Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1848-07-07
MISCELLANEOUS.

BY c BURNETT.

This beautiful city, noted for the s]plendor
of It's buildings and the many societies Of
learning and religion which it contains-has
arisen from the wilderness within a compare
lively brief period Of time-little over half a
century. In the summer of 1888, Matthias
Denman, who had purchased of John Cleyes
Symmes the fraction Of land opposite the
mouth Of Licking river, visited his purchase
for The purpose OF examining its situation, and
the advantages afforded by the surrounding
country. Having satisfied himself that he
possessed an eligible spot for the location of
a city, he returned to Limestone, and entered
into negotiations with Col. Patterson and a
Mr.. Filson. A co-partnership was at length
entered into, (each agreeing to pay Denman
a third Of the purchase money! by which
Col. Patterson was bound to exert his inlu-
ence in obtaining settlers, and Filson to sur
yey the contemplated town in the ensuing
spring, stake off the lots, and superintend the
sale. \ plan of the town was drafted, and
the name LosantevilIe, from h oS ante piie,
- the village opposite the mouth" adopted.
A more correct translation would unquestion-
ably be, the mouth before the village. Be
this as it may, the settlement then formed,
was Immediately designated by the name of
the projected town, although the town itself
was never laid out. From these facts a some
what general belief has prevailed that the orr
ginaI name Of the city Of Cincinnati was Lo-
santpville, and that through the influence Of
Gov. St. CLAIR and others, the name was
abandoned and the name of Cincinnati sub
stituted. This impression, although a ma
tural one, is nevertheless erroneous, as the rea-
der will discover by the subsequenIscourse OF
events.
Patterson and Filson, with a party of set
tiers, proceeded 10 the mouth of the Licking,
where they arrived late in December. About
this time, Mr.. Filson accompanied Judge
Symmes on an exploring expedition. The
party had advanced but thirty or forty miles
in the wilderness when Fiison, without as
signing any cause, determined TO return, but
was killed by the Indians before he reached
the Ohio. No part Of the consideration hav-
ing been paid, his contract with Denman ter
minated at his death.
Mr.. Denman, being yet at Limestone. i'm
mediately entered into another contract with
Col. Patterson and Israel Ludlow, by which
the latter was TO perform the duties which
had been required Of the unfortunate Filson.
A new plan of a town was formed, differing
materially from the former, both in respect
to the public square and the names OF the
streets. The name of Losanteville also was
rejected, and that of Cincinnati substituted.
Late in the succeeding autumn, Col. Ludlow
commenced a survey OF the town, which has
since become the Queen City of the West.
Such is a brief outline of the projection OF
this great city. | will now pass over a Pc
Rod of sons years, and direct the attention
of the reader TO its appearance upon my arrl-
val, near the close of the eighteenth century.
At that time Cincinnati was a small village
of log cabins, with a few rough, unfinished
frame houses with their huge projecting stone
chimneys, scattered here and there. Not a
brick had then been made in the place where
now can be seen SO many splendid e%difces,
and where a population is found estimated at
nearly one hundred thousand souls.
The city stands on a lower and upper plane.
The lower plane extends back from the river
about siX,y-five or seventy rods, and is about
sixty feet above low water mark. The upper
plane is about forty feet higher than the low
er and extends north, an average distance Of
a mile and a half TO the bottom of the hills.
For several years subsequent to the laying out
of the town, the surface of the ground at the
base of the upper level was lower than on
the margin of the river; in consequence of
W DlCH q lllOldSo IA " AANhuN
the entire length of the town, and subjected
the inhabitants during the summer months to
ague and fever.
Fort Washington was the most consplcu-
Gus object in the city. This structure stood
between Third and Fourth streets, East of
Broadway, which was then under the name
of Eastern Row, the Eastern boundary of the
town. II consisted OF several strongly built,
hewed log cabins, one story and a half in
height, designed for the soldiers barracks.
The better finished of these cabins were en-
ployed as officers quarters. They were SO
arrayed as to form a hollow square, embrace
ing about an acre Of ground with a strong
block-house at each angle, which was com-
posed of large logs, cut from the ground up
on which it stood. The artiicers' yard con-
tanned about two acres, upon which were
small buildings used as workshops and la
boreTs' quarters. Here also was situated the
"~yellow house, a building designed for the
Quarter-Master General.
Immediately behind the fort was a frame
house occupied by Col. Sargent, Secretary
of the Territory. On the East side of the
fort, DR.. Allison, the Surgeon-G General of the
army, had a frame dwelling, surrounded by
a spacious garden under high cultivation,
which was called - Peach Grove"
The Presbyterian Church stood on Main
street, in front Of the large brick building now
occupied by the First Presbyterian Congre-
CATION. 1t was a frame forty feet by thirty,
enclosed with clap-boards, but otherwise
rough and unfinished. The floor was boat
J plank, laid loosely on the s%leepers, and the