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OH-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest                    Volume 99 : Issue 414

Today's Topics:
  #1 HAMILTON COUNTY - PART 26            [AUPQ38A@prodigy.com (MRS GINA M RE]

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X-Message: #1
Date: Tue, 22 Jun 1999 11:31:29, -0500
From: AUPQ38A@prodigy.com (MRS GINA M REASONER)
Subject: HAMILTON COUNTY - PART 26


HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS OF OHIO By Henry Howe, LL.D., 1898

                        HAMILTON COUNTY - part 26

                        HISTORIC MISCELLANIES.
                THE OHIO STATE FORESTRY ASSOCIATION.
        When in 1881 the Von Steubens came to America to unite in the
centennial celebration of the Surrender at Yorktown, in which their
ancestor, general Von Steuben, had taken such an illustrious part, they
visited Cincinnati. Among them was Baron Richard Von Steuben, the royal
Chief Forester of the German Empire.
        In conversation with him some of the gentlemen of the city became
so deeply interested on the subject of forestry, that they met in
conference in January, 1882, to take measures to interest the people in the
subject. They were Co. W.L. De Beck, Rev. Dr. Max Lilienthal, the Hebrew
rabbi; John B. Peaslee, School Superintendent; Hon. John Simpkinson, the
first President of the Association; Col. A.E. Jones and Hon. Emil Rothe.
Through a committee then organized, for the next three months the press of
the country laid before the history of the subject we take from a pamphlet,
"Trees and Tree Planting," with exercises and directions for the
celebration of Arbor Day, by John B. Peaslee, Supt. Public Schools, issued
by the Ohio State Forestry Association, Cincinnati, 1884.
        The work of the committee culminated in a three days' meeting at
Music Hall, April 25th, 26th and 27th, at which most of the distinguished
foresters of this country and Canada were present and read papers before
the scientific department. The excellent programme for this meeting was
principally made by Dr. John A. Warder and Prof. Adolph Leue. Governor
Foster made the address of welcome.
        The public schools were dismissed on the 26th and 27th, to enable
the pupils and teachers to take part in the celebration of tree planting in
the public parks. The 27th had been appointed as Arbor Day by proclamation
of the Governor. Extensive preparations had been made for its appropriate
celebration in Eden Park.
        The city was in holiday attire. The soldiery and organized
companies of citizens formed an immense procession under command of Col.
S.A. Whitfield, and marched to the park, where the command was turned over
to Col. A.E. Jones, the officer in charge. The school-children were under
the charge of Superintendent Peaslee. Fifty thousand citizens covered the
grassy slopes and crowning ridges, those assigned to the work of
transplanting trees taking their respective places.
        At the firing of the signal gun "Presidents' Grove," "Pioneers'
Grove," "Battle Grove," "Citizens' Memorial Grove" and "Authors' Grove" was
planted and dedicated with loving hands and appropriate ceremonies.
        Addresses were made by ex-Gov. Noyes, Dr. Loring, Cassius M. Clay
and Durbin Ward, and others. No sight more beautiful, no ceremonies more
touching had ever been witnessed in Cincinnati. An important lesson in
forestry had indeed been brought home to the hearts of the people, and a
crown of success was awarded the AMERICAN FORESTRY CONGRESS. This was the
first Arbor Day celebration in Ohio. And thus closed the first session of
the American Forestry Congress, which embraces in is scope the United
States and Canada.
        In 1883 the Ohio State Forestry Association, the outgrowth of the
American Forestry Congress, was organized. The organizers were Dr. John A.
Warder, Prof. Adolph Leue, Col. A.E. Jones. Hon. John Simpkinson, Supt.
John B. Peaslee, Gen. Durbin Ward, Hon. Emil Rothe, Hon. Leopold
Burckhardt, D.D. Thompson,Prof. R.B. Warder, Prof. Adolph Strauch, Dr. A.D.
Birchard, Hon. Charles Reemelin, Prof. W.H. Venable, Dr. W.W. Dawson, John
H. McMakin, Esq., and perhaps a few others. A convention was held in April.
        By authority of a joint resolution adopted by both branches of our
State Legislature, Governor Foster issued his proclamation, appointing the
fourth Friday in April as Arbor Day, which was the last day of the
convention. Accordingly, the association had made extensive preparations
for its celebration in Eden Park by the citizens and by the public schools.
        The second celebration of Arbor Day in Cincinnati was thus
described at the time.
        "The east ridge of the park was thronged with the associations
planting tablets to the memories of the Presidents of the United States,
the heroes of Valley Forge, and the pioneers of Cincinnati in their
respective groves, while the northern projecting slope of the ridge was
occupied by fully seventeen thousand school-children in honoring "Authors'
Grove." Viewed from the summit of the ridge immediately west, the sight was
one of the most animating ever brought before the eyes of Cincinnatians.
The entire ridge, nearly a third of a mile in length, was occupied by those
persons taking part in the first-named ceremonies, while the slope
designated was occupied by a dense mass of gayly dressed children in active
motion over a surface of about five acres, and whose voices, wafted across
the deep hollow to the western ridge, sounded like the chattering from a
grove full of happy birds. The eastern slope of the west ridge was occupied
by three thousand or four thousand spectators, who, reclining on the green
spring sod of the grassy slopes, quietly surveyed the scene from a
