Cincinnati
The city of Cincinnati lies in a wide basin on the north bank of the Ohio River, surrounded by hills. In the past its beautiful situation earned it the styles of the "Pearl of the West" and the "Queen City". It is now a busy industrial city, with the headquarters of several large
firms, and the seat of a university. It has a wide range of cultural and recreational facilities.
History The first white settlers established themselves here in 1788, to be followed a few years later by the United States Army. The town was given its name by a group of revolutionary admirers of the Roman general Cincinnatus. Its excellent situation on the navigable Ohio River promoted its further development, and for many years it was the dominant center of the Middle West. The coming of the railway reduced the importance of the river and of the town, but it soon recovered from this setback. By 1869 it could boast the first professional baseball team in the world, the Cincinnati Reds. Until the First World War the city's life showed the influence of its many German immigrants, and it still holds annually a large Oktoberfest on the Munich model. In the Second World War Cincinnati was one of the United States' largest manufacturer of arms. William Howard Taft (1858-1930), the 27th President of the United States, was born here.