Cincinnati, Texas, is a historical ghost town located in northern
Walker County, on the west bank of the Trinity River, approximately 12
miles northeast of Huntsville (the county seat) and 15 miles north of
Riverside. It was founded around 1835–1837 by James C. DeWitt, a
veteran of the Battle of San Jacinto, who received a 1,280-acre land
grant from the Mexican government in December 1835.
The town was surveyed into 39 blocks with 468 lots, including a public square, and the first lot was sold in May 1837.
DeWitt died by 1839, after which his widow married Frederick Pomeroy,
who became a key figure operating the ferry, a large store, and a
tanyard.
During the 19th century, Cincinnati served as a vital riverport and
ferry crossing along the main road between Huntsville and Crockett,
facilitating trade via steamboats, keelboats, and flatboats.
It acted as a central hub for shipping cotton, hides, pelts,
lard, beeswax, and other goods to Galveston, while importing supplies
like flour, salt, cloth, medicine, and whiskey.
The town grew slowly at first but peaked in the early 1850s with an estimated population of 200 to 600 residents.
At its height, it featured a variety of businesses and amenities,
including a saloon, grocery store, cotton warehouse, dry-goods store,
saddlery, tannery, cotton gin, blacksmith shop, wagonmaker, stonemason,
two doctors, a post office (established in 1866), a Masonic Lodge with
up to 70 members (active until 1861), a school, church, hotel (Hunter’s
Tavern), bowling alley, and shops for shoemakers and tailors.
The surrounding area included prosperous cotton plantations reliant on
enslaved labor. River navigation was challenging due to sandbars and
fluctuating water levels, often stranding vessels for months.
A major setback occurred in the fall of 1853 when a yellow fever
epidemic, likely introduced via mosquitoes from a boat arriving from
Galveston, struck the town.
Up to 25% of the population (around 150 people if estimates of 600
hold) died, though records are incomplete, and many more fled in panic,
with some relocating to nearby Tuscaloosa.
Treatments were rudimentary and ineffective, including mercury
injections and mustard baths, amid disputes among local physicians.
Contrary to some legends, the town was not immediately abandoned and survived for decades afterward
The decline accelerated in 1872 when the Houston-to-Dallas railroad was
completed, crossing the Trinity at Riverside and diverting trade away
from Cincinnati.
By 1882, the population had dwindled to about 35, and the post
office closed in 1892, marking the effective end of the community.
Today, Cincinnati is a ghost town with a population of zero, and the
site is privately owned by a local Walker County family with historical
ties to the area.
Little remains beyond scattered ruins, such as chimney stones,
bricks, and glass fragments, along with two small cemeteries containing
graves from the town's early days (some gravestones are still visible
in a fenced plot).
A Texas Centennial historical marker, dedicated in 1936 on FM 3478 near
Riverside, commemorates the site, though its inscription (stating
founding in 1838 and abandonment after the 1853 epidemic) is somewhat
inaccurate based on historical records.
The location is not publicly accessible, and recent mentions, such as
on social media, highlight its past as a bustling port founded by
DeWitt.
Details of the epidemic
The yellow fever epidemic struck Cincinnati, Texas, in the fall of
1853, at a time when the town was a thriving riverport on the Trinity
River with an estimated population of 200 to 600 residents.
This outbreak was part of a broader wave of yellow fever
epidemics across Texas and the Gulf Coast that year, which included
severe impacts in port cities like Galveston, where over 500 people
died.
Yellow fever, caused by an arbovirus transmitted by the Aedes aegypti
mosquito (though this vector was not understood until the early 20th
century), was a dreaded disease known for its rapid spread in humid,
tropical environments and symptoms including high fever, jaundice,
hemorrhaging, and "black vomit."
In the 19th century, it was often attributed to poor sanitation,
decaying waste, and "miasma" from swampy areas, with outbreaks
exacerbated by trade and travel.
