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92-694: Although western Virginia farmers (as well as timber and mine interests) had long wished a railroad to transport their produce and raw materials for sale to eastern cities, the Virginia General Assembly had heavily favored the interests of its ports, especially Richmond, Virginia (on the James River) and Norfolk, Virginia (the major civilian port at Hampton Roads). Thus it had subsidized the James River Canal , as well as various central Virginia railroads which in 1850 were renamed

184-474: A century and a half, Cincinnati went unchallenged as the most prominent of Ohio's cities, a role that earned it the nickname of "chief city of Ohio" in the 1879 New American Cyclopædia . In addition to this book, countless other books have documented the social history of both the city and its frontier people. The city fathers, of Anglo-American families of prominence, were Episcopalian . Inspired by its earlier horseback circuit preachers , early Methodism

276-684: A charter extension in 1847 from the Virginia General Assembly. As part of the compromise that allowed the B&;O to reach Wheeling, the B&O would also lay track to Grafton, where eventually it connected with the Northwestern Virginia Railroad. Thus, the B&O reached Wheeling in 1853 and expected the Northwestern Virginia Railroad to reach Parkersburg in about a year, although that line actually opened in July, 1857. Trackage connected to St. Louis, Missouri, eventually superseding

368-424: A crescent around the city: Mount Adams , Walnut Hills , Mount Auburn , Vine Street Hill , College Hill , Fairmont (now rendered Fairmount ), and Mount Harrison (now known as Price Hill ). The name refers to ancient Rome, reputed to be built on seven hills. "Queen City" is taken from an 1819 newspaper article and further immortalized by the 1854 poem "Catawba Wine". In it, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote of

460-591: A keystone of civic history; and among Methodist institutions were The Christ Hospital as well as projects of the German Methodist Church . One of Cincinnati's biggest proponents of Methodism was the Irish immigrant James Gamble , who together with William Procter founded Procter & Gamble ; in addition to being a devout Methodist, Gamble and his estate donated money to construct Methodist churches throughout Greater Cincinnati. Cincinnati, being

552-510: A male householder with no wife present, and 53.3% were non-families. 43.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.09 and the average family size was 3.00. The median age in the city was 32.5 years. 21.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 14.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 28.4% were from 25 to 44; 24.1% were from 45 to 64; and 10.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of

644-704: A number of hills, bluffs, and low ridges overlooking the Ohio in the Bluegrass region of the country. The tristate is geographically located within the Midwest at the far northern extremity of the Upland South . Three municipalities are enveloped by the city: Norwood , Elmwood Place , and Saint Bernard . Norwood is a business and industrial city, while Elmwood Place and Saint Bernard are small, primarily residential, villages. Cincinnati does not have an exclave, but

736-458: A population growth, marking the first such increase since the 1950 census. On January 4, 2022, Aftab Pureval assumed office as the 70th mayor of Cincinnati. Cincinnati has many nicknames , including Cincy, The Queen City, The Queen of the West, The Blue Chip City, and The City of Seven Hills. These are more typically associated with professional, academic, and public relations references to

828-757: A probable objective of the Jones-Imboden Raid in April 1863. Raiders destroyed the 3-span bridge across the Monongahela River at Fairmont, West Virginia due north of Grafton (the largest on the line), but the rail yards protected by Mulligan's Brigade, the First and Eighth Maryland and Miner's Indiana battery were not attacked. Nor was well-defended Rowlesburg, nor Clarksburg , the largest Union supply base in western Virginia, defended by 5000 men in fortified positions. Instead, Gen. Grumble Jones attacked

920-933: A rivertown crossroads, depended on trade with the slave states south of the Ohio River at a time when thousands of black people were settling in the free state of Ohio. Most of them came after the American Civil War and were from Kentucky and Virginia with many of them fugitives who had sought freedom and work in the North. In the antebellum years, the majority of native-born whites in the city came from northern states, primarily Pennsylvania . Though 57 percent of whites migrated from free states, 26 percent were from southern states and they retained their cultural support for slavery. This quickly led to tensions between pro-slavery residents and abolitionists who sought lifting restrictions on free black people, as codified in

1012-632: A spot at the northern bank of the Ohio opposite the mouth of the Licking and decided to settle there. The original surveyor, John Filson , named it "Losantiville", a combination of syllables drawn from French and Latin words, intended to mean "town opposite the mouth of the Licking". On January 4, 1790, St. Clair changed the name of the settlement to honor the Society of the Cincinnati. In 1811,

