Cincinnati was platted in 1855. The town of Cincinnati was incorporated in February 1875, and named for the Ohio hometown of early resident J.H.B. Armstrong. Cincinnati was a coal mining camp, and as with many coal camps in the late 19th century, it was a hotbed of union activity, strikes and occasional violence. Company E of the Second Regiment of the Iowa National Guard was called up on April 12, 1895, in response to a request of support from the county sheriff after threats of violence from striking miners in Cincinnati. In 1912, Local 775 of the United Mine Workers based in Cincinnati, had 302 members.
Passages that mention Cincinnati, cut from the printed page as they were published.
The history of Appanoose County, Iowa, containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c., a biographical directory of citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion, general and local statistics, portraits of early settlers and prom1878 · page 454Read the page →
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The town of Cincinnati was incorporated early in 1875, the principal motive being to obtain power to lay sidewalks along the streets. The first Council met April 19, 1875, with A. A. Atherton as Mayor, A.
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The history of Appanoose County, Iowa, containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c., a biographical directory of citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion, general and local statistics, portraits of early settlers and prom1878 · page 495Read the page →
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Johnson & Calvert, clothing and furnishing goods ; Mr. J. built the first storehouse, was the first merchant and Postmaster in the town of Cincinnati ; served as Clerk of the Courts three terms. Served three years and a half as private and officer in the 6th and 36th I. V. I.
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Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Timeline
Cincinnati, 1851 to 1939
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Cincinnati. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1939Centerville sheet · 1:62,500
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Cincinnati.
Every building
Cincinnati, building by building, 1895–1913
Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.
1895Sheet 1 of 1
Edition
Sheets
BrickWoodStone
Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Places that used to be
Places now gone and burying grounds
Cincinnati’s post office has been open since 1851.
Gone or out of use
Cincinnatilocale
1cemetery inside Cincinnati
Evergreen
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Cincinnati’s history
What year was Cincinnati founded?
The Cincinnati post office opened in 1851, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1855.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →
From Wikimedia Commons (3), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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