Cincinnati Ladies Used to Dread the “Comic” Valentine
Valentine's Day greetings were big news in the 1800s and early 1900s, and Cincinnati ladies could expect everything from funny and cruel gifts to sad and dangerous cards.
Cincinnati-Born Physicist George Carruthers Sent His Dreams to the Moon
George Carruthers, who died recently, included his astronomical camera on a NASA Moon mission in 1972, and it’s still there today.
The First Time a Local Newspaper Outraged Cincinnati With “Nasty, Obscene” Personal Ads
The 1880s version of Tinder, Bumble, or Hinge? The Cincinnati Enquirer's personal ad, in which people would submit notes to their prospective lovers.
Was Naturalist Rafinesque Cincinnati’s Most Bizarre Visitor?
Turkish immigrant Constantine Samuel Rafinesque delighted and confused locals in the early 1800s with his self-taught scientific and historic theories.
Few Cincinnatians Shed a Tear When the Safety Lane Shut Down
Gone 40 years this year, the Safety Lane was a government program intended to reduce traffic fatalities but turned into a bureaucratic mess.
Uncovering the Harrison Horror
How a bold body-snatching doctor terrorized the Harrison political dynasty in the late 1800s—and escaped justice.
Inside the Lloyd Library and Museum
Founded in the 1870s, the Lloyd Library is now home to an incredible collection of works related to botany, pharmacology, and scientific history.
Cincinnati Roared into 1921 with Guns Blazing
The city’s first New Year’s Day under Prohibition was noisy but subdued. January 1, 1921, started with dozens of gunshot incidents.
Cincinnati’s First (And Fastest) Aviatrix
Laura Bromwell became a national sensation flying airplanes after WWI. Her short-lived but inspirational career began in Cincinnati.
The Story of Cincinnati’s Very Own Voodoo Doctor
Self-proclaimed Voodoo Doctor King Prince Dawson peddled herbs, charms, and probably more in Bucktown and Walnut Hills in the late 1800s.