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1104-578: Is 79 feet 11 + 7 ⁄ 8  inches (24.381 m), having crested January 26, 1937. Various parts of Cincinnati flood at different points: Riverbend Music Center in the California neighborhood floods at 42 feet (13 m), while Sayler Park floods at 71 feet (22 m) and the Freeman Avenue flood gate closes at 75 feet (23 m). Frequent flooding has hampered the growth of Cincinnati's municipal airport at Lunken Field and

1196-476: Is $ 158,200, and the cost of living in Cincinnati is 8% below the national average. As of September 2022, the unemployment rate is 3.3%, below the national average. Several Fortune 500 companies are headquartered in Cincinnati, such as Kroger , Procter & Gamble , Western & Southern Financial Group , Fifth Third Bank , American Financial Group , and Cintas . General Electric has headquartered their Global Operations Center in Cincinnati; GE Aerospace

1288-458: Is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Ohio , United States. Settled by Europeans in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line with Kentucky . The population of Cincinnati was 309,317 in 2020, making it the third-most populous city in Ohio after Columbus and Cleveland and 64th in

1380-777: Is a historic lock and dam structure on south side of the James River near Gilmore Mills, Botetourt County, Virginia. There is a restored lock in the village of Big Island off the James River where it is crossed by the Blue Ridge Parkway. A visitor center is located in Amherst County just north of the bridge crossing the river. The canal lock is in Big Island on the Bedford County side of the James and

1472-958: Is accessed by a path and a walkway underneath the bridge. Much of the former James River and Kanawha Turnpike portage route through West Virginia is today the Midland Trail , a National Scenic Byway . Stock from the canal worth $ 20,000 was given to Liberty Hall Academy in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley by George Washington as an endowment. That gift prompted the renaming of the Academy to Washington College, which became today's Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia . [REDACTED] Media related to James River and Kanawha Canal at Wikimedia Commons Cincinnati Cincinnati ( / ˌ s ɪ n s ɪ ˈ n æ t i / SIN -si- NAT -ee ; nicknamed Cincy )

1564-477: Is already complete and 100 percent occupied as of early 2013. Smale Riverfront Park is being developed along with The Banks, and is Cincinnati's newest park. Nearly $ 3.5 billion have been invested in the urban core of Cincinnati (including Northern Kentucky). Much of this development has been undertaken by 3CDC . The Cincinnati Bell Connector began in September 2016. Cincinnati is midway by river between

1656-525: Is among the largest, most intact urban historic districts in the United States. Most of Over-the-Rhine's ornate brick buildings were built by German immigrants from 1865 to the 1880s. The neighborhood has been intensely redeveloped in the 21st century, with a focus on fostering small businesses. Cincinnati is at the southern limit (considering the 0 °C or 32 °F isotherm ) of the humid continental climate zone ( Köppen : Dfa ), bordering

1748-677: Is based in Evendale . The Kroger Company employs over 20,000 people locally, making it the largest employer in the city; the other four largest employers are Cincinnati Children's Hospital , TriHealth , the University of Cincinnati , and St. Elizabeth Healthcare . Cincinnati is home to a branch office of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland . Cincinnati was platted and proliferated by American settlers , including Scotch Irish , frontiersmen , and keelboaters . For over

1840-690: Is home to numerous structures that are noteworthy due to their architectural characteristics or historic associations, including the aforementioned Carew Tower , the Scripps Center, the Ingalls Building , Cincinnati Union Terminal , and the Isaac M. Wise Temple . Queen City Square opened in January 2011. The building is the tallest in Cincinnati and the third tallest in Ohio, reaching a height of 665 feet (203 m). Since April 1, 1922,

1932-686: Is home to three professional sports teams: the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball ; the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League ; and FC Cincinnati of Major League Soccer ; it is also home to the Cincinnati Cyclones , a minor league ice hockey team. The city's largest institution of higher education, the University of Cincinnati , was founded in 1819 as a municipal college and

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2024-537: Is now ranked as one of the 50 largest in the United States. The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals is based in the city. Two years after the founding of the settlement then known as "Losantiville", Arthur St. Clair , the governor of the Northwest Territory , changed its name to "Cincinnati", possibly at the suggestion of the surveyor Israel Ludlow , in honor of the Society of the Cincinnati . St. Clair

