
Cincinnati and the Ohio River Save

Description: View of the Ohio River and the City of Cincinnati, facing southeast.
The plain two story brick building on the left is Sattler's Groceries and Meats.
Near the center of the photograph, a water tower with the word "Seeds" can be seen, underneath which is a sign reads "The J. Chas. McCullough Seed Co.. Only Retail Space. [?]30 East 4th. [?]erald Lawn." The J. Chas. McCullough Seed Company was founded in 1838, and originally gathered from the families' 48 acre farm. The company expanded many times, with offices and warehouses located all along Walnut Street, just below Fourth Street.
The Ohio River is the largest tributary of the Mississippi River and is about 981 miles long. It begins at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers in Point State Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It forms the border between Ohio and West Virginia, as well as Ohio and Kentucky, Indiana and Kentucky and Illinois and Kentucky. It joins the Mississippi near Cairo, Illinois.
The first bridge, from left to right, is the L&N Bridge or Louisville & Nashville RR Bridge, opened in 1872 as the Newport & Cincinnati Bridge and was the first railroad bridge to cross the Ohio River in Cincinnati. The bridge was modified in 1897 to include street car and horse and cart traffic. In 1904, the cart path was paved for automobiles and the bridge renamed as the L&N Bridge after its new owners. By the late 1940's street car service was removed and in 1987 railroad traffic ceased. By the 1990's the bridge was lightly used by automobile traffic, and was officially renamed the CSX Bridge after new owners. On April 17, 2001 it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, closed to automobiles in 2002, and reopened in 2003 after a $4 million renovation as a pedestrian only bridge.
The center bridge, called the Central Bridge or Cincinnati & Newport Bridge, was finished in 1890 and was the first "standard" cantilever truss bridge to be built. Located next to the L&N Bridge seen in the background, the Central Bridge had a similar type and length of approach spans to that of the L&N bridge, with the piers built from identical stone. Demolished in 1992, the bridge was replaced by the Taylor-Southgate Bridge in 1995.
The last bridge, locally known as "The Suspension Bridge", was designed by engineer John A. Roebling, the Covington and Cincinnati Bridge was completed in December of 1866, following a decade of construction which was delayed by the Civil War and financial constraints. At the time it was built, the bridge had the longest main span in the world and was also the first bridge to use both vertical suspenders and diagonal stays branching out from the towers. The bridge was remodeled in 1894 to widen the deck and to accommodate more weight. The bridge was named the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge in 1984.
The Ohio River is the largest tributary of the Mississippi River and is about 981 miles long. It begins at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers in Point State Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It forms the border between Ohio and West Virginia, as well as Ohio and Kentucky, Indiana and Kentucky and Illinois and Kentucky. It joins the Mississippi near Cairo, Illinois. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B03F08_029
Subjects: Cincinnati (Ohio)--Buildings, structures, etc.; Bridges--Ohio River; Ohio River; National Register of Historic Places;
Places: Cincinnati (Ohio); Hamilton County (Ohio)
Image ID: SA1039AV_B03F08_029
Subjects: Cincinnati (Ohio)--Buildings, structures, etc.; Bridges--Ohio River; Ohio River; National Register of Historic Places;
Places: Cincinnati (Ohio); Hamilton County (Ohio)
Ohio River at Manchester Save

Description: Caption on reverse reads: "Code - C 1; Class. - Rivers, etc.; Ident. - Ohio River; Location - At Manchester; This photo must be returned to Ohio Writers' Project 78 E. Chestnut St., Columbus, Ohio."
Manchester is located approximately 74 miles upstream of Cincinnati, Ohio. Originally called Massie's Station, it was the first permanent white settlement within the Virginia Military District, built along the Ohio River in 1790 and was built near the "Three Islands." Native Americans used these islands to attack settlers traveling down the Ohio River. Nathanial Massie offered nineteen men property if they would settle in the town. He used the settlement as a base for his survey work in the district. In 1791, Massie's Station became known as Manchester, Ohio. Massie named the community after Manchester, England.
It was the fourth permanent settlement established in the Northwest Territory. By 1791, residents had completely encircled the community with a stockade to provide protection from Native Americans. Manchester served as the county seat for Adams County from 1797 to 1803, when residents moved local government to West Union. Located on the Ohio River across from the slaveholding state of Kentucky, Manchester proved an important community along the Underground Railroad.
The larger of the two remaining islands is called Manchester, and the smaller is called Tow Head. They are now part of the Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuges under the supervision of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
The Ohio River is the largest tributary of the Mississippi River and is about 981 miles long. It begins at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers in Point State Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It forms the border between Ohio and West Virginia, as well as Ohio and Kentucky, Indiana and Kentucky and Illinois and Kentucky. It joins the Mississippi near Cairo, Illinois. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B10F01_001_001
Subjects: Ohio River
Places: Manchester Township (Ohio); Adams County (Ohio)
Image ID: SA1039AV_B10F01_001_001
Subjects: Ohio River
Places: Manchester Township (Ohio); Adams County (Ohio)
'Illustrated Atlas of the Upper Ohio River and Valley' Save