The disease likely arrived in Cincinnati via mosquitoes harbored on a
steamboat traveling up the Trinity River from Galveston, a common port
of entry for yellow fever in Texas.
Local accounts describe an infected stranger from Galveston who
was removed from the boat for treatment, unknowingly spreading the
virus to the community.
The town's location in the low-lying, mosquito-infested bottomlands
along the river made it particularly vulnerable, as steamboats not only
transported goods like cotton but also diseases.
Cincinnati's prosperity as a trade hub—shipping cotton, hides,
and other products while importing supplies—inadvertently facilitated
the outbreak, mirroring patterns in other Texas river and coastal areas
where proximity to waterways brought both economic benefits and health
risks.
The epidemic began in September 1853, during the warm, humid season ideal for mosquito breeding.
Impacts and DeathsThe outbreak caused widespread panic and devastation
in the small community, which featured businesses like saloons, stores,
a cotton warehouse, tannery, Masonic lodge, school, church, hotel, and
various shops, supported by surrounding cotton plantations reliant on
enslaved labor.
Up to 25% of the population perished—potentially around 150 people if
the higher estimate of 600 residents is accurate—while many others fled
the town in fear.
Some refugees relocated to nearby Tuscaloosa, providing its initial population, and the mass exodus nearly emptied Cincinnati.
The epidemic disrupted the local economy, halting trade and navigation
on the Trinity River, and contributed to a broader perception of the
area as unhealthy, with fevers common in the alluvial lowlands.
In the wider Texas context, yellow fever epidemics like this one
led to commercial standstills, mass flights, and heightened city
rivalries, as communities concealed outbreaks to avoid scaring away
investors and immigrants.
Treatments and Medical ResponseMedical knowledge of yellow fever was
limited in 1853, with no effective cure available. Local physicians,
such as James H. Smith and Samuel P. Dubois, struggled to treat
patients, often keeping them still and quiet while administering
rudimentary and sometimes harmful remedies like mercury injections and
mustard baths.
Disputes arose among doctors over the best approaches, reflecting
broader debates in the South; some favored traditional "heroic" methods
like bleeding and purging, while others, influenced by emerging ideas
from epidemics like New Orleans in 1853, shifted toward gentler care
such as medicinal teas, tepid baths, evacuants, and body rubbing to
induce perspiration.
Organizations like the Howard Association, chartered in Galveston
that year, provided aid by setting up hospitals, recruiting nurses, and
distributing supplies, though no specific involvement in Cincinnati is
documented.
Overall, treatments were largely ineffective, and physicians were
described as "groping in the dark," leading to exhaustion among
caregivers
Aftermath and Long-Term EffectsContrary to some local legends and the
inscription on the 1936 Texas Centennial historical marker (which
inaccurately states the town was abandoned immediately after the 1853
scourge), Cincinnati was not completely wiped out by the epidemic.
The town survived for several decades, with ongoing activity: the
Masonic lodge remained active until 1861, some businesses like Dr.
Smith's store and saloon operated until 1889, and the post office
continued until 1892.
However, the outbreak stunted growth and led to the permanent loss of
many residents who never returned, contributing to a gradual decline.
The final blow came in 1872 with the completion of the
Houston-to-Dallas railroad, which bypassed Cincinnati and shifted trade
to Riverside, 15 miles downstream.
By the early 1880s, only about 35 people remained, and the community
effectively ended as a ghost town with a population of zero today.
Remnants include scattered ruins like chimney stones, bricks, glass
fragments, and two small cemeteries with graves from the era, now on
privately owned land.
The epidemic reinforced the Trinity River's reputation as unhealthy,
prompting some planters to relocate homes to higher ground.
In broader Texas history, the 1853 outbreaks influenced later
responses, including quarantines and sanitation efforts, though yellow
fever persisted until mosquito control measures eradicated it after
1905.
