CHAPTER XXXVIII. - OK
FROM THE SEMI-CENTENNIAL TO THE WAR - III.
NOTABLE EVENTS OF THE "FORTIES."

A NEW ERA - THE COFFEE HOUSES - THE GAS CONTRACT - THE BANK RIOT OF 1842 -
DICKENS IN CINCINNATI - SOCIAL FUNCTIONS - THE ELECTION OF HARRISON TO THE PRESIDENCY -
THE CINCINNATI HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY - GRAPE CULTURE - PUGH & ALVORD'S FIRE -
THE CINCINNATI OBSERVATORY - THE WESLEYAN CEMETERY - THE MILLERITES -
THE CINCINNATI HISTORICAL SOCIETY - CINCINNATUS - SPRING GROVE CEMETERY -
THE CINCINNATI LAW LIBRARY ASSOCIATION - THE FIRST RAILROAD -
THE FLOOD OF 1847 - THE RIOT OF 1848 - THE YOUNG MEN'S ASSOCIATION -
THE OHIO MECHANICS' INSTITUTE - THE CHOLERA OF 1849 -
THE LITERARY CLUB OF CINCINNATI - THE YEAR OF MURDERS

A NEW ERA

     The beginning of the second half century of Cincinnati's life was signalized by its first lasting experience in municipal ownership.  On Jan. 23, 1839, it purchased the rights and property of the Cincinnati Water Works Company for the sum of $300,000.
     The same year was established the first Superior Court of the city of David K. ESTE as judge and Daniel GANO as clerk.
     The portrait of this latter worthy with his elaborately ruffled shirt adorned with its magnificent breast pin and his old-fashioned Revolutionary plaited queue tied with a black ribbon and hanging down his back between his shoulders is familiar to every Cincinnatian. 
     Daniel GANO was for many years one of the most interesting figures in Cincinnati life.  He was born near the mouth of the Little Miami River on May 29, 1794, and died at Cincinnati Aug. 17, 1873.  He was a grandson of the Baptist Minister, Rev. John GANO, and the son of the latter's fourth surviving son, John Stites GANO, who was one of the original settlers at Columbia.  John S. GANO, it will be remembered, married a daughter of Judge William GOFORTH.  During the infancy of Daniel GANO, his parents removed to Columbia to Cincinnati where he attended the school kept in Fort Washington by Edward HARRIGAN.  At the age of 13 he rode 1,100 miles on horseback to Providence, Rhode Island, where he entered Brown University.  He soon returned to Cincinnati and became assistant clerk and afterwards deputy in the office of his father then clerk of the County Court.  Upon the resignation of his father, the latter removed to Covington.  Daniel GANO succeeded him as clerk which position he continued to hold, with the intermission of a short period when it was held by General HARRISON, until 1856 at which time he retired, some 45 years after he first entered into the office.  When 18 years of age he was commissioned as aide to his father who was then major-general.  Upon the appointment of James FINDLAY to succeed his father, he received a new commission with the rank of major.  He took a large part in preparing the soldiers for the War of 1812.  He was particularly interested in the location of the Miami Canal and had five canal boats built and equipped.  He was also interested in all kinds of live stock and published a work on horses.  At the time of the visit of Lafayette to the city in 1824, the distinguished Frenchman was entertained by Major GANO at the latter's house.  In his later life he became interested in all kinds of live stock and published a work on horses.  At the time of the visit of Lafayette to the city in 1824, the distinguished Frenchman was entertained by Major GANO at the latter's house.  In his later life he became interested in Dr. Samuel THOMPSON's botanical system of medicine and in an amateur way gave some attention to the practice of medicine.  He also became interested in animal magnetism and spiritualism.  He was an earnest advocate of the abolition of slavery.  He married Rebecca Hunt LAWRENCE, daughter of Benjamin LAWRENCE, by whom he had six children of whom but two survived their  father.  His son Stephen survived until 1903.
     Almost at the end of the year (1839) died one of Cincinnati's most brilliant young men, the son and father of distinguished citizens: General LYTLE the second.
     Robert T. LYTLE was a son of the celebrated Gen. William LYTLE and grandson of the Revolutionary soldier, Col. William LYTLE.  He was born at Lytlestown, afterwards Williamsburg, Ohio, on Dec. 9, 1804, and died at New Orleans, Dec. 22, 1839.  He was educated at the Cincinnati College and afterwards studied at the Cincinnati College and afterwards studied law with his uncle Judge Rowan at Louisville.  He returned to Cincinnati to engage in the practice of the law in 1824.  He was subsequently elected to the Legislature and in 1832 to Congress, defeating Col. N. G. PENDLETON.  In October of the following year, being offended at some criticisms with relation to the manner of his election, he resigned and submitted himself once more to the electors at the November election.  He was triumphantly elected once more.  A year later he was defeated by Bellamy STORER, although running at the head of his ticket.  During his term in Congress he became specially noted for his support of the Jackson administration and he was subsequently appointed surveyor general of the Northwest Territory, an office previously held by his father.  Upon the death of Maj. - Gen. James FINDLAY, he was appointed major-general of the Ohio militia.  He was repeatedly urged to run for the governorship and from 1836 was asked to become a candidate for the United States, but his health would not permit any further political life.  He was finally obliged to go South where he died in the midst of a brilliant career.  Gen. Robert LYTLE was regarded as one of the most brilliant young men who had ever lived in Cincinnati.  As an orator he has never been surpassed and he was capable of arousing the enthusiasm of his audience to a degree equaled by few men of this time.  He was married at Cincinnati on Nov. 30, 1825, to Elizabeth HAINES.  Their children were: Gen. William Haines LYTLE who died at Chickamauga and two daughters, one of whom became the wife of Nathaniel FOSTER and the other that of Samuel BROADWELL.
     Almost the last public appearance of General LYTLE were at the various meetings held in 1839 with reference to the negro colonization scheme.  He was the originator of the "Abhorrence Meeting" held Mar. 9, 1839.
     Other deaths of the year were those of Morgan NEVILLE and John BARTLE.
     The well known Union Bethel was organized for mission work in January, 1839.  Its first headquarters were in the old Commercial Row on the river bank.  It was originally under the patronage of the Western Seaman's Friend Society.  Subsequently the Boatman's Bethel Society was formed and the school for a time was removed to East Front street near Pike to the "Old Museum" building, but after three years it returned to its original location.
     The Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce, which has always taken a prominent part in the public affairs of the city, was organized on Oct. 22, 1839.  At first it met but once a month in the rooms of the Mercantile Library.  Seven years later the Chamber was combined with the Merchants' Exchange, and in 1850 the institution was chartered under the name of the Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce and Merchants' Exchange.  The president at the time of the organization in 1839 was Griffin TAYLOR. 
     During the year 1840 and the Young Men's Mercantile Library Association which had been in existence since 1822 moved its quarters to the old Cincinnati College Building on Walnut street, and this has been the site of the library since that date.  At that time the College Building opened on to a garden on the south which extended to the corner of Fourth street and was planted with shrubbery and trees.
     On the night of March 31, 1840, a disastrous fire destroyed the celebrated Frank's Museum, the successor to the Western and Dorfeuille museums.

