Amateur radio provides a means of travel to cities and countries the world over. I often like to find out something about the places I visit, whether during a "rag chew" on the air or by reading about them after a QSO. Sometimes I'm asked about Cincinnati, so I thought I'd include a home town page at my web site.

The city that is now Cincinnati was settled in 1788 on the north bank of the Ohio River in the southwest corner of Ohio. It was first called Losantiville, but the name was soon changed to Cincinnati to honor the Society of the Cincinnati, an organization of Revolutionary War officers. The name Cincinnati relates to a citizen of early Rome. Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus was a military General, a civilian farmer and a hero of the Roman Empire.

Cincinnati's riverside location allowed it to become a bustling riverboat town in the nineteenth century. It was a major trading center during the westward development of America. The area attracted large numbers of immigrants from Europe, most of them German. The rolling hill and hollow terrain was reminiscent of Germany's Rhine River valley. Ethnic neighborhoods quickly expanded throughout the area and Cincinnati was soon claimed as being the most European of America's midwestern cities.

Prior to the Civil War Cincinnati became one of the world's largest meat packing centers, earning it the nickname Porkopolis. During the war years the area served as part of the Underground Railroad, providing a gateway to freedom for thousands of slaves escaping from the southern states. After the war the city continued to grow. Although its river town status began to fade as rail travel increased, the city maintained a role as an important focus of commerce.

Some well known companies of today maintain corporate headquarters in Cincinnati. You probably use several items made by Procter & Gamble, one of the largest manufacturers of household products. If you play cards, chances are the deck was made by United States Playing Card Company. Do you eat bananas ? . . . Chiquita's home is here. These are just a few of the companies based in Cincinnati. There are many others whose products are regularly used by people throughout the world.

Cincinnati is the third largest city in Ohio and 45th in the U.S.. The 1990 census shows it to have a population of 364,114. The metropolitan area, which includes parts of northern Kentucky and southeastern Indiana, is home to 1.8 million.

The metro area is served by the Greater Cincinnati International Airport, interstate highways I-71, I-74 and I-75, also rail lines and the Ohio River. It has three universities, an opera, a ballet, symphony, zoo and museums ; as well as, professional baseball, football, ice hockey and soccer teams. Golf courses are numerous and Paramount's Kings Island amusement park is nearby. There are even riverboat casinos for those who like to gamble. The largest Oktoberfest celebration outside Munich, Germany takes place in "Zinzinnati" each year. Every Labor Day weekend the city is host to one of the nation's most spectacular fireworks displays at Riverfest U.S.A. on the Ohio.

The area's climate is characterized as moderate, with an average temperature of 30F (-1C) in January and 75F (24C) in July. The winters are usually mild with an occasional snowfall. Summers can be hot and very humid. Seasonal hay fever sufferers are abundant ; among them is my wife. She never had an allergy until she moved to Cincinnati.

All things considered, my family thinks that Cincinnati is a great place to live. Apparently others must agree, the city and its metropolitan area have been counted among America's most livable.