2116-691: Is working on plans to return the Pump House to some form of public use by restoring its old dance floor (the original upper level was built for public events) and opening the oldest section for tours. The park is popular with fisherman and dog lovers, and is near the Ship Yard . The western entrance of the Richmond portion of the Canal lies near the village of Sabot in Goochland County while

2208-440: The American Civil War funds for resuming construction were unavailable from either the war-torn Commonwealth or private sources and the project did poorly against railroad competition, finally succumbing to damage done by massive flooding in 1877. In the end its right-of-way was bought and the canal was largely dismantled by the new Richmond and Alleghany Railroad , which laid tracks on the former towpath. The R&A became part of

2300-718: The Blue Ridge Railroad to reach the Shenandoah Valley mid-century, but was only able to reach Clifton Forge by 1857, far short of crossing the Appalachians. Meanwhile, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) had chosen a less mountainous route to connect to the Ohio River valley. Its route to some extent paralleled the National Road , which crossed the Ohio River at Wheeling . Because

2392-537: The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal was its rival for shipping coal (early coal fields were developed in western Maryland), it had refused to allow the B&O to lay track along the canal's right of way. Thus, the B&O chose a route on the other side of the Potomac River through Harpers Ferry, Virginia . Still, crossing mountains increased costs and caused delays, as did financial panics, and the B&O needed

2484-533: The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway in the 1890s, which developed much of the former canal route into an important line for West Virginia bituminous coal headed eastbound for the Peninsula Extension to reach the Hampton Roads coal piers at Newport News for worldwide export aboard large colliers . The James River and Kanawha Canal was a project first proposed by George Washington when he

2576-592: The Coney Island amusement park. Downtown Cincinnati is protected from flooding by the Serpentine Wall at Yeatman's Cove and another flood wall built into Fort Washington Way . Parts of Cincinnati also experience flooding from the Little Miami River and Mill Creek . Cincinnati consists of fifty-two neighborhoods. Many of these neighborhoods were once villages that have been annexed by

2668-561: The Indiana counties of Dearborn , Franklin , Union , and Ohio . Metropolitan Cincinnati has the twenty-eighth largest economy in the United States and the fifth largest in the Midwest , after Chicago , Minneapolis–St. Paul , Detroit , and St. Louis . In 2016, it had the fastest-growing Midwestern economic capital. The gross domestic product for the region was $ 127 billion (~$ 160 billion in 2023) in 2015. The median home price

2760-850: The James River and Petersburg on the Appomattox River . It was known by then that the Ohio River flowed into the Mississippi River , which flowed into the Gulf of Mexico . It was also known that the Allegheny Mountains formed the Eastern Continental Divide , and that there was apparently no inland waterway to sail between the two large watersheds. By 1772, Washington had identified

2852-675: The Miami and Erie Canal began on July 21, 1825, when it was called the Miami Canal, related to its origin at the Great Miami River . The first section of the canal was opened for business in 1827. In 1827, the canal connected Cincinnati to nearby Middletown ; by 1840, it had reached Toledo . Railroads were the next major form of commercial transportation to come to Cincinnati. In 1836, the Little Miami Railroad

North Western Virginia Railroad - Misplaced Pages Continue

2944-549: The National Register of Historic Places in 1971. The historic district included one contributing building , nine contributing sites , and 21 contributing structures . Today boat rides are featured along a Canal Walk which extends for 1.25 miles (2 km) parallel to both the old Haxall Canal and James River and Kanawha canal. Several historical exhibits about the canals and the City of Richmond are dispersed along

3036-464: The Northern and Southern United States, with fewer immigrants and less influence from Europe than East Coast cities in the same period. However, it received a significant number of German-speaking immigrants , who founded many of the city's cultural institutions. It later developed an industrialized economy in manufacturing. Many structures in the urban core have remained intact for 200 years; in

3128-614: The Virginia Central Railroad . However, neither Virginia corporation was able to finish planned construction across the Appalachian Mountains . The canal route planned early in the century would have connected to the Kanawha River , which joined the Ohio River at Parkersburg, but digging proved expensive, as was continual cleanup of flood debris and damage. The Virginia Central Railroad spun off

3220-602: The humid subtropical climate zone ( Cfa ). Summers are hot and humid, with significant rainfall in each month and highs reaching 90 °F (32 °C) or above on 21 days per year, often with high dew points and humidity. July is the warmest month, with a daily average temperature of 75.9 °F (24.4 °C). Winters tend to be cold and moderately snowy, with January, the coldest month, averaging at 30.8 °F (−0.7 °C). Lows reach 0 °F (−18 °C) on an average 2.6 nights yearly. An average winter will see around 22.1 inches (56 cm) of snowfall, contributing to

