Cincinnati was settled in the 1788 and was originally called Losantiville, meaning “city across from the mouth of the Licking River.” The settlement did not grow quickly as the area was vulnerable to Indian attacks. So, in 1789, Fort Washington was built just outside the settlement to protect people living in the Symmes Purchase and the Miami Purchase. With the new settlement’s strategic location on the Ohio River and the newly established Fort Washington, the small community began to grow. It wasn’t long before Arthur St. Clair, governor of the Northwest Territory, changed the obscure name to Cincinnati to honor the Roman citizen soldier Cincinnatus and acknowledge the prestigious Revolutionary War association called the Society of Cincinnati.

The population continued to grow as entrepreneurs recognized an opportunity to supply those headed West with the necessary equipment and goods for their journey. The Ohio River, and later extensive network of railroads in Cincinnati, allowed the city to thrive as a major manufacturing and transportation hub.

Cincinnati’s economy continued to diversify with several major corporations making the city their headquarters. Companies like Proctor & Gamble, Kroger and Chiquita provide many employment opportunities for Cincinnatians and the diversity has enabled the city to weather turbulent financial times fairly well.

Today, Cincinnati is the cultural center of the Tri-State area (southeastern Ohio, northern Kentucky and southern Indiana) and continues to thrive as a major midwestern city.