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Over-the-Rhine Before the Civil War: A New Story of Cincinnati’s German Heritage

The Story of My Life: The Autobiography of Frederick Finnup

The Over-the-Rhine Museum is delighted to invite you to an intimate fundraising event on Saturday, May 18th at 10:00 AM at First Lutheran Church, 1208 Race Street in the second-floor gallery. 

Historian Andrew Houghtaling opens a new window into daily life in early Over-the-Rhine in his newly published translation of Frederick Finnup’s little-known memoir, The Story of My Life. Prussian immigrant Frederick Finnup arrived in Cincinnati as a five-year-old in 1845. He lived in Cincinnati for twenty years and fought with a local regiment in the Civil War. After the war he moved to Indiana and then Kansas. At the end of his life, he penned a memoir for his children including vivid details of his time in Cincinnati. Houghtaling has just translated and annotated this all-but-forgotten memoir. This event will feature a discussion of Finnup’s time in Cincinnati and of Houghtaling’s experience deciphering and providing context for the handwritten memoir. Ticket purchase includes a copy of the book, The Story of My Life, and a catered breakfast.

Tickets can be purchased for $65 each. Breakfast begins at 10:00 AM. Proceeds support the Over-the-Rhine Museum. Space is limited to the first 40 attendees.

About the Speaker

Andrew Houghtaling is a historian and founder of The Ninth Ohio: A Living History organization. The Ninth Ohio explores the lives of German Americans and their experiences in the Civil War. Originally from Lansing, Michigan, Houghtaling graduated with a degree in German Literature from the University of Cincinnati in 2004. After moving around the country for several years, he and his family returned to Cincinnati in 2018. Houghtaling is currently a student in the Masters Program in History at UC.

Frederick Finnup's story is a unique look at an average German-American immigrant and soldier. After arriving in New Orleans his father found work in the growing city of Cincinnati and the family settled in the heavily German neighborhood of Over-the-Rhine. Finnup paints a vivid picture of the pre-war years in Cincinnati, and brings life to several of the characters who played a role in his daily life.

When the Civil War broke out, Finnup enlisted in the all-German Ninth Ohio Infantry. Beyond life in Over-the-Rhine, his narrative describes both mundane and terrific moments of the war with accounts from Rich Mountain, West Virginia, to Chickamauga, Georgia. 

Note About the Venue

Due to the historic nature of the venue, the event is only accessible by stairs. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Earlier Event: March 14
Three Acts: Getting Settled in Over-the-Rhine
Later Event: June 26
Three Acts: Old Buildings, New Stories

Copyright Over-the-Rhine Museum, PO Box 14026, Cincinnati, OH 45250 | (513) 813-7309 | hello@otrmuseum.org

The Over-the-Rhine Museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization

The views and opinions expressed by program presenters are theirs alone and do not necessarily represent the views of the Over-the-Rhine Museum. The museum believes in sharing the broadest possible range of experiences, memories, and histories to expose audiences to the breadth of stories embedded in this neighborhood. We encourage all to engage critically with the stories we present to build their own understandings of Cincinnati’s past.