Founders and Famous Families of Cincinnati

by Wendy Hart Beckman

When gazing at the city’s impressive skyline, we too often forget the notable individuals who built these grand and glittering buildings, as well as the nearby museums, parks and neighborhoods we also treasure. Reflected in the character, reputation and even design of our city, the legacy of the early settlers continues on today. Through their efforts, almost always imbued with a civic entrepreneurial spirit, they stamped their mark on our burgeoning regional reputation, while also allowing current leaders to bolster and broaden our national reputation.

Families Who Built Cincinnati brings to life the founding families’ histories, sharing these intertwined and fascinating tales with readers near and far. A charming history of lives lived large -- truly the Who’s Who (as well as the When and Where) of Cincinnati -- that when considered together, made the Queen City the great place to live and work that it is today.

From its very beginnings, Cincinnati offered an enticing combination of personable welcome and worldly sophistication. At one point, Cincinnati had more native-born residents than any other American city, a testament to the values that attracted and retained its citizens.

As a quick peek into the rich tapestry of local lore, Families Who Built Cincinnati focuses first on John Cleves Symmes, who founded the soon-to-be-mighty city along the banks of the Ohio River, In time, Symmes’ daughter would marry William Henry Harrison, who later became president of the United States. Their grandson, Benjamin also occupied the Oval Office. Nicholas Roosevelt, another adventurous spirit, developed with Robert Fulton the first steamboat to successfully make the journey all the way down the Ohio River. Nicholas’ uncle was President Theodore Roosevelt’s grandfather. Teddy Roosevelt’s daughter, Alice, married Nicholas Longworth IV, great-grandson of another Nicholas Longworth who had been at one time the wealthiest man in America. Longworth IV’s Cincinnati vineyards and Catawba wine prompted Henry Wadsworth Longfellow to pen a poem dedicated to its honor, calling Cincinnati the “Queen of the West” (but he was not the first to do so). Nicholas Longworth’s granddaughter, Maria, became the first woman to own and operate a major manufacturing business, Rookwood Pottery, a cherished Cincinnati artistic operation that continues on today.

Cincinnati’s familial history is topped off by noting the innovations that have impacted the rest of the world, including these landmark achievements: the first professional baseball team, the first pharmacy college, the first Jewish hospital, the first municipal university, the first concrete skyscraper, the first municipal railroad, and so many more. Read, revel and enjoy.

Genres: Nonfiction

200 pages, Paperback

First published October 8, 2013

About the author

Wendy Beckman is the author of 10 books (five YA nonfiction and five adult nonfiction): Artists and Writers of the Harlem Renaissance; National Parks in Crisis: Debating the Issues; Communication Tools Made Easy; Dating, Relationships, and Sexuality: What Teens Should Know; Robert Cormier: Banned, Challenged, and Censored; Harlem Renaissance Artists and Writers; Founders and Famous Families of Cincinnati; University of Cincinnati College of Nursing: 125 Years of Transforming Health Care; and The 8 Wonders of Cincinnati. She is also a freelance writer and editor and writing instructor.

She is the co-founder of a nonprofit called "Athletes Joined Against Spondylitis," which she established to raise awareness and funds for research and treatment of a crippling form of arthritis called ankylosing spondylitis. She also has a second-degree black belt in tae kwon do.

Wendy also is a music lover and has studied piano, violin, oboe and voice. For 10 years, she sang in the May Festival Chorus, the official chorus of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and the oldest continuous choral tradition in the Western Hemisphere.

Reviews

[Paige]

Cincinnati author, Wendy Hart Beckman, has written an informative and delightful account of Cincinnati history called, Founders and Famous Families of Cincinnati. She cleverly weaves in factoids about the old and modern Cincinnati area regarding geology, geographic landmarks and common names we locals might otherwise take for granted.

With impeccable attention to detail, Beckman tells entertaining stories about well-known and lesser celebrated personalities throughout Ohio history who have left their influence on Cincinnati's development via their contributions to fine arts, politics, athletics, academia and business entrepreneurship. Many of these people had combinations of local and national "fame" or had social and familial ties to other historical figures. As a reader, you realize that even in a large city, it's a small world.

This book also contains photographs, maps, timelines and other graphs which help the reader to easily grasp and understand the wealth of information shared in this work.

Founders and Famous Families of Cincinnati is perfect for people who enjoy local Ohio history, visitors who would like to know more about Cincinnati's heritage and readers who have home town pride for this area. Every city has appreciation for their history and contributions to the world. This work clearly shows the author's love and respect for her adopted city.

Although it’s a swift and concise read, this book is jam-packed with well-researched knowledge about Cincinnati and the surrounding area. From the origins of Cincinnati Chili to the building of bridges, Beckman covers it all. Founders and Famous Families of Cincinnati is like being able to ask your ancestors the popular question, "What was it like in the old days?" around a cozy kitchen table in a rustic, warm house beside a flowing river, where mighty barges and paddle boats cruise along peacefully filled with promise and prosperity for everyone.

[A]

Liked learning more about Cincinnati's history and the families that shaped it. But it really needed a good editor. Spelling errors. Repeated sections. And the flow of the material was off.
.

[Daniel Johnson Jr]

Nice look at Cincinnati history