Description: Illustrated atlas of the upper Ohio River and Ohio River Valley region, covering the area from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Cincinnati, Ohio., 1877. This atlas includes an index which explains the segments of the river mapped in the volume, as well as extensive illustrations depicting notable residences, sites and cities found along the Ohio River. Also includes several pages of "Patrons' Business Notices." View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: V912_77_H326i_001
Subjects: Maps--Midwest--Ohio; Ohio Economy--Transportation and Development; Ohio River Valley--History; Ohio River; Cities and towns--Ohio;
Places: Ohio River; Cincinnati (Ohio); Hamilton County (Ohio); Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania);
Image ID: V912_77_H326i_001
Subjects: Maps--Midwest--Ohio; Ohio Economy--Transportation and Development; Ohio River Valley--History; Ohio River; Cities and towns--Ohio;
Places: Ohio River; Cincinnati (Ohio); Hamilton County (Ohio); Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania);
Cincinnati bridges over the Ohio River Save

Description: This photograph was taken from the L&N Bridge, looking west towards the Central Bridge and the Suspension Bridge (a slightly obstructed view), all of which span the Ohio River, connecting Cincinnati to Kentucky.
The Ohio River is the largest tributary of the Mississippi River and is about 981 miles long. It begins at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers in Point State Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It forms the border between Ohio and West Virginia, as well as Ohio and Kentucky, Indiana and Kentucky and Illinois and Kentucky. It joins the Mississippi near Cairo, Illinois.
The first bridge, from left to right, is the L&N Bridge or Louisville & Nashville RR Bridge, opened in 1872 as the Newport & Cincinnati Bridge and was the first railroad bridge to cross the Ohio River in Cincinnati. The bridge was modified in 1897 to include street car and horse and cart traffic. In 1904, the cart path was paved for automobiles and the bridge renamed as the L&N Bridge after its new owners. By the late 1940's street car service was removed and in 1987 railroad traffic ceased. By the 1990's the bridge was lightly used by automobile traffic, and was officially renamed the CSX Bridge after new owners. On April 17, 2001 it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, closed to automobiles in 2002, and reopened in 2003 after a $4 million renovation as a pedestrian only bridge.
The center bridge, called the Central Bridge or Cincinnati & Newport Bridge, was finished in 1890 and was the first "standard" cantilever truss bridge to be built. Located next to the L&N Bridge seen in the background, the Central Bridge had a similar type and length of approach spans to that of the L&N bridge, with the piers built from identical stone. Demolished in 1992, the bridge was replaced by the Taylor-Southgate Bridge in 1995.
The last bridge, locally known as "The Suspension Bridge", was designed by engineer John A. Roebling, the Covington and Cincinnati Bridge was completed in December of 1866, following a decade of construction which was delayed by the Civil War and financial constraints. At the time it was built, the bridge had the longest main span in the world and was also the first bridge to use both vertical suspenders and diagonal stays branching out from the towers. The bridge was remodeled in 1894 to widen the deck and to accommodate more weight. The bridge was named the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge in 1984. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B01F18_016_001
Subjects: Cincinnati (Ohio)--Buildings, structures, etc.; Bridges--Ohio River; Ohio River; National Register of Historic Places
Places: Cincinnati (Ohio); Hamilton County (Ohio)
Image ID: SA1039AV_B01F18_016_001
Subjects: Cincinnati (Ohio)--Buildings, structures, etc.; Bridges--Ohio River; Ohio River; National Register of Historic Places
Places: Cincinnati (Ohio); Hamilton County (Ohio)
Cincinnati, Covington and Newport map Save

