Central Business District in Cincinnati in Hamilton County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
The Irish in Cincinnati
Side A:
Flatboats on the Ohio River brought many of the first Irish, some with land grants received after the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, to the Cincinnati area. In 1789, Francis Kennedy arrived in Losantiville, where he operated the first ferry service across the Ohio to the mouth of the Licking River. In 1791, Irishman Joseph Lloyd managed the first one-room schoolhouse on the riverbank west of Sycamore Street. A soapmaker whose family had immigrated from Ireland, James Gamble, and a candlemaker from England, William Procter, joined together to form the Procter & Gamble Co. in 1837. Thousands of Irish came to Cincinnati during the 1840s and 1850s as a result of Ireland's "Great Hunger," when millions of people either died or emigrated to avoid starvation. During the Civil War, hospital ships staffed by Irish nuns traveled the Ohio River caring for and transporting wounded soldiers to Cincinnati.
Side B:
In memory of the Irish people who left a country where only their rivers run free. The Irish came to Cincinnati where they contributed to housing, education, employment, religious freedom, medical care and recreation, and embraced all aspects of life in the city. The descendants of Irish immigrants hope that our hands will ever be extended in friendship and never in want.
Erected 1996 by Irish of the Cincinnati Area in Commemoration of the Great Hunger in Ireland (An Gorta Mor) 1845-1850 and The Ohio Historical Society. (Marker Number 14-31.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Disasters • Education • Industry & Commerce • Settlements & Settlers • War of 1812 • War, US Civil • War, US Revolutionary. In addition, it is included in the Ohio Historical Society / The Ohio History Connection series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1812.
Location. 39° 6.002′ N, 84° 29.925′ W. Marker is in Cincinnati, Ohio, in Hamilton County. It is in the Central Business District. Marker is along the Ohio River in Sawyer Point Park, about 80 feet southeast of the Cincinnatus statue, and about 160 feet east of the Newport Southbank pedestrian bridge (former Louisville & Nashville Railroad bridge). Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 801 East Pete Rose Way, Cincinnati OH 45202, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Sultana (here, next to this marker); 1749 French Claims to Ohio River Valley (here, next to this marker); Cincinnati's German Heritage (a few steps from this marker); The Black Brigade of Cincinnati (a few steps from this marker); Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus (within shouting distance of this marker); Bicentennial Commons at Sawyer Point (within shouting distance of this marker); Ohio’s First Publicly Owned Water System (approx. ¼ mile away); Corporal Merrill Laws Ricketts Marine Corps Memorial (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Cincinnati.
Also see . . . The Irish in Ohio. (Submitted on November 16, 2009, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 4, 2023. It was originally submitted on November 16, 2009, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 1,883 times since then and 80 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on November 16, 2009, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.