Cincinnati was given the nickname Queen City in 1819, when it was named the capital of Ohio.
Cincinnati has a long history of being referred to as the Queen City. In fact, it’s been called this since 1819, when it was named the capital of Ohio. This nickname came about thanks to an editorial published in the Cincinnati Gazette on May 6th, 1819. The editorial is thought to have been written by Dr. Richard M. Bayless and read: “We have the honor to announce to our readers that Cincinnati has been elected the seat of government for the state of Ohio. We congratulate our fellow citizens on this distinguished honor conferred upon them by their country… May that Being who rules over the universe shower down his blessings upon this house and all that shall hereafter inhabit it. May he make it a happy habitation for man; may he spread wide his protective arms over all within its walls; may he pour out his spirit upon all who legislate within its halls; may he guide them into all truth and uphold them in their several stations; may he inspire every citizen with a sense of his obligations to God and man; may we be numbered among those who will bow before him in humble adoration and praise him as our Protector and Benefactor”.
The first time Cincinnati was referred to as “Queen City” came from poet Robert Southey in 1819. However, this wasn’t exactly meant as a compliment at first – Southey compared Cincinnati unfavorably with London, which had earned itself the nickname “Mother City”.
