Fall 1991 Otto Onken 21 Otto Onken: His Cincinnati Scenes

Laura L. Chace some of the finest examples of stone lithography of the day . . . .,"s and the illustrations for the Sequel to Riley's Narrative: Being a Sketch of Interesting Incidents in the Life, Voyages and In 1991 the Cincinnati Historical Society's Travels of Cap. James Riley. (Columbus, 1851). Apparently collections were enriched by the addition of eight hand- during his years in Cincinnati, most of the lithographers in colored, nineteenth century lithographic views of the city the city worked for Onken or supplied him with their work through the courtesy of Chilton Thomson. Printed by the for publication.6 He published maps such as "Flood of 1847. lithographic firm of Oscar Onken, these views faithfully depict View of Cincinnati and the Ohio River, taken from Mrs. W.W. Cincinnati's major business districts of the early 1850's: the Southgates's in Covington, Dec. 17, 1847" which was drawn Public Landing, Third Street, Fifth Street, Main Street, and on stone by J.B. Rowse. Four illustrations in Charles Cist's Broadway. Sketches and Statistics of Cincinnati in 1851 are his work.7 By the mid-nineteenth century, Cincinnati was Competition for printing jobs must have been a boom town and the dominant commercial center in the great. Archibald McBrair and John Sherer also supplied western United States. The influx of people from the eastern lithographic images in 1850. George Gibson and Company, states and western Europe, especially Germany and Ireland, forerunner of the Gibson Art Company, now Gibson caused the city's population to increase faster than that of any Greetings, Inc., and Walter Anderson opened businesses the other American city. By 1850 the Queen City was the second next year, and in 1853 the lithographic establishments largest industrial center in the country.1 Geography influenced included Onken, George Gibson & Company, Klauprecht & Cincinnati's diverse economy and rise to commercial Menzel, Archibald McBrair, Middleton & Wallace, and leadership. Her proximity to vast agricultural regions, her Gustavus Mosler. Onken is not listed in the directories again position at the terminus of Ohio and Indiana canal systems until 1859 and 1860, when his occupation is given, respectively, that brought goods from the interior, her location on a major as engraver and lithographer. waterway, the Ohio River, and, above all, the development of Onken interrupted his career as a lithographic the steamboat made her great. "In 1852 over 8,000 steamboats printer in 1860 when he moved to Kentucky. In June of that arrived at and departed from Cincinnati's Public Landing."2 year he and his family were listed in the Kentucky census as The publishing and printing industry flour- residing in or near Lockport, Henry County, where he was ished in Cincinnati and by 1856 the city ranked fourth among a merchant.8 On September 17, a son, Alfred, was born in United States publishing centers.3 Publications printed in the Gestville, Hancock County, Kentucky.9 Onken was in Indiana city during the first half of the century were illustrated with in the late 1860's but had returned to Kentucky by the mid- engravings or imported woodcuts; lithographs were not used 1870's. The 1880 Ohio census lists a son, Robert, age eleven, until 1840 when Emil Klauprecht and Adolphus Menzel born in Indiana and a daughter, Norma, age seven born in established their plant. Lithographer and publisher Otto Kentucky.10 Onken had returned to Cincinnati by 1875 and Onken probably arrived in 1848. His family is listed in the 1850 once again was employed as a lithographer. By 1878 Onken census of Ohio: Otto, age thirty-five, lithographer, born in and his wife, Dorothea, may have been separated or divorced. Germany; Dorothea age twenty-two, born in Germany; His residence is given in the directory as 64 Dayton Street and William, age two, born in Ohio; and Harriet Kramer, age she is listed as a "widow" residing at 56 Dayton Street. His eleven, born in Germany.4 The 1849 Cincinnati city directory career ended shortly thereafter. In 1883 he was a clerk at the included Onken's business at the southeast corner of Walnut Keber House at 89 and 91 Sycamore Street; by 1886 he worked and Fifth streets. The next year the directory gave his as a picture frame maker and fitter at Onken and Vance, his occupation as lithographer and book dealer with an office at son Oscar's partnership with Ephraim Vance, "manufacturers 214 Walnut Street. of mouldings, frames, mirrors, and dealers in etchings, 11 Much of Onken's work was done in 1851 when engravings and art goods." The family moved from Dayton he published Western Scenery by William Wells which "contains Street to Chapel Street, Walnut Hills, in 1883 and to East

Laura L. Chace, Library Director for the Cincinnati Historical Society, has a mas- ter's degree in library science from the University of Michigan. 22 Queen City Heritage

• •..••• . .-. •.

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• • .', • . . ' • • .' •" . • , ••••-•.•••:. ..