3312-419: The "Black Code" of 1804. In the pre-Civil War period, Cincinnati had been called "a Southern city on free soil". Volatile social conditions saw riots in 1829 , when many black people lost their homes and property. As the Irish entered the city in the late 1840s, they competed with black people at the lower levels of the economy. White-led riots against black people occurred in 1836 , when an abolitionist press

3404-542: The "Philippi Races." Gen. Lee soon replaced Porterfield with CSA Gen. Robert S. Garnett . However, Col. Kelley was shot in the chest during the battle, becoming one of the six Union casualties. Meanwhile, the Union victory secured Grafton and a regiment was stationed at Rowlesburg to protect the crucial Tray Run Viaduct. On July 11, Gen. McClellan would defeat CSA Gen. Garnett's force at the Battle of Rich Mountain and thus secure

3496-481: The 49- story Carew Tower , which was the city's tallest building upon its completion. Cincinnati weathered the Great Depression better than most American cities of its size, largely due to a resurgence in river trade, which was less expensive than transporting goods by rail. The Ohio River flood of 1937 was one of the worst in the nation's history and destroyed many areas along the Ohio valley. Afterward

3588-473: The Confederates and drive them away from the vital railroads, and soon Brig. Gen. Thomas A. Morris of Indiana arrived, along with Col. Ebenezer Dumont and the 7th Indiana Infantry. The Confederates, realizing themselves vastly outnumbered, fled, leaving more than 750 muskets, ammunition, wagons, horses, medical supplies and tents behind, so the Battle of Philippi (West Virginia) would sometimes be called

3680-560: The James River Company was formed, with former Revolutionary War Commander in Chief George Washington as honorary president, to build locks around the falls at Richmond. By then, Washington was quite busy with the affairs of the new nation, in 1789 being elected its first president. Promoted by such men as George Washington, Edmund Randolph , and John Marshall , the James River Company opened in 1790 as

3772-593: The James River and Kanawha Company the right to contract with the Buchanan and Clifton Forge Railroad for Convict Labor . However both the canal and the Buchanan and Clifton Forge Railway were sold to the Richmond and Allegheny Railroad company, which built tracks along the towpaths. That railroad was sold to the C&;O, establishing Clifton Forge as the division point of the large east-to-west system that resulted when

North Western Virginia Railroad - Misplaced Pages Continue

3864-482: The Mountain Subdivision. In the second half of the 20th century, portions of the old canal, locks and turning basins became the source of renewed interest in Richmond, Lynchburg and at other points along the line. As part of Richmond's revival and redevelopment of its waterfront, a portion of the canal was restored. The 138-acre (56 ha) James River and Kanawha Canal Historic District was listed on

3956-614: The Northwestern Virginia Railroad as well as the B&O. As the American Civil War began, CSA General Robert E. Lee initially vowed to protect the railroad, and sent first CSA Major Francis M. Boykin Jr., then CSA Col. George A. Porterfield (a Virginia Military Institute graduate from Charles Town across from Harpers Ferry) to recruit at Grafton. Neither had much success, however, nor did CSA Major Alonzo Loring at Wheeling. Instead, local Grafton lawyer George R. Latham commanded

4048-433: The Northwestern Virginia Railroad, defended by the Second West Virginia Union Infantry, skirmishing and burning two small bridges at Smithton and three sixty-foot sections over the North Fork of the Hughes River, before rejecting a proffered ransom and spectacularly burning the oil field at Burning Springs and returning to Virginia. Becomes Parkersburg Branch Railroad 1865 and is listed as such in Poor's Manual of Railroads;

4140-459: The Ohio flood stage at Cincinnati has officially been set at 52 feet (16 m), as measured from the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge . At this depth, the pumping station at the mouth of Mill Creek is activated. From 1873 to 1898, the flood stage was 45 feet (14 m). From 1899 to March 31, 1922, it was 50 feet (15 m). The Ohio reached its lowest level, less than 2 feet (0.61 m), in 1881; conversely, its all-time high water mark

4232-412: The Potomac and James rivers as the most promising locations for canals to be built to join with the western rivers. His preference was the James, as the Potomac led to rivers in land disputed with Pennsylvania and would be equally helpful to Maryland . The James could be aligned with the Kanawha River (in what is now West Virginia ), and would best serve only Virginia, which was his priority. In 1785,

