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Rare First State

This map of Cincinnati from 1855, published by E. Mendenhall, is meticulously detailed, highlighting the city of Cincinnati along with the adjacent areas of Newport and Covington. The map is color-coded by wards, with each ward distinctly shaded to facilitate easy identification. The following color codes and numbers represent the different wards:

• Ward 1: Yellow
• Ward 2: Pink
• Ward 3: Light Blue
• Ward 4: Orange
• Ward 5: Yellow-Green
• Ward 6: Yellow-Green
• Ward 7: Brown
• Ward 8: Green
• Ward 9: Light Red
• Ward 10: Green
• Ward 11: Peach
• Ward 12: Yellow
• Ward 13: Green
• Ward 14: Yellow-Green
• Ward 15: Green
• Ward 16: Orange
• Ward 17: Pink

Places Located: The map also provides a list of 34 significant places within the city, indicated by numbers:

1. Court House
2. Post Office
3. Custom House
4. Mayor's Office
5. Council Chamber
6. National Theater
7. Olympic Theater
8. German
9. Apollo Building
10. Western Museum
11. Melodeon
12. College Hall
13. Observatory
14. Water Works
15. Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton R.R. Depot
16. Little Miami R.R. Depot
17. Telegraph Offices
18. Odd Fellow's Hall
19. Masonic Hall
20. Mechanics Institute
21. Woodward's College
22. St. John's College
23. St. Xavier's
24. Hospital
25. Ohio & Mississippi R.R. Depot
26. Burnet House
27. Walnut Street House
28. Henrie
29. Spencer
30. Gibson
31. Waverly
32. Dennison
33. Woodruff
34. United States Hotel

The map delineates the City Corporation line, providing a clear boundary of the city limits during that period.

Cincinnati

Founded in 1788 and named after the Society of the Cincinnati, an organization of Revolutionary War officers, the city quickly became a vital economic hub due to its strategic location on the Ohio River. By the early 19th century, Cincinnati was a bustling river port and an industrial center, known as the "Queen City of the West."

The arrival of the Miami and Erie Canal in 1827 and the completion of the Little Miami Railroad in 1846 significantly boosted the city's trade and manufacturing capabilities. These advancements attracted a diverse population, including many German and Irish immigrants, who contributed to the city's cultural and economic fabric.

By 1850, Cincinnati had grown to become the sixth-largest city in the United States, with a population exceeding 115,000. The city was a leader in the meatpacking industry, earning the nickname "Porkopolis," and was also a center for the abolitionist movement, housing several prominent anti-slavery advocates and serving as a key stop on the Underground Railroad.

This map from 1855 captures Cincinnati at a pivotal moment in its development, illustrating the city's expansion and the establishment of important civic, cultural, and industrial institutions. The detailed ward divisions and prominent locations highlighted on the map reflect Cincinnati's structured growth and its emergence as a major urban center in the pre-Civil War United States.

Rarity

The map is very rare on the market.

We were unable to locate any other examples of this first state of the map and only a single 1865 example offered for sale at Waverly Auctions in 1987.