This doesn’t have an immediate Catholic connection (although Cincinnati does have some great Catholic places of interest), but we found this to be very interesting from a historical perspective.
Few of us, I suppose, have given much thought, or really cared, to how the city got its name. The city of Cincinnati is just another city in the U.S. so far as we are concerned….with a rich German heritage, renowned for its unique cinnamon-spiced chili, professional sports (Reds and Bengals), and historic 19th-century architecture in the Over-the-Rhine distric. So, perhaps the name came fromnative American? Sounded possible to us. But the name traces its origin far back, actually pre-dating the establishment of Christianity.
The first settlement here was called Losantiville, a portmanteau (blending of two or more names) invented by founder John Filson. It combined elements from different languages: “L” for the Licking River, “os” (Latin for mouth), “anti” (Greek for opposite), and “ville” (town), roughly meaning “the town opposite the mouth of the Licking [River].”
In 1790, General Arthur St. Clair, the governor of the Northwest Territory and a member of the Society of the Cincinnati, changed the name. He disliked Losantiville and renamed the town Cincinnati in honor of the Society of the Cincinnati (a fraternal organization of Revolutionary War officers, of which he was a member) and its namesake.
The Society of the Cincinnati took its name from Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus (c. 519 BC – c. 430 BC), a legendary Roman hero. Cincinnatus was a farmer who was appointed dictator during a military crisis. He quickly defeated the enemy, resigned his absolute power after just 15 days, and returned to his plow——thereby embodying civic virtue, humility, and reluctance to hold power.
This ideal resonated with American Revolutionary officers, who saw parallels with George Washington, often called the “American Cincinnatus”. Washington declined offers to make him a king after the U.S. won its independence…..he, too, returned to his former life. At that time in history, of course, Kingship was the norm…the idea of a democratically elected ruler was all but unheard-of.
The society of the Cincinnati was founded in 1783 to preserve fellowship among veterans and promote these republican values.
The name change took effect on January 4, 1790. Cincinnati thus indirectly honors an ancient Roman while directly honoring the Revolutionary War veterans’ society.
You can find the website of The Society of Cininnati here (external link, will open in a new window).
And, of course, here are some Catholic places of interest in Cincinnati on our site.