QCS: Behind the Asphalt

Markbreit Avenue

Behind the Asphalt is Queen City Survey’s periodic look (and rip-off of VH1’s Behind the Music) at the people behind the names of our city streets.

Colonel Leopold Markbreit was born in Vienna, Austria on March 13, 1842. His father was a ’48’er and moved his family to the United States after the failed revolution and died shortly after the family came to Cincinnati in 1849. Markbreit studied law, was admitted to the bar and in 1861 formed a law practice with the future President, Rutherford B. Hayes. (Their offices were at Main & Court Streets). At the outbreak of the Civil War, the firm was dissolved and both men joined the Union Army. Markbreit rose in rank from sergeant, however in December 1863 he was taken prisoner during General Averell’s Salem Raid. Seventy-one men of the ninety-seven men captured during the events of the raid would die in Confederate prison camps. Markbreit survived more than thirteen months of capture and was released on February 5, 1865, due to efforts by his brother-in-law Friederich Hassaurek, US Minister to Ecuador. (Confederate General Lee would surrender to Ulysses S. Grant about two months later on April 9.)

". . . a bright gentlemanly, popular young German."
Rutherford B. Hayes describing Leopold Markbreit in 1861

After the war, Markbreit returned to Cincinnati and was elected to the City Solicitor’s Office. Beginning in 1867 he worked for Governor Jacob Cox (Later UC President) then Governor Hayes (his old partner) and in 1869 he was named U.S. Minister to Boliva by then President Grant until 1873. He travelled thoughout South America and Europe on business until 1875 when he returned to Cincinnati and became a stockholder of the Cincinnati Volksblatt Company, a German language newspaper. He would eventually become President of the Volksblatt after a stint from 1882-1886 as U.S. Treasurer in Cincinnati. Later in life he was involved in real estate and eventually he was elected Mayor of Cincinnati in 1908 and died on July 27, 1909 while serving as mayor. I believe his last residence was 2327 Upland Place.

He is buried in Spring Grove Cemetery Section 103, Lot 4, next to his wife Bertha whom he married in 1887, and his brother-in-law Friederich Hassaurek.

Markbreit Avenue was developed around the time of Markbreit's term as Mayor and then in the years that would follow. Most of the American and Dutch Colonial Revival homes date from the late 1900's and in to the mid-to-late 1910's. A few Craftsman style homes and Tudor Revival homes are scatter along the tree-lined street which now seems to radiate from Oakley Square.

References:
History of Cincinnati and Hamilton County

Photo of Leopold Markbreit from findagrave.com
Historic photo from Library's Cincinnati Memory Project