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Cincinnati

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The article refers to the city in Ohio. For information on the city in Iowa, see Cincinnati, Iowa.
Cincinnati, Ohio
Flag of Cincinnati, Ohio
Flag
Official seal of Cincinnati, Ohio
Seal
Nickname: 
The Queen City
Location in Hamilton County, Ohio
Location in Hamilton County, Ohio
Country
State
County		United States
Ohio
Hamilton
Government
 • MayorMark L. Mallory (D)
Population
 (2004)
 • City314,154
 • Metro
2,009,632
Time zoneUTC-5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
Websitehttp://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/
Founded1788
Incorporated1819

Cincinnati is a city in southwestern Ohio, United States that lies on the Ohio River and is the county seat of Hamilton CountyTemplate:GR. It is nicknamed "The Queen City" (also "The Queen of the West," "The Blue Chip City," "The City of Seven Hills" and "Cincinnata") and is sometimes abbreviated to "Cincy", "Cinci", "Cinti", or "the 'Nati".

As of the 2000 census, Cincinnati had a total population of 331,285, making it the third largest city in Ohio. It has a much larger metropolitan area covering parts of Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana, with more than 2,000,000 residents. It is home to major-league sports, including the Reds, the Bengals, and the historic international tennis tournament The Cincinnati Masters & Women's Open, as well as major corporations such as Procter & Gamble, Kroger, GE Infrastructure, Federated Department Stores (owner of Macy's, Bloomingdale's, and Lord & Taylor), Chiquita Brands International, Great American Insurance Company, The E. W. Scripps Company, the U.S. Playing Card Company and Fifth Third Bank.

History

Main article: History of Cincinnati, Ohio

Cincinnati was founded in 1788 by John Cleves Symmes and Colonel Robert Patterson. Surveyor John Filson (also the author of The Adventures of Colonel Daniel Boon (cq) Daniel Boone) named it "Losantiville"[1] from four terms, each of different language, meaning "The city opposite the mouth of the Licking River." "Ville" is French for "city," "anti" is Greek for "opposite," "os" is Latin for "mouth," and "L" was all that was included of "Licking River."

In 1790, Arthur St. Clair, the governor of the Northwest Territory, changed the name of the settlement to "Cincinnati" in honor of the Society of the Cincinnati, of which he was president. The society honored General George Washington, who was considered a latter day Cincinnatus—the Roman general who saved his city, then retired from power to his farm. To this day, Cincinnati in particular, and Ohio in general, are home to a disproportionately large number of descendants of Revolutionary War soldiers who were granted lands in the state.

In 1802, Cincinnati was chartered as a village, and in 1819, it was incorporated as a city. The introduction of steam navigation on the Ohio River in 1811 and the completion of the Miami and Erie Canal helped the city grow to 115,000 citizens by 1850. The nickname Porkopolis was coined around 1835, when Cincinnati was the country's chief hog packing center, and herds of pigs traveled the streets. Called the "Queen of the West" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (although this nickname was first used by a local newspaper in 1819), Cincinnati was an important stop on the Underground Railroad, which helped slaves escape from the South. Cincinnati is also known as the "City of Seven Hills," which is probably a romantic reference to Rome and Cincinnatus, though there is no agreement on the specific hills [2]to which the name refers (however, see discussion section).

Cincinnati was the site of many historical beginnings. It was the first city in the United States to establish a Jewish Hospital in 1850. It is where America's first municipal fire departmentwas established in 1853. Established in 1867, the Cincinnati Red Stockings (later, the Cincinnati Reds) became the world's first professional (all paid, no amateurs) baseball team in 1869. In 1935, major league baseball's first night game was played at Crosley Field. Cincinnati was the first to build and own a major railroad in 1880, a vital railway connection between east and west. In 1902, the world's first reinforced concrete skyscraper was built, the Ingalls Building. "The Sons of Daniel Boone", a forerunner to the Boy Scouts of America, began in Cincinnati in 1905. Because of the city's rich German heritage, the pre-prohibition era allowed Cincinnati to become a national forerunner in the brewing industry. During experimentation for 6 years (until 1939), Cincinnati's AM radio station, WLW was the first to broadcast at an astounding 500,000 watts. In 1943, King Records (and it's subsidiary, Queen Records) was founded, and went on to record early music by artists who became highly successful and influential in Country, R&B, and Rock. WCET TV was the first licensed public television station, established in 1954. In 1976, the Cincinnati Stock Exchange became the nation's first all-electronic trading market.

