DELHI is
one of the smallest townships in the county. It is
triangular in shape, bounded on the north by Miami and
Green, on the east by Cincinnati, and on the south and
west by the Ohio river. Rapid run drains a large
part of its territory. The name of this stream is
most appropriate, as its descent from the uplands to the
river is certainly rapid. In the eastern part of
the township the principal stream is Bold Face creek.
Trautman's run empties into the Ohio river at the
railroad station of that name. Muddy creek flows
through the extreme northwestern part of the township.
The principal public highways are the Warsaw and Delhi
pikes and the Lower River road, all of which cross the
township from east to west. There are numerous
lateral roads, and the most important is the Anderson
Ferry road, a continuous and direct line of travel from
the river to the northern line of the township.
The Ohio & Mississippi and Cleveland, Cincinnati,
Chicago & St. Louis railroads traverse the southern part
of the township.
This township was among the earliest settled in the
county. Here it was that John Cleves Symmes
projected the village of South Bend. It was laid
out in 1789, as shown by the following interesting
extract from a letter written by Judge Symmes in
February of that year: "North Bend being so well
improved by the buildings already erected and making,
and fresh applications every few days being made to me
for house lots, I was induced to lay off another village
about seven miles up the Ohio from North Bend, being one
mile in front of the river. The ground was very
eligible for the purpose, and I would have continued
farther up and down the river, but was confined between
the two reserved sections. This village I call
South Bend, from its being contiguous to the most
southerly point of land in the Purchase." Its
location was near the mouth of Trautman's run, at the
railroad station of that name. Already there were
several settlers here, and the Judge entertained high
hopes for the future of the place. Situated as it
was near the center of the Purchase, he was ambitious
that it should become the county seat, and thought that
if a detachment of troops should be stationed there it
would develop rapidly. But, as in the case of
North Bend, his hopes were completely frustrated;
Cincinnati was made the location of hte military post,
and South Bend relapsed into insignificance. A
detachment of twenty soldiers was, however, stationed
here in 1791, at which time there was a population of
about a score of families. Prominent among these
early residents was Timothy Symmes, a brother of
the Judge, and a justice in Sussex county, New Jersey,
prior to his immigration to the West. He died here
in 1797. South Bend scarcely retains a place in
the traditions of the locality. It was formerly
the designation of the railroad station, but is now
perpetuated only as the name of the school at that
point.
This region early enjoyed the advantages of municipal
organization. In 1795 South Bend township was
erected with the following boundaries: "Beginning
at the second meridian west of Mill creek; thence down
the Ohio six miles and over; thence north on a meridian
to the Big Miami; thence up that stream to the southwest
corner of Colerain township; thence east to the meridian
first named; thence south to the place of beginning."
The first township officers were William Powell,
clerk; James Thatcher, constable; William
Powell and Robert Gowdy, overseers of the
poor; Uzal Bates, supervisor of highways;
David Edgar, James Gowdy, and Edward Cowan,
viewers of inclosures and appraisers of damages.
The exact date of the separate erection of Delhi can
not be given, but it is generally supposed to have
occurred fifteen or twenty years after the organization
of South Bend. VILLAGES.
Riverside is an
incorporated village, extending from Anderson Ferry to
Bold Face creek, which separates it from the city of
Cincinnati. It has a river front of three miles,
but is comparatively narrow, the crest of the river hill
forming the northern boundary.
Commencing on the
.........................................
Delhi includes within its corporate limits
both the village of that name and the town if
Industry. The last named was platted by
James Cooper, county surveyor, for James and
Samuel H. Goodin, by whom it was acknowledged and
dedicated Oct. 15, 1847. Its early industries
included a flourmill, match factory,
...............................................
Home City - The site of this village was
once owned, wholly or in part, by a Mr. Taylor
and a Mr. Gano. The last named conducted
here an establishment for the boarding of fine horses.
From him, in all probability, it passed to a Mr.
Mackey, a Scotchman by birth, who amassed a fortune
in the West Indies and subsequently
[Portrait of JOHN WENTZEL]
Warsaw
is situated upon the pike of that name in the
northeastern part of the townshisps. It is
virtually a continuation of Price Hill, which it adjoins
on the east. At Warsaw is located Mt. St. Vincent
Academy. RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS.
The first
Baptist Church in the western
part............................................
Shiloh
Methodist Episcopal Church.........................
Maria zum
Siege Catholic Church.................
St. Aloysius
Catholic Church, Delhi ..........................
St. John's
Evangelical Protestant Church.....................
The First
Presbyterian Church of
Delhi..............................
Church of
Atonement - A meeting .......................
Delhi
Methodist Episcopal Church - The first
............................
The
Riverside Congregational Church was organized
...........................
The
Riverside Methodist Episcopal Church was organized
at the home of Misses Emmeline and Hannah Atkins
Jan. 6, 1886. Noah Page and Elijah
Gregory were the first class leaders. The home
of the Misses Atkins was the place of
worship for five years. The present frame church
building was dedicated Mar. 15, 1891, by Bishop I. W.
Joyce.
The Colored Baptist Church at Home City was
built in 1890.
Delhi township is the location of two well-known
Catholic institutions, the Mother House of the
Sisters of Mercy and St. Aloysius' Orphan Asylum on
Mt. Alverno. The Order of Sisters of Mercy was
introduced into the United States in 1808, when the
institution at Emmittsburg, Md., was established.
In 1852 a novitiate was opened in Cincinnati at St.
Peter's Orphan's Home, corner of Plum and Third Streets.
Seven Sisters originally composed the society. Its
course has been uniformly prosperous. The property
in Delhi townshp is extensive and valuable, and the
institution is represented in a large number of schools,
hospitals, etc. the institution at Norwood, in
this county, is under its immediate control..
St. Aloysius' Orphans' Home was established in 1837,
and was conducted at Cincinnati for some years. It
comprises a valuable tract of ground, and extensive and
substantial buildings. The management is conducted
by Brothers of the Order of St. Francis.
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