James C. DeWitt (sometimes spelled Dewitt) was a key figure in early
Texas settlement and a veteran of the Battle of San Jacinto during the
Texas Revolution. Born around 1800 (exact date unknown), he received a
land grant in Walker County and founded the town of Cincinnati, Texas,
in 1837 (some sources cite 1835 or 1838). The town was established on
the west bank of the Trinity River, about 12 miles north of Huntsville,
and was surveyed into 468 lots by Charles Brookfield. Water Street ran
along the riverfront, making it a vital shipping point for steamboat
navigation, cotton, and other goods. DeWitt selected the site from land
deeded to him by H. M. Crabb in 1837 as part of Crabb's headright.
DeWitt died before the end of 1839 (exact cause and date unrecorded in
available sources). His widow, Sarah Ann DeWitt, later married
Frederick Pomeroy. The town thrived initially as a river port with a
ferry crossing but declined after a yellow fever epidemic in 1853 (or
1867 per some accounts), leading to its abandonment. A 1936 Texas
Centennial marker at the site reads: "Important shipping point in
Trinity River navigation. Founded in 1838 by James C. DeWitt. Abandoned
after yellow fever scourge in 1853." No detailed personal
records, such as family lineage beyond his widow or specific business
ventures outside founding the town, were found in historical accounts.
Hillary Mercer Crabb (1804–1876) was a prominent early settler, judge,
and military veteran in Texas. Born in Columbia County, Georgia, he
moved to Texas around 1830 and participated in key events, including
the Battle of Nacogdoches in 1832 as part of the Texas militia. In
1835, he received a land grant (one league) in what became Walker
County, near the site of Cincinnati. Crabb served as one of the first
judges in Walker County and was involved in local governance, including
as a commissioner in Montgomery County in 1837.
In 1837, Crabb deeded one labor of land (about 177 acres) to James C.
DeWitt, which formed the basis for Cincinnati's founding. This deed was
part of Crabb's headright claim. He lived in the rural area around
Cincinnati and contributed to the region's early development, including
roads and settlements in the Lake Creek area. Crabb died in 1876 and is
buried in Walker County. His family included descendants like G. K.
Crabb Sr. (born 1845 near Huntsville), who continued farming in the
area.
Comments by Adolphus Sterne: Adolphus Sterne (1801–1852), a
Nacogdoches merchant, legislator, and diarist who supported Texas
independence, visited Cincinnati multiple times and recorded
observations in his diary. In one entry, he described the town as
having a "tolerable good tavern for Texas" owned by Mr. Hunter but
noted that Cincinnati "had not improved from the last time he saw it."
Sterne's comments highlight the town's modest development and its role
as a stop along travel routes, including a mention of its location 12
miles below another point on the Trinity River. His diary provides
broader insights into early Texas life but does not delve deeply into
Cincinnati's specifics beyond these passing remarks.
Comments by Miss Melinda Rankin: Melinda Rankin (1811–1888), a
Presbyterian missionary and educator from New England, traveled
extensively in Texas starting in 1847 and authored Texas in 1850 and
Twenty Years Among the Mexicans. Her works focus on missionary efforts,
education (including founding the Rio Grande Female Institute in
Brownsville), and social conditions, particularly in South Texas and
along the border. No specific comments on Cincinnati, Texas, or its
residents were found in her writings or related historical sources. Her
observations generally critique Texas's moral and religious state but
emphasize areas like Brownsville and the Rio Grande Valley rather than
Walker County.
John F. Kelly from Ireland: John Felix Kelly Sr. (1845–1888), an
Irish immigrant from County Tipperary (born in Borrisoleigh or
Kylebeg), arrived in Texas in 1867 after stops in New York and New
Orleans. He initially settled in Galveston before moving to Old
Cincinnati in Walker County, where he worked as an employee of Dr. J.
H. Smith. In 1868, as a newcomer, Kelly commented on Cincinnati's poor
reputation for morality, describing it as lacking in ethical standards.
