, as are the Catholic and Jewish cemeteries. Parkway boulevard (a part of the park system) covers the old Miami canal bed through the centre of the city and extends 4.6 miles. Victory parkway and Noyes field include some 134 acres. The Lunken airport (700 ac.) is 5 m. E. of the post office; the Watson (1 oo ac.) is at Blue Ash, Ohio.

Education.

There are 67 grammar, Io junior high, 6 high, 9 vocational and 8 special schools (enrolment 63,o63). Parochial schools are attended by about 21,70o. Students may pass at pub lic expense from the kindergarten through the graduate depart ments of the municipal university of Cincinnati (1873) . The university, since 1895 on a campus of nearly 5o acres, has an astronomical observatory on Mt. Lookout and was the first strictly municipal university in the United States. It embraces a grad uate school and schools of liberal arts, engineering and commerce, education, medicine, nursing and health, law, applied arts and household administration. The co-operative system, originated in Cincinnati, of supplementing college instruction by practical train ing in shops and manufacturing establishments is expanding greatly. The students registered were 11,270 and the officers of Government and instruction in excess of Boo. The law department developed from the Cincinnati Law school, the oldest west of the Alleghanies and the third in the United States, a sur vivor of the Lancaster seminary (1814) and Cincinnati college (1819) . The Medical school developed from the Medical col lege of Ohio (1820), the oldest west of the mountains. The Observatory dates from 1842. In 1868 the director, Cleveland Abbe, inaugurated a system of daily weather reports from which r1PVPlnned the U.S_ Weather. Bureau. Among the numerous uni versity buildings are a men's dormitory, the Tanner's Council Research building and a stadium. The university is governed by trustees appointed by the mayor. Its large endowments are sup plemented by taxation.

The Roman Catholic St. Francis Xavier college moved its col lege department in 1919-1920 to a 41 ac. tract near the boule vards. Founded (1831) by Bishop Kenwick as the Athenaeum it gives the usual university instruction and degrees, completing the educational system of an arch-diocese of 12,043 sq.m. and Roman Catholic population of 234,500. It has 976 students. Other Catholic educational institutions are Mt. Saint Mary's of the West (Norwood) and St. Gregory Preparatory seminary with a station at Mt. Washington, Cincinnati.

Lane Theological seminary was founded (1829) for training Presbyterian Ministers. In 1834 it was the scene of a bitter contest between faculty and student abolitionists and the trus tees, who forbade the discussion of slavery and so caused about four-fifths of the students to leave. The Ohio Mechanics institute (1828) prepares skilled workmen and industrial executives. In struction is given in every phase of mechanics and science as well as language, history, economics and music. It maintains summer schools and day and night sessions. The Hebrew Union college (187 5) is the leading American institution for preparing rabbis. It is a graduate school with a handsome building near the university. Other educational institutions of importance are the Eclectic Medical college (1845) ; the College of Pharmacy, dental and several business colleges.

The municipal library (1,064,964 vols.) serves 117,000 from its main building, 34 branches and about 249 other agencies. There are some 13 other libraries including law, medicine, science, the ology, botany and pharmacy. The Law library is very complete. The Lloyd library and museum of botany and pharmacy are also important. The library of the Historical and Philosophical society of Ohio (1831) contains a valuable collection of rare books, pam phlets, maps and manuscripts. The Cincinnati Society of Natural History (1870) has a large library and a museum with a valuable palaeontological collection, particularly remains from the pre historic cemeteries of Ohio. There is an American house for train ing aliens for citizenship and social service. The educational department of the Young Men's Christian association includes commercial and law schools. There is also a Young Men's Mer cantile library (111,80o vols.).

Hospitals, etc.

The General hospital (1935, 925 beds, 25 buildings, 27 ac.) is perhaps the best American example of the pavilion type. It has administrative relationship with the Uni versity of Cincinnati whose Medical School adjoins it. Nearby are the Children's (1926) and the Jewish (1922) hospitals. Others are the Bethesda, Deaconess', Good Samaritan, Christ's, Christian Holmes and Seton and the Tuberculosis sanatorium. There are numerous charitable institutions. A Community chest was initi ated in 1915 and has operated successfully since. Its budget for asked for over $1,800,000 of which $1,751,000 was raised from a record number of subscribers Water Supply.—The Water works (municipally owned; cost $13,000,000) was virtually completed in 1907. Water is taken from the Ohio river on the Kentucky side several miles above the discharge of the city sewers. It comes through a gravity tun nel under the river to the Ohio side, the water being thence elevated by four pumping engines, each with a daily capacity of 30,000,000 gal., to settling basins; it goes through filters of the American or mechanical type, and flows thence by a gravity tunnel about 4 m. to the main pumping station, on the river bank within the city. Owing to diversified topography there are three pumping districts. In the business district Eden park reservoir stores 96 million gal. (3 average days' supply) ; in the Eastern hills, the Mt. Auburn and Eastern hills tanks and reser voirs contain 41 millions (2 days' supply) and in the Western hills two groups of tanks contain 94 million gal. (2 days' supply) . This system is constantly being improved with municipal funds, setting a record in 1936 by providing a daily average of 6J400,000 gallons through 96,246 meters. The system is entirely self supporting.

