Cincinnati Treasures

This week brought two more opportunities to learn about Cincinnati history. On Wednesday I went to Prime Time, a monthly luncheon and program sponsored by the Friendship United Methodist Church of Wyoming, Ohio, where I have previously learned the history of Cincinnati chili, followed along by pictures on a recent trip to Machu Picchu, and listened to fabulous bell choirs. This time we were treated to a presentation by the Cincinnati Preservation Association, a "virtual tour" of notable architectural landmarks in the city.  We saw the Carew Tower, an early retail center, and Union Terminal, which provided a common transfer point between several disparate railroad lines that previously had failed to meet in this crossroads of America. Much of the program focused on Cincinnati's central Fountain Square, its unique fountain and the Albee Theater. They even showed a picture of Wiggins, a popular restaurant in the '50s and '60s, which was replaced in the 1970s by the Westin Hotel. That was after I went there in 1967 on my first date with the man who shortly thereafter became my husband. Ever since we became aware of its absence on our few and far-between visits  back to the city in which we met, we had wondered what had happened to it and in fact been unable to place where it had been on the square. Now perhaps we can take an excursion some time and re-situate it in our memories.

On Saturday afternoon I happened across an article in the newspaper about weekend performances at Music Hall honoring Stephen Foster as an "American Original." Not only is Stephen Foster acknowledged as the father of American music, he has an association with Cincinnati as he came here in 1846 to work as bookkeeper for his brother's steamship company. The Cincinnati Pops would be playing "Oh! Susanna," "Beautiful Dreamer," and "My Old Kentucky Home." Was it too late to get tickets for the Sunday matinee performance?

No! We book entertainment through the Internet these days, and in less than 15 minutes I had found seats and printed out tickets. So off we went this afternoon and were treated to a magical performance of orchestral and vocal American music. Not all the pieces were written by Foster--some traditional tunes were those that had influenced him, and one ("I Still Miss Someone," by Johnny Cash, was influenced by him). Stephen Foster only stayed in Cincinnati for two years, but it was here that he wrote "Oh! Susanna," his first popular published piece. He wrote almost 200 more in the following 16 years before he died at the age of 37.