He married Mary Catherine "Kate" Smith (1850–1900), Dr. Smith's
daughter, in 1870. The couple later moved to the Huntsville area, where
Kelly became a successful sawmill owner and partner in multiple
operations. He died in a sawmill boiler explosion in Barado, Texas on
November 5, 1888. His grave is in Calhoun Cemetery near Cincinnati.
Dr. J. H. Smith: Dr. James H. Smith (birth and death dates
unconfirmed, active mid-1800s) was a physician and landowner in
Cincinnati, Texas. Historical collections related to his family include
details on the Smith Plantation, Hood's Texas Brigade (Civil War), and
the yellow fever epidemic that devastated the town. Smith employed John
F. Kelly in Cincinnati around 1868, and his daughter Kate married
Kelly. No specific quoted comments from Dr. Smith on Cincinnati or its
residents were found, but archival materials (e.g., from Sam Houston
State University) preserve family papers offering insights into local
events, including the epidemic and Civil War impacts. His grave is in
Calhoun Cemetery.
Frederick Pomeroy (active 1830s–1840s) was a settler and prominent
citizen in Cincinnati by 1839. He married Sarah Ann DeWitt, the widow
of James C. DeWitt, sometime after 1839. Pomeroy was involved in local
affairs, including land ownership and possibly the Smith Plantation
area. Historical records note issues with his unrecorded will after his
death (date unknown), which complicated estate matters in Walker
County. No specific quoted comments from Pomeroy on Cincinnati were
located, but his role as a community member is tied to the town's early
development and decline.
Riverboat Boiler Explosion:
Riverboat Boiler Explosion on the Trinity River Returning from
GalvestonOn March 23, 1853, the steamboat Farmer suffered a boiler
explosion while racing the Neptune in Galveston Bay, just as it entered
Trinity Bay (the northeastern arm where the Trinity River meets the
bay). The Farmer was returning from Galveston with 72 passengers when
the blast occurred, killing 32–36 people and injuring many others. The
explosion hurled passengers into the water, and survivors were rescued
by the Neptune. The incident was attributed to overheating boilers
fueled aggressively with pine knots and bacon fat during the race.
While technically in Trinity Bay rather than the river itself, this
event is closely associated with Trinity River navigation routes. Other
steamboat incidents on the Trinity include the Scioto (exploded 1838)
and Dayton (wrecked 1837), but none match the "returning from
Galveston" detail as precisely as the Farmer.
Excerpt from;
Early History Of Walker County, Texas
by John L. Baldwin
Chapter VII
Cincinnati
Cincinnati was founded 1837-1838 by James C. DeWitt, and was an important
port until it was ravaged by the yellow fever epidemic of 1853. It
was at that time almost wiped out, but later regained a portion of its
importance, only to die once again as a result of the decline of steamboat
traffic on the Trinity, which had brought it into being in the first
place. By the year 1884 the population of the area was given at 35 and
even those people gradually left, until today there are no residents at all to
be found at the location of the former town, which at one time numbered 500 or
600 people, and was even larger than Huntsville in the earliest days of the two
settlements. (W. R. Webb, The Handbook of Texas)
Today the visitor to the site of once busy shipping port will see very few
reminders of the old town; the area is used as grazing land for a large number
of cattle. There are a few scattered bricks and stones which were once
part of some of the buildings there, but most of such evidence had been
removed. There is an old well still to be seen, which was used by the
people of the town to supply their water, but it is no longer in used. A
marker was erected by the State of Texas in 1936 to indicate the town site, and
to the casual visitor unfamiliar with the area, this marker would be the only
thing to show that there had once been a town there.
The site of the old settlement is located on a high bluff overlooking
the Trinity, from which may be obtained a very picturesque view of the
river. Off to one side of the town site there is an old cemetery, with
only a few tombstones remaining. One lot enclosed by an iron fence, and
the graves in there have been better preserved than others within the once large
cemetery area. Traces of some of the old roads leading into the town may
still be seen id one looks carefully.