4324-418: The Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike as far as Cheat Mountain. Kelley would thereafter face many challenges rebuilding western Virginia railroad infrastructure destroyed by Confederate bushwhackers , but as he recovered was promoted to Brigadier General and given command of the Railroad Division with headquarters at Grafton. The Northwestern Virginia railroad and its rail yard and machine shops at Grafton were also

4416-409: The United States . The city is the economic and cultural hub of the Cincinnati metropolitan area , Ohio's most populous metro area, and the nation's 30th-largest , with over 2.265 million residents. Throughout much of the 19th century, Cincinnati was among the top 10 U.S. cities by population . The city developed as a river town for cargo shipping by steamboats , located at the crossroads of

4508-419: The United States until its sale to Norfolk Southern in March 2024. In 1884, outrage over a manslaughter verdict in what many observers thought was a clear case of murder triggered the Courthouse riots , one of the most destructive riots in American history. Over the course of three days, 56 people were killed and over 300 were injured. The riots ended the regime of Republican boss Thomas C. Campbell . At

4600-424: The beginning of the 20th century, Cincinnati had a population of 325,902. The city completed many ambitious projects in the 20th century starting with the Ingalls Building which was completed in 1903. An early rejuvenation of downtown began into the 1920s and continued into the next decade with the construction of Cincinnati Union Terminal , the United States Courthouse and Post Office , the Cincinnati Subway , and

4692-416: The canal incurred during the conflict was never completely repaired. By the time the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway was built through to the Ohio River in 1873, the canal's fate was clear. The James River and Kanawha Canal Company was authorized in 1876 to build the Buchanan and Clifton Forge Railway to connect the westernmost point of the canal with the C&O. The Virginia General Assembly, in 1878, gave

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4784-487: The canal. After many of the original Irish laborers died of hypothermia, they were replaced by enslaved Africans hired from plantation owners who lived near the route of the canal. After work stalled for a number of years the canal company went broke and gave up. In 1820, the Commonwealth of Virginia took control of the project and with state funds provided through the Virginia Board of Public Works resumed construction. Work stalled yet again, then resumed in 1835 under

4876-468: The cities of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania , and Cairo, Illinois . The downtown lies near the mouth of the Licking , a confluence where the first settlement occurred. Metro Cincinnati spans southern Ohio, southeastern Indiana, and northern Kentucky; the census bureau has measured the city proper at 79.54 square miles (206.01 km ), of which 77.94 square miles (201.86 km ) are land and 1.60 square miles (4.14 km ) are water. The city spreads over

4968-410: The city as the Queen City. Cincinnati's location, on the border between the free state of Ohio and the slave state of Kentucky , made it a prominent location for slaves to escape the slave-owning south. Many prominent abolitionists also called Cincinnati their home during this period, and made it a popular stop on the Underground Railroad . In 2004, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center

5060-415: The city built protective flood walls . After World War II , Cincinnati unveiled a master plan for urban renewal that resulted in modernization of the inner city. During the 1950s, Cincinnati's population peaked at 509,998. Since the 1950s, $ 250 million has been spent on improving neighborhoods, building clean and safe low- and moderate-income housing, providing jobs and stimulating economic growth. At

5152-493: The city government does own several properties outside the corporation limits: French Park in Amberley Village and the disused runway at the former Blue Ash Airport in Blue Ash . Cincinnati has many landmarks across its area. Some of these landmarks are recognized nationwide, others are more recognized among locals. These landmarks include: Union Terminal , Carew Tower , Great American Tower , Fountain Square , Washington Park , and Great American Ballpark . Cincinnati

5244-441: The city itself. Subsequently, substantial transformations unfolded, particularly in the process of gentrification within the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood. In 2018, MLS announced the inclusion of FC Cincinnati , becoming the city's third professional sports team. TQL Stadium , located on Cincinnati's west end, was subsequently constructed and opened its doors in 2021. Notably, the 2020 census revealed that Cincinnati had witnessed

5336-445: The city was 48.4% male and 51.6% female. As of the 2022 census estimates , the Cincinnati metropolitan area had a population of 2,265,051, making it the 30th-largest metropolitan statistical area in the country. It includes the Ohio counties of Hamilton , Butler , Warren , Clermont , Clinton , and Brown , as well as the Kentucky counties of Boone , Bracken , Campbell , Gallatin , Grant , Kenton , and Pendleton , and

