“The Fog Upon Which Cincinnati Prides Herself”
In March of 1905, J.M. Nickes wrote the following in a piece titled “Land-Sculpting Displayed About Cincinnati” for The Teachers’ Bulletin, a monthly publication of the University of Cincinnati:
The beauty and picturesqueness of Cincinnati’s situation are well known. The girdle of hills which has vainly striven to confine her within narrow limits is the chief element in this beauty. From the tops of the hills there lies spread out a panorama over which one may linger for hours without tiring. The bright, clear days of summer are best for a view across the basin. At other seasons the smoke and fog, upon which Cincinnati also prides herself as unmistakable evidence of her thrift, cut off a large part of the view.
Here, captured in these photos from flickr user Jonmikel & Kat, is Cincinnati’s fog enveloping Over-the-Rhine:
(click each photo to be taken to flickr)
View north showing the dual steeples of St. Francis Seraph Church in front of St. John the Baptist's steeple
View northeast with Old St. Mary's Church in the foreground and Salem's German Evangelical Reformed Church in the background
Looking west toward Music Hall with the tower of First Lutheran Church in the foreground
The view east toward the Cincinnati Art Museum with St. Paul's Church in the foreground
A foggy view west toward the Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal
Here’s another good OTR photo, in which downtown has completely disappeared: http://visualingual.wordpress.com/2009/09/27/what-happened-to-downtown-cincinnati/
The photo of St. Francis Sereph is also of old St. John the Baptist I think. Phillipus would be further in the distance.
Good eye, Dan! You’re absolutely right. Thanks for posting this picture of it on your blog: http://queencitysurvey.blogspot.com/2008/10/forgotten-catholic-churches-of-basin.html