In 1837 H. M. Crabb deeded to James C. DeWitt on labor of land "...to be
selected by him as his natural headright..." the area DeWitt selected had
been granted to Crabb by the government of Coahuila and texas from the allotment
of the empresario, Joseph Vehein, and was located on the Trinity River.
Shortly after this grant was made, DeWitt began selling lots in the surveyed
area known as the town of New Cincinnati. The area was surveyed by William
Charles Brookfield, who was granted 5 town lots in Cincinnati as payment for his
work. The town was well laid off and was divided into 40 blocks fronting
on the Trinity River. One block was set aside as a public square.
The streets running to the river were Water, Brookfield, DeWitt, Hall, Commerce
and Grimes streets, and the cross streets were Trinity, Jackson, Richie,
Main, Fowle, Walnut, Milam and Pennsylvania.
James DeWitt died in the latter part of 1838 or 1839, shortly after getting
his town underway. DeWitt's wife, Sarah Ann, married Frederick Pomeroy, a
leading citizen of Cincinnati, in 1839. Pomeroy later appointed Isaac
Tousey as attorney to settle the estate of DeWitt.
The development of Cincinnati seems to have gotten off to a rather slow
start. The town was visited in April, 1839, by Adolphus Sterne, who wrote
in his diary, "Mr. Clapp has built a good home for travelers, about 8 or 10
others smaller, saw only one store." When Sterne visited the place again
in August 1843 he wrote, "Cincinnati has not much improved since I saw it
last." Miss Melinda Rankin, a resident of Cincinnati, also writes of the
slow growth of the settlement during its first few years. She seems to
attribute this to a great extent to the poor moral standards of the town which
she thought discouraged others from moving into the area. However, at the
time she wrote, she said things seemed to be improving and that the prospects
for the town were looking better. A building had been constructed which
was to serve as both church and school, and this, she felt, would greatly
improve the moral and intellectual standards of the community.
It seems that Cincinnati never had a very good reputation for morality,
however. In 1868 John F. Kelly, a newcomer from Ireland an an employee of
Dr. J. H. Smith, who ran a store in Cincinnati, made several entries in his
diary concerning the character of many of the persons with whom he had dealings.
"Oh, Texas, thy youth are truly demoralized." In his opinion, "Very
few of them are truly faithfully honest -- very few indeed." In describing
what he considered to be the average character of the Texans, Kelly said, "They
lack (very much indeed) the experienced ingenuity and skill as well as that
indomitable spirit of the go aheaditiveness so prevalent in the Northern
character... They have been too much accustomed to leading an easy,
indolent life, hence their lack of enterprise and haste..." In
regard to promises made by Texans Kelly had this to say; "But. 'Shaw' talk about
the people of this state being punctual to what they promise. this in
undoubtedly less principal and honor attached to these people in that respect
than any I have ever known. May I never experience such a collection of
beings in any part of the union." (John F. Kelly, Diary, entry of April 3, 1868)
Frederick Pomeroy and Isaac Tousey seem to have been two of the town's most
prominent citizen. They ran a store in partnership, and each owned large
areas of land in the vicinity of the town. Pomeroy also owned a ferry, a
brickyard, and a tanyard. A license to keep the ferry was necessary, for
which the operator has to pay $25 a year in addition to posting
bond. The ferry was necessary for the stage line, and there were
quite a few people living on the other side of the river from the town itself
who crossed to trade in Cincinnati. When the water was high there seemed
to have been a difficulty in crossing the river. Kelly mentions in his
diary on April 19, 1868, that on that day they had the first customer from over
the river since the overflow 3 weeks prior.