5428-446: The city was 50.3% White , 41.4% African American , 0.1% Native American , 2.2% Asian , 0.1% Pacific Islander , 1.2% from other races , and 4.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.2% of the population. There were 138,696 households, of which 25.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 23.2% were married couples living together, 19.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.4% had

5520-427: The city, including restaurant names such as Blue Chip Cookies , and are not commonly used by locals in casual conversation, with the exception of Cincy, which is often used to refer to the city in absentia. "The City of Seven Hills" stems from the June 1853 edition of the West American Review , "Article III—Cincinnati: Its Relations to the West and South", which described and named seven specific hills. The hills form

5612-522: The city, with many retaining their former names, such as Walnut Hills and Mount Auburn . Westwood is the city's most populous neighborhood, with other significant neighborhoods including CUF (home to the University of Cincinnati ) and Price Hill . Downtown Cincinnati is the city's central business district and contains a number of neighborhoods in the flat land between the Ohio River and uptown. These neighborhoods include Over-the-Rhine , Pendleton , Queensgate , and West End . Over-the-Rhine

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5704-443: The city: And this Song of the Vine, This greeting of mine, The winds and the birds shall deliver, To the Queen of the West, In her garlands dressed, On the banks of the Beautiful River. For many years, Cincinnati was also known as "Porkopolis"; this nickname came from the city's large pork interests. Newer nicknames such as "The 'Nati" are emerging and are attempted to be used in different cultural contexts. For example,

5796-477: The dawn of the 2000s, Cincinnati's population stood at 331,285. The construction of Paul Brown Stadium (currently known as Paycor Stadium) in the year 2000 resulted from a sales tax increase in Hamilton County , as did the commencement of construction for Great American Ball Park , which later opened its doors in 2003. The city experienced the 2001 Cincinnati riots , causing an estimated $ 3.6 million in damage to businesses and $ 1.5–2 million in damage to

5888-449: The eastern lies in the city near the Richmond Deepwater Terminal . Sufficient waterflow appears to be provided by Bosher Dam , an 1835 structure located on the western side of the city. The Lock-Keeper's House is a historic home located near Cedar Point, Goochland County, Virginia. It was built about 1836 to serve Lock Number 7 and is the last remaining lock-keeper's house of the James River and Kanawha Canal system. Varney's Falls Dam

5980-592: The entire issue of preferred Stock owned by Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Contracts dated July 18, 1864 according to Poor's Manual of Railroads indicate the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad bought out the interest of Baltimore City Northwestern Virginia bonds. Mileage: 103 to 104 depending on edition of Poor's; in 1883-1884 Poor's including Ohio River bridge 105.4 miles Net earnings for Northwestern Virginia; 1861: $ 40,610 1862: $ 97,357 1863: $ 42,126 1864: $ 127,035 1865: $ 49,012 1865 Parkersburg Branch earnings: $ 91,889 James River Canal The James River and Kanawha Canal

6072-488: The first commercial canal in the United States. Stretching from Richmond, Virginia to Westham, Virginia and paralleling the James for 7 miles (11 km), it supplemented existing bateaux transportation on the James River. These flat-bottomed boats floated down the James to Richmond laden with tobacco hogsheads and returned with French and English imports, furniture, dishes, and clothing. In addition to bateaux, many canal boats were packets , which drew more water than

6164-438: The introduction of steamboats on the Ohio River opened up the city's trade to more rapid shipping, and the city established commercial ties with St. Louis, Missouri , and New Orleans downriver. Cincinnati was incorporated as a city on March 1, 1819. Exporting pork products and hay, it became a center of pork processing in the region. From 1810 to 1830, the city's population nearly tripled, from 9,642 to 24,831. Construction on

6256-424: The late 1800s, Cincinnati was commonly referred to as the " Paris of America" due mainly to ambitious architectural projects such as the Music Hall , Cincinnatian Hotel , and Roebling Bridge . Cincinnati has the twenty-eighth largest economy in the United States and the fifth largest in the Midwest , home to several Fortune 500 companies including Kroger , Procter & Gamble , and Fifth Third Bank . It

6348-474: The local Keep America Beautiful affiliate, Keep Cincinnati Beautiful, introduced the catchphrase "Don't Trash the 'Nati" in 1998 as part of a litter -prevention campaign. The city is undergoing significant changes due to new development and private investment. This includes buildings of the long-stalled Banks project that includes apartments, retail, restaurants, and offices, which will stretch from Great American Ball Park to Paycor Stadium . Phase 1A