As a pioneer-era city, it compared with Pittsburgh and Nashville. As a "Riverboat" and canal-era city, it compared with Louisville, St. Louis and New Orleans. As an immigrant, industrial city it compared with Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Chicago, and Detroit.

Because of its river setting and extensive park system, many commentators have remarked on Cincinnati's beauty, including Winston Churchill, who called it "the most beautiful of America's inland cities." The city's picturesque skyline was used as a backdrop for the fictional city of Monticello on the soap opera The Edge of Night, one of the many soap operas sponsored by Cincinnati soap maker Procter & Gamble. In fact, Procter & Gamble created the genre of the "soap opera" when it helped launch the Ma Perkins radio program in 1933.

Politics

Currently, the City of Cincinnati generally votes Democratic, the rest of the metropolitan area generally votes Republican.

The city is governed by a nine-member city council, whose members are elected at large. Prior to 1924, city council was elected through a system of wards. The ward system lent itself to corruption and Cincinnati was run by the Republican political machine of Boss Cox from the 1880's through the 1920's with a few brief interludes. A reform movement arose in 1923, led by another Republican, Murray Seasongood. Seasongood eventually founded the Charter Committee, which used ballot initiatives in 1924 to eliminate the ward system and replace it with the current at-large system and also to introduce a city manager. From 1924 to 1957, the council was selected by proportional representation. As of 1957, all candidates run in a single race and the top nine vote-getters are elected (the "9-X system"). The mayor was selected by the council. Starting in 1987, the top vote-getter in the city council race automatically became mayor. Starting in 1999, the mayor was chosen in a separate election and the city manager accepted a lesser role in government; these reforms were referred to as the "strong mayor" reforms. Cincinnati politics includes the participation of the Charter Party, the third-party with the longest history of winning in local elections.

Race Relations

Ohio was a border state to the Southern slavery states. It was a focal point for huge commerce to the South as well as being a well known goal for runaway slaves as once they set foot in Cincinnati, they were officially out of slavery. Many local laws and incidents in history confound the prestine concept of it being a truly "free" city, as there were very famous incidents of riots, racial purges and tragic confrontations of runaway slaves or freeman kidnapped into bondage.

The neighborhoods in Cincinnati are highly segregated. This separation does not appear explicitly created in lawbooks or social procedures but is easily seen when considering the density of one racial domination of a particular area. There are neighborhoods of high integration between Whites and Blacks but these are usually surrounded by other areas which are much more polarized.

Underground Railroad

Cincinnati was an important port for the Underground Railroad in pre-Civil War times. It borders a slave state, Kentucky, and is often mentioned as a destination for many people escaping the bonds of slavery. There are many harrowing stories involving abolitionists, runaways, slave traders and free men.

The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, located in downtown Cincinnati on the banks of the Ohio River, largely focuses on the history of slavery in the U.S., but has an underlying mission of promoting freedom in a contemporary fashion for the world. Its grand opening ceremony was a gala event involving many national stars, musical acts, fireworks, and a visit from the current First Lady of the U.S. It is physically located between Great American Ballpark and Paul Brown Stadium, which were both built and opened shortly before the Freedom Center was opened.

History of Race Riots

There is a long history of racial tension between White and Black citizens in Cincinnati that have erupted violently.

There were race riots in the early 1800's.

  • 1829 Riots started by Whites terrorize the Black community. Thousands of Blacks leave for Canada.
  • 1836 a pro-slavery riot took place
  • 1841 Irish dock workers lashed out against Black dock workers and when the Black people fought back to prevent the assaulting group from rampaging through their community the Whites commandeered a 6-pound cannon and shot it through the streets of Cincinnati.
  • 1884 The deadliest riot in U.S. history took place. It was started by a White mob in reaction to their anger over a murder trial. 56 people were killed and the city's courthouse was burned down.
  • 1967 The first riots to be initiated by Blacks in Cincinnati occurred. The incident which sparked the violence was a domestic dispute between a Black couple which had gunfire involved but turned quickly into a race riot
  • 1968 After Martin Luther King Jr's death riots raged nationwide. Two people died.
  • 2001 Main article: 2001 Cincinnati Riots Sparked by the compounding tension and distrust of many of the Black community of the police. The death of 15 young Black males by police in a row, where no other races were killed, exacerbated the situation. During the high-profile Criminal trial of the officers who killed Roger Owensby, Jr, Timothy Thomas, another unarmed Black male, was killed by Ofc. Steven Roach during a foot pursuit. After a few days of protests at City Hall, riots broke out that lasted a few days.

Geography and climate

Geography

Cincinnati skyline at night, from the Kentucky shore.

