Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Railroad Approach to Cincinnati, OH 1875

This is the first of a three part series on how various railroads worked their way to Cincinnati, OH.


APPROACHES TO CINCINNATI BY RAIL.
There are five railroad depots, at either of which the traveler who 'approaches Cincinnati by rail is laid down. The Cincinnati, HamilTon And Dayton Depot, the Plum Street Depot, the Ohio And Mississippi Depot, and the Litte Miami Depot are in the city. The Kentucky Central Depot is in Covington.
The Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton Depot is the terminus of the Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton Railroad; the Atlantic and Great Western Railroad, or Erie Railway; the Cincinnati, Richmond and Chicago Railroad; the Dayton and Michigan Railroad; and the Cincinnati, Hamilton and Indianapolis Railroad.

APPROACH NO. 1.
All trains over the five roads named pass through the suburbs, as follows:
Hamilton—25 miles, with 13,000 inhabitants. Situated on the Great Miami Riven An important manufacturing town. Has many fine public buildings and extensive manufactories. The home of a large number of Cincinnati merchants.
Glendale—On the right, 15 miles, with 1,500 inhabitants. An incorporated village; laid out in 1851. Possesses several handsome churches and an extensive female college. One of the quietest, handsomest, and most retired suburbs of the city; the home of many of Cincinnati's wealthiest citizens. It is only eleven miles from here by the fine turnpike that leads to the city.
After leaving Glendale the line crosses Mill Creek four times before reaching the depot.
Lockland and Wyoming Station—12 miles; both incorporated villages. Lockland—On the left, with about 1,200 inhabitants. An old established place, situated on the Miami and Erie Canal; bounded on the east by the C, O, C. & I. R. R. (Dayton Short Line), with depot. A thriving place. Possesses some manufactories. Is joined on the east to the incorporated village of Reading, with 3,000 inhabitants. Wyoming—On the right, with about 800 inhabitants. A new place, situated on the Glendale turnpike. The hills of Wyoming, which are crowned with many handsome residences, command an extensive and wide-spread view of the beautiful Mill Creek Valley. The handsome church and most of the fine residences around it seen from the cars were dense woods only a few years ago.
Hartwell—On the left, lOf miles, with 300 inhabitants. Laid out in 1868 by the Hamilton County Building Association. The dwellings are all new, commodious, and of pleasing architecture. Is one of the most beautiful suburbs in the valley.
The large building on the right after leaving Hartwell is the City Infirmary; on the left, the Hamilton County fair grounds and the County Infirmary.
Carthage—On the left, 10 miles, with 1,000 inhabitants. An old established place. A favorite drive from the city by the Avenue road.
The extensive building on high ground to the left is the Longview Lunatic Asylum. The Miami and Erie Canal runs through the asylum grounds between the building and the railroad track. A double track on this line commences here to the city.
WintonPlace—On the right, 64 miles, with about 100inhabitants. A new village upon the borders of the celebrated Spring Grove Cemetery.
On the left is seen the Catholic church and the cemetery of St. Bernard.
The train now enters the beautiful grounds of Spring Grove Cemetery and passes through a line of stately monuments. On the right is visible the Dexter mausoleum, the finest tomb in the place. It is built on the borders of a, small lake, which is crossed by a rustic bridge. There are swans and numerous water-fowl around the lake; and in the Summer time the groves resound with the song of imported and domestic birds. The street-cars come out to the gate of the cemetery, a distance of 6J mile's.
After leaving the cemetery grounds the hills forming the western boundary of Clifton, the finest suburb of the city, become visible on the left, and before arriving at the next station the splendid mansions of Probasco, Shoenberger, and Mrs. Bowler are seen on their summits.
Cumminsville—5 miles, with 4,000 inhabitants. When the whistle sounds for this station the train passes through the exact site on which stood, in the year 1800, a fortification called Ludlow Station. It was the nearest secure military post north of Fort Washington at Cincinnati. The army of General St. Clair was encamped on this spot in 1791. This was the place of last resort by the Indians of the Miami Valley. General Mansfield lived here for a number of years. Cumminsville was founded in 1790. It was for many years an incorporated village, but is now a part of the 25th Ward of Cincinnati. It possesses seven churches of different denominations, some of which are fine buildings. There are two public-schools and a Catholic Orphan Asylum. A large number of beer gardens make it quite a resort for the city. The Marietta Railroad and the Dayton Short Line Railroad have a depot on the left.
From this point to the city the line runs close to Mill Creek, and a little further on at the base of the Western Hills.
The conspicuous red brick building with a turret rising from the roof, and situated on a hill to the right, was originally built as a Baptist educational establishment. It was afterward owned by the Cincinnati Schutzenfest Society as a Summer beer-garden and resort. It is now an Inebriate Asylum.
The large stone building on the left is the House of Refuge. The extensive brick building quite close to it is the city Work House.
After passing these buildings the stock-yards, or cattle market, with their Avenue Hotel, come into view on the left, as also the Avenue, along which, in favorable weather, many fast teams, driven by the sporting men of the city, may be seen from the cars.
Brighton—2 miles, on the left; another station within the city.
From this point to the depot a view of the west end of the city and its surrounding high hills may be obtained. A large proportion of the streets seen to the left have been built within the last few years. The process of filling up the low ground at each side of the creek is being pushed forward very rapidly, and when accomplished the view from the cars in this direction will be less extensive.
The Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton Railroad Depot, corner of Fifth and Hoadley Streets, is within fifteen minutes' walk of the Postoffice. Erected in 1864; length 400 feet; width 60 feet. Has a ladies' and gentlemen's waiting room, a restaurant, and telegraph office. Sidings will accommodate 800 freight cars. Every twenty-four hours twelve passenger and five freight Cincinnati, Hamilton And Dayton Railroad Depot.
trains arrive, and the same number depart from the depot. The officers of the road have their offices in the second story of the building. A round-house, capable of housing twenty-five locomotives, and extensive machine shops, employing forty-five machinists in building and repairing, are located alongside the depot.
Cincinnati Hamilton & Dayton Railroad Depot

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