Transportation & Engineering

 

The Ohio River has always been important in the economic development of the City of Cincinnati. The first permanent settlement in the Cincinnati area occurred in 1788 in which settlers arrived by flatboats. Cincinnati first built itself on flatboat trade. Its large sawmills produced most of the heavy lumber sent down river on flatboats and it became a large hub for the pork trade.

Beginning in the early ninetieth century, steamboats became the preferred mode for river transportation. There were faster, larger and more maneuverable than flatboats. Because of their size, steamboats could also transport large loads of agricultural and manufactured goods, construction materials, as well as people over many miles.

Cincinnati became an important shipyard where steamboats were built and repaired. The industries and transportation system it developed, transformed Cincinnati into one of the most important cities in the Midwest. Beginning in the 1850s, railroads provided competition for the Ohio River steamboats but never replaced them entirely. In the twentieth century, barges carrying coal, grain, petroleum and other bulk goods eventually replaced the steamboats.

Cincinnati is part of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers “Ports of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.” This port is ranked No. 14 of all U.S. Ports and No. 1 of all U.S. inland ports.  As of 2016, more than 43 million tons of bulk goods flowed into and out of the port by barge.

Today, steamboats function primarily as a tourist attraction, carrying passengers on trips along the Ohio River. The river is popular for recreation boaters who can take advantage of pleasure marinas along the river. In addition, the Anderson Ferry carries automobiles between Cincinnati and Constance, Kentucky.