This month marks 20 years of having lived in Cincinnati. Although my heart still belongs to Amherst, my hometown, I cannot discount the joys and blessings that my second home has provided.

Enjoying a gorgeous evening on the river, curiosity sparked within about the city’s nickname. And a quick search provided the following.

During the first forty years after its founding, Cincinnati experienced spectacular growth. By 1820, citizens, extremely proud of their city, were referring to it as The Queen City or The Queen of the West.

In 1854, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote his poem, Catawba Wine, to memorialize the city’s vineyards, especially those of Nicholas Longworth. The last stanza of the poem reads:

“And this Song of the Vine,

This greeting of mine,

The winds and the birds shall deliver,

To the Queen of the West,

In her garlands dressed,

On the banks of the Beautiful River.”

And so I sing the Queen City, rejoicing her majestic ways. She’s given me life and love to which I can only repay through respect.