distance. In all there were over twenty thousand persons present. Over in
the centre of the east ridge was the speakers' stand, with a tall staff
bearing the national colors rising from the centre, whole smaller flags
marked the trees dedicated to each author. The grove to the honor of
Cincinnati pioneers had been planted by the association, and yesterday the
tablet was laid to their memory. All the tablets were of uniform surface,
and eleven inches depth. That for the Cincinnati pioneers contained at the
upper centre a figure of the primitive log-cabin, and the following
inscription, 'Planted and Dedicated to the Memory of the Pioneers of
Cincinnati by the Forestry Society." Below were cut the names of the pioneers.
        'Presidents Grove' bore a tablet with the following inscription:
'Presidents Grove'. Planted and Dedicated to the Memory of the Presidents
of the United States, by the Forestry Society, 1882, Cincinnati, April
27th' Then followed the names of all the twenty-one Presidents, down to
President Arthur.
        'Centennial Grove' was planted in 1876 by Colonel A.E.Jones, from
trees brought from Valley Forge. The tablet he had laid yesterday was
dedicated to the heroes who served with Washington at Valley Forge.
Following is the inscription: Eagle bearing the scroll 'Centennial Grove'.
Dedicated to the memory of 1776, and the patriots who suffered with
Washington at Valley Forge, brought from that historic ground and planted
by A.E. Jones, April 7, 1876.' Then followed the names Washington, Knox,
Lafayette, Greene, Hamilton, Gates, Wayne, Putnam, H. Lee, Steuben, Weldin,
Muhlenburg, Sullivan, Stark, Warren, McIntosh, Potter, Maxwell, Woodward,
Patterson, Allen, De Kalb, Kosciusko, Marion, C. Lee, Glover, Poor, Larned,
Scott, Pulaski, Sumter, Lincoln, Morgan, Smallwood, Eberhardt.
        "At eleven o'clock the school exercises commenced at 'Authors
Grove.' The trees having previously been planted, small granite tablets,
about eight inches square, bearing the name of the author honored and the
date of the ceremony, were sunk, in most cases uniformly with the surface
of the sod, in the immediate vicinity of the tree. Thus the exercises were
dedicatory only."
        These were the first memorial groves ever planted in America; the
first public planting of trees in honor of the memory of authors,
statesmen, soldiers, pioneers, and other distinguished citizens.
        The credit for the inauguration of Arbor Day anywhere is given to
Hon.J. Sterling Morton, who suggested the propriety of the day, and was
instrumental in effecting the first observance, while he was governor of
Nebraska, in 1872. Since that date it is stated that in Nebraska have been
planted six hundred millions of trees.
        The two following articles upon floods and riots were written for
this work, by Mr. Harry M. Millar, of the editorial corps of the Commercial
Gazette.
                        OHIO RIVER FLOOD
                        By Harry M. Millar
        The Ohio river, one of the greatest national waterways, 950 miles
in length, is formed at Pittsburg by the confluence of the Allegheny and
Monongahela rivers, coming from opposite directions. The Allegheny sources
are numerous creeks in the mountains of New York, and is fed by hundreds of
other tributaries that traverse Western Pennsylvania and parts of Ohio,
draining an area of 13,000 square miles. The sources of the Monongahela are
not large streams but they are numerous, especially in Maryland and West
Virginia.
        The Cheat river, its largest tributary, drains much mountainous
country, and its sudden fluctuations are a wonder to not only visitors but
the inhabitants along its banks. It is a frequent thing in the early spring
or during the rainy season for this stream to rise over thirty feet within
twenty-four hours. The Youghiogheny is also an important feeder of the
Monongahela. The estimated drainage of the Youghiogheny and its tributaries
is 2,100 square miles, the Monongahela and its tributaries 4,900 square
miles, making the total watershed of the Monongahela 7,000 square miles,
which, added to that of the Allegheny give a grand total area of 20,000
square miles drained by the sources of the Ohio river. From the forking of
these rivers in Pennsylvania to its mouth at Cairo there are tributaries
innumerable, many of which are navigable and at a good boating stage the
greater part of the year.
        These geographical and topographical situations are important
causes which lead to the frequency of floods in the Ohio river. The month
of February in the Ohio valley along the course of the river in late years
has been looked for with dread. The highest stages of the river, the
greatest floods and the most suffering, and great property losses within
the past decade have occurred at that time of year. The melting of snows in
the mountains sudden thawing spells, added to which are the early spring
rainfalls alternated with sleet, all combine to bring on these freshets.
The encroachments upon the bed or channel of the river have in a good
measure caused a narrowing of the width of its bed. So many large cities,
towns and villages are strung out along its shores that the debris from
sawmills cinders and other material by being "dumped" over its banks have
confined the rush of the waters to a fastly filling-up canal bed. In fact
such has the Ohio river become within the past few years. Great stone pier
bridges have been erected in the river bed, dams have been built, and these
things combined have had a tendency to yearly increase the danger to the
lowlands along the valley.

        -continued in part 27

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End of OH-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest V99 Issue #414
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