Alexander Hamilton, the guy and the Broadway show that bears his last name, has had a lot of press lately. The worldwide kind. The celebrity kind. Even of late, the controversy kind. 

Hamilton, the county, is a little less vividly talked about.

It’s not just us that pale in comparison. There are 10 such counties in the United States. But none, it should be noted, are about to, or will likely ever, host the now-traveling Broadway show unless and until the blockbuster gets a high school production nod from whoever gives nods to such things.

Yes, Cincinnati is the only major city – if you don’t count Chattanooga, and we don’t – that sits inside a county named for the first Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander (no middle name) Hamilton and that will host the musical, starting Feb. 19. 

Which means we must shoulder a heavy burden: To connect the city with the man. 

But first, let’s get the most exciting and newsworthy entertainment connection out of the way.

Get this: The statue of Alexander Hamilton that graces Hamilton, the city, is almost exactly the same as the one that graces the logo for the musical. (The Broadway in Cincinnati people say they have Googled everything and can’t find another statue in the same position.) 

Here’s visual proof:

Now that's out of the way, let's start answering those connection questions for you.

Hamilton, the city, is named after the man, then?

Well, yes, but the city was first named Fairfield. Its proximity to Fort Hamilton – indeed named for Alexander – prompted the rename. 
The fort was constructed there in 1791 to help get rid the Americans that were already here – the Shawnee and Miami tribes. The fortress was constructed by Arthur St. Clair, who did indeed get his hat handed to him by the Native Americans, but then the fort was used again by “Mad” Anthony Wayne, who was a pretty terrible person but still has a street named after him in Northside.

P.S. There are 37 other cities named Hamilton in the United States, including those with Township added to their monikers as an afterthought. Think of the piling on like measles in Washington State.

So we’re sure the county was named after the man himself?

We are. The land that now makes up the county was bought for the paltry sum of 67 cents an acre. It was called the Miami Purchase. In January 1790, when the land was reassessed for boundary lines and such, the guy who had shelled out the cash got to name what he bought. You should know that man, John Cleves Symmes, never missed a political advantage when he saw it.

Historians say he likely figured he would need Hamilton’s largesse and this was a good opportunity to score some points. (Federal money came through the Treasury and that meant it came through Hamilton.)

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You should also know that Symmes had agreed to do a lot of things when he was allowed to purchase the land. He didn’t do most of them, spoiling that fun for everybody since. The government quickly put a halt to such future sales.

Was Hamilton appreciative of Symmes’ vanity play?

If so, we will never know. Hamilton died unexpectedly in 1804 from the wounds inflicted when he dueled Aaron Burr. 

Did any towns want to curry favor with that other guy, you know, Burr?

One, that was in Tennessee. Founded in 1801, pre-duel, it was named for the then-Vice President of the United States. Burr, it seems, had done a great deal in getting Tennessee admitted to the Union and people were appreciative. But, lo, in 1809, Burr was not so much admired. After all, he had by then gunned down Hamilton and was charged with treason in connection with an alleged conspiracy to take over land in Texas and the Louisiana Purchase. The town changed its name to Clinton. (Feel free to insert any manner of response here.)
Did either Hamilton or Burr ever visit Cincinnati?

Burr visited Cincinnati twice when he went to the Terrace Park home of U.S. Sen. John Smith, who later ended up being indicted for treason with Burr. There is no record of Hamilton gracing our piece of paradise.

But Hamilton knew Cincinnati, yes?

He did. But he also knew and revered Cincinnatus, the legendary Roman figure of civic virtue, who gave us his name. When both Burr and Hamilton met for the infamous duel in Weehawken, New Jersey, on July 11, 1804, both men were members of the Society of the Cincinnati, what is said to be the “oldest private patriotic organization in the United States.” That may be, but a few of the Founding Fathers expressed dismay early on that the society was, in fact, creating some kind of caste system in America. Which, they contended, they had all fought to demolish. The society required you to have descended from a real Revolutionary War soldier and be male to belong.

The society still exists today. Same rules.

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