The business establishments in Cincinnati were numerous, in addition to those
already mentioned as being operated by Pomeroy and Tousey. Robert and John
Matthews were ginwrights and wagon and furniture makers. An advertisement
placed by them in the Item, January 29, 1853, gives us a description of their
business: R. & J. Matthews - Ginwrights, Wagon, and Furniture
Makers, Cincinnati, Texas. Would again inform the planters and public
generally, that they have on hand a supply of Gin Stands, which they warrant to
be equal to the best and if not proved so, on trial, the money will be
refunded. Also wagons of the most approved style and finish on hand.
Wagon repairing, etc. Furniture of their own make, bureaus, bedsteads,
folding tables, workstands, etc. Blacksmithing neatly done. They
also keep a good tavern where travelers can always find every accommodation."
Dr. J. N. Smith erected, in 1853, a new warehouse for the accommodation of
shippers and receivers, and also operated a general merchandise store in the
community. (Mrs. I. B. McFarland, Houston)
George Hunter, mentioned in Chapter IV in connection with the wreck of the
Fanner, was a tavern owner in Cincinnati. Adolphus Sterne spoke of having
eaten there on his visit to the town in 1843. He "took dinner at Mr.
Hunters, a tolerable good tavern for Texas."
Dr. J. H. Morgan was a dentist and surgeon who seems to have divided his time
among Cincinnati and other East Texas towns. The Huntsville Item February 5,
1853, carried an advertisement of his which stated that he was then in
Cincinnati but would soon return to treat his Huntsville patients.
In December 1849, Rev. Robert Waters and Miss Melinda Rankin opened a school
in the town, known as the Cincinnati Academy. This school was rather short
lived, however. By the year 1851 Miss Rankin was helping Rev. Weyman Adair
in his Cincinnati Classical and Collegiate Institute, which prepared older boys
for college, but also accepted younger boys and girls.. Rev. Adair taught
the older boys while Miss Rankin taught the girls and younger boys. (Thomas
Campbell, History of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church)
Yellow fever struck Cincinnati in the fall of 1853. By the end of the
year the town was reeling from the staggering toll of lives taken. Panic
seized many of the people, most of those who were not struck down by the fever
abandoned the town. In September 1853 a traveler stopped at Hunter Tavern
after having become sick while returning to his home in Palestine from
Galveston. Mrs. Hunter waited on him until he left on the next
stage. It was later learned that he died shortly after this. No one
knew just what his illness had been, but shortly after his departure, Mrs.
Hunter had taken with the same disease. the people of the town still did
not suspect yellow fever, and several of the women visited her before she
died. Thus the fever was rapidly communicated throughout the town with the
aid of the many mosquitos from the muddy riverbottom lands. (History of the
Hunter and Stevens Family, in possession of Willene Story, Tyler, Texas)
An interesting theory held by some of the towns people as to how the fever
got its start was told in the Telegraph and Texas Register of November 4, 1853;
a visitor to the town inquired if the source of the fever were known, if it had
been brought from Galveston or Houston. the citizens at that time seemed
to be unable to account for its appearance. Some had believed that it
started through a dead horse that had been permitted to remain close to the
town, the stench of which had been diffused through the area.
The doctors of the community were kept constantly on the move, trying
desperately to halt the rapid spread of the disease, but yellow fever was a
relatively new disease in Texas, and very little was known about it. The
Negro slaves of the community did not seem to be susceptible to the ever as did
the whites, and they performed invaluable service in caring for the sick.
Cincinnati had been dealt a terrible blow, and it seemed for a time that it was
completely wiped out.
A Brief History of Cincinnati, Texas (a ghost town)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuwG1SmCnlI
East Texas History
https://easttexashistory.org/items/show/238
Texas Escapes
http://www.texasescapes.com/EastTexasTowns/Cincinnati-Texas.htm
Texas State Historical Association
https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/cincinnati-tx
Texas Almamac
https://www.texasalmanac.com/places/cincinnati
East Texas History, Once Rich Port Lies Forgotten
https://easttexashistory.org/files/show/2011
Finding Cincinnati, Exploring a Ghost Town using LiDAR
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=d_ZKPq4Tk8g