The importance of the Ohio River in the life of Cincinnati can be compared to the arteries in your body. The Ohio was the life blood of Cincinnati in its first 100+ years and kept it thriving. The arrival of the railroad of course lessened its importance to a large degree but it still remains a vital path for goods essential to the growth of this country. The riverfront has been the focal point of all this activity ever since the city sprang up out of the wilderness. Here are a few pieces of trivia to demonstrate the importance of the public landing, which is that part of the riverfront which is directly between the Ohio River and downtown Cincinnati:
In 1829 nearly 500 steamboats arrived at the public landing.
You could find as many as 40 steamboats at a time docked at the landing by 1840.
In 1852 there were 8000 recorded arrivals, which works out to 1 steamboat arriving every hour.
By the end of the Civil War, 1,000,000 passengers and 2,500,000 tons of freight were annually transported on the Ohio River.
By 1900 these figures rose to 4,000,000 passengers and 14,000,000 tons of freight.
These 8 cards show the area west (down river) of the Suspension Bridge.
a REALLY retouched
image
The cards below show the public landing and the area around as seen from the Kentucky shore line, the Suspension Bridge, and from the Cincinnati shore. Something to watch for: steamboats always docked facing up-stream.
The same steamboat is drawn into the three center cards.
Real Photo view from Newport, KY
Real
Photo
Same image
A very rare view on a
Two real photo postcards
PMC mailed in June 1899
Rare Private Mailing Card
The 2nd image above is of the public landing in the 1890s. In the foreground is the last of the Telegraphs belonging to the Louisville and Cincinnati Packet Co. In the lower right corner is either the Congo or the Carrolton, sister boats of the Telegraph. You can always tell which boats belonged to the Louisville and Cincinnati Packet Co. by the double white stripes on their smokestacks. Out in the river, the City of Louisville is in tow of the Hercules Carrel.
Same image
Very rare Real Photo
PC
The 2 Conoco cards above were produced by the Conoco
Oil Company and were available at all the Conoco Service Stations around the
country. You notice I said "Service Station" instead of gasoline
station. In the pre-war years up to the 70s, gasoline stations were actually
fighting to win your loyalty. Gasoline stations were actually manned by
attendants that "serviced" your car quickly and in a friendly manner.
The Touraide was Conoco's way of winning you over to their gas. The Touraide was
a set of personalized maps plotting the best or most scenic route for a family
vacation. Instead of having a huge map that you had to constantly fold and
re-fold you were sent a customized spiral-bound travel directory. The pages of
this book contained portions of road maps showing the route of your trip, which
was highlighted, to and from your destination. It also contained information
about roadside attractions, motels, road conditions, and of course the location
of the next Conoco Station.
You got your Touraide by sending in the route you wanted to take on
a postcard and whether you wanted to take the "quickest" way or the
"Scenic" route. If you wanted both each route would be highlighted in
its own color. This was all free.
7" x 9" Jumbo card
This is shanty Town which was on the east side of the mouth of the Mill Creek. To see more of Shanty Town, go to the Flood and Ice Gorge page in the Disasters section.
Sawyer Point
