ON the last day of the year 1828 Mr. E.
S. Thomas, who had been for years a resident of the city of Baltimore,
arrived in Cincinnati with his family, consisting of his wife and seven
children--Lewis, Frances, Susan, Mary, Martha, Belle, and Calvin.
His eldest son, William, remained in the
East. Mr. Thomas, who had formerly edited and published the Charleston
City Gazette, had in 1816 sold his establishment and taken .up
his residence in Baltimore, investing his fortune in real estate. The
decline in property in the Monumental City caused reverses, which
induced Mr. Thomas to again enter into business, and he decided to seek
a home in what was then the Far West. He had made a tour of the
country the year previous, and fixed upon Cincinnati as the most
desirable location.
The Queen of the West then contained but
twenty-five thousand inhabitants, and rejoiced in but one daily paper,
the Gazette, edited by Charles Hammond, which was the only daily, paper
in the West. Mr. Thomas, who had been brought up a printer in the office
of his uncle, Isaiah Thomas, who published the Massachusetts Spy
in the time of the Revolution, determined to start another daily paper
in the city, which he did. This was called the Commercial Daily
Advertiser, which was steadfast: and warm in its advocacy of all the
best interests of the city and the West. Taking up his residence in
Cincinnati; Mr. Thomas identified himself with it. He saw her
future, and had intense pride in what she was and what she was to be.
His pen was always ready, and the columns of his paper always open, for
the furtherance of any measure to increase her resources or add to her
prosperity.
In an article published in the
Advertiser, November, 1829, eleven months after his arrival, he says :
"The city contains eight churches, among them the Second
Presbyterian, on Fourth Street; the Unitarian, corner of Fourth and Race
Streets; the Baptist, on Sycamore Street; the Third .Presbyterian, on
Second Street; and the Reformed Methodist, on Sixth Street. There are
four markets and many handsome dwellings." He invites laborers and
mechanics to make Cincinnati their home, holding out the inducements of
plenty of work, cheap board, clothing at reasonable prices, and a good
climate. He also states that the year previous, 1828, there was received
for postage $12,150. In 1837 he writes in his paper:
"The authors, poets, painters, and
sculptors. of the city, both in number and excellence, vie with any in
the Union. Her colleges, academies, and schools in art, science, and
literature are numerous and well conducted: Her free schools are
unequaled in number (ten), size and elegance of the buildings, and the
number of scholars attending them. Her commerce is coextensive with the.
Union, and consists in part of exporting the products of upwards of one
hundred manufactories, employed in almost. every branch of manufacture,
to ail aggregate amount exceeding eleven million dollars. The tonnage,
built in 1836, was nearly eight thousand tons."
On the lookout for merit in any line, Mr.
Thomas first saw, encouraged, and fostered the genius of Clevinger. The
bust of this gentleman was the first attempted by that artist; and the
first executed in the Mississippi Valley. It is of freestone, suitable
marble not being procurable. It is to be seen at his father's grave, in
Mr. Calvin W. Thomas's lot at Spring Grove Cemetery.
Brackett also modeled a bust of Mr.
Thomas, who found him in a small room in the third story of a house in
an obscure street, and brought him into notice in his paper. Later, in.
1844, Mr. Thomas sat to "the late T. D. Jones for a bust. Both of
these are fine likenesses, and are now in the possession of the family.
Mr. Jones never forgot to acknowledge his indebtedness to Mr. Thomas,
nor did Thomas Buchanan Read, the poet-painter, whom he also befriended:
He visited the studios of Beard, Frankenstein, Powers, and others,
situated in those quaint little offices under the hill, called Foote's
Row, and never failed to encourage those artists and notice their work.
John Frankenstein, lately. deceased in New York, painted a full-length
portrait of Mr. Thomas, which now hangs on the walls of the Mercantile
Library, presented by Mr. Calvin W. Thomas.
The connection of Cincinnati with the
South by railroad was a project dear to Mr. Thomas's heart.: He
originated and advocated it with all his ability, giving time, speech,
and pen to the cause. After some years, he sold out the Commercial
Daily Advertiser, and in 1835 began the publication of the Evening
Post, which he continued until a few years previous to his death, before
which he published the "Reminiscences of the Last Sixty-five Years,
with Sketches of his own Life and Times," a quaint book, which had
a large circulation. Mr. Thomas died October, 1845, aged seventy-two,
and was buried at Spring Grove. His wife, Annie Thomas, survived him
twenty years, dying June, 1865, aged seventy-nine years, and lies buried
at his side.
In the year 1829, FREDERIC WILLIAM
THOMAS, following his family, came to the West. He was a lawyer—had
been admitted to practice at the Baltimore bar. While descending the
Ohio River, he wrote a poem called "The Emigrant," which, by
invitation, he subsequently delivered before the Cincinnati Lyceum, and
afterwards published. He was a little over twenty-one at that time. This
poem was followed by "Clinton Bradshaw; or, the Adventures of a
Lawyer," published by Carey, Lee Blanchard, Philadelphia, and was called
the best American novel of its time. His next venture was " East
and West." Then "Howard Pinckney" was published. During
the years which intervened between the writing of these books he was a
resident of Cincinnati. He wrote tales and sketches, fugitive poetry,
delivered lectures, and made political speeches. In 1840, when General
Harrison was elected President, he went to Washington. After General
Harrison's death, Mr. Tyler gave him any office under government. He
continued to reside in the capital, writing little but an occasional
song or story. His song "'T is said that Absence Conquers
Love," was one of the most popular of the day. After some years he
went on a lecturing tour through the South, confining his literary
efforts to newspaper and magazine articles. In the year 1866 he returned
to Washington-, where, after a short illness, he died. His remains lie
buried in Spring Grove Cemetery.
LEWIS FAULK THOMAS, second son of E. S.
and Anna. Thomas, was also a lawyer. He studied under Judge Este, and
was admitted to the Cincinnati bar. For some time he assisted his
father, in editing the Evening Post, and was afterward engaged on the
Louisville Herald. He resided for many years in St. Louis. He wrote
poetry and sketches, and published a volume of poems. He was the author
of several tragedies, one of which, " Cortez," Mr. Forest
pronounced the best American tragedy. He removed to Washington City,
where he died in 1868, in office under government. He was also interred
in Spring Grove Cemetery.
