In the year 1782 there was born a child of parents who had once been
somewhat wealthy, but who were then living in poverty at Newark, New
Jersey. This child was Nicholas Longworth, the father of grape culture
in the United States.
He attempted to learn various trades, at one time being bound to a
shoemaker, but finally settled upon the law and began its study, as his
circumstances would allow, in his native city. Young Longworth saw that
he would have far more chance to rise in the new country west of the
Alleghanies than in the over-crowded East. Therefore, when he was of age
he emigrated "out west," stopping at the outskirts of civilization,
locating in a small place of 1000 inhabitants called Cincinnati. Here he
entered the law office of Judge Burnett, and soon was capable of passing
the necessary examination, and was admitted to the bar. His first case
was in defense of a certain man who had been arrested for
horse-stealing, a very grave offense in that wilderness. This man had
no money and about all he possessed in the world that he could call his
own was two copper stills. As much as young Longworth needed money he
was obliged to accept these as his fee for clearing the man. He tried to
turn the stills into money but finally traded them for thirty-three
acres of land, which was a barren waste. He had kept his eyes open and
felt sure that the possibilities for Cincinnati were very great. He
therefore bought land at ten dollars per lot, as fast as his means would
allow, and all through the early portion of his life bought real estate
until he became recognized as the heaviest real estate owner in
Cincinnati.
Years afterward he saw the wisdom of his course,--living to see his ten
dollar lots rise to ten thousand dollars each, and the land which he
received as his first fee, that was thought to be all but worthless,
rise to the value of two million dollars. After following the law for
about twenty years he was forced to give up his practice in order to
take care of his extensive land interest. He went into the grape growing
business, and for some time his efforts were attended with only
discouragement, but he had relied on the clippings from foreign vines.
He firmly believed that the Ohio valley was naturally adapted to the
growth of the grape, and in this enterprise he allowed himself to harbor
no thoughts other than of success.
This is a characteristic of any man calculated to succeed. After
experimenting with many different varieties, he at last hit upon the
Catawba. To encourage the industry he laid out a very large vineyard,
gave away great numbers of cuttings, offered a prize for any improvement
in the Catawba grape, and proclaimed that he would buy all the wine that
could be brought to him from the valley, whether in large or small
quantities. The result was that grape growing figured as no small factor
in the development of Ohio. He had a wine cellar capable of holding
300,000 bottles, and was worth at his death $15,000,000.
Nicholas Longworth was exceedingly liberal in his own way--selling his
lots on easy installments, thereby aiding many to a home. His motto was,
"Help those who help themselves," however, he gave much to those whom no
one else would aid. He was personally of inferior appearance; not only
this, but nothing pleased him more than a shabby dress, being often
mistaken for a beggar. As a benefactor and horticulturist he made his
influence to be felt in succeeding generations.