German Cincinnati explores the German American experience in the Greater Cincinnati area. German immigrants first came to the region in the late 18th century and then arrived in great waves beginning in the early 19th century. These German American immigrants and their descendants have greatly influenced the social, political, cultural, religious, and economic growth and development of the area, earning Cincinnati a reputation for its German heritage. It is known as one of the corners in the famed "German Triangle," along with St. Louis and Milwaukee. German Cincinnatians survived the hard times of the world wars of the last century, even experiencing an ethnic heritage revival that has reaffirmed the area's reputation as one of the major centers of German heritage in the United States today.

German Cincinnati Revisited illuminates the major festivities, celebrations, and events throughout the calendar year in the Greater Cincinnati area that reflect the German heritage of the region. It begins with the celebration of Bockfest in March, heralding the end of winter and the beginning of spring, continuing on with chapters on Maifest, German Day, RoeblingFest, Schuetzenfest, Oktoberfest, and German-American Heritage Month. A final chapter covers the German Heritage Museum of Cincinnati.

Late in the 18th-century, people began to head west in America in search of new frontiers and new lives. Many of them, including immigrants, found their way down the Ohio River to Cincinnati, Ohio, the “Queen City of the West.” In Oldest Cincinnati, follow their journey and learn the story of the city as you’ve never heard it before. Read about a ferry that helped early settlers cross the Ohio River to Augusta, Kentucky, began in 1798 and that’s still in business today. Likewise, a stagecoach inn that began providing shelter for early travelers opened in Lebanon, Ohio, in 1803 continues welcoming guests to this day. As one of the first settlements in the Northwest Territory, called “Losantiville” before it was dubbed Cincinnati, there are still many “firsts” and “oldests” to be found locally. The first museum—focused on natural history and science—was launched in 1818. It’s now located in Cincinnati’s oldest train station. In 1866 the oldest bridge across the Ohio River connected downtown Cincinnati to Covington, Kentucky. The oldest art museum west of the Allegheny Mountains opened in 1881. While the character of Cincinnati dramatically changed in the mid-19th century as German immigrants came in waves, the city would continue to boom culturally. They brewed beer, of course, but they also loved music, launching the oldest choral music festival in the Western Hemisphere. Local historian and author Rick Pender goes to great lengths to research and pay homage to more than two centuries of Cincinnati’s oldests, firsts, and finests. Read about all of these and more in this informative book that brings history and people to life.

In 1783, the officers of the Continental Army created the Society of the Cincinnati. This veterans' organization was to preserve the memory of the revolutionary struggle and pursue the officers' common interest in outstanding pay and pensions. Henry Knox and Frederick Steuben were the society's chief organizers; George Washington himself served as president. Soon, a nationally distributed South Carolina pamphlet accused the Society of treachery; it would lead to the creation of a hereditary nobility in the United States and subvert republicanism into aristocracy; it was a secret government, a puppet of the French monarchy; its charitable fund would be used for bribes. These were only some of the accusations made against the Society. These were, however, unjustified. The author of this book explores why a part of the revolutionary leadership accused another of subversion in the difficult 1780s, and how the political culture of this period predisposed many leading Americans to think of the Cincinnati as a conspiracy.

In 1849, a cholera epidemic devastated Cincinnati, taking the lives of 4,114 residents. The First German Protestant Aid Association proposed creating a home for the orphaned children and established the German General Protestant Orphan Asylum in Mount Auburn. In 1851, the annual Orphan Feast and parade began and was one of the largest one-day festivals in Cincinnati for 137 years. In 1949, the desire to move the children from the city to the country drove the purchase of 60 acres in Anderson. The orphanage's name changed to Beech Acres after the beech trees lining the property. In the 1980s, with the need to serve children in a community setting, Beech Acres Parenting Center closed its residential services and expanded into the community and schools with parenting programs, classes, mental health services, foster care, and parent coaching to strengthen families for children.

“The comprehensive guide offers a glimpse into the lives of Cincinnatians throughout history, through the lens of food.” —Cincinnati Magazine Over the years, Cincinnati has earned a reputation for conservatism and keeping to itself, especially regarding food, but that’s changing. Old favorites like cinnamon-scented chili on spaghetti, ice cream with huge chocolate chunks and old-fashioned German butchers selling goetta, brats and metts are being rediscovered—and in some cases re-created. A similar urge for experimentation and innovation from restaurants, farmers’ markets and food producers is bringing new energy to the city’s tables. Gathering the stories of the pioneers and the entrepreneurs of the past and the present, Enquirer food critic Polly Campbell unfolds how Cincinnati’s history has set the table for its menu today. “Whether it’s a plate full of cinnamon-scented chili on spaghetti, or skillets frying up goetta, or other uniquely Cincinnati staples, Campbell’s book will leave your mouth watering for a taste of home.” —WVXU News

Cincinnati, or The Mysteries of the West was the major mid-nineteenth century German-American novel, written by a prominent journalist, author, and historian, Emil Klauprecht. The novel is a sensational one written in the form of the urban mystery novel and contains a great deal of information on German-American social life and history in the Ohio Valley, New Orleans, and elsewhere.

Located on the banks of the Ohio River, Cincinnati was a major stop on the Underground Railroad and the gateway to the North for thousands of African Americans during the Great Migration after the Civil War. This heritage is revealed through fascinating images of African-American life in the community, churches, education, politics, entrepreneurship, civil rights, and sports.

Virginia Bakery Remembered offers the closest experience to stepping back inside the bakery and basking in the aromatic glory for which thousands still long. Savor the schnecken in this tribute to the Thie familys iconic Cincinnati bakery, which served the community from 1927 to 2005. Reminisce in vignettes collected from newspapers and trade magazines, firsthand experience and customer memories. Rounding out this full-flavored history are more than seventy recipes adapted to re-create the bakerys famously adored baked goods in the home kitchenreplete with tips from co-author and Virginia Bakery owner Tom Thie. Go ahead and let your mouth water.

Just one year after a settlement was established on the Ohio River in 1788 and one year before its name was changed from Losantiville to Cincinnati, an Irish immigrant brought his family to the cabins located there. Shortly thereafter, Francis Kennedy established a ferry service to support his wife and children, and more Irishmen followed over the next few decades. It was a diverse group that included Methodists, Presbyterians, Quakers, and Catholics who were manufacturers, stevedores, and merchants. The Irish in Cincinnati have always contributed to the culture, politics, and business life of the city. Their traditional strengths are found in churches, schools, and fraternal organizations like the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick and the Ancient Order of Hibernians. There is also richness in their ethnic heritage that includes art, dance, music, literature, and festivals involving everything from the annual mock theft of the St. Patrick statue in Mt. Adams, the St. Patrick's Day parade, and the various ceili throughout the year to the events at the Cincinnati Irish Heritage Center. Using rare and evocative images, Irish Cincinnati embraces 200 years of their lives in the Queen City.