Cincinnati was founded in late December
1788 when Mathias Denman, Colonel Robert Patterson and Israel Ludlow landed at
the spot on the north bank of the Ohio River opposite the mouth of the Licking
River. The original surveyor, John Filson (also the author of The Adventures of
Colonel Daniel Boon [sic]), named it "Losantiville" from four terms,
each of different language, before his death in October 1788 (he was replaced
by Israel Ludlow). It means "The town opposite the mouth of the Licking
River"; "ville" is French for "city", "anti"
is Greek for "opposite", "os" is Latin for "mouth"
and "L"
