Glimpse history through fascinating old images of Cincinnati, Ohio.
Old Picture of Cincinnati
Old Photos of Cincinnati
Ingall’s Building
Cincinnati’s 1903 architectural wonder, the Ingall’s Building, was the first reinforced concrete skyscraper to be built anywhere in the world and led the movement of concrete high rise buildings.
Its historic status means since the 1970s it has been designated a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
In 2021, the Ingall’s building became the Courtyard by Marriott Cincinnati Downtown.
Cincinnati’s 1913 Floods
Between March 23 and 26 in 1913, several days of record-breaking heavy rain caused several rivers in the central and eastern United States to burst their banks, flooding vast areas, creating hundreds of million dollars of damage, and killing perhaps as many as 650 people, with 470 of those being in Ohio alone.
The event was termed the Great Flood of 1913.
Rapid flooding along Mill Creek, originating in Southeast Butler County, led to areas of Cincinnati finding itself underwater.
Cincinnati’s Car Strike 1931
On May 10, 1913, the New York Times printed the headline “CINCINNATI CAR STRIKE ON.; Trolley Men Quit and Power House Workers Vote to Join Them”.
On May 13, 1913, the same newspaper printed the headline “CAR UNION REJECTS PEACE.; Won’t End Cincinnati Strike Without Recognition of Itself”.
According to the archives of the California Digital Newspaper Collection, Center for Bibliographic Studies and Research, University of California, Riverside, the Sunday Mercury and Herald printed a headline on May 18, 1913, stating “NONUNION CREWS IN CINCINNATI BEATEN Rioting Continuous During the Day in Streetcar Strike, Three Badly Hurt, Mayor Files Petition Asking Appointment of Receiver for Traction Company”.
Here is an extract of the article:
“CINCINNATI, May 17. The streetcar strike situation is apparently beyond control of the local police. Mayor Hunt sent a request to the governor and Adjutant General Wood today for militia.
Governor Cox notified Mayor Hunt, of Cincinnati today that he did not think the situation there at this time was as sufficiently serious to warrant the sending of troops.
The first serious trouble of the day occurred when an attempt was made to start cars from the Brighton barns. Two cars had just left the barns when a large crowd surrounded them, pulling the crew from the cars and beat and kicked them. One of the imported men is believed to have been seriously injured.
Four cars were completely wrecked and left standing in the streets and the traction company had been forced to abandon all efforts to operate cars in the western section of the town while only a few cars were to be seen running through the resident district of Avondale and Walnut Hills.
The traction company at noon suspended its attempt to operate cars and all that were running in the morning were called into their barns.
Cox’ Reply Is a Rebuke.
In a rebuking telegram to Mayor Hunt of Cincinnati, Governor Cox refused today to call out the militia to quell disturbances in the Cincinnati streetcar strike. The telegram was in answer to a request that troops be ordered to the scene. “In view of your having placed no policemen on the cars, we do not believe the statement made that you have exhausted your resources, predicated on the facts” said the governor’s telegram.
Mayor Hunt had wired the governor early in the day: “There Is an imperative need for troops. We have exhausted our resources”
Mayor Hunt announced that he would have a petition filed In the common pleas court here this afternoon, asking that a receiver for the Cincinnati Traction company be appointed. The allegation will be that this action was necessary to protect the interests of the public.
Following the receipt of the telegram from Governor Cox, the mayor was not notified that a ruling by Attorney General Hogan held that it was in his power under the law to call out all the militia in this county without the sanction of the governor. Only three companies composed in all of 145 men are located here and the mayor dismissed the suggestion that he use these with the statement: “This force would be entirely inadequate”.
In the rioting an Elberon car was attacked at Fifth and Central avenues and partially wrecked. The conductor and motorman were severely beaten, and the quick work of the police in rescuing them probably saved their lives.
They were hurried to the hospital, where their condition is pronounced critical.
One hundred of the men imported here by the company and housed at the Avondale carbarn after hearing of attacks in other parts of the city immediately opened negotiations with the strikers and agreed to leave town if given safe escort. This is the first break in the ranks of these men.“
Cincinnati Before 1915
The old photos of Cincinnati taken between 1900 and 1915 that are showcased in this video take us back to a time when ladies in floor length skirts, horses and carts, and streetcars wandered through the Downtown streets.
Old photos of Cincinnati(Ohio)1900-1915 – oldstuff4all
River Race 1916
Just 25 seconds of film footage show historic images of a river race that took place at Cincinnati in 1916, with the Ohio Valley Championship.
It’s a great look at the old fashioned boats which floated about on the river at that time.
Cincinnati river race (1916) – British Pathé on YouTube
Winter Fire 1920
With temperatures below zero, Cincinnati’s firefighters had great trouble dealing with a major blaze in the winter of 1920.
There’s a great shot of a tug on the river, with firemen on board pointing their hoses at the tea and spice warehouse fire.
The walk up the stairs being flooded with water just looks lethal!
Fire In Winter Cincinnati (1920) – British Pathé on YouTube
Paper Collapses Building 1930
In 1930, a four-storey warehouse collapsed in Cincinnati, said to be caused by overloading tons of rolls of paper inside.
It doesn’t look like much paper until you see them men standing besides the rolls.
“It’s The Last Straw Etc…” (1930) – British Pathé on YouTube
More Pictures of Old Cincinnati
Old Cincinnati Ohio, USA, enjoyed through historic photos, vintage pictures & archive film. Browse history in these fascinating old images of a bygone era on my Pinterest board at https://uk.pinterest.com/LocalHistoryVideos/cincinnati-ohio-old-photos-pictures/
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