THE COFFEE HOUSES.

     During the first year of this period the ever recurring liquor question occupied a large part of the time of the City Council whose proceedings were largely devoted to granting licenses to coffee houses.  The prices at which these licenses were fixed varied from $25 to $150, - almost a prohibitive sum at that time, - and the lobbying with members of the Council to procure favorable action became a public scandal

MORE COMING.............................................

THE GAS CONTRACT.

THE BANK RIOT OF 1842.

DICKENS IN CINCINNATI.

SOCIAL FUNCTIONS.

THE ELECTION OF HARRISON TO THE PRESIDENCY.

THE CINCINNATI HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY.

GRAPE CULTURE.

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the village of Harrison, 25 miles away, where it joined the White Water Canal of Indiana.  A freshet in 1846 damaged it quite materially and a year later it was relocated at its Harrison terminus upon higher ground.  It was finally abandoned in 1863 and its bed, euphoniously called the "ditch," is the entrance for trains using the Central Union Station at Central avenue and Pearl as well as the freight depot just below that point.
     Another event of the year was the death three days before Christmas of one who had been one of the most prominent citizens, both in business and political circles, - ex-Mayor Samuel W. Davies.
     Thirty miles of the Little Miami Railroad were opened to traffic during this year.

PUGH & ALVORD'S FIRE.

THE CINCINNATI OBSERVATORY.

THE WESLEYAN CEMETERY.

     A beautiful tract of 25 acres situated in the northwestern part of the city on the east bank of the west fork of Mill creek at what is now the northwest corner of Colerain avenue and Hoffner street, was opened in 1843.  By 1842 the old cemetery back of Wesley Chapel had become too small for the Methodists of the city and this lot at that time about five miles from the city, but now in the midst of a thickly settled community, was purchased.   The site was a beautiful one and the plan of the burying ground in accordance with the best ideas of the time.  Originally a small chapel was built on the grounds which was displaced in 1855 by a handsomer edifice of brick.