6440-467: The local militia, to Grafton to protect the rail lines (as well as repair the bridges, which proved relatively easy because the underlying iron trusses had survived). Col. James Steedman and the 14th Ohio Regiment were also sent to protect Grafton, traveling via the railroad from Parkersburg. The pincer movement caused Porterfield to abandon Grafton on May 28 and move his 500 men to Philippi, where they received about 400 reinforcements. Kelley planned to attack

6532-406: The local militia, which after Virginia voters (but not those in western Virginia) approved secession on May 23, took the train to Wheeling and became Company B of the Second Virginia Volunteer Infantry (U.S.). Moreover, the Clarksburg Resolution called for western Virginians to meet at Wheeling; 400 men (including Latham) met at what became the Wheeling Convention on May 13 and agreed to work against

6624-595: The major highways of commerce. Early developments along the east coast of the colonies tended to end at the Fall Line (the head of navigation ) of the rivers that emptied into its great bays (e.g., the Delaware and the Chesapeake ). Such early communities in Virginia included what we now know as Alexandria on the Potomac River , Fredericksburg on the Rappahannock River , Richmond and Lynchburg on

6716-574: The new James River and Kanawha Company, with Judge Benjamin Wright as Chief Engineer. He was assisted by his son Simon Wright , Charles Ellet Jr. , and Daniel Livermore . By 1840, the canal was completed to Lynchburg . Service was inaugurated by William Henry Harrison who was elected president that same year. In 1847, Walter W. Gwynn was hired as Chief Engineer, with Edward Lorraine as his assistant. The canal eventually extended 196.5 miles (316 km) west of Richmond to Buchanan by 1851. There,

6808-473: The pioneer railroads were combined under the Chesapeake and Ohio. Today, CSX trains loaded with coal from the mountains follow the old canal route, much of it at a gentler "water level" grade, headed to port at Newport News at Hampton Roads. The Buckingham Branch Railroad , a short-line railroad , has a lease to operate the original C&O alignment over the former Virginia Central Railroad , including

6900-469: The plan was to link it to the James River and Kanawha Turnpike to provide passage through the most rugged portions of the mountains. The goal was to reach the Kanawha River at its head of navigation, about 30 miles (50 km) east of today's Charleston, West Virginia . The portage necessary made competition with railroads along the same route a real threat. Construction of a planned railroad there

6992-569: The population has begun recovering: the 2020 census reports a population of 309,317, representing a 4.2% increase from 296,943 in 2010. This marked the first increase in population recorded since the 1950 Census, reversing a 60-year trend of population decline. At the 2020 census, there were 309,317 people, 138,696 households, and 62,319 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,809.9 inhabitants per square mile (1,471.0/km ). There were 161,095 housing units at an average density of 2,066.9 per square mile (798.0/km ). The racial makeup of

7084-460: The rail line to Cincinnati , as well as massing forces across the Ohio River to protect the B&O in the event Virginia voted for secession. In response, Porterfield burned two bridges on the main B&O line (at Farmington and Mannington) and one on the Parkersburg line. McClellan responded by sending B&O freight agent Benjamin F. Kelley , who had moved to Wheeling in 1826 and commanded

7176-554: The smaller bateaux. Mules and horses pulled the packets along the towpaths. Locks were necessary at points where the river had rapids. The American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 each slowed construction. Work was slow, expensive, and very labor-intensive through the rocky terrain of Virginia's Piedmont region, a transitional area between the sandy coastal plain and the mountains. The early congregation of St. Peters Church in Richmond consisted mostly of Irish immigrants who worked on

7268-620: The still-dangerous Ohio River steamboats. Meanwhile, another rival line, the Pennsylvania Railroad (which moved passengers and freight to Philadelphia) sought connections to western Virginia at Wheeling (via the Hempfield Railroad) as well as to Marietta, Ohio (10 miles north of Parkersburg; via the Pittsburgh and Connellsville Railroad). Both Union and Confederate forces recognized the strategic importance of

7360-674: The top of Mount Auburn that year.   In 1889, the Cincinnati streetcar system began converting its horse-drawn cars to electric streetcars . The Second Annual Meeting of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union was held in Cincinnati in November 1875. In 1880, the city government completed the Cincinnati Southern Railway to Chattanooga, Tennessee . It was the only municipally-owned interstate railway in

