FUN WITH MAPS ISSUE 2026-079

By Steve Kovacs (Introduction by Chuck Gibson)

LOVELAND, OH (5/13, 2026) – This edition of Fun with Maps is all about phone communication and location but special to Cincinnati: what is your area code?

513 Day

Today we celebrate greater Cincinnati – area code 513.

The Queen City was founded in 1788 as “Losantiville” and renamed to Cincinnati by the Northwest Territory’s Governor in honor of a Roman General turned farmer. 

By the early-mid 19th century Cincinnati was the most populus city west of the Alleghenies, thanks largely to the Ohio River transportation route.  The Miami and Erie Canal connection further fueled growth, but the railroads and their rising import in moving goods reduced river transportation and thus halted Cincinnati’s rapid growth.

Cincinnati had a large German immigrant population, bringing with them a history of beer brewing (second largest Octoberfest in the world) and singing, which enabled the erection of Music Hall and in many ways impacted the artistic roots of the city.

And there were Irish and English immigrants, including Procter and Gamble who built a global consumer goods giant with humble roots in candles and soap.

Powell Crossley was a native idea man, driving early radio production and the most powerful radio station WLW.  He also owned for a period of time America’s first professional baseball team, the Reds.

The longest suspension bridge of its time was the Roebling Bridge.  Its construction was halted during the Civil War, to prevent easy crossing of the Confederate troops.  However, pre-Civil War Cincinnati area was an important stop on the Underground Railway.

And there were naysayers, among which was Mark Twain saying, “When the end of the world comes, I want to be in Cincinnati because it’s always twenty years behind the times.”

Setting aside Mark Twain, I’m sure you can come up with many examples of why 513 is special.

Mitchell’s map of Cincinnati is shown here from 1860.

Steve Kovacs and his wife Theresa reside in Loveland, Ohio where they raised their two children. He is a passionate collector of antique maps. Visit his antique map boutique world-on-paper online. Watch for his daily feature Fun with Maps here on Loveland Beacon.