THE MILLERITES.

     The year of the presidential election of 1844 is remarkable for an extraordinary religious agitation, that of the Millerites.  The delusion of these people had been spreading for some 18 months through the West and had been propagated here with great zeal by Revs. Himes, Jacobs, and many others.  Religious services were carried on at first in the Cincinnati College Building but afterwards a tabernacle was erected on the southeast corner of seventh and John, a broad building 80 feet square but capable of seating 2,000 persons.  A newspaper, The Midnight Cry, was also established.  Miller, the author of this movement, had predicted that the second advent would take place with the close of 1843.  Unfortunately for the prophet the assigned period came and nothing happened.  A recalculation showed that the divine author had made a mistake and he fixed a day in March, 1844, as the proper date.  Once more the world continued after the day set for its destruction and finally Oct. 22, 1844, was selected as the critical time.  So confident were the disciples that for several days before the day of prophecy the faithful adventists gave up all labor.  An amusing story is told of one whose wife die not sympathize with his views.  He had abandoned work and on the following morning remained at home, and after sitting for sometime and seeing no signs of breakfast he made inquiries and was told in scriptural language that if a man will not work neither shall he eat and reminded of the fact that as he was about to be translated to another sphere he would not need foodl.  The gnawing pangs of hunger produced a compromise and on the promise of returning to work he obtained breakfast.  Mr. Cist gives an account of the final disappointment of these deluded enthusiasts:
     "All these periods were referred to in succession..... MORE TO COME UPON REQUEST

THE CINCINNATI HISTORICAL SOCIETY.

     The August, 1844, was organized in the Cincinnati Historical Society with James H. PERKINS as its first president.  The transfer in 1849 of the Historical and Philosophical Society of Ohio from Columbus to Cincinnati and the uniting of the two kindred societies resulted in the organization which today stands among the first institutions of the kind in the country.  The first president of the new organization was the poet W. D. GALLAGHER.

CINCINNATUS.

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SPRING GROVE CEMETERY.

     On Aug. 28, 1845, occurred the consecration of the new cemetery grounds known as Spring Grove Cemetery.  This event was the practical result of an agitation which had continued for a number of years and had culminated in an organization about a year before at a meeting at the house of Robert Buchanan at which were present a dozen or more of the most prominent citizens.  The ceremonies of the consecration were in charge of Rev. J. T. Brook and in them took part Judge John McLean, W. D. Gallagher and Lewis J. Cist.
     A disastrous fire of this year (January 19th) destroyed the well known College Building on Walnut street near the corner of Fourth.

THE CINCINNATI LAW LIBRARY ASSOCIATION.

THE FIRST RAILROADS.

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THE FLOOD OF 1847.

     The year 1847 was a great flood year, the water reaching its greatest height on the 17th of December, at which time it stood at 63 feet seven inches, ut eight inches below the flood of 1832.  The river never came within five feet of this height again until the floods of 1883 and 1884.  The river never ame within five feet of this height again until the floods of 1883 and 1884.  The high water of 1847 was naturally accompanied with much suffering but the flood of 1832 had been a warning which had been regarded by many and the city was not so seriously affected as before.  Many of the business houses had moved to higher ground in the meantime.
     Other noteworthy events of this year were the arrival of Levi Coffin in April and the receipt on August 21st by the local press of the first public telegraphic dispatch sent to the city.

THE RIOT OF 1848.

THE YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION.

THE OHIO MECHANICS' INSTITUTE.

THE CHOLERA OF 1849.

THE LITERARY CLUB OF CINCINNATI.

THE YEAR OF MURDERS.

     As if the horrors of the cholera were not sufficient, the year 1849 has passed into history as the year of murders.  The so-called HOWARD tragedy and trial came this year.  The latter excited the attention of the public who were in profound sympathy with the injured wife who had slain the woman who stole her name and husband.  Her acquittal was received with general satisfaction.  In May of this year John BRASHER, police officer, was slain by the burglar JONES who received a life sentence for the crime.
     The attempted wholesale poisoning of the SUMMONS family by a worthless son occurred in July.  The young man was convicted of murder in the first degree and sentenced to hang, but his conviction was set aside by the Supreme Court upon a technical error and when the time came for a retrial the most important witness for the State could not be found, having undoubtedly been spirited away.  SUMMONS finally escaped with a penitentiary sentence.
     The murder of one HARRISON by McCABE occurred in April of this year.

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