Columbia Tusculum Historical Society

Settlement

Columbia's founder, Benjamin Stites, is said to have discovered the area by accident. While on a trading expedition in Kentucky, Stites led a party in pursuit of a band of horse thieves. The natives built a raft and crossed the Ohio River near the mouth of the Little Miami River. Stites and his men did likewise, but never recovered the horses. Stites may have returned empty-handed, but he had a dream. The land he discovered appeared to be the ideal location to settle.

The Early Years

A cabin built in 1789 was described by one of its inhabitants: "Its narrow doors of thick oak plank, turning on stout wooden hinges, and secured with strong bars braced with timber from the floor, formed a safe barrier to the entrance below; while above, on every side, were port-holes, or small embrasures, fro which we might see and fire upon the enemy. Of windows, we had but two, containing only four panes of glass each, in openings so small, that any attempt to enter them by force use have proved fatal to an assailant." This was typical of the first homes in Columbia, and indicates that security against the Indians wa of utmost importance.

Development in the 1800s

After the hardships of those early settlement years, life in Columbia was greatly improved. The flooding of the town continued and in 1815 the settlement moved to the base of the Tusculum Hill. Only the Pioneer Cemetery Remains to mark the earlier location. Records indicate that it was originally part of the grounds of the first Columbia Baptist Church. The last blockhouse collapsed in 1838 when an unusually large wake created by two passing steamboats washed out the base of the bank which supported it.

The Boom

After many years of growth, the transportation boom caused many changes in Columbia. The village grew and was officially incorporated in 1868. As the growth continued, many residents wanted to take advantage of the amenities of the city. In 1873. Columbia was annexed by the city of Cincinnati.

Native Americans

The first to occupy lands in what is now Cincinnati were, of course, the Native Americans. Because their histories were oral instead of written during these times, details about their lives and histories were largely from the observation and cultural perspective of the white settlers. However, like with most land in America, natives here were initially welcoming but turned combatant when it was clear that white settlements were growing exponentially, taking land away from natives instead of sharing, and pushing natives out of the region.

Transportation

Nothing has been more central to the development and evolution of Columbia Tusculum than its role as a transportation hub, connecting downtown to eastern communities as well as serving the trade networks.