Text and images from The Story of Columbus: Past, Present and Future of the Metropolis of Central Ohio, Practical Demonstration of its Development by the Reproduction of Rare Historical Photographs (2nd ed.; Columbus, Ohio: np, 1900) unless otherwise noted

Turn-of-the-Century Columbus Home | Credits

Special Events

"Lincoln Funeral Cortege"

One feature that marked public life in Columbus and other American cities in the latter half of the nineteenth century were public funeral celebrations of the life of important political leaders. The authors of Columbus included scenes from those funerals.:

"Columbus, because of its wide, level streets, has always been a favorite place for pageantry. One of the most noted demonstrations of this character to take place in the city was that of the Lincoln obsequies, on April 29, 1865. The body of the martyred president was met at the depot by a civic and military parade, which escorted the funeral car to the State House. The remains lay in state in the rotunda from 9:30 a. m. to 4 p. m. The picture shows the cortege as it moved east on Broad from High to Fourth. The procession passed through a number of the principal streets before the casket was temporarily deposited in the State House. The car was drawn by six white horses. The pallbearers were made up of prominent citizens. A great concourse of people filled the streets and State House grounds. By actual count 8000 people an hour passed through the rotunda, and it was estimated that over 50,000 viewed the remains." (12)

The following description accompanied a picture of the Ohio Statehouse decorated for the death of Ulysses S. Grant: "The life of Columbus centers in a great measure about the beautiful ten acre park which forms the State House grounds. The capitol and its surroundings appear in many of the illustrations in the present work. The large picture given on the accompanying page shows the State House as it appeared when draped in mourning over the death of Ohio's great son, U.S. Grant, which occurred July 23, 1885. The work of draping consumed several days, and it required hundreds of yards of material to twine the great columns with the emblems of sorrow. The view is taken from State and High streets and shows the fronts facing on these two thoroughfares." (page 14)

"General W.T. Sherman died in New York, Saturday, February 14, 1891, and on the following Thursday evening at 6:47 the special funeral train left the metropolis to convey the remains to their last resting place in St. Louis. The entire route was lined with mourners. The train, consisting of an engine and eight cars, all heavily draped and decorated, arrived in Columbus over the Pennsylvania lines at 2:30 Saturday afternoon, greeted by the solemn booming of cannon. A great civic and military parade had marched to the station, forming part of a throng of 10,000 people assembled there. The Fourteenth and Sixteenth Regiments, O.N.G. [Ohio National Guard], and a committee of the Ohio Legislature left Columbus for St. Louis, at the same hour with the funeral train, to take part in the obsequies." (page 22)

"One of the most important events ever to take place in Columbus was the celebration within her borders, in 1888, of the Centennial anniversary of the first settlement of the Northwest Territory, which occurred at Marietta, Ohio. This celebration took the form of an industrial exposition, showing the progress made in a hundred years in the science of agriculture and mechanics. The affair was conducted jointly by the State Board of Agriculture and the citizens of Columbus, the latter being actuated solely by the spirit of local pride and public enterprise. The event lasted over the period of a month and great crowds of visitors were attracted from every section of the state."

"The centennial was held at the grounds of the State Agricultural Society, north of the city. The magnitude of the event necessitated many improvements and addition to facilities. One of the most important was an auditorium of large capacity, in which could be carried out the programs arranged for the special days. The illustration gives an idea of the manner in which this necessity was met, the temporary structure erected for the purpose proving to be one of the most unique and satisfactory auditoriums ever devised. Its form was that of a half- spherical shell, 200 feet in diameter and 86 feet high. Its actual seating capacity was 10,000 and its acoustic property so perfect that a whisper could be distinctly heard all over the interior. It was a bold and successful experiment, conceived and carried out by Columbus architects and contractors, and cost the sum of $12,000. Being erected merely as a temporary structure, it was torn down shortly after the close of the Exposition." (page 16)

"Added to the attractions of the Exposition proper, many conventions and special gatherings had been arranged for to take place within the Centennial period chief among these was the National Encampment of the Grand Army of the Republic, which brought to the city such throngs of people as it had never before experienced, many of them coming from distant parts of the Union and numbering many noted heroes of the rebellion." (page 16) Opening Parade Ohio Centennial and "View of a Special Day Parade, Showing Horse Car Blockade"

"October 16 was Railroad Men's Day at the Centennial. The national meetings of the four great Brotherhoods-Engineer's Firemen's, Brakemen's and Switchmen's-were in session at Columbus and the delegates helped to swell the ranks of the marching thousands. Their parade was most unique." The antiquated locomotive, Arabia, built in 1836, and owned by the B. and O. [Baltimore & Ohio Railroad], was steamed up and attached to a caboose performed the distance from the tunnel to State street and back again over the street railway tracks. Among the passengers were state officials and other prominent people. The throng attracted by this novel event was immense, as may be seen by the picture." (page 18)

There were other occasions for public celebration in the life of the city. To help in those celebrations a group of "military-inclined young men" formed a "crack military organization, the Pugh Videttes" shown here marching down High Street accompanied by a band.

"In this illustration is shown is shown a parade of the colored Knights Templars of Ohio, on the occasion of their ninth annual conclave, in 1888. The view represents them escorting Grand Eminent Commander Alex. Morris, from his stopping place to the hall in which the sessions were held. The affair was a very important one in Afro-American circles, and was largely attended, many handsomely uniformed and well drilled organizations being present." (page 54)

Political campaigns, in general, were lively, festive public events during the latter part of the nineteenth century. Ohio featured well-organized political parties, and both the Democrats and Republicans were able to turn out crowds to see candidates and listen to speeches. "A red letter day of the memorable Presidential campaign of 1896, in a local sense, was the visit to Columbus of William J. Bryan, Democratic nominee for the office of Chief Executive of the Nation. The event occurred on September 2nd, but a short time after the Chicago Convention. In addition to the party enthusiasm there was an intense curiosity to see and hear the man who had so suddenly jumped into national prominence. The crowd was one of the largest ever seen in Columbus." (page 60)

In 1897 Franklinton celebrated its centennial; Franklinton, on the west bank of the Scioto River, was the first Euro-American settlement of what later became Columbus.

The Camp Chase Confederate Memorial

Turn-of-the-Century Columbus Home | Credits