Cincinnati is located at 39°8′10″N 84°30′11″W / 39.13611°N 84.50306°W / 39.13611; -84.50306 (39.136160, -84.503088).Template:GR

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 206.1 km² (79.6 mi²). 201.9 km² (78.0 mi²) of it is land and 4.1 km² (1.6 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 2.01% water.

The Cincinnati – Middletown Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), the 25th largest in the United States, has a population of 2,009,632. It includes the Ohio counties of Hamilton, Butler, Warren, Clermont and Brown, as well as the Kentucky counties of Boone, Bracken, Campbell, Gallatin, Grant, Kenton, and Pendleton, and the Indiana counties of Dearborn, Franklin, and Ohio.

Climate

Cincinnati's weather is temperate and seasonal. Summers are hot and humid with cool evenings. The mean annual temperature is 54 °F (12 °C), with an average annual snowfall of 32 inches (81.3 cm) and an average annual rainfall of 41 inches (1,040 mm). The wettest seasons are the spring and summer, although rainfall is fairly constant all year round. During the winter, particularly in January and February, several days of snow can be expected, allowing for winter sports, although snowfall is lighter than in most of Ohio. Winter temperatures range from 27 to 43 °F (−3 to 6 °C) and summer temperatures range from 66 to 86 °F (19 to 30 °C).Template:Mn The highest recorded temperature was 103.0 °F (39.4 °C) on 1988-08-17, and the lowest recorded temperature was −22 °F (−30 °C) on 1994-01-19.Template:Mn

Neighborhoods

See also: List of Cincinnati neighborhoods

Cincinnati's unique geography nestles its neighborhoods in small basins and the hillsides that overlook them. Because of this, many of the city's neighborhoods developed very strong identities. Today's outer neighborhoods such as Clifton and Carthage were originally settled as their own villages, with individual downtown sections of their own. Over-the-Rhine was an important neighborhood in German-American history. Also important to the city's landscape is the division into "East and West Sides." There has always been a light-hearted rivalry between the East Side, who "has the money and spends it," and the West Side, who "has the money and doesn't spend it." There are an assortment of classifications, but the separations only help to unite the city more.

Demographics

City of Cincinnati
Population by year [3]

1810 - 2,540
1820 - 9,642
1830 - 24,831
1840 - 46,338
1850 - 115,435
1860 - 161,044
1870 - 216,239
1880 - 255,139
1890 - 296,908
1900 - 325,902
1910 - 363,591
1920 - 401,247
1930 - 451,160
1940 - 455,610
1950 - 503,998
1960 - 502,550
1970 - 452,524
1980 - 385,457
1990 - 364,040
2000 - 331,285

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2003, there are 317,361 people, 166,012 households, and 72,566 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,640.5/km² (4,249.0/mi²). There are 166,012 housing units at an average density of 822.1/km² (2,129.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 52.97% White, 42.92% Black or African American, 0.21% Native American, 1.55% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.63% from other races, and 1.68% from two or more races. 1.28% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 148,095 households out of which 25.1% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 26.6% are married couples living together, 18.6% have a female householder with no husband present, and 51.0% are non-families. 42.8% of all households are made up of individuals and 11.1% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.15 and the average family size is 3.02.

The age distribution is 24.5% under the age of 18, 12.9% from 18 to 24, 31.6% from 25 to 44, 18.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 32 years. For every 100 females there are 89.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 85.6 males.

Although the city was ranked as one of the poorest cities in the United States in 2003, the median income for a household in the city is $29,493, and the median income for a family is $37,543. Males have a median income of $33,063 versus $26,946 for females. The per capita income for the city is $19,962. 21.9% of the population and 18.2% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 32.0% of those under the age of 18 and 14.8% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

There has been concerted effort by the local government to stem the tide of emigrants. The amount of those living in Cincinnati have decreased. Many of those leaving are living in the suburbs just outside of Cincinnati (often considered "Greater Cincinnati"), however, even considering the Greater Cincinnati area there has been an overall loss of population.Several reasons are mentioned for this phenomenon, including job opportunities, entertainment, racial tensions, education opportunities and others.

Fountain Square

Tyler Davidson Fountain, centerpiece of Fountain Square.

Fountain Square is a public square in downtown Cincinnati, located at Fifth Street and Vine. Its centerpiece is the landmark bronze Tyler Davidson Fountain. The square is a popular hardscape, surrounded by hotels, banks, department stores, and restaurants. The space was donated to the city of Cincinnati by prominent citizen Henry Probasco and dedicated on its completion in 1871 to his brother-in-law, Tyler Davidson. In 1998 the fountain underwent extensive restoration. In September 2005 the fountain was temporarily moved to the Cincinnati Art Museum while Fountain Square itself undergoes extensive renovation.