Ridgeway Avenue, Avondale, by 1889. Onken died on May 6. Young and Klein, Lithography in Cincinnati (Cincinnati, 1975), p. 13. 10, 1897, and is buried in the family lot in the Walnut Hills 7. Peters, Harry Twyford, American on Stone. Reprint. (New York, 1976), 12 p. 303. Cemetery of Cincinnati. 8. Eighth Census of the United States, 1860. Kentucky. Henry County, p. 318. 1. Daniel Hurley, Cincinnati: The Queen City (Cincinnati, 1982), p. 34. 9. Information supplied to the Cincinnati Historical Society by Margaret 2. Iola Hessler Silberstein, Cincinnati Then and Now, (Cincinnati, 1982), Fulford, September 7,1977, and filed in the library's newspaper clippings. p. 26. 10. Tenth Census of the United States, 1880. Ohio. City of Cincinnati, 3. Ibid., p. 59. Walter Sutton, The Western Book Trade: Cincinnati as a Enumeration District 158 (ward 14), pp. 36-315. Nineteenth-century Publishing and Book-trade Center (Columbus, 1961), p. 80. 11. Williams^ Cincinnati Directory, 1889. References to addresses and 4. Seventh Census of the United States, 1850. Ohio. City of Cincinnati, occupations are taken from the Williams'Cincinnati Directory, 1850-1851 to ward 4, p. 313. 1897. 5. Young & Klein, Lithography in Cincinnati (Cincinnati, 1975), p. 13. 12. Burial Records of the Walnut Hills Cemetery of Cincinnati.

VIEW OF CINCINNATI 1846, it sank at Waterloo, Built in Cincinnati in 1847, The United States was built in The 279-ton side-wheel Louisiana, on November 8, the General Scott, a 293-ton Cincinnati in 1847. Clifford B. packet, U.S. Thomas Jef- 1849. side-wheel packet, burned at Wayne bought this 332-ton ferson, owned by Clifford B. New Madrid, Missouri, on side-wheel packet in 1853 for Wayne and piloted by Capt. May 13, 1853. the Cincinnati-Memphis trade C.B. Sedam, ran from Cincin- but the boat was dismantled nati to New Orleans. Built in in 1854. Fall 1991 Otto Onken 23

PUBLIC LANDING Company, commission and Front Street between Main In 1850 Cincinnati was the forwarding merchants. South and Sycamore; G. & J.H. center of commerce in the Front Street; Traber & Aubery, Shoenberger, iron and nail West. Onken's lithograph wholesale grocers and dealers and manufacturers, shows some of the busi- commission merchants, 7 15 Front Street; and Ross & nesses located on the Public Front Street; City Insurance Ricker, wholesale grocers and Landing: Bishop, Wells & Company of Cincinnati, 8 commission merchants, 14 West Front Street. 24 Queen City Heritage

THIRD STREET BETW. MAIN A.J. Wheeler, exchange &VINE broker, had his office at 99 Charles Cist printed The Main Street at the corner of Advertiser weekly from Third. John A. Robinson October 30, 1844 to June 24, opened his printing company 1846, and daily from March in 1843. 15, 1847 to April 15, 1848. Fall 1991 Otto Onken 25

BURNET HOUSE corner of Third and Vine Abraham Lincoln, Jenny Lind, streets, the hotel opened on Sarah Bernhardt, and Hunga- May 3, 1850, and remained in rian patriot, Louis Kossuth, business until 1926. were among the guests of the prestigious Burnet House. Located at the northwest 26 Queen City Heritage

FIFTH STREET MARKET the site was selected for the demolished the market on The Tyler Davidson Fountain fountain, given to the city by Februarys 1870. John replaced the Fifth Street Henry Probasco in memory of Gundry's Cincinnati Commer- Market in 1871. This market this brother-in-law. Over the cial College was in the Apollo opened in 1829 and was the violent objections of the Building at the northwest center for meat packing in butchers and after consid- corner of Fifth and Walnut Cincinnati until 1870 when erable litigation, city workers streets. Fall 1991 Otto Onken 27

BROADWAY In 1849, St. John's College occupied a building on the east side of Broadway between Congress and Third streets. 28 Queen City Heritage

MAIN STREET BETW. Goldsmith, & Elsas, dealers in SECOND & FIFTH wholesale dry goods, boots, Businesses located in this shoes, and clothing, at 70 and section of Main Street in- 72 Main; and the Smith and cluded the W.B. Smith & Co. Hilton book bindery, was in bookstore at 56-58 Main the Gazette Building at 120 Street; Fechheimer, Main. MAIN STREET BETW. become Sherwood and Chase FOURTH & FIFTH and specialized in hats, caps, In 1846 the Henry F. Davis and furs. The Dennison House Company, hatters, occupied Hotel stood on the south side the building at the southeast of Fifth Street between Main corner of Main and Fifth and Sycamore streets. streets. By 1850, the firm had