7452-636: The upcoming secession vote. Meanwhile, President Lincoln appointed George B. McClellan (who had resigned from the Regular Army in 1857 to run railroads, first as chief engineer of the Illinois Central Railroad then as President of the Ohio and Mississippi Railroad ), as commander of the Department of the Ohio. McClellan quickly moved to protect the railroads in his jurisdiction, sending troops and cannon to Marietta to protect

7544-494: The warmer months, and tornadoes , while infrequent, are not unknown, with such events striking the Metro Cincinnati area most recently in 1974, 1999, 2012, and 2017. See or edit raw graph data . In 1950, Cincinnati reached its peak population of 503,998; thereafter, it lost population in every census count from 1960 to 2010. In the late 20th century, industrial restructuring caused a loss of jobs. More recently,

7636-682: The way. Visitors can also visit the Three-Mile Locks at Pump House Park, located behind the Carillon in William Byrd Park . This park is located three 3 miles (5 km) upstream from the canal's turning basin. It contains parts of the old 18th century locks, lockkeeper's house, the City's historic 1883 water pumping station originally called the New Pump-House , and its replacement, the 1924 pumping station. The City

7728-633: The yearly 42.5 inches (1,080 mm) of precipitation, with rainfall peaking in spring. Extremes range from −25 °F (−32 °C) on January 18, 1977, up to 108 °F (42 °C) on July 21 and 22, 1934. While snow in Cincinnati is not as intense as many of the cities located closer to the Great Lakes, there have been notable cases of severe snowfall, including the Great Blizzard of 1978 , and more notable snowstorms in 1994, 1999 , 2007 , and 2021 . Severe thunderstorms are common in

7820-484: Was a partially built canal in Virginia intended to facilitate shipments of passengers and freight by water between the western counties of Virginia and the coast. Ultimately its towpath became the roadbed for a rail line following the same course. Encouraged by George Washington , the canal project was begun in 1785 as the James River Company, and later restarted under the James River and Kanawha Canal Company. It

7912-482: Was a young man surveying the mountains of western Virginia, which at the time consisted of what is today West Virginia , Kentucky , and to the north bank of the Ohio river. He was searching for a way to open a water route to the West. He believed that was the key to helping Virginia become an economic powerhouse in what would emerge as the United States quite a few years later. In those times, waterways were

8004-423: Was also important. The first established Methodist class in the Northwest Territory came 1797 to nearby Milford . By 1879, there were 162 documented church edifices in the city. For this reason, from the beginning, Protestantism has played a formative role in the Cincinnati ethos. Christ Church Cathedral continues the legacy of the early Anglican leaders of Cincinnati, noted by historical associations as being

8096-627: Was an expensive project which failed several times financially and was frequently damaged by floods. Though largely financed by the Commonwealth of Virginia through the Virginia Board of Public Works , it was only half completed by 1851, reaching Buchanan , in Botetourt County . When work to extend it further west stopped permanently, railroads were overtaking the canal as a far more productive mode of transportation. After

8188-526: Was at the time president of the Society, made up of Continental Army officers of the Revolutionary War. The club was named for Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus , a dictator in the early Roman Republic who saved Rome from a crisis and then retired to farming because he did not want to remain in power, becoming a symbol of Roman civic virtue . Cincinnati began in 1788 when Mathias Denman, Colonel Robert Patterson , and Israel Ludlow landed at

8280-666: Was chartered. Construction began soon after, to connect Cincinnati with the Mad River and Lake Erie Railroad, and provide access to the ports of the Sandusky Bay on Lake Erie . During the time, employers struggled to hire enough people to fill positions. The city had a labor shortage until large waves of immigration by Irish and Germans in the late 1840s. The city grew rapidly over the next two decades, reaching 115,000 people by 1850. During this period of rapid expansion and prominence, residents of Cincinnati began referring to

8372-584: Was completed along Freedom Way in Downtown, honoring the city's involvement in the Underground Railroad. In 1859, Cincinnati laid out six streetcar lines; the cars were pulled by horses and the lines made it easier for people to get around the city. By 1872, Cincinnatians could travel on the streetcars within the city and transfer to rail cars for travel to the hill communities. The Cincinnati Inclined Plane Company began transporting people to

8464-490: Was delayed by the American Civil War . However, both war damage and interruption in the flow of commerce along the canal did great harm to it. Railroads began to emerge as a more efficient form of transportation in the 1830s, midway in the canal's construction. In spite of the appointment of former Confederate general Armistead Lindsay Long as Chief Engineer following his service in the Civil War (1861–1865), damage which

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