Cincinnati
In 1788 Israel Ludlow, Matthias Denman and Robert Patterson purchased 325 hectares (800 acres) of land on the bank of the Ohio River opposite the mouth of the Licking River. There they established a town that they named Losantiville. Few settlers were attracted to this remote and rather vulnerable town so the following year Fort Washington was built to the west of the town to provide protection. In 1790 Arthur St. Clair, who was governor of the Northwest Territory, established Hamilton County and with Losantiville as the county seat. St. Clair considered the name Losantiville inappropriate, so he changed it to Cincinnati after the Society of Cincinnati, an association of former officers from the Revolutionary War of which he was a member. The town was lawless and subject to Indian attacks, but it started to grow. By 1803 the risk of Indian attack had diminished and Fort Washington was abandoned. Cincinnati’s position on the Ohio River triggered further growth and into in 1819 it was incorporated as a city. During the Civil War most residents supported the Union and the city became a recruiting and supply centre for the Union Army. Artillery batteries built along the Ohio River to protect Cincinnati proved sufficient the deter a Confederate attack. Modern day Cincinnati is home to many large corporations and over the years it has been received many awards for the quality of life in the city.
Krohn Conservatory, Eden Park
Eden Park is a 75 hectare (186 acre) park less than 4 kilometres (3 miles) from Fountain Square. The city originally procured the land in 1859 to provide water but they realised that the land could also serve as a park. The original park was designed by landscape architect Adolph Strauch. In addition to lakes, fountains and gardens, Eden Park is home to the Krohn Conservatory, Cincinnati Art Museum and Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. The Krohn Conservatory was built at the height of the Art Deco era in 1933 and named in honour of Irwin M. Krohn who served on the Board of Park Commissioners. It has on display more than 3,500 plant species from around the world including a Bonsai Collection, Desert Plants, Tropical Plants, Palms and Orchids. It is also hosts seasonal floral displays.
Cincinnatti from Covington, Kentucky
The best view of downtown Cincinnati, Ohio is from, er, Kentucky. On the opposite bank of the Ohio River at the mouth of the Licking River stands the Kentucky city of Covington. The two cities were rivals until they were linked in 1866 by the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge visible on the left of the picture. At that time the Ohio River was a major transport artery, so a long span bridge with high clearance was essential. Designed by John A. Roebling, the span of 322 metres (1,057 feet) was when it opened the longest in the world. Roebling went on to surpass the span by designing Brooklyn Bridge in New York, but he did not live to see it completed. The suspension bridge and other bridges that followed brought Covington and Cincinnati together and now many people commute daily from Kentucky into Cincinnati. At the time when we visited in 2010 the suspension bridge was closed for major repairs which should keep it in service for many more years. Click Tab 2 to see more of the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge.
William H Taft National Historic Site
William Howard Taft was the 27th President of the USA between 1909 and 1913 and between 1921 and 1930 he served as Chief Justice of the USA. This is the house in Cincinnati where he was borne in 1857 and he lived there until he went to Yale University in 1874. The Greek Revival house is thought to have been built in the 1840s and it was bought by Alphonso Taft in 1851. A year after moving in, Alphonso’s wife Fanny died. Two years later he married Louise Torrey and she gave birth to William in 1857 after their first child died in infancy. Alphonso Taft was an early supporter of the Republican Party and while William was growing up he met many political figures who were visiting his father. Alphonso and Louise moved to California in 1889 where Alphonso died in 1891. Louise sold the Cincinnati house in 1899 and subsequent owners modified it. The William Howard Taft Memorial Association eventually bought the house and it has since been restored to the way it would have looked in Taft’s time. The William H Taft National Historic Site is now operated by the National Parks Service as a House Museum. Click Tab 2 to see the Library of the Taft Home.
Proctor & Gamble Historical Marker, 5th Street
That English immigrant and candle maker William Procter married Olivia while Irish immigrant and soap maker James Gamble married Elizabeth might have had little impact on history but for the fact that the two ladies were sisters. Father-in-law Alexander Norris persuaded William and James to become business partners and in 1837 Proctor & Gamble was born in Cincinnati. The business grew fast and courtesy of contracts to supply soap and candles to the Union Army it prospered during the Civil War with the brand became widely known. In the early 20th century, Proctor & Gamble expanded across the USA and in 1930 it became an international business by acquiring a soap and candle maker in Newcastle, England. Over the years it has diversified into a wide range of products. It is now a huge international corporation with a wide range of brands sold across the world, but its headquarters remain in Cincinnati. We were surprised by the number of people walking around the centre of Cincinnati with P&G pass cards round their necks (as might P&G - why weren’t they at their desks?). Click Tab 2 to see a picture of the Proctor & Gamble Headquarters.
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Fountain Square
Once upon a time there was a meat market in the middle of Cincinnati. In 1871 Cincinnati businessman Henry Probasco gave the city a fountain in memory of his brother-in-law, Tyler Davidson. The fountain was made in Munich, Germany by Ferdinand von Miller who designed it to symbolise the many uses of water and hence named it ‘The Genius of Water’. It was installed on an island in the middle of Fifth Street where it passed through the market and the location became known as Fountain Square. The meat market disappeared but the fountain stood in the middle of the street with traffic flowing on both sides for 90 years before it was decided that it deserved to be located in a proper square away from the traffic. Plans for a square with the fountain as its main feature were completed in 1964. The fountain was moved a short distance and re-orientated within the new square which opened in 1969. The square is surrounded by shops, restaurants and cafes making it a popular hub in downtown Cincinnati. By the 1990s the fabric of the fountain had deteriorated and it was in danger of collapse. It was completely renovated and in 2000 it was rededicated. The square itself was also in need of renovation, and this was completed in 2006.
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© Mike Elsden 1981 - 2023
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