Delivery of the Merz and Mahler Telescope in Cincinnati was made via the steamer YORKTOWN.
In the year of 1845, a significant event unfolded in the city of Cincinnati. The 1845 Merz and Mahler Telescope, the largest in the United States at the time, made its way to the city from Munich, Germany.
The telescope's journey was a complex one, involving both sea and river transport. It is believed that the telescope was first shipped across the Atlantic Ocean from Munich to an Eastern U.S. port. From there, it was transported up the Ohio River by steamboat, likely the YORKTOWN.
The YORKTOWN, a sidewheel packet with a wooden hull, built in Cincinnati in 1844, was commanded by Captain Thomas Jefferson "TJ" Haldeman, a native of Kentucky who had moved to Cincinnati in 1829. Captain Haldeman's river skills brought the YORKTOWN and the telescope safely to Cincinnati, avoiding a fire that occurred the day before the telescope's arrival on Monday, January 20, 1845.
Upon arrival, the telescope was received by astronomer Ormsby MacKnight Mitchel and eventually installed in the observatory he had built on Mt. Adams. The observatory was funded in part by a four-acre donation from Nicholas Longworth. In recognition of Captain Haldeman's role in the safe delivery of the telescope, he was rewarded by being made an honorary member of the Cincinnati Astronomical Society.
The YORKTOWN faced a delay during its journey, having to navigate over 950 miles upstream against the Mississippi River before turning into the Ohio River at Cairo Point. The steamer ground to a halt due to low water and protruding sandbars at the Mouth of the Cumberland adjacent to Smithland, Kentucky. During this delay, the telescope was stored ashore in the back of a waterfront building in Smithland.
After about 20 years, Captain Haldeman retired from commanding steamboats and became the first boiler inspector in the Port of Cincinnati. The Merz & Mahler Telescope, now a prominent fixture at the Cincinnati Observatory, also known as the Mt. Lookout Observatory, still stands 180 years after its safe delivery aboard the Steamer YORKTOWN.
For those interested in learning more about the YORKTOWN's journey and the role of Captain TJ Haldeman, the book "The River: River Rat to steamboatman, riding 'magic river spell' to 65-year adventure" by Captain Don Sanders provides an insightful account. This book, written by a river man, historian, and storyteller, is now available for purchase.
Historian Bonnie Speeg notes that the safe delivery of the Merz and Mahler Telescope to Cincinnati was a testament to the skill and expertise of Captain TJ Haldeman and the YORKTOWN. While the specifics of the telescope's shipment from Munich, Germany, to Cincinnati, Ohio, are not fully documented, this narrative fits the typical logistics of moving large, delicate scientific equipment in the 1800s. For a more detailed account of this particular shipment, consulting specialized historical records, archives from the Cincinnati observatory, or 19th-century shipping logs would be necessary.
Another notable event during this period was the dedication of the observatory building on November 9, 1843, with Former U.S. President John Quincy Adams delivering the dedication address and laying the cornerstone. This observatory, built on Mt. Ida, was later renamed Mt. Adams in honour of Captain Haldeman.
- The 1845 Merz and Mahler Telescope, after travelling from Munich, Germany, was transported up the Ohio River by a steamboat named YORKTOWN, which was built in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1844.
- Captain TJ Haldeman, a native of Kentucky who had moved to Cincinnati in 1829, commanded the YORKTOWN during its journey to Cincinnati.
- The YORKTOWN faced a delay during its journey due to low water and protruding sandbars, which forced it to store the Merz and Mahler Telescope ashore in the back of a waterfront building in Smithland, Kentucky, for a period.
- Covington, Kentucky, appears to play a role in this story as it is a possible location where transportation of the Merz and Mahler Telescope might have shifted from a river vessel to a land vehicle for the final leg of its journey to Cincinnati.
- After its arrival in Cincinnati, the Merz and Mahler Telescope became a prominent fixture at the Cincinnati Observatory, located on Mt. Adams, which was partially funded by a four-acre donation from Nicholas Longworth and built by astronomer Ormsby MacKnight Mitchel.
