have word reach General Harmar and the military authorities on the Muskingum that Losantiville was the right place to have their fort and that there
should be stationed the military force—himself, of course, included.
Dr. Beverley W. Bond, Jr., and other accredited authorities pooh pooh this story — it’s probably too amusing to be historically true. Besides, the reasons presented by Major Doughty and the final action establishing Ft. Washington at Losantiville are quoted in various authentic letters and other documents.
Even so, romance did flourish. We have record, fairly well authenticated of Cincinnati’s first two weddings, that of ELSIE ROSS who married Daniel Shoemaker, and of SALLY McHENRY, who married Darius C. Orcutt. The marriage ceremony was performed in 1790 by Squire William McMellan.
But there were still earlier brides, LUCY SHEFFIELD, for instance, youngest child of Benjamin and Hannah Sheffield of Marietta who was married there to Major David Ziegler, stationed at Ft. Harmar at the time but soon to be made commandant of Ft. Washington. He was destined to become president of Cincinnati’s first Council, which made Mrs. Ziegler “first lady” of Cincinnati in 1802.
Few pioneer women, according to Henry Howe, were more highly esteemed— or more influential than Mrs. Ziegler. Even the other women liked her. In fact, the settlers’ wives seem to have had the good sense to know they must get on together.
A letter written in 1797 by Mrs. ISRAEL LUDLOW brings this out. She described the little village — admitted the disadvantages of what was virtually garrison life. “But we are united by goodwill and desire for mutual happiness,” she wrote.
There is however comparatively little that really is authenticated concerning the women who helped to found Cincinnati and the settlements in its vicinity. But we know what they did—what they must have done —to make homes from which could grow a city noted for its fine home life, its fine educational facilities, its music, art and general culture.
For one thing, early writers about Cincinnati, were all men—until we come to MRS. FRANCES TROLLOPE. Nor can this acrimonious English woman be said to have shown any enthusiasm for the women of Cincinnati during her stay from 1828 to 1830 or thereabouts. Her book, “Domestic Manners of the Americans,” is largely a series of yawps because she failed to make money out of a fantastic “bazaar” which the Trollopes built on Third St. It was known as “Trollopes Folly” and that’s what it was.
Judge Jacob Burnet, son of Dr. William Burnet, surgeon general of the Revolutionary army, was author of the first constitution of Ohio. In 1799 he was selected by the president of the U. S . as a member of the legislative council of the territorial government. He was presently made judge of the Supreme Court of Ohio and resigned to fill out the unexpired term created