Description: This 1866 map shows Cincinnati, Ohio, as well as Newport and Covington, Kentucky, directly across the Ohio River. It was drawn by Gilbert & Hickenlooper (of No. 200 Vine Street in Cincinnati) for inclusion in the 1866 edition of the Williams' Cincinnati Directory. Covington and Newport are two Kentucky cities situated on the Ohio River and separated from one another by the Licking River. They are considered a part of the Cincinnati Metropolitan Area (or Greater Cincinnati) which includes counties in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. These two cities were first connected by bridge in 1853, and the John Roebling Suspension Bridge, connecting Covington with Cincinnati across the Ohio River, was completed in 1866.
In 1788, Israel Ludlow, Matthias Denman, and Robert Patterson purchased eight hundred acres from John Cleves Symmes along the Ohio River at the Licking River's mouth. By early January 1789, Ludlow had platted the town, and the three men named the town Losantiville. The name was a convoluted contraction of the idea that this was a "city across from the mouth of the Licking River." In 1790, the governor of the Northwest Territory, Arthur St. Clair, proceeded to establish Hamilton County and made Losantiville the county seat. St. Clair disliked the name Losantiville and changed the town's name to Cincinnati in recognition of the Roman citizen soldier Cincinnatus.
Cincinnati emerged as a major city, primarily due to its strategic location on the Ohio River, and by 1820 had reached a population of nearly ten thousand people. By the late 1880s, Cincinnati was the largest city in Ohio, with almost 300,000 people. It also had the densest population of any city in the United States, with an average of 37,143 people per square mile. By 1890, Cincinnati had provided Ohio with thirteen governors and had become an important industrial, political, literary, and educational center in both Ohio and the United States.
View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: MAPVFM0426_4
Subjects: Cincinnati (Ohio)--History; Ohio River; Maps--Midwest--Ohio; Bridges--Ohio River;
Places: Cincinnati (Ohio); Hamilton County (Ohio); Newport (Kentucky); Covington (Kentucky)
Image ID: MAPVFM0426_4
Subjects: Cincinnati (Ohio)--History; Ohio River; Maps--Midwest--Ohio; Bridges--Ohio River;
Places: Cincinnati (Ohio); Hamilton County (Ohio); Newport (Kentucky); Covington (Kentucky)
Ohio River View print Save

Description: View of the Ohio River seen from below Cincinnati. The Ohio River is formed by the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers at modern-day Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It ends approximately 900 miles downstream at Cairo, Illinois, where it flows into the Mississippi River. It received its English name from the Iroquois word, "O-Y-O," meaning "the great river." View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL04021
Subjects: Ohio River; Ohio History--Natural and Native Ohio
Places: Cincinnati (Ohio); Hamilton County (Ohio)
Image ID: AL04021
Subjects: Ohio River; Ohio History--Natural and Native Ohio
Places: Cincinnati (Ohio); Hamilton County (Ohio)
Ohio River - scenic view Save

Description: Reverse reads: "Scenic Ohio River views, Cin. Ohio."
This photograph is of a portion of the Ohio River. The Cincinnati Sheet Metal & Roofing and the American Steel & and Wire Co. buildings are both in the foreground, as well a large crate, presumably for loading and unloading cargo from boats traveling the Ohio River.
The Ohio River is the largest tributary of the Mississippi River and is about 981 miles long. It begins at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers in Point State Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It forms the border between Ohio and West Virginia, as well as Ohio and Kentucky, Indiana and Kentucky and Illinois and Kentucky. It joins the Mississippi near Cairo, Illinois. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B03F08_013_1
Subjects: Ohio River
Places: Cincinnati (Ohio); Hamilton County (Ohio)
Image ID: SA1039AV_B03F08_013_1
Subjects: Ohio River
Places: Cincinnati (Ohio); Hamilton County (Ohio)
Ohio River View print Save

Description: View of the Ohio River, described as being taken from the summit of Grave Creek Mound, which is along the West Virginia bank of the river in the city of Moundsville.
The Ohio River is formed by the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers at modern-day Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It ends approximately 900 miles downstream at Cairo, Illinois, where it flows into the Mississippi River. It received its English name from the Iroquois word "O-Y-O," meaning "the great river." View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL04020
Subjects: Ohio River; Ohio History--Natural and Native Ohio
Places: Grave Creek Mound (West Virginia)
Image ID: AL04020
Subjects: Ohio River; Ohio History--Natural and Native Ohio
Places: Grave Creek Mound (West Virginia)
Sailing on the Ohio River Save

Description: Reverse reads: "Sailboats on the Ohio River near Cincinnati, Ohio."
This photograph shows three unidentified men in sailboats on the Ohio River near Cincinnati, Ohio. During the warmer months, many Ohioans can be seen flocking to lakes and rivers for picnicking, sunbathing, sailing and swimming.
The Ohio River is the largest tributary of the Mississippi River and is about 981 miles long. It begins at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers in Point State Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It forms the border between Ohio and West Virginia, as well as Ohio and Kentucky, Indiana and Kentucky and Illinois and Kentucky. It joins the Mississippi near Cairo, Illinois.
View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B13F01_052_001
Subjects: Ohio River--History; Sailing; Sailboats; Recreation; Ohio--History--Pictorial works; Federal Writers' Project.
Places: Cincinnati (Ohio); Hamilton County (Ohio)
Image ID: SA1039AV_B13F01_052_001
Subjects: Ohio River--History; Sailing; Sailboats; Recreation; Ohio--History--Pictorial works; Federal Writers' Project.
Places: Cincinnati (Ohio); Hamilton County (Ohio)
Greyhound station during Ohio River flood of 1937 Save