Railways, Streets, Sewers.—Cincinnati has over 65o miles of paved streets and of sewers. There is a Rapid transit loop (initial cost, $6,100,000) encircling the city in connection with subway, surface and elevated railways giving access to suburban and inter-urban traffic. The electric street railways and some autobus lines are owned by the Cincinnati Street Railway com pany which operates them on a service at cost system. There are several privately owned autobus lines.

Nine railroads operating 19 trunk lines radiate from Cincin nati using five railway depots. There are four passenger and freight lines on the river. The city owns the railway (336 m.) from Cincinnati to Chattanooga, valued at approximately $48, 000,000. It is leased to the Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific railway company for a term ending in 2026 at a rental beginning at $1,250,000 per year plus certain percentages of net profits.

Administration.—The Home rule charter (1917) was amended (1924) to establish the city manager form of Gov ernment with a council of nine nominated by petition and elected at large for a term of two years by proportional representation voting. The charter operated from Jan., 1926. Council elects one of its members presiding officer; he becomes mayor. Council also elects from its number a vice mayor. The city manager is chosen by council for an indefinite term at $25,000 per year. The bonded debt Dec. 31, 1934 was $125,418,041; the net amount not self supporting was $75,874,578. The excess of the rentals of the Southern Railway over the debt charges on account of the railway debt is such as to reduce this net amount to $64,374,578. The tax rate in 1936 was per thousand, of which $8.94 was for the city and the remainder for State, county and educational purposes. In 1927 $45,000,000 was set aside for a lengthy program of city, county and educational pur poses.

Industries.—As listed by the U.S. Census (1929) the major types of industry represented in Cincinnati were as follows: meat packing, 36 firms with a product valued at $48,610,637; printing and publishing, 225 firms and $36,288,128; men's cloth ing, 61 firms and $32,211,979; foundry and machine shop prod ucts, 117 firms and $29,894,327; bread and bakery products, 191 firms and $19,264,484; boots and shoes, 15 firms and $11,335,035; paints and varnishes, 19 firms and $11,328,809. Cincinnati is the centre of the American radio industry. The total value of products within the city limits for 1933 was $202,668,565; for the metro politan district, $396,242,147. Before the Civil War Cincinnati was the centre of the American pork-packing industry and ranked high in the production of whiskies and malt liquors. There are 4 national banks and 11 State banks and trust companies (capital $23,100, 000, deposits $316,320,000). There are 82 building associations belonging to the U.S. Building and Loan League with assets of over $10,000,000. Post office receipts for 1932 were Art, Music.—Musical development began in 1810-20; by 1825 musical academies, choral societies performing the works of Handel and Haydn, and musical publications were quite numerous. The drama was popular. It was, however, the large influx of Germans in the '4os and later that promoted music most. A Sanger f est was held in 1849 and again in 1870, when a hall was built for it. Under Theodore Thomas (1835-1905) the Cincinnati Musical Festival association was incorporated, and its biennial May festivals began in 1873. In 1875-78 was built the Springer music-hall and the Cincinnati college of music was endowed in 1878. Theodore Thomas was director in 1878-81; a statue of him by Barnhorn stands in Music hall. Until his death Thomas was director of the May festivals. The Sangerfest met in Cincinnati for the third time in 1879 and its jubilee was held there in 1899. Choral societies have been important in musical life, as has the Cincinnati Conservatory of music (1867) and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (1893).

A number of early American artists, such as Eckstein and Hiram Powers, lived in Cincinnati, where German influence greatly promoted art. In 1877 an organization of women (as in the case of the Symphony Orchestra) brought about the building of the Art museum (1886). A school of design (1869) remained a part of the university until 1884 when it was transferred to the museum. An Art academy was erected (1887) near the Art museum. Frank Duveneck was for some time director of the academy, and the Duveneck room in the museum contains the most complete collection of his works. The Rookwood pottery was the first (188o) in the United States to devote exclusive attention to art ware. The earlier wares were yellow, brown and red, then came deep greens and blues, followed by mat-glazes and by "vellum" ware (1904), a lustrous pottery resembling old parchment, with decoration painted or modelled or both. There are several art reproducing establishments.