Fountain Square was featured in the credits of the television series WKRP in Cincinnati.

Riverfront

Being situated on the Ohio River, Cincinnati is home to several prominent bridges that connect the downtown to Covington, Kentucky and Newport, Kentucky, including the picturesque John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge; the Daniel Carter Beard Bridge (aka The Big Mac Bridge); and the Purple People Bridge.

Education

Cincinnati Public Schools operates the public schools in the city.

Media

Print

Cincinnati is served by two daily newspapers: The Cincinnati Enquirer, owned by the Gannett Co., and The Cincinnati Post, owned by the E.W. Scripps Company, as well as an African American newspaper (The Cincinnati Herald) and weekly newspapers CityBeat and CiN Weekly. The Cincinnati Business Courier [4] is a weekly business publication.

Television

Radio

See also: Category:Radio stations in Cincinnati, Ohio
  • These are the major talk and music radio stations in the Cincinnati area:
    • 55WKRC AM Talk Radio "The Talk Station" [5]
    • NewsRadio 700 WLW AM "The Big One" [6]
    • Sacred Heart Radio 740 AM [7]
    • News Talk 1160 WBOB AM [8]
    • 1360 Homer AM "The Sports Animal" Sports Radio [9]
    • 1530 WCKY AM "The Revolution of Talk Radio" [10]
    • WAIF "What Radio Was Meant To Be" Community radio 88.3 FM [11]
    • WJVS "Joint Vocational School" Mon-Fri 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM on 88.3 FM
    • WGUC 90.9 FM NPR; Classical Music [12]
    • WVXU 91.7 FM NPR; Public Radio [13]
    • WOFX "The FOX" Classic Rock 92.5 FM [14]
    • WAKW "New Life 93" Christian 93.3 FM [15]
    • WVMX "Mix 94.1" Adult Contemporary FM [16]
    • WMOJ "Jammin' Oldies" Oldies 94.9 FM [17]
    • WYGY "The Star" Country 96.5 FM [18]
    • WAQZ "Cincinnati's New Rock 97.3" Alternative Rock 97.3 FM [19]
    • WOXY (FM) "97.7 Max FM"
    • WRRM "Warm 98" Soft Rock 98.5 FM [20]
    • WIZF "The Wiz" Urban Contemporary 100.9 FM [21]
    • WKRQ "Q 102" Top 40 101.9 FM [22]
    • WEBN "WEBN" Rock 102.7 FM [23]
    • WGRR "Oldies 103.5" Oldies 103.5 FM [24]
    • WNLT "K Love" Contemporary Christian 104.3 FM [25]
    • WNKU "Best Public Radio in the country" Eclectic music 89.7 FM [26]
    • WUBE "B 105" Country 105.1 FM [27]
    • WPFB "The Rebel" Country 105.9 FM [28]
    • WKFS "KISS 107 FM" Top 40 107.1 [29]
    • WDBZ "The Buzz of Cincinnati" 1320 AM Black Talk

Online Media

Transportation

Culture

Attractions

Buildings

Cincinnati Music Hall

Galleries

Famous Cincinnati natives

Museums

Theater

For a city of its size, Cincinnati boasts a vibrant community of theatre artists, educators, and producers. Audiences can attend professional, semi-professional, community, and educational theatre opportunities year-round in the Cincinnati tri-state area. Many theatres within the region are members of the League of Cincinnati Theatres.

Professional (Equity) Theatre

Professional (Non-Equity) Theatre

Community (Non-Professional) Theatre

Educational Theatre

In addition to theatre experiences offered through most high schools, which are critiqued by local students through the annual Cappie Awards, Cincinnati offers a number of college-level theatre/performing arts training and performing opportunities including:

Food culture

Sports

Great American Ball Park.

Venues

Major league teams

Minor league teams

Major colleges

The suburb of Mason hosts the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters, one of the nine (men's) tennis events in the ATP Tennis Masters Series. Nearby Sparta, Kentucky is home to Kentucky Speedway.

In March, 2005 and 2006, the US Bank Arena will host the Atlantic 10 Conference men's basketball tournament.

Every May since 2000, Cincinnati has hosted the annual Flying Pig Marathon which winds through downtown and northern Kentucky.

Company headquarters in Cincinnati

These companies have headquarters in Cincinnati:

Sister cities

Cincinnati has eight sister citiesTemplate:Mn:

Cincinnati also has one un-official sister city of Netanya (Israel).

See also

References

Template:Mapit-US-cityscale

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