Cincinnati
City and port in southwestern Ohio, on the northern bank of the Ohio River; seat of Hamilton County; population (2000 est) 331,300. The city is an important inland port on the Ohio–Mississippi system, and a major manufacturing centre; its chief industries include aircraft and car machinery, clothing, furniture making, wine, chemicals, and meatpacking. Founded in 1788 as Losantiville, Cincinnati was incorporated as a city in 1819. It attracted large numbers of European immigrants, particularly Germans, during the 19th century.
History
The city was called Cincinnati from 1790 after a society of revolutionary army veterans (formed 1783). In the 1850s the leading industry here was meat packing, which led to Cincinnati being nicknamed ‘Porkopolis’. Located on the Mason–Dixon Line, Cincinnati was a focal point for anti-slavery activity and it provided shelter for many escaped slaves before 1862.
| Procter and Gamble, a household-products manufacturer, has its headquarters here. Cincinnati is the seat of several colleges including the University of Cincinnati (1819), the Athenaeum of Ohio (1829), Xavier University (1831), Hebrew Union College (1875) and Cincinnati Bible College (1924); it also has a major symphony orchestra. Findlay Market (1852), selling meat, fish, and produce, underwent a US$5.7 million renovation programme in 2001. The redevelopment included the building of two new housing projects in the area. The city has 235 entries on the national register of historic places including houses, bridges, schools, historic districts, churches, and a museum. |
Famous people Famous people born in Cincinnati include William Howard Taft (27th president of the USA), the republican senator Robert Taft (son of W H Taft), the jurist Stanley Matthews, the public health administrator Lillian D Wald, the historian Thomas Kuhn, actor Tyrone Power, and the businessman Ted Turner III. |
| Benjamin Harrison, 23rd president of the USA, was born at North Bend, near Cincinnati. His grandfather, William Henry Harrison, who lived in Cincinnati, served as the 9th president for one month in 1841. |