In the centre of the city is the Tyler Davidson bronze foun tain (1871) on Fountain Square. It was designed by August von Kreling and comprises 15 bronze figures cast at the royal bronze foundry in Munich ; the chief is a female figure with out stretched arms (43 ft. high) from whose fingers the water falls in a fine spray. The base is of porphyry. Other notable monu ments are those to Garfield by Charles H. Niehaus, to W. H. Harrison by L. T. Rebisso, George Grey Barnard's Lincoln, the Galbraith memorial, the Ft. Washington monument, McCook and Hecker busts and a monument to Ohio volunteers killed in the Civil War. The chief clubs are the Queen City (18 74) ; Cin cinnati; University; Cuvier Press; Woman's; Woman's City; Camargo ; Cincinnati Country ; Losantiville ; Maketewah ; Hyde Park ; Western Hills and Riding. The Cincinnati Literary club, the oldest of the kind in the United States, dates from 1849. The Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce dates from Several hundred religious and fraternal periodicals and tech nical and trade journals are published. The principal daily news papers are the Enquirer (1842) ; Times-Star (Times 1836) and Post (1881) . The Freie Presse is a German daily and the Union, a negro weekly.

History.—The site of Cincinnati was a centre of the mound builder civilization. LaSalle is said to have passed this point on LaBelle Riviere in 1669. White traders passed down the river frequently after 1750, and the valley of the Miami ("The Miami slaughter house") was the line of Indian approach upon the early Kentucky settlements via the Licking. George Rogers Clark built two small block houses here in 1780 and 1782, but they soon disappeared.

Cincinnati was one of the first settlements (1788) in the North west Territory. It lies on part of the land purchased for himself and others by John Cleves Symmes (1742-1814) from the U.S. Government in 1788 (the Miami purchase). The immigrants were chiefly from New Jersey and Kentucky. When the town was first laid out early in 1789 around Ft. Washington it was called Losantiville, a hybrid word . signifying "the city opposite the mouth of the Licking," but early in the next year it was named as at present in honour of Gen. St. Clair, the governor of the Northwest Territory, then president of the Pennsylvania society of the Order of Cincinnati. St. Clair arrived about this time and erected Hamilton county, with Cincinnati as its seat. Indians threatened it and the Harmar (1790) and St. Clair (17 91) expeditions into Indian fastnesses were unsuccessful. In 1794 Gen. Anthony Wayne won the decisive victory of Fallen Timbers at Maumee rapids from which followed the treaty of Greenville (1795) and the end of Indian warfare. The military post became a town (incorporated 1802). In 1801 the territorial legislature, which had held its sessions here from time to time, moved to Chillicothe. Cincinnati became a city in 1819. It has had many charters with more or less varying forms of government.

The opening of steam navigation on the Ohio (1816), followed by the completion of the Miami canal (1830), and of the first section of the Little Miami Railway (1843) brought rapid de velopment of river, canal and rail traffic and the establishment of manufacturing plants. The development of agriculture and viticulture attracted many immigrants, particularly Germans, in 1845-60. In 1819 the area of the city was approximately 3 sq.m.; this had been increased by the time of the Civil War to 7 sq.m. ; in 1904 it was 42.5 sq.m., and at present (1937) 72 sq. miles.

Close commercial and social relations made anti-slavery agi tation a most unpleasant topic. The abolitionists were numerous and active and the city was an important station on the "Under ground railroad," with many homes open to escaping slaves as temporary resting places. Harriet Beecher Stowe lived in the city from 1832 to 185o and gathered there much material for Uncle Tom's Cabin. In 1834 came the Lane seminary contro versies over slavery. In 1836 James G. Birney established his anti-slavery journal, The Philanthropist; mobs destroyed its presses. Many episodes of this character grew out of the feeling of some that the trade with the South would be affected by such agitation. This feeling was by no means universal and Cincinnati became the rendezvous of fugitive slaves and the scene of the activities of Salmon P. Chase, Levi Coffin and others on their behalf. When war came the community sided with the North. In 1862 the city was threatened by a Confederate force under Gen. Kirby Smith and for a time was put under martial law; the Confederates did not come very near the city, however.

In 1884 occurred a flood unequalled till 1937, and in March of that year the "Cincinnati Riots." A mob, infuriated by the lax administration of law, broke into the jail to lynch some mur derers found guilty of manslaughter only. The prisoners had been removed but the mob burned the court-house with its records. The militia was called out and after a few days order was restored with 45 killed and 148 wounded.

Evils growing out of the large council retained in the new self-governing charter of 1917 led to the formation of the "citizens charter committee," which waged a campaign for a more responsible Government. As a result of their activities the charter was amended in 1924 to provide for a city-manager form of Government with a small council of nine elected by propor tional representation ballot. In the election of 1925, the people approved the same bond issue which they had rejected when proposed by the former administration, thereby showing their willingness to furnish funds to further the city's growth under proper administrative responsibility. The efficiency of the govern ment under City Manager Dykstra achieved national notice dur ing the disastrous floods of March 1936 and January 1937.

BIBLIOGRAPHY.-C.

T. Greve, Centennial History of Cincinnati Bibliography.-C. T. Greve, Centennial History of Cincinnati (1904) ; C. F. Goss, Cincinnati, The Queen City (1912) ; L. A. Leonard, Greater Cincinnati and Its People (1927) ; C. E. Cowie, Chamber of Commerce Compendium; Municipal Reports; M. Seasongood, Local Government in the United States (1935) . T. G.)