Description: This photograph shows the Greyhound Bus Depot and a lunch counter in Ironton, Ohio, probably on 3rd Street, during the 1937 Ohio River flood, also referred to as the Great Flood. A sign is visible for the lunch counter advertising five cent hamburgers, lunch, and beer. In January and February of 1937, weeks of heavy rainfall caused the Ohio River to flood parts of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky, causing $500 million in property damages, and displacing and killing hundreds. By the end of January, the Ohio River measured 80 feet deep in Cincinnati, one of the areas most affected. President Franklin D. Roosevelt dispatched thousands of relief workers from the Works Progress Administration to rescue flood victims and restore affected cities.
This photograph is one of the many visual materials collected for use in the Ohio Guide. In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Works Progress Administration by executive order to create jobs for the large numbers of unemploye View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B15F04_003_012_013
Subjects: Floods; Natural disasters; Ohio River; Transportation--Ohio; Works Progress Administration
Places: Ironton (Ohio); Lawrence County (Ohio); Ohio River
Image ID: SA1039AV_B15F04_003_012_013
Subjects: Floods; Natural disasters; Ohio River; Transportation--Ohio; Works Progress Administration
Places: Ironton (Ohio); Lawrence County (Ohio); Ohio River
Lawrence County during 1937 Ohio River flood Save

Description: This photograph shows survivors of the 1937 Ohio River flood, also referred to as the Great Flood, searching for higher ground around the Lawrence County courthouse in Ironton, Ohio. In January and February of 1937, weeks of heavy rainfall caused the Ohio River to flood parts of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky, causing $500 million in property damages, and displacing and killing hundreds. By the end of January, the Ohio River measured 80 feet deep in Cincinnati, one of the areas most affected. President Franklin D. Roosevelt dispatched thousands of relief workers from the Works Progress Administration to rescue flood victims and restore affected cities.
This photograph is one of the many visual materials collected for use in the Ohio Guide. In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Works Progress Administration by executive order to create jobs for the large numbers of unemployed laborers, as well as artists, musicians, actors, and writers. The Federal Arts Program, a sector of the Works Progress Administration, included the Federal Writers’ Project, one of the primary goals of which was to complete the America Guide series, a series of guidebooks for each state which included state history, art, architecture, music, literature, and points of interest to the major cities and tours throughout the state. Work on the Ohio Guide began in 1935 with the publication of several pamphlets and brochures. The Reorganization Act of 1939 consolidated the Works Progress Administration and other agencies into the Federal Works Administration, and the Federal Writers’ Project became the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio. The final product was published in 1940 and went through several editions. The Ohio Guide Collection consists of 4,769 photographs collected for use in Ohio Guide and other publications of the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio from 1935-1939. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B15F04_003_012_019
Subjects: Floods; Natural disasters; Ohio River; Courthouses; Works Progress Administration
Places: Ironton (Ohio); Lawrence County (Ohio); Ohio River
Image ID: SA1039AV_B15F04_003_012_019
Subjects: Floods; Natural disasters; Ohio River; Courthouses; Works Progress Administration
Places: Ironton (Ohio); Lawrence County (Ohio); Ohio River
Portsmouth Water Works photograph Save

Description: Photograph of the Portsmouth Water Works water pump. The caption reads: "Low-duty pumping station built by WPA workmen at Portsmouth to pump water from the Ohio River into the filtration plant. The Ohio River will have to flow over the top of this tall structure --- up to a stage of 90 feet -- before the pumps will cease to function." Photographed and descriped by the Information Unit WPA in OHIO, Clinton Building, Columbus, Ohio.
The photo is from the "Portsmouth, Ohio, flood of 1937", SC 381. This collection contains 37 photographic black and white prints, 21 x 26cm or smaller; and 4 postcards in black in white, 9 x 14 cm. Photographs document the flood damage in Portsmouth, including sandbagging, floodwall construction, and WPA rescue efforts.
In 1937, southern Ohio faced one of the worst floods in its history, known today as the "Great Flood of 1937." The Ohio River flood of 1937 took place in late January and February. In Cincinnati, the flood was particularly difficult for the city, where flood levels reached its crest of 79.99 feet on Tuesday, January 26, 1937. Communities along the Ohio River in Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois also faced serious problems. Many people lost their homes as a result of the flood. The Ohio River Flood of 1937 caused more than twenty million dollars in damages. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: sc381_32_01
Subjects: Floods--Ohio River; Portsmouth (Ohio)--Flood, 1937
Places: Portsmouth (Ohio); Scioto County (Ohio)
Image ID: sc381_32_01
Subjects: Floods--Ohio River; Portsmouth (Ohio)--Flood, 1937
Places: Portsmouth (Ohio); Scioto County (Ohio)