Movin' on Out to the East Side

Typical of the times, when Alexander and Elizabeth first settled in Cincinnati, they lived in the "basin" area.  It's easy to track their moves by using City Directories.  The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County has an online virtual library where you can search 115 years worth of City Directories that have been digitized and are online.  They date all the way back to 1819.



Current Day Race Street between 14th and 15th

As mentioned in the previous post, Alexander first appeared in the 1843 City Directory.  He was listed as a carpenter living on Race Street between 14th and 15th.  This is about one block north of where Music Hall is located.  You have to be careful when making assumptions that the address listed in the City Directory corresponds to the address for an area today.  When our Joneses lived in the basin area, "house numbers" did not yet exist.  In 1897, the streets of Cincinnati were renumbered.  Streets changed names.  Just think about Front Street, later named Eastern Avenue, and now called Riverside Drive.  I was surprised to find out that in the 1848 Daguerreotype picture of Cincinnati, the experts have not been able to identify any building pictured then that still exists now.  I am sure the buildings shown above did not exist in 1843.

By 1860, the family seems to be living in the "East End."  After Alexander died in 1862, his widow, Elizabeth, does not appear in the City Directories again until 1870.  Here is a copy of the listing.

1870 Cincinnati City Directory

I'd love to know how she supported herself during that time.  Her eldest son, William, was also listed in the City Directory.  He was 18 years old in 1870 and probably assisted in the support of the family.  He is listed as working at the Mowry Car and Wheel Works.

 

According to Kenny's Illustrated Cincinnati, the Mowry Car and Wheel "Works are the most extensive manufacturers of Car Wheels in Cincinnati or the West. They are situated on the bank of the Ohio, about one mile above the Little Miami Railroad Depot. The different buildings consist of foundry, forge, finishing, pattern, and other shops, besides large yards for coal, iron, etc., covering altogether about five acres of ground. They manufacture all descriptions of Railroad and Street Car Wheels, and build all kin*}* or Railroad Freight Cars, and have, during the past twenty-five years, supplied most of the leading roads in the United States.  N.G. Green is the general superintendent.  (p. 289)

Mowry Car Wheel Works (located in area of current-day LeBlond Park on the riverfront).
Source:  1891 Cincinnati Sanborn Fire Insurance Map

View of the Ohio River from LeBlond Park (former location of Mowry Car Wheel Works)

As mentioned earlier, I have not been able to find where the family lived after Alexander's death.   It's not until 1870 that the family appears to have some type of stability in living arrangement.  Of course, in the next post we'll be heading to the river bank, right on the shores of the Ohio River.

The Second Generation - Children of Alexander and Elizabeth

As far as I know, Alexander and Elizabeth were parents to six children born between 1842 and 1860.  I know little about the first-born son, William, who was born in 1842 in Kentucky. The other children were: Martha (1848), Charles H., (1852), Johnny (1854), Tom (1857) and Elizabeth (1860).

The City Directories of the time first list Alexander as a carpenter living on Race Street between 14th and 15th Streets.  In 1846 the family is living on the south side of Court St. between Race and Elm. The west side of Elm St. 3 doors south of Cooper is the address listed for 1850.  Front Street (later known as Eastern Ave. and now known as Riverside Drive) was home after 1856.  This street was located in a neighborhood known as Fulton and was probably home for numerous laborers who made their living as part of the steamboat-building industry.



Riverfront Neighborhood of Fulton in 1848

Alexander died in 1862 from "inflammation of the bowels."  This information is recorded in a letter written by Lillian Mears, granddaughter.  Lillian's mother, Elizabeth, was only two years old when her father died, so the information about Alexander's death was passed down through the generations.  There were no death records in Cincinnati at this time.  It should be noted, however, that many people died from cholera and other illnesses related to the poor quality of drinking water. You can read about this issue here.

I wish I knew more about how this family supported itself following Alexander's death.  The next time Elizabeth, now a widow, is listed in the City Directory is 1870.  She is listed as living on the south side of Front Street (Eastern/Riverside) east of Torrence.  This is very close to St. Rose Church and would serve as the "hub" for the family for four generations. Notice that daughter Elizabeth was not yet born at the time of the Census.  She was not born until August 30th.

1860 U.S. Census

Charles Henry was my great-grandfather.  I will discuss what I know about him and his realtionship to the river in the next post.

The First Jones "River Rats" in Cincinnati - Alexander and Elizabeth



Alexander Jones

Elizabeth Kinley Jones

As mentioned in the previous post, our family is lucky to have in its possession a letter describing our family's history.  It was written by Lillian Mears who was the granddaughter of Alexander and Elizabeth.  From this letter, we know the following:

• Alexander and Elizabeth were married on July 6, 1840.
• Alexander and Elizabeth were the parents of six children:  William, Martha, Charles Henry, Johnny, Tom and Elizabeth.
• Alexander was about 20 years old and Elizabeth was 16 1/2 when they were married in Aberdeen, Ohio.

Lillian's mother, also named Elizabeth, was only two years old when when her father, Alexander, died at the age of 43.  Her mother was now a 40-year old widow, illiterate, and the mother of six. So what do we know about their lives in Cincinnati?  Lillian's letter provides us with some clues:

When Elizabeth Kinley was 16 or 17 years old, she always wore a sunbonnet.  She was blonde, and I suppose sunburned easily.  Alex Jones said, "I think I'd like to go with that Miss Kinley, but I never get a chance to see her face under the bonnet."  Evidently he finally got a peek at her and liked what he saw.  He was very dark, according to his picture.  With his beard, he looked like Lincoln.

 What brought them to Cincinnati?  The letter goes on to say:

I think Alexander Jones worked on boats that sailed down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers to New Orleans, but what his job was, I forgot to ask mother.  She was only two when he died.

And there we have it -- the first Jones in Cincinnati connected to the river.  But the evidence gets even better.  Check out the next post to see what I discovered.