Inclines of Cincinnati

Images of Rail

by Melissa Kramer

On a summer evening, the overlook at the Rookwood Pottery in Mount Adams will be visited by at least a few, as it is one of the most romantic and fascinating hilltop vantage points in Cincinnati. One hundred years ago, though, this was the place to see and be seen. The fashionable Highland House, a world-class entertainment complex, put Cincinnati on the cultural map, and the city became known as "the Paris of America." Every weekend, crowds of thousands of hardworking Cincinnatians watched their worries disappear as the streets grew smaller, the city came into focus, and they were lifted on the Mount Adams Incline toward the Highland House and the promise of a cool drink, a good meal, and a night of dancing under the stars. At one time, five of these hillside railroads carried Cincinnati citizens and tourists alike to the peaks of Mount Adams, Mount Auburn, Clifton, and Price Hill. When were the inclines built? Why did they disappear? And why were none of them saved? The Inclines of Cincinnati examines these questions through historic images, some never before published, of the inclines and their hilltop resorts.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

130 pages, Hardcover

First published March 18, 2009

Reviews

[Lori]

Cincinnati once boasted five incline railways. The inclines included Mount Auburn, Price Hill, Mount Adams, Bellevue, and Fairview. Many of them operated under variant names or were known as something else. In all the years the inclines operated, there was only one accident resulting in passenger fatalities although several workers died on the job. This mostly photographic book contains enough text that a reader becomes acquainted with the inclines, their operation, and the reasons for their demise. Most photographs came from private collections although a few came from historical societies pertaining to the incline's community or to the transit authority. I can't help but wonder what treasures the author missed by not visiting Cincinnati Public Library, Langsam Library's special collections at University of Cincinnati, or the Cincinnati Museum Center. She did mention consulting with librarians at University of Cincinnati's DAAP (Design, Art, Architecture, Photographs library), but no illustrations from there were included. Still it was an interesting collection.

[James Crawford]

This is a book that discusses the various inclines that Cincinnati had in its past. This was before there were things like automobiles and good roads that could climb the various hills in the city. The inclines would take a horse-drawn car or, eventually, even a type of bus up a steep incline. At the top was usually a nice place to eat and rest.

Obviously times changed and there was no longer the need for the inclines and they all ended.

The book has many photographs, explains why people wanted to get away for a while from the city proper (TB, smoke, the stench of the canal) and how these inclines helped lead to the development of the suburbs.

It also covers the dangers involved in running the inclines and the very few serious accidents that